Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Numbers 21:4-9
At times I beg the Lord to ‘slow me down’, especially when I feel caught up in the fury and haste of today’s society. But more often I beg the Lord, ‘Please speed up –healing, career, journey of some kind –I can’t wait [on You] any longer.’ Neither tactic worked for the Israelites on their journey to the promised land. Indeed, their impatience landed them in serious trouble. Only Jesus’ plodding Way of the Cross, through torture and the fixation of crucifixion, can save us from the ‘serpents’ of haste and impatience. What speed is Jesus walking as I journey with him today? Christ Jesus, teach me the patience to remain in step with you . Even though I walk in the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff –they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. St. Teresa of Avila Soli gloriam dei .
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Daniel 13:1-64 & John 8:12-20
To follow Jesus, means to follow the Light of the World into paths of righteousness. It is not an option to listen to the Holy Spirit of God; it is a necessity. Thanks to Daniel’s habit of being attentive to the Holy Spirit’s word of truth, this young man was able to arrest the maltreatment of Susanna, the holy wife of Joakim, and perhaps many other women of Israel. Am I always attentive to the Light of the World, Jesus, leading me into paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake, and for the glory of God? Holy Spirit of God, help me be attentive to your leading into right paths. Even though I walk in the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff –they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) Your rod, your staff: one is to open a way through the undergrowth, the other to defend the flock. Pastoral Bible Foundation, Claretian Publications Soli gloriam dei . Jeremiah 11: 18-20
Adoration: Christ Jesus, I commit my cause to you ... It is easy to say, “Lord, I commit my cause to you,” and then rush off trying to solve all of life’s issues and persecutions with my own words, ideas and plans. Perhaps the most significant part of the Passion of Christ Jesus was his non-reaction to all the pokes and pushes, blows and blasphemies of his trial and crucifixion. When he was wrongly accused and tortured, he did not shoot back smart answers or try to escape. Like Jeremiah before him, Jesus committed his cause to God and clearly took refuge in his Father. God brought amazing grace out of terrifying evil, in the resurrection of the Christ and in the ministry of Jeremiah the prophet. Similarly today when I commit, we commit, our causes to the Lord, we open the door to God’s abundant mercies. Christ Jesus, I commit my cause to you. Christ Jesus, help my child, my friend, my colleague to commit their cause to you. God is my shield who saves the upright in heart. (Psalm 7:10) First let a little love find entrance into your heart, and the rest will follow. St. Philip Neri Soli gloriam dei . Wisdom 2:1-22
When I pursue my own purposes, to have enough riches, health and securities that I ‘want for nothing’, it is easy to think that this is all there is to life. But Jesus, and the writers of the book of Wisdom, show us that there is more to life than comfort and complacency. When I seek God’s purposes, I begin to know God intimately, and discover that having a blameless and holy soul leads to a life of mercy received and mercy given. This shift in knowledge and perspective in turn leads to the abundant life that Jesus proclaimed during his ministry. Christ Jesus, help me to know the purposes of God. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. (Psalm 34: 18) First let a little love find entrance into your heart, and the rest will follow. St. Philip Neri Soli gloriam dei . Isaiah 49:8-15
In Isaiah’s time, days of salvation were few and often in the distant future. Today, since the coming of Jesus, through his death and resurrections everyday can be a day of salvation. Sometimes I don’t even know what it is that I need to be saved from. I only know that sometimes apart from Christ life is fearful, overwhelming. But when I turn to the Lord, and in my humanness, my humility, ask for help - the pure light and caring compassion of the Holy Spirit of God puts everything into perspective. Then I can rest in the provision of God for all that I really need. Christ Jesus, help me in this day of your salvation. I pray to you, O Lord, for a time of your favour. In your great mercy, answer me, O God, with your salvation that never fails. (Psalm 68) Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Soli gloriam dei . |
AuthorBeverly Illauq lives in Kemptville, Ontario, where she greets each morning by seeking the Gospel Mystery of the Day - the Word of the Lord for direct and practical application to the specific challenges & joys of the day. Archives
March 2024
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