Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Acts 13: 44-52 Mud that either holds us fast, or is thrown up at us, is downright messy either way and can even be dangerous. So it is with memories of the difficulties in life; I can become stuck in images of problems past, and sometimes the world triggers old memories that can spatter grief, fear or rage over life in the present. But memories of God’s mercy and healing can similarly hold my focus in the realities of holy love, and spatter the present day with rays of beauty and life-giving joy. The disciples of Jesus even practised the mercy not mud principle in the face of active persecution. We are told that the disciples shook the dust off their feet in protest against their persecutors and went on, ‘filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.’ Help me, O Lord, remember not the mud but your mercies. O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. (Psalm 98:1) If we are intended for great ends, we are called through great hazards. Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman Soli gloriam dei .
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Acts 13:26-33 & John 14:1-6 The cross seems to represent death ... but really, the by Mercy of God, it proclaims life! Crosses come in all shapes and sizes in this life –broken relationships, illnesses, unemployment or diminishment of any kind, to name but a few. But really, by the Mercy of God, these crosses can become gateways into new places of mercy and of life. When I am reconciled to one who has abused me, this is mercy. When illness or infirmity slows me down, so I ‘have time to’ pray, that is mercy. When fame, fortune or success are diminished so that I learn who I am as a beloved daughter of God, mercy is at work. What places of ‘death’ are there in my life from which I need to be raised? Holy Spirit of God, raise me from the dead. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. (John 14:1) Prayer draws the Holy Spirit into the soul, and raises us up to heaven. St. Ephrem Soli gloriam dei . Acts 12:24-13:5 & Psalm 67
Having faith in God is a connecting kind of a thing. Jesus and his disciples did not live in isolation from family, friends and the world, but with them, working out differences of opinion and sorting out their relationships so as to truly reflect the love of God with their interactions with each other. What relationships in my life do I need Christ to look at, to ‘shine his face upon?’ What connections with others in my life need God’s blessing? Lord, let your face shine upon us and bless us. Set them apart for me for the work to which I have called them. (Acts 13:2) To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Soli gloriam dei . Acts 11:1-18 & Psalm 42 It is easy to be devoted and remain steadfast and faithful when things are good and vision is clear. But am I really committed to remaining faithful to the gospel of Christ Jesus and the Mercy of God when I’m in a slump? When the walls of the valley seem too steep, or even daylight seems gloomy, am I still prepared to doggedly follow the Master? Am I still able to guard my words to speak only words of faith, hope and love when the going gets rough? Am I willing to humbly walk this path, with no one cheering me on? These are the questions all the saints and faithful followers of the way of Christ have had to answer down through the ages. Holy Spirit, help me remain faithful with steadfast devotion. Among those who know me, I mention ... this one and that one [who] were born for it. (Psalm 87:5) To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Soli gloriam dei . Acts 11:1-18 & Psalm 42
Like a homeless person, I am so often led by my hungers into the ways and byways of life that call to me, promising recognition, accolades and ‘more’ –money , or fame or success. With my intellect, I understand that it is much better to walk within the truth of the Father of Life, and let the light rather than the darkness of the world lead me. But sometimes my heart is wayward, feeling that immediate love and acceptance is better than love based on faith and hope and God. How am I to find my way ... into the abundant life that Jesus promised? ... Through ‘the repentance that leads to life’ that the early Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, found opened the door to obedience. Holy Spirit of God, forgive me for following false guides, and let your truth and your light lead me. As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul thirsts for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1) To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. 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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