Be happy and prosperous

"Happy are all who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. You shall enjoy the fruits of your labor, you will prosper and be happy." (Psalm 127: 1-2)

So many promises are attached to the fear of the Lord. I love them all. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which I covert. Here in Psalm 127: 1-2, prosperity and happiness are promised to anyone who fears the Lord. Moreover, I am promised that I will enjoy the fruits of my labor. How great!

Dear Lord, teach me to fear you.

I am the Way

"I am the Way; I am the Truth and life." (John 14: 6)

Christ is the Way that I seek.

Jesus is the Truth that I study.

Christ is the Life in me.

Trust in God

"Do not let your hearts be troubled." (John 14: 1)

Do not let your heart be troubled about:

• Money
  
• Health
  
• Job
  
• Family
  
• The future
  

"Trust in God, trust also in me."

Your words are sweet to my heart. I will not be troubled about anything. Help me by your grace to always remember that you are in complete control.

God is our Father

"You are my son; today I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth." (Psalm 2: 7-8)

The Father's promise to his son: Ask it of me, and I will give you anything that is good for you.

Dear Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit and teach me how to surrender completely to Him. This is what I ask you in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!

Companions of Jesus

"And it is these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people." (Acts 13: 31)

The apostles were the companions of Jesus. After His resurrection, they became his witnesses. Jesus wants us to be His friend, companion and witness. How do we fulfill these tasks here and now? Keep on doing what you have been taught: the 7-Way Plan. The early Church survived the gruesome persecution of imperial Rome through fidelity to what they had been taught. They prayed, read and broke open the word of God and they broke Bread together. They drew strength from these to live in a very hostile environment.

St. Pius V

"Father, you chose St. Pius V as pope of your Church to protect the faithful and give you more fitting worship. By his prayers, help us to celebrate your holy mysteries with a living faith and an effective love…."

God chose St. Pius V for a specific mission: The Reform of the Liturgy.

Each of us has a unique and unrepeatable mission.

What is my mission?

Father of our freedom and salvation

"Father of our freedom and salvation, hear the prayers of those redeemed by your son's suffering. Through you may we have life; with you may we have eternal joy ….." (Prayer at Mass)

God is the Father of our freedom and salvation. He is also a gracious Father.

The Blood and Redemption

"By your blood, O Lord, you have redeemed us from every nation and people: you have made us into the kingdom of God." (Revelation 5: 9-10)

The blood of Christ has redeemed us from every sin and danger.

Nourished by the Eucharist

"Lord, may the Eucharist, which nourished St. Catherine in this life, bring us to eternal life ….." (Prayer in the Mass of St. Catherine of Siena)

Those nourished by the Eucharist:

• Peter and Paul
  
• Augustine and Ignatius
  
• Martin and Therese
  
• John Paul and Mother Theresa
  

The same Eucharist is nourishing me every day!

Faithful Witness

"Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, first born from the dead; you have loved us and washed away our sins in your blood." (Revelation 1: 5)

Jesus Christ is the Faithful Witness. Semper Fidelis. He keeps His promises come what may. What a delight and joy to serve such a Leader. You know you can trust Him.

Jesus Christ washed away our sins in His blood. Lord, you have absolute power to save me. You have absolute authority to make me whatever you want. I wait for the fullness of time without any anxiety.

Knowing and doing

"Now that you know this, blessed are you if you behave accordingly." (John 13: 17)

Blessed is he who hears the word of God and keeps it.

Grant us light to know your will and courage to do it.

Your word is a light to my path.

Now that you know the Beatitudes, blessed are you if you behave accordingly.

Walking in the light

"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

To walk by the light means to walk by the light of the word. Christ is the light of the world. He is also the Word of God.

When we accept Christ as our Savior and live by the light of His word, His blood cleanses us from all sin.

St. Catherine of Siena

"Father, in meditating on the sufferings of your Son and in serving your Church, St. Catherine was filled with the fervor of your love. By her prayers, may we share in the mysteries of Christ's death and rejoice in the revelation of his glory…." (Opening Prayer in the Mass on the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church – April 29)

Catherine grew in holiness through meditating on the passion of Christ. She was imprinted with the sacred stigmata. "In word and deed, she showed her love for God's Church and the Roman Pontiff. With her short life she gave us a lesson in courage." (Roman Missal)

Choice

"The Lord says, I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last, alleluia." (John 15: 16, 19)

The choice, the call and the anointing.

Lord, here I am. I have come to do your will. (Psalm 40: 8-9)

Holy Exchange

"Lord God, by this holy exchange of gifts you share with us your divine life. Grant that everything we do may be directed by the knowledge of your truth…." (Prayer at Mass)

The Eucharist is a holy exchange of gifts: Our bread and wine are accepted and transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We received the transformed gifts in Holy Communion.

If we come to the Eucharist and do not bring our gifts, represented by bread and wine, there will be nothing to transform. Our bread and wine encompass the fruits of our labor, our disappointments, delays, obstacles; our joys and sorrows. We offer all these to the Lord during the offertory.

We pray during the Eucharist that the Lord will strengthen our will and resolve so that everything we do will be directed by the knowledge of His truth. We ask for the all-encompassing light of Christ direct everything we do.

Being in the light

"I have come into the world as light, to prevent anyone who believes in me from staying in the dark anymore." (John 12: 46)

Christ is the light of the world.

To be in the light means to know, love and serve Jesus Christ.

How does Jesus prevent anyone who believes in Him from staying in the dark? He does it through His word and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance. These gifts of Jesus are available and abundant to believers.

Light and darkness

"I am the light of the world, says the Lord; the man who follows me will have the light of life." (John 8: 12)

The word of God is the light of the world. The Gospel provides light on all our problems.

The Gospel light shines on these areas of our life:

• Family
  
• Money
  
• Health
  
• Job
  
• Tools
  
• Food
  
• Future
  

The Sermon on the Mount is the masterpiece of the golden rule for peace and true riches of life. If we follow its light, we shall never be in darkness.

Set apart

"I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13: 2)

• The choice
  
• The call
  
• The anointed
  

Peter came to the ministry as a fisherman. Matthew came as a tax collector. Paul came as a rabbi.

What am I bringing to the ministry? To what has the Holy Spirit called me?

"I will be a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread knowledge of your name among my brothers."

St. Peter Chanel

"Father, you called St. Peter Chanel to work for your Church and gave him the crown of martyrdom. May our celebration of Christ's death and resurrection make us faithful witnesses to the new life he brings…." (Opening Prayer on the feast of St. Peter Chanel, April 28)

God called St. Peter Chanel

God called St. Louis de Montfort

God called St. Ignatius Loyola

Is God calling me?

The Eucharist is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Eucharist makes us faithful witnesses to the calling of God.

God Our Father

"God our Father, life of the faithful, glory of the humble, happiness of the just, hear our prayer. Fill our emptiness with the blessing of this Eucharist, the foretaste of eternal joy….." (Mass Prayer)

God is our Father. He has made us for Himself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Him.

The Eucharist is a foretaste of eternal joy.