"Lord, my God, I take shelter in you…. Save me from my pursuers and rescue me, lest I become like the lion's prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me." (Psalm 7: 2-3)
Unless I take shelter all the time in the Lord, I will become exposed and a prey to the hungry lion, to be torn to pieces. There will be none to rescue me.
I will make the Lord my refuge and my shield.
"I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, 'Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may no longer be remembered." (Jeremiah 11: 19-20)
Christ is the Lamb of God. He was the tree his enemies plotted to destroy in His vigor. They planned a total solution to the Jesus problem. God allowed their wicked schemes to succeed for a time.
"Yahweh informed me and I knew it; you then revealed their scheming to me." (Jeremiah 11: 18)
Has God ever revealed to you the source and the meaning of the persecution you are experiencing? This is what happened to Jeremiah here. It is has also happened to me. This revelation comes with great strength and patience to endure whatever you are facing. You simply know that God is in control and you are in good hands.
"Lord, guide us in your gentle mercy, for left to ourselves we cannot do your will …." (Opening Mass Prayer)
Lead me, guide me in your gentle mercy. Without you, I can do nothing.
"The snares of death overtook me, the ropes of hell tightened around me; in my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice." (Psalm 18: 5-7)
The snares of death – sin
The ropes of hell – sin
Call upon the Lord in your distress and He will answer you.
"Father, with unselfish love St. Joseph cared for your son, born of the Virgin Mary. May we also serve you at the altar with pure hearts …." (Prayer on the feast of St. Joseph – March 19)
St. Joseph cared for the holy family with unselfish love. St. Joseph, pray for me that I may serve God with a pure heart.
"When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home." (Matthew 1:24)
Joseph was an upright man. He was obedient to God's will.
"For the promise to Abraham and his descendants that he should inherit the world was not through the Law, but through the uprightness of faith." (Romans 4: 13)
The promises of God are made independent of the work that is required to keep the Law. We appropriate God's promises through our faith. We know that God has the integrity and power to fulfill His promises. We believe He will keep His word. By making the promises, God is treating us as sons and daughters. By believing, we are acting as sons and daughters.
Abraham believed in God's promises. We believe in the promise of salvation through Jesus. I believe in God's promises on the Enterprise. Because I believe, God is blessing me and treating me as a son.
"And when your days are over and you fall asleep with your ancestors, I shall appoint your heir, your own son to succeed you…… Your dynasty and your sovereignty will ever stand firm before me and your throne be forever secure." (2 Samuel 7: 12, 16)
Jesus Christ is the Son of David, the promised Messiah.
"The Lord has put his faithful servant in charge of his house-hold." (Luke 12: 42)
Joseph, the husband of Mary is the model of the faithful servant. The Lord put him in charge of His holy family.
"Lord, may the sacraments we receive cleanse us of sin and free us from guilt, for our sins bring us sorrow, but your promise of salvation bring us joy…"
The sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance cleanse us of sins and free us from guilt.
Our sins bring us sorrow. How true! God's promise of salvation brings us joy.
"I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts; then I shall be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31: 33)
It is the Holy Spirit within us that makes us to be God's people. He enables the divine filiation. Without His presence, we are unable to walk in God's ways.
"All you need is the Holy Spirit." - 0595
"John was a lamp lit and shining and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave." (John 5: 35)
Lord Jesus, make me a lamp in your Church. Light me that I may shine for you. Sow your word in my heart. Grant me the grace to expose your word with simplicity and courage.
Today is the feast of St. Anslem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. This is a man who shone for Christ.
"Lord, remember us for the love you bear your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea." (Psalm 106: 4, 21-2)
It is not that God does not perform wondrous deeds in our lives. We either do not make effort to remember or just choose to forget.
How easily I forgot what God did for me in:
From Swd91, I started taking note of God's wondrous deeds in my life.
Jesus gave us the Eucharist in order never to forget what He did for us in the Paschal Mystery. It is something to give thanks for that the Church has celebrated the Eucharist everyday for the past 2000 years.
"Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypt have become corrupt. They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to follow. They have cast themselves a metal calf, worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, 'Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt." (Exodus 32: 7-8)
The people have become quickly corrupt. The Exodus is the 'Enterprise' of the Israelites. They became corrupt even before they reached the Promised Land. They quickly left the way mapped out for them by God. Derailment in our journey of faith can come quickly and easily.
"They have cast themselves metal calf, worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it." What metal calf is tempting me today? Family, health, money, job, tools or food?
The Enterprise is journey with Christ. There are dangers on the way.
Lord Jesus, you have led me this far. Help me to persevere to the end. Amen!
"Father, through St. Cyril of Jerusalem you lead your Church to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of salvation. Let his prayers help us to know your Son better and to have eternal life in all its fullness …." (Memorial Mass of St. Cyril of Jerusalem)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem is known as Doctor of Catechesis. Concerning chastity, he wrote:
"….Let us not for a short pleasure defile so great, so noble a body: for short and momentary is the sin, but the shame for many years and forever. Angels working upon earth are they who practice chastity: the virgins have their portion with Mary the Virgin. Let all vain ornament be banished, and every hurtful glance, and all wanton gait, and every flowing robe, and perfume enticing to pleasure. But in all, for perfume let there be the prayer of sweet odor, and the practice of good works and the sanctification of our bodies: that the Virgin-born Lord may say even of us, both men who live in chastity and women who wear the crown, "I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
"Lord, may we never misuse your healing gifts, but always find in them a source of life and salvation…." (Mass Prayer)
The Eucharist is the healing gift par excellence. The Eucharist heals us of our ills of mind and body and at the same time renewing us.
"Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses." (John 5: 21)
The Son gives life to anyone He chooses. Lord Jesus, grant me life. Fill me with your life. Grant me the power to communicate this life to others.
"The Lord is kind and merciful. The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works." (Psalm 145: 8, 13)
Yes, I can trust God.
Faith – hearing God's word and believing it
Faithing – putting this belief into action
"Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has born? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you." (Isaiah 49: 15)
God will not forget me. I am constantly in his presence.
