The swallow lays her young by your altar

"As the sparrow finds a home
and the swallow a nest to settle her young,
My home is by your altars,
LORD of hosts, my king and my God!
Blessed are those who dwell in your house!
They never cease to praise you." (Psalm 84: 4 - 5)

Pope Gregory the Great (690 - 604) taught: "Learn the heart of God from the word of God."
What can I learn today about the heart of God from Psalm 84: 4 - 5?
I learn that God is so tender towards His creatures that He allows the common sparrows and swallows to settle very close to His altars.
And how about me?
My home is by our altars, O Lord my God.

The Lord Himself marks out the pleasant spots for me near His altars.
"LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you have made my destiny secure.
Pleasant places were measured out for me;
fair to me indeed is my inheritance."  (Psalm 16: 5 - 6)

The Sanctuary is still and restful waters.
"The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.a
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name."  (Psalm 23: 1 - 3)

Where to seek the Lord?  In the Sanctuary.
"O God, you are my God—
it is you I seek!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
In a land parched, lifeless,
and without water.
I look to you in the sanctuary
to see your power and glory.
For your love is better than life;
my lips shall ever praise you!"  Psalm 63: 2 - 4)

The Choice, the Call and the Sanctuary
"Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring
to dwell in your courts.
May we be filled with the good things of your house,
your holy temple!"  (Psalm 65: 5)

Where to finish my days?  Near your Sanctuary, O Lord my God.
"One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the LORD’s beauty,
to visit his temple."  (Psalm 27: 4)

Learn the heart of God

"The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
compassionate toward all your works."  (Psalm 145: 8 - 9)

Father, let the truth about who you are in the above scripture transform me.
"Perfect love drives out fear."  (1 John 4: 18)

"Learn the heart of God from the word of God." (Pope St. Gregory the Great)

Believe what you read.
Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.

Grant me the grace to know the heart of Jesus perfectly, to love Him passionately and to follow Him everywhere.

God loves me so much that He....

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."  (John 3: 16)

The "world" here is me.  The Father loves me so much that He made Jesus Christ suffer and die for me.  The afternoon vision I experienced some days ago brought the truth home. Below is the narrative:

I experienced a bizarre dream towards the end of my nap this afternoon.  2 young men were in an enclosure.  Both seemed equal in terms of build.  One of them ordered the other to undress completely.  Then he picked up a spiked belt and started tearing into the flesh of the other man mercilessly.  I woke up shaken.  The question I kept asking myself is:  Why did the other man not resist?  I got the answer on Wednesday morning when I said the Divine Mercy Rosary glancing at the Stations of the Cross at STM BS Chapel.  The man being flogged is a type of Christ.  The Lamb that was led to the slaughter and did not open his mouth. The man doing the flogging is Satan, the original man of wickedness.

I understand better what Christ did for me.  He took the lashes for me.  Lord, I believe in you.  Thank you for what you did for me.

Direct my path according to your promise

"Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the wasteland
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in lava beds in the wilderness,
a land, salty and uninhabited."  (Jeremiah 17: 5 - 6)

I trust in you with all my heart O Lord.  Help me never to lean on sense evidence.  In everything I do I call upon you.  O Lord, direct my path according to your promise.

The man who trusts in human beings and makes the physical world his strength does not enjoy the benefits of times and seasons.  Times and seasons are God's appointment.  Just as we have summer, autumn, winter and spring so does the life of  man cycle through periods of prosperity and poverty.  I see enough of this in my business and life to understand.

Servant Spirit

"But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;"  (Matthew 20: 26)

Lord Jesus, give me a true servant spirit.  Give me also deep humility.  I want to serve your Body, the Church with all my time, talent and treasure.  Let your Holy Spirit lead me, guide me and use me.  Amen!

"Some men are born great.  Some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust unto them."  Shakespeare

Writing and Publishing Praise

"I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds."  (Psalm 9: 2)

What will happen to make me praise the Lord with all my heart and declare his wondrous deeds to the world?  I have learned from experience that the purest joy I have known is the joy of answered prayers.  The bigger the item, the more the joy and the greater the praise.  St. Therese of Lisieux says that God puts the desires in her heart that He intends to fulfill.  God's desire then becomes the same as that of St. Therese.

God has a good plan for our lives.  If we are open to His voice, He gives us desires that align with our destiny.

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope."  (Jeremiah 29: 11)

Are the desires of my heart aligned with God's plan for my life?

"Find your delight in the LORD
who will give you your heart’s desire."  (Psalm 37: 4)

How do I find my delight in the Lord?

"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

Stop Judging and you will not be judged

"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6: 37)

No Complain. No Criticize. No Condemn.  Help me God.  Amen!

Listen to Jesus

" Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” (Luke 9:35)

Father, I promise to listen to your Son.  Your Son always listens to my cry for relief. Therefore I will listen to Him when speaks to me.

"Sacrifice and offering you do not want;
you opened my ears.
Holocaust and sin-offering you do not request;
so I said, “See; I come
with an inscribed scroll written upon me.
I delight to do your will, my God;
your law is in my inner being!” (Psalm 40: 7 - 9)

Pray for those who persecute you

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5: 44 - 45)

I have found from experience that the best way to deal with people who are very unkind to me is prayer.  First, I go to the Lord with the hurt.  Then I start praying for them.  Depending on how deep the hurt is, this prayer can be just one time or as long as a few days to a few years.  I have actually prayed everyday for three people who ganged against me for a couple of years.  I did not even know when I stopped praying for them.  But the hurt was healed completely by God along the way.  It was then that  I noticed that the so-called "great hurt" was  necessary so that God can move me to another level of His plan for my life.

"But Joseph replied to them: “Do not fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people." ( Genesis 50: 19 - 20)

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8: 28)

I have prayed that your faith may not fail

"Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”  (Luke 22: 31 - 32)

If Christ has prayed for me, then it is accomplished.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, your faith will not be shaken by whatever distress: health, family, money, job, tools, food.  This is because I have prayed especially for you.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God."  (2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 4)

Jesus Christ is the Advocate and High Priest of His people

"The valiant one whose steps are guided by the LORD,
who will delight in his way,
May stumble, but he will never fall,
for the LORD holds his hand." (Psalm 37: 23 - 24)

.

For everyone who asks receives

"For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  (Matthew 7: 8)

Matthew 7:8 is a universal promise open to anyone who prays, seeks and knocks.  The Church teaches that prayer is infallible.  In other words, God commits Himself always and everywhere to fulfill His promise.  There are though, a few conditions that common sense dictates:  The one who prays must pray with faith and what he asks, seeks or knocks will be according to common sense.  Prayer is one of God's greatest gift to man.  Prayer is like the most advanced universal smartphone that holds the key to every door.

What do we ask for in prayer? We ask, "Give us today our daily bread."  (Matthew 6: 11)  The daily bread represents all our needs, spiritual and material. These are needs for pardon, peace, power, purpose, presence, protection and provision.

Thank you Father for giving us the consolation of the truth in your word today.  I need to hear this word here and now. It has brought already much joy and hope to my soul.  This morning, I stood before you Father and prayed with confidence for my daily bread.  As the day unfolds, I watch and wait to see how you fulfill them.  In the meantime, let me experience the foretaste of answered prayer in peace and joyful expectation.

Continuous joy is the gift of the redeemed

"Then all who trust in you will be glad
and forever shout for joy.
You will protect them and those will rejoice in you
who love your name." (Psalm 5: 12)

In some translations of the above scripture, the word "joy" is mentioned three times.  When I read it, it reminded me of the popular Christmas tone: "Joy, Joy, Joy......"
Continuous joy is the gift of the redeemed.  A joyful spirit is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I share below part of the commentary of above scripture from John Gills Exposition where joy is used several times:

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice
Who trust not in themselves, in their own hearts, in their righteousness, or riches, or strength; but in the name, righteousness, and strength of the Lord: who betake themselves to him, and put all their confidence in him: let them rejoice in the salvation of the Lord, and in hope of eternal glory and happiness;
let them even shout for joy:
not only rejoice inwardly, but express their joy externally, with their voices, and in the loudest manner; and that always, the matter and foundation of a believer's joy always continues; and so does the grace itself: though it is not always in exercise, yet it is an everlasting joy; and with it the redeemed of the Lord will come to Zion, and no man will be able to take away their joy. Which distinguishes it from the triumphing of the wicked, and the joy of the hypocrite, which is but for a moment;"

Give us today our daily bread

"Give us today our daily bread."  (Matthew 6: 11)

Father, your Son gave us the great prayer,  Our Father.  I wonder how many times  this prayer is said everyday by people all over the world.  I would imagine a couple of billions of times.   I know that I say it at least twenty times a day.  The more I say this prayer, the more I come to love and to depend on it.  This prayer is part of the Gospel of today that is read everywhere in the world.

As I seek to understand more your plan for providing my needs, I am struck by this verse more than in the past.  "Give us today our daily bread."  (Matthew 6: 11)  I know that you hear prayers.  I know too that your word is true and infallible.  Help me to trust you completely for the provision of my needs.  Help me also to understand that "Man does not live on bread alone."  (Matthew 4: 4).  Your mighty and loving providence knows what we need and provides them as needed.  Thank you Father.

When did I see you hungry?

"Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me."  (Matthew 25: 44 - 45)

Lord, lead me, guide me and use me to minister to the hungry, thirsty, sick and imprisoned this Lent.  You know well that without your help, I can do absolutely nothing.  Use me and may all the glory come to you.  Amen!

Man does not live on food alone

" He said in reply, “It is written:
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4: 4)

Jesus said in reply to Satan asking Him to turn stones into bread, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."  

Satan attacked Jesus at His time of weakness.  Jesus had just finished a successful 40-day retreat in the desert during which He fasted day and night.  He was very hungry and could have easily accepted the rationalizations of Satan.  "The fast is over. God does not expect you to die of hunger now. You need food to sustain you to walk back to town."  Jesus knowing the character of Satan, the father of lies and of all deceptions suspected his motives and countered with  a sure word of God: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." 
What does this word of God mean?

God is the provident Father.  He controls the pathways of life.  He is the source of every good gift.  Therefore:

• Man does not live on bread alone..
• Man does not live on Money alone...
• Man does not live on Job alone....
• Man does not live on Family alone...

There are many ways God suspects His man. He provides for man by every word that comes from His mouth.

Faith gives us access to God's promise of Pardon, Peace, Power, Purpose, Presence, Protection and Provision.

In the Temptation in the Desert, Jesus gave us an example of trusting God in temptation.

A Father who keeps His promises

"Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and satisfy your thirst in parched places,
will give strength to your bones
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring whose waters never fail."  (Isaiah 58: 7 - 11)

We see above a wonderful set of promises and the conditions for obtaining them by a Father who keeps His promises.

Condition #1:  ""Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?"

Promise #1:  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!”

Condition #2:  "If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;"

Promise #2:  "Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and satisfy your thirst in parched places,
will give strength to your bones
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring whose waters never fail."

O God our Father, you are certainly the God who keeps His promises.  In this season of Lent which you declared to be the acceptable time to gain your favors, grant us the grace to full the conditions for these great promises.  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord blesses His people with peace

"May the LORD give might to his people;
may the LORD bless his people with peace!"  (Psalm 29: 11)

Where does my help come from?  From the Lord who made heaven and earth?
Where does my peace come from?  From the Lord who is the Prince of Peace.
When I call upon Him, He hears me and takes pity on me.  He comes to my help because He hears the cry of the poor.

Take up your cross and follow me

"Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."  (Luke 9: 23 - 24)

Lord, what does it mean to deny my self today?
What does it mean to take up my cross and follow you?
Yes, of course, I wish to come after you.  But I must understand what you expect of me?  So the first grace I need today is the gift to understand  your expectations of me here and now.  How do I get this grace?

O Divine Spirit, Lord and Giver of life, source of all inspiration and power,  I turn to you now to ask for the gift of wisdom and understanding today.  Help me to discern how to deny myself today.  Grant me the grace to discern the cross or crosses that Our Lord Jesus Christ wants me to take up and follow Him.  Amen!

G o d

g r a n t

 m e   t h e

serenity   to   accept   the

 things   I   cannot   change;

the   courage   to   change 

the things

I  can,

and the

wisdom

to know

t h e 

difference.

A M E N !

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.”
Thus we may say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper,
[and] I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”  (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6)
Thank you Lord, I am beginning to understand.

Today is the acceptable time

"Working together,a then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.*
For he says:
“In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.” (2 Corinthians 6: 1 - 2)

Father, I call upon you this day, Ash Wednesday that I hear your soothing word.  Yes, I believe that today is the acceptable time.  Hear my prayer!  Fill me with your Holy Spirit.  Fill me with His gifts.  Grant me the grace to have a good Lent.  Amen.

God blessed the seventh day and made it holy

"God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation."

Thank you Father for the gift of Sunday and Sunday rest.  It is a gift that expresses your wisdom and love for the  universe you created.

"What is man that you are mindful of him,
and a son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little less than a god,
crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
put all things at his feet:
All sheep and oxen,a
even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how awesome is your name through all the earth!"  (Psalm 8: 5 - 10)

The great gift of Sunday is one gift that reveals to me the desire of God in all His commandments. Every single commandment of God exists to enhance the well-being of man.

Whoever approaches my throne of grace shall receive mercy

"Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed."  (Mark 6: 56)

Jesus never fails to heal anybody who approaches Him with boldness and confidence. The woman with the issue of blood touched the cloak of Jesus and was healed.  This incident made touching a deep expression of faith.  As many as touched the cloak of Jesus in Mark 6: 56 were healed.  In Blessed Sacrament Chapels, people are not content to adore and worship the Real Presence of Jesus, some must approach the Altar to touch the Monstrance.  I believe that anybody who is moved by faith to touch the Monstrance will receive mercy.

Do whatever He tells you

"After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing."  (Luke 5: 4 - 6)

Simon Peter lowered his net at the command of Christ and the result was a great number of fish was caught.
At the Wedding Feast at Cana, Mary said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2: 5).  They did and water was turned into wine.

I too like Simon Peter and his companions have toiled "all night" and many nights have caught nothing.  What is Christ's word to me?  I want to do whatever Jesus tells me?  But what must I do?  I want to act "at your word" Lord Jesus.  What is your word to me?

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.”
Thus we may say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper,
[and] I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?"  (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6)

Thank you Lord Jesus for the above word.  I cherish it.  But how I wish that your word to me is as concrete as that to Simon:   “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”  (Luke 5: 4)  Or your word at Cana:  "“Fill the jars with water. Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” (John 2: 7 - 8)

Lord, help me to trust your Providence instead of complaining that your word and command to me is more demanding.  Show me how to live this word of life to me concretely always and everywhere.

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, I know now the word that you ask me to "Do whatever he tells me."  I turn to you in prayer to ask for your help.  Obtain for me the light, guidance and faith I need to obey this command.

Trust and Obey!  There is no other way to have the best of Jesus!
Simon Peter and the servants at the Wedding Feast of Cana have this inner attitude of trust and obedience.  If I develop this inner attitude of trusting and obeying Jesus in little things, I will always enjoy His light and guidance in bigger things.

Give me the grace to be always and everywhere in your will

"May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever [and ever]. Amen."  (Hebrews 13: 20 - 21)

My God and Father, you are also the God of Peace.  I say AMEN to the above Benediction. Grant me the grace to be always and everywhere in your will,  Give me also the grace to do always and everywhere your holy will.  I ask for this confidently through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who is also our Good Shepherd.  Amen!!!

Be content with what you have

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.”
Thus we may say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"  (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6)

Lord, keep my heart free from love of money.  You ask me Lord to be content with what I have.  What if I have nothing?  You ask me to trust you nevertheless and be content in every circumstance.  I want to do this but you have to enable me through your grace.  What I like here Lord is your strong promise never to abandon me, come what may.  Thank you Jesus.

Take nothing for the journey

"He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts."  (Mark 6: 8)

The Apostles went for their first missionary journey obeying and trusting Jesus.  They returned home from the mission growing in faith.  Where can I trust God today?

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.  Through your goodness I have this delay, disappointment, obstacle to offer, let it become for me like a spiritual drink.

I will trust God in every circumstance today.

Do not forget God's gifts

"Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts"  (Psalm 103: 1 - 2)

Today, I offered thanks to God in the Eucharist for His blessings during these trying days. I thank God that I have a roof over my head.  I thank Him for my daily bread and  for health.  I thank God especially for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I thank Him for His precious word.  I thank God for inviting me daily to eat bread in the Kingdom.

O Holy Spirit, thank you for reminding me of the numerous gifts of God.

We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us."  (Hebrews 12: 1)

Every crisis is a trial of faith:  to trust God or not to trust Him.  Every saint living and in Heaven has been tried by fire.  So we have a cloud of witness in the Communion of  Saints cheering us.  We should ask for their help.  They had gone through their  own ordeal by fire and emerged victorious.  They witness to God's faithfulness.

The Enterprise is a Journey of faith.  What do I bring along?  What must I leave behind?  What has become an encumbrance or a distraction during the Journey?   Consider the following:  Heath, Family, Money, Job, Tools, Food, Future?  Has any or  some of these developed into an oppressive and demanding comfort zones?  What can I learn from the present trial?  Rid yourself of every burden and sin that clings.  It is too easy to form habits especially habits of comfort.  Some people cling to their guns.  Others cling to their gyms.  What do I cling to?

I must be patient and steadfast in the race that God has appointed for me in this trial. It is my race.  I have all the resources to win.  There will be no reason for failure.

But seek first the kingdom

"But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." (Matthew 6: 33)

I found a nice commentary for the above scripture from the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2830:

2830 "Our bread": The Father who gives us life cannot not but give us the nourishment life requires - all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and spiritual. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists on the filial trust that cooperates with our Father's providence. He is not inviting us to idleness, but wants to relieve us from nagging worry and preoccupation. Such is the filial surrender of the children of God:
To those who seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he has promised to give all else besides. Since everything indeed belongs to God, he who possesses God wants for nothing, if he himself is not found wanting before God.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you

"The word of the Lord came to me, saying: before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you."  (Jeremiah 1: 4 - 5)

Lord, what would you have me do?

"Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision, the goal of our journey here below. Then we shall see God "face to face", "as he is". So faith is already the beginning of eternal life:
When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror, it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy."  (Catechism of the Catholic Church #163)

Thank you Lord for the gift of faith.  I have a taste here and now of "the wonderful things which our faith assures us."

Faith gives us access to the Promise of God's pardon, peace, power, purpose, provision and presence.

Jesus is a sign of contradiction

"and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted; (and you yourself a sword will pierce)* so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  (Luke 2: 34 - 35)

Simeon foretells that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction.  Why should I be a people pleaser?  Most Holy Spirit, I surrender my heart, mind, will, body, time, talent, treasure, weakness to you.  Lead me, guide me and transform me into the image of Jesus.  Thank you, O Lord.

Do not throw away your confidence

"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10: 35 - 36)

Lord, thank you for the gift of faith.  Thank you for the trust in your mercy.  How blessed I am that in the present crisis, I have not allowed fears, worries and doubts to eat away my confidence.  I do appreciate the peace that I feel.

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  (James 1: 2 - 4)

While I am not yet in the place to consider any trial a thing of joy, I thank God that for the first time, I am coping well with fears, worries and doubts.   I am trusting in the Lord and He is blessing me with peace.

He who made the promise is trustworthy

"Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy."

Lord, you give us the consolation of the truth through the scriptures.  Thank you for those whom you have enlightened to unpack these precious promises for us.  I found two commentaries on the above scripture by John Gills and Matthew Henry that bring me much joy and consolation.

"For he [is] faithful that promised;
that is God; and it is true of Father, Son, and Spirit; but God the Father may be more especially designed: he is a promising God, and is known to be so by his people; he is eminently and emphatically the Promiser; and all other promisers, and the promises made by them, signify little; but the promises of God are exceeding great and precious, very ancient, free, and unconditional, irrevocable and immutable, and are admirably suited to the cases of his people, and will be fulfilled everyone of them: they include in them things temporal, spiritual, and eternal; things temporal, as that his people shall not want, that their afflictions shall work for good, and that he will support them under all their troubles; things spiritual, as that he will be their God, which takes in his everlasting love to them, and his gracious presence with them, and his protection of them; and that all grace shall be wrought in them, and every blessing of grace bestowed on them: and things eternal; as everlasting glory and happiness; the promise of eternal life was in God's heart, made in the covenant, and put into Christ's hands before the world began, and is declared in the Gospel: now God is faithful to all his promises, nor can he fail, or deceive; he is all wise and foreknowing of everything that comes to pass; he never changes his mind, nor forgets his word; and he is able to perform, and is the God of truth, and cannot lie; nor has he ever failed in anyone of his promises, nor will he suffer his faithfulness to fail; and this is a strong argument to hold fast a profession of faith."  (John Gills Exposition)

"The apostle exhorts believers to hold fast the profession of their faith, v. 23. Here observe, (1.) The duty itself—to hold fast the profession of our faith, to embrace all the truths and ways of the gospel, to get fast hold of them, and to keep that hold against all temptation and opposition. Our spiritual enemies will do what they can to wrest our faith, and hope, and holiness, and comfort, out of our hands, but we must hold fast our religion as our best treasure. (2.) The manner in which we must do this—without wavering, without doubting, without disputing, without dallying with temptation to apostasy. Having once settled these great things between God and our souls, we must be stedfast and immovable. Those who begin to waver in matters of Christian faith and practice are in danger of falling away. (3.) The motive or reason enforcing this duty: He is faithful that hath promised. God has made great and precious promises to believers, and he is a faithful God, true to his word; there is no falseness nor fickleness with him, and there should be none with us. His faithfulness should excite and encourage us to be faithful, and we must depend more upon his promises to us than upon our promises to him, and we must plead with him the promise of grace sufficient."  (Matthew Henry Commentary)

Producing a hundredfold yield

"And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”  (Mark 4: 8)

Lord, I desire to yield a hundredfold harvest for you.

"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last." (John 15: 16, 19)
"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21:23)

Prosper the work of my hands, Lord.  Oh, prosper the work of my hands.

It is good to wait for the Lord

"Surely, I wait for the LORD;
who bends down to me and hears my cry."  (Psalm 40:2)

Wait for the Lord (Psalm 27: 14; 37:34)
Wait patiently for him (Psalm 37: 7)
I wait for you (Psalm 25: 21)
For you I wait all day (Psalm 25: 5);
I wait for the Lord more than a watchman wait for the morning (Psalm 130: 5-6);
I wait for God my savior (Micah 7:7)
I wait patiently for the Lord (Psalm 40: 1)
I wait in silence for God (Psalm 62: 1, 5)
We wait for you (Isaiah 26: 8, 33: 2)
Those who wait for the Lord renew their strength (Isaiah 40: 31)
Those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land (Psalm 37: 9)
Blessed are those who wait for him (Isaiah 30: 18)
May those who wait for you not be ashamed through me (Psalm 69:6)
This is our God for whom we have waited (Isaiah 25:9)
The Lord is good to those who wait for him (Lamentation 3: 25)
Be like men waiting for their Master (Luke 12: 36)
Saul was told to wait 7 days for Samuel (1 Samuel 10: 8; 13:8)
David will wait until word came (2 Samuel 15; 28)
(Roget’s Thesaurus of the Bible)

The Gospel reveals our identity and true destiny

"but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1: 10)

In the Incarnation, the Son of God became a human being and lived among us. In His life, passion and death, He revealed our identity and true destiny.  His resurrection from the dead is a confirmation that we too shall rise from the dead.  All these facts and mysteries were revealed in the Gospel.  Thank you Jesus for the Good News!

I chose and appointed you to bear fruit that will remain

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."  (John 15: 16)

The choice, the call and the anointing.  The Enterprise is a Journey of Faith.  The destination is to attain the purpose:  "to bear fruit that will remain."
The journey is convoluted but thank God it is on course.  What I see in the mirror may not be pretty but I am still the "Imago Dei."  The Journey may be long but my shoes are not worn out.  There is food and water and shelter for the Journey.

Although I am blindfolded in this Journey, all that is required of me is to place my right hand on the right shoulder of Jesus and continue as He leads me.  I walk by faith and not by sight.

Chosen and appointed to bear much fruit

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."  (John 15: 16)

You chose and appointed us to go and bear fruit that will last.  We shall bear witness to you in the world, O Lord.  We shall spread a knowledge of your name among our brothers.

As we labor faithfully in Christ's vineyard, whatever we ask the Father in the name of Jesus, the Father will hear and give to us.  What do we ask for?  We ask for the mother of all gifts - the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is all that we need.  He is the gift that contains every gift.

The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are: (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1831)

1. Wisdom
2. Understanding
3. Counsel
4. Fortitude
5. Knowledge
6. Piety
7. Fear of the Lord

Christ chose and appointed us to go and bear abundant fruits.  What type of fruits?

What are the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit? (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1832)

1. Charity
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Generosity
8. Gentleness
9. Faithfulness
10. Modesty
11. Self-control
12. Chastity

Bearing these types of fruits result in abundant harvest of conversions to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ has absolute power to save us

"Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them."  (Hebrews 7: 25)

Jesus Christ has supreme power to save us from sin and all types of distress.  He is always able to save us from all types of problems arising from these human conditions:  family, health, finances, job, tools and care for the future.

When we approach Our Father who hears our prayers, through His Son, Jesus Christ Our Savior, we are assured of a successful and certain mediation on our behalf..  This  is because Jesus knows the mind of the Father with regard to our best interests. His intercession can never fail.

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable

"The LORD has sworn and will not waver:
“You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110: 4)

What has the Lord said to me that I do not want Him to change?
"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last."  (John 15: 16, 19)
"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia."

"For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11: 29)

Enlighten our eyes to know the hope that belongs to your calling

"May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,"  (Ephesians 1: 18)

The Holy Spirit reveals to us what God is doing in our life.  John Gill writes that those who had tasted the Spirit had begun to taste the life of the future world that God has prepared for His people.  The saints are saints because they had this experience.  The martyrs laid down their lives for Christ because they were convinced that they were exchanging their lives for something much better.

The 7-Way Plan to Peace & Serenity

The 7-Way Plan to Peace & Serenity

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

---

1	2	3	4
The 7-Way Plan	The 7-War Zones	The 7 Promises	The 7 Fruits
1.Prayer	Health	Pardon	Faith
2.WOG	Family	Peace	Patience
3.Eucharist	Money	Power	Wisdom
4.Penance	Job	Purpose	Humility
5.Examen	Tools	Presence	Courage
6.Ministry	Food	Protection	Peace
7.Spiritual Reading	Future	Provision	Contentment

"Almighty and ever-present Father, your watchful care reaches from end to end and orders all things in such power that even the tensions and the tragedies of sin cannot frustrate your loving plans.

Help us to embrace your will, give us the strength to follow your call, so that your truth may live in our hearts and reflect peace to those who believe in your love.  We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord."

There is time to fast and time to feast

"Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day."  (Mark 2: 19 - 20) 

The Holy Spirit is the free gift of God.  The gift is given to us not because we are holy but to make us holy.  Receive joyfully what has been given from the bounty of the Father.  You grieve the Holy Spirit when you constantly whine about your unworthiness, your lack of ideas, strength, money, etc.  Trust completely in the Holy Spirit and He will direct your path.  He will tell you the moment to fast. There is time for everything. A time to fast and a time to feast.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Do whatever He tells you

"His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”  (John 2:5)

Yes, Mother, I will do everything your Son tells me.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)

"Almighty and ever-present Father, your watchful care reaches from end to end and orders all things in such power that even the tensions and the tragedies of sin cannot frustrate your loving plans.
Help us to embrace your will, give us the strength to follow your call, so that your truth may live in our hearts and reflect peace to those who believe in your love.  We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord."

"For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."  (Romans 11: 29)

Let us approach the throne of grace with boldness

"So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help."  (Hebrews 4: 16)

My Lord, I trust in your word.  Inspired by this invitation, I approach your throne of grace with boldness to ask for mercy.  I know your mercy is unlimited. It is more than enough to meet all my needs.

God's favor is timely but never late.  If only we  trust Him.  Lord, I surrender to you the What, the How and the When of your grace.  I trust in you.

Strive to enter into that rest

"Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience."  (Hebrews 4: 11)

How do we strive to enter into that rest?  That rest is the Sabbath Rest, which for Christians is Sunday.  We strive to enter into that rest when we honor Sunday and find our delight in it.  Sunday rest is a rehearsal for Eternal rest.  This is the Rest without end from our labors, sickness and all distress associated with life in the world.

Lord, thank you for the gift of Sunday.  Help us to cherish it and grow through it to know your heart intimately.

If you wish, you can make me clean

"A leper* came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”  (Mark 1: 40 - 41)

This leper  teaches us a number of lesson in the art of prayer.
First, great and successful prayer is born of great need.  This man covered with leprosy has little hope of being healed.  Yet he was not fatalistic about his condition. He bides his time, waiting for the opportunity and God's appointment.  He heard about Jesus and made a leap of faith that if he could approach Him, He would heal him.  Then suddenly, the opportunity appeared and Jesus is within an approachable distance.  He could not waste this opportunity for the whole world.  He approaches Jesus.  Jesus moves nearer to him.  He knelt down and made his prayer.  "If you wish, you can make me clean."  The rest is history.

Our needs drive us to Jesus.  Lord, heal me of the leprosy in my heart that prevents me from using fully my gifts to serve you.

I delight to do your will

"I delight to do your will, my God; your law is in my inner being!”  (Psalm 40: 9)
"Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart's desire." (Psalm 37:4) 

I find my delight in you O Lord and I desire to do your will.  Fill me therefore with your Holy Spirit to enable me to do your will always and everywhere.

"Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”  (Matthew 21: 22)

I believe that the Father will grant me my heart's desire because of this promise:

"If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11: 13)

It is truly the word of God

"And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe."  (1 Thessalonians 2: 13)

Thank you Lord for feeding me everyday with your word.  Show me how to apply this word everyday.  May your word be a light for my every step.  My your word dwell in me richly.  May it increase my faith and understanding everyday.

Come after me, I will make you fishers of men

"Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him."  (Mark 1: 17 - 18)

Lord, if you call me, here I am.  Although I may have answered your call "you too, go to the vineyard and work"  rather late in the day, I come with everything I have to the field.  All that I need is your sustaining grace.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of His sandals

"John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire."  (Luke 3: 16)

Dear Jesus, give me the humility and singleness of purpose of St. John the Baptist.
St. John the Baptist, pray for me.

If we ask anything according to his will, He hears us

"And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours."  (1 John 5: 14 - 15)

Father, what beautiful words of encouragement you have for me this morning.  If there is something I can say with certainty today, it is that I do not desire anything outside your will.  If I do, do not grant it.  I have come to learn and believe firmly that you know what is best for me.  Three of your greatest blessings to me today convinces of this truth.  I did not choose Casa, STM, SFJ by my own ingenuity.  Your loving providence guided me to these blessings. I did not choose to enjoy the blessings of Sunday because of my brilliance or goodness.  You gave it to me as a pure gift. Why then should I dishonor you by wanting anything outside your will?  Forbid that this will happen.

Father, you promise that since I do not know how to pray and what to pray for, your benevolent Spirit living in me will direct my heart and mind to pray in accordance to your will.  May this happen always and everywhere.  I ask for this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ.  Amen!!!

"I do will it. Be made clean."

"Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately."  (Luke 5: 12 - 13)

This man was full of leprosy and Jesus touched him.  What can I learn from this?  Grant me the grace to extend my hand and touch all those you want me to touch.

The man said,  “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."  The man has heard about the miracles of Jesus and believed that Jesus could heal him.  Faith is to believe that God has the power to do whatever He wishes come what may.  This leper has this faith. He also understands that God will not do everything He can do.  His will is the best for us.  He prays and hopes that God's will for him will be healing.

Jesus utters the gracious words, 'It is my will that you be healed.'  Then He said, "Be made clean."  And the leprosy left the man immediately.

I believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God

“For whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.”  (1 John 5: 4)

Scripture and religion teach us that there is a constant struggle in the world between the forces of good and evil.  If I am in any campaign or struggle, I will be interested in any shortcut to victory.   1 John 5: 4 caught my attention because it promises a silver bullet for any war.  That bullet is Faith.

What is faith?  In the very next verse, St. John the Evangelist defines faith:  “Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  (1 John 5: 5)

 In the Sacred Scriptures, there are many definitions of faith.  But 1 John 5: 5 appeals to me because of its simplicity.  I need a working definition of faith that I can use in battles.  I believe in Jesus Christ.  I believe that He is the Son of God.  I believe in His promise that if we ask, we shall receive; if we seek, we shall find; if we knock, the door will be opened to us.  Yes, I believe in prayer.  I believe in miracle.  I am learning today to leave the rest to God.  Once I exercise my faith through prayer, I surrender to God the outcome, the means and the timing of His answer.

Perfect love drives out fear

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love."  (1 John 4: 18)

Perfect awareness of God's constant and unconditional love for us means living in the full knowledge of His loving and powerful providence.  This providence is fully at work for us every moment and every step of our life's journey.

If you fear that God will abandon you with regard to family, health, finances, job, tools, food or future, it means that your understanding of His love for you is deficient.  Our spiritual journey is to take us from the place of fear, worry and doubts to the glorious freedom of fullness of charity.

He taught them many things

"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things."  (Mark 6: 34)

Lord Jesus, you satisfied the hearts of those who seek to listen to your word by teaching them many things.  After teaching them many things, you fed them with bread and fish and they ate and were satisfied.  Grant me a compassionate heart for all those you appoint me to minister to.  May I remember from this event that nourishment for the body should not be neglected when teaching the word is the primary event.

Unleashing the Power of the Holy Spirit

After dinner on this feast of the Epiphany, I watched Christian TV and 2 of the presentations touched on my major theme for 2013:  How to be filled with the Holy Spirit and His power.  Both Merritt and Lindsey talked about what I know already.  The new thing I learned is this:  Every morning, I am refilled with the HS during morning prayer.  My asking for the HS in prayer with faith unleashes this outpouring.  How do I activate this power?  There is no global activation.  It is a point to point activation.  An analogy with the credit card is appropriate here.  Because your credit card is good and activated does not mean that you walk into a store, pick an item and walk out with it.  You still have to go through the checkout and present that card.  In the analogy with the HS, presenting the card at checkout point is ASKING FOR THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT THE POINT OF NEED.  This is done through prayer.  The  prayer need not be lengthy or complex.  A simple "Help me O Holy Spirit" is enough.

The other important thing I learned about the Holy Spirit activation is this:  After invoking the help of the HS in faith, Surrender the Outcome, the Means and the Timing of the Solution to the Holy Spirit.  We see here, a deeper exercise of faith.  This is the level I fail.  Sometimes, it is difficult to surrender the Outcome, the Means and the Timing of the Solution to God.

As I reflect on the above, I remembered a prayer I learned  during my Desert Experience:
I believe in Prayer
I believe in the word of God
I believe in Miracles
I leave the rest to God.

The fourth step - LEAVING THE REST TO GOD is the hardest.  Leaving the Rest to God means Surrendering the Outcome, the Means and the Timing to God.  If I can do this, this will represent a quantum leap in my spiritual development.  At this point in my spiritual journey, my only hope of making this leap is pure grace.  This  I know that God is on my side and that in the fullness of time, He will grant me this grace in His mercy.

"Faith that is firm is also patient."  (Isaiah 28: 16)

You have overcome them

"You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."  (1 John 4: 4)

The first principle of a successful spiritual campaign is:  Do a thorough SWOT analysis   SWOT stands for:  S = Strength, W = Weakness, O = Opportunity, T = Threat.  I learned this principle in Marketing.  Then I saw that this is one of the principles of Ignatian spirituality.

After SWOT analysis, St. Paul urges the Ephesian Christians to:
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens."  (Ephesians 6: 10 - 12)

For this warfare, we are to put on the full armor and not pieces of armor.  One of the most important pieces of armor is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The word of God, the sword of the spirit assures us even before the battle that we "have overcome them, for the one in us is greater than the one who is in the world."  What a tremendous boost to confidence is the sure knowledge that the outcome of the battle is certain to be victory for us.

They prostrated themselves and did Him homage

"and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."  (Matthew 2: 11)

They prostrated themselves and did him homage even though they found Mother and Son in a very poor environment.  They walked by faith that led them to the house and not by physical and sense evidence.

They came, they saw and they worshiped.  No doubts, no fears, no worries.

Lord, grant me the faith of the Magi for your presence in the Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament.

God Himself is the top prize

"LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you have made my destiny secure.
*Pleasant places were measured out for me;
fair to me indeed is my inheritance."  (Psalm 16: 5 - 6)

God Himself is the top prize.  He who has God has everything.

"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."  (Matthew 19: 29)

You are the living bread that came down from heaven

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  (John 6: 51)

Lord Jesus, I ate this Bread today.  Thank you for inviting me to eat this Bread in the Kingdom. I participated in the Supper of the Lamb, therefore I rejoice when I read of your promise in John 6: 51.  Let it be done to me according to your promise.

God is not ashamed to call me a son

"Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."  (1 John 3:2)

The  Holy Spirit declares in the above scripture that here and now, I am a child of God.  Do I believe this?  Yes, I do.  Do I live the implication of this astounding declaration always and everywhere?  Not always and everywhere but  I am learning.  All the truth I need to live my filial adoption are contained in the Our Father, the Lord's Prayer.  God who is not ashamed to call me His son gave me a Brother in His Son Jesus Christ who is not ashamed to call me a brother.

Father thank you for adopting me as your son.  Jesus Christ, thank you for not being ashamed to call me your brother.  Grant me the  grace to embrace my  weaknesses so that I can return love for love.

"When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” (Luke 2: 48)
Consider this:  Jess Christ is not ashamed to call Mary His Mother.

My mood and every other thing is determined by my faith.  I am upbeat today.  Why? God says to me today: You are my son.  Jesus Christ says to me: You are my brother. Both Father and Son say to me:  We are not ashamed of you.

Jesus Christ is the light of all nations

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone.”  (Isaiah 9:1)

The great light is Jesus.  He is the Light of all nations.
I like the exposition of John Gills on Isaiah 9:2:-

“they have seen a great light;
Christ himself, who conversed among the Galilaeans, preached unto them, and caused the light of his glorious Gospel to shine into many of their hearts; by which their darkness was removed, so that they not only saw Christ, this great light, with their bodily eyes, but with the eyes of their understanding; who may be called the "light", because he is the author and giver of all light, even of nature, grace, and glory; and a "great" one, because he is the sun, the greatest light, the sun of righteousness, the light of the world, both of Jews and Gentiles; he is the true light, in distinction from all typical ones, and in opposition to all false ones, and who in his person is God over all.”

Matthew Henry has equally good commentary on the above scripture:

“When the gospel comes to any place, to any soul, light comes, a great light, a shining light, which will shine more and more. It should be welcome to us, as light is to those that sit in darkness, and we should readily entertain it, both because if is of such sovereign use to us and because it brings its own evidence with it. Truly this light is sweet.”

The Lord bless you and keep you!

"The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!"  (Numbers 6: 24 - 26)

My God and My Father, what a beautiful blessing to start this year 2013!  I believe in you.  I have absolute trust in your power.  I know you want indeed to bless me.  With open heart, mind and hands, I receive your blessings this day.  I ask for one favor now, Father.  Never permit me to doubt the blessings  you have pronounced on me this day.  No matter the circumstances, always help me to remember this blessing and to take comfort in it.  I ask  this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!!!