Life is what our thinking makes it. Lord, help me visualize myself richly living
each day, believing, achieving, and then succeeding.
Scripture for the day:
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you
a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know
how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say,
'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall
speak whatever I command you, Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to
deliver you, says the LORD." ~Jeremiah 1:4-8
Meditation for the day:
God thought about the universe and brought it into being. God's thought
brought me into being. I can think God's thoughts after God. I can often
keep my mind occupied with thoughts about God and meditate on the way God
wants me to live. I can train my mind constantly in quiet times of
communion with God. It is the work of a lifetime to develop to full stature
spiritually. This is what I am on earth for. It gives meaning to my life.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may think God's thoughts after God. I pray that I may live as
God wants me to live.
God's Table Requires Table Manners
(Author Unknown)
You undoubtedly felt awkward the first time you had to learn which fork to use. But with that knowledge you can enter any dining experience with confidence.
The same is true when you dine at God's table. At first it seems difficult.
But learning the right manners makes it possible for you to be in any situation and please the Father.
Table manners at God's table:
1. You have to do your own chewing. Too many Christians expect God to take out a spoon and dish up the blessing for them. He is supposed to place it in our mouths, work our jaws to chew it up, and help us swallow it. We want God to do everything. The fact is that you have responsibility in God's sovereign world.
2. Accept the seating. Take the lowest seat, the seat of humility and service. If God wants you to sit higher up, He will show you that, but err on the side of humility, not pride.
3. Finish the meal. John 3:16 tells us, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." Some believe that because God has already come and died for the sins of the world, they don't have to do anything else. However, it's important to finish the phrase regarding man's responsibility: "whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." You must come to Him in order to receive the forgiveness that He purchased for you.
4. Read the menu. You must spend time reading what God has prepared. Read your Bible, meditate on the Word. It will give you strength and illumination according to God's plan for your life. It will keep you on course and remind you of your responsibilities in order to fulfill the plan of God.
5. Count the fruit. If you are not willing to bear fruit for Him, then you certainly have no place to expect Him to answer your requests, even if you ask things in His name. Jesus declares," Everyone that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37). The Holy Spirit inspires us to go to Jesus and do what He asks of us. His sovereignty makes the first move toward us, but because He gave us free will, we must move toward Him as well.
One Voice
Blessed are you
when you remain available
sharing in simplicity what you possess
Blessed are you
when you weep over the absence of happiness around you
and throughout the world
Blessed are you
when you strive to take the first steps,
the necessary one, to attain peace with
your brothers and sisters, throughout the world
Blessed are you
when you take seriously your faith
in the risen Jesus
A Fervent Prayer For The Sick and Suffering
O Almighty Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. The same Lord that so loves His children as to lay His life down for them. The same Lord that rose from the dead on the third day, and Ascended into Heaven. The same Lord that spoke the word and the Centurion’s Servant was immediately healed. The same Lord that restored sight to the blind; cleansed lepers, cured the halt and lame. The same Lord that with a word rebuked the seas and they were calm. The same Lord that raised Lazarus from the dead. The same Lord that has been given all power both in Heaven and on earth, do Thou, the same Lord visit and heal Thy servant, (__name__), from the afflictions that they are now suffering. Strengthen our faith like that of the Roman Centurion, so that we may ask for this healing with the same faith, trust, and hope that Thy servant, (__name__) will be healed in the same manner that the Centurion’s servant was restored to health. O Holy physician of our souls and bodies, hear this fervent prayer for Thy servant (__name__), and grant this request as we hold this, Thy servant up before Thy glorious Throne. We ask this in the victorious and Holy Name of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In my weakest moments, God reveals His Love
<h2>
Father Craig Butler, diocesan priest</h2>
I meet God through the people I encounter every day. One of the most enjoyable and humbling aspects of my life as a priest is simply being with people, spending time just talking - "hanging around" and sharing in their lives. At the same time I am privileged to meet people and talk with them at more than just a superficial level.
During these encounters I'm often overwhelmed by their goodness, their kindness and their holiness. By holiness I don't mean that they are nice or insipid or weak but rather that somehow they are in touch with God. They "know" Christ, not just about him. They are close to God, and more importantly, God is close to them. It gives me great joy to remind them of this and at the same time I feel as though I am sharing in their experience of God.
Ironically these people are often unaware of just how close to God they are and how much God loves them!
Of all my encounters with God, through the lives of people, the most profound are at those times and in those situations when I am at my most vulnerable. To sit with someone who has experienced a great tragedy is, I find, a real challenge. At those times I'm most deeply aware of my own inability to "do" anything, other than simply sit with the person and be there. My strongest inclination is to get up, excuse myself, and walk away - to some- where else where I can be more useful - and feel more comfortable!
It is in my weakest moments that God reveals his love for me most powerfully and I then find myself able to deal with just about anything.
Finally, the situation where I meet God on a "regular" basis is when I pray and most especially when I'm celebrating Eucharist. It is at these times that I experience my greatest need to know that the work I do is not mine but rather that it is God's, and that I can't do it on my own. I often feel inadequate when I look out at a sea of expectant faces.
It is my experience that it's at the most difficult and challenging times, and when I am aware of my dependence on God, that God reminds me of his love and his very real presence with me.
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