Thought for Tuesday December 1

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Luke 10: 21 – 24 Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

What do I see and hear that prophets and kings missed? What have others seen that I missed?


Action: Share something you have seen or heard with someone who has not seen or heard.

Thought for Monday November 30

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Matthew 4: 18 – 22 As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

How do I identify myself? What job does Jesus see me doing?


Action: Find 3 ways you can help to bring about the Kingdom of God through the day-to-day work that you do.

Thought for Thursday November 26 - Thanksgiving

Sirach 50: 22 – 24

And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you;

Thought for Wednesday November 25

Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Luke 21: 12 – 19 It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

Have I ever experienced Jesus giving me the right words at the right time? Do I trust him to be there for me in the hardest times?

Action: Think of one situation that needs Jesus to speak to it and pray for him to give you the right words. Be aware the “right words” may not be actual “words.”

Thought for Tuesday November 24

Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Luke 21: 5 – 11 Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”


Wouldn’t it be nice to know when something bad is about to happen? Do I spend much time preparing myself for hard times?

Action: Make a list of five things you need to do to prepare yourself for the worst — and then start working on them.

Thought for Monday November 23

Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
Glory and praise for ever!

Luke 21: 1 – 4 When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.

How much can I afford to give [money, time, energy]? How much do I give?

Action: Give a little more than you can afford.

Thought for Friday November 20

We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

Luke 19: 45 – 48 The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

Doesn’t “put him to death” seem like a pretty extreme way of responding to someone you disagree with? Am I violent about any issue?

Action: Have a great weekend.

Thought for Thursday November 19

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Luke 19: 41 – 44 As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace– but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

How peaceful is my city? Do I have any idea what would make for peace in my city?

Action: Do something to make your neighborhood a little more peaceful.

Thought for Wednesday November 18

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Luke 19: 11 – 28 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,’

Is there anything God has given me that he wants me to keep hidden away? Has God given me anything that I am hiding?

Action: Invest your talents in changing the world, or at least the part of it that is around you.

Thought forTuesday November 17

The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
The Lord upholds me.

Luke 19: 1 – 10 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.

What keeps me from seeing who Jesus really is? What am I going to do about it?

Action: Do whatever you have to do to see Jesus.

Thought for Monday November 16

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

Luke 18: 35 – 43 He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Have I seen a miracle? What miracle would I most like to see happen?

Action: Work to improve some situation that “would need a miracle to fix.”

Thought for Friday November 13

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

Luke 17: 26- 37 So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them,

What is my most prized possession? What would I risk to keep/protect it?

Action: Make a list of all the things you want to take with you when you die and put it in a safe place.

Thought for Thursday November 12

Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
Your word is for ever, O Lord.

Luke 17: 20 – 25 “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

If I can’t observe the kingdom of God, how am I supposed to know it is really here? What difference does it make?

Action: Think for yourself and don’t get wrapped up in mob mentality.

Today is the feast of St. Josaphat. Here is a little bit of his story from http://saints.sqpn.com/saintj61.htm

Mob mentality took over, and they invaded the residence. Josaphat tried to insure the safety of his servants before fleeing himself, but did not get out in time, and was martyred by the mob. His death was a shock to both sides of the dispute, brought some sanity and a cooling off period to both sides of the conflict.

Thought for Wednesday November 11

Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
Defend the lowly and the fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the lowly and the poor;
from the hand of the wicked deliver them.
Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.

Luke 17: 11 – 19 As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

Am I so used to my afflictions that I wouldn’t even notice if I were cured? Have you ever thought, “I would do more “good” if I didn’t have [some particular problem].”?


Action: Start trying to do something that you think you can’t do – ask Jesus to help.

Thought For Tuesday November 10

I will bless the Lord at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
I will bless the Lord at all times.

Luke 17: 7 – 10 When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’

Do I think I am special because I do some good things? Do I expect to do all I have been commanded to do?

Action: Do what God has commanded you to do.

Thought for Monday November 9

The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High! There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!

John 2: 13 – 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

Does this mean the disciples didn’t believe Jesus or the scriptures until after the resurrection? When did I come to believe Jesus and the scripture?

Action: Make a point this week of acting like somebody other people will believe.

Thought for Friday November 6

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Luke 16: 1 – 8 Prepare a full account of your stewardship,

If God asks me for an account of my stewardship, what will I tell him? What am I a steward of?

Action: Take responsibility for something at work or in your community that everyone else is ignoring.

Thought for Thursday November 5

I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Luke 15: 1 – 10 So Jesus addressed this parable to them. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?

Would I leave the 99 and go after the one? Does this sound like a good business decision?

Action: Work on a lost cause.

Thought for Wednesday November 4

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

Luke 14: 25 – 33 “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? … In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Do these two sentences really belong together? Is renouncing all of my possessions the cost of discipleship?

Action: Let go of your attachment to one of your possessions without actually getting rid of it.

Thought for Tuesday November 3

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Romans 12: 5 – 16 Let love be sincere.

What does sincere mean? How sincere am I in my day-to-day dealings with people?

Action: Read all of the passage from Romans and do one thing it suggests.


Note: I usually use the Gospel passage for the day (Luke 14: 15 - 24, but it was one of those that seems like it comes up over and over and the First Reading really struck me today.

Thought for Monday November 2 Feast of All Souls

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

John 6: 37 – 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.

Who am I praying for today? Who am I looking forward to seeing in heaven?


Action: Pray for your loved ones who have already died.