Thursday, March 31, 2016

Thought for Friday April 1


The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

 
John 21: 1 – 14  Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and appeared to a few people – and Peter decided the best thing to do was go fishing – does that seem like an appropriate response?  What do I do when events overwhelm me?

Action:  Go fishing this weekend – or do some other activity that suits you.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Thought for Thursday March 31


O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Luke 24: 35 – 48  While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

What reaction did Jesus expect from people when he appeared to them after being raised from the dead?   Would I have been “cool” about it or I would have been startled like everybody else?

Action:  Give someone a good surprise today.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Thought for Wednesday March 30


Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

Luke 24: 13 -35  That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.

Have you been talking to people about Easter?  Of all the things that occurred during the Passion and Resurrection, which one stands out most?

Action:  It takes 3 – 5 hours to walk 7 miles; spend 3 – 5 hours this week reviewing the events of Holy Week and Easter.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Thought for Tuesday March 29


The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

John 20: 11 – 18  When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.

Is it possible I have “seen” Jesus and not recognized him?  How do I recognize him?

Action:  Pick an action to celebrate the Easter season like you observed Lent. For example, if you gave up sweets for Lent, during Easter bake cookies for people.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Thought for Monday March 28


Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope
.

Acts 2: 14 – 33   My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.

What testimony can I give in support of the Resurrection?  How important is the Resurrection?

Action:  Arise from your forty days of sacrifice and celebrate.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Thought for Good Friday March 25


Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Hebrews 4:14 – 16  Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,  Jesus, the Son of God,  let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,  but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.  So let us confidently approach the throne of grace  to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.


Does the memorial of Jesus’ death on Good Friday give me confidence or do I just feel a little sick to my stomach?


Action:  Accept Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Thought for Holy Thursday March 24


For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him;
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior!’“
 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 
Isaiah 61: 1 – 9  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners,  To announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn;

Have I ever been brokenhearted?  Am I allowing myself to appreciate this Jubilee Year and accepting God’s mercy?

Action:  It’s Holy Thursday  - Go to Mass today and let Jesus heal your broken heart, bring you glad tidings, free you from whatever holds you captive and comfort your mourning.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Thought for Wednesday March 23


Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
 Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
Isaiah 50: 4 – 9  And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
Matthew 26: 14 – 25  One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,  went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
 
Can I sense the building tension of Holy Week?  With which “character” in the story of the Passion do I most identify?
 
Action:  Donate “30 pieces of silver” to charity for every time someone has “sold you out.”  And Pray for Belgium.
 
30 pieces of silver = whatever amount feels right to you (30 dimes =$3.00;  30 quarters = $7.50; 30 ounces of silver = $475.00; 30 Coors Light= $28.00)

Monday, March 21, 2016

Thought for Tuesday March 22


I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked
I will sing of your salvation.

Isaiah 49: 1 – 6  Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,  Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.

What gives me hope when I feel like I have toiled in vain, for nothing, uselessly and spent my strength?  Do I think this is how Jesus felt in the last few days before his crucifixion?

Action:  The next time you feel useless, read Psalm 73 and remind yourself that God is your good.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Thought for Monday March 21


The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.


John 12: 1 – 11  Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.


How would I spend my life if I had been raised from the dead?  How do I spend my life knowing that Jesus died for my sins so that I might have life eternal?


Action:  Live like you have been raised from the dead.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Thought for Friday March 18


In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

 
John10: 31 – 42  If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

What is the Father’s work?  Does God the Father still do “work”?

Action:   Do some good work today.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Thought for Thursday March 17


The Lord remembers his covenant forever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
The Lord remembers his covenant forever.


Genesis 17: 3 – 9  I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

What does it mean to me that God has entered into a pact to be my God?  Can I imagine life if God were not my God?

Action:  Thank God for being your God.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Thought for Wednesday March 16


Glory and praise forever!
“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 forever!


John 8: 31 – 42  Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”


If the truth sets me free, what does a lie do?  Is there something I would like to be freed from?


Action:  Tell the truth about something that has been bothering you.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Thought for Tuesday March 15


O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;           
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

John 8: 21 – 30  The one who sent me is with me.  He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.

Do I always do what is pleasing to God?  How often do I even think about it?

Action:  Do something pleasing to God today.

Thought for Monday March 14


Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
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.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.


John 8: 12 – 20  Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Am I ever walking in darkness?  What has Jesus shined the light on for me?

Action:  Take a walk and pay attention to the signs of spring; flowers blooming, warmer temperatures, more sunlight, etc. and look for signs of change in your own life.

 

Friday, March 11, 2016

Thought for Friday March 11


The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

John 7: 1 - 12, 10, 25 - 30    Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.

Are there things I don’t want to do?  What things will I do even when I don’t want to?

Action:  Do something you should do but don’t want to do this weekend.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Thought for Thursday March 10


Remember us, O Lord, as you favor 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.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

John 5: 31 – 47  “I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.  I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?

Is it important for me to get praise from other people?  How often do I sincerely praise others?

Action:  Praise somebody for doing something that you normally take for granted.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Thought for Wednesday March 9


The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
The Lord is gracious and merciful.

John 5: 17 – 30  “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

What can I do on my own?  Whose will do I seek?

Action:  Try to do something good that you have not done before because you thought you just weren’t up to it. 

Monday, March 7, 2016

Thought for Tuesday March 8


The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
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 Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

Ezekiel 47:  1 – 9 , 12   Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.  Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.


Can life exist without water?  Can faith, hope or love exist without grace?  


Action:  Every time you touch water today, remind yourself that God’s grace surrounds you, sustains you and supports you like water.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Thought for Monday March 7


I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 

Isaiah 65: 17 - 21   They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
 

Do I appreciate that God gives me the freedom to build my house and eat what I grow?   Why doesn’t God just do everything for us instead of giving us the opportunity to make our own decisions - good or bad?
 

Action:  Show mercy to someone who has made a bad decision.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Thought for Friday March 4


I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

Mark 12: 28 – 34  Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Do I live by this?  With all of my life experience, would I add anything to this?

Action:  If there is something on you mind that is interfering with your love of God, deal with it.  Take specific steps to let go of or overcome it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Thought for Thursday March 3


If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

 Luke 11: 14 – 23  Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

What does it mean to be with Jesus?  Am I with Jesus all of the time? 

Action:  Pick reminders to help you remember to be with Jesus.  For example, every time your cell phone rings, or anytime you smell bread baking, or whenever you put on socks, remind yourself to be with Jesus in whatever you are doing or are about to do.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Thought for Wednesday March 2


Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Matthew 5: 17 – 19  But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

What commandments do I teach others?  Do I teach with words or actions?

Action:  Be a commandment role model – don’t just obey them, celebrate them.