Thought for Friday September 1

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

 

Matthew 25: 1 – 13  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

 

Am I wise or foolish?  Am I physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually prepared for both bad and good times?

 

Action:  Imagine something really bad happens to you a year from now; start preparing yourself for that event.

 

 

Thought for Thursday August 31

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

 

1 Thessalonians 3: 7 - 13  Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith.

 

Do I hope there is someone praying night and day to remedy the deficiencies in my faith?  Who am I praying for?

Action:  As Pope Francis always says: “Non dimenticatevi di pregare per me.” – Don’t forget to pray for me (and him, and Texas, and everyone else who has asked for your prayers).

 

Thought for Wednesday August 30

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

 

1 Thessalonians 2: 9 – 13  You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.  You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers.  As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.

What have I worked on tirelessly, justly and devoutly?    Who have I treated well?

Action:  Encourage someone who is working night and day.

 

 

 

 

 

Thought for Tuesday August 29

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Mark 6: 17 – 29  Herodias' own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl,  "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom."

What kind of idiot is so shallow that he would make such an offer for a dance?  What’s my weakness?

Action:  Stay strong and refuse to give in to your most ignoble desires.

 

 

 

 

 

Thought for Monday August 28

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Matthew 23: 13 – 22  Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.  You do not enter yourselves,  nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.”

If someone asked my advice about how to get into heaven, what would I tell them?   Am I living my own advice?

Action:   Do something special for yourself this week; give yourself a little taste of heaven.

Thought for Friday August 25

Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
They cried to the LORD in their distress;
from their straits he rescued them.
And he led them by a direct way
to reach an inhabited city.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.

Matthew 22: 34 – 40  He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

Do devices and tasks and commitments and work and anxieties and….  get in the way of doing anything with all of my heart, soul or mind?  Has trying to obey these two commandments ever affected any real decision in my life? 

Action:  Find a time this weekend to put everything aside and focus all of your heart, mind and soul in prayer.  Give yourself a grade for length of time and how well you focused – then try to beat it the following weekend.

 

Thought for Thursday August 24

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

 

John 1: 45 – 51  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

 

If someone shares good news with me, am I inclined to be skeptical?   What good news would I receive most joyfully?

 

Action:  Search a newspaper or news broadcast for good news and celebrate the good things that are happening.

Thought for Wednesday August 23

Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
 Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

 

Matthew 20: 1 – 16  Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

 

How important is work to me – am I one of the ones there at dawn, nine, noon, three or five?  Why do I work – to make money, help others, accomplish something, kill time, etc.?

 

Action:  Work hard when you should, but take time to relax, pray, meditate, spend time with friends, etc.

 

 

Thought for Tuesday August 22

It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
It is I who deal death and give life.

Matthew 19: 23 – 30  Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

Why does being rich make it hard to enter the Kingdom of heaven?  Am I too rich?

Action:  Share some of your riches – time, talent, strength, money, faith – with someone who is not as well off.

 

 

 

 

 

Thought for Monday August 21

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

 

Matthew 19: 16 – 22  “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”  He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Is this simple list really as simple as it seems?  If Jesus told me I could ignore a couple of these, which ones would I choose?

Action:  Don’t kill, cheat, steal, lie or dishonor your family and, if you have time, do something loving for your neighbor.

Thought for Friday August 18

His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
His mercy endures forever.

Joshua 24: 1 – 13   "I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant."

How often do I need to be reminded that God is God and I am not?  What has God done for me?

Action:  Express some gratitude for things you often take for granted.

Thought for Thursday August 17

Alleluia!
When Israel came forth from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue,
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his domain.
Alleluia!

 

Matthew 18: 21 – 19: 1   Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

 

How would I feel about this question if I were Andrew, Peter’s brother?  How often do people probably forgive me, without me even knowing, for being rude, insensitive, oblivious, lazy, abrasive, etc.?

 

Action:  Forgive seven people today for those little things that annoy you.  You’ll feel better.

 

 

Thought for Wednesday August 16

The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

 

Matthew 18: 15 – 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

  

How has gathering with others enhanced my relationship with Christ?  Can I have a complete relationship with God without having a relationship with his whole family?

 

Action:  Gather with others for Mass, for prayer, for pilgrimage, for adoration, and to do the work of the church in today’s world.

Thought for Tuesday August 15

The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

 

1 Corinthians 15: 20 - 27   The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for "he subjected everything under his feet.”

Is death my enemy?  How do I plan to defeat death?

Action:   Defeat death today by celebrating being alive.

Thought for Monday August 14

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

 

Deuteronomy 10: 12 – 22  Moses said to the people: "And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good?  Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it.

 

Does God ask too much?  Is loving and serving God a task or a journey?

 

Action:  Follow his ways exactly – too much?  Focus on getting one thing right today.

 

Thought for Friday August 11

It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
It is I who deal death and give life.

 

Matthew 16: 24 – 28  Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

 

For me, what is the hardest part of carrying my cross?   Where do I get the support I need to do it?

Action:  Do something to support someone you know who seems to be carrying a big cross.

 

Thought for Wednesday August 9

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
But soon they forgot his works;
they waited not for his counsel.
They gave way to craving in the desert
and tempted God in the wilderness.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Matthew 15: 21 – 28  She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

Do I have enough dignity to ask for more than scraps?  Do I have enough humility to accept scraps?

Action:  Give the best you have to offer today even if it is only scraps.  If you have a dog, give him an extra belly rub.  If you don’t, adopt one.

 

 

 

 

Thought for Tuesday August 8

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not off from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Matthew 14: 22 – 36  Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Have I ever started something with great enthusiasm and then lost confidence (or nerve, or energy) and given up?  If so, did I call out to Jesus for help or just sink?

Action:  If there is something you have given up on doing, pick it up again and ask Jesus to help you carry on.

 

 

 

Thought for Monday August 7

Sing with joy to God our help.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
Sing with joy to God our help.

Numbers 11: 4 – 15  "Why do you treat your servant so badly?" Moses asked the LORD. "Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?  I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress."

Does it help me to know that the great Moses sometimes had “one of those days”?  Do I imagine myself as one of the people driving Moses crazy?

Action:  Be a patient leader and a helpful follower.

Thought for Friday August 4

But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.

 

Matthew 13: 54 – 58  Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.  Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him.

Were they offended at what he said or just offended because they didn’t think he should be preaching to them at all?  What offends me?

Action:  The next time something offends you, make a special effort to meet that offense with grace and love.

Thought for Thursday August 3

 

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

 

Matthew 13: 47 – 53  Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.”

Am I really herring the Word of God?  Is it important to my sole to mullet over? Am I floundering in my spiritual life?   Do I carp about problems in my society?  Am I breaming with ideas to help?  What cod I do? When shad I start?   

Action:  Be a good fish.

 

 

 

Thought for Wednesday August 2

God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
God is my refuge on the day of distress.

 Matthew 13: 44 – 46  The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

What do I treasure?  Does my treasure bring me joy?

 

Action:   Share what you treasure with someone who lacks joy.