Thought for Friday December 21

Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Luke 1: 39 – 45  For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

When was the last time I leaped for joy?  Is there enough joy in my life?

Action:  Plan some joy in your life.

Thought for Thursday December 20

Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

  

Luke 1: 26 – 38  …for nothing will be impossible for God.

Do I believe that nothing is impossible for God?  Do I believe he can do great things through me?

Action:  Take on something that is a little over your head and trust that God will help you.

Thought for Wednesday December 19

My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
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.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!

Luke 1: 5 – 25  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

Does the way I live my life  bring joy and gladness to my parents?  What could I do to make people rejoice over my existence?

Action:  Do something today your Mom & Dad and God the Father would be proud of you for.

Thought for Tuesday December 18

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Matthew 1: 18 – 25  Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

Am I ever afraid to do what is right?  How do I overcome my fears?

Action:  Support someone who is doing something that scares him.

Thought for Monday December 17

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.

Matthew 1: 1 – 17 ... Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.   Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah...

Who cares?  Do I think Jesus spent any time contemplating what it meant to be part of a long line of people?

Action:  Send a Christmas card to your most distantly related, shirttail cousin or acquaintance just to acknowledge that we are all one family in Christ.

Thought for Friday December 14

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Matthew 11: 16 – 19  Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation?

How would I describe my generation?  Do I think older generations were somehow better than mine or that the younger ones are worse?

Action:  Work to make your generation as great as the one you admire most.

Thought for Thursday December 13

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
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.
The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

Matthew 11: 11 – 15  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.

Are the violent winning?  How does Jesus help me “survive” the violence that is around me and in my own heart?

Action:  The next time you have a violent thought ask Jesus to help you resist the temptation and then do something nice for the next person you see.

Thought for Wednesday December 12 Feast of our Lady of Guadeloupe

You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
You are the highest honor of our race.

  

Luke 1: 39 -  47  And Mary said:  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;  my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

  

What do my words and my actions proclaim the greatness of the Lord?  What do I find most amazing or inspiring about Mary?

Action:  Do something today to rejoice in God’s greatness.

Thought for Tuesday December 11

The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
The Lord our God comes with power.

Matthew 18: 12 – 14  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills  and go in search of the stray?

Have I ever been the stray?  If so, who came looking for me?

  

Action:  Go out on a limb to help someone who really needs it.

Thought for Monday December 10

Our God will come to save us!

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

Our God will come to save us!

Isaiah 35: 1 - 10   Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water; The abode where jackals lurk will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.

What am I anticipating?   Do I have a sense that something great is happening or will happen?

Action:  Don't just wait for great things to happen, put some of your own energy into changing the world.

Thought for Friday December 7

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.

Matthew 9: 27 - 31  As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him

How did the blind men follow Jesus?  Does Jesus help me rise above my limitations?

Action: Spend some time this weekend developing a plan to address those things you tell yourself you can't do or are not good at.

Thought for Thursday December 6

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 

for his mercy endures forever.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes. 

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 7: 21 - 27  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.   The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined.

Are there things in the Gospel I just kind of ignore?  Do I feel like I am on sand or solid rock?

Action:  Don't just sit there; o something great today - volunteer, visit, donate.

Thought for Wednesday December 5

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Matthew 15: 29 - 37  Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.  I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way." 

How many meals would I miss to listen to Jesus teach?  If I had something with me, would i have shared?

Action:  Share what you have and trust that it will be enough.

Thought for Tuesday December 4

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.

Isaiah 11: 1 - 10  Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;  The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.  The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.

Am I able to spend time with people who seem like they are the exact opposite of me?  Do I tolerate people in these situations or do I really work to form peaceful productive relationships?

Action:  Whether you are the wolf or the lamb, try to be the one who makes the relationship work.

Thought for Monday December 3

 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my relatives and friends

I will say, "Peace be within you!"

Because of the house of the LORD, our God,

I will pray for your good.

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Isaiah 2: 1  - 5  In days to come, The mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.  They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

Can I envision a world without violence and conflict?  What role do I play in the conflict around me?

Action:  Do something to bring peace to your community, family, or workplace.