A Daily Dose of God

 

How can we follow God’s will?

 

1.    Avoid undertaking too many spiritual works at once and practice ordinary spiritual exercises with extraordinary love.

 

2.    Follow only those inspirations that are holy and bring your soul peace and when following them, always obey the authority of the Church.

 

3.    Avoid being anxious about little things.

 

4.  Learn to embrace your crosses trusting that God is with you.

 

5.    Recognize suffering as a sign of God’s love and resign yourself to God’s will in your suffering.

 

6.    Practice holy indifference in all aspects of your life.

 

7.    Leave the success of your endeavors in God’s hands

 

 St. Francis de Sales advises us, “Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.  Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.  He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.  Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”

 

May God Be Praised!  

 

 COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

  

A Daily Dose of God

 

Take a few minutes today and reflect on the Gift of your Baptism and your Faith.

 

 

 

 

This short prayer taken directly from Psalm 51 summarizes the symbolism found in using holy water.  Making the sign of the cross with holy water is a prayer in itself and asks the Holy Trinity to surround us with protection and grace.

 

However, there is also an additional prayer that can be said (though certainly not required) that is found in the Golden Manual. It is a short prayer that is taken directly from Psalm 51, and perfectly summarizes the symbolism found in using holy water to bless ourselves.

 

In Christian theology water is seen as a means of purification, and so we ask God to cleanse us every time we use holy water. Below is a prayer that may lead to a deeper experience of blessing yourself with holy water, [which you can pray now and pray with holy water from the font when the COVID Pandemic ends and you dip your fingers into the Holy Water Font once again].

 

“Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed;

wash me, and I shall be made whiter than the snow.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

 

Three Thoughts to Consider: why be optimistic, when to speak and how to be holy!

 

Some people ask, “Why are Christians Optimistic, in our world today?”  And, I answer, "Christian Optimism is based on our striving to follow Jesus Christ with each step we take and with every decision we make.  Our Optimism reminds us that we are passing through this earth, preparing for eternal life in ‘the land of the living’, so our happiness lies in living the Gospel Message and that happiness begets Optimism.”  [Deacon George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

When should we speak?  St. Francis de Sales wrote, “The worst way of speaking is to speak too much. Therefore, speak little and well, speak little and gently, speak little and charitably, speak little and amiably.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can we be holy?  St. Therese of Lisieux said, "Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be."

 

 

 

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother’s love is well known, but not so much a Father’s love, yet both are a wonderful gift from God.

 

Take a moment today to thank God for your mother and your father.

 

May God Be Praised!

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

 

How can we pursue holiness, and why should we pursue holiness?   

           

 

 

First, we need to know that we are worthy of love, and we are worthy of love because God is love.

Second, we cannot earn God’s love, we can only accept or reject it.

Third, we should choose to follow the Lord because the soul that loves God is a joy-filled soul.

Fourth, we should always aim for perfection, because Jesus told us too.

Fifth, we should adopt spiritual practices suited to our state of life and our vocation.

Sixth, we should live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, because they are necessary for each one of us.

And, seventh, we should be open to the inspirations God sends us.

May God Be Praised!

 

 

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Continue to pray, Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

A Daily Dose of God

 

How to find God’s will?   

 

First, we need to accept the goodness of God’s will, and then conform our will to God’s, and chose to love God’s will for us - because we love God.

 

Second, as we need to learn to submit to God’s will, and strive to grow in God’s likeness, our will becomes formed by God’s wishes for us.

 

Third, we should resolve to cooperate with God’s will because we realize we are made in God’s image and likeness.

 

Fourth, we should obey God’s commandments out of love for God.

 

And, fifth, we choose to serve God in the circumstances in which He places us because He has placed us there.

 

The path is clear, take it today and when tomorrow gets here take it again [because it is today].

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

Continue to pray for an end of the pandemic.

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

Living as a disciple of Jesus Christ

 

St. Francis de Sales offers us an important lesson for following Christ, "Always be impartial and just in your deeds. Put yourself into your neighbor’s place, and him in yours, and then you will judge fairly . . . Frequently, therefore, examine your heart, whether it is so disposed towards your neighbor, as you would have his disposed towards you, were you to change places; for this is the true test."  [Introduction to the Devout Life, p.226]

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paul reminds us in this reading from Colossians, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  [Colossians 3:12-16]

 

 

And is Psalm 57 we pray, “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.  I will sing, I will sing your praise.  Awake, my soul, awake, lyre & harp, I will awake the dawn.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

So today we are challenged to walk in the shoes of our neighbor, to let the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, hearts that are ready for God to enter, live and thrive.  If we do that we will live in peace and we will be filled with the joy of the Lord.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Continue to pray, Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

Why does Jesus want us to be “salt” for the Kingdom and “light” for the world?  In Jesus’ time salt was a precious commodity; Jesus is telling us that we are precious.  Salt is best when it brings out the flavor of something else; light is best when it illuminates something else.  To be salt, in the Spirit of Christ, is to bring forth the “flavor” of God in everyone.  To be light, in the Reflection of Christ, is to illuminate the presence of God in the midst of the darkness that exists in our world.

 

 Salt and sun, of themselves, are useless.  Their value is realized only when they mix with other things.   Salt purifies and softens, cleans and preserves.

Light’s true beauty is realized only when we look away from its source and toward whatever it illuminates.  Light transforms the cold terror of night into the warm safety of day.  Light warms, nurtures, sustains, reveals, cheers.

Salt is perhaps the humblest of all chemicals; light is among the most generous of all physical properties.

 

 

 

 

 

Be salt and light for everyone you meet, and the world and you will be a better place.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

Continue to pray, Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

Today take a few minutes and talk to God about TRUTH, STORMS IN LIFE, SALVATION and PRAYER.

 

St. Juliana of Norwich wrote, "Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love."

 

 

 

St. Thomas More taught us, "You must not abandon the ship in a storm because you cannot control the winds . . . What you cannot turn to good, you must at least make as little bad as you can." 

 

 

In Revelation we learn, “Salvation is from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb! Praise and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving and honor, power and might, to our God forever and ever. Amen!”  [Revelation 7:10,

 

 

St. Therese of Lisieux said, "For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."

 

As your heart surges honor God, and the COVID storm surrounds us seek God and solace in our God today and every day.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Continue to pray, Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Daily Dose of God

 

 

“As morning breaks I look to you, O God, to be my strength this day, alleluia.”  [Antiphon, MP, 9/20/2020]

 

 

 

May this reflection offer Light to your day.

“Lord in the Midst of COIVD-19”

 

In the Midst of COVID-19 times, darkness seems all around us,

Lord we need Your Light.

In the Midst of COVID-19 our lives are changed,

Lord we need Your Light.

In the Midst of COVID-19 our days are long,

Lord we need Your Light.

In the Midst of COVID-19 our hearts are heavy,

Lord we need Your Light.

In the Midst of COVID-19 times,

Lord we need Your Light to show us Hope.

In the Midst of COVID-19 times,

Lord send us Your Hope, so we can see Your Light.

Thank you, Lord for Your Light and Your Hope,

In these COVID-19 times.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

Continue to pray, Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” 

You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]