Blog Post 07-31-2025 Thanking God

Today pray this part of the Antiphon for Psalm 95 as you begin your day “…give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.” And from the same Psalm 95 pray, “Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving … let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker …. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord.

After listening to God’s voice make Him present to the people you meet by your actions; your thanks will be heard in Heaven.

 

May God Be Praised.

 

Blog Post 07-30-2025 An Insight on Prayer

  

 

"Prayer brings our mind into the brightness of divine light, and exposes our will to the warmth of divine love. Nothing else can so purge our mind from its ignorance, and our will from its depraved affections. It is a blessed fountain which, as it flows, revives our good desires and causes them to bring forth fruit, washes away the stains of infirmity from our soul, and calms the passions of our hearts." [de Sales, An Introduction to the Devout Life, p. 61]

 

Today spend some time swimming in God’s fountain of love and prayer.

 

May God Be Praised.

Blog Post 07-29-2025 Go with the Grace of God.

"Have caution in not allowing yourself to be struck down by adversity nor becoming vain by prosperity." [St. Clare of Assisi]

Have you ever heard of the saying, “There go I but for the grace of God.” Today’s advice is to Live Jesus by praying “There go I with the grace of God.”

Trusting that God is with you in your joys, your sorrows, your ups and downs.

 

May God Be Praised.

 

*Brother Mickey McGrath’s artwork is available at: https://www.bromickeymcgrath.com/

Blog Post 07-28-2025 - God Calls Us To Be With Him & We Answer.

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.” [Matthew 8:8]

"Our priority must be to live the good news, to live the Gospel, to share the enthusiasm that can be born in our hearts and lives when we truly discover who Jesus Christ is." [Pope Leo XIV]

Reflect on the Good News in your life and in your actions.

May God Be Praised.

Blog Post 07-27-2025 Homily Cycle C – Offered at OLPH & Family Vacation 2025 Photo.

A husband and wife were discussing their living wills. The husband said, “Just to be clear, I would never want to live in a vegetive state, dependent on a machine and fluids from a bottle…. If I ever get to that state, I want just want you to pull the plug.” His wife thought about his request, then got up, unplugged the TV, and threw out all his beer. [Adopted from William Bausch, Once Upon A Gospel, p.220] Sometimes we get what we ask for; sometimes that answer is a surprise.

I our reading from Genesis God answers Abraham request, his prayers – Yes. The prayer sounds almost like a countdown: 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 …. Unfortunately, there were not even ten innocent people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Ten good people in Jewish tradition pointed to the importance of righteous individuals and the potential for even a small group to influence their community. Think about an individual or group of people who have influenced you for the good & offer a thank you prayer for them.

In the Musical Wicked, there is a song “For Good.”

In that song Glinda sings “I’ve heard it said That people come into our lives For a reason Bringing something we must learn….                        

Elphaba sings “So much of me is made of what I learned from you….”

The song offers us this powerful insight, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

God couldn’t find ten good people in Sodom and Gomorrah let’s work at being part of the good people God can find in Bethlehem,

Part of our mission as Catholics is to be a catalyst for good, the prayer that Jesus teaches us today in the Gospel provides our spiritual foundation to do that.

Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, and He offers them The Our Father. The prayer that is woven into the fabric of our liturgies and our lives. I want to share with you a few thoughts on the Our Father.

As we pray, “hallowed be Thy name” we pray to make space for the reign of God.

As we pray “Thy Kingdom come” – we pray for the end of the world & fulfillment of the reign of God.

As we pray, “Thy will be done” – we surrender our will to God, to God’s plan of salvation.

As we pray “lead us not into temptation” we appeal for help, so we don’t fall into temptation.

As we pray “give us this day our daily bread” we ask for the super substantial bread – the Eucharist.

Jesus taught them & us to call God: “Father.”

That address is very personal, very tender, very intimate, very loving – like beginning “Dad” in a trusting & familial way.

The Our Father prayed in a loving way is a beautiful & profound prayer.

Fr. Gerhard Lohfink wrote a short & powerful [112 pages], “The Our Father: A New Reading.” Reading it would be a wonderful way to deepen your awareness & love of this beautiful prayer.

This week as you pray the Our Father remember to call God, “Abba” – “Dad.” Jesus invites us to pray inside God [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit].

Recently I received an e-mail entitled "Things I Really Don't Understand." 

· Why do doctors & lawyers call what they do practice?

· Why is abbreviation such a long word?

· Why is a boxing ring square?

· What was the best thing before sliced bread?

These questions are a lighthearted reminder that there are indeed a lot of things in this life that we just really don't understand. But the Our Father we do understand, we understand it takes us to God and reminds us that our journey here is preparation [for eternity].

Spend some time this week praying and meditating on the Gift of prayer given to us by Jesus – especially the Our Father.

May God Be Praised.

 

Our family 2025 vacation photo, a beautiful and blessed time with family. 

 

Blog Post 07-18-2025 to 07-27-2025 Vacation Alert.

 

I am on vacation with my family, while on vacation I will be praying for you, and I ask that you pray for us.  My blog, "A Daily Dose of God” will return on Sunday, July 27, 2025.

 

 

 

 

Please note starting on the Wednesday, September 10, 2025 the blog will change from ["A Daily Dose of God"] a daily blog to a weekly blog, "Wednesday's Wink from Above."

 

May God Be Praised.

Blog Post 07-17-2025 Bending our will to God’s and become a “lake.”

 

"Let every knee bend before Thee, O greatness of my God, so supremely humbled in the Sacred Host. May every heart love Thee, every spirit adore Thee and every will be subject to Thee!" [St. Margaret Mary]

 

 

 

Maybe this story can help us, once there was a small monastery led by a very wise abbot. A young monk was having a hard time adjusting to the monastic life. He was constantly complaining & criticizing. The older monks … went to the abbot they concerned about him. One morning the abbot sent the novice to fetch some salt. When the novice returned, the abbot instructed the unhappy monk to put the salt in a glass of water & drink it.

"How does it taste?" the abbot asked. "Bitter!" said the novice. The abbot said, "Get some more salt & follow me."  They walked to a small lake near the monastery. "Throw the salt into the lake."  The novice did as the abbot asked. The Abbot said, "Take a drink from the lake."  "How does it taste?"  "Sweet & clean," said the young monk. "… the pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less.

The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. But the bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So, when you are in pain, when you hurt, when you feel broken, the only thing you can do is enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake."     [Connections, April 19, 2015]

 

 Jesus wants us to become “lakes” by bending our will to God’s Will.

 

May God Be Praised.

Blog Post 07-16-2025 A Plea to God

 

Dear God, make known to me the Way to You on the Road that I am walking and be merciful to me.

Make me aware of Your radiance each dawn, that I may walk in the light of your Way.

 

“The Road – The Way.”

“And no one knows, no one knows where The Road - where IT goes.

We trust the Lord Who put us on The Road.

The Road is rough & filled with stuff we don’t really want.

He leads us where we need to go, where the peaceful river flows.

Smooth spots exist along The Road when smiles & joys abound.

We hope for more, the joy we’ve found & think of it as our own.

God longs for us in His eternal Realm.

His Light illumines how to go, with Trust & Hope - each cry & cross a prayer to make.

The Lord leads us to the peaceful river, where it flows.

Let others know, The Road, The Way.

I beg of you today.” [Deacon George Kelly]

May God Be Praised.