Month: October 2017

“I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart,
who will do all my will.”
-Acts 13:22

Meditation
What does it mean to be a man after God’s own heart as King David was? In Acts 13:22, we find the answer: doing God’s Will. However, how can we do His Will if we do not first hear His voice? St. Joseph, a quiet man of action, was first a man of prayer and is known as the “patron of the interior life.” May we follow his example by setting a time for prayer each day so our contemplation of God’s Word can direct our action in doing God’s Will without hesitation each day.

Live It! Practical Tip of the Week: Make a daily appointment with God! Set a time and place. Prioritize it as the most important appointment of
your day.

Prayer
St. Joseph,
Mystery hidden from the wise and learned,
But reveal to the little ones.
Take me to Nazareth and train me in your ways.
Reveal to me Christ’s hidden face present in my children.
Unveil for me the love of the Holy Spirit present in my spouse.
Teach me to manifest for them the Father who is rich in mercy.
Help me to exclude all evil from my heart and my home,
So that we might find union with God,
And experience his love, peace, and joy.
Amen.
– By Steve Bollman

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
– Matthew 5:3

Meditation
Who is the second greatest saint in heaven after the Blessed Virgin Mary? Saint John the Baptist? Saint Peter? No, it is Saint Joseph! Though Church teaching has unequivocally upheld him as the second greatest saint, formal devotion to him did not appear until 800 years after Christ and there is no major church dedicated to him in Rome. It seems that this quiet and hidden saint, never quoted in Scripture, can speak volumes to us about humility, the starting point of our spiritual lives. As the “foundation of all of the other virtues” according to St. Augustine, humility leads us to true greatness by recognizing our total dependence upon God and our equality with others.

Live It! Practical Tip of the Week: Incorporate the Litany of Humility into your prayer life.

Prayer
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy
as I should…

“In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.”
– Genesis 4:3

Meditation
Where do you find the time to pray? Katie Hartfiel, Catholic speaker, writer, and home-schooling mother, shares how an Old Testament story and a bit of creativity led her to offer God the “firstfruits” of her time in daily prayer. This commitment to daily, intimate prayer has been a tremendous blessing for her and her family!

Live It! Practical Tip of the Week: When are you at your best during the day? Carve out a few minutes during this time and be still with the Lord and your favorite Bible verse. You may be surprised how God will show His love for you there!

Prayer
“O Eternal Word, utterance of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, to become totally teachable so that I might learn all from you. Through all darkness, all emptiness, all powerlessness, I want to keep my eyes fixed on you and to remain under your great light. O my Beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may never be able to leave your radiance.”
– St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

“If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work. So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.”
– 2 Timothy 2: 21-22

Meditation
Rather than a last ditch effort, praying for our children is actually our first and most important line of defense in protecting them, especially when it comes to their chastity and purity. Katie Hartfiel teaches us the “parent’s decade” method of praying for our children and for their future or current spouses. This can include grandchildren as well!

Live It! Tip of the Week: Pray a decade of the rosary for your children, grandchildren, and their spouses using the suggested intentions in the video.

Prayer
Hail, Mother most pure!
I seek your guidance and protection, remembering these words:
“Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me”. Please pray for my family.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

 

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
–Luke 1: 46-48

Meditation

Steve’s first real encounter with the Rosary happened in college. One Lent, he decided to say it everyday, and it ended up being one of his best Lent’s ever. His spiritual life was great! When Lent came to an end though, he stopped saying it, and his spiritual life went right back down to where it had been before Lent began.

A few years later, when Lent rolled around, he decided to start saying the Rosary again. Immediately his spiritual life went right back up. Then like the previous time, Lent ended and he put the Rosary away again. His spiritual life went right back to where it had been before Lent began.

Finally, Steve took a clue. He saw that there was a direct correlation between his spiritual life and praying the Rosary everyday. Since making that realization, he has done everything in his power to pray a daily Rosary, and his spiritual life has never been the same.

Steve understands in a deep way that the Rosary is the chain that binds him to Mary, which ultimately chains him to Christ.

Live It! Practical Tip of the Week: Try to pray the Rosary daily, and grow deeper in your relationship with Christ through the meditation on its mysteries.

Prayer

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

V- Pray for us, oh holy Mother of God

R- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.