“Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body
is full of light; but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.
Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.”
-Luke 11: 34-35

Meditation
If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.

Technology has been slowly seeping into our family lives making it harder and harder to just have family time. We are substituting quality time for emails, game nights for texting, and sitting around the table at mealtime for sitting around a TV.

The Hermanns realized that technology was taking away from their family time, so they decided to put limits on it in their household. Mark compares being on his phone to eating candy. It tastes good, but it’s unfulfilling and can weigh you down. At the end of the day, if someone is spending time on their phone, they are not connecting with the world or with each other.

Live It! Tip Practical Tip for the Week: Set aside media free times in your home everyday. Use these times to spend time as a family!

Prayer
O God, we want to live our life together with you and always to continue it with you. Help us never to hurt and never to grieve each other. Help us to share all our works, all our hopes, all our dreams, all our successes, all our failures, all our joys and all our sorrows. Help us to have no secrets from each other so that we may be truly one. Keep us always true to each other, and grant that all the years ahead may draw us ever closer to each other. Grant that nothing may ever come between us and nothing may ever make us ever drift apart. And as we live with each other, help us to live with you, so that our love may grow perfect in your love, for you are the God whose name is love. This we ask for your love’s sake. Amen

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”
-Ephesians 5:15-16

Meditation
Mark and Leigh Hermann came to the office to share how they give God some of their time and why that is so important for their marriage.

For them, the key has been learning to budget their time like they do their money. Mark explained that because of the craziness of their lives, they began to realize that they weren’t spending any intentional time with each other or with God. In response, they went through each day hour by hour, and scheduled prayer time and intentional couple time.

That was a game changer for their family. They decided to start having breakfast together every day. They get up a little earlier, but it allows them to share a meal and pray together before the distractions of the day creep in.

Live It! Practical Tip for This Week: Budget your time. See what you can cut out of your schedule in order to spend more intentional time with God and with your family.

Prayer
O God, we want to live our life together with you and always to continue it with you. Help us never to hurt and never to grieve each other. Help us to share all our works, all our hopes, all our dreams, all our successes, all our failures, all our joys and all our sorrows. Help us to have no secrets from each other so that we may be truly one. Keep us always true to each other, and grant that all the years ahead may draw us ever closer to each other. Grant that nothing may ever come between us and nothing may ever make us ever drift apart. And as we live with each other, help us to live with you, so that our love may grow perfect in your love, for you are the God whose name is love. This we ask for your love’s sake. Amen

“Above all hold unfailing your love for one another,
since love covers a multitude of sins.”
-1 Peter 4:8

Meditation
The secret of Mother Teresa’s life is that she wasn’t a giant. She was
just ordinary.

Father Peter and Mother Teresa were washing dishes together when he asked her, “Mother, would you like to just stay here and wash dishes?” She replied, “Oh, I would love to, but the Holy Father asked me to go spread His love around the world.”

Fr. Peter explains that in that moment, he realized that you couldn’t say that there was anything extraordinary about Mother Teresa. She just did ordinary things with an extraordinary amount of love.

Practical tip for this week: Go home and love your family with an extraordinary amount of love.

Fragrance Prayer by Mother Teresa
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul
I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Amen

 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.”
-Psalm 51:10

Meditation
God sent His son to the world not to condemn the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved. God loves us so much that His son became flesh, came to Earth, and gave His life for us— all the way to the point that his heart became wounded. Out of the wounding of that heart came blood and water, and all the grace we need to one day be united with God
in Heaven.

This week, Steve shares about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart. Watch this video for information on a truly life-transforming devotional practice.

Live it! Tip of the Week: If you want your life to be transformed, begin the First Friday Devotion. If you have already finished a novena of First Fridays for yourself, consider offering a novena for someone that you love.

Prayer
O my Most Loving and Gentle Jesus, I desire with all the affections of my heart, that all beings should praise Thee, honor Thee and glorify Thee eternally for that sacred wound wherewith Thy divine side was rent. I deposit, enclose, conceal in that wound and in that opening in Thy Heart, my heart and all my feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions and all the faculties of my soul. I entreat Thee, by the precious Blood and Water that flowed from Thy Most Loving Heart, to take entire possession of me, that Thou may guide me in all things. Consume me in the burning fire of thy holy Love, so that I may be so absorbed and transformed into Thee that I may no longer be but one with Thee.
Amen.  — Lanspergius, the Carthusian

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
-Mark 10:17

Meditation
“Mother, what would it take to be holy?”

Fr. Peter asked Mother Teresa, but wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear the answer. He says that upon asking this question, the story of the Rich Man from Mark’s Gospel came to life (Mark 10:17-22).

Mother Teresa looked at him and said,”Do you want to be holy?” and he knew that whatever she would say at that particular point would be
the truth.

She said,”Take whatever Jesus gives, and give whatever He takes with a big smile…. and love Jesus through Mary.”

Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in
contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example,
by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. Amen.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.”
-Matthew 18:5

Meditation
Live in the present moment.

Father Peter explains that Mother Teresa had a special way about her. Whenever you were in her presence, the worlds around you fell apart.

The reason this happened is because every single person that Mother Teresa encountered was Jesus to her, and she would give Jesus her full attention.
Fr. Peter says that when standing in her presence, he knew that she was convinced that Jesus Christ was in her presence. He knew it because he always knew that he had her full attention.

Live It! Practical tip for this week: Bring that spirit into your home. Be present with your spouse, and be present with your children because they are the face of Jesus Christ in your home.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in
contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example,
by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. Amen.

“For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears,
the babe in my womb leaped for joy.”
-Luke 1:44

Meditation
Happy Feast of the Visitation! The Second Joyful Mystery! It’s incredible to ponder the marvels that have taken place through the voice of Mary!

In this Visitation, which took place in a home, as soon as Elizabeth hears the voice of Mary she is filled with the Holy Spirit. Simultaneously, the baby in her womb leaps for joy! Why? Because Mary brought Jesus Christ into
their home!

Want to understand the essence of Mary’s role in salvation history? Mary ALWAYS brings Jesus Christ to souls. Mary brought Christ into the world. She brought Christ into the home. What we see her do in Scripture, she will continue to do until the end of time.

So here is the practical take away for this week: Bring Mary into your home! Just as surely as she did for Elizabeth, she longs to fill your home and heart with the Holy Spirit, with joy, and with sanctification. Most importantly and most essentially, she will bring you closer to her Son.

Prayer
Mother Mary, I invite you into my home and heart this day and each day. Ease the doubts, fears and distractions in my mind. Give me to drink of your desire. Let your fiat be resplendent in my life. Amen.

“For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.”
-John 6:55

Meditation

Food is one of the most religious things that we have.

Father Leo’s ministry, Grace Before Meals, has developed an entire theology of food. Before God made the body, he made food. When creating the body, he created hunger (or theologically speaking— desire); hunger in a physical sense, but also a desire for spiritual needs to be met. These spiritual hungers can only be met by God himself.

Ultimately, God wants to quench that spiritual hunger by becoming our food. All we have to do is show up at the altar of our Lord and receive Him during the greatest meal of all time.

Prayer

O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at our table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up
in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
-Ephesians 6:4

Meditation

At meal times, you need to talk!

The greatest institution of all that our country has is the family, and it’s a family that has conversations together. Come to the table with topics and questions that you’re excited about. These conversations will create a turning toward one another, which will eventually lead to a Holy Communion.

This Communion will develop around your dinner table, or what we like to call, the altar of the domestic church.

Prayer

O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at our table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want.

When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him,
“Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
-Luke 14:15

Meditation

Eating together as a family isn’t just important; it’s necessary!

We live in a culture with a fast food mentality. We have come to believe that a perfect family can come together in a microwavable minute. Instead, we have to remember that God uses a crockpot, and that takes time.

The foundation of the family is built on the foundation of the table. It is where families grow in trust, communication and love for one another. You prove that love for your kids at the table by spending time with them.

So cook good food, your kids will come and you will learn why Jesus became food in the first place.

Prayer

O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at our table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want.