Inspiration

I often have difficulty sleeping at night. I use this as an opportunity to have God speak to me. Insomnia can be a scary and unsettling occurrence. But in what one may think is a misstep, often it will later be found that circumstances were exactly how God meant for it to be. We must go where God wants us and listen to His nudges. A trusted friend has coined the term the "God-wink", when occurrences happen for a reason or another and we are cognizant to realizing it is God's intervention. Right now, I cannot sleep particularly because I have nasal congestion. Often I would get frustrated or disheartened. Yet I am so overdue for prayer and a conversation with God, such a cold becomes a good thing. And this post is so overdue, that it works out, because by my time in writing with the silence surrounding me, I can finally be aware of God's presence. God, I need assistance, in finding patience and strength. In remembering you should be my single priority, and through this...

I have always been a very sensitive person, afraid of what one might think if I say or do something that is incongruent with other's perspectives. I get easily offended if someone says something badly of me, carrying the negative encounters with me often for days on end. In a world filled with pressures of social media and constant to-do lists, unrealistic expectations of oneself easily accumulate. Loneliness and despair are real demons in our world today. So often we hear of one's battles with depression or anxiety. In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people. It is so easy to be distracted by problems of today's worldliness: are we not attractive enough, successful, or financially well-off?  As our Lord Jesus humbled himself to becoming a little child, to being a servant toward His Church, we must remember no servant is greater than His master.  As Christians, we are called to be humble, which reminds us we are not entitled to comfor...

Come ,  Holy   Spirit ,  fill  the  he arts  of your  faithful  and  enkindle  in them the  fire  of your  love . Send forth your spirit,  Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,  and you shall renew the face of the earth.  O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful  by the light of the Holy Spirit,  grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise  and ever rejoice in his consolation.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John emphasizes Peace and the Holy Spirit abiding in us. Christ's first word following His death is "Peace".  I do not find that I am naturally a peaceful person. I tend to get easily distracted and upset by life not being "fair". Or agitated when things do not go exactly as I had planned. I am flawed.  Yet so much greater than this is that I am also loved. Above all else, Christ has laid down his life for me.   I ...

  JUNE 19, 2022 This is My Body https://diocesan.com/this-is-my-body/ As noted in today’s Gospel reading, our central role in honoring Christ should be one of service. Jesus commands us to “Give them some food yourselves.” CCC 1335 of the Catechism reads “The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist.” It is such a great visual, to partake in the miracle where Jesus took ordinary food and turned it into something extraordinary! Yet this was a foreshadowing that something much greater was to come.    When asked the most quoted verse in all the Bible, we turn to “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” This is a verse we hear every time we celebrate in the most Holy Mass. It is a statement that is so well known, and yet, so difficult for so many to understand. Is th...

M y daughter, write about My mercy… souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight in Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. -Diary 1146 At the start of my medical training, I questioned not only how to provide curative treatment for patients, but also, how to address the emotional and existential distress that one may undergo at end of life. Now currently facing the most difficult era of my professional life to date, the Coronavirus pandemic, I find more solace in Christ's instructions to Saint Faustina in caring for the dying than any medical text could ever teach me. "Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it, they will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most harden...

I am so excited for Christ’s coming! To meet Him face to face. In today’s Gospel, we learn His name shall be Emmanuel, Jesus. God is with us. Perhaps this is evident in the many various names He is granted. How many names do we continue to come across in the Bible? I would say well over 100! And of course, through this, we must recognize He remains alive in us.  For example, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we hear quite a variety- Lamb of God, Lord God Almighty, Hosanna in the Highest, Bread of Life, the list goes on. Which name stands out the most to you according to how you define your relationship with Christ the Lord? I would recommend you try to take some time out this Advent season to reflect on His name as a way to grow in your relationship with Him, to know forevermore who He is and then in fact, who He wants us to become in Him. This could also be a great way to bond with your loved ones, by reviewing Christ’s many different names and exploring their foundations in th...

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” ( Psalms 118:22:) Christ reminds us it is also noted that, rather than a message conveying fear, He as the cornerstone is marvelous in God’s eyes! We are instructed to rejoice and be glad. I had to research what a cornerstone is. I found it’s a foundational piece of a building, usually the largest stone in the building, which is placed first, and then the rest of the building is structured around it. It has to be strong and without blemish to support the tremendous weight it holds. Christ is therefore our place of security and safety. He is the one to whom we should run when times get tough, our fortress and refuge.   Ponder:   What struggle in your life do you need to offer up to Jesus’ firm strength?   Pray: Jesus, thank You for being the solid cornerstone on which we can build our lives. Your strength helps make us strong.