February 20
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
Even then will I trust…
For he will hide me in his abode
In the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock…
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stout-hearted, and wait for the Lord.
For Reflection:
Meditate on Psalm 27 in light of the Flight into Egypt. Why would this psalm have been an apt prayer for Our Lady and St. Joseph from the time the angel bid them leave for Egypt until their return trip home? What parts of the psalm speak to you most deeply? What part would you most like to emulate?
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FC writes: "
What do you know about Laughter Yoga? The teachers at our Catholic School were planning on a session with the children and then incorporate it into the curriculum. When the pastor found out, he had the principal cancel it, Praise the Lord. We have been on the site for it and knew it was pagan but we need something we can give to the teachers who went to a training session for Laughter Yoga."
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February 20
The Second Dolor: The Flight Into Egypt
An angel appears to St. Joseph in a dream and tells him to take the Baby Jesus and Mary to Egypt because Herod is seeking to kill the child. Egypt had been regarded as a place of safe refuge since the time of the Maccabees.
For Reflection:
Read Matthew 2:13-15. What virtues do you see in St. Joseph’s response to the angel’s command? Though not explicitly stated, with what virtues do you think Mary responded (recall her response to the news of Elizabeth’s pregnancy)? What emotions do you think they experienced? Is there an incident in your own life with which you can compare Mary’s experience? What virtues did you exhibit? How was the presence of Christ revealed to you in that time and how did His presence encourage you?
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February 19
“Every grace that this world receives is ordinarily distributed in three steps: from God to Christ, from Christ to the Virgin, and from the Virgin to us.”
-St. Bernardine of Siena
For Reflection:
How are these three steps visible in both the moment of Mary’s Annunciation as well as in Simeon’s prophesy at Jesus’ Presentation? Journal any insights or blessings you receive as you ponder this reality.
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We recently had a caller on EWTN’s Wacky Wednesday radio show who said a local Catholic retreat center was offering biospiritual focusing. She wondered if this was a New Age practice and if it was something that belongs in a Catholic retreat facility.
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February 18
“God has willed to make use of Mary for the sanctification of souls, having already made use of her to bring about the Incarnation.”
-St. Louis de Montfort
For Reflection:
Consider this quote in light of the First Dolor. How does it apply to Simeon’s prophecy to Our Lady about the sword in her heart? In what way does this apply to her spiritual motherhood? Personally, how have you seen Mary both “birth” Jesus in your heart and work toward your own sanctification?
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February 17
The First Dolor: The Prophesy of Simeon
Faithful to the religious observances of their faith, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple forty days after his birth to dedicate Him to God. This was an important custom of the Jewish religion. It was also customary for a wealthy family to bring a lamb and a young pigeon or turtle dove to be sacrificed. Poorer families, however, were permitted to offer two pigeons or two turtle doves for the offering. When the Holy Family arrived at the Temple, they were greeted by a just and pious man named Simeon. His words brought with them the first of Our Lady’s sufferings.
For Reflection:
Read Luke 2: 22-35. What did Simeon prophesy about Jesus? How was it the occasion of great joy and great sorrow for Our Lady? In what way was she called to exemplify the three hallmarks of a handmaid of the Lord – receptivity, trust and surrender?
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Lent begins tomorrow. Have you considered what your Lent is going to look like? Will you give something up? Will you take something up?
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PC writes:
"Over the weekend I had a conversation with a few people (felt like a firing squad really) where they were saying it is perfectly fine for a Catholic to also be a Buddhist. Their argument was that Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy for interior peace and nothing is contradictory to what Jesus said and did (to me Galatians 5:22-23 debunks this issue as God sends the Holy Spirit that gives us everything; therefore, Jesus is truly the "all in all"). The lengthy part of the argument was to say that Buddhism gives the peace that Christianity does not. Of course I argued the opposite to all of this but did not make a dent. Do you know of any good resources that I can look at?"
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February 16
“Let us love, since that is what our hearts were made for.”
-Saint Therese of Lisieux
Today's Reflection:
What is the greatest obstacle to love in you? Pray for the grace to overcome and for the Holy Spirit to fill your heart to overflowing with the love of God.
If you enjoy Daily Gracelines, please prayerfully consider making a donation to support and sustain our apostolate so that we may continue to provide this and all of our resources designed to nourish and grow your Catholic faith.
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