January 7
"The chief exercise of prayer is to speak to God and to hear God speak in the bottom of your heart."
-St. Francis de Sales
For Reflection
Prayer is a gateway to intimacy with our Creator and Lord. Through it, we find fellowship with Him. What effect does such an interaction have?
January 6
"Prayer is not one occupation among many, but is at the center of our life in Christ."
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection
Prayer is not optional; it is essential. How is God calling you to turn your prayer life into the breath of your existence?
January 3
"So God created man in His own image."
-Genesis 1:26
For Reflection
What does this passage tell us about ourselves and who we were created to be? What does it tell you about all of human life?
January 2
"God is love." -John 4:16
For Reflection
What is love? What are its characteristics? What is the true purpose of love? Where did you see love operating in your life in 2019? How will you love more in 2020?
January 1 Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
- John 3:16
For Reflection
Why would God do such a thing even as man often stubbornly opposes His divine will? As we enter this New Year, how can you more freely accept God's amazing gift to us, Jesus Christ? Ask Mary, Mother of God, to intercede for you to have greater receptivity to every grace and blessing that He desires to give you in this New Year and new decade.
Spoiler alert! The moral of this blog is not to advise you to ask God for help before making your resolutions. That’s a no-brainer. The point is to show you, from first-hand experience, just how much better God can "do" our resolutions than we can.
Reflection: "May the Virgin Mary, whom today we venerate with the title of Mother of God, help us to contemplate the face of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. May she sustain us and accompany us in this New Year: and may she obtain for us and for the whole world the gift of peace. Amen!"
Challenge: Where is God leading you in 2019? Spend time with the Lord this week asking Jesus and Mary to send you the grace of wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit.
February 2
"We become what we love. Who we love shapes what we become."
-St. Clare of Assisi
