THE WORD
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice. Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of heart that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 116:5,11-14, 17-18
Gracious is the Lord and just, yes our God is merciful
What return can I make to the Lord for all God has given me?
I will raise the cup of salvation and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God's people.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and I will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all his people.
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A PRAYER
The Holy Face
O Blessed face of our Savior, by the tender love and piercing sorrow of Our Lady as she beheld your Passion, grant us to shave in this sorrow and love so as to fulfill the holy will of God to the utmost of our ability. Amen.
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THE SOURCES
Letter to all the Faithful
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. The truly pure of heart are those who despise the things of this earth and seek the things of heaven, who never cease to adore and behold the Lord God living and true with pure heart and soul.
Gracious Aging 5
James W. Kelly, O.F.M., Editor
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The Day-to-Day
Gratitude is a fundamental way of life. It is our first response to God and characterizes how we worship and pray. It expresses itself as an attitude, a mindset, an outlook on life. It also describes our disposition, the way we live and treat others.
Gratitude is absolutely necessary to love and appreciate the Paschal Mystery. We are thankful for Jesus' suffering and death and we know we accept our talents, strengths, sinfulness, limitations, infirmities and offer these to the Creator. We envision God as the gracious giver of all that is good. We regard what is negative as good, even purifying, as avenues to the Source of life and goodness. Thus we manifest our gratitude every day in every thing we say and do.
Francis of Assisi was a man sublimely grateful for everything. He offered his Praises of God after he was granted the wounds of our salvation on his body. He sang out. "You are holy, Lord, the only God and Your deeds are wonderful..."
Wisdom and joy, happiness, riches and beauty. God was everything to this saint. Over the course of our lives God becomes everything for us too in gratitude.
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