God’s Plan is Joy

Joy sees the world as God intended; it is a reaction to all God is doing in our lives now and in the future. It is a choice we make based on the knowledge that God loves us and is with us through all our life experiences. 

One simple way to increase joy is to smile more. You may feel awkward at first, but it works. Start by imagining yourself smiling happily, like a child playing on a swing set or jumping in the ocean waves. Then practice it in the mirror—a great big toothy grin. A genuine smile involves the eyes and the mouth. It releases stress-lowering neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine into the bloodstream. This means that smiling begets more smiling. It reminds us that there is still joy in life. 

—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “How to Grow in Holiness
by Colleen Arnold, MD

//Franciscan Media//


God’s Way, Not Ours

It is very easy to engage in “if only” thinking: If only I had been born into a wealthier family, if only I had the advantage of a better education, if only I knew more influential people who could advance my career, and so on. “If only” thinking suggests that I am a spectator of my life, not an active participant in it.

Someone who constantly engages in “if only” thinking will never truly be at peace. She or he imagines that the key to happiness lies in someone else’s hands, someone who is withholding that key. Jesus’s words will often seem an obstacle because the “if only” thinkers tend to forget that Jesus suffered and died on a cross. If Jesus had followed their example, his time on the cross would have been filled with rumination over his bad luck. The Gospels, especially the Gospel of John, show Jesus as very deliberate in his choices. He rules—even from the cross.

—from the book Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi
by Pat McCloskey, OFM

//Franciscan Media//


Light in the Darkness

Jesus told us that we’re the light of the world, and do we ever take him seriously when we’re celebrating his birth! We string lights inside and outside, wrapped around pillars and fences, trailing from rooftops. Now we have laser light shows that play on the front of the house. We string lights in the house around doorways and up and down stairs. The tree might have big lights, little lights, LED lights, bubble lights, and a lighted star at the very top. And no matter how old we get, there’s still a little bit of magic when we switch them on. Our love of light may go all the way back to an ancestral memory, at least in the northern hemisphere, of fearing the darkness and the cold of winter. The twinkling holiday lights give us not so much utilitarian light as a sparkle and dazzle that imitates the stars on a crisp cold night. So it’s not surprising that spiritual teachers through the millennia, beginning even before Jesus, have used light as a metaphor for holiness, for joy, for peace.

As researchers study the effect of various kinds of light on the parts of our brain that control waking and sleeping as well as mood disorders, we gain knowledge and insight. People in climates that have long stretches of dark, gray days have learned to use light therapy to keep depression and seasonal affective disorder at bay. But mostly, we’re putting a name to what we already know instinctively: Light makes us happy.

—from the book The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek

//Franciscan Media – Minute Meditations//


God’s Wondrous Creation

Our holiday celebrations often keep us indoors. In northern climates, this might be partly because the cold and snowy weather makes going outside a difficult and even unpleasant experience. We hurry from house to car and then into another warm house. In warm climates, the heat finds us scurrying between air conditioned buildings. But creation—including the weather— is a gift to be celebrated, not something simply to be controlled and altered. We lose our sense of wonder in nature when we become too absorbed in the structures of everyday life. Most of us have jobs and other responsibilities that keep us indoors. The people of the Bible lived much closer to the land than we do today. Navigating by the stars was something they did as a matter of course. Jesus’s parables reflect a deep knowledge of flocks, fields, and fishing. We can understand these stories better if we grow in our awareness of creation. Pope Francis, like his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, calls us to read God’s presence not only in our holy books but in the holiness of the world around us, plant and animal as well as human.

Spend time outdoors today. If you have children or pets, let them show you how to enjoy the simplest pleasures of being present to nature in all its glory. Reflect on the way the presence of God is revealed in the sky, the trees, the birds and animals. When you return to the house, settle in with a hot or cold beverage and read Psalm 104.

—from the book The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek


Minute Meditation – God Always Has Time for You

One of the most beautiful things that happens once spending time daily with the Lord becomes a habit is that your time together will often expand beyond what has been set aside. You will also come to recognize when your time together is concluded, which may even come before the clock runs out. Going away to a quiet place to pray is not about making time for God; it is about acknowledging and being grateful for the fact that God always has time for you. You do not undertake this time to prove God’s importance in your life, but rather because it is necessary for life itself.

—from the book Prayer Everywhere: The Spiritual Life Made Simple
by Fr. Gary Caster

//Franciscan Media//


Minute Meditation – Train Your Soul for Peace

A beloved and treasured prayer for a century, the Peace Prayer has been ascribed to Saint Francis of Assisi though, in fact, it was probably written seven centuries after his death. In fourteen simple verses, it captures the essence of soul training. Soul training is our response to the gratuity of grace that never expires and is never exhausted. The initial training can be tedious and difficult since we are born selfish and self-centered. The centripetal force of the ego makes us not only cling to personality props that we lean on for our self-worth but also promotes fears, attachments, control issues, and a sense of entitlement that hinder our surrender to grace. As we allow grace to shape us into instruments of God, we are challenged to practice the kenotic selflessness of Jesus by living lives of selfless surrender, self-denying sacrifice, and solicitous service. This selflessness is also expressed in practical ways by sowing faith, hope, love, forgiveness, and joy while consoling, understanding, and enriching the lives of others. These practices activate the centrifugal force of the Spirit that invites us to a daily death of letting go and surrendering as we walk in the footsteps of the Lord and Divine Master. As this first death becomes second nature, we prepare ourselves for the second death that leads to the imperishable crown of eternal life.

—from the book Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
by Albert Haase, OFM

//Franciscan Media//


Where Is Your Treasure?

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Matthew 6:21

The Jewish Shema prayer is quoted by Jesus as the number-one commandment and first principle in fulfilling our reason for existing: Love God alone above all things, above everyone and everything. Put God first, and all else will fall into place. God’s personal love for you and me cannot stop or be shut off. Like the sun, it’s always beaming down on us. When I open up and choose a loving relationship with God, his love penetrates my heart, directs my mind to truth, and guides my every step securely. A renowned Jesuit priest, Pedro Arrupe, once wrote: “Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, falling in love with God in a quite final and absolute way….What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what you will get out of bed for, what you do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekend, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.” Fall in love and stay in love with God, and it will decide everything. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul—a very smart decision.

Help me, Lord, to love you with all my mind, all my soul, and all my strength. Amen.

—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno


The Best Remedy for Anxiety

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” —Deuteronomy 31:8

Most of the time our anxiety stems from a fear of something or someone in the future. The next time it happens to you, try the “Three Ps Remedy”:

Prepare—Do what you can now. Simply ponder, What can I do in a proactive way that makes sense? Usually one or two things will occur to you. Do them and watch your anxiety begin to shrink.

Present—Live in the present moment, not in the imagined future. Living in the now can help smother the fire of fear.

Pray—Know that God is in of control of the future. God has the power and the love to do what we cannot do. Our Father’s love can and does shape the future. Pray and experience the peace that will replace the anxiety, because the God who loves you unconditionally is in control now and in the days ahead.

Lord, show me how to prepare, to live in the present moment, and to pray when fear begins to creep in. Amen.

—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno


Every Drop Adds to the Ocean

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food…”—Matthew 25:34–35

There is so much need for good today that it can be overwhelming. We think, What good is my small part? Do not sell yourself short on your effort, small as it may seem. That smile you gave your new neighbor may seem small to you, but it might have meant a whole lot to that neighbor. Maybe that kind word or smile released a flood of self-confidence, joy, peace, and affirmation that your neighbor needed at that moment. It may seem like just a drop in the ocean, but every ocean is fed with small streams. Mother Teresa, from her own experience, told others: “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” She had the eyes of faith to see the immeasurable dignity and value of each person. She could see the glory of God shining through people discarded by society. Her faith made each person the most important person in the world at that moment. Small thing? Look at the strength of character she developed over the years. What is that “small thing” in your life that God is calling you to be faithful to?

Prayer Lord, help me to always remember that all I have comes from you, and when I give to others, I am really giving back to you. Amen.

—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno


A Smile Is the First Step to Love

“A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance.” —Proverbs 15:13

Our world today seems to be a war zone. It seems as though peace has gone out the window. But we can bring it back. St. Teresa of Calcutta walked into contentious situations in various countries. She carried with her the first step to peace. It’s simple, and we can all do it. She said, “Peace begins with a smile.” That means peace begins with me and within me, and I want to share it with you. Most of the time I can be a joyful person. I can have that joy because I have hope. Occasionally I will feel some kind of “affliction.” But I am patient. It will pass. I can always have that small smile on my face, almost visible only to myself. The smile, Mother Teresa often said, is truly the first step in love. When someone smiles and says hello to me, down deep it seems to draw me out of myself. I feel noticed, valued, communicated with, acknowledged. Our world needs love and so do your family and friends. They need and want your love. Your smile must not only be the first step in love, but it could also be the next step as well. Take that next step for your family and friends. Take the first step with your smile. Share it with the next person you meet. They may need the love that’s behind that smile.

Lord, help me to always carry some joy in my heart and let it grow into a small smile. Amen.

—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno