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The litany of humility is a powerful prayer. You know you should pray it but you don’t have the desire to. What should you do?
Today Fr. Mike encourages and challenges us to ask God to give us the grace to pray those prayers that are more difficult to pray. “Take, Lord receive, all my liberties!”
It can be easy in our modern world to fall into the trap of envy and jealousy. When we dedicate our energy and focus on what others have, we can get lost in what we don’t have.
But God hopes to remind us of a powerful truth through the practice of gratitude.
Today, Fr. Mark-Mary shares a secret for growing in gratitude and harnessing the power of living in the reality of who God has chosen us to be.
(See Ephesians 1:3-10)
Whether you’re cultivating a life of prayer with Jesus for the first time or you’re trying to reignite that fire in your soul, the breadth of prayer advice can be dizzyingly overwhelming.
If you’re open to it, today, Fr. Mike has one more prayer to try out: T-A-R.
1. Tell the Lord what’s on your heart
2. Ask him for what you need
3. Rely on the Lord to answer your prayer
It might seem simple, but it might change your prayer life forever.
Everyone you know and love is going to die someday. You will too, but… the thought of losing everyone else can sometimes be all the more frightening. This is a natural response to the ugly, “unnatural” reality of death, and those feelings of fear are not “wrong” to feel.
But, today, Fr. Mike implores you to take heart. There is yet one person who will never leave you.
We begin to look at social justice as outlined by the Catechism by diving into two aspects: respect for the human person and equality and differences among men. The dignity of the human person is at stake without social justice. Fr. Mike highlights that since we are all made in the image and likeness of God, we are all equal in dignity and are to love everyone including our enemies. With that, we must recognize that we are not all the same and work towards fairer conditions for all. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1928-1938.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/FDE-6G2OY8o?si=WmDhvrpfLQepkopp
The Catechism has shown us how the common good begins with the good of the individual. It further shows us that each individual can participate in the pursuit of the common good for all—and that this participation is not optional, but an obligation. Fr. Mike explains the nature of this obligation in quite simple terms: “see a need, fill a need.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1913-1927.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/d720AfU8C9A?si=213kzyH-6Er5wQPz
The Catechism sets up a pair of definitions for us that, at first glance, appear circular, but upon close examination, reveal profound interdependence: “The good of each individual is necessarily related to the common good, which in turn can be defined only in reference to the human person.” Fr. Mike uses a fascinating thought experiment to illustrate where the common good originates: you. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1905-1912.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/_ynqwfx55og?si=KOAM33ygcrzmnlUd
The Catechism shows us that, in order for any good in society to last and flourish, legitimate authority must be instituted and respected by all. Furthermore, it is our duty as those under authority to obey those invested with authority. Fr. Mike acknowledges that most of us resist authority, but he bolsters the Catechism’s claim that legitimate authority in society is good and necessary. “Anarchy doesn’t work.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1897-1904.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/NlhdB7i5jCs?si=tDaXdFYSZ4ZGgYUh
Before we can see outward changes for the good in society, there must be inward conversion in the hearts of its members, so says the Catechism. Fr. Mike highlights the fact that societies are made up of people with both body and soul—and the soul is often overlooked. Because we are broken, there is a “permanent need” for our conversion, and any society that fails to take this into account is doomed to do violence to human dignity. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1886-1896.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/mOpAqc8qXIw?si=-Gdc0uFuCLfgzyhO
Man is made for communion. God created man in his triune image, making us naturally social and communal beings. We learn that various societies weave us together: the family, the state, our professions, and recreational activities, among others. Fr. Mike explains how the Church promotes the principle of subsidiarity to protect the goodness of the various levels of society as each level pursues the common good. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1877-1885.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/rgJw5LXbddA?si=gkYn2n4B1gntrVsI