AFRAIDNOT

A Daily Dose Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.

James 1:5-8

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

A Daily Dose Monday, June 29, 2009

Do not compare yourself to others, because you limit your potential in me.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

A Daily Dose Sunday, June 28, 2009

“The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.
Either he will shield you from suffering, or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace
then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.’’

Saint Francis de Sales

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it.

A Daily Dose Saturday, June 27, 2009

A Morning and Evening Prayer

Lord Jesus, please come into our hearts and take our lives and our wills int Your hands. Grant us the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we may be inspired today in all that we say, do and think to achieve harmony with the the will of the Father through living by Your Word. Amen.

Romans 10:17

Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

A Daily Dose Friday, June 26, 2009

Lord, let us find your presence in whatever it is we are confronted with today.

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel…”for the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

A Daily Dose Thursday, June 25, 2009

How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

John 5:6-8

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"

The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."

Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."

A Daily Dose Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Priorities

The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now. The way to be happy is to make others so. Robert C. Ingersoll

Luke 12:34

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be"

A Daily Dose Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Recognize virtue in the simplest of things

A greeting is a minimal yet meaningful conferral of honor on a person for just being a person. With it, not only do we acknowledge and validate, but we also put to ease and wish well. P.M. Forni

Luke 6:20-38

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you^* on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’

A Daily Dose Monday, June 22, 2009

Led by the Most Holy Trinity

Faith and hope are at work only in the human person, but love is at work in God. Faith can move mountains; love creates the mountains, the heavens and the earth. Faith urges a creature, as one who is capable of loving, to make every effort to attain paradise. Love entreats God, who is aflame with love, to descend to earth to enable humankind to reach heaven by means of God's own love. Blessed Joseph Dominic

Romans 8:14-17

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

A Daily Dose Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day! It's a wonderful time to celebrate our Fathers. The Hebrews held sacred that all children were a blessing from the Lord, bringing joy to their parents.
You are a gift from the Almighty to your earthly father. And your own children are special gifts from God, a blessing and a responsibility.
Think of the joy, laughter and smiles you get from your own children. Your Heavenly Father sees you in the same way; your very existence brings Him joy. You make Him smile and laugh.
Today, as you celebrate with your families, praise your heavenly Father. And to those with children, may God show you His love through your kids today, you deserve it.

The Daily Bible Verse

Psalms 127:3-5

Children too are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children born in one's youth.

Blessed are they whose quivers are full. They will never be shamed contending with foes at the gate.

A Daily Dose Saturday, June 20, 2009

By His union with us, Jesus is the Son of Man; by our union with him, we are sons of God. Saint Augustine

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

A Daily Dose Friday, June 19, 2009

From forgiveness, when we are praying for something that we believe is the will of God, we should not give up.

Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking—that is what Jesus told us to do.

Luke 7:48-50

He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

A Daily Dose Thursday, June 18, 2009

Just Do It

Mary listened to the voice of God in her heart and became a faithful servant. The voice of God speaks to us in and through the sacred Scriptures. We cannot be faitful servants of God if we do not listen to the voice of God.

John 2:1-2, 5

On the third day, there was a wedding in Can of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

A Daily Dose Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Authentic Christianity

The first Christians had an original way of expressing their identity:

The Christian is one who bears Jesus

            In his or her mind,

            In his or her heart,

            In his or her gaze,

            In his or her hands,

            On his or her lips,

            In his or her entire being.

Cardinal Frances Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan

Philippians 2:12-14

So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning,

A Daily Dose Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The armor of God.

Everywhere, and at all points, the attack must be met with adequate, if possible with superior, weapons of defense. New errors must be confronted with fresh aspects of old truths, and with new ones. This is in accordance with the words of Christ: "The wise man brings out of his treasures new things and old." This is the work before the Church, to be done in our day; and if done at all, it will be done in the way it has always been done in the days of her trial. The Holy Spirit is to guide us in the work of God, and not we the Holy Spirit. Father Isaac Hecker

Ephesians 6: 10-11

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.

A Daily Dose Monday, June 15, 2009

Luke 6:38

Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be

measured out to you."

A Daily Dose Sunday, June 14, 2009

Avail Yourself to Prayer

What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by faith, but also know by reason: What does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?Saint Thomas More

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

A Daily Dose Saturday, June 13, 2009

Help build a better world

We should always repay what we owe to others and be willing to help our neighbors. We are not to withhold good when it is in our power to do so.
Whoever is on your heart today, don't withhold the good you can do in God's honor.The Daily Bible Verse

2 Corinthians 9:6

Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

A Daily Dose Friday, June 12, 2009

I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts. Og Mandino

James 3:13

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom.

A Daily Dose Thursday, June 11, 2009

“Nobody goes to hell because of what they do. We go to hell because we reject the grace that God so longs to give us, regardless of what we do.”

Rich Mullins

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Ephesians 1:2-10

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ^* before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

A Daily Dose Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This is a promise for the seemingly dull days of little happenings, and a cheer for you, My children. When you seem not able to do big things you can be storing your little acts and words of faithfulness in My Great Storehouse, ready for the day of your big demand. God Calling

Hebrews 13:12-16

Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come.

Through him (then) let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

A Daily Dose Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A closed mouth gathers no feet… and if it should open, let it not be just to change them.

Psalms 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, o Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer.

A Daily Dose Monday, June 8, 2009

As the earth can bring forth nothing without the energizing power of the sun, so we can do nothing without the energizing power of the Holy Spirit. Anon.

Ephesians 1:11-14

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

A Daily Dose Sunday, June 7, 2009

What You Scatter
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

Mark 12:41-44

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.

For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

A Daily Dose Friday, June 5, 2009

I discovered that people are not really afraid of dying; they’re afraid of not having lived, not ever having deeply considered their life’s higher purpose, and not ever having stepped into that purpose and at least tried to make a difference in the world. Joseph Jaworski

Luke 6:40-45

A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’seye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

A Daily Dose Thursday, June 4, 2009

Rabbi Harold Kushner says that religion begins with recognition of God's greatness and our limitations. It begins when our ability, confidence, and hopes are totally breached. It begins when we recognize an important truth:

"The things that matter most in our lives are beyond our control. At the limits of our own power, we need to turn to a Power greater than ourselves."

Rabbi Harold Kushner, from Who Needs God

Hebrews 2:18

Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

A Daily Dose Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Our Mission.

He who bears the burdens of others, assists all, humbles himself to all, even to his inferiors, and supplies the wants of the poor with what he has received from God, is truly the imitator of God. Saint Justin the Philosopher (d. 167)

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

A Daily Dose Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God

We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability --- and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.

Your ideas mature gradually --- let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don't try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.

Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin SJ

Acts 27:25

"So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.' "

A Daily Dose Monday, June 1,2009

Today, may I be made aware of some of the ways the Almighty has my back

Hope is often the most important gift we can impart to each other. When you’ve suffered a great deal and yet manage to emerge with your strength and hope intact, you can be of tremendous assistance to others.

Anthony DeStefano

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.