Great Expectations

Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.  Romans 5:4

Lord, forgive me for assuming that a great life means an easy life.  Please bring me along to a place of great hope.

Artwork is from The Scriptorium at All Saints Convent, Box 3127, Catonsville, MD 21228

Listen and Bloom

Lydia...a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.   - Acts 16:14

  

Lydia already was a worshiper of God, like a bud waiting to bloom.

When Lydia listened to the truth, the Lord opened her heart and that brought forth stunning beauty.

Lord, help me to listen.  Open my heart to pay attention to Your words.  

Motherly Miracle

They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."  And he said, "Bring them here to me." 

 -- Matthew 14:17,18

Five small barley loaves which had been baked beforehand.  Someone ground the grain, added the yeast, water and salt before kneading the dough and allowing it to rise. Someone cleaned up the bowl where the dough was mixed and the counter where the dough was kneaded.  Someone baked the loaves.

Two fish which had been cleaned, seasoned and cooked beforehand by someone.  Someone packed the boy’s lunch.  Someone washed first the utensils which cooked the fish and then her industrious hands and dried them, perhaps, on the apron tied about her waist.

Dear Someone, 

He, who sees you in the night watches and who gathers your tears in a bottle, also walks with you.  Draw your daily sustenance from His Love and know that your hard work is the first step towards a miracle of God.

Jesus, encourage us in our daily work and help us to believe that miracles can result from routine, seemingly trivial tasks. Amen.

Rock Music

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever."  -- Revelation 5:13

I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.  -- Luke 19:40

 Thank you, Lord, that You will one day be worshipped by all.  Find me numbered among those adorers both now and when the Truth is fully revealed.  Amen.

Divine Mercy Defined

The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings. -- Exodus 25:20

 di·vine [dəˈvīn]

ADJECTIVE \

1. of, from or like God 

mer·c

y

  [ˈmərsē]

NOUN 

1. love's response to suffering  

Divine Mercy = God's love in response to suffering.

Jesus, we trust in You.  Thank You that under the wings of Your mercy we find refuge.

A Time to Rise

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1,2

The wonder of new life and the seeming finality of death.  Yet the Old Testament writer of Ecclesiastes left out something, because he knew not the future.  There also is a time to RISE.  

Thank you, Jesus, for rising from the dead and giving us a hope and a future.  Amen.

Miserere mei, Deus.

Lord, have mercy, because I am in misery.  My eyes are weak from so much crying, and my whole being is tired from grief.

Psalm 31:9

Thank you, God, that sacrifice to You is a troubled spirit, a broken and contrite heart , that You will not despise.  Amen.  (Ps. 51:17)