The Word of God will not return void…
Blushing from shame...
Gift: Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.
Reading: So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
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Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame. (Psalm 34:6)
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your kingdom come, 7 your will be done, on earth as in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
Observation: From Isaiah to the Psalms and on through the gospel of Matthew, the three verses that I chose today from the readings are ones of hope for the immediate future. As I am constantly reminded from reading the Word of God and in my dreams, I must stay focused on God’s Word and not the word of man. I am hearing today that if it is my hope that God’s kingdom comes and that His will is done in my life, I must keep looking at Him and not at the world.
Personification: Joy I will choose to focus on the fruit of joy today. Not only because of the verse from the responsorial Psalm today, but also because it is truly my hope that if others see the joy in my face they will begin to see the hope that comes from the Good News of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he is the way and the truth and the life, and I hope my life can be patterned after his.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Please help me to be radiant with joy so that I do not ever have to blush from shame. I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit. Amen.
japan is in a crisis right now
It is my hope that the truth of the gospel will spread to Japan through this crisis, and they, like all of us, will see the need to repent and be faithful to the good news of Jesus Christ.