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Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Reading:  Therefore every loyal person should pray to you in time of distress. Though flood waters^* threaten, they will never reach him.^d You are my shelter; you guard me from distress; with joyful shouts of deliverance you surround me.  (Psalms 32:6-7)

Observation:  After I woke up this morning already feeling tempted to sin, I read about David‘s sin and my mind started to justify that I am a sinner anyway, so the fact that I fall victim to my sin today would be understandable in the light of David’s sin.  However, as I read the Responsorial Psalm I realized that I should be praying to get rid of the temptation, not succumbing to it.  The fact that the Psalmist here says that the flood waters threaten, but they will never reach us, and the joyful shouts of deliverance surround us.

Personification:  Generosity  In the light of the fact that I am a sinner that has fallen short of the glory of God, I will count on God to show me the way to display the fruit of generosity.  It is clear to me from what others say about me, especially my wife, that I am usually quite generous with my possessions, but I am sure there are ways that God could reveal to me that I could be more giving of my time and talents, as well as my money and possessions.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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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:  ^* He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”  (Mark 5:41)

Observation:  It is my hope that I can see that Jesus is calling me to a new life in him.  As one of my Twitter friends, Father Mabura, posted this morning, “Fix your eyes on the Lord, and live for him and in him!”  To me, the girl in today’s Gospel reading from the Mass readings for today, is calling us all to repentance from the life that we would lead without thinking about Jesus.  Not just the miracles that he performed while he walked the earth as one of us, but the miracles that he is performing daily by keeping us from destroying ourselves in both the physical and spiritual sense.

Personification:   Joy  It is my hope that no matter what may happen today, I am willing to follow the will of God in my life.  As I saw in the movie, “Into Great Silence” yesterday, that joy may not look like the world’s view of joy, but rather it may be quiet contemplation that does not only bring joy, but it is the joy that my soul is searching for, but will only find in my relationship with God.  The movie was suggested by another friend of mine that I follow on Twitter, but got the suggestion from his blog.  You can find his blog here:  http://redemptoristpreacher.com/  He has posted a trailer from the movie as well…

Prayer:  Lord, let me remember that moments of quiet contemplation may be the joy that I am looking for, as well as the times that lead to sharing that joy with others.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

Related articles

• Audio Readings January 31, 2012 4th Week in Ordinary Time (sacredheartcatholicchurchcrosbytexas.wordpress.com)

Gift:  Knowledge – With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God’s Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and Tradition.

Reading:  Arise, LORD! Save me, my God!  (Psalms 3:8)

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But he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home ^*to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”  (Mark 5:19)

Observation:  It is amazing that the Lord would rise up inside of me and save me, because I have spent so much of my life looking more like the man possessed by many demons than someone worthy of salvation.  I guess that is the point of today’s responsorial Psalm from the Mass readings and the Gospel.  The truth is, even the crazy man who is running around destroying stuff and tormenting people, God sees as worthy of saving.  For me, I am thankful that God has taken up residence in my heart and I am hopeful that I will always remember to call on the Lord  to rise up in me and never take for granted that Jesus is waiting for me to invite him into my body through the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Personification:  Love  I know that with the love that God has shown me through the sacrifice of His Son, I should be able to love everyone that I meet today.  It is only by grace that I can display love for people who I do not know, and it is a miracle that someone like me, who was raised not to show affection, can make a free and open display of God’s love to others.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to display your love to others out of store of grace that has been freely given to me through your church.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  After this the Lord appointed seventy [-two]^* others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.  (Luke 10: 1-3)

Observation:  On Thursday, when Father Jaspers chose to proclaim this Gospel reading over the one from Mark, I was confused because it was not listed on any of the websites that I normally go to for the daily readings.  However, it did appear in our Missal and obviously in our Lectionary.  I would usually have chosen to focus on the fact that the laborers are few and that we are like lambs among wolves, but his homily focused on  the chosen ones were sent to 36 towns, since there were 72 of them sent out in pairs.  I guess it would have been 35 towns if we read this as some of the texts have it as 70 others that the Lord appointed.  I actually like the 70 number, because it seems like a better representation of the fact that he chose the perfect number necessary to carry out the mission of delivering the Good News to the towns that he knew needed to be reached in the first phase of evangelization.  For me, I am just happy to be reminded by Jesus in this Gospel reading that there has to be more people than just the 12 Apostles to continue His mission of evangelization to the world.  Somehow, this makes what I do seem to make more sense, but I don’t think I could explain exactly why.

Personification:  Patience  I have learned over the last two days, and my whole life for that matter, that things don’t always go the way I expect them to go.  However, this time I believe that I realize that I must display the fruit of patience when this happens and know that God will eventually get me back to the work that He began in me, if it was Him who began the work in the first place.  I believe that God is transforming the work that I do with this blog and I hope that I am waiting patiently enough to get the guidance from the holy Spirit to act according to His will.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be patient and only do the things that are aligned with your holy will for me.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.  (Mark 16:17)

Observation:  It has been a whole day since I first read the readings this morning.  I let the world get in and distract me from what God was telling me this morning, and for that I am sorry.  However, without the distraction, I don’t believe I would have ever come to the conclusion that I have about my faith today.  There is no circumstance that can take Jesus out of my heart, and I must act in a way that is respectful of that gift and not let any sin or even any sinful attitude control my mind.

Personification:  Self-Control  Once again, I realize that self-control is not about my self, it is about Jesus.  How can Jesus be a part of me, if I am involved in sin?  I realize that I will not always be perfect, but if Jesus is in us, nothing can stop us from walking away from whatever evil stands before us.  If that evil persists in attacking me even after I have gone to Confession for that sin, I will cast it away by simply saying that I belong to Jesus.

Prayer:  Lord, I know that it is not about playing mind games with myself to stay away from sin, it is about realizing that you are with me and you are more powerful than any evil.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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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:  As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David jumping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.  (2 Samuel 6:17)

Observation:  Honestly, I hope that no one despises me in their heart because of my writing this blog.  I imagine there are some atheists who may not agree with the content, but I pray that God will open their eyes to the truth someday.  Anyway, I was moved to journal about this verse today, because it is the Feast Day of Saint Francis de Sales, who is the Patron of Writers and I heard yesterday on a news program that writers should keep writing.  With God’s grace and the intercession of this great Saint, I am writing today, even though I don’t understand fully the reason for it.

Personification:  Love  It is only when I stop worrying about what others think of my prayer life, I can truly be faithful to what God is calling me to.  Not just in prayer, but also in the love that I am supposed to show in the physical world to my wife and kids and also my neighbor, I must not focus on how they will react to it because that may cause me to fail in doing it.

Prayer:  Lord, remind me to love like I’m dying, since I may not have tomorrow, I must be willing to love more fully today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of  the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Reading:  When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  (Mark 3:21)

Observation:  It is hard to believe that Jesus’ relatives would not have believed that He was the Messiah.  They knew His Mother, and they had to know the story of His birth.  I guess it is a testament to how powerful pride can be in the minds of us sinners.  I know that I forget that God has the power to save me sometimes, and I am related to Jesus by my Baptism too.  When I heard the words of the responsorial Psalm this morning at 8:00am Mass at Saint Mary Catholic Church, I realized again that just the appearance of the face of Jesus can save me. 

Personification:  Joy  Thanks be to God for revealing the truth of His saving power through the responsorial Psalm at Mass today, and in honor of his power and glory, I used the 4th verse of the 80th Psalm as my title for my journal today.  I want to live out the Good News today with joy, because I am secure in the knowledge that God will use whatever means necessary to save us from sin and we only need be open to the prompting of the holy Spirit to act in accordance with His grace.

Prayer:  Lord, help me be joyful today at every move that God makes in my life and realize that it is by the power of the holy Spirit and His grace, that we receive through the sacrifice of Jesus, that we are saved.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder.  (Mark 3:17)

Observation:  It was only after my reflection that I shared yesterday, that I realized that I may not be ready to be the fiery preacher that I think I am.  For now, I will remember that God is calling me to be like John, and remember to call myself and others to repentance, but maybe I am not ready to call others to action yet.  It is my hope that I am living out the call of God, in the same way that Jesus called the apostles, but I just want to make sure that I am living out the call God intended and not the call that I want.

Personification:  Faithfulness  In order to be faithful to my call, I must act with the authority of Jesus, but do so with the same humility that He displayed by praying, fasting and even suffering for the faith in the ways that present themselves to me in my every day life.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to suffer gratefully and know that if I can join my suffering to yours that I will be assured of following your will for my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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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:  Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell on his face to the ground.  (1 Samuel 17:40,49)

Observation:  It is only after about a six-month absence of this story from my consciousness, that I am able to look at it with a new perspective. I have, however, been able to focus on the five smooth stones as they were presented to our youth during a youth conference in San Diego last summer.  I imagine that although I have not consciously thought about all five of them every day since last summer, they have been in my sub-conscious as I awake every day to live out the faith that has been given to me by God:

1.  Wake up on time.

2.  Focus on Jesus.

3.  Do something for someone without expecting a thank you.

4.  Deny yourself something.

5.  Act with gratitude.

Personification:  Love  In order to be able to love others like yourself, you must first love yourself.  It is only by being disciplined in my devotions in the morning that I can keep myself from becoming the person that I find it difficult to love.  If I find it difficult to love myself, than showing that love to others is going to be impossible, because there isn’t any love to model for me.  It is my understanding that these five stones that David used to fill his shepherd’s bag before battle Goliath can mean different things to different people, but the important part of the story is not that there were five and what do they represent, but that David took the time to select them before battle.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to carefully select my five smooth stones today and allow me the courage to battle whatever adversity that I may face today, with the knowledge that you are with me.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.  (1 Samuel 16:13)

Observation:  As I read this first reading from the readings for Mass today, I was reminded of how our Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation are similar to what Samuel did to David when he anointed him to be King of Israel.  If you read on in the story, he does not immediately take the throne from Saul, but he begins a journey of faith that eventually leads to him becoming King after many hardships and trials that he must face.  It reminds me of the hardships and trials that I face on a daily basis, as a followers of Christ.  However, if I continue to face them with patience and endurance, God has promised to provide everything I need to be a king, like Christ.  I don’t begin to understand what that looks like, or even what that means exactly, but I know that I am called to follow Christ in everything that I do.

Personification:    Self-Control  It is only by the grace of God that I will be able to show the fruit of self-control in my life.  I know that God wants me to follow His Son more closely in my life, and will supply the grace necessary to be able to accomplish it.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a better disciple today and everyday for the rest of my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

Related articles

• King David’s Life (ptl2010.com)