Devotion for today: Do your best and let God do the rest

 Colossians 3:17, 23: Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Luke 12:22-32:  And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.  Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

A movie came out in 2006 called “Facing the Giants.” It is a very well done ”David and Goliath” high school football movie where a small Christian High School team faces big challenges to reach its goal of being State Champs. In one scene a small, second-string kicker faces a 51 yard attempt to win a game, and his coach simply tells him, “Do your best, and let God do the rest.” I love that! Such a simple statement, yet it holds the secret to a blessed life. First of all it implies total trust in God. Is it not just another way of saying, “Jesus I trust in You”? Whether or not the little guy made the kick, there was no way he could lose. By doing his best, he was following what our first Scripture passage tells us: “do your work heartily as for God and not for men.” In other words, do whatever it is you are supposed to do as a gift to God. Do not worry about the outcome: if we have given the work to God, then the outcome will be exactly what God wants it to be, since our salvation and that of our fellow man is all that matters to God. Earthly praise and recognition do not interest God and therefore, they should not interest us.

How peaceful life can be when we take to heart what Jesus tells us in the second passage above: “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.  Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” The truth is we shouldn’t need more in our lives than those words. We have been given the kingdom! Yes we have to work and yes we have to have material possessions in order to survive, but ask yourself this question, “Do my possessions own me, or do I own them? What if I lost my health, my wealth, a family member? Would I still trust in the Lord? Would I still serve Him joyfully if I had nothing?”

 God provides for His creation but He gives to each member of it what He deems necessary. Do you think it would be wise for the lily to be upset because it cannot sing like the lark? Sit and gaze at a field. The flowers grow, the birds sing, the rabbits search for food, and all are cared for. The only created being in that field upset and worried about tomorrow is you! And you are God’s greatest delight, so how much more does He have in store for you than for these other creatures!!! We must face the cold, hard truth about ourselves: we worry and fret because God may not be willing to give us what we want, and we are not so sure that we really want what He is willing to give. We worry that our will may not be done. Let us ask ourselves today how much we are willing to trust in God, and rest in the peace of His comfort and care. Let us give up worry for today, and give in to God’s loving embrace. We may just make the kick, but guess what? It won’t matter anymore. We will be so happy to have done our best, and to have left the rest to God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Y8Naj3RFk

Devotion for today: If I believe in God, why I am so afraid?

Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “We fear tomorrow because we have no yesterdays to light the way, we act like dull tragedians not knowing what the future holds because we have forgotten the past. The principles which once were taken for granted, because beyond legal controversy or human manipulation, are today challenged.” (Seven Pillars of Peace)

Jesus I trust in You. (Diary of St. Faustina)

St. Augustine:  “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.”

Padre Pio: Pray, hope and don’t worry!

Fear is something all of us experience. In today’s world, we justifiably fear war, economic collapse, attacks for our beliefs, and personal suffering. It can become a habit to dwell on the evils existing in the world and talk of nothing but the negative forces marching through our world. If we profess to believe in God, then why are we so afraid?

I think we need to start at the beginning of our source of fear. I think we need to ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we believe in God.  We profess this every time we pray the Creed, and it has to be the basis of our faith, or why would we stay in the Church? Yet, how often do we dwell on the meaning of this? Who is God to us? How do we see Him in our lives? How do we see ourselves in relation to Him? Is He an impersonal God who is busy running the world and not too interested in us personally? Maybe we see Him only as a judge who will face us at the end of our lives? Do we believe that God loves us very much, that He wants to be seen as our Father who He asks for one thing, and that is our trust?

The secret to a life free of anxiety and fear is in the expression found at the bottom of the Image of Divine Mercy: Jesus I trust in You. I think it is time for all of us to realize that although the world is filled with many sources of fear it is only through faith in God, and trust in His divine mercy, that all of the dangers we face can be overcome. We cannot stop the evil in the world by fear. We can make a great difference in the world by praying for the conversion of sinners, for peace, and for our own sanctity.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Take every opportunity to reflect on the passion of Christ to realize how much He loves us. Pray constantly for the world, for sinners and for yourself, that in any trial or temptation you may be strong and steadfast in your faith. The most tragic thing that can happen to anyone is to lose the opportunity for eternal life. We may lose everything in the world, but it will not matter if we stay faithful. God has us in the palm of His hand, and He loves us very much. Remember the words of my seventh grade nun to use in any trial we face: I must need this for my salvation!

Prayer Jesus asked St. Faustina to pray for the salvation of the world:

Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus, Christ, in atonement of our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

For more information on the power of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, please visit the website: http://thedivinemercy.org

Devotion for today: The Pope's Plea for Peace in Syria

Mark 9:14-29:  When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.  As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered.  “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

The Pope has asked for a day of prayer and fasting on Saturday for the end to the violence in Syria. Many people in the world believe as he does, that if this conflict escalades into a war involving many nations, we will seen unprecedented horrors. Please read his plea and follow his request.

"I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 Sept. next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world"

VATICAN CITY, September 01, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Here is a Vatican translation of the Pope's address this morning, given before and after praying the midday Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. 

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, Hello!

Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected. There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming. I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from deep within me. How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country especially among civilians and the unarmed! I think of many children who will not see the light of the future! With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart. There is a judgment of God and of history upon our actions which are inescapable! Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence. With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome blind conflict. With similar vigor I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people. May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries. May humanitarian workers, charged with the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as to provide the necessary aid. What can we do to make peace in the world? As Pope John said, it pertains to each individual to establish new relationships in human society under the mastery and guidance of justice and love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55, [1963], 301-302). All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!

I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace. May the plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that they may lay down their weapons and let themselves be led by the desire for peace.

To this end, brothers and sisters, I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.

On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from19:00 until 24:00, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.

Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Third day: Comfort those who mourn their loved ones

The Syrian crisis, which began March 15, 2011, has already taken many lives, too many, and the current political situation continues compounding and worsening the situation, unprecedented in this nation. The United Nations reports more than 100,000 dead. Before such a reality, words fall short…
Cities are destroyed and “development plans are in the cemeteries.” They tell us from Syria: “A 6-year-old girl was playing hide-and-seek with her brother. A sniper shot the little boy. … In the cemetery, the girl cried out before the tomb of her brother: Come out from your hiding place! I don’t want to play anymore!”

We pray for the victims of this war, for all of them, and each one of them. They are not numbers, but names, members of a family. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They are our brothers and sisters, children of God who created them in His image and likeness. We pray that the right to life of every person be respected and defended. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for Syria, pray for us.

Please visit the zenith.org website for more information on the prayers for peace in Syria.