Our Minute Meditations encourages us to speak up for those who cannot. 📣
Dear John, Some of my favorite passages in the Gospels are the ones that depict Jesus’ emotions. They are reminders to me that Jesus, too, felt life deeply and had to find a way to navigate the turmoil. Today’s Pause+Pray invites us to honestly reflect upon what might be building up within ourselves—what we may be avoiding or repressing—and to invite God into the complexities of our own emotions. I hope we fight against the temptation to shame the complex emotions we may feel within ourselves. Life is busy and hard and confusing, yet I believe God walks with us in the midst of it all. Maybe our emotions can even be their own signal to ourselves to bring our feelings to God and trust God with our hearts. It’s an honor to create resources that we hope accompany you on your faith journey. Help us customize our resources to suit your needs better by donating to Rebuilding God's Church. Stephen Copeland Book Editor |
Saint of the Day for February 19:
Conrad of Piacenza
(c. 1290 – February 19, 1351) Listen to Conrad of Piacenza's Story Here Born of a noble family in northern Italy, Conrad as a young man married Euphrosyne, daughter of a nobleman. One day while hunting he ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to flush out the game. The fire spread to nearby fields and to a large forest. Conrad fled. An innocent peasant was imprisoned, tortured to confess, and condemned to death. Conrad confessed his guilt, saved the man’s life, and paid for the damaged property. Soon after this event, Conrad and his wife agreed to separate: she to a Poor Clare monastery and he to a group of hermits following the Third Order Rule. His reputation for holiness, however, spread quickly. Since his many visitors destroyed his solitude, Conrad went to a more remote spot in Sicily where he lived 36 years as a hermit, praying for himself and for the rest of the world. Prayer and penance were his answer to the temptations that beset him. Conrad died kneeling before a crucifix. He was canonized in 1625. Reflection Francis of Assisi was drawn both to contemplation and to a life of preaching; periods of intense prayer nourished his preaching. Some of his early followers, however, felt called to a life of greater contemplation, and he accepted that. Though Conrad of Piacenza is not the norm in the Church, he and other contemplatives remind us of the greatness of God and of the joys of heaven.
|
Be a Voice for the Voiceless Our voices are a gift from God. Often, we may think we cannot directly address the struggles of the poor, the voiceless, and others in need. But we can always use our voices to speak out on their behalf, obeying God’s directive in Proverbs 31:8–9, and our efforts might help move our world one step closer to God’s vision of a world where justice prevails. This week, who can you speak out for? How can you use your voice to defend the poor and needy, to be a voice for those who have no voice or whose voices are ignored in the halls of power? —from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “‘Speak Out for Those Who Cannot Speak‘”
by Tom Faletti |
St. Padre Pio’s daily example as a devoted follower of Christ helps guide readers through a reflective and prayer-filled Lenten season. |
Quiet My Thunder, Lord Reflect Much like the rumbling thunder in the background on a hot summer afternoon, my temper sometimes rumbles under the surface instead of exploding. It makes me irritable with loved ones, coworkers, or other drivers on the road, and I may not even be aware of it. Pray Dear God,
Create in me a clean heart!
Let the undercurrent of my thoughts be patience and compassion,
not annoyance and frustration.
Let your love be the rumbling thunder that spills out from me
like a summer downpour over the people in my life, instead of my temper.
Help me be aware of my moods and thoughts
so they don’t race off in directions I don’t intend.
Amen. Act Monitor the undercurrent of your thoughts today and bring them back to Jesus if they wander down a negative path. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Colleen Arnold, MD. Learn more here! |
Thank you for reading! If you wish to donate,
please click the button below. |
|
