Happy Families

O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table.
Ps.128:1-3

The psalmist describes the state of being for the man who fears God. Prosperity exhibited by a happy family around a laden table.

This is the image I have of a "successful me". Sitting at the head of a well-stocked dining table, wife, children and grandchildren stretched around the table all looking to me as I bow my head in thanksgiving prayer to God. That is fulfillment, embodiment of a successful life.

I have had that very moment on numerous occasions. I am so blessed.

Father in Heaven, you have blessed my life with so much. I thank you Lord. 
Saint Thomas Moore, please pray for me.

The Gifts

And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ.
Eph.4:11,12

Saint Paul writes about the maturity and unity of the Body of  Christ. Different gifts to different people but all for the single purpose of building up the Church.

It's scripture like this that makes me ask, "so, what is my gift?" I led a workshop a few weeks ago and it seemed to impact those attending. Am I a teacher? I wrote an article the other day and was told I have "away with words". An I a writer? My grandchildren gravitate to me, begging for me to read to them. Am I a grandad? I'm roistered to lead children's Liturgy next weekend. Am I an evangiliser?

Probably I'm all of the above and more, yet to be discovered.

Lord Jesus, I just want to be an authentic witness for you. Help me recognise the gifts you have given me and then have the fire in my belly to use them.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

A Life Worthy

I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together.
Eph.4:1-3

Saint Paul makes a plea for unity in the Church of Ephesus. He calls the community to be loving, selfless, gentle and patient.

Wow! I could belong to a church like that. If I'm not experiencing those virtues in my own parish, where is a place to start. With myself of course.

Lord Jesus, I want to lead a life worthy of you. Help me love, think of others first, be gentle and patient.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Laugh a Lot

Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns.
Lk.12:43,44

Jesus is teaching his disciples to be watchful, ready for his return. The hour is unknown but the surety of his return is definite.

There is a happiness in employment, right employment. Doing the work of Jesus is a source of joy. I recently attended a men's retreat where two retired bishops were part of the leadership team. They were close to eighty and yet were still at work for the Lord. I noticed they laughed a lot.

Today I can work as though working for the Lord... and laugh a lot.

Lord Jesus, I place my work before you and ask that you be glorified in it.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Faithfulness

Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.
Ps.84:10,11

The psalmist describes the blessings of God and the virtues of man in a mutual loving embrace. Mercy and justice from God embraces the faithfulness of man and bestows peace.

For me, this describes the perfect state, that "all is well"moment when I am at peace with God and sure of his mercy and love. Faithfulness gives birth to peace. If I want mercy and peace in my life, be faithful, faithful to God and faithful to others in my life. The "spring from the earth" indicates the initiative needs to be mine.

Lord God, you are waiting for my faithfulness in order to pour down your mercy, justice and peace. Holy Spirit, empower me to be a faithful man today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Hear plus Do equals Happy

As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
Lk.11:27,28

Jesus has just driven out a demon and the crowd is amazed. A woman caught up with emotion shouts out what only a woman would shout in effusive praise. Jesus elevates the shouted words into a prophecy. Happiness comes with hearing the word of God and acting on it.

The highest level of happiness, joy in fact, comes with hearing and doing. This habit of morning prayer creates time for me to hear God's word. The remainder of the day gives opportunity to do it. Then joy is mine.

 Thank you Jesus for this time together. Strengthen me to now keep what I've heard.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Persist

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.
Lk.11:9,10

Jesus continues his teaching on prayer, having just given the Lord's Prayer. Here he emphasises persistence in prayer.

Ask, seek, knock. Prayer must be active and expectant. We ask for something, seek for something, knock on the door for something and we until we receive or find or have the door opened, we persist.

I have a prayer list that goes back a number of years. Some prayers have been answered, others not yet.  Time to persist.

Thank you Lord for your perfect timing in answering my prayers. Holy Spirit empower me to persist.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Timing

The Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
Lk10:41,42

Jesus arrives for the first time at Mary and Martha's home. Martha serves while Mary sits. Martha's indignance at her sister causes Jesus to highlight the better response to him. Sitting at his feet and listening to him.

The two sisters fall into what is their natural personalities. Martha is a server, Mary is a worshiper. I remember the Donut Man's explanation for children about this. "Martha did the right thing but at the wrong time". For all of us there is a time to serve and a time to worship. The trick is to get the timing right.

Service at the wrong time turns into worry and fret. Done from a worship-filled heart service becomes a joy, in fact an act of worship in itself. I'm sitting at the Lord's feet at this very moment in this prayer time. Service will no doubt come in my day and I will be able to do it joyfully.

Lord, help me recognise worry and fret as signs that I need to listen to you, worship you. Then peace and joy will empower my service.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Joy is Strength

It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said: ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.
Lk:10:21

The seventy two have just returned from  their first mission trip which has been a resounding success. Jesus, filled with joy and the Spirit, gives all glory to God the Father.

I can just picture the wild jubilation of the returning disciples. Their work had succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. "Even the devils submitted to us when we used your name!" Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit and responds with joy.

It seems wherever God's work is succeeding there is joy and the Spirit. I have just returned from a men's retreat where I played a small part. It was successful and by Sunday the hallmark of leaders and participants was joy, effusive joy.

Joy is from God. It's more the happiness. It's a deep, worldview changing, lifting of my spirit. Let that be my hallmark today as I look after five of my grandchildren, two still in nappies!  Yeehaw!

Lord Jesus, you are the source of my joy today. Fill me with your spirit as I minister today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Penetrating Gaze of Love

O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you.
Ps.138:1-3

The psalmist writes of the the all knowing , all powerful God who observes all activities and thoughts. God is with me wherever I go.

This truth can be both comforting and unsettling. It's comforting knowing I'm never alone. It's unsettling when I consider my less honorable thoughts and actions.  The beautiful thing here is that God loves me despite of all my small, petty and dishonorable thoughts and actions. And he loves me enough not to leave me there.

Today I walk into my day with God beside me, encouraging me, cheering me on. believing in me.

Lord Jesus, send me your Spirit to guide me today. Thank you Lord for your steadfast love.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

The Favourites of God

The Holy Guardian Angels

‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
Mt.18:5,10

The disciples have asked, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus must have surprised them with his answer. The weakest of the weak. The lowest of the low. A little child is great in the Kingdom of heaven. Then he goes a step further, revealing that the weak have powerful advocates, angels who present their case before God Almighty himself.

I have grandchildren, nine and a half of them. I'm leading children's liturgy this weekend. I am surrounded by the favourites of God. I need to be mindful not to despise them, and I never do. I have been given a heart for them, which I see now is a gift.

And for myself, I had a guardian angel when I was a child. Does this angel leave me now I'm a man? I think not. What a blessed thought to take into my day.

Thank you Lord for my guardian angel. And thank you Lord for my heart for children. Help me welcome them as I would welcome you.
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for me.