Catholic Spiritual Living Journal

God, our protector, keep us in mind; always give strength to your people.
For if we can be with you even one day, it is better than a thousand without you. (Ps 83)

Lord Jesus, we celebrate the feast of St. Rose of Lima who devoted her life to prayer and fasting. We pray for all those who live in fear of their lives, who search for food for their families and who face the hardship of injustice and war. May they know of your love for them and may they reach out to you in their pain. We ask this in your name. Amen.

God our Father, for love of you Saint Rose gave up everything to devote herself to a life of penance. By the help of her prayers may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12a

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven .

Meditation:

What is the good life which God intends for us, and the ultimate end or purpose of life? Is it not happiness, which is none other than the complete good, the sum of all goods, leaving nothing more to be desired? Jesus addresses this question in his sermon on the mount.

The heart of Jesus' message is that we can live a very happy life. The call to holiness, to be saints who joyfully pursue God's will for their lives, can be found in these ten beatitudes. Jesus' beatitudes sum up our calling or vocation -- to live a life of the beatitudes. The word beatitude literally means "happiness" or "blessedness".

What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matt. 4:17), the vision of God (Matt. 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matt. 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal. God alone satisfies. Do you seek the highest good, the total good, which is above all else?

The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression. God reveals to the humble of heart the true source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises his disciples that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships they can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas said: "No one can live without joy. That is why a person deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures." Do you know the happiness of hungering and thirsting for God alone?

"Lord, increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting peace and happiness. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in doing your will".

Psalm 24:1-6

1 The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;
2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob


Prayer on the Beatitudes

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Keep us from being preocuppied with money and worldly goods, and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Let us not be impatient under our own burdens and unconcerned about the burdens of others.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled."
Make us thirst for you, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread your influence in our private lives and in society.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to condemn.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."
Free us from our senses and our evil desires, and fix our eyes on you.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs."
Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice; and do not let us discriminate against our neighbors and oppress and persecute them.

1. Mary, Mother of God, I believe that you are Mediatrix with Jesus you share also in His sovereign dominion over the universe. You are Queen because you are the Mother of the Word Incarnate. Christ is universal King because He rules all creatures by His personal union with the divinity. You brought Him into the world that He might be King, according to the words of the archangel: "And of His kingdom there shall be no end." By consenting to His birth, you made Him King.

Mary, My Mother, you are Queen also because your are Co-Redemptrix. Jesus reigns over us not only by natural right, but also by the right of redemption. As
cooperator with your Son in that work of redemption, you also acquired the right to reign with Him. God chose you to be His Mother and by that very choice has associated you with Himself in the work of the salvation of men. Since you had your place beside Jesus when there was question of ransoming us and meriting for us all the graces necessary for our salvation, you must in like manner have your place beside Him now, when there is question of securing for us by your prayers in heaven the graces prepared for us in view of the merits of Christ. This is my hope that you will be a Mother to me and obtain for me the grace I need to save my soul.

2. Mary, Mother of God, yours is a queenship of goodness. You add a degree of motherly sweetness to the joy of the angels and saints and to the blessed of the Church triumphant. To the Church suffering you bring consolation, relief, deliverance, to the Church militant you offer aid, confidence, victory.

Yours is a queenship of dominion. You exercise your queenly dominion over the minds, the hearts, the wills and even over the bodies of your subjects. You rule over their minds, by making them understand better the teaching of Christ, over their hearts, by turning them to Jesus through the charm of your motherly affection, over their wills, by gently inclining them to observe all the commandments of your Son; over their bodies, by teaching men to subject their members to the law of God through the practice of temperance and chastity. The more fully you are Queen in a soul, the more does Jesus reign there as King. Reign over my mind and heart and will and body, so that I may belong completely to Jesus through you.

Mary, My Mother, yours is a queenship of conquest. How many souls have still to be brought under the rule of Christ the King! Fulfill your apostolic mission of winning the world for Christ. As formerly the shepherds and the magi found Jesus close to you, so now may all sinners, unbelievers and pagans find Jesus through you, His Mother. Hasten the reign of Christ by ruling over all of us, your children.

3. Mary, Mother of God, the apostolic mission confided to you as Queen by your Son is to help Him to the end of time in the sanctification and the salvation of all the souls that come into the world. This apostolic mission is a consequence of your office as Mother, as Co-Redemptrix and as Dispenser of all graces.

As Mother, it is your mission to preserve your children from sin and to make them live the supernatural life. You are the first apostle of your children not only because you are the most perfect of mothers, but especially because you are our spiritual Mother. Your apostolic work-to snatch souls from Satan and from sin to make them live the supernatural life-is the very reason for your motherhood.

As Co-Redemptrix, you must finish your work by applying the grace of redemption to each individual soul, for only then the redemption is achieved. This is the very heart of your apostolate. No apostolic act bears fruit without grace. But all graces come through you. Through your prayers all graces have come to the apostle and to the souls converted or sanctified. By granting them these graces you have performed a work of the apostolate. Your apostolate is universal because you are the spiritual Mother of all men and the universal Co-Redemptrix. All other apostles and workers for the salvation of souls depend upon you for blessing upon their missionary work. Bless the work of those who spend themselves to bring souls to your loving Son. Through your powerful intercession obtain for them the graces they need. Sanctify them first, so that they may then more effectively sanctify others.

Mary, My Mother, as Dispenser of all graces, you make the world share in the infinite merits of the redemption. You are the Mediatrix of our peace with God and the Giver of heavenly graces. You have entered into the highest state of power and glory in Heaven in order that you may help us in our journey through so many dangers to the kingdom of Heaven. I believe with the Church that from the great treasury of graces that Jesus has merited for us, nothing comes to us, by the will of God. except through you. Hence, it is through you that we must go to Christ, almost in the same way as through Christ we approach our Heavenly Father. You are our Mediatrix with our Mediator.

We do not attribute to you the power of producing supernatural grace, even though you are the Mother of God, for this power belongs to God alone. But, because you surpass all other creatures in holiness and in the closeness of your union with Jesus and. because you have been, according to the Divine Plan, associated with Jesus in the work of Redemption, you have merited by a merit of fitness all that Christ has merited by a merit of justice, and God has made you the Giver of His Graces.

You are Queen of the universe, not by force, but by the power of love. You embrace the universe in the realm of your love and enrich it through your unfailing intercession. You are "Suppliant Omnipotence" because your prayer obtains all graces from the infinite treasures of God.

From your heart we hope to obtain the love of God that He expects from His creatures, and also the pardon that guilty but repentant creatures ask from their merciful Creator. All souls belong to you and your Son. He is King and you are Queen of all hearts. Rule over us by the queenly power of your love that the Kingdom of your Son-the Kingdom of Truth and Life, Holiness and Grace, Justice, Love and Peace-may come upon earth.

Queen of Peace
Written by Pope Benedict XV

The following two excerpts from the early twentieth century pontiff, Pope Benedict XV, a pope renowned for his great Marian love and his untiring efforts for peace and reconciliation, reveal his extraordinary love for Our Lady, his articulation of her role as Queen of Peace and Mediatrix of all graces, and the Pope's belief in her intercessory power to bring peace during a troubled time for the world (World War I). Let us invoke this former pontiff for the pontificate of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, to follow the pattern of his predecessor of name in calling upon Our Lady, Queen of Peace, for the spiritual and global peace so needed in our present day. – Ed.

Mediatrix of Peace

The scene of Jesus' birth is complete through the presence of Mary. The faith of her believers and her children's love consider her not only God's Mother, but also the Mediatrix with God.

Mother of the Prince of peace, Mediatrix between rebellious man and the merciful God, she is the dawn of peace shining in the darkness of a world out of joint; she never ceases to implore her Son for peace although His hour is not yet come (John 2:4); she always intervenes on behalf of sorrowing humanity in the hour of danger; today she who is the mother of many orphans and our advocate in this tremendous catastrophe will most quickly hear our prayers.

In view of these considerations and the better to direct Christian thought and trust in the most powerful intercession of the Mother of God We, in answer to the requests of many children far and near, consent that they address the Blessed Virgin in the Litany of Loreto with the invocation, "Queen of Peace." And will Mary, who is Queen of a kingdom of peace and not of wars and disasters, reject the desires and prayers of her trusting children?

On this holy night in which the prophetic promises of the golden age and of blessed times were fulfilled and on which the very Author of peace gave us the heavenly child, will she not smile on hearing the voices of innocent children called by the Episcopate and by Us to the Eucharistic Table on this lovely solemnity?

When man has hardened his heart and hate has overrun the earth, when fire and sword convulse the world and make it resound with clash of arms and of wailing, when human plans have proved misleading, and when all social well-being is upset, faith and history point to Mary as the only refuge, the all powerful intercessor, the Mediatrix of all grace… therefore, let us say with sure trust: Queen of Peace, pray for us!


Delivered to the Consistory of Cardinals, December 24, 1915.

Queen of Peace

…And since all the graces which God deigns to bestow in pity upon men are dispensed through the most holy Virgin, We urge that more than ever in this terrible hour, the trusting petitions of her most afflicted children be directed to the august Mother of God.

Hence we direct Your Eminence to make known to all the bishops of the world that it is our fervent desire that mankind turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—the Throne of Grace—and that recourse to this Throne be made through Mary. Accordingly We ordain that beginning with the first day of June this year, there be placed in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin the invocation: Queen of Peace pray for us….

From every corner of the earth—from the majestic churches and the humble chapels; from the mansions of the rich as well as from the huts of the poor; from wherever dwells a faithful soul; from the bloodstained battlefields and war swept seas, may this pious and ardent invocation arise to Mary, the Mother of Mercy who is all-powerful in grace! To Mary may be brought each anguished cry of mothers and wives, each tear of innocent children, each longing of generous hearts! May her loving and most merciful solicitude be moved to obtain for this convulsed world the peace so greatly desired! And may the ages yet to come remember the efficacy of Mary's intercession and the greatness of her blessings to her suppliants!

1. Place yourself in the presence of God, kneeling with your hands clasped.

2. Read slowly and devoutly Psalm 91

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation."

3. Bring all you have read before you, as if you saw the Angels protecting you, especially your Guardian Angel.

4. Then say to God whatever is suggested to you; for instance:

"He has given His Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."

(1) 0 my God, I will go forward in Thy way, for my Guardian goes with me. I am very blind; I know not what is before me. I know not what will happen to me in life. I do not know whether I shall live long, or die young. But this I know, that in health and sickness, in joy and sorrow, in youth and age, Thou wilt be with me.

(2) 0 my sweet Guardian, how beautiful thou art. I wish I could see thee. And thou art as pure and holy as thou art beautiful, and thy breath inspires chaste thoughts. And as gentle and kind as thou art pure.

5. Conclusion. God of Angels, have mercy on me. Queen of Angels, pray for me.

The Catholic Catechism states that "meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ." Sec. 2708 (emphasis added). "Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking... We are usually helped by books [especially scripture]." Sec. 2705. "To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves." Sec. 2706. Catechism of the Catholic Church.

In these meditations, Cardinal Newman suggests how to enrich your soul with scripture and prayer. "Don't forget that it was St. Ignatius of Loyola who strongly promoted the use of imagination in meditation. His work, the Spiritual Exercises, is a monumental classic of the Catholic Tradition. In it he shows how fantasy will enhance our understanding and appreciation of Scripture, and how we can talk to Christ using the imagination.

When we read something, a story or a novel, we create a picture of it in our minds. St. Ignatius simply builds on this natural tendency. Thus, in the material for the second week of the Spiritual Exercises he says, " The first Prelude is a composition, seeing the place: ...here [we] see with the sight of the imagination, the synagogues,[5] villages and towns through which Christ our Lord preached."

There are lots of things that can make us say what we just heard Paul say in the epistle: "These are evil days." If you doubt that, watch the TV news for ten minutes. Or closer to home, take a look in the mirror: It's either pimples or wrinkles! You finally get rid of the one and then the other starts to show up - and the wrinkles don't go away, they just invite in all their friends!

Trials and tribulations, irritations, aggravations: That's life, but only one side of life. Because hidden inside every trouble and every aggravation is an opportunity just waiting to be noticed and taken hold of. That's what Paul is telling us ever so subtly. Every one of life's difficulties and challenges is an invitation from God to let go of what doesn't matter or doesn't work, and to search for what does matter and what can bring us joy and freedom.

And so for example, whether we're looking at pimples or wrinkles, what's really in front of us is God's invitation to let go of our worrying about appearances and to focus on straightening out what's behind the face, what's inside the head and the heart.

Sometimes we have to face a pain or frustration that just has to be lived with; we can't make it go away. What's the opportunity there? Perhaps it's an invitation to relax in the Lord, to give ourselves over to him at long last; perhaps it's an invitation to let go of our obsessive perfectionism or our excessive need to control.

We each have our own special collection of stresses and hurts, and we know them well. But have we looked behind them? Have we searched in faith for the invitation God has wrapped inside them? If we haven't, we're wasting a lot of pain. And that isn't what God wants for us. God is offering us joy and freedom for the taking, here and now. Look a little deeper and you'll find it, wrapped discretely inside your troubles. If you look, you'll find it. It's there!

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

Introductory Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I firmly believe in your Real Presence in the Eucharist. I ask that this meditation be an act of praise and thanksgiving for the great gift you give us of yourself under the species of bread and wine.

Grant, Lord, that I may grow in faith in the Eucharist.

1. A New Life.

It is always good to reflect on the basic and most fundamental truths of our faith. We can get so used to them that we lose the sense of marvel before them. God became man that we might participate in the very life of God. We who, thanks to our First Parents’ sin, were born with a life that was doomed, have by God’s mercy received the gift of a new life, a life that will never end. This new life we received at baptism when we were incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ, becoming children of God. We participate in the divine life of the Holy Trinity through the Son of God who became man for our sakes. What an extraordinary gift we have received! All of us need to reflect on it in God’s presence so as to grow in appreciation and love for God whose mercy toward us is boundless.

2. New Life – New Food.

We have received life, the very life of God. We have this new life in Christ. It comes entirely from him, not from the world, not from men and not from angels. Christ became man that we might have this new life. But as is always the way of human beings, we are weak and we need food so as to live. No earthly food that can sustain such a life. So we should marvel at the food that we have received as nourishment for this new life. In fact, Christ has given himself to be our “true food.” A new food for a new life is what we have received. In the Eucharist he has become our food and our drink. Let us stop and wonder in silent adoration before the generosity of the Son of God.

3. The Food of Promise.

The Eucharist is an extraordinary gift. We cannot fathom its infinite riches, as it is the Son of God himself. The bread is no longer bread and the wine is no longer wine. We are in the presence of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came that we might have life and have it to the full. He came and gave us himself to sustain on our journey. The food he gives – himself – is also the food of promise, for whoever eats his sacred Body and drinks his precious Blood will have eternal life and will be raised up on the last day. All other food is rendered useless at death. The Eucharist brings about the triumph over death; it is a new food for a new life – Eternal Life.

Daily talk with our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus

Lord, to whom shall we go? You are the Bread of Life! Lord Jesus, there are not enough days in this life to thank you for your love. There is not enough time to spend in thanksgiving for the greatness of the Eucharist. Here I am; I come to love you as best I can. I trust that through your Mother Mary’s help I will be able to love you.

I will invite my family to make a Eucharistic visit or to make a spiritual communion.