Catholic Daily Reflections

By: My Catholic Life!
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  • Summary

  • My Catholic Life! presents the beauty and splendor of our Catholic faith in a down to earth and practical way. These daily audio reflections come from the "Catholic Daily Reflections Series" which is available in online format from our website. They are also available in e eBook or paperback format.

    May these reflections assist you on your journey of personal conversion!
    Copyright My Catholic Life! Inc.
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Episodes
  • Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C) - Giving What You Receive

    Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C) - Giving What You Receive
    Aug 4 2024
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    Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Matthew 14:19–20

    An important aspect of this miracle that is easy to miss is that Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes through His disciples’ instrumentality. He did this by inviting them to assist in the distribution of the loaves and in the gathering of the fragments left over. This reveals that God often uses us as mediators of His superabundant graces given to others. Though God could pour forth His mercy directly, most often He does so through others.
    As you ponder this miracle, try to see yourself as one of the disciples who was invited to distribute the bread to the people. If you were there and were hungry and then were given bread, you would be tempted to eat the bread yourself before giving any away. But Jesus gave the bread to His hungry disciples with the instruction to first give it to others.

    Sometimes, when God calls us to give His mercy to others, we become selfish. It’s easy to think that we must first take care of ourselves and our own needs. We erroneously believe that we can only offer mercy to others after our needs are met. Imagine, for example, if upon receiving the bread from Jesus the disciples would have decided that they should eat of it first. Then, if there was anything extra, they could give it to others. Had they done this, the superabundance of the multiplication of the loaves would not have happened. In the end, the disciples themselves received a superabundance of food—precisely because they first gave away what they had received.

    Spiritually speaking, the same is true with us. When we receive spiritual nourishment from our Lord, our first thought must be to give it away. We must first see all that we receive from God as an opportunity to bestow those blessings upon others. This is the nature of grace. For example, if we are given a sense of peace or joy within our hearts, we must realize that this peace or joy we receive is a gift that must be immediately offered to others. If we are given a spiritual insight into the Scriptures, this is given to us first and foremost to share with others. Every gift we receive from God must be understood as a gift given to us so that we can immediately share it with others. The good news is that when we seek to give away that which we have received, more is given to us and, in the end, we will be far richer.

    Reflect, today, upon the action of the disciples receiving this food from our Lord and immediately giving it away. See yourself in this miracle, and see the bread as a symbol of every grace you receive from God. What have you received that God wants you to distribute to others? Are there graces you have received that you selfishly try to hold onto? The nature of grace is that it is given to give it to others. Seek to do this with every spiritual gift you receive, and you will find that the graces multiply to the point that you receive more than you could ever imagine.

    Most generous Lord, You pour forth Your grace and mercy in superabundance. As I receive all that You bestow, please fill my heart with generosity so that I will never hesitate to offer Your mercy to others. Please use me as Your instrument, dear Lord, so that, through me, You may abundantly feed others. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.com
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured image above: The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes By Jacopo Tintoretto, via Wikimedia Commons
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    5 mins
  • Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) - Hunger for God

    Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) - Hunger for God
    Aug 3 2024
    Read Online“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” John 6:25–27The day before, Jesus fed the crowds at the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. The next day, the people were hungry again, so they went looking for Jesus thinking that He might miraculously feed them again. In the passage above, Jesus uses their physical hunger to point them to a deeper spiritual reality.Each one of us is hungry. We continually have cravings that we want satiated. Certainly, food and drink are among our cravings, but the deepest craving we each have is a spiritual one. The problem is that we often try to satiate ourselves in ways that will never satisfy us. Therefore, we each need to hear Jesus say, “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” What is that food that the Son of Man will give to us? Of course, it is His very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. It is the Most Holy Eucharist.This passage begins the lengthy “Bread of Life Discourse” from which we will read over the next three Sundays. Throughout this discourse, Jesus makes it clear that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink. Eating Jesus’ flesh and blood is the only way to eternal life. Some who listen to this teaching find that it is too difficult to accept and, as a result, reject Jesus and His teaching. The discourse ends with Jesus asking the Twelve if they want to leave too. Peter gives the perfect response by saying, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”As we ponder this teaching of Jesus over the next few weekends, it is important to start with the foundation. The foundation is our spiritual hunger. We each experience it. We each are aware of it. We cannot escape it. For that reason, look into your own soul. What do you see? Do you see a certain restlessness and unfulfilled desire? Do you sense the cravings within your own soul? When you see this, know that you have discovered the starting point of the life of fulfillment. Unless you can see that hunger within, you cannot turn to the source of satiation.The Eucharist is the source of all that we long for in life; however, too often we fail to see that. We can easily fall into the trap of seeing the Eucharist as an obligation we must meet each week. Sometimes Mass can even be seen as an inconvenience. If this is your struggle, try to use the next few Sundays to reexamine your understanding of the Most Holy Eucharist.Sunday Mass, more than anything else in life, must be understood as the source of our deepest satisfaction in life. It must be seen as the answer to every interior longing and restlessness we have. It is not money, recognition, status, power, or anything else in life that fulfills us. It is God. And God comes to us first and foremost in the celebration of the Mass. Do you believe this? Do you understand?Reflect, today, and for the next few weeks, upon the Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist. As you do, try to see it as the answer to every interior longing and hunger that you have in life. Try to make an act of faith in this spiritual truth. If you do not regularly experience the satiation offered by consuming the Eucharist, ask yourself why not. Believe in everything that Jesus teaches in this holy discourse of the Bread of Life. If you do, you will also begin to receive the nourishment that our Lord promises. My Eucharistic Lord, You are the Bread of Life and the source of all satisfaction in life. Your Body and Blood, given to me through my participation in the Holy Mass, is the greatest Gift I could ever receive. Please renew and deepen my love for You in this Gift so that I will find full satisfaction and fulfillment in You alone. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Miracle of the Bread and Fish by Giovanni Lanfranco, via Wikimedia Commons
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    6 mins
  • Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time - Overcoming Regret

    Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time - Overcoming Regret
    Aug 2 2024
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    Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Matthew 14:1–2

    Herod the tetrarch was one of three brothers and a sister who became 1st-century rulers to succeed their father, Herod the Great, when he died in 4 B.C. Herod governed much of the territory west of the Sea of Galilee, which was the territory in which Jesus spent most of His time during His public ministry. He also ruled a territory just east of the Dead Sea, which is where he had imprisoned and ultimately killed John the Baptist. Herod was known for being a very busy builder and is prominently known for his role in the deaths of Saint John the Baptist and Jesus.

    Recall that Herod had taken his brother’s wife, Herodias, as his own, and John the Baptist publicly opposed this. For that reason, Herod had John arrested and ultimately beheaded at the request of Herodias, who took the Baptist’s criticism very personally. Herod, on the other hand, had a strange sort of admiration for the Baptist.

    The Gospel passage quoted above reveals a somewhat unusual statement by Herod. After he had killed Saint John the Baptist, he heard about the reputation of Jesus Who was traveling throughout Herod’s territory preaching and performing many mighty deeds. Word spread fast about Jesus and quickly reached even the ears of Herod. So why did Herod strangely think that Jesus must have been John the Baptist raised from the dead? Though we do not know for certain, we certainly can speculate.

    In the version of this story found in the Gospel of Mark, we read, “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him” (Mark 6:20). Herod may have been a man who had a spark of faith but was ultimately ruled by his passions and desire for power. Perhaps that is why he initially kept John the Baptist alive in his prison. It also appears that Herod had some form of either regret or fear over his beheading of John. And it is most likely for this reason that Herod immediately thought of John when he initially heard of Jesus and the “mighty powers” that were at work within Him.

    Regret, fear and guilt are common effects of a conscience that is in conflict. Herod the tetrarch is a good example of what happens when we do not resolve that conflict within ourselves. The only way to resolve the interior confusion of a conflicted conscience is to humbly submit to the truth. Imagine if Herod would have repented. Imagine if he would have sought out Jesus, confessed his sins, and begged for forgiveness. What a glorious story that would have been. Instead, we have the witness of a man who has gone astray and remained obstinate in his sin.

    Reflect, today, upon this unholy witness of Herod. God can use all things for His glory, and He can even use the example of Herod to reveal to ourselves any similar tendency. Do you struggle with regret, fear and guilt? Does this cause conflict within you? The good news is that this conflict is easily resolved by a humble heart that seeks the truth. Seek the truth by admitting any long-lasting sin you need to resolve and permit the mercy of God to enter in so as to set you free.

    My merciful Jesus, You desire that all people experience freedom from the sins of the past. You desire to penetrate our hearts and to bring resolution and peace. Please help me to open my mind and heart to You in the areas that still cause pain and regret, and help me to be set free by Your infinite mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.com
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured image above: Herod the Great By James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
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    6 mins
Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
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Hopeful for prayer 

I really appreciate this podcast providing short reflections on topics that I can take to prayer each day. Thank you! 

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