February 11, 2025

Daily Thought from the Saints

"Build an oratory within yourself, and there have Jesus on the altar of your heart. Speak to Him often while you are doing your work. Speak to Him of His holy love, of His holy sufferings and of the sorrows of most holy Mary."

— St Paul of the Cross

Daily Scripture Verse

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'"

Isaiah 45:22-23

Daily Meditation

"Consider not only that God your benefactor is present but also that He acts continuously in all His creatures. And for whom is this continual action, this work of God in nature? For you. Thus, He lights you by the light of day; He nourishes you with the productions of the earth; in a word, He serves you by each one of the creatures that you use; so that it is true to say that at every moment the bounty, the wisdom and the power of God are at your service and are exercised in the world for your wants or pleasures. This conduct of God toward man should be the model of your conduct toward God. You see that the presence of God in His creatures is never idle; it acts incessantly, it preserves, it governs. Beware, then, of stopping at a sterile contemplation of God present in yourself. Add action to contemplation; to the sight of the Divine presence add the faithful accomplishment of the Divine will."

— St. Ignatius

Daily Catholic Wisdom

Chastity is about true love for other people: ‘Thou shalt love’, which also contains a negative element, ‘Thou shalt not use’. This virtue is about loving kindness toward other people. It rejects any type of ‘utilization’ of that person. Chastity affirms the value of the other person.

—Francis Cardinal Arinze
from his book, “Radical Discipleship: Consecrated Life and the Call to Holiness”

A Prayer from Notre Dame University

Rev. Matthew Kuczora, C.S.C.

God, bring our hearts close to you. There is much in this world that makes us feel steady and in control, but we know that ultimately our strength will fail and our grasp on the things in our lives will not stand the test of time. Only you, Lord, are unmoving, solid and sure. And yet, you give us an example that is flexible and open, a witness that loves through thick and thin and will not become calcified or rigid. Soften our hearts to love in that way and bring our hearts close to you. Amen.