Wed., Jan. 13: 1 Sam 3:1-10, 19-20; Mark 1:29-39

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. We can get so in­volved in proclaiming and working for God’s kingdom on earth that we become too busy to spend quiet time with the Lord in prayer and reflection. The Gospels tell us that Jesus withdrew from the demands of public life to pray and took his closest disciples with him to do the same. Our time of prayer must lead to love and service for our brothers and sisters or else it becomes a comforting fantasy. On the other hand, without frequent refreshment in prayer, we lose touch with the Lord and our true work of collaboration in building God’s kingdom in our lives.

*Lord, open our eyes to human need, our ears to your word and our hearts to ever-greater love.

Tues., Jan. 12: 1 Sam 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28

He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.

In Jesus’ time, people believed that sickness of mind or body was caused by an evil spirit and was often due to the sufferer’s sins, or even those of their parents. Today we depend on the discoveries of science, but it doesn’t change the fact that those who suffer, and their loved ones, are still focused on seeking a cure. We should remember that Je­sus’ healing power is still with us, actualized through the work of those trained to deal with disorders of body, mind or spirit. We cooperate with their help while we continue to trust and praise our Lord. A wise doctor of my acquaintance has a framed proverb hanging above his desk that reads: “I treat. God heals.”

*Lord, heal us and help the healers who are your instruments.

Mon., Jan. 11: 1 Sam 1:1-8; Mark 1:14-20

The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel. These words might make us think that Lent has ar­rived early, although the call to repentance and faith is a constant in the Christian life. The post-holiday blahs and midwinter doldrums are here. This is a good time to wake up and invigorate our spiritual lives by taking a quick inven­tory of our relationship with the Lord. We can ask ourselves: Have the holidays so upset my schedule that I’ve neglected prayer and meditation? Has holiday spending so exceeded my means that I’ve decided to economize by cutting back on donations to those in need? Let us restore sanity and balance to our lives by remembering that Christ’s call to ho­liness, generosity and love is always in season.

*Speak, Lord, your servant is listening

Sat., Jan. 9: 1 John 5:14-21; John 3:22-30

Children, be on your guard against idols. I must admit I was a bit shocked by the name of the show “American Idol” when it premiered in 2002. Talent-search shows were noth­ing new and the show itself didn’t bother me so much, but its name seemed such a brazen rejection of biblical injunc­tions against idolatry. Of course, our audacious adulation of pop stars and celebrities today also has subtler coun­terparts. We surround ourselves with golden calves — so much electronic gadgetry, so many ways to entertain our­selves, so much time given to vain pursuits, time we might otherwise give to God in worship and service. What are my idols?

*How can I say no to them and yes to God? For the grace always to put God first in our lives, we pray

Fri., Jan. 8: 1 John 5:5-13; Luke 5: 12-16

Who is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? In a world where vice of every sort still abounds, it’s easy for Christians to get worked up. Indeed, when we look at the world, we may see so many things that stand in opposition to what we value that we feel defeated rather than victorious. After much talk about the marvelous love we share with God and one another through Jesus, John now speaks of faith and its power in our lives. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus has won our salvation, and through our faith in him, his victory over sin and death is our victory.

*For faith that emboldens us to face every trial with confidence, we pray.

Thurs., Jan. 7: 1 John 4:19–5:4; Luke 4:14-22a

This is the commandment we have from him: Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. God’s love is generative and organic, inspiring us to love all things in turn. To know God is to love all that God loves and has created. Yet we fool ourselves into thinking otherwise. We make ex­cuses; we see others as not measuring up, not deserving love. We judge their behavior in order to rationalize and jus­tify our own unloving behavior. But there really is no way around it: God has commanded that we love one another, no matter what. Let us distinguish the sin from the sinner when our brothers and sisters behave badly and see that this, in fact, is when they most need for us to be channels of God’s love.

*For the grace to love those who are hard to love, we pray.

Wed., Jan. 6: 1 John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.

Fear would seem to be the antithesis of love. Yet fear does have its function. It is a built-in protection mechanism, our innate, common-sense response to danger. But too often we don’t know what to do with fear. We get bogged down in it. We let it fester and morph into anxiety or depression. Adding to our trou­ble, people play on our fears, magnifying real dangers and manufacturing false ones. Let us use fear as it was intended, by taking it directly to the One who protects us from all harm and gives us con­fidence to face every threat.

*For the love that drives out fear, we pray.

Tues., Jan. 5: 1 John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44

St. John Neumann, bishop

In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us.

When I hike in the woods, I often recall the instruction a retreat director gave when he sent his retreatants out to take in the beauty of the retreat center grounds. “Don’t even try to love the Lord,” he would tell them. His hope was that instead they would attend fully to the experience of being loved by God. To give love generously, as God does, we need first to know God, the starting place of all love. When we know deeply, in our bones, how very much our God loves us, our love for others is both natural and spontaneous.

*For deep, abiding knowledge of God’s love for us, we pray.

Mon., Jan. 4: 1 John 3:22–4:6; Matt 4:12-17, 23-25

Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God. In The Holy Longing, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser calls the Incarnation the most “under­understood” of Christian mysteries. The Incarnation was not “a one-shot incur­sion by God into human history.” Rather, it is ongoing, an ever-unfolding mys­tery: God, in the flesh, ever accessible to us now in the community of believers, the body of Christ. The fuller grasp of this mystery is, perhaps, what sets saints apart from the rest of us. Jesus Christ come in the flesh filled St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s mind and heart. But more than this, it permeated her words and her actions. She saw Christ in others; she acted as Christ toward them.

*May we do likewise. For a fuller understanding of God’s marvelous love, we pray.

Sat., Jan. 2: 1 John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28

Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors

And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.

At this time of year we make many resolutions and implement changes in our lives for self-improvement. So there’s no better time to make or renew our com­mitment to live in confidence that Jesus is the Christ. We can resolve to reject lies and to denounce those would deceive us. As we enter into new beginnings, we look to what has been true and what we’ve known from the beginning.

*That we may resolve to live what is true, to be faithful to what we have been taught and to remain in him always, we pray.

Thurs., Dec. 31: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18

To those who did accept [Jesus] he gave the power to become children of God. Ring out the old; ring in the new! This is traditionally a time to make resolutions, which often involve rooting out a bad habit and replacing it with … what? Often we have no good habit in mind. Let us resolve that in the year to come we will begin each day with a brief prayer, turning our lives over to the Lord and asking for the grace to grow more fully into a son or daughter of God. It sounds safe and simple, but — Beware! God’s delight at our request might lead to quite an adventure.

*Lord, take me as I am; form me into what you want me to be.

Fri., Jan. 1: Num 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

Mary, Mother of God

The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!

The words the Lord offers Moses to bless the Israelites are appropriate for all of us as we embark on this new year. The Hebrew word for peace suggests hap­piness and prosperity. The blessing gives us gentle and comforting images of the Lord smiling and looking kindly on us — of the Lord’s face shining upon us. How God’s face must have shone on Mary when he entrusted her to bear his son! This year, let’s resolve to look gratefully upon the many gifts and blessings we’ve received and to offer a confident yes to every opportunity we have to serve the Lord. Let our actions reflect our desire to bring a smile to God’s face.

*May we praise and glorify God and live each day in amazement at the power and wonders of our Lord, we pray.