Perplexed But Not Driven to Despair

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Feast of Saint James Apostle

Perplexed But Not Driven to Despair

“The Evil One wants to make you fall into despair. He will use a ruse to ruin your humility.” (Jesus) (March 16, 1966)

Today’s Readings: Brothers and sisters:

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body (2 Corinthians 4)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we so often feel afflicted and perplexed. It is so easy to fall into despair and feel hemmed in on every side by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are but earthen vessels that hold You, our treasure! Yet if we are in You Lord, we can sing with St. Paul with all of our hearts that we are not constrained, we are not driven to despair, we are not abandoned, and we are not destroyed because Your power lives in us!

Blessed Are The Eyes That See

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time- St. Charbel

Blessed Are The Eyes That See

Jesus said, “My little one,
take courage and gaze at Me. May our eyes look at each other and our glances melt in one
another.” (Jesus) (January 14, 1963)

Today’s Readings: “But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we can often feel that it would have been better to have been with You in person like the Apostles who walked with You day to day. But Lord, we have it even better! Because, though Your Real Presence is veiled in the Blessed Sacrament, we can receive You daily at Mass and visit You daily in any Catholic Church anywhere in the world! Lord, how we take this for granted! Lord open the eyes of our hearts that we would keep our eyes fixed on You Lord as You gaze on us with love beyond all telling!

Thorny Ground

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Bridget

Thorny Ground

“Forgive Me if I now expose before you the well-known pain of My Heart. You know, many souls consecrated to Me have fallen on good soil and produced abundant fruit. Now they are dispersed. They do not allow themselves to be plucked or ground. Without this, they will never be useful creatures. (Jesus) (November 23, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,a hundred or sixty or thirty fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matthew 13)

Prayer Meditation- Lord many of us start well, Your Word falls on good soil. Then the thorns appear- worries, cares of the world, return to old ways and before we know it, the gardens of our souls need an overhaul. We can indeed even become comfortable with these thorns, that is just the way I am we may say or if I didn’t have this work stress, family problems, fill in the blank, it would be easy to be holy. These are all delusions because You ask us to live for You right here right now despite our circumstances. To live each day full of holy moments trusting in You one step at a time. That is the way of the saints! Lord, help us each day to present these thorns to You so that You can pluck them out and till the soil of our hearts so that we would again bear much fruit! Without You we can do nothing!

Alive

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Alive

Keep your desire for Me alive and be a living host for love. (Jesus) (April 17, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her,”Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them,’I am going to my Father and your Father,to my God and your God.’” (John 20)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we honor the feast day of a saint that means a lot I think to all of us. Mary Magdalene had a past- we all have a past. And yet, she moved from death to life, from sin to repentance and became a disciple. She became one of Your most faithful disciples, never leaving You at the Foot of the Cross though others fled. And You rewarded her faithfulness by showing Yourself risen and alive so that she could tell the Apostles. Whoever is in You Lord is a new creation, the old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5). Lord, Mary Magdalene gives us the hope that no matter where we came from or what we have done there is mercy for every sin. And it is not how we started but how we finish that matters to You! Let us live today for You alive in us so that we can take You to others as living hosts!

Anxious and Worried About Many Things

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Anxious and Worried About Many Things

“I, your Master, will care for you. I will free you from every worry. I only want to be everything to you so that nothing ties you to the earth.” (Jesus) (April 20, 1964)

Today’s Readings: The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, it seems that for many of us this is our daily life- anxious and worried about many things, not enough time in the day, always spinning our wheels and never getting anything done. It is not just the to do list- it is our worries and fears about our futures and our families. Cut off from the vine, we are low lying fruit for the enemy and like Martha we start to complain. You see our lives, what we need to do, what we struggle with on a daily basis and You call our name, telling us there is only thing needed. Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and believe with all of our hearts that what You have begun  in us will be completed if we just make You our everything! You are my everything and I will adore You!

A Bruised Reed

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

A Bruised Reed

“Ask often and ask for much with respect to intentions and needs and you will receive accordingly. Even more, if I perceive your trust, I will fulfill yourrequest repeatedly. “ (Jesus) (Compendium Page 115)

Today’s Readings: A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench,until he brings justice to victory.And in his name the Gentiles will hope.(Matthew 12)

Prayer Mediation- Lord, we are all bruised reeds- broken, wounded, so often afraid to ask You for what we really need. And yet You invite us to ask and it will be given to us, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us (Matthew 7). Lord, You are not an angry God waiting for us to mess up even more but a loving Father who looks on us with compassion and tenderness ready to bring us to the victory of a life lived in You. Let us come to You with humble trust knowing that You hear our prayers and You will answer.

Mercy Not Sacrifice

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Friday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Mercy Not Sacrifice

“May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father

(Jesus) (May 4, 1962)

Today’s Readings: I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” (Matthew 12)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, as we pray and make our sacrifices let us not lose sight of what this is all about. We are returning love for the Love that never lets us go! Lord, If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal! (1 Corinthians 13). Lord, help us to offer to You a humble and contrite heart and fill us with Your Mercy and Grace so that we would overflow to those around us!

Whoever Does His Will

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Our Lady Of Mount Carmel

Whoever Does His Will

“Let us set out, my little Carmelite, together with Saint Joseph. You must walk with us along Bethlehem’s dark roads covered with mist. You have to seek a refuge for my Flame of Love which is Jesus Christ himself. You will receive strength and grace from us.” (Mary) (August 31, 1962)

Today’s Readings: “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”(Matthew 12)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we honor Your Mother- the One who always did Your Will perfectly. Today Our Lady calls us to walk with Her in the darkness of this world covered with Her Mantle of strength and grace because in a special way She helps us to draw closer to You. She is the one who teaches us the meaning of Thy Will Be Done with her Fiat- Lord help us to imitate Her but more importantly rely on Her because She will always keep us walking straight on the broken road that leads to You!