The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

My Daily Prayers and Readings for 2/21/2011

< >< My Prayer >< >

To be in the light is to be clothed with Jesus Christ, to be in the light is necessary to die to oneself; to stay in the light one must be able to die to oneself over and over without thought or hesitation.

Abba Father in the name of Christ Jesus who lives within me through the Holy Spirit I pray that You create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me, for my one walk in and with Jesus today. Asking that You bless me and mine in fulfillment of Your will and keep us from evil and pain; and if we get nothing else done this day, let us spend it loving You and others as You love us. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

< >< My Utmost for His Highest >< >

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CARRIED AWAY FOR HIM?

“She hath wrought a good work on Me.” Mark 14:6

If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love. If love is always discreet, always wise, always sensible and calculating, never carried beyond itself, it is not love at all. It may be affection, it may be warmth of feeling, but it has not the true nature of love in it.

Have I ever been carried away to do something for God not because it was my duty, nor because it was useful, nor because there was anything in it at all beyond the fact that I love Him? Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? Not Divine, colossal things which could be recorded as marvelous, but ordinary, simple human things which will give evidence to God that I am abandoned to Him? Have I ever produced in the heart of the Lord Jesus what Mary of Bethany produced?

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him the abandoned tokens of how genuinely we do love Him. Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness. Personal holiness focuses the eye on our own whiteness; we are greatly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, fearful lest we offend Him. Perfect love casts out all that when once we are abandoned to God. We have to get rid of this notion – “Am I of any use?” and make up our minds that we are not, and we may be near the truth. It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time.

< >< Today in the Word Devotion >< >

Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

However sincere their convictions, everyone accepts some of their most basic beliefs on faith. While apologetic arguments for our faith can serve to strengthen and encourage us, the best evidence in support of our faith is faithful obedience to God, which includes being loving and humble in your treatment of those who disagree. If you have people in your life whom you long to see accept the truth of salvation, resist the urge to argue and instead seek to love and serve them.

< >< Today in the Word >< >

Old Testament Survey: Old Testament Context Part 2 – Listen now

Professor John McMath continues giving us the context for the Old Testament in our new series – Program Notes & Quotes

< >< Today’s Mass Readings >< >

Daniel 9:4-10
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38

< >< Today’s Video Reflection >< >

The field of battle between God and Satan is the human soul. It is in the soul that the battle rages every moment of life. The soul must give free access to the Lord so that it may be fortified by Him in every respect and with all kinds of weapons; that His light may enlighten it to combat the darkness of error; that it may be clothed with Jesus Christ. To be clothed with Jesus Christ it is necessary to die to oneself. That which comes from Satan begins with calmness and ends in storm, indifference, and apathy. In the spiritual life he who does not advance goes backward. It happens as with a boat which always must go ahead. If it stands still the wind blows it back. Fix the time, the length of your meditation, and do not rise from your place until you have finished even at the cost of being crucified. — Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

< >< Online Sources for Devotion Scripture References & Daily Mass Readings >< >

Link to Devotion Scriptures unless noted from New International Version BibleGateway.com

Links for today’s readings from USCCB using the New American Bible or

Links for today’s readings from EWTN using the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

For audio link to today’s readings from USCCB using the New American Bible click:

http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_02_01.mp3

For link to today’s video Reflection http://www.usccb.org/video/reflections.shtml

< >< Bible Online >< >

BibleGateway.com

< >< Other sources of inspiration on God’s Word >< >

Christianity – Faith in God and Jesus Christ

EWTN