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I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
—Psalm 57:2 (NRSV)
“[St. Antony] obeyed [all of the holy men of the desert] whom he visited. Eager to learn, he assimilated their various individual gifts. He imitated the self-restraint of one; the cheerfulness of another. He emulated the gentleness of one; the nocturnal devotions of another; and the dedication in reading of yet another. He admired one who fasted and another who slept on the bare ground; praising the endurance of the former and the compassion of the latter. He kept in mind the love they all showed one another, and he returned to his own place refreshed by every aspect of their virtues.” —St. Athanasius
Focus me, Lord, on imitating the Christian virtue of someone whom I know and respect.
Be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
—1 Corinthians 15:58 (NAB)
“When the holy father Antony lived in the desert, he was overcome with many sinful thoughts. He said to God, ‘Lord, I want to be saved, but these thoughts will not leave me alone. What can I do in my sickness? How can I be saved?’ A short while later, when he got up to go out, Antony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down to work again, and getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him: ‘Do this, and you will be saved.’ When he heard these words, Antony was filled with joy and courage. He did this, and he was saved.” —The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
I will stop and pray today whenever temptations come my way.
[Jesus said,] “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.”
—Matthew 6:1 (NAB)
“A poor person is seldom honored by the world, no matter how worthy of honor he might be. The world will more likely despise this person than honor him. A different kind of honor, to which no one can object, comes with true poverty. If one embraces poverty solely for God’s sake, only God has to be pleased. A person who does not need anyone has many friends; I have found this to be true from my own experience.” —St. Teresa of Avila
You are the friend I want, Lord. You are the only one I hope to impress.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
—Psalm 23:1–4 (NRSV)
“I find myself at a point in my life when I can take a look back at the past. My soul has matured in the crucible of outward and inward trials. Now, like a flower strengthened by the storm, I lift my head, and I see that the words of the twenty-third psalm are coming true in me.” —St. Thérèse of Lisieux
You are my Shepherd, Lord. Thanks for caring for me.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
—Micah 6:8 (NIV)
“Let our houses be small and poor in every way. Let us be like our King, who had no house except the porch in Bethlehem where He was born and the cross on which He died. These were houses where little comfort could be found. Those who build large houses no doubt have good reasons for doing so; they are moved by various holy intentions. But any corner is sufficient…. God preserve us from building a large ornate convent with a lot of buildings. Always remember that these things will fall down on the Day of Judgment, and who knows how soon that will be?” —St. Teresa of Avila
Help me focus on what matters, and to put aside what doesn’t.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
—1 John 2:28 (NRSV)
“Some work hard, yet make no progress. Others seek profit in what is not profitable. Still others are disturbed and make no progress precisely because of the favors that God grants so that they may make progress. Yet there are others who make great progress by remaining at rest and in quietness. There are many other things on this road that come
