advance a long way in the Lord’s service. However, unless they have these things they cannot possibly be great contemplatives, and if they think they are, they are mistaken. May the Lord help me in this task and teach me what I need to say, so it may be to His glory…. One of these is love for each other. The second is detachment from all created things. The third, true humility, is the most important of these and embraces all the rest.” —St. Teresa of Avila
Give me love, detachment, and humility, so that I may pray.
February
After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?”
—Matthew 11:1–7 (NIV)
“There are three reasons for which the soul’s journey to union with God is called night. The first has to do with the soul’s starting point. It must gradually deprive itself of desire for all worldly things by denying these things to itself. Such denial and deprivation are night to the human senses. The second reason has to do with the road along which the soul must travel to this union, that is, faith, which also is as dark as night to the understanding. The third has to do with the point to which it travels—that is, God, who is equally a dark night to the soul in this life. The soul must pass through these dark nights so that it may come to divine union with God.” —St. John of the Cross
Lord, help me to see.
Love is patient, love is kind…. Love never fails.
—1 Corinthians 13:4a, 8a (NAB)
St. Catherine of Siena heard God say to her: “A person who does not love does not help his neighbor, and thus harms himself. He cuts himself off from grace, and harms his neighbor by depriving him of the benefit of the prayers and sweet desires he is bound to offer to Me for his neighbor. Every act of help he performs should proceed from the compassion he has because of his love for Me.”
Teach me Your love today.
If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
—1 Corinthians 13:3 (NRSV)
“Do you remember our Lord’s words on these subjects? To the rich man, Jesus says, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me’ (Matt. 19:21). And when he is teaching about love to one’s neighbor, Jesus also says, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13). From teachings such as these, it is evident that even before God, love is the greatest commandment of all.” —St. John Chrysostom
Sometimes I think that I don’t even know what love means, God. Show me.
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.
—1 Corinthians 12:12 (NAB)
“Love for each other is of very great importance. Anything, no matter how annoying, can be easily borne by those who love each other. Anything that causes annoyance must be quite exceptional. If the world kept this commandment, I believe it would take us a long way toward keeping the rest.” —St. Teresa of Avila
What may I do to build up the body of Christ?
Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
—Psalm 119:169 (NRSV)
“[St. Antony] very often spent the entire night in prayer and ate only once a day, after sunset. Sometimes he continued fasting for two or three days at a time and only ate and drank on the fourth day. He ate bread and salt, and drank a little water. I think it is better not to say anything about his consumption of meat and wine, for most monks do not consume either one. When he did allow himself to rest, he used a woven rush mat covered with goat’s hair. Sometimes he would simply lie on the bare ground, and he refused to anoint his body with oil. For he used to say that it is hardly possible that the bodies of those who use such things, and especially young men’s bodies, should grow strong if they are softened by smooth oil. Instead they ought to use rigorous exercises to control the flesh, as the apostle Paul said: ‘Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Cor. 12:10).” —St. Athanasius
O God, You know I’m no saint! But, today, make me just a little more like one.
