Journeying With The Saints

This week we are reading the 27th number from "Way to Inner Peace." This is the last reading from our section on virtue. Our topic is on wars--internal and external. This is a very dense reading this week. I encourage you to take some time and read it through on your own and meditate on it. I really think it deserves a second look, as all of his writings do.

Three key points: Morality, decency, and virtue.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 855-860.

We celebrate New Year's with Sister Faustina. She takes some time to reflect on the past year. She counts her blessings and contemplates her shortcomings. I discuss why I don't like New Year's resolutions but I do like taking some time to reflect on the past year to see how far we've come, what blessings we've received, and where we need to grow.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 851-854.

Sister Faustina comments on how God is unchanging. He is perfection itself. As humans, though, we should grow and change. It's popular to say, "You don't have to change for anyone!" Really? We shouldn't strive to change for the better for Christ, our loved ones, or even society in general? That's a very selfish comment. We have to examine the change being asked of us and discern whether we should work to change or not.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 846-850.

We talk today about loved ones that have fallen away from the Faith. It's heartbreaking and so worrisome to know that a loved one no longer has a relationship with Christ or has fallen away from the Sacraments. What can we do? Christ stresses how praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be a great help. I offer, what I hope, are some encouraging words and I pray for fallen away loved ones at the end.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 842-845.

Merry Christmas! In our readings today, Sister Faustina is preparing for the Midnight Mass. She is back with her community to celebrate and is very happy about that. I reflect on what it was like to live in a country that doesn't celebrate Christmas. It really helps you to appreciate that specialness of the Advent and Christmas season. When something has been stripped from you, you often see the importance of it.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 837-841.

Sister Faustina laments today about how her dang pen won't work. I think we can all relate to this frustration. Lol. In all seriousness, though, we focus today on finding silence. It's so important to find a few moments to sit in silence each day. God needs us to be still and silent to hear His voice penetrate our souls.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 833-836.

As Sister Faustina is lying in the hospital, God gives her a special grace to feel when souls are dying. She realizes that she needs to strengthen them with her prayers. This is just another example of the connection between baptized souls. Our Christian faith is more than just a private, personal relationship with Jesus. Christ gives us to each other to help each other on our journey to Heaven.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 827-832.

More and more, we are turning Christ into just a social justice mascot. Political parties like to use Christ to prove a point or try to push an agenda. While it is good and right to make sure that we make society as good as we can, we can't reduce Christ to just the face of our movement. Sister Faustina shows us in her writings today the appropriate response to God--one of worship and praise.

This is the half-way point in the year! Congratulations!

So, today, we are going to be talking about how religion is not popular. We must remember that this was written in the 1950s when most people would identify themselves as Christians. We just got a new study out that shows that belief in God has been dropping. Only 80% of people identify as being religious whereas that used to be in the high 90s. So, does that mean religion is completely going away? No, I just think something has stepped in to become the "new" religion.

Three key points: Sacrifice, detachment, and unpopularity.

Today's readings are from Notebook 2, numbers 823-826.

Sister Faustina talks about how it would be a misfortune if she missed Mass. She doesn't want to miss Holy Communion. There was a time in my life when I never once thought of it as a misfortune if I missed going to church. I just didn't care and what an ungrateful attitude I had.