Sunday

**This week meditations from the Catholic devotional  My Daily Bread by Fr. Paone

[From Christ’s viewpoint] MY CHILD, often it is safer for a man not to have many consolations and pleasures in his
earthly life. Try to grasp this truth, so that you may not become sad and depressed when
you cannot have what you desire.
2. If you had all the satisfactions and enjoyments which this world can offer, how long
would they last? The knowledge that they must certainly end, would only make death more
bitter and disagreeable to you.
3. The fact is that your soul can find full and lasting joy only in My friendship and love.
True happiness and lasting peace come from Me alone. Foolish lovers of this world think
that they know the meaning of peace and happiness, but what they enjoy is imperfect and
short-lived. Genuine peace and happiness is given only to My loyal followers, those who
are unselfish in doing My Will and generous in imitating My example.

Prayer:  Protect us Lord while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ, and rest in peace.  (Compline Prayer)

Monday
God desires that I should labor for my daily bread and enjoy the rightful pleasures of daily
life. I must not, however, become so entangled in these things that I would sin for them.
Each day is a step toward the true and perfect life of Heaven. I need to put complete trust
and confidence in God’s wisdom and love for me. This virtue will give me the freedom of
true charity. I will come to see more clearly each day how to please God more in
everything I do.

MY CHILD, be not too impressed by appearances. Foolish people think that a man cannot
help being happy if he is rich, or powerful, or if he has fame and influence. Be wise with
My wisdom. Fix your heart on heavenly riches. Then you will see that passing glories and
unsteady contentment are not as desirable as they seem. In fact, they are often a burden of
work, worry and fear.

Prayer:  Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to men of good will.

Tuesday

Man’s happiness does not consist in having a great deal. A moderate amount of this
world’s good things is enough for you if you are daily working for Heaven. The more you
see life from My viewpoint, the more you will realize that this earthly life is a cross. It has
its trials, burdens, disappointments, and sorrows, all of which must be borne patiently. It is
not easy to be a spiritual man, because the good things of this world continually appeal to
your feelings. Learn to govern your feelings with the reins of reason and grace. Control
them with your intelligence and My commandments.
3. As your desire for spiritual perfection grows, you will find yourself thinking more
definitely of Heaven. Your desire for Heaven will become stronger and stronger. You may
even have to control a dislike for the needs and obligations of daily life.
THINK:
The more one thinks of his eternal destiny, the more he will realize that his earthly life is a
journey toward something far grander than this world. He sees each day as a step toward
Heaven, and he looks at himself to see whether he is on the right path. Slowly he comes to
value the events of his daily life according to God’s Will and Heaven’s eternal happiness.

Prayer:   Blessed by the name of the Lord from henceforth and forever more.

 

Wednesday
MY CHILD, for reasons which you cannot fully appreciate at present, I made your earthly
life a time of labor and trial. Each and every time that I permit you to suffer pain, grief or
disappointment I do it for your own good. These trials help you to come closer to Me in
one way or another. I made your earthly life a time of labor and trial. Do not think too
much about pleasure and rest in this life. Be prepared to exercise patience rather than enjoy
comfort or consolation. Think more of carrying the cross of daily life rather than of
avoiding everything unpleasant.
2. Do you expect to enjoy interior consolation whenever you wish? Not even My saints
could do that during their earthly life. They had to face many troubles, temptations, interior
misery and desolation. They went on, however, in spite of all these obstacles, trusting in
Me more than in themselves. They were fully aware that the sufferings of this life are not
worthy to be compared with the glory that is to come.

Prayer:   O Lord come to my assistance, O Lord make haste to help me.

 

Thursday
Do you not see how selfish your desires are? You want to obtain quickly the peace and
holiness which others achieved only after many trials and labors. You are more interested
in enjoying My gifts than in earning them. No, you must do things My way if you want to
live the best way.
4. Wait for the light and strength which I will send in due time. In the meantime have
courage and be patient. Do not give up the fight against your faults and defects. Do your
best to become the kind of person I want you to be. Leave the results to Me. I am near you
at every moment. Be unselfish enough to go on trying for My sake. I will someday reward
you far beyond anything you can imagine.
THINK:
Heaven is a reward-a thing to be earned. Though I can never really deserve it by my poor
human efforts alone, Jesus has made it possible for me to work for it with His help.
Strengthened by His grace, I can strive for Heaven. An honest daily effort against my faults
and a faithful attempt to do God’s Will in all things, will bring me the glorious reward of
Heaven. Earthly life has its labors, trials, and difficulties. Each day I show

Prayer:  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3X)

Friday
MY CHILD, do not look for spiritual consolation or interior good feelings in your prayers
and good works. Serve Me for My sake, as I deserve. Let your service depend on My word,
and not on any pleasant feelings which I may send you. If I gave interior consolation and
joy for every good work, many a worldly man would follow My commandments for the
sake of these gifts.
2. As long as you are in this life, you will be tempted by the blind selfishness of fallen
human nature. Turn frequently to Me and let Me guide your self-interest. I desire your selfinterest
to be intelligent and well-ordered. Place Me above all persons and things created.
3. I am far greater than all My works. I am your greatest Treasure! Seek Me above all else.
Consider what I mean in your life. What do I deserve of you? What have I a right to expect
of you? Can you draw your next breath or take your next step without My consent and
assistance? Could you exist another instant if I withdrew My support? Only by facing these
facts, and living on them each hour of the day, can you give Me the intelligent service
which you owe Me.

Prayer:   Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, And let perpetual light shine upon them; May they rest in peace. (Prayer for the Departed)

 

Saturday
Spiritual consolation is only a temporary gift to encourage one who is earnestly trying to
serve Me. This gift is not at the command of any man, and it will not be given to anyone
who seeks it for itself. Such a person is too much like the man who seeks his entire
happiness in the pleasures, satisfactions, and honors of this world. A frank and intelligent
remembrance of your unworthiness, will help you perform your prayers and good works
without expecting spiritual consolations in return.
THINK:
Jesus is right. I do not deserve the least of His gifts. I already owe Him so much that I
should be glad to do His Will, without looking for further gifts. He owes me nothing, and I
owe Him everything. If He chose to leave me in misery and sorrow, He would be doing me
no injustice, since all that I am and have belong to Him.

Prayer:  O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and worthy of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
*Act of Contrition