Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the grace of repentance.

Br. Michael Solomon, O.P., on the Jesus Prayer

"In the opening scene, and recurring many times throughout the 2006 Russian film, The Island, a monk named Anatoly cries out in anguish over and over again, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.' He is tortured by an evil he committed many years before, but makes no attempt to lessen his culpability. He simply cries tears of repentance and sorrow for his sin, with this prayer on his every breath.

"Anatoly's prayer is not a morbid delight in his own pain. Rather, it is a cry of hope. This prayer, central to the spiritual life of Eastern Christians, is known as the Jesus Prayer. Typically, the Jesus Prayer is prayed on a cord called a Chotki, which looks a lot like a rosary. Based on the Gospels, the Jesus Prayer is an acknowledgement of one's poverty and sinfulness, but also of God's omnipotence, his power to heal the sinner (cf. Lk 18:10-14). We can cry out in hope knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us, 'for power is made perfect in weakness' (1 Cor 12:9). The Russian spiritual classic, The Way of a Pilgrim, provides an excellent introduction to this prayer."

In a recent commentary, Brother Michael Solomon, O.P., offered a reflection on the Jesus Prayer.

To access Br. Michael's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: Repent: A Cry of Hope (28 SEP 18)

Reflection Starter from St. Francis of Assisi

"The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today." - Saint Francis of Assisi, whose memory the Church celebrates today (4 October)

Holy Father's Prayer Intention for October

The Holy Father's prayer intention for October is:

Evangelization Intention (The Mission of Religious): "That consecrated religious men and women may bestir themselves, and be present among the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice."

Ashley Jonkman on Philip Rivers and Being Open to New Life

"Los Angeles Chargers football player Philip Rivers astonished reporters and the world of sports last week when he said he and his wife hoped they had more children. The thing that shocks many people about this statement? He's already been blessed with eight beautiful children.

"Rivers and his family are devout Catholics - he and Tiffany are junior high-school sweethearts who married when they were 19 and 18, respectively. They have six girls and two boys ranging in age from 16 to almost 3 years old, and are completely open to life."

In a recent commentary, writer Ashley Jonkman reflected on the mutual stance on life and having more babies professed by Philip and Tiffany.

To access Ms. Jonkman's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: Catholic NFL player shocks interviewer who asks, "Are you done having children?" (26 SEP 18)

Reflection Starter from Thomas Edison

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it's useless." - Thomas A. Edison

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the guardian angels You have assigned to us.

On Our Guardian Angels

Toady, 2 October, the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Guardian Angels. As many of us are aware, each of us has been assigned, by God, a guardian angel (for which I am very grateful).

Related quote from Saint Francis de Sales: "Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit; for without being seen, they are present with you."

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"The Feast of the Guardian Angels on Oct. 2 should remind us of our guardian angels and spur us on to greater devotion and use of our angel's great guidance and protection."

In a recent commentary, National Catholic Register staff writer Joseph Pronechen reflected on our guardian angels and their place in our lives.
To access Mr. Pronechen's complete post, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Blogs: Joseph Pronechen: Your Guardian Angel Prays For You Continuously (2 SEP 18)

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"God most often works through His angels; He mediates His presence through them. Why is this? He is of course all-powerful and therefore does not need the mediation of the angels, but He does seem to will it. It is common in both Scripture and doctrinal traditions to ascribe to the angels the work of mediating God's presence and messages." 

In another recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the role of angels in our lives and in God;s Providence.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Of the Angels and of the Mysterious Providence of God (1 OCT 18)

Reflection Starter from W. Clement Stone

"Life is not a football game to be watched." - W. Clement Stone

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers and for the ways in which You answer them.

Br. Bartholomew Calvano, O.P., on Prayers that Appear to Be Unanswered

"God always answers our prayers. He doesn't always give us what we ask for. If we ask for something bad, God will of course not give it to us. However, even if we ask for something good, it is often the case that we don't get what we are asking for. So then, how must we ask God if we want to receive what we are asking for? Let's consider what St. John tells us: 'And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him' (1 Jn 5:14-15). We have to ask according to his will.

"Of course, it's not always easy to figure out the particulars of what God's will is. Since we don't generally know God's exact will, it's right to ask God for good thing. . . ."

In a recent commentary and using examples from saints, including St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Dominic, Brother Bartholomew Calvano, O.P., reflected on how varied God's response to the same prayer can be from person to person.

To access Br. Bartholomew's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: Unanswered Prayers? (1 OCT 18)

Reflection Starter from St. Therese of Lisieux

"If every flower wanted to be a rose, nature would lose her springtime beauty." - Saint Therese of Lisieux, whose memory the Church celebrates today (1 October)