Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.

PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

I have never found a psalm more comforting than this. I first heard it in the Fr. Kapaun video by one of the soldiers that spent time with him in the POW camp in Korea. The soldiers mom made him memorize it and whenever he was in trouble to remember that Jesus never leaves us. When I was in the darkest moment of my life, this came to mind when I was praying and I prayed it every morning when I woke. Jesus carried me a lot during this time.

Too many people live without knowing who God is and who they are. We did not create ourselves and we cannot add anything to God, He is complete in Himself. Our lives are a complete gift of love, every second is precious and a gift given to us and sustained by God. Jesus died to have a personal relationship with us and has never left our sides. Remember this psalm when you need comfort even if it is the darkest moments of your life because Jesus conquered death, sin, and evil. He overcame the darkness and is the great light.

Jesus came to us to give purpose to our suffering and to be with us in it, offer yours up with His to purify yourself. Jesus knows suffering in its greatest forms. In our suffering, we come to know Christ in a very intimate way. Come to the light and fight the hard, boring, suffering, and pain in your life.

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. Mk 6:30-34

Holiness is attractive and when we give ourselves to Jesus, we can’t get enough of Him. The crowds were attracted to Jesus because something stirred in their hearts that they had never felt before. Miracles are good to increase our faith but the teachings of Jesus, which He calls us to each day, give us faith and strengthen it. The teachings of Jesus are the breath of God. The Word is food for the soul. Oh, how dry and dead are souls without the Word of God.

Each day imagine Jesus seeing you and His heart is moved with pity, like a sheep without a shepherd. The way Jesus reaches us today is through the Word, the Eucharist and sacraments, in each person you encounter, Adoration, and prayer. He only needs you to crack the door of your heart so one ray of light can come in. Take two minutes of silence each day and give it to the Lord, then watch it grow because your heart and soul will yearn for more. We are like sheep without a shepherd as we begin each day but Jesus can’t wait to teach you, spend time with you, be a part of your day.

Our way to holiness is through doing God’s will in this time and place with the people He has surrounded you with in your daily routine. Jesus is waiting to “teach you many things” so you can be transformed and pass them on to others. Are you willing to listen?

Today’s challenge: Drink deeply from the Bible and spiritual books. Read about the saints. Jesus has so much to teach us. Read Psalm 23 when you need comfort and peace.

Be a servant, become a saint!
​#Christian YOLO