Something to do right

STOP, if you know it's wrong.

THINK, when you don't know if it's wrong.

APOLOGIZE, if you did something wrong.

FORGIVE, if they've done something wrong to you.

And

PRAY, when everything goes wrong.

Today I hold still

To balance and recharge,

To release the week before

And prepare for the week ahead.

With You here beside me,

My mind quiets to hear Your voice.

My heart opens to draw You in.

And, with Your peace

within and around me,

I thank You for this opportunity

to be made new.

-Abigail Wurdeman

Taking the Risk Permission to Be Real

When we present ourselves to the world without a mask and keep it real, we offer the same opportunity for others to do the same.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of keeping it real and have an intuitive sense about what that means. People who keep it real don’t hide behind a mask to keep themselves safe from their fear of how they might be perceived. They don’t present a false self in order to appear more perfect, more powerful, or more independent. People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide, sharing their full selves with the people who are lucky enough to know them.

Being real in this way is not an easy thing to do as we live in a culture that often shows us images of physical and material perfection. As a result, we all want to look younger, thinner, wealthier, and more successful. We are rewarded externally when we succeed at this masquerade, but people who are real remind us that, internally, we suffer. Whenever we feel that who we are is not enough and that we need to be bigger, better, or more exciting, we send a message to ourselves that we are not enough. Meanwhile, people who are not trying to be something more than they are walk into a room and bring a feeling of ease, humor, and warmth with them. They acknowledge their wrinkles and laugh at their personal eccentricities without putting themselves down.

People like this inspire us to let go of our own defenses and relax for a moment in the truth of who we really are. In their presence, we feel safe enough to take off our masks and experience the freedom of not hiding behind a barrier. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a parent who was able to keep it real may find it easier to be that way ourselves. The rest of us may have to work a little harder to let go of our pretenses and share the beauty and humor of our real selves. Our reward for taking such a risk is that as we do, we will attract and inspire others, giving them the permission to be real too.

Daily OM: Taking the Risk Permission to Be Real

by Madisyn Taylor

Accepting Our Calling

Our worth of being on the planet at this time cannot be judged as we are all worthy and essential to being here now.

The issue of worthiness may come up in many areas of our lives, as we ask, often unconsciously, whether we are worthy of success, love, happiness, and countless other things, from supportive relationships to a beautiful home. In the end, though, it all comes down to one thing: our willingness to claim our space in this life as humans on this planet at this time. When we accept our divinity, we no longer question whether we are worthy, because we know that we are meant to be here to fulfill a particular purpose, a purpose that no one other than us can fulfill.

There are no replacements who can take over and live our lives for us, no other person who has had the experiences we have had, who has access to the same resources and relationships, who carries the same message to share with the world. Our purpose may be large or small, and in most cases it is multi-leveled, with important actions taking place on the interpersonal level, as well as in terms of the work we do in the world. Small acts of kindness share the stage with large acts of sacrifice, and only through accepting and honoring our divinity can we know what we are called to do and when.

Ultimately, we are all equally, exactly, completely worthy of being here in this life. Moreover, we are all essential to the unfolding plan of which we are each one small, but important, part. If we suffer from low self worth, it is because we have lost track of understanding this truth, and allowing it to guide our actions in the world. Seeing ourselves as part of something larger, as beings called to serve, is the ultimate cure for feelings of unworthiness. In the end, it’s not about evaluating ourselves as worthy or unworthy, so much as it’s about accepting that we have been called here to serve and taking the steps required to listen and respond to what our lives are asking us to do.

Daily OM: Worthiness

by Madisyn Taylor

A Prayer

"A great prayer for life is urgently needed, 

a prayer which will rise up throughout the world.

 Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, 

may an impassioned plea rise to God, 

the Creator and lover of life,

from every Christian community,

 from every group and association,

from every family and from the heart of every believer.”

– Pope John Paul II, 
The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), n. 100.

MASS READINGS for August 8, 2012 (Feast of Saint Dominic de Guzman)

Book of Jeremiah 31:1-7.

At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people. 

Thus says the LORD: The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest, 

the LORD appears to him from afar: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. 

Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers. 

Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits. 

Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: "Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the LORD, our God." 

For thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel. 

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Book of Jeremiah 31:10.11-12ab.13.

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, 

Proclaim it on distant isles, and say: 

He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, 

He guards them as a shepherd his flock. 

The LORD shall ransom Jacob, 

He shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,

They shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings: 

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, 

And young men and old as well. 

I will turn their mourning into joy, 

I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. 

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 15:21-28.

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." 

But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." 

He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."

He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 

Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Faith

‎"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," 

that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 

If you declare with your mouth,

"Jesus is LORD,"

and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, 

you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, 

and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

---Romans 10:8-10

* Adoration to God