The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. Psalm 19:9a
Patience, kindness, humility, encouragement, respect, generosity, courtesy…
When I follow God’s commandment to love, my heart knows the joy of doing God’s will as I show God to others through my words and actions.
Today I will treat myself and others with the tenderness owed to the precious children of God.
Lord, let us see your kindness. Psalm 85:8a
Our smiles and encouragement, compassion and respect, peaceful presence and helping hands allow others to see and know the kindness of the Lord.
Today I will be the kindness of the Lord in all my interactions.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD. Psalm 92:2a
Gratitude lifts me out of self-pity, focuses me on the moment, helps me let go of fear, brings me awareness of God’s limitless kindness and abundant gifts.
Today I will practice gratitude for God’s goodness and generosity and give thanks to the Lord.
James Tissot (1836-1902)
Saint Pierre), 1886-1894
Opaque watercolor over graphite on cream wove paper
Brooklyn Museum
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
Psalm 103:8
Today I will open my heart to healing.
I will let go of resentment. I will refuse to hold a grudge. I will transform my suffering into compassionate awareness of others’ suffering.
Morning Repast.”Loaves and Fishes.”
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works. Psalm 145:8-9
Today I will remember I am made in the image and likeness of God. I will not let anger control me, but rather I will feed others with generous measures of kindness, goodness, and compassion.
Philip Galle (1537-1612) after Jan van der Straet
The Meeting of the Apostles and the Women
in the Upper Room
engraving
National Gallery of Art
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. Psalm 27:7-8
There are so many people to pray for, so many people who are ill, suffering, lonely, afraid, or abused. People who are locked down in nursing homes because of the COVID-19 virus. People who have lost their homes and have become refugees. People who are fleeing unjust and unsafe regimes and are seeking asylum in new countries. People who are being trafficked and sold into slavery. People who have no one to pray for them.
Today I will remember to pray. I will ask the Lord to hear me as I pray for those in need in our fragile, troubled world.
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Psalm 33:22
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
John 14:6a
The way is love.
Love is the truth we serve.
Love is how we make our lives reflect the image of the One who loved us first.
Set of thirteen select slides of shepherd life, illustrating the Twenty Third Psalm. “He restoreth my soul”
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Psalm 23:1
God is in charge. As I listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, I know that everything I need shall be provided.
De maaltijd te Emmaüs, Jacobus Buys, naar Rembrandt van Rijn, 1765
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum
I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Psalm 16:8
God is present at all times. God is in illness and loneliness, in sorrow and suffering — in the wounds of the human condition and in the silence of healing.
Today I will practice the presence of God in ordinary events and in the people I encounter.
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Icon of the Resurrection
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 118:24
Today is a gift from God. May I open my eyes, ears, and heart to find reasons to rejoice and be glad in it.
