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James Tissot (1836-1902)
La transfiguration
opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
between 1886 and 1894
Brooklyn Museum
Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here.” Luke 9:33b
Let me be aware of the loud, grace-filled silence of the Lord’s presence in every moment, every breath.
How good it is to be here.
Augustin Hirschvogel (1503-1553)
Temptation of Christ
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from [Jesus] for a time. Luke 4:13
The demons are never done with us. They assault us without warning, especially when we are vulnerable from grief, illness, or emotional distress.
They also assault us when we are strengthening our relationship with the Lord. They don’t like us to be close to God.
Today I will remember I am always in the Presence of God and ask God for the courage to resist the temptation to be afraid, despairing, greedy, or indifferent.
When I intentionally practice love, compassion, respect, forgiveness, gratitude, and peace, those Christ-like qualities grow in my heart to feed me and others—even in times of loneliness, suffering, and conflict.
[Jesus said,] “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good.” Luke 6:45a
Resentment, fear, and the desire for retribution are heavy burdens. I would like to let them go, even though the pain of mistreatment goes deep.
Today I will hear and practice what the Lord asks of me: to love, bless, and pray for the people I consider my enemies and all those who have hurt me. Then may the burdens I carry be dissolved into the light of Love and Truth.
Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28
Richard Dadd (British, 1817 – 1886)
Mercy: David Spareth Saul’s Life
oil on canvas, 1854
Getty Center
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James Tissot (1836-1902)
La sermon des béatitudes
opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
between 1886 and 1894
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Blessed are we who hope in the Lord even when we are lonely, discouraged, distressed, and afraid. We know there is no solution to our sorrows and burdens except in the Lord, and we put our trust in God.
Blessed are we who understand the nature of suffering. We extend comfort to others who suffer, and offer to walk with them as they move through the pain.
Blessed are we who refuse to make enemies. We know each human person is made in God’s image, and we practice looking deeply to find love and goodness in each other.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Psalm 40:5
We are called by our baptism to remember each member of our human family is beloved of God.
It is our lifework to offer compassion to the suffering, forgiveness to those who have hurt us, and comfort to those who are grieving and burdened with the stresses that arise in life.
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1
Blessed are we who believe God so loved the world, he sent his only son to remind us that the whole human family is beloved of God.
Blessed are we who believe God’s holy Spirit dwells in each of us, that we share a spark of the divine in our being.
Blessed are we who believe we have been empowered to be God’s eyes, hands, and hearts to love and serve our neighbors.
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Luke 1:45
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread. Luke 24:35
Jesus has risen from the dead. He breaks bread and eats a bit of fish to prove he is here with us, a tangible, touchable, living presence.
It is in this present, earth-bound moment that he offers us the gift of peace. Today I will accept this moment of peace… and the next…and the next… until I internalize the gift and am able to offer it to others—to all members of our human family, who live and breathe and ache to be touched with God’s peace and compassion.
[Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Luke 24:36
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
The Prophetess Anna in the Temple, 1646 or 1650
May I welcome the new year in holy stillness, with the hope and intention each day to be God’s messenger of love, peace, and kindness.
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Colossians 3:12-13a
We have the power to give birth to love in every moment with our words, actions, attitudes, and behavior. This is God’s will for us. This is God’s vision for our world. This is God’s most precious gift: Love incarnate.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38
Mary Ann McSweeny 