June 30th, 2026

Today I am reflecting on the 2nd sorrowful mystery of the rosary, The scourging at the pillar. Pilate has his soldiers bind Jesus to a pillar and whip him before being handed over to be crucified. To gain a complete understanding of how excruciating this was, read in the Diary of St Maria Faustina Kowalska, Diary 188, 445

Sins of Impurity (Diary 445): In another vision, she saw four men taking turns striking the Lord. Jesus told Faustina that He suffers even greater pain than what is visible, and that the scourging was undertaken to atone for sins of impurity. [1]

In the Catholic tradition, the “fruit” of a Rosary mystery is the specific virtue or spiritual grace you are called to reflect upon and ask for while praying that decade.
Purity – Meditating on the severely wounded body of Christ provides a counter to a culture of self-indulgence, offering grace to cultivate purity of mind, heart, and body.
Mortification – Offering up one’s own sufferings or practicing self-denial in union with Jesus’s sacrifice at the pillar. (1)

June 29th

I never knew about this prayer until I heard about it from Fr Chris Alar of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. I will be referring back to him in great detail on other occasions. “The Jesus Prayer “ is something I am constantly reminded of throughout the day. It is seen as a beautiful way to “pray without ceasing,” as St. Paul urged in his First Letter to the Thessalonians. (5:17)

June 28th 2026

I happened upon these verses from Proverbs today. I was granted the grace to overcome this one because of resulting health problems rapidly closing in – continuing to drink excessively was about to kill me. It is embarrassing it got so out of hand. Others have been less fortunate receiving little or no warning before it was too late
^{Proverbs 23
29} Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
    Who has redness of eyes?
³⁰ Those who tarry long over wine,
    those who go to try mixed wine.
³¹ Do not look at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup
    and goes down smoothly.
³² At the last it bites like a serpent,
    and stings like an adder.
³³ Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your mind utter perverse things.
³⁴ You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
    like one who lies on the top of a mast.^[d]
35 “They struck me,” you will say,^[e] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I will seek another drink.”

June 27, 2026

A vice that has plagued me is food for thought today

Sirach 37 29-31
²⁹ Do not have an insatiable appetite for any luxury,
    and do not give yourself up to food;
³⁰ for overeating brings sickness,
    and gluttony leads to nausea.
³¹ Many have died of gluttony,
    but he who is careful to avoid it prolongs his life.

June 26, 2026

Another favorite of mine and periodical similar in some ways to PM mentioned yesterday, offers a different view of the day, prayers, and devotionals. Below is a sample of todays reflection:

God’s Song in Me?
On the aspens of the land
we hung up our harps.
Psalm 137:2
The Israelites, living in exile, hung their harps up in the trees. They were too homesick and downcast to sing songs. There’s something intrinsically sad about a musical instrument that hasn’t been played for a long time: a guitar gathering dust in the attic, a flute forgotten on a closet shelf, a piano that has sat silent for years. Musical instruments are meant to be played, to bring beautiful sounds into our world.

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” What if he meant a musical instrument? For the truth is we are all instruments through which God wishes to play a unique song.

A good question for today: What kind of song am I allowing God to play or sing through me?

• Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

2 Kings 25:1-12 ✚ Psalm 137:1-6 ✚ Matthew 8:1-4

June 25, 2026

Today we are sharing a resource rich in fruits of the Spirit of God thanks to his servant Fr Al Lauer, the founder of Presentation Ministries who passed away in 2002 but his work continues on. Years ago, I found a small periodical in my church’s vestibule and discovered so much more than what it contained. One Bread, One Body has a brief reading and reflection for each day of the month. Here is a small sample:

“None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 7:21

God never rejects a cry for mercy from the brokenhearted, even at the moment of death (see Ps 34:19; cf Lk 23:42-43). What Jesus is rejecting from those who cry out, “Lord, Lord,” is the attitude of “look at what I did.” When we cry out, “Lord, Lord, look at my accomplishments,” our position before God is that of the Pharisee who placed his hope in what he had done for the Lord (Lk 18:11-12; see also Lk 13:26). When we cry out, “Lord, Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner,” Jesus proclaims that we are justified because we place our hope in what the Lord has done for us (see Lk 18:13-14). That is how we are to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved (Rm 10:13).

You can order hard copies or just follow along online. Fr. Al was doing a weekday radio program before anyone ever heard the word podcast, but you can enjoy recordings of those as well. The Daily Bread radio program was a huge help to me launching myself back into a life seeking closeness to God.