My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; ? John 10:27

Monks and nuns have long hours for prayer each day.
      We can?t do that. And God doesn?t expect us to do that?or we won?t be able to do what He wants us to do as fathers and mothers and husband and wives and brothers and sisters living in this world.
      For most of us, prayer may mean meditating on Scripture for ten minutes in the morning or during lunch break. For others, it may mean dropping by the Blessed Sacrament for five minutes on the way to work. For office workers, it may mean praying during your one-hour commute in the bus. For nursing mothers, it may mean praying while the baby is sleeping on your breast. For housewives, it may mean praying while cooking?before the kids come home from school.
      Discover how you can connect with the Lord in your daily situation?and just do it! Bo S.

REFLECTION:
How can you hear His voice in the midst of the noisy world around you?

Lord, help me to find Your voice in my busy life. Train me how to search for You in the midst of my world.

Acts 11:19-26

Barnabas plays a big part in getting Paul accepted among the apostles. It must have been a number of years now since Paul?s conversion and Barnabas decides that it is time to ease Paul into the sight of the apostles. I tend to think that Barnabas had an insight into the major role that Paul was going to have in the spread of the Gospel. Paul stays in Antioch for a while before returning to Jerusalem to be ultimately commissioned by the Church there to go forth on his missionary journeys.

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews. 20 There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however, who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas [to go] to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, 24 for he was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

P S A L M

Psalm 87:1-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: All you nations, praise the Lord.

1 His foundation upon the holy mountains 2 the LORD loves: The gates of Zion, more than any dwelling of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! (R) 4 I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those who know the LORD; Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia ?This man was born there.? 5 And of Zion they shall say ?One and all were born in her; and he who has established her is the Most High LORD.? (R) 6 They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled ?This man was born there.? 7 And all shall sing, in their festive dance ?My home is within you.? (R)

G O S P E L

John 10:22-30

Jesus? life is His greatest witness to the fact that He is the Messiah. All we have to do is look at what He does and we will see that He is the Messiah. Let us take note of this and remember with St. Francis of Assisi that we should first live out the Gospel in our response to the call to evangelize, and then, if necessary, use words to explain it. Actions do indeed speak louder than words and nowhere is this truer than in the act of evangelization!

22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. 23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ?How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.? 25 Jesus answered them, ?I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father?s name testify to me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father?s hand.30 The Father and I are one.?

my reflections
think: Actions do indeed speak louder than words and nowhere is this truer than in the act of evangelization!

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Esther 6-7

One of our fears in our lives is the fear of sentimentality. We fear that once e start to affirm another, to speak affectionately of each other, we are being foolish. That?s why we hold back and a lot of people we love are wounded more by our silence than by the hurting words we have spoken. Barnabas is not griped by that fear. He is possessed by the Spirit of affirmation. In fact, his name means ?son of exhortation.? The early Church must have experienced his charism of being unafraid to speak out and affirm others that they sent him
to Antioch to minister to a community that had just started and was perhaps a little unsure of itself. Later on, we hear him taking the newly converted Saul under his wing and it was his influence that released Saul to his prominent place in the mission of the Church. He saw in Paul something that others didn?t and when others were wary of Paul, he backed him up. All the while, he was content to be in the background.
    Barnabas, more than having the gift of the gab, had the eyes of his heart opened. He saw what God was doing in people?s lives and he is not afraid to proclaim it over them. He saw people?s potentials in the Lord and he undauntingly invested his life in them so that they could be called forward.
    ?Personal prophets? is what Carmen Cartigionne calls people like Barnabas. They come in our lives when we are most unsure of ourselves and take our eyes off our inadequacies into the adventurous plan of God for us. God calls us to do the same. It takes more than saying the right things. It takes having the right heart.
    When you are set on seeing another as God sees him or her, you are opening yourself up like Barnabas to the revelation that God does indeed have a future and a hope for each of His children. Like Barnabas, it takes a lot of humility not to judge others according to our standards and be suspicious of them but to believe that, beyond their brokenness and needs, God has a wonderful mission planted. We are called like Barnabas to see that in every murderer is the potential to be another Paul. Bro. Noel C.

REFLECTION QUESTION:
Think of one person (perhaps a classmate, officemate, loved one) who is unnoticed and seemed unsure of himself or herself. Try to affirm that person verbally in the presence of others during the week.

Father, thank You for personal prophets, those Barnabases that You sent into my life. Lord, open the eyes of my heart to see Your hand in the life of those around me. Give me a fearless heart to affirm them. Let me speak words that are life- giving and that would call them to be who You desire them to be. Amen.

St. Peter Nolasco, confessor, pray for us.