Happy 16th Birthday Catherine Therese!!

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Although you'll never read this my sweet Catherine, I love you. 16 years ago you changed our life forever. All of your siblings have done this in their own way but you have done so in a very special way. You have made me more empathetic, compassionate, and much more prayerful. Your smile lights up the world around you and we are all blessed by it.  It's not easy living with a saint. You remind me of my weakness and limited time on this earth. You challenge me to go deeper within myself and find what the Lord is trying to teach me...usually patience. You are made in His image and likeness but He uses you so that I can see my own beauty, goodness, and shortcomings.  You struggle mightily against me with every bath, diaper change, and wardrobe change. I struggle mightily with Him against all the changes He wills in my life. You depend on me and your mom for even the simplest of things. You teach me to depend on Him for everything and not rely on my on strength. You teach me that I
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Humble Servant

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Tuesday November 14th

Luke 17:7-10

I can remember in my younger days making deals with God or at least trying to make deals with God. Looking back now it seems humorous and embarrassing. Usually I would end up promising God that I would stop something sinful if He gave me what I was asking for. So basically I was promising to stop doing something that I shouldn't be doing anyway and expecting to be rewarded for it. It's like saying, "God I promise to stop taking money out of the safe at work if you will just let me win the lottery."

I also used the opposite approach. I would promise to do something that I should have been doing anyway if God would only "give in" and let me have what I wanted. It was like this, "Dear God, I promise to go to Mass every Sunday, if you will find me a new job."

Our dealings with God can often be like these examples. In today's Gospel Jesus clears things up rather nicely although it stings the pride a bit in practice. Here He tells me that I know deep in my heart what it is that I should be doing. I know how I should be living and all the rest. When I am doing all of these things I should not expect any kind of rest or reward.

This is a little easier to deal with when I keep in mind that every good thing I have comes from God and that every good thing that I do is only by His grace. This is a great antidote to pride. By simply praying this Scripture often I can keep the correct perspective on my place in the Kingdom, "I am an unworthy servant, I have only done what was my duty." If I can honestly say that when I meet Our Lord, I will be doing great!

FROM THE SAINTS - "The path of Humility takes you everywhere...but above all to Heaven." - Saint Josemaria Escriva in Furrow # 282

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