"The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" Psalm 118:6 (NLT)

Meditation: I remember a nightmare when I was surrounded by devils and they were closing in on me. I called upon Jesus to save me. I said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast you out!" I kept repeating that phrase and suddenly out of the darkness appeared an arm. The arm was raised and bent at the elbow, with the hand clenched into a fist. I knew that arm was Jesus' arm. I woke up in a cold sweat, still repeating those words, not to myself, but out loud to all the devils in my room. And I knew that I was now safe. Jesus had cast them out.

I had another dream two nights ago. This time I was in a dark place and in the distance I saw someone crucified and I was crying with grief that he was dead. As I approached the cross, I saw that the man was now standing on the ground wearing a crown of thorns. He came toward me and embraced me, and I cannot describe the joy I felt that he was alive! I just cried in his arms because he was alive again. I can still feel his cheek next to mine when he hugged me. 

What a remarkable dream! Jesus was comforting me and letting me know that there was no reason to mourn. He is alive and he is with me and for me!

"I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done" Psalm 118:17 (NLT)

Meditation: To live is to proclaim the works of God. Let our life be a life of praise to the Father; a life of self-sacrifice and humility; and, above all, a life of love for God and all our brothers and sisters.

"This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it... Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD" Psalm 118:24,26 (NLT)

Meditation: I come in the name of the Lord who has worked wonders in my life, and I rejoice in them.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

"Praise the LORD, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
For he loves us with unfailing love;
the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the LORD!" Psalm 117 (NLT)

Meditation: 

How shall we thank the Lord for his unfailing love? 

Let us bring the light of truth, a healing hand, the promise of peace, and the hope of eternal life to those living in the shadows. Let us be an inspiration to others, for it is in giving that we receive, and in dedicating our lives to the service of God and our fellow men, that we are born to eternal life.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 118:1 (NLT)

Meditation: "After so many graces I can sing with the psalmist: 'How good is the Lord, how eternal is his mercy.' It seems to me that if all creatures had the same graces as I, the Good God would not be feared by anyone, but loved to the point of madness."^† 

"This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see." Psalm 118:23 (NLT)

Meditation: "Jesus came to visit us. He found us worthy of his undergoing the crucible of suffering... It is the Lord who did that."^†

^†de Lisieux, St. Thérèse. La Bible avec Thérèse de Lisieux. Paris, France: Les Éditions du Cerf et Desclée De Brouwer, 1979. 86-87. Print. Trans. John P. Gross.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

"Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands." Psalm 115:4 (NLT)

Meditation: What do you love? Sex, food, drugs, TV? These idols eventually lose their appeal. Only God is real and I seek him in the silence.

"May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 115:15 (NLT)

Meditation: God created us to live with him in heaven and to help others obtain the same end. If I act righteously, nothing can stop me from fulfilling that mission, for the Lord is with me and richly blesses me.

 "Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!" Psalm 116:2,9 (NLT)

Meditation: Every breath I take is a gift from God, a reminder that He is always with me.

"O LORD, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains." Psalm 116:16 (NLT)

Meditation: "O Jesus! On this day, you break my chains."^† (Thérèse is referring to the day she received permission to enter the Carmelites.)

"I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD." Psalm 116:17 (NLT)

Meditation: I will offer you an eternal song of praise and call on your name whenever my brothers and sisters need your loving help.

^†de Lisieux, St. Thérèse. La Bible avec Thérèse de Lisieux. Paris, France: Les Éditions du Cerf et Desclée De Brouwer, 1979. 86. Print. Trans. John P. Gross.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the 72nd prayer from my book, 100 Prayers of Purity for the Mission of Our Lady of America. Enjoy!

Prayer 72

Madonna in Glory¹

O God, who through the Immaculate Conception of a Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling-place for Thy Son, we beseech Thee, who by the death of that Son, foreseen by Thee, didst preserve her from every stain of sin, to grant that by her intercession we also may be purified, and so may come to Thee. Amen.¹⁴⁴

¹"Madonna in Glory." Web. 18 May 2016.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:Dolci_ Madonna_ p1070185.jpg>

¹⁴⁴Adapted from "Raccolta: Novena for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception." 
Web. 1 Sept 2016. 
<http://liturgialatina.org/raccolta/novenas.htm#104>.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

"Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." Psalm 114:7-8 (NLT)

Meditation: I was sitting outside this morning to enjoy the cool breeze and warm sun with my cat, Dixie, and I noticed how beautiful the flowers were that Donna, my wife, had planted in pots on our concrete patio. I thought that some people believe that plants respond to kind words spoken to them. So I told the flowers how beautiful they looked.

Then I thanked God who created such beautiful flowers for us to enjoy. He has left us such beautiful reminders of the Paradise Adam and Eve once enjoyed. Just as the Israelites thanked God for the water from the rock, be sure to thank God today for all the gifts, graces and blessings he has provided for you!

God does remarkable things all the time. You just have to be paying attention to see them. For example, have you really noticed the people and ideas God exposes you to?

My parish priest is from India; I met a Buddhist; I read about yoga by a Hindu; I read about Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk whose spiritual teachings were influenced by Eastern thought; I read a text on the Muslim religion; even my neighbor's cat is named Kali, the Hindu Goddess of death and destruction! 

What am I to make of these encounters with the East? The answer may surprise you: God sent me these experiences to expand my love for all his children. Whom have you met recently?

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

"Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump." Psalm 113:5-7 (NLT)

Meditation: Our God is an awesome God, yet he is ever mindful of those who are poor and needy. He stoops down to lift up the worst sinners and places them among his saints.

"He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother." Psalm 113:9 (NLT)

Meditation: "If my prayer is not answered, then my younger sister will have to give up her desire to be a mother here on earth, but she will be able to rejoice in thinking that in heaven 'the Lord will give her the joy of seeing herself Mother of numerous children,' as the Holy Spirit promised when he sang through the mouth of the Prophet King the words that I just wrote. These children would be the souls that her worthy sacrifice would cause to be born to a life of grace."^† 

^†de Lisieux, St. Thérèse. La Bible avec Thérèse de Lisieux. Paris, France: Les Éditions du Cerf et Desclée De Brouwer, 1979. 85-86. Print. Trans. John P. Gross.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

"He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!" Psalm 111:4 (NLT)

Meditation: I can no more forget what the Lord has done for me than to forget to breathe.

"He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!" Psalm 111:9 (NLT)

Meditation: God will not abandon me. He is patiently waiting for the seed he has planted for my reformation to take root.

"Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous." Psalm 112:4 (NLT)

Meditation: God has given me many blessings, gifts and graces, but would I still see God's light if I lost them? Lord, I value your gifts, but I value you, the Giver, more.

"Those who are righteous will be long remembered... Their good deeds will be remembered forever." Psalm 112:6,9 (NLT)

Meditation: A tiny loving thought can bring joy to the universe!

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.

I was reading about Emmanuel Swedenborg this week, a scientist and mystic of the 18th century. He wrote books describing the 13 years he spent exploring heaven and hell as directed by Jesus. There are so many mystics who relate their own particular vision of heaven and hell, and their descriptions often contradict each other. So what are we supposed to believe?

I asked God the same question Saturday night and I received his answer Sunday morning at Mass in the first reading about the virtue of humility as quoted in Sirach 3:21-24:

"Neither seek what is too difficult for you,
    nor investigate what is beyond your power.
 Reflect upon what you have been commanded,
    for what is hidden is not your concern.
 Do not meddle in matters that are beyond you,
    for more than you can understand has been shown you.
 For their conceit has led many astray,
  and wrong opinion has impaired their judgment."

Meditation: So God is telling me that some things are beyond our understanding. Some people let their pride get the better of them and they think that they have God all figured out. However, God's ways are so above our ways, as far as the east is from the west. So the lesson God teaches is that we should just do as he asks and all will be made clear one day when we see him face to face. Amen!

"The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Jesus), 'Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.'” Psalm 110:1 (NLT)

David has a vision of God the Father speaking to Jesus, David's descendant and Lord.

Meditation: Jesus is King David's Lord and my Savior who defeats our enemies.

"When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew." Psalm 110:3 (NLT)

Meditation: 
Remember the glory of the Father
Remember your divine splendor
That you left behind when you exiled yourself on earth."^† (Thérèse is speaking to Jesus about his glory in heaven that he gave up when he humbled himself to become one of us. His glory was restored to him after his death and resurrection. He is now our King of kings and Lord of lords and we will willingly follow him into battle against the evil one.)

"But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious." Psalm 110:7 (NLT)

Jesus will be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit who will ensure his success battle after battle. 

Meditation: Come, Holy Spirit, and refresh my soul so that I can continue the battle against evil.

^†de Lisieux, St. Thérèse. La Bible avec Thérèse de Lisieux. Paris, France: Les Éditions du Cerf et Desclée De Brouwer, 1979. 85. Print. Trans. John P. Gross.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.