HOPE IN SURRENDER
click above to read
"The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." – Matthew 23:11-12
The world tells you that greatness comes from power, recognition, and control, but Jesus turns this idea upside down and inside out. True greatness is found in humility, in surrendering your need to be seen, praised, or in control. The Pharisees in today’s Gospel sought honor and prestige, but Jesus calls you to something greater, anchoring your hope in Him rather than in worldly status.
Hope is most often found in the quiet, unseen places where you surrender your pride and choose to serve with love. It is in the unseen prayers, the unnoticed sacrifices, and the quiet acts of love that you truly grow in holiness. When you surrender your desire for control, you make space for Christ to work in you.
Let Us Pray:
Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself to serve and to save. Teach me to surrender my pride, my desire for recognition, and my need for control. Anchor my heart in You, that I may serve with love and trust that true greatness is found in humility. May my hope be in You alone. Amen.
HOPE For Your Health: Trusting in God's Design
How does you body feel after extending your fast to 14 hours? For some it may feel easy to delay food for an extra hour, but for others it can be difficult when your body is trained to eat as soon as you get up on the morning...especially if you work. Trust the process and know that your prayerful surrender of food will bear much fruit for your health - not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. In surrendering control over your eating habits, you not only cultivate trust in God's design for your body but also gain a deeper sense of peace and mental freedom.
Last week, I mentioned that fasting can improve mental clarity, enhance focus, and reduce stress. When you give your digestive system a break, your body shifts its energy toward cellular repair and brain function, increasing the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports memory and mood regulation.
Not only that, but fasting also strengthens self-discipline, teaching you to detach from immediate gratification and develop a greater sense of patience and resilience. This is one of the reasons I love fasting...I have proven to myself that I can do hard things and persevere through difficult moments. The fast will eventually be broken and the feasting will begin. Take any difficulties you are having, surrender them to God with your intentions, and then praise Him for the opportunity to carry your cross alongside Him.
HOPE For Your Marriage: Sacramental Graces
Marriage is not about power or control, it is about love poured out in service. Jesus reveals that true greatness comes through humility and self-giving. He is calling you to a different way: surrendering your pride, letting go of the need to be right, and embracing the path of servant-hearted love.
This surrender is not a loss; it is a doorway to grace. Through the sacrament of marriage, God pours out supernatural strength to help you love beyond your own capacity. Sacramental grace helps you to choose unity over division, humility over pride, and love over self-interest. It means trusting that when you serve your spouse with a generous heart, God will bless and strengthen your bond. Anchored in Christ, you do not have to fight for your own way...you are always secure in His love.
Starting today and for the remainder of the week, you will be doing a "Marriage Examen", taking an honest look the current state of your marriage.
Marriage Examen Question #1:"How is my marriage going in general?"
Take a step back and prayerfully reflect: how is your marriage right now? Is it thriving, struggling, or somewhere in between? Are you growing together in faith, communication, and love, or have distractions pulled you apart?
Every season brings new joys and challenges.
Surrendering in marriage means trusting God’s grace to sustain and strengthen your relationship. If there are areas of strain, bring them to Him. If your marriage is flourishing, offer gratitude. No matter where you are, invite God to be at the center of your marriage, guiding you forward in love.
Challenge:
Have an open, honest conversation with your spouse about the state of your marriage. Share what you love about your relationship and discuss any areas that need extra grace and attention. End by praying together, entrusting your marriage to God’s care.
NEVER BUY SALSA AGAIN SALSA
Tuesday's are for tacos in some form or another in our house. I make this super easy salsa weekly! I still cannot believe I put off trying it for years because it called for canned diced tomatoes. Then one day, we were out of salsa and I didn't want to run to the store to buy it, so I caved and made this. I was stunned at the outcome. The original recipe (Salsa de Harvey) came from a young man in our theater club who would bring this to rehearsals and all the kids loved it. When he shared the recipe with my kids, I tucked it away in my recipe binder until that desperate day. Try it...you may never buy salsa again!
INGREDIENTS:
2 - 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 small can diced green chiles
1 small onion, quartered
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 bunch of cilantro
salt to taste - or your favorite taco seasoning
1 Tbsp lime juice (fresh is best)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the onion, minced garlic and cilantro in a blender and pulse a few times to chop and mix. Don't blend them to mush!
Add the tomatoes, green chiles, salt and lime juice and pulse several times to get the texture you like. THAT'S IT!!
The original recipe states: "You will probably need to tweak the flavcor to get it perfect by adding small quantities of garlic, onion, salt, lime juice and cilantro. Just mess around until you get the right flavor." Such great kitchen advice...;)
We store our salsa in a quart size jar and keep it refrigerated when not eating it.
“Resentment attacks our vital forces and does us much harm. When someone has made us suffer, our tendency is to keep the memory of the wrong alive in our minds, like a “bill” we will produce in due time to demand settlement. Those accumulated bills end up poisoning our lives. It is wiser to cancel every debt, as the Gospel invites us to. In return, we will be forgiven everything, and our hearts will be set free, whereas nurturing resentment toward others closes us to the positive things they could contribute to us.”
~Fr. Jacques Philippe,Interior Freedom
Comments