There are many words and teachings of Jesus that make people uncomfortable, the times where your insides feel stretchy and squirmy. No matter how hard it feels, Jesus never asks something of us that he first did not model to us. In St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” What does that even look like right now in 2025?

Pray

Loving Companion,
The path of following you is not an easy one.
Even the simplest of your teachings rouse the human spirit
to challenge us in the depths of souls.
Show me truly what it means to love my enemies and do good to them,
especially amid the divisive times we are living in.
I want to live and follow your teachings with greater authenticity,
even when it makes me uncomfortable. Amen.

Act

Find time for some daily silence each day over the next week. Ask the spirit of divine wisdom, living in you: What does it look like for me in my daily life to embody and live these words of Jesus? In my family, my job, with people whom I disagree, even the ones I cannot stand. What might Jesus be calling you to in a new way?

Most Catholics can probably easily recall the seven sacraments. I remember reading in a book once that if there were to be an eighth sacrament, it could possibly be the sacrament of the present moment. Venerable Solanus Casey once said, “Man’s greatness lies in being faithful to the present moment.”

Pray

God of the Present Moment,
Sometimes I forget to look for you when life is whirling around me.
Your presence is embedded in everything around me.
I only need to look up and pay attention.
Open my eyes to see you and your goodness all around me. Amen.

Act

The art of the present moment is something our fast-paced world sometimes struggles with. Consider picking up The Practice of the Presence of God, an ancient book by Brother Lawrence. How can you practice making the present moment in front of you sacred?

The mercy of God is unending and yet sometimes that is hard for us to accept. Pope Francis once said, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

Pray

Merciful Love,
Your favorite action is to extend love and mercy to me in my life.
You never get tired of loving me back into your presence.
Teach me how to receive your goodness.
Amen.

Act

The reckless mercy of God is one of the most beautiful proofs of God’s existence. Consider some spiritual reading to help deepen your understanding. The Name of God Is Mercy, written by Pope Francis, may be a helpful place to begin.

Too often, the fast-paced haze of life has us whirling at a speed where we feel like we’re moving so quickly from one thing to the next. The stress of daily life and endless tasks to complete lead us to rush past the people we encounter over the course of our day. Sometimes we miss or ignore the person right in front of us. We forget that this person has a name or wishes to be seen and loved as we do. 

—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “Let Us Pray: Names as an Act of Reverence“
by Patricia Breen

Some of the hardest teachings of Jesus to follow are centered around forgiveness. Forgive 70 x 7 times. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies, do good to them, forgive them. The reality is that you and I will probably spend the rest of our lives learning to forgive as Jesus did.

Pray

God of all forgiveness,
I want to learn forgiveness as you did from the cross.
Break through the barriers of my hardened heart.
Teach me what it means to forgive without being a doormat to other people.
Amen.

Act

Ask the Holy Spirit: Where do I need the light of forgiveness more in my life? Is there someone I am unable to forgive? Why or why not?

Sometimes it is not uncommon for little children to be afraid of the dark. While the darkness can feel scary or uncertain, the light brings clarity, a new way of seeing. Jesus, our God, is a flashlight in the darkness. He gives us a new way of seeing, relating, and living in the world.

Pray

Jesus,
you are the bright light
that pierces into every dark space
of my heart.
You always enter into
the moments and spaces
of darkness in my life
and bring light into them.
Into any darkness of my life,
I ask you to come
and bring your light and presence.
Come be my light.
Amen.

Act

What areas do I need God to bring the light in? In what ways can I bring light to the lives of others? Jot down some notes as ideas come to mind.