Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5
“I want to be merciful to the world and provide for my reasoning creatures’ every need. But the foolish take for death what I give for life, and are thus cruel to themselves. I always provide, and I want you to know what I have given to humankind is supreme providence. It pleased me to create you in my image and likeness with great providence.
I provided you with the gift of memory so that you might hold fast my benefits and be made a sharer in my own, the eternal Father’s power. I gave you understanding so that in the wisdom of my only-begotten Son you might comprehend and know what I the eternal Father want, I who gave you graces with such burning love.
I gave you a will to love, making you a sharer in the Holy Spirit’s mercy, so that you might love what your understanding sees and knows. All this my gentle providence did, only that you might be capable of understanding and enjoying me and rejoicing in my goodness by seeing me eternally.”
Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) in The Dialogue, translated by Suzanne Noffke (CWS; Mahwah: Paulist, 1980) 277.
In modernity, many enjoy Jesus Calling daily as it reads as though Jesus is talking directly to the reader. Though its not packaged as a daily reader, The Dialogue reads a bit like a Middle Ages edition of Jesus Calling because parts are written in the first person. When I travel and teach, I like a quiet hotel room so that in solitude, I can listen for His voice.
Today I am also meditating on Psalm 103 because my wife is teaching on it next week in her Women’s Bible Study so I am praying for her. Also I am giving thanks for “the gift of memory” as it helps us hold fast to and not soon forget all His benefits! He continues to show up powerfully and unexpected ways in these meetings Down Under.
As you recount His benefits and rejoice in His goodness toward you, I pray it transforms your living, giving, serving, and loving.