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
“Look then on Jesus, the Author and Preserver of faith: in complete sinlessness He suffered, and at the hands of those who were His own, and was numbered among the wicked. As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord, the Giver of all blessings. May the God of love and peace set your hearts at rest and speed you on your journey; may He meanwhile shelter you from disturbance by others in the hidden recesses of His love, until He brings you at last into that place of complete plenitude where you will repose for ever in the vision of peace, in the security of trust and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”
Raymond of Penyafort (1175-1275) in Letter as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 688.
I just finished this book. It had 1,620 readings from saints through the centuries in it. I only posted a handful of them. Their witness inspires my work, and I hope they also bless you.
This collection also exposed me to new saints, like Raymond today. He was a Dominican friar. Unlike, monks which ministered out of a monastery, friars served in society to strengthen the Church in the world.
It makes me wonder if I should have labeled myself the Generosity Friar instead of the Generosity Monk as I minister around the world, but 2024 marks 15 years with the latter title so there’s no turning back now.
On this, the last day of the year, three things touched me from the last reading in this book.
Firstly, Raymond calls us to give thanks to the Author and Preserver of our faith. Let’s do this. Let us pause to give thanks for God’s blessings to each of us in 2023. Make a list then give an offering of praise and gratitude.
Secondly, for our journey we see the God of love and peace set our hearts at rest, speed us on our journey, and shelter us in the “hidden recesses” of his love. It love this word picture as it implies nothing can touch me in the hidden recesses!
What setting at rest, speeding along, and sheltering has God done for you in 2023? As you anticipate the new year, thank Him for the comfort of His love in the highs and lows of the past year.
This reflection should strengthen you for the road ahead and relates to the last piece, which gives us hope. Thirdly, we can anticipate that someday He will bring us to a place of complete plenitude.
So, from a place of gratitude, I invite you to make a year-end gift to GTP here to help activate a major grant. As the need sits around $136,000, join me in trusting God to supply by His grace and through His people. Thanks.