“What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”

Living a Christian life can be a beautifully enriching endeavor. It can also sometimes feel as if we are perpetually trying to swim against the current, losing hope of our eventual arrival to our intended goal. Like many things, though, our perspective can drastically change our actions.

St. John the Baptist was known to be a wild man, always swimming against his own current. He still rose each day, fasting and baptizing in order that many would repent from their sinful lives. John persevered in humility. To do the work of God, we can sometimes begin to boast in our own goodness or, other times, the opposite: we can be crushed under the pressure of the salvation of the world. 

John, though, had the right perspective; he knew that he was sent, not as the Savior whom deserved all honor and glory and praise, but instead that he came as a herald to the Living Gospel who was to come. John didn’t put the pressure on himself to have all the answers in his baptisms and sermons; he reminded the listeners often that he was not ‘He’ who was coming. Not only did John have the clarity to recognize the Christ who was to come, but he also had the humble confidence to continue to cry out in the desert that each heart may prepare to meet the Savior.

Do you ever feel like your own community is drifting far from the Lord? Do you put the weight of each person’s faith on your shoulders? 

Jesus is the Son of God who became man to save the world; you don’t have to be. Turn your perspective to the truth that the Lord does, however, allow us to be His hands and feet. He allows us to cry out in the desert! Others see Jesus in your presence. Cry out to the world of His incredible love—but trust that He will do the heavy lifting. We need not despair when we are too weak, or too lost, for our Lord is strong and He is never far from us. 

What are the ways that the Lord is calling you today to be a voice crying out in the wilderness just as St. John the Baptist was?

When you are doing God's work, do you trust in His ability to do the work in you? Do you ask Him for strength and His will to be done? Why or why not? 

In what ways do you still need to trust in God's goodness and plan for your life? 

"Behold the Lamb of God."

"You are my Savior."

​"I trust in You."

Be a voice calling out for the Lord against the current in your life today. Maybe share your faith with a friend or family member. Maybe stand up for something you believe in to people around you. Maybe publicly live your faith in a way that others can see, not for your own glory but for God's. Pray and ask God that your witness would be effective and help those around you come to know Jesus. 

One thing I think we've all probably noticed more and more in our lives is that people are really anxious. Probably most of us reading this right now deal with anxiety, in fact. Coming from that place, whether we ourselves struggle with anxiety or we know people who do, today's words from Jesus might sound incredibly difficult. When Jesus says not to worry about food, drink, or what will happen tomorrow, we might be tempted even to laugh at Him. 

"Jesus, I know you're smart and God and all, but come on! You want me not to worry about that stuff coming up? Do you even know me?" We might say. 

I think these words of Jesus were specifically spoken not because Jesus didn't understand us, but because He does. When Jesus tells us not to worry but instead to trust and move towards Him, I don't think He is thinking "guys, it's simple!", but rather "friends, you really need this."

We have a God who knows what is coming in your life and mine, who has looked at each of us with love and said that we are good, and who will never abandon us and what is best for us. We have a God who has seen what is coming tomorrow and is already there waiting for us in that place. If that place is good, He's there. If tomorrow is just like today, He's there. If tomorrow brings unprecedented suffering, He is there. The truth of the matter is that we serve a God who is in the midst of every moment ready to bring about our good if we encounter Him there; are we giving Him that room to meet us there? 

When Jesus says to see first the Kingdom He is not asking us to neglect our lives or ignore our problems; He is asking us to see that He is first in the midst of all of that, and realize that in those things He has our good in mind. The question is: will I truly trust Him enough to put Him ahead of my worry, my fear, and my excitement, letting Him truly ​be Lord of my life? 

What are the things currently happening or soon coming in your life that you are excited about, worried about, or anxious about? Where is God calling you in those things?

When you face new or unexpected things in life, how do you invite God into those things? In what way can you grow in letting Him be Lord even of those things? 

What holds you back from truly trusting that God has what is best for you?

"Jesus I trust in You."

"Keep my eyes on You."

"I give You my life."

Today, whenever you are tempted to become anxious about something, pause and say a Hail Mary or pray "Come, Holy Spirit" and invite God into that moment to reveal the truth of His presence and His love. 

​I’ve heard it said before that you are defined by the people and things most important to you; that who you are is measured by what you value. While I do think that is a little to simple sometimes, there also is a lot of truth to it. Take a minute to think of some of the most important things in your life. How much of your time and energy is spent towards that? And is it worth that much time and energy. As much fun as Fortnite may be, is it more important than your prayer life? Hopefully you’d say no, but where does your time and energy go?

In today’s Gospel Jesus talks about storing up treasures in heaven instead of on earth, where they will eventually leave us. Where we spend our time shows what treasure most. Now we must ask ourselves if those thing belong in heaven or are we wasting our treasure on fleeting things. Don’t waste your treasure anymore! Enjoy the good and pure things of this world, but make sure that you truly invest your treasure in what lasts forever.

Where do I store up "treasure"?

Do I value the treasures of this world over the treasures of Heaven?

​Where do I spend most of my time?

"My treasure is in Heaven."

"I love you Lord."

​"I trust your goodness."

Take a few minutes and take stock of where your "treasure" is. Do you value the things of the earth or the treasures of Heaven?

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "man they just pray so much better than me." Just me? Maybe, yes, but there is also a pretty good chance I am not alone with that. Jesus is telling the disciples to pray with their heart to their Father today, but how often do we do that?

Often if I am on a retreat, pilgrimage, in the adoration chapel or even just in casual conversation, when prayer time comes up I look around and think I am not good enough, I pray wrong, or man that person over there prays so much better than I do. My fear of not praying well stops me from actually praying. 

​But Jesus doesn't want that! He doesn't want us to focus on those around us. He doesn't want us to worry if we are praying correctly. Jesus wants us to have a relationship with Him and we do that through prayer. 

What are the steps to praying well? 

1) Make a plan for it: don;t just pray throughout the day or whenever you get around to it. Then you're not giving Jesus your best effort, your giving Him your left overs. Decide on when you're going to pray and put it on your calendar, in your planner, set an alarm on your phone, do whatever you need to do to make sure it happens. 

2) Find a place for it: in the car, might sound like a plan but not if you need to pay attention while driving. Your room might seem like a good place, but not if the TV is on. Find a dedicated place to pray where you can be sure to focus on the Lord and not other distractions. 

3) Just pray: let go of your concerns and just pray. Invite Jesus into your heart, let go of other distractions and have a conversation with the Lord today.  

Where do you feel like your prayer life is not good enough? How can you combat that today?

When do you pray? How can you make that more scheduled to give Jesus your full attention?  

​Where do you pray? Can you create a prayer space?

"Just Pray."

"Our Father." 

​"Lord I Need You."

How can you let go and focus on the Lord in prayer today? Either find a time to pray, find a place or just open your heart to Jesus today.