The Forward Day by Day Archives
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THURSDAY, August 13 Jeremy Taylor
From the Archives: January 27, 1951What a magnificent declaration of faith this is! Saint Paul had ample opportunity for knowing the danger of things coming in between the soul and God, and it is doubtless out of his own experience that he writes.
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WEDNESDAY, August 12 Florence Nightingale
I’ve come to understand the only surefire plan I have in my life is seeking alignment with God’s will. Sometimes it doesn’t look like I thought it would—but when I am open to guidance, I see it. When I am in alignment, I feel it. God’s will is a self-correcting process. God’s will is the....TUESDAY, August 11 Clare of Assisi
Slippery slopes are dangerous and they can’t always be avoided. Literal or figurative, into each life a little rain must fall.Relationships develop dynamics, mindful or not. Practice develops skills and habits. Conversations without dissent develop confidence. These are....
MONDAY, August 10 Laurence of Rome
I don’t recite every word in the liturgy. I struggle with some aspects of the creeds and prayers.My verbal omissions went largely unnoticed for years. It wasn’t until I developed a habit of attending Morning Prayer at a new church that I was called out. I was the onl....
- We don’t get to choose our family of origin. We don’t get to choose emotionally mature parents or a healthy household or siblings. We grow into our circumstances and we grow out of them. They are part of our story.
Joseph’s family relationships are comp....
- Repetition can have a powerful effect. As hearts beat and lungs breathe, so can words repeated animate our lives.
Sanskrit mantras are used in meditation. This is why sacred words are often used in centering prayer. This is why self-help books prescribe daily affirmations.....
FRIDAY, August 7 John Mason Neale
I can easily behave like Mary, concerning myself with others’ affairs.I nearly lost myself in caregiving. My concern for others gave me tunnel vision, and I stopped tending to my own needs. I became irritable and unreasonable without knowing it. My relationships worsen....
THURSDAY August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration
From the Archives: April 27, 1950Life will come and with it will come our Lord. We shall likely not recognize him. But he finds us at our work and, not obstinate but ready to take a hint, he will give us success.
We Christians a....
- We’re in the midst of difficult political times. Issues, personalities, and positions create fissures in relationships and communities. This environment can feel unmanageable.
Twelve Step recovery programs offer insights in navigating these perils. Participants admit the....
- A child went to school.
In science, she studied the scientific method. She was intrigued. In math, formulas developed her desire for balance. History classes taught her to think critically about information sources and consider motivations. Ideas about perspe....
MONDAY, August 3 Joanna, Mary, and Salome
The first time I asked God for a sign I was a child. I received an answer and found comfort.I don’t remember asking for more signs until years later, and then I asked for enough signs to make up for lost time. I asked for so many signs I perfected the art ....
- Oh Jesus, John the Baptist was beheaded. John—kin by blood and soul. Learning how his death came to be is enough to make you sick. You need to be alone. You know it immediately. You withdraw.
The people keep coming. You’ve lived and breathed this ministry....
SATURDAY, August 1 Joseph of Arimathea
Today’s reading from Judges is difficult for me to stomach. Jael assassinates Sisera in what may be the most gruesome act depicted in the Bible, and Deborah and Barak are singing her praises. The scene makes me uncomfortable. I want peace, love, and joy—not combative judgment and retaliation.FRIDAY, July 31 Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola's conversion was a traumatic experience. Because of recklessness born of a desire to be famous, he sustained a life-threatening injury in the 1521 Battle of Pamplona. During his recovery, he discovered a spiritual connection to Christ and a new direction for life. ....THURSDAY, July 30 William Wilberforce
From the Archives: April 4, 1968The concern Jesus displayed for obvious and spectacular sinners weighed heavily against his claim to represent God. Some suspected that Jesus did not know enough about righteousness to be able to recognize si....
WEDNESDAY, July 29 Mary and Martha of Bethany
On this day in 1974, eleven women became the first ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Their ordinations helped move the church toward a fuller expression of ministry and reconciliation. How fitting for this event to happen on the feast of Mary and Martha of Bethany.TUESDAY, July 28 Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Bach’s profound connection to the passion narrative and his relentless pursuit of harmonious structure have cemented his place of honor among the saints of God. While his life’s work is well-remembered, his burial site is hotly debated.While no ....
MONDAY, July 27 William R. Huntington
This last section of Romans reads like the toast at a wedding being attended by a bunch of people who don’t know each other very well. Uncle Paul starts knitting up the story of this family, reminding them of who belongs to which parents, who married into the family, who brought the nice dinner ro....Jesus spends a significant amount of time telling us parables about how things are, how they are going to be, and how we can do better. He’s always telling us what to look for, how things will feel, explaining to us what to do when people are hurting or afraid or need help. He uses everyday exampl....James and John, the sons of Zebedee—called Boanerges by Jesus, meaning the sons of thunder—are among the first followers of Jesus. James is the first apostle to die, and John is known to us as the one Jesus loves. But do they really imagine they'll have the strength to follow after Jesus—t....
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