The Forward Day by Day Archives
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WEDNESDAY, January 22
Vincent of SaragossaGrowing up the son of a policeman, I learned to love the law. That’s appropriate. But unfortunately, I came to look down on those who had fallen outside the law. Once outside, I reasoned, there’s no way back in.It wasn’t until later, through some ....
TUESDAY, January 21
Agnes and Cecilia of RomeOne day, I broke some rule or another. To avoid the act of discovery, I hid underneath our house. My parents weren’t strict disciplinarians, but I decided I wouldn’t be in trouble if they couldn’t find me. The longer I stayed down in the dark, the harder it became to climb out.<....
- I’ve suffered with depression since I was thirteen. This illness was later compounded by experiences in the military, divorce, and the loss of my career. If you are someone who also suffers from depression, you are not alone. You are fully and entirely loved—it’s okay to need and ask for help.....
- Everything about Christ defies this world’s measures of success and list of correct priorities. I can understand why following Jesus’ path may seem bonkers to those living outside of our faith. Our King is crowned with thorns and proclaimed King of the Jews on a Roman cross.....
SATURDAY, January 18 Confession of Saint Peter
The cornerstone is the most important stone in a structure because a builder aligns every other stone—from the deepest foundation to the highest tower—by this one stone. Jesus is rejected by the religious leaders of his day because they have aligned themselves to the wrong cornerstone. They are ....FRIDAY, January 17 Antony of Egypt
I’ve had to learn to set healthy boundaries to prevent myself from being manipulated or used. Boundary setting is important self-care for everyone.There can also be unhealthy boundaries in our lives. We erect walls with our egos, fear, greed, and insecurity. We hide ou....
- From The Archives: August 31, 1972
Cowardice is contagious. So is courage. Furnishing an example can be one of the greatest influences a person can have. When faced with danger and conflict, it is better for the coward to stand aside and not turn the whole company i....
- There is perhaps no greater expression of God’s love for us than the incarnation. God becomes one of us. Seeing death’s grip on us, God chooses to become flesh, to suffer with us. In that suffering, by God’s love, Christ conquers death and frees us from slavery to sin and fear.
TUESDAY, January 14 Richard Benson & Charles Gore
I love this passage from Psalms because it reminds us it’s okay to have seasons when we’re weary and wasted with grief. God loves us and wants us just as much when everything is a hot mess as when we have it all together.I had to learn this hard truth when I went thro....
MONDAY, January 13 Hilary of Poitiers
When I was thirty years old, a medical issue unexpectedly ended my career in the Navy. My career had been my entire focus in life, and I defined my personhood and my worth by it. When everything came crashing down, I had to learn the true source of my worth in Christ. I had to be spiritually reborn.....Growing up around boats and having served in the Navy, I learned to both dread and love storms at sea. Nothing else makes me feel so small and yet so connected to the enormity of God’s creation as a storm at sea.Our lives are filled with storms that can make us feel hel....
The Bible has more than 31,000 verses and roughly 1,200 pages, give or take a few depending on the translation. How wonderful it is when a passage like this one from Colossians ties all of them together so neatly. Whatever else we read, whatever points of doctrine or theology we ponder, one message ....FRIDAY, January 10 William Laud
A state trooper raised me. As an adult, I served several years as a sheriff’s deputy. Law enforcement officers often refer to themselves as sheepdogs—protectors of their flock. We learned to see the threats in every situation—everywhere.All of us shoul....
THURSDAY, January 9 Julia Chester Emory
From The Archives: Thursday, January 9, 1936People who live together learn to love each other. What a wonderful fact it is that just living in a family causes love to be born! Mutual service begets love, and in turn love makes service a joy. We love others because ....
WEDNESDAY, January 8 Harriet Bedell
When someone takes on more than they can handle, we might say they are “drinking from a fire hose.” When we spiritually thirst and surrender ourselves to Christ, God tells us to get ready: The force of many waters is headed our way.If Christ’s living water is meant ....
When my daughters were babies, it seemed their sole concern was getting from one meal to the next—sometimes from one spoonful to the next. Many of us live our whole lives like babies, drifting between attempts to satiate ourselves. We don’t always look to good sources of nourishment either.<....For a sailor navigating dangerous waters on a stormy night, no sight is more reassuring than a lighthouse. A steady lighthouse with a strong light both assures wayfarers of safety and shows the path to it.Likewise, the light of Christ shows us the way home in the dangerou....
Imagine the euphoria of the Magi when they first behold Christ. Seeing God incarnate, they are overwhelmed with joy.We are called to follow in their footsteps, to rejoice with that same fervor and zeal. Our spiritual journey, the focused walk of our lives of faith, follo....
We spend more than $600 billion annually on global advertising. Every cent of that money tells us that if we just buy the next shiny thing, we’ll be happy.Jesus never offers us easy promises. At the cross, he calls us to imitate nothing less than God. If imitating the ....
A few years ago I was out of work for the first time in my adult life. I ended up finding a sales job and lived solely off commissions. Each week was an exercise in faith.Through that experience I learned to feed on the “food that endures for eternal life.” Jesus dir....
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