Deliver Me

Deliver me, O Jesus,
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the desire of being popular,
From the desire of being humiliated,
From the desire of being despised,
From the desire of being rebukes,
From the desire of being calumniated,
From the desire of being forgotten,
From the desire of being wronged,
From the desire of being ridiculed,
From the desire of being suspected.

-- from Mother Teresa – A Simple Path

A True & Fruitful Branch

Let us all become a true and fruitful branch on the vine Jesus,
by accepting Him in our lives as it pleases Him to come:

as the Truth – to be told;

as the Life – to be lived;

as the Light – to be lighted;

as the Way – to be walked;

as the Joy – to be given;

as the Peace – to be spread;

as the Sacrifice – to be offered,

in our families and with our neighborhood.

-- from Mother Teresa – A Simple Path

Downward Mobility

The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up.
Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record - that's what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us the rewards of money and fame.
The way of Jesus is radically different.
It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility.
It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place!
Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing?
Because it is the way to the Kingdom, the way Jesus took, and the way that brings everlasting life.

-- Henri Nuowen