Devotional Thought for our days:
⁸  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

817         The heart! From time to time, without your being able to help it, your all too human memory casts a crude, unhappy, “uncouth” shadow on your mind. Go to the tabernacle immediately, at least in spirit, and you will return to light, happiness and Life.

It seems like everyone is getting one everyone’s nerves the days.  People are either ticked off at someone or getting ticked off at those who are ticked off at someone, or perhaps hurt that someone they care for is ticked off.

Or perhaps we are dealing with just our own brokenness, the fact that life isn’t the way it is supposed to be. Finances may be tight, work seems impossible, family demands/needs are being left behind and we can’t keep up.  And the stress we are under causes us to struggle with those around us.

Life simply isn’t supposed to be like this.

St. Josemaria mentions this morning that our heart can cast shadows on our mind.  He notes we are helpless to stop these shadows, our memories, as our brokenness affects our thoughts and how we live.

St Josemaria directs us to go to the tabernacle, a place where we are reminded of CHrist’s love, of His sacrifice, of His presence.  Luther would have you go to your baptismal font for the same, my preference is the altar rail, where you receive Christ’s body and blood.  where you are told your sins are forgiven because Jesus loves you enough to die for you.

These sacramental places, even if we only spend time there in our thoughts help us get our lives back on track, as we think about our Lord, His love, His mercy, His promise to never leave us or forsake us. It is at those places where our burdens are lifted, that the glory of God enlightens our soul, removing the darkness and all that the darkness it casts.  These moments of sacred time are anchor points in our lives, the places 

This is what Paul is talking about when he urges us to think about true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable. excellent and praiseworthy.  It gets back to realizing that those things in life come to us because God is with us. 

He is with us….

And nothing can separate us from Him…..

So go there, to the places where you know you will encounter His grace.  Even if you cannot physically go, remember the last time you were there, and knew God’s peace. He’s still with you, wherever you are at…You just need ot know that!

Escriva, Josemaria. Furrow (Kindle Locations 3371-3374). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.