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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

THE WEEKLY DIGEST
OF REGNUM CHRISTI
DAILY MEDITATIONS

Week of Sept 28 - Oct 5, 2025

Sunday, September 28, 2025 – The Great Chasm

Monday, September 29, 2025 – You Will See Heaven Opened

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 – Welcoming the Lord

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – A Place to Rest

Thursday, October 2, 2025 – Angels and Children

Friday, October 3, 2025 – All or Nothing

Saturday, October 4, 2025 – The Eyes That See What You See

Sunday, October 5, 2025 – Faith and Trust

September 28, 2025 - The Great Chasm

9-28

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know that your fervent desire for us is that we rest with you, as Lazarus did with Abraham. Help us to live each day fully aware of the great chasm that you describe between those who love you and show that love to others, and those who have chosen to reject your love. In your mercy, grant us the bounty of your eternal love. Amen.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. How Stark Are the Differences: The images in this passage of Scripture are among the most vivid in the Bible. We can picture poor Lazarus, starving, sick, living among dogs who lick his sores, and we can picture the rich man in purple garments, living the high life and feasting every day. There can be no clearer message: The sufferings of this world can be, as they were for Lazarus, redemptive. And the material riches with which this world is so often obsessed can blind us to the sufferings of those literally on our doorsteps.

     

  2. How Brief Is the Time: Any graphic of comparison that we can create—a pie chart, a bar graph, cylinders of beads, whatever—cannot illustrate the brevity of our earthly lives against all of eternity. Even the very old among us have lived but a moment when placed next to the time our souls will spend in eternity. Jesus does not whitewash or sugarcoat his message. Every single one of us will live out our eternity on one side of the great chasm or the other. Moses and the prophets foretold it, and so did Jesus. When we fully absorb that truth, our lives change.

     

  3. How Great Are the Rewards: Our secular, temporal thinking leads us to consider life in increments: We hope to get a somewhat better job, find our children a little better school, move to a bigger house, trade our economy car for a fancier one. We are often rewarded when we save or study or work for our next acquisition. There’s nothing wrong with that approach to the material world, but Jesus makes it clear that the next life will not shake out that way! There will be no incremental reward in Heaven, since there will be no time. Heaven will be eternal basking forever in the glory of Our Lord. Meditating on Heaven is a fruitful way to help us spend our earthly days seeking the Lord’s glory in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, help me, each day, to see those who are “starving,” whether they are physically hungry or suffering, or in need of compassion, understanding, or healing. Help me to remember how your love for me has fed my soul so many times, and help me bring your love to those who are suffering.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will live as though I fully understood your message—that the rewards of this life are to be shared, that our lives here are but a moment compared to Heaven, and that my choices in this life have eternal consequences.

For Further Reflection: In his Introduction to Christianity, speaking about the Last Judgment, Joseph Ratzinger summarizes the relationship between love and justice in this way: “…the unrighteousness of this world does not have the last word, not even by being wiped out indifferently in a universal act of grace; on the contrary, there is a last court of appeal which preserves justice, in order thus to be able to perfect love. A love that overthrew justice would create injustice, and thus cease to be anything but a caricature of love” (translation J. R. Foster, Ignatius Press, 1990, p. 259).

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

September 29, 2025 - You Will See Heaven Opened

DM 9-29

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

John 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see Heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to be like your disciple Nathanael, having no duplicity in me. Instill in me a love for the truth, so that, in large ways and small, I may always be truthful with those around me. Amen.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. Where Do We Rest?: Scripture tells us that Nathanael had been spotted by Christ under a fig tree. What was he doing there? Praying? Enjoying nature? Having some alone time? In our electronic age, “rest” never seems to happen. There is always one more post, email, tweet, text, video, comment. When was the last time we took a moment to find a quiet spot, “under a fig tree,” where perhaps the Lord can touch our heart in a new way?

     

  2. A Heart That Is Pure: This encounter with Nathanael is but one example of how Jesus treats his followers as individuals. He knows each of us by name; he knows what is in our hearts. As Psalm 139 says, “Lord, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar… Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.” Since Our Lord knows all of our thoughts, including those that may be keeping our heart from being pure like Nathanael’s, let us do a thorough examination of conscience, looking for attachments that may be drawing us away from our all-knowing, all-loving God. Jesus is ready and waiting to purify us through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

     

  3. Why Do We Believe?: Nathanael’s spontaneous burst of faith must have delighted Jesus. Jesus promised that Nathanael would “see greater things than this.” Nathanael’s faith would need strengthening as he grew from a new convert to an Apostle martyred for his belief in Jesus. Each of us has had moments of spontaneity when faith seemed easy as we followed the Way. But, in difficult times, our faith can be tested. Why do we continue to follow Christ—out of love, out of fear, out of habit?

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, strengthen my faith! I want to be a diligent worker, full of faith and ready for any trial. I know my heart is not pure, but I trust in your grace to continually transform me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek rest for my heart. I will remove all distractions and focus on your word, if only for a few minutes.

For Further Reflection: “God moves the human spirit to good; nevertheless, it could resist. It is God’s doing, then, that a man prepares himself to receive grace. If he lacks grace, then the cause of the failure lies in him, not in God” (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica).

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer, who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

September 30, 2025 - Welcoming the Lord

DM 9-30

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from Heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me be ever aware that my life is a journey, with you by my side. Help me to welcome those who may visit me, with the same reverence and love that I should extend to you. By your mercy, I will one day be welcomed to my eternal home with you. Amen.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. We Have Received a Message: Like the Samaritans, we too have been told by the prophets, the evangelists, the Apostles, and the Church, that Jesus is coming. By the grace of our Baptism, he resides in our hearts. What do we do to honor that presence? What do we do to dishonor it? Notice the reason the Gospel provides for the Samaritan’s rejection of Jesus: because his destination was Jerusalem, which would become the scene of his Passion and death. Is that why we sometimes shrink from welcoming Jesus—because we would then have to follow him to the cross?

     

  2. We Always Have a Choice: Every day, every moment, we have an opportunity to welcome the Lord into our life with love and devotion, or to turn away from him and fall into sin. The moment-by-moment decisions we make will lead us one day to eternal rest in Heaven or the horrors of Hell. Prayer and the frequent reception of the sacraments can help us both to grow in the love we need to worship the Lord daily, and help us to resist temptation and turn from sin. By the choices we make, let us show our gratitude and love for our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus.

     

  3. Justice Is in the Lord’s Hands: He rebuked his disciples when they asked to set the unwelcoming town ablaze. He was showing us that the shortcomings of others need not concern us. Jesus will exact the perfect recompense in his own time. When we are not welcomed by someone because we are Christians, we pray for them, pray for the ability to forgive them from our heart, and move on… “journey to another village.”

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, help me to be aware that you are with me in the present moment. Help me to forgive those who hurt me, and to leave everything else in your almighty, just, and merciful hands.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will focus on being your messenger, whether or not the receivers are open to the message.

For Further Reflection: “The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it” (St. Vincent DePaul).

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer, who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

October 1, 2025 - A Place to Rest

DM 10-01

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Luke 9:57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Opening Prayer: Jesus, I want to follow you. Guide me away from those things that I falsely deem more important than following you: possessions, status, entertainment, worldly distractions. Help me, by my example, to encourage others to follow you as well. Amen.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. What Is a Follower?: Our faith holds that each of us—lay people, the ordained, and the consecrated—have a vocation. In the root of the word “disciple” is the word “discipline,” and this is what Jesus asks us for in this Gospel passage. He admonishes us to keep our focus on the Lord and his Kingdom. Our love for everyone else, including those in our families, schools, workplaces, and communities, should overflow from that first calling, a love that consumes our whole heart (cf. Mk 12:30).

     

  2. What Is Meant by Rest?: Jesus reminds a would-be follower that “the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Jesus did not mean this literally because other passages in the Gospels (cf. Lk 2:7, Mk 4:38-40) show Jesus resting or sleeping. Jesus meant that our commitment to the mission, the work he gives us, will require our undivided attention and effort every single day. If we wish to follow him, our discipleship will require detachment, focus, and discipline.

     

  3. Clearing the Path: Jesus’ unnamed interlocutors, each in his own way, raised family obligations as reasons for delaying the beginning of their mission to follow the Lord. Jesus’ answers indicated that those obligations do not suffice as excuses, and even can keep us from “proclaiming the Kingdom.” Should we shirk our duties? No. Instead, it is of primary importance that we stay close to Jesus and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, discern his will in every moment, so that when choosing between two goods, we align ourselves with what Christ is asking of us. Spiritual direction can help with this process of discernment.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you desire for me to follow you. Clear my own pathway to your Kingdom: Help me to distinguish between those things that make it easier to follow you, and those things that make it more difficult. Help me to encourage others to stay focused on your Kingdom.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will renew my commitment to follow you more closely. I will offer a daily examen to help me discern your will in all things.

For Further Reflection: “Man is by nature and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a fully human life only if he lives by his bond with God.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 44.

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer, who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

October 2, 2025 - Angels and Children

DM 10-02

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Matthew 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, I know that, as today’s psalm says, seeking you is the path to reviving my heart: “You who seek God, may your hearts revive!” I believe that you are here present with me now, eagerly and lovingly wanting to revive my heart, to fill me with courage, to nourish the good desires that you planted within me long ago. I truly seek you, Lord. I seek to know you better, so that I can love you better, so that I can follow you better. Revive my heart, O Lord!

Encountering Christ:

  1. Some Spiritual Allies: Angels are purely spiritual beings. They can influence the material world and interact with it, but they are not material beings. This purely spiritual nature is symbolically represented in art by depicting them with wings. But since they are immaterial, popular culture in our secularized world doesn’t pay angels much mind. They can’t be studied in a laboratory. For a materialistic culture like ours, that makes them irrelevant, if not nonexistent. And yet, today Jesus speaks explicitly about angels as playing a constant and central role in our lives. Each of us has at least one guardian angel who watches over us even while staying always in God the Father’s presence. All around us these unseen spiritual allies work mysteriously but tirelessly to protect and guide us as we make our way through life’s difficulties and temptations. They are true persons united to us through their fidelity to God, committed to serving Christ’s Kingdom and glorifying God by helping us along our Christian journey. Today of all days we should thank God for the gift of our guardian angels, and we should thank our guardian angels for being faithful to God’s love instead of joining the devil and his fallen angels in their fruitless rebellion against the Lord.

     

  2. Childlike Simplicity: Any time Jesus begins a statement with, “Amen, I say to you,” he is inviting us to pay special attention: He is making a solemn proclamation. In today’s Gospel, this proclamation came in the wake of his disciples’ squabbles about ambition and rank in Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus intervened in the discussion by turning the tables. For Jesus, true greatness is found not in energetic striving to climb the ladder of success, but in humility, in childlike simplicity: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4). How hard it is for us to release our striving! How hard it is for us to accept and enjoy what the Lord provides for us each day without needlessly fretting about things outside our control! How hard it is for us to be content with simply knowing and embracing God’s will moment by moment! Instead of living in the peace of childlike trust in God’s perfect providence, we doubt and worry and demand and complain and dwell in the turbulence of unnecessary anxiety. Jesus wants us to release those attitudes and lean with childlike confidence on his infinite goodness. Let us do so, following Baruch’s admonition from the first reading: “As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God, so turn now ten times the more to seek him” (Bar 4:28).

     

  3. Learning From St. Germaine: A little-known saint brings together the two themes of today’s liturgy: grateful faith in our guardian angels and childlike confidence in God’s providence. St. Germaine of Pibrac died at the young age of twenty-two, in France in 1601. She came from a poor family and lost her mother as an infant. Her stepmother made her sleep in the barn to make room in the house for her own children, and then sent her out to work as a shepherdess when she was just nine years old. For a girl with poor health and a crippled hand, shepherding wasn’t an easy job, but Germaine took advantage of it as best she could. She made a little rosary for herself out of a knotted string to help her pray while she worked, and she dedicated what little free time she had to teaching the younger children of the town their catechism. Her faith drove all she did, and her confidence in God was the anchor of her life. In fact, she was so committed to leaning on God that she never missed Mass, even if the bell for Mass rang after she was already in the fields with the sheep. On those occasions, she would leave her shepherd’s crook there in the ground, charge her guardian angel with caring for the flock, and go off to worship the Lord. She never lost a sheep. When her young body was exhumed during a restoration of the local church, forty years after her death, it was found incorrupt, confirming the sanctity that had already shown itself through miracles during her teens. Perhaps we have something to learn from this peasant girl of the sixteenth century whose faith spawned a wisdom and a courage well beyond her years.

Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, you know my heart. You know how deeply I desire to trust you fully, wildly, joyfully. I know that the fulfillment I yearn for will not come from anxious ambition and fretful striving. It will come from living an ever-deeper communion with you, from throwing myself into your arms and rejoicing in being loved and chosen by you. I want to live in the peace and the meaning of your Kingdom; teach me to live with the childlike simplicity you made as a condition of entering that Kingdom. Angel sent by God to guide me; be my light and walk beside me; be my guardian and protect me; on the path of life direct me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will say a special prayer of thanksgiving to my guardian angel, and then say another guardian angel prayer whenever I find myself anxious or worried.

For Further Reflection: Catechism of the Catholic Church 328-336, on the angels.

Father John Bartunek, LC, is an author, speaker, and contributor at RCSpirituality.org, an online spirituality center providing a variety of resources for spiritual growth.

October 3, 2025 - All or Nothing

DM 10-03

Friday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:13-16

Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to Heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to see with the eyes of faith your mighty deeds. If it is your will that I am to carry your word to those I encounter today, keep my heart pure and my mouth obedient to your will. Amen.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. Time and Place: As we read in the Gospel stories of the many signs and wonders and miracles that Jesus performed, we might tend to envision that the crowds were persuaded to devote themselves to following Christ. But we see from this passage that Jesus knew that some of those who were firsthand witnesses of those signs and wonders had chosen not to change their evil ways—and Jesus knew what divine justice would be meted out to them. He warns all of us by the words of warning he spoke to them.

     

  2. Do We Listen?: Do you believe in miracles? At the core of the Christian faith, the answer to that question must be yes—that we believe Jesus truly was conceived by God, born of a virgin, died on a cross, and rose from the dead. All miracles! In his brief public ministry, Jesus made the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead return to life, the lepers clean. If all of these things are true, then we must also believe that whatever in us is “unclean” can be healed and redeemed by Jesus.

     

  3. Do We “Disagree in Spirit”?: A great challenge for Catholics is to believe that their sins are completely forgiven in the sacrament of Reconciliation. In that miraculous encounter, if the confession is complete and sincere, the person who leaves the confessional has been forgiven, the sins wiped away. Not to believe that is to deny the power of the Lord himself—to “reject” him. Sometimes, strangely, we’d prefer to keep our sins around! But, more than anything, Jesus wants us to believe in him, and in the disciples and their successors who follow him. His warnings to the unrepentant could not be clearer. But, when we listen, repent, and truly believe, we have a beautiful gift of grace waiting for us.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you know exactly which habits keep me from fully embracing your miraculous healing touch. Help me to form new habits of faith that will bring me closer to you and to the healing you know I need.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will grow in my awareness of the miracles recounted in the Scriptures and in the lives of the saints to enliven my faith so that I may play a part in the growth of your Kingdom on earth.

For Further Reflection: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1430: Jesus’ call to conversion is a conversion of the heart, not merely the outward signs (“sackcloth and ashes”).

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer, who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

October 4, 2025 - The Eyes That See What You See

DM 10-04

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.” At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to see with the eyes of faith. I am your true child; I run to you now with my petitions, my joys, and my sorrows, knowing that you will honor my requests, be gladdened by my delights, and console me in my troubles.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. Why Do We Rejoice?: Most of our lives are spent, in some manner, tracking our accomplishments: crossing items off our to-do lists, adding another skill to our résumé, putting a little more money in the bank. More selflessly, perhaps, we strive to meet a spiritual goal like going on a pilgrimage, or volunteering, or donating talent or treasure. We know it is our duty each day to choose good over evil, and we pray the Our Father and ask God to help us avoid temptation and sin. There is no harm in delighting in the good things we have done and the evils we have avoided, as long as we give God the glory. But Jesus asks that we find our deepest joy by looking forward, not back: Our hope is Heaven, and that is cause for rejoicing.

     

  2. Jesus’ Great Gift: Jesus told his disciples that they were blessed to see him, listen to him, and do the same works that he did. Jesus offers himself to us completely in the Eucharist. We have all that he has. Although we don’t see Jesus in person, with eyes of faith we can be as empowered as those first disciples were. It does not take great wisdom or great learning to trust in God. True wisdom is knowing the limits of our abilities and the great power of the Holy Spirit.

     

  3. Our Inner Child: Jesus wants us to experience the same closeness he has with his Father. The most perfect love we can know is through the relationship of the Holy Trinity, with the love between the Father and Son extending to the Holy Spirit. Small children of loving parents do not worry about where they are going or how their needs will be met; they trust fully in Mom and Dad to guide them and provide for them. That is exactly the kind of trust Jesus reminds us we should show him. How can we practice this trust? We can toss aside our “grown-up” self and see ourselves like a wide-eyed, joyful child, fully ready to follow where God wants to lead.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, little children presume that their needs will be met. Their trusting disposition allows them to be delighted by the simplest things. Help me to set aside my adult worries and spend that energy trusting you. With this peaceful heart, I will better hear your voice and allow you to equip me for the works you have planned for me to do.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will focus on my spiritual growth, remembering that those most mature in faith are the most like small children: innocent, trusting, and aware of your power to heal, to forgive, and to guide us toward Heaven.

For Further Reflection: “You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them” (St. Thérèse of Lisieux).

Dorothy Warner is a Washington, D.C., area writer, who also works in technology and has a family. When not gardening, volunteering, or baking artisanal breads, she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, and a large collection of family pets.

October 5, 2025 - Faith and Trust

DM 10-05

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Opening Prayer: Loving Father, help me to trust in your providence. Increase my faith little by little so that my heart grows in love and trust in you.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Good Soil Leads to Increased Faith: Mustard seeds are tiny, but they grow into very large plants: “It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants” (Mt 13:32). Likewise, the seed of faith may begin small, but we can cooperate with Jesus to increase our faith by ensuring that it has “good soil” in which to thrive. Some of the elements that make up the good soil of our spiritual lives are prayer, the sacraments, and Scripture reading. We can grow in faith by constantly caring for our spiritual lives. We can also pray and ask Jesus, just as the Apostles did, to “increase my faith.”

     

  2. Trust Versus Doubt: When we ask God to work in our lives, we demonstrate our faith by trusting that he will answer our prayers. “But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways” (Jas 1:6-8). Our God is good, and we are called to trust in him, even when we are praying for what seems to be impossible: “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jas 1:17).

     

  3. Unprofitable Servants: As Christian disciples, we have an obligation to work to build up the Kingdom of God. It is our duty, not something we do to earn praise or thanks from others. Of course, when we have volunteered it is nice to be thanked, but this should not be the motivation for our service to the Lord. Our intention should be to fulfill our duty to love God above all things and love our neighbors as ourselves (cf. Mk 12:33). In this way, we will be “unprofitable servants” as Jesus exhorted us to be in this passage. We obtain the strength and willpower to do our duty when our goal is to love God with our whole heart. We do not serve for our own gain, but for God’s glory.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I believe that all things are possible with you (cf. Mt 19:26). Without you I know I can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5). I am sorry for when I have failed to trust in your loving plan for me. Give me the grace I need to stay close to you in prayer, in the sacraments, and in your word so that my faith increases.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the Litany of Trust, written by the Sisters of Life.

For Further Reflection: Watch this video from Ascension Presents: What Does It Actually Mean to “Trust God”?

Carey Boyzuck, MTS, is a wife, mother, freelance writer, pastoral assistant, and lay member of Regnum Christi.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!