[Catholic Caucus Devotional] My Catholic Life! Catholic Daily Reflections: Remember Me, My God and King Sunday, November 23, 2025 My Catholic Life! (YouTube) ^ | Sunday, November 23, 2025 | My Catholic Life! Posted on by fidelis Daily Readings from the USCCB The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 22: 42-43 What powerful words these were. As Jesus hung dying on the Cross for the salvation of the world, He hung between two thieves. These thieves represent all of us. One of them wanted Jesus to save His earthly life by coming down from the Cross and saving him at the same time. The other thief made a prayer for eternal life, asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered His Kingdom. To the latter, Jesus granted his request. Oftentimes we pray for earthly goods and pay little attention to eternal ones. Today, as we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. On this day, we are invited to pray this prayer with the good thief, acknowledging that we are sinners deserving death, but hoping and praying for mercy and a share in the Eternal Kingdom of God. Nothing makes the soul of our Lord more joyful than saving His children. He endured suffering and death out of love. He knew that His death would destroy our death if we cling to Him in hope. On the Cross, Jesus’ gaze was on eternal, not earthly, redemption. He beheld the glorious throne that He mounted. It began with a cross but would end with glory, power and splendor beyond imagination. As we honor Jesus as the great and glorious King of the Universe, we are encouraged to invite Him to establish His kingship in our lives more fully. Though Jesus’ permanent, lasting and visible Kingdom will be established only in the future when He returns at the end of time, His Kingdom must begin now. The Kingdom of God is established here and now every time you allow Him to exercise His kingship in your life. As a King, Jesus desires to order your life. He demands perfect submission of your will to Him. He demands complete obedience. And He demands that you embrace this kingship of His freely, of your own choosing. These are demands of perfect love that bring about a sharing in His eternal Kingdom. How well do you do this? Throughout our world, there are many forms of governments. Democracies are thought by many to be the best form of government because no one person is capable of being the perfect king. Therefore a democracy is more of a safeguard against tyranny and abusive leadership. But when it comes to the end of time, the governance of humanity will take place by a King-the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the only one Who is capable of governing humanity with justice and love. He is the only one under Whose leadership we will all flourish. He is the only one Who will be able to establish universal peace and harmony. Reflect, today, upon the glorious end of the world when our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, will return in splendor and majesty to judge the living and the dead and to establish His permanent and unending Kingdom. Though we are not able to comprehend what this Kingdom will be at this time, we must believe in it with faith and have supernatural hope that we will share in it. Reflect, especially, upon your mission to allow that Kingdom of grace and mercy to begin now, within the depths of your own soul. Surrender all to Him. Invite Him to reign over your thoughts, will, body and soul. Do not hesitate. Trust in this one and only glorious King Who is worthy of our total obedience. My Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, You and You alone are worthy of our total trust and surrender in all things. I do choose You as my King today. I join with the good thief and come to You with all my sin, praying that You will remember me when You come into Your glorious Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You. TOPICS: Catholic; Prayer; Worship KEYWORDS: catholic; christian; devotional; mycatholiclife Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC PO Box 9771 Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. 1 posted on by fidelis Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
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Tag Archives: jesus
10 things I wish I knew when I started ministry at age 20
I’ll be 65 years old in two months, but I hang out with a lot of young people in my role as a seminary professor. In fact, I started in full-time ministry at age 20—not much different from where my students are now. Over the years, I’ve gained insights that I wish I’d known when I was their age. Here are some of those lessons:
### 1. The world doesn’t revolve around me.
I arrogantly thought it did back then, but now I know the world is much, much, much bigger than I am.
### 2. Decisions I make today will affect the rest of my life.
You never think about the long-term consequences at the time, but I still carry regrets over decisions I made decades ago.
### 3. If it’s God’s plan, He’ll provide a spouse in His time.
I worried too much about getting married when I was in my 20s, but God knew I needed to grow up a bit before sharing my life with someone else. He brought me Pam when I was 30.
### 4. My calling is more general than specific.
Back then, I thought my calling was only to pastor a church, so I limited my thinking to that role. I’ve since learned that God can use me in other roles, too.
### 5. Popularity and power are fleeting.
In those days, I was aiming for something I now know doesn’t last long. Regardless of how popular you think you may be, most of the world still doesn’t know you at all.
### 6. Intentionally building a savings account and retirement funds matters.
The sooner you start saving and preparing for the future, the more compounding interest will help you in the long run. I learned this truth early but still missed some key years of saving.
### 7. I need the church.
When I started pastoring, I saw the church more as a job than the family of God meant to provoke me to godliness and faithful living. Now, I understand how much that family means to me.
### 8. I need to pay attention to the world’s events.
In my 20s, I was hardly a global Christian. Now, I think deeply about the billions of people worldwide who don’t yet know Jesus.
### 9. Life is seldom as bad as it seems.
In the midst of chaos and problems, it’s easy to think life is catastrophic. In my younger years, pessimism sometimes drove me to discouragement and despair. Life’s seldom that bad, though.
### 10. Reading the Bible and praying are more than “check the box” disciplines.
That’s what they were to me back then; now, I know they’re life-giving components of a relationship with God who loves us.
I’m sure I could list other things, but perhaps these reflections encourage you to remember and reflect, too. What do you wish you knew when you were 20?
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-started-ministry-at-age-20.html
Humility: The Solid Foundation for Holiness
**Getting Your Trinity Audio Player Ready**
Only once in Sacred Scripture, in the Gospel of Matthew (11:28-30), does Jesus describe the characteristics of His Sacred Heart:
> “Come to me all you who find life burdensome, and I will give you rest.
> Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
> For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
These are the two essential qualities of His Sacred Heart that Jesus highlights: meekness and humility.
From this passage, the Church has formulated one of its most beautiful aspirations, which we can take into our hearts and repeat frequently during the course of the day. That prayer is:
> “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”
Time and time again, Jesus insists on the dire importance of humility if we want to find God’s favor. God rejects the proud, and He lifts up the humble.
### The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
This teaching is illustrated perfectly in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14). The two go up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee names all his good points and praises himself. The Publican, on the other hand, remains in the back of the temple and does not even lift his eyes to pray, begging God to have mercy on him, a sinner.
### Our Lady’s Example of Humility
Our Lady gave us the perfect example by proclaiming herself the handmaid of the Lord. In her marvelous prayer, the Magnificat, she both praises God and humbles herself, saying,
> “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
> for he has looked upon the lowliness (humility) of his handmaid” (Luke 1:46-56).
Given that humility is essential to our growth in holiness, let us explore some practical ways in which we can strive for this virtue.
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### Practical Ways to Cultivate Humility
**1. Pray**
It has been said that we are greatest and highest—in the eyes of God—when we are on our knees. By praying, we acknowledge our dependence on God and not on ourselves. In the words of the “Doctor of Grace,” St. Augustine, pertinent to humility related to prayer:
> “We are all beggars before God.”
**2. Cultivate Gratitude**
How important it is for our holiness to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and to say often, both to God and to others, those significant words: “Thank you!” Humble people go out of their way to give thanks.
Jesus was both dismayed and hurt when, after healing the ten lepers, only one returned to give Him thanks. The one who returned recognized that his healing was a pure gift from the Heart of Jesus the Healer, the Divine Physician.
**3. Take the Last Place**
Jesus offers us the Parable of the Banquet, in which many were jostling to secure for themselves the best place, closest to the host. Jesus warned that when invited, we should take the last place and not the first. Then we will be first in the eyes of God. This is a sign of a humble heart!
**4. Do Not Curse Others**
Our natural tendency, when someone cuts us off on the road, is to utter nasty words or curse them. This is all too natural — not supernatural.
Jesus wants us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. These commands are found in the Sermon on the Mount, the Our Father, and even when He hung on the cross:
> “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”
**5. Compliment Others for Their Gifts**
One of the most poisonous attitudes in the spiritual life is jealousy or envy. When we give in to such feelings, we hurt God, ourselves, and others. By choosing to praise or compliment others instead, we win the spiritual battle—indeed, this is a victory in humility!
**6. Be First to Greet**
Imagine this everyday scene: you are walking towards someone you know, and the distance between you is lessening. Do you wait to be greeted first or take the initiative?
Whoever greets first is practicing a host of virtues: charity, courtesy, hospitality, affability, and, of course, humility. We put the other person before ourselves by choosing to greet first, and that is humility.
**7. Apologize**
This one is easier said than done! When we make a mistake or offend someone, it is easy to rationalize, justify, or sweep it under the rug. Such pride is insidious and prevalent.
A humble person is honest, capable of admitting their error and saying, “I am sorry.” Many relationships have been mended by these simple yet humble words.
**8. Listen Attentively**
St. James states clearly:
> “We should be slow to speak and quick to listen” (James 1:19).
A person who wants to do all the talking and refuses to listen often harbors pride and self-love. Conversely, one who listens attentively, encourages, and does not seek the last word displays great humility. The listener pleases Jesus, the best of speakers and listeners (see Luke 24 on Jesus and the disciples of Emmaus).
**9. Confess Your Sins**
Every time we prepare and make a good sacramental confession, our “humility thermometer” ascends to a soaring level.
Confessing with transparency, sincerity, and honesty our moral failings to the priest demands great humility. None of us like to reveal our spiritual shortcomings, but it is necessary to climb the ladder of humility and holiness.
**10. Have a Devotion to Mary**
Our Lady is the surest, quickest, and most efficacious pathway to Jesus. In *True Devotion to Mary*, the great Marian saint Louis de Montfort exalts Mary and ten of her most sublime virtues.
Among Mary’s greatest virtues is her profound humility. Of all God’s creatures, Mary was the greatest and by far the humblest. She recognized that all her gifts and virtues were pure gifts from God.
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### In Conclusion
In our pursuit of holiness, we must understand the paramount importance of humility. Yet more importantly, let us strive to put this essential virtue into practice daily.
May we lift up our hearts often throughout the day, longing for holiness and humility, and pray:
> **Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.**
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*Image from Wikimedia Commons*
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**Dive deeper with Fr. Ed Broom, OMV**
Father Ed Broom is an Oblate of the Virgin Mary and author of *Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary* and *From Humdrum to Holy*. He blogs regularly at Fr. Broom’s Blog.
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https://catholicexchange.com/humility-the-solid-foundation-for-holiness/