Maureen O’Brien – Franciscan Media

God’s Light

Maureen O'Brien — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

David wrote half of the psalms, and his poems are often inclusive of the challenges of the physical body: being sick, getting wounded, aging. “Yet you heard my voice, my cry for mercy, when I pleaded with you for help” (Ps 31:23).

Take a moment today and reflect on how God’s light has been there for you or your loved ones during these times of distress.

—from Franciscan Media’s “Seven Days with the Psalms“
by Maureen O’Brien

Spend a Moment with the Psalms

Maureen O'Brien — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

The psalms overflow with lines and repeated words that nourish us: unfailing love, steadfast, refuge. Solace can be found in so many words. Such as: “Blessed be the Lord who worked a miracle of unfailing love for me” (Ps 31:21).

Today, find a quiet spot and spend time with the psalms. With a pencil or sticky notes, freely mark words or lines that speak to you.

—from Franciscan Media’s “Seven Days with the Psalms“
by Maureen O’Brien

Seeking Serenity

Maureen O'Brien — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

Reflect

When headlines of injustice weigh us down, where do we turn? This week, I had a conversation with a dear friend about the state of the world, and we ended up agreeing about the power of the Serenity Prayer: “The prayer doesn’t say ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, unless those things happen to be upsetting world events’.” We found comfort together in this prayer that upholds that no matter what is going on, no matter what issues we cannot change, we can still seek serenity.

Pray

When the world seems
overshadowed with despair
a line from this trusted prayer
can break through
like a sudden rectangle of sun.
Guide us today, God,
to return to words
we already know.
Finding renewal, waiting right here.
May we reach out
and touch their hope and their light.

Act

Today, I will let go. I will repeat this familiar prayer throughout my day, seeking both serenity and acceptance.

Bring Your Sorrows to God

Maureen O'Brien — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

The psalms repeatedly encourage us to tell the truth of how hard life can be. “How long Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day?” (Ps 13:1-3).

Can you bring your deepest sorrow directly to God today? See if, after doing so, your heart can now pivot and be filled with peace.

—from Franciscan Media’s “Seven Days with the Psalms“
by Maureen O’Brien

Refuge in Psalm 91

Maureen O'Brien — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

Sometimes, in the challenges of our lives, we can feel far from God’s help. The images in these lines can help us remember God’s nearness: “He will shelter you with his pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield” (Ps 91:4).

Take some time today to recognize the ways that God is alongside you—never missing a step—and that you can trust God completely.

—from Franciscan Media’s “Seven Days with the Psalms“
by Maureen O’Brien

Love As St. Francis Did

Maureen O'Brien — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:30:00 +0000

To fully love as Francis did, there is no compartmentalizing. Can I follow this example? Can I widen my arms to include the reality of death and still love with exuberance, as Francis did? Embrace everything on the path, meet whatever comes my way?

Francis lays out a blueprint to jubilation in the Rule of 1221, Chapter XXIII: “Let us love the Lord God with all our heart and all our soul, with all our mind and all our strength and with fortitude and with total understanding, with all of our power, with every effort, every affection, every emotion, every desire, and every wish.” It’s all-encompassing, perhaps overwhelming, but more manageable when we trust there are many possible entry points as we simply move through our lives.

—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “St. Francis and the Gift of Love“
by Maureen O’Brien