HOPE40 - Day 22 - Examine Your Heart

Week 4: HOPE IN ACTION

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"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." ~Luke 18:14

Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee boasts of his righteousness, while the tax collector simply humbles himself before God, recognizing his need for mercy. Jesus makes it clear: true holiness is not about exalting yourself but about a heart that is fully surrendered to God.

Hope in action begins with humility. When you acknowledge your dependence on God and your need for His grace, you open yourself to transformation. True hope does not come from your achievements, comparisons, or self-righteousness but from a heart that knows God’s mercy is greater than your failures.

Hope in Action: Living with Humility

Examine your heart honestly: Ask God to reveal areas where pride or self-reliance may be getting in the way of His work in your life.
Embrace a posture of gratitude: Instead of focusing on what you’ve done, thank God for His goodness, mercy, and grace in your life.
Seek mercy and extend it to others: Just as God is merciful with you, you are called to show that same mercy in your relationships.

Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father, I come before You with a humble heart, knowing that all I have is a gift from You. Help me to rely not on my own strength, but on Your endless mercy. Teach me to live with humility, to seek You in all things, and to extend Your love and forgiveness to those around me. May my hope rest not in my own righteousness, but in Your grace alone. Amen

HOPE For Your Health: Full Commitment

As we close out this week, take a moment to reflect on how the 15-hour fast went and how it felt to extend to 24 hours on Friday. Perhaps you experienced greater clarity, a deeper sense of discipline, or a heightened awareness of offering your sacrifices to God. Maybe it was challenging at times, but you persevered. Even if you struggled, remember that every step forward is progress.

Sunday: Feast & Celebrate

Tomorrow, we embrace the beauty of Sunday, a day set apart for celebration and rest from Lenten sacrifices. This is not about undoing the work you have done but about honoring God’s goodness and the gift of feasting in its proper place. Enjoy the day with gratitude, good food, and joy!

Next Week: A 16-Hour Fasting Window

As we continue building this lifestyle, next week we will extend our fasting window to 16 hours, with an 8-hour period to eat nourishing, whole foods. This is not just about self-discipline and sacrifice, it is also about learning to listen to your body, honor its needs, and rely on God for strength.

Commitment Over Perfection

Some days may be harder than others. Some days you may fall short. But forward movement, no matter how small, is success. The key is not perfection but perseverance.

Humble yourself: Accept where you are and keep moving forward.
Listen to your body: Fasting is about resting and healing your gut, not deprivation.
Rely on God: True strength comes not from willpower alone but from trusting that God is working through your sacrifices.

You are doing incredible work, both physically and spiritually. Stay committed, take it one day at a time, and let your fasting be an act of hope in action.

HOPE For Your Marriage: Prioritization

In marriage, it’s easy to fall into the habit of keeping score...who does more, who gives more, who is "right." Like the Pharisee in today’s Gospel, you might focus on your own efforts, feeling justified or even superior. But Jesus reminds us that true love is rooted in humility, in recognizing your own need for grace and extending that same mercy to your spouse.

The tax collector’s prayer was simple: "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Imagine if you approached your marriage with this same humility, acknowledging your own faults before focusing on your spouse’s shortcomings. When you stop trying to prove yourself and instead cultivate a spirit of service, understanding, and mercy, your marriage is strengthened by the grace of God.

Hope in Action: Prioritizing Humility

Choose mercy over pride: The next time you are tempted to argue or correct, pause. Ask yourself: “Am I seeking to love or to be right?”
Apologize first: Even when it feels difficult, take the first step toward reconciliation.
Affirm instead of criticize: Focus on what your spouse is doing well rather than pointing out their flaws.

Weekend Challenge: Prioritize Your Spouse

This weekend, follow through on the challenge from earlier in the week: set aside intentional time for connection with your spouse, whether it’s a date night, a quiet walk, or an evening without distractions. Make it sacred. Humility in marriage means choosing to invest in your relationship, recognizing that love requires time, attention, and grace.

BAKED OATMEAL

This recipe has been made regularly for over 20 years and was requestd for the weekend by my 16 year old daughter. She is in charge of making it!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or coconut milk
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 apples, peeled and diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix melted butter, sugar, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, oats and flaxseed until combined. (You can let this sit overnight if you want)
Add eggs, baking powder and salt. Fold in apples last.
Preheat oven to 350 and bake in a greased 9x13 pan for 25-30 min or until set.
Top with yogurt and berries.

I plead with you - never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire,

and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.

~St. John Paul II

For your weekend...Monica Herber gives a Keynote talk, “Dare to Hope”, at the 2025 Belonging Catholic Women’s Conference of Greenville, SC, encouraging women to move through the darkness of despair when life doesn’t go as planned and grieving the death of a dream.