January 28, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 4:1-20
Reflect on the Word //
I ended the call dejectedly. I had hoped she would understand all that the Lord was doing and saying, how clear and generous all of the words in prayer had been, but instead I felt misunderstood and self-conscious.
Maybe I’m making too much of it? Maybe my confidence is misplaced? After all, my prayer isn’t infallible, I thought.
This is between you and Me, the Lord responded.
Even though He had been overwhelmingly affirming and consistent in His direction and desires, I was still seeking someone else to confirm them. But not everyone was going to understand what He was asking of me. And no one else was going to discern this with the same time or care that I had. I had to keep my eyes on Jesus and choose to believe what He was saying.
While it’s important to share our prayer with a spiritual mentor or holy friend, at times we can be tempted to rely on human wisdom more than God’s voice. (Of course, we do have to measure what we believe we hear in prayer against the truth preserved for us in the Church through Scripture and teaching passed down from the Apostles.) In the process of growing up as disciples of Jesus, we have to learn to trust Him in prayer. To be obedient to His promptings and trust that He is at work even when we can’t see.
We must cherish the words the Lord has spoken to us, planting and protecting them in rich soil, letting them take root and grow within us. Watering them with the Word and faith. When we wait and trust, that single seed can “bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:8).
Maybe the Lord has given you a promise in prayer or the Scriptures, a word that you knew was uniquely for you. Take Him at His word, dear sister. Keep hoping and waiting. Remember that roots grow down before the shoot springs up. Your breakthrough is on the way. The faithful Sower will bring forth the bloom, no matter how long it takes.
Relate to the Lord // What word from Jesus will you cherish in your heart today?
Beth Davis is a lover of Jesus, a retired youth minister, the Director of Formation for Blessed is She. She is passionate about teaching women how to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus in prayer through writing, speaking, and mentorship. Her favorite things include being the favorite aunt to her five niece and nephews, making friends everywhere she goes, and whatever book she’s currently reading.
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