Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Thirteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

When our souls are beset by storms of doubt, Jesus is always at the ready to remind us of our need to have faith in him and to trust that he will calm the winds and seas of worry. No matter how hopeless things appear, we cannot let our anxieties overcome our faith. No matter how bruised and battered we are by life, we cannot let the winds of uncertainty terrify us. God is with us and that should be enough for us to withstand all our sufferings. The next time we are afraid of something, we ought to remember what sort of God-man Jesus is and we should obey him and let our hearts be calmed.

What anxieties, worries, and doubts are currently on our minds? How can we offer these up to the Lord in the spirit of trust? How do we remind ourselves that God is with us?

O Lord, calm the stormy winds and seas of our hearts.

Amen.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

The words that Peter proclaimed in today’s gospel need to be constantly on our lips, too. It is important that we recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the Christ, our savior and redeemer, the one who offers to wash away our sins and cleanse us of our iniquities. He is also the Son of the living God, who offers us life everlasting with himself in the Heavenly Kingdom. He is the cornerstone of the Church, which we are called to be part of as living stones. We can only be shaped to fit into the structure of the Church if we are humble enough to allow God to work us into the shape He needs. So let us be willingly hammered and chiseled until we are truly formed in the image of God.

Do we constantly recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God? Do we appreciate the sacrifice he made for us as Christ and the life he offers us as the Son of God? Are we willing to allow God to shape us into His Divine Image?

O Lord, make us into living rocks of your Church.

Amen.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

The synagogue official comes to Jesus asking for Christ to heal his daughter. Along the way Jesus’ cloak is touched by a woman in need of healing. When Jesus senses the power go out from him he stops and asks, “Who has touched my clothes?” The woman tells him the whole truth. All the while, the synagogue official keeps silent. He could have complained to Jesus for stopping and “forgetting” his daughter for something as silly as someone touching Jesus in the crowd. When the news arrives that his daughter is dead, the official could have blamed the woman for making a scene and delaying Jesus. He could have let his loss cause him to cry out to Jesus, “Why couldn’t you have come without delay to my daughter?” However, he doesn’t do any of these things and instead when Jesus tells him to be not afraid and to have faith that is exactly what he does and he is rewarded for his patience and trust. His daughter is raised from the dead and his suffering has turned into joy.

Do we get upset at God when He seems to delay His answers to our prayers? Do we ask Him why He has forgotten us or delayed His help? How can we cultivate a spirit of patience and trust in God’s Providence?

O Lord, help us to be not afraid and to have faith in you.

Amen.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Twelfth Saturday of Ordinary Time

“For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go.’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

The centurion recognizes Jesus’ authority over all of God’s children and in this series of examples he illustrates for all of us what it means to have dominion over all creation. We, like the centurion, should trust that when we ask something of God that He can use His authority to help us. Perhaps it might not be in such a dramatic way as the healing of the servant, but God listens to our prayers and answers us in His own way and at the time of His own choosing. Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or God the Father have authority over our lives, we should respect that power as the centurion does. We should recognize how unworthy we are of God's help, while at the same time being bold enough to ask Him to aid us in spite of our failure to love Him and His children as we ought to do.

Do we recognize God’s authority in our lives? Do we give thanks for all the great and small things God does for us? Are we like little children, willing to ask our Heavenly Father for His graces even though we haven’t been the best of heirs to His Kingdom?

O Lord, let us be subject to your authority.

Amen.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Twelfth Friday of Ordinary Time

“See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

After Jesus heals the leper, he asks him to tell no one and then offer a gift as Moses prescribed. We can only assume he does what Christ tells him to do because unlike other healing stories there isn’t a follow up story about the leper telling everyone that Jesus has healed him. Instead, he simply does what he is told and there is nothing else to the story. He doesn't complicate things like so many of us do when God does something for us. We often cannot contain ourselves when something good happens and although there is nothing wrong with celebrating good news, we should always do so in a way that is respectful to God and does not make ourselves into a center of attention.  In addition, we should show our thanks to God for all of His help whenever anything good happens to us.

Do we do what God tells us to do in the gospels? Do we offer God all our gifts in thanksgiving for His help? What do we do to express our gratitude?

O Lord, help us to do what you tell us to do.

Amen.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Twelfth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?” Then I will declare to them solemnly, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”

We can do the right things, but for the wrong reasons and this is why Jesus warns us today that not everyone who claims to follow him will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ gospel message is about much more than doing the right thing. It is also about doing the loving and good thing. If we have faith and hope without thoughts, words, and works of love, then we have an empty faith and a hollow hope. We must be on guard against feeling holier than others and thinking that our actions alone merit salvation. Only God knows our hearts and sometimes when we honestly reflect on the “good” things we have done, we sometimes will recognize how pride, envy, and other sins have tarnished them. This is not to say that we shouldn’t make the extra effort to do good, but rather that we should not pat ourselves on the back for the good God inspires us to do, especially in light of the good we have failed to do.

Do we do our good works enthusiastically, wholeheartedly, and with humility? Or do we complain, procrastinate, or take excessive pride in what we have done? How can we do both the right and loving thing?

O Lord, help us to love as you want us to so that when we die you might know us and we might know you, too.

Amen.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

"What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

When we were born, our parents and other family members probably wondered what we would be. The possibilities were endless and the future unknown, perhaps for some of us this is still the case. However, one thing is for sure, the Lord is with us just as He was with John. If we let Him nourish us on holiness and humility, then we too will grow and become strong in the spirit. God knows what He wants us to be, it is up to us to accept His invitation and fulfill our promise or chose our own way and seek our own ends.

What, then, will we be? How do we let the Lord think, speak, and work through us? What is God’s plan for us and have we accepted it?

O Lord, be with us so that we might grow and be strong in the spirit.

Amen.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Twelfth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

If we want to find life, then we will need to find the constricted road and enter into Heaven through the narrow gate. This is the image Jesus leaves us with in today’s gospel and it is one we should always keep in mind. It is easy to be lukewarm, to sin, and to be apathetic. It is much harder to be consistently good and stay on the path of love that Jesus trod before us. He gives us the golden rules to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and to love our neighbors as He loves us. And it is between these two spiritual guideposts that we find the narrow path. If we stray but a little from either commandment we get lost and find ourselves on the wide road to destruction. Thankfully, if we do stray, we can always return to the path through the sacrament of reconciliation.

If the narrow road is to be found between our love of God and neighbor, then how are we fairing? Do we love God as we ought to? What about our neighbors?

O Lord, lead us along your constricted road and through your narrow gate to heaven.

 Amen.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Twelfth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.”

Jesus tells us to stop judging others and look to fix our own sins first. It’s easier to see other people’s faults and to judge them by their actions, but this is not why we are here on earth. We are not meant to be judges. God is the only reliable judge of what is good and evil. We tend to hear and see what we want to about others. We are biased by our own agendas, moral blind spots, and experiences. We give certain people the benefits of the doubt, while others we don’t trust at all. However, we do not know what is in the hearts of other people, only God knows that. This is why we do not condemn others. We might not condone what they do—after all there are actions which are evil and that we should not stand for. But what we don’t do is make a judgment in regards to another person’s soul. This is why Jesus reminds us to look to ourselves first. We are sinners, too. We might not see our sins as being as bad as someone else’s, but in the end we are not sinless. So before we confront others about their failures and imperfections, we should first address our own. And that can take our entire lives.

Who are the people we have condemned in our lives? What are our sins? How can we learn to love the sinner, but hate the sin?

O Lord, help us remove the beams from our eyes so that we can see how best to know, love and serve our neighbors.

Amen.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm.

Sometimes when we are in the midst of a trial of our faith, we ask God why he doesn’t care for us anymore. We get so caught up in anxiety, worry, or doubt that we forget God is with us in the storm. The only difference is He recognizes the storm is temporary, while we think it will be our end. So we cry out to God and He answers us in His own way and at the time of His own choosing. As long as we don’t lose faith in Him, then eventually He says to our troubles, “Quiet! Be Still!” and they cease. Unfortunately, doubts creep in and sometimes we become impatient or fearful and jump ship. Or we think we can ride out the storm ourselves, but we can’t. Only God can save us from the storms of anxiety, worry, and doubt. We just have to learn how to be patient and mild, so that we can wait for Jesus to calm the storms within our hearts and lives.

How often do we wonder why God has forsaken us? Are we impatient with God when we are suffering trials? How can we learn the patience and mildness we need in order to let God work in our lives in His time and not ours?

O Lord, quiet the storms within our hearts.

Amen.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Eleventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

We can't serve God and the world at the same time. One or the other takes priority, which one is up to us. We can choose to know, love, and serve God or we can choose to live worldly lives. We might try to convince ourselves there is a middle ground, but there will always be conflicts of interests between God and the world and we will constantly face a choice of who or what is our true master. Hopefully, we are strong enough in faith, hope, and love to choose God. But if not, then let us pray to be given the strength to break free from the chains of worldly interests and desires so we can live free as the children of our Lord.

Who or what is our current master? What can we do to resist the tempting calls of the world around us? How can we break free of those things that keep us from devoting ourselves to God?

O Lord, we want only to know, love, and serve you, our true master.

Amen.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Eleventh Friday of Ordinary Time

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

Throughout our lives, we pick and choose what is important to us. Our choices determine what type of treasure-house we become. We can either spend our lives storing up worldly treasures, which will eventually decay or be stolen by time and death. Or we store up heavenly ones, which will never tarnish and be with us always. Our hearts are either weighed down with worldly desires and concerns, or they are lifted up by heavenly riches that find their source, center, and summit in God.

Where is our treasure? Are we passionate about worldly or heavenly things? How can we store up treasures that will not drag us down and chain us to this world, but rather set us free to live and love in Heaven?

O Lord, help us to treasure you above all.

Amen.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Eleventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

This first line of the Our Father gives us a perfect example of what our relationship with Heavenly Father should be like. We should praise His Holy Name at all times, through our thoughts and words, especially through our prayers to Him. Our every work should have the aim of bringing about the Kingdom of God by doing His Will on earth. We should worship our Father who is the source of our being. We should center our daily lives on doing His Will and strive to reach the summit of the Kingdom. When we do all these things, then we align our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths to God and do all things in accord with his Divine Plan.

How do we praise our Father each day? What do we do to bring about His Kingdom on earth? In what way do we recognize God as the source, center, and summit of our lives?

O Lord, you are our Father, we want only to bring about your kingdom and do your will.

Amen.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Eleventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Alms, prayer, and fasting are what God asks of us, but He does not ask us to make a scene when we do these things. He tells us to do them in secret—without any fanfare. This does not mean we shouldn’t do these things out in public. That’s not the point Jesus is trying to make. If we have the opportunity to give alms, pray, or fast in public, we should do so, but we should not draw attention to ourselves. These acts should be focused on doing God's Will, not for an audience of men. As long as we give alms, pray, and fast out of love of God and not attention, then we should not worry when or where we are, even in public. The key is consistency. If we give alms, pray, and fast in private, then we should not worry about witnessing to our faith in public. After all, Jesus shared his gospel openly, why shouldn’t we?

When we give alms, do we do it because it’s the right thing or because we want to feel like philanthropists? When we pray, do we do it in a spirit of humility or do we desire others to see how holy we are? When we fast, do we do it as an act of renouncement of the world or to impress the world by our righteousness?

O Lord, we want to give alms, pray, and fast for you and you alone.

Amen.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Eleventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

It’s easy to love those we like, but much more difficult to love those whom we dislike. However, Jesus asks us to love our enemies as well as our friends because He loves them in spite of all their faults just as He loves us even though we are sinners, too. He does not ask us to condone what our enemies have done to others and to us, but rather that we love and pray for them. This requires a great deal of humility on our part. We have to put aside the part of us that feels wronged by our enemies and better than them. Only by doing this can we truly be children of our Heavenly Father, shining the light of our love on all, friend and foe alike.

Do we really love our enemies? Do we pray for them? How can we build up the habit of loving those we dislike?

O Lord, help us love our enemies and pray for them.

Amen.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Eleventh Monday of Ordinary Time

Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

We all fall into the trap of thinking our time, talents, or treasures are more important than others. We might not realize it, but we do it nonetheless. When a family member, friend, or stranger unexpectedly asks us to do something for them sometimes we say "no" without thinking it through or make up excuses. Other times we grudgingly agree to do something for them or inwardly complain about what an imposition this or that is. Sadly, it is very easy for us to forget how the other person feels when they see or hear our reactions. This is why Jesus keeps telling us to be open to being selfless and to do things without the expectation of return or reward. We are not here on earth to deny others our time, talents, and treasures because we believe we have more important things to do. We are here on earth to love in spite of what harm others might cause us or what they might demand of us. Jesus asks us to go the extra mile and to give of ourselves and turn our backs on no one. This is a hard thing to do, but it is what Jesus did in his own life and we have no excuse to deny others what Jesus would give them if he was in our shoes.

Do we do things for others even when we don’t like them or don’t want to? Do we needlessly complain about other people imposing themselves on our lives? What can we do to build up the habit and instinct to set aside ourselves and serve others?

O Lord, give us the inspiration to give ourselves to others in love and never to deny them our charity.

Amen.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Jesus often spoke in parables to the people of his time and to us even now through the Scriptures we read. He does so because parables are not only more entertaining than lectures, but also because they require the listeners to use their imagination and their intellect to understand. Only those who are truly interested in finding out the truth will take the time to discern the meaning of the parables he presents. Those who don't will simply think them silly stories and nothing more. But those who seek the Truth, will want to understand what Jesus is saying so they can live more meaningful and better lives. This is why it is so important to take time to really delve into and meditate upon the parables Jesus gives us. They will reveal truth to us if we let them and lead us to eternal life once we live out their teachings.

Do we take time to really understand the parables we hear and read? How can we do a better job of listening and meditating upon these stories of our faith? What parables speak most directly to our hearts and minds right now?

O Lord, show us the true meaning of your parables so we can become better people in thought, word, and deed.

Amen.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Tenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the Evil One.

We all say things we wish we could take back. We all have made promises we’ve broken. We’ve all said we’d do something and then failed to do it. We’ve even told people we can’t do something, and then went ahead and did it anyway. This is because we speak before we think things through. We should always try to take a step back and weigh our options. We should ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Deep down we probably know what the right thing is, but sometimes we can convince ourselves that we know better than God. This is why Jesus warns us against swearing oaths. Because sometimes we will agree to do something and then discover that it’s not the right thing to do. But because we have sworn to do it, we do it disregarding our conscience. Jesus isn’t telling us not to change our minds, but rather to think about what we promise to do so that we don’t have to change our minds. It isn’t bad to do the right thing, in spite of your promises, but it is far better thing to promise to do what’s right from the beginning.

When have we said yes to the right thing, and then failed to follow through? When have we said no, and then realized that saying yes was the right thing? Do we speak before we think and pray about our situations?

O Lord, let our “yes” mean “yes” and our “no” mean “no.”

Amen.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

The blood and water that pours out of the side of Jesus reminds us of the love and mercy God constantly offers us. It is out of love for us that Christ sacrifices himself on the cross and it is out of mercy that he accepts the waters of baptism from John. When the lance pierces his side, these symbols of his love and mercy flow out into the world. They are also made manifest when the Church celebrates them in the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. The symbolic act of the piercing of the side reminds us that if we truly live Christ-like lives, then love and mercy will flow from our legacy just as it did after Jesus's death.

Do we appreciate the sacrifice God made for us on the cross? Do the love and mercy of God flow from our lives not only when things are going well, but also when we are being persecuted or suffering trials? What will our spiritual legacy be?

O Lord, let your blood of love and water of mercy flow from our hearts.

Amen.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that we need to be willing to settle our differences with others. This can only be done by seeking forgiveness for our own transgressions and forgiving others their transgressions against us. If we go to the Final Judgment with sins on our hands or without any acts of mercy to show God, then we should expect to reap what we've sown. If all we sow is blame or condemnation, then that is what we will deserve when the end comes. So let us make peace with our enemies and show mercy to those who transgress against us. Only then will we be able to come to God with a clean conscience and be rewarded with the consoling gift of Heaven.

Who are the people we are holding grudges against? Who do we complain about? How can we settle accounts with them in a forgiving and merciful way?

O Lord, let us come before you with clean consciences and merciful hearts.

Amen.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Tenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

The commandments of God are many. We have the commandments given to Adam and Eve, the Ten Commandments, and the Mosaic Laws. Each of these commandments was expanded upon by those that followed them, until finally Jesus fulfills them all with his two simple, yet demanding commandments to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and our neighbors as Jesus loves us. Our lives are defined by how well we live out these laws of love. We are the least children of God when we turn away from selfless love and embrace our selfish desires. However, if we live out our vocation to love God and our neighbors we will be the greatest heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.

How do we express our love for God? What do we do to show our love of our neighbors? Do we teach God’s commandments to others through our words and works?

O Lord, give us the strength to obey and teach your commandments.

Amen.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Tenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

We are called to be the salt of the earth and flavor the world with the God's Love. Salt not only enhances the taste of foods, but also preserves them. Just like salt, we are asked to enhance the lives of others through love and preserve them from sin. If we forget to manifest the essence of love in our thoughts, words, and works, then they become good for nothing. We can think, say, and do all the right things, but if these things do not come from a place of love, then God throws them out and tramples them under His foot. They hold no meaning for Him, just as they hold no real meaning for us besides our selfishness. So let us make sure that our thoughts, words, and works have God as their source, center, and summit. In this way we will retain the image of God within us and it will flavor all the things we do.

How do we make sure our thoughts, words, and works have our love of God and neighbor as their origin? How do we enhance and preserve the lives of others? When we take action is it out of love or selfishness?

O Lord, we are the salt of the earth. Let us not lose our taste.

Amen.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Tenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

The last Beatitude reminds us that following in Christ’s footsteps will not be easy. We can be poor in spirit, mournful, meek, thirsting for righteousness, merciful, clean of heart, and peacemakers, but we will also be persecuted in great and small ways. Our families, friends, and neighbors might not understand our faith or misinterpret our good actions. Thankfully, we are not here on earth to be celebrated by others. We are here to become Godbearers, bringing God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace to all whom we meet, even those who persecute us. If we are faithful in this mission, then our reward will be great in heaven.

Do we uphold the Beatitudes even in the midst of persecution? How do we handle being falsely accused? Which Beatitudes do we need to work on?

O Lord, let us rejoice and be glad even in the midst of our trials.

Amen.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.

We all need to prepare ourselves for the reception of Jesus through the Eucharist. We might not wander through Jerusalem as the disciples did, but we need to wander through our hearts, seeking the place where we can unite ourselves to the Body and Blood of Jesus. It is through the Blessed Sacrament that we are united with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. When we partake of the Eucharist, we are not just reenacting the Last Supper, we are also making it truly present again. Jesus is with us during the Eucharistic celebration from start to finish. He remains with us afterward as well. We would do well to remember how important it is to prepare ourselves to receive Him, who died for us all. So the next time we are about the go to communion, let us make ready our hearts for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

How do we prepare for the Eucharist? What do we do before, during and after receiving the Body and Blood of Christ? How can we carry Jesus out into the world with us after the Mass?

O Lord, help us prepare our hearts for you.

Amen.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Ninth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.

It is easy to give to others out of our surplus, whether it is our time, talents, or treasures but it is much more difficult to give of ourselves when we are lacking time, money, or confidence. We are more likely to come up with excuses when things aren’t going our way. But the widow gives us an example of how we should act when we are hard pressed by life's trials. She gives in spite of her poverty, she gives everything she has to offer. We should do the same. We should give God all our time, talents, and treasures every day of our lives.

Do we make excuses as to why we can’t minister to others? What time, talents, and treasures do we have to give to God and others? If there is something holding us back from volunteering in our church or community, then have we prayed to God to help us find a way?

O Lord, inspire us to contribute all we have to you, our whole livelihoods.

Amen.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.”

David recognized the role God played in his success. He knew that without God, his enemies would triumph over him, but with God his enemies would be placed beneath his feet. We too should recognize the role that God places in our lives, both in the great things and the little ones. He is with us and He will never leave us alone. However, when we sin, we turn our backs on Him and walk away. So let us do penance, avoid temptations, and sin no more so that we can enjoy God’s presence, now and forever.

How do we recognize God’s role in our lives? Do we thank Him for all our successes and seek His help when we fail? Are we aware of His constant presence?

O Lord, inspire us to know you are always with us.

Amen.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Ninth Thursday of Ordinary Time

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

The scribe sums up Jesus’ teacher’s perfectly. He gets it! He knows what God wants and now he has only to put these words into action, just as we must put them into action in our own lives. We need to learn from Jesus how we can love God with all our heart, understanding, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is what God wants from us, not just prayers and participation at Church, though these are good things to be doing. He wants us to live our faith, to bear His Love, Mercy, and Grace into the world through our thoughts, words, and works. If we do these things, we will soon discover that the Kingdom of God is not far from us because we make it present to others through our actions.

How do we ensure that God has the highest place in our lives? What do we do to love God with all our hearts, understanding, and strength? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves—or even better as God loves us?

O Lord, help us to love you and your children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths,

Amen.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living.

God is the Heavenly King of the living, not the dead. And who are the living? Those who do God’s will, just as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did in their righteous lives. The dead are those who choose the spiritual death of sin over the spiritual life of obedience to God’s commandments to love Him and our brothers and sisters with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. The living are the loving disciples of Jesus Christ. They bear the image of God within them and though they might stumble and fall along the way they continually seek the forgiveness of their Father through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are healed of the wounds of their sins and imperfections.

Have we done all that we can do to know, love, and serve God and His children? How do we prepare ourselves for the final judgment? How do we keep the thought of resurrection in our minds during the day?

O Lord, you are the God of the living, not the dead. Help us to live in you, forever and ever.

Amen.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Ninth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

We have responsibilities to the world, but we also have them to God, too. Whenever these do not conflict, then we are obliged to perform both duties. It is a good thing to act as a responsible citizen and we should not shirk our worldly tasks. However, when they conflict with doing God’s Will, then we have the obligation to put God first and our country second. This does not mean that we should look for loopholes and try to rationalize our own selfishness or laziness. It means that we should be discerning about how our government acts and if it is acting contrary to our Christian morality, then we should attempt to work within the system to bring it back into compliance with God’s message of love, mercy, and grace. As Jesus says, render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, then we shall be acting not only rightly, but for the good as well.

What are our obligations to our family, friends, neighbors, country? What are our obligations to God? When they are in conflict with each other how do we resolve the crisis?

O Lord, help us to remember to repay you first and the world with what is left over.

Amen.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”

God the Father sent His beloved Son into the world for us. We are the produce that Jesus comes to claim from the vineyard and there are many in the world who want to keep us from him. He died trying to bring us to His Father and after his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, God sends forth the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ work in the world. Jesus may have been rejected, but he has become the cornerstone of our faith and we are called to imitate him through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we become the new tenants of the vineyard of the Lord. We are in charge of tending the vineyard of souls and pressing the wine of love, mercy, and grace for our Father. We must beware of the desire to claim this work as our own as the evil tenants before us did. We should be more than willing to offer all our produce to God and keep nothing for ourselves.

Have we thanked Jesus for his sacrifice? How have we undertaken the task of tending the vineyard of souls? Are we humble enough to allow God to take the produce of our good works and use them how He deems fit?

O Lord, we are tenants in your vineyard. Help us to respect and serve you and not ourselves.

Amen.