Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

If we want to be followers of Christ, then we must be willing to give up the comforts of life, to give up our families, and our worldly obligations. This is what God calls us to do. He asks us to make Him the center of our lives. In order to do that, we have to be willing to walk away from all that we have. This is the hard choice we are all faced with in this life: to love God more than our very lives or love our lives more than God. Every day we make great and small choices about which is more important to us. Some days God may be the center of attention, but there will be times when we will be tempted to place ourselves above Him. It is how we react to our failures that determines whether we remain sinners or become saints. If we choose to remain blind to our sins or believe we are not worthy of God’s love, then we will remain sinners. However, if we realize what we have done is wrong and seek to make amends, then the Lord will always offer us his compassionate mercy.

Have we made God the center of our lives? What do we do to place Him there or make sure He stays there? Do we seek God’s Mercy after we fall?

O Lord, we will follow you wherever you go.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The archangels are messengers of God’s Will and just as they bear God’s Words to us, so we too should imitate them in our lives. We must open ourselves to being filled with the Good News of the Gospel and allow it to flow out of us through our thoughts, words, and works. In a way, we are all called to be angels of God bearing His Divine Love and Mercy to those in most need of it. However, in order to do this we must be faithful to God and obedient to His commandments. We must trust in God’s Providence and live hopeful lives no matter the trials that come our way. Last but not least, we must love with every fiber of our being and seek to be living sacraments of grace for all whom we meet.

Are we God-bearing people? Do our thoughts, words, and words flow from God’s Love and Mercy? Are we instruments of His grace for those in most need of it?

O Lord, give us the grace to bear you into the world like your archangels.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time

An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest.  Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

Jesus reminds his disciples and us that following him is not a question of greatness, but rather a quest for humility. If we want to be great in the kingdom of Heaven, then we must be the least in the world. We must be receptive of others, compassionate toward them in their times of need, and always listening to those who are in need of a friendly ear. In short, we must be a servant to all of God’s children. We must be willing to sacrifice everything we have to do God’s Will by knowing, loving and serving as Jesus did in his life.

Are we willing to sacrifice worldly success to do God’s Will? How are we cultivating a spirit of humility in our lives? Do we receive others like little children?

O Lord, let us receive others like little children.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Sometimes we encounter people who complain when we do something good. They criticize our actions or our motives. They grumble about how we do something. We might even be in the middle of helping them when they start complaining about how we are helping them. This attitude of ingratitude can turn us off to helping others, especially those who are criticizing us. However, we are not doing the right and good thing to be praised by those whom we help. Our consolation should not be in the response of those whom we are helping or those who are around to witness our acts of charity, but rather our consolation should be found in the knowledge that we are doing God’s Will. We might want to be recognized and thanked, but we should not expect or demand it and if persecution comes our way because of a good deed, then we should embrace the suffering that comes from it and unite it with the cross of Christ, which was carried for ungracious sinners. We should view such trials as an opportunity to imitate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Have we ever complained about or misinterpreted someone’s good actions? Have others done the same to us? Are we willing to perform our good deeds even if it means others might persecute us?

O Lord, give us the grace to perform mighty deeds in your name.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 

We don’t always understand why our loved ones, or even ourselves, suffer trials and tribulations in our lives. If we do the right and good thing, shouldn’t we be rewarded for it? And so we doubt our faith and fear what might happen to us when faced with suffering. Our sufferings could be physical, emotional, social, or any other problem. However, we must not look upon our setbacks, failings, faults, weaknesses, illness, and other maladies as punishment from God or a proof that He doesn’t care about us. Instead, we should see these moments of pain as opportunities to unite ourselves with the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. If he who was without sin choose to suffer and die for us sinners, then how much more should we be willing to suffer to share in his sacrifice.

Are we paying attention to God or are we focused on our sufferings? Are we willing to be handed over to whatever trials and tribulations might come our way? Do we unite ourselves with the sacrifice of Christ?

O Lord, we are listening to you and willing to be handed over to whatever sufferings you are asking us to undergo in imitation of your Son Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Friday of Ordinary Time

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Jesus’ life leads him to make the ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind. He suffers, dies, and is buried, but in the end he is resurrected, ascends into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father. The trials and tribulations of our own lives can also be redemptive when we unite them with Jesus’ sacrifices. We must be willing to suffer, to be rejected, to die to ourselves so we can be raised by God. Our consolation is not of this world, it is of the next and in the knowledge that our acts of faith, hope, and love imitate Jesus.

Are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do God’s Will? When we suffer trials and tribulations, are we willing to accept them and unite them with Jesus’ sacrifice? Can we accept the rejection and persecution that comes with being a God-bearing person?

O Lord, we offer you all of our sacrifices to make into your own.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”

Herod is perplexed by Jesus because he has deafened himself to the truth. He no longer hears it and so he is confused. Temptation distracts him, sin consumes him, and so he cannot find his bearings. We must work constantly to listen to the truth, keep our steps upon the narrow path, and live our lives according to God’s Will. Our lives should proclaim the truth through our every thought, word, and work. So instead of being perplexed, perhaps it is better for us to simply trust in God and believe His Gospel in spite of our doubts.

Are we willing to listen to the Lord? Do our lives proclaim the gospel? Do we believe in God and His message in spite of our doubts?

O Lord, we believe help our unbelief.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

Jesus gives his disciples power and authority, but he also sends them into the world with instructions. Along with the power of the spirit of God comes the responsibility of being a God-bearing disciple. One cannot believe in the gospel and not live out its precepts. We cannot serve both God and the world. This is why Jesus sends his disciples onto their mission with instructions to bring nothing extra with them, to only stay at one place at a time, and to shake the dust from their feet. They must be willing to give up the comforts of life in order to know, love, and serve God as they ought to. In addition, they must not let the emotional baggage of rejection or persecution weigh them down and so they need to be able to let go of any hurt feelings they might have in those towns that do not welcome them. Freed from material want and emotional baggage, the disciples are able to move from place to place depending upon God’s good graces to provide for them and defend them.

Are we willing to leave all that we have behind for God? What material and emotional baggage is keeping us from following in Jesus’ footsteps? How can we better proclaim the good news in our lives?

O Lord, send us forth to proclaim your good news.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that we must not only hear the word of God, but also act on it. Our faith is an active and dynamic one that calls us to a deeper relationship with God and His children. We can’t build this relationship properly if we sit idly by, while God calls us to acts of love, mercy, and sacrifice. We must place the word of God at the very center of our being, guiding our every thought, word, and work so that we might do God' Will with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Do we listen to the word of God and act on it? What is our relationship with God and His children founded upon? Are we willing to make sacrifices to follow the teachings of the gospel?

O Lord, help us act on your word.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

When Jesus calls Matthew, the tax collector leaves his custom post behind and follows without question. This call and answer is a model of how we should respond to God’s invitations in our own lives. God constantly gives us opportunities to follow Him and it is up to us to listen for His call and to respond to it when it comes time to do so. What a humbling experience it is to be called by Jesus and know within our hearts that God wants us to be at His side in this life as well as the next.

Are we listening for God’s call? Are we willing to leave everything behind to know, love, and serve God and His children? Do we realize the things of this world will pass away, but the love of God for us will never waiver?

O Lord, may we listen for your call and follow.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

Sometimes people tell us things and we just don’t understand what they are trying to say. However, if we don’t seek to clarify, then we remain in the dark. We should never be afraid to question and to seek to understand our faith. This is not to say that we should not believe something because we do not understand, far from it! Rather we should choose to believe while we seek to understand. We need this fidelity to Christ’s message even more when we are faced with trials and tribulations that tempt us to doubt our faith. We will never have a full and faultless knowledge of the Gospels, but what we can do is try to live out the spirit of the good news God has given us through the Scriptures and His Holy Church. There are times when the truth requires us to make a leap of faith in the face of our personal doubts.

Do we constantly seek to understand our faith? What questions do we have about our faith? Have we done everything possible to reconcile our doubts with the Scriptures and the traditions of the Church?

O Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.”

The knowledge of the mysteries of God is something we all struggle with. We believe, but don’t always understand why we believe. However, that’s what faith is, choosing to believe in something in spite of our doubts and lack of knowledge. Jesus revealed many of God’s mysteries to his disciples and they have passed this understanding onto us through the Scriptures and the traditions of the Church. The parables of Christ still challenge people today, just as much as they did when Jesus first spoke them. His explanation reminds us of the deeper meaning of all of Jesus’ words and works. We can learn a lot about ourselves through his words. Perhaps we know people who are like the seeds taken away by the birds or those who land on rocky ground. Perhaps we realize that for most of our lives we have been like the seeds among the thorns, too busy with worldly things to bear mature fruit. Some of us may be seeds living in the good soil of God’s gospel and bearing much fruit. No matter where we are at the moment, God is always within reach and willing to transplant us into His good soil. Hopefully, we have the wisdom to accept God’s offer and bear good fruit in faith, hope, and charity.

Where have we landed in this parable? If we aren’t in the good soil, then how can we get there? What are the fruits of our faith?

O Lord, plant us in your good soil.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Instead of seeking riches and worldly possessions, we should focus our energies on following Jesus and providing for him and his disciples out of our resources. We all have something to offer the Lord. It might be our time, our talents, or our treasures, but we should make a concerted effort to know, love, and serve our God and His children. If we can take a little bit of time out of our busy schedules, then we can make a world of difference to those in need of our presence. If we have gifts and talents, then we should share these with those would benefit from our knowledge and abilities. If we have treasures, then we should offer them up for good causes and to help those less fortunate than us. However, it is not enough to give these things out of a feeling of obligation. Doing these things in such a way might be the right decision, but it isn’t an act of true charity. Instead, we must want to give these things out of love. Only then will we be doing the right and good thing.

Are we following Jesus or the world? Are we preaching and proclaiming the word of God with our time, talents, and treasures? Do we give of ourselves in a spirit of love?

O Lord, you have provided us with everything we have. Let us return it all to you through our acts of love and mercy.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

We are all sinners, some of us more than others, but just because we have sinned more than others does not mean that we are beyond God’s forgiveness, nor does it mean that those who have sinned less deserve God’s forgiveness. The grace of God is given to both sinners and saints as a free gift of God in hopes that we might become better people because of it. However, in the end as long as we seek God’s Mercy with truly contrite hearts we will be able to enter into the kingdom no matter how sinful we have been. So too no matter how holy we have been in our lives, if at the end of our days we condemn others or sin against God and His children, than all our good works rot in the storehouse of our hearts and we will discover that we have nothing to offer God. So let us be ever humble before God and His children and seek to wash the feet of Jesus through helping our fellow children and never looking down on them.

Do we realize how much in debt we are to God? Do we treat sinners with Christ-like compassion and generosity? How can we be more forgiving in our own lives?

O Lord, forgive our debts as we forgive those in debt to us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’”

In today’s gospel, Jesus compares the people of his generation with squabbling children, some of whom want to dance and some of whom want to weep. He goes on to say that John came fasting and they rejected him and now Jesus comes feasting and they reject him. The people are making excuses not to listen to John and Jesus. They really aren’t interested in understanding their message, instead they simply want to tear it down because it threatens them. However, in the end, Jesus makes it clear that the wisdom of John and Jesus’ lives will be revealed. We cannot be all joy or all sorrow, all dancing, but no weeping, all pleasure and no pain. Both feasting and fasting are needed in order to live our lives in accord with God’s Will. We should be thankful for the goods in our lives, but equally we should be grateful for the opportunities to share in the sacrifices God made for us.

Do we feast with God and fast for him? Are we willing to sacrifice what we have to know, love, and serve Him? Are will thankful for all that He has given us?

O Lord, let us dance and weep with you according to your will.

Amen.

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Just as Joseph took Mary into his home after the Incarnation of Christ, so too John takes Mary into his home as Jesus prepares to die upon the cross. However, Mary’s spiritual motherhood did not end with John. Mary is also our spiritual mother from the moment of our conception to the moment of our death and beyond. We should make every effort to respect Mary and seek out her help in all that we do because who knows Jesus better than his mother? Her life offers us a great model of what it means to know, love, and serve God and others in a holy and humble manner. So let us take Mary into our homes, praying the Hail Mary, the rosary, and filling our lives with other devotionals that help us to focus on God just as much as she did in her own most faithful life.

Have we accepted Mary’s spiritual motherhood? How do we honor her in our lives? Do we seek her intercession with God?

O Lord, we take Mary into our homes so that we might learn from her holy example and become good and faithful servants to you.

Amen.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

We are not here to condemn our fellow children of God, but rather to help God save them through our thoughts, words, and works. Jesus gives us the perfect example of loving others in spite of their sinfulness and the way they treated him. It did not matter to him whether the people he was tending to were good or evil. He only wanted to be a model of selfless love and gracious mercy toward all. We should strive every day to be just as loving and merciful to all those whom we come into contact with be they family, friends, neighbors, or strangers.

Do we condemn others or love them no matter what? How can we do a better job of helping God save those around us? Are we grateful for all of the graces God has given us in order to save us from our selfishness?

O Lord, save us from our sins and failings.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

What we believe about Jesus matters greatly in our lives. If we believe Jesus came down from heaven to be a model for us and to sacrifice himself to save us, then this belief demands we come to know, love, and serve God and His children as best as we can just as Jesus did. He reveals to us how to live our lives and if we do not put his words into action, then we are hollow inside and not hallowed. Who we believe Jesus to be makes all the difference in how we treat others and relate with God. His very incarnation challenges us to become manifestations of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace to others.

So who do we say Jesus is? Is he our God-man Savior or just a man? Do we follow the teachings of Christ and put his words into action?

O Lord, you are the Christ, let our every action proclaim this truth.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit.

We are known by our fruit. God measures our lives according to how well we keep His commandments to love Him and all His children. If we continually love God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, then we will be fruitful. Our good thoughts, words, and works will show everyone around us that we are good. We will be witnesses of the faith to our fellow man. However, if we sin and turn to evil thoughts, words, and works, then those around us will know us as hypocrites, liars, and betrayers. So let us make every effort to produce good fruit so that one day when God picks us our lives will be ripe with sweetness instead of rotten to the core.

Do we produce good words and works? How do we give witness to God’s Goodness through our speech and actions? Do we prune away the rotten parts of ourselves so they do not contaminate the good within us?

O Lord, help us to bear good fruits.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Friday of Ordinary Time

Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.

We have a tendency to absorb the traits of those whom we spend the most time with in our lives, whether that is family, friends, mentors, spiritual directors, or God. Whomever we listen to the most is who we will be like in our thoughts, speech, and actions. Jesus reminds us today that they become our teachers. Hopefully, we choose to listen to good people and to God, but sometimes we allow evil to speak to us through our families, friends, the television shows we watch, etc. When we hear these evil counsels, we must be willing to rebuke them and turn our attention to God for guidance. He will teach us how to see and if we allow Him to open our eyes, we will not lose our way and fall into the pit. Instead, we will see the goodness of God and in turn, we will be able to pass along our knowledge of Him to those who listen to us.

Who do we listen to in our lives? Do we keep our ears open to God’s counsel? Who are we becoming like?

O Lord, be our teacher so that we might one day be like you.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Thursday of Ordinary Time

Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

Loving others, doing good, and lending are not enough for us in God’s eyes. It is easy to do these things with people we love or trust. What is more difficult, but even more necessary is loving those whom we find most difficult to love, doing good to those who have done evil to us, and lending to those whom might never repay us. These actions are done without self-interest or expectation of return. They mimic Christ’s selfless sacrifice upon the cross better than anything else we can do because they are acts of love and mercy in the face of wickedness and ungratefulness.

Do we love those whom we find most difficult to love? Do we do good to those who have done evil to us? Do we lend to others without the expectation of return?

O Lord, grant us the grace to love our enemies, do good to our persecutors, and lend to those who may never repay us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.  For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that we must be willing to be hated, excluded, insulted, and denounced on account of him. Doing what is right and good is not always the most popular thing we can do, but it is the only option if we wish to be Christ-like. And when we are persecuted, we must suffer the slings and arrows of others joyfully because our trials and tribulations mirror those of Christ’s passion and allow us to share—however slightly—in his sacrificial life. So the next time we are misunderstood, mocked, or otherwise demeaned because of our love of God or neighbor, let us be thankful for it and offer it up to God as a token of our faith in Him.

Are we willing to be hated in order to do the right thing? Do we rejoice when others persecute us? How do we unite our sufferings with those of Christ?

O Lord, we rejoice whenever we do your will, no matter the cost.

Amen.

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Although today’s gospel speaks of the aftermath of the incarnation of Christ, we celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary today because without her fiat there would have been no incarnation (at least as we know it). Mary, who was born without sin, is given a singular grace among all mankind. She is given the choice to bear the savior of mankind. She is not forced to bear Jesus, instead she freely accepts the gift of the incarnation into her womb. This acceptance makes possible the story of our salvation and this is why Mary is held in such high regard and venerated by Christians. Her assent to the our Heavenly Father opens the doors of grace to all of us and we would do well to remember her model and seek to learn from her virtues of faith in God, hope in His mercy, and love of Him and all His children.

Do we ask for Mary’s intercession in our lives? Do we seek to act in accord with God’s Will just as she did in her own most obedient life? Are we willing to say “yes” to our Heavenly Father just as Mary did?

O Lord, let us take Mary into our homes and our hearts.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Monday of Ordinary Time

But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored.

Jesus is not afraid of what others might think of him. His only concerns are to do what is right and give an example of love for others to follow. We must also put aside our own worries about what others might think when we try to do what is right. We cannot allow others to convince us that being merciful or loving is evil. We are called by God to save lives, not destroy them or sit idly by while others do harm to God’s children. There is only one response to others who are in need and that is to serve them as best as we can. We should never come up with excuses or reasons why doing the right thing is wrong. Instead, we must stand our ground and offer hope to those in most need of it by accepting their outstretched hand.

Do we allow others to keep us from doing the right thing? Are we saving lives or destroying them? Do we offer others the help they need in order to be restored, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually?

O Lord, may we always seek to save lives and never to destroy them.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.

In order to be open to God’s Will, we too need to get away from the crowd and the distractions of our lives. It’s hard to hear God through the constant din of worldly things around us. This is why Jesus is constantly going off to deserted places, because he is opening himself to the will of his Father. When he brings the deaf man away from the crowd, he is giving us an example to emulate in our own lives. We need to find our own quiet places so that we can be open to the Holy Spirit’s inspirations. Being open to God requires not only an intellectual or spiritual willingness on our part, but also taking concrete actions that will help us listen more closely to His callings.

Do we take time to be alone with God? Are we open to His inspirations? What impediments are keeping us from doing God’s Will?

O Lord, open our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths to your Divine Word.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Saturday of Ordinary Time

“Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”

Doing what is right does not always make us popular. However, we should never allow others to convince us that what is right and good is wrong. Nor should we convince ourselves that our own spiritual practices are more important than being charitable to others whether they are our family, friends, or neighbors. If we allow others to talk us out of doing good, then we not only fail to do God’s Will, but we also reveal ourselves to be spiritual cowards. If we convince ourselves that our own spiritual practices are more important than other people, then we fail to love as we ought to and show ourselves to be selfish. So if we cannot listen to others nor depend upon ourselves, then who should we listen to? We should make a concerted effort to listen to God through forming our conscience in accord with His gospel message. We should seek spiritual guidance from those whom give constant witness to God’s Divine Plan rather than those who speak out of selfishness or ignorance.

Who do we listen to in our lives—God, others, or ourselves? Do we consider our time, talents, and treasures as being more important than others? How can we learn to love God and all His children with every iota of our being?

O Lord, let our thoughts, words, and works feed those who are spiritually and physically hungry.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, “The old is good.”

Some of us have a tendency to be satisfied with what we have. We have gotten used to the taste of our lives. We know it and it is comfortable to us. However, sometimes Jesus asks us to try something new and we must be willing to renew ourselves completely by taking a chance and doing something new with our time, talents, or treasures. We cannot have comfort in this life and serve God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We cannot rest on our laurels or we will be left behind and fail to follow God to where He is leading us… to our greatest potential as His children. We are constantly tempted to settle for less, but if we do, then we will be less for it.

How much time, talent, and treasure have we squandered over our lives? How can we put these things to better use? Are we open to being renewed in Christ?

O Lord, pour your spirit into us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”

We are all faced with moments where we must choose between our personal doubts and our trust in God. Hopefully, we choose to trust in God just as Simon did. We might not understand what God is asking us to do, but we should be willing to put out into the deep and cast our nets to see what happens. We might be surprised by what happens and even if we fail as long as we tried, then we shall be rewarded with a spiritual bounty we would not receive without trusting in God to lead us where we need to be. We should not be surprised at how difficult things are for us when we attempt to do them on our own and how easy those same tasks become when we let go and let God.

Are we willing to put ourselves out into the deep waters of faith? Do we truly trust God enough to cast our nets where He wants us to? Are we willing to set aside our personal doubts to believe in God’s Providence?

O Lord, we trust in you and your commandments.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Wednesday of Ordinary Time

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

After Jesus cures the mother of Simon and many others, he goes off to a deserted place to pray. However, when the crowds come looking for him in the hopes of keeping him with them, he must rebuke them just as he did the illnesses and demons. His Father’s Will is not for him to remain in one place and be satisfied or adored by crowds. Instead, his divine mission calls him to continue to preach the good news to other towns. We have a similar purpose. We are called to be living manifestations of God’s love, mercy, and grace. We cannot be satisfied with where we are spiritually. We must make progress along our own road to Jerusalem and eventually to Calvary and our own passion and death. To be Christ-like means being willing to move on when the time comes for us to take the next step in serving God.

Do we take time to silently listen to God? Are we willing to leave everything behind if an opportunity to know, love, and serve God and His children presents itself to us? In what ways do we proclaim the good news?

O Lord, we too are called to witness to your word. Give us the strength to continue on our journey with you to Calvary.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Tuesday of Ordinary Time

He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.

When someone speaks with authority about a subject we tend to listen to them. So why then, do we have such trouble listening to the Lord and putting into practice the gospel messages He has given us? Perhaps it is because we are distracted by worldly things or do not understand the meaning and responsibilities of His good news. It can be difficult to keep ourselves open to the workings of God. However, we cannot give up. We must continually strive to know, love, and serve God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. What Jesus is asking of us may be amazing and seemingly impossible for us to do, but his authority reassures us that as long as we place our trust in him, then all things are possible, even those we feel the least comfortable with.

Do we listen to God? Are we putting into practice his gospel message? Do we believe that with God all things are possible?

O Lord, your authority calls us to go beyond ourselves and make our lives a living, “Yes!” to your will.

Amen.