Fourth Friday of Lent

He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father.

We are surrounded by worldly people who see true faith, hope, and love as a threat to their ways of life. They see us in this life because like Jesus Christ, we are signs of contradiction to the world. We shine a light into the dark places of sin and call it what it is. We proclaim the Good News and evangelize those around us through our thoughts, words, and works. Worldly people see the followers of Christ as people to persecute, condemn, and mock. Many of them do this out of ignorance, but some out of malice. However, no matter their reasons for attacking us, we must love them and thereby show them the blessings that come from being just and that there is a Heavenly Father who loves them enough to forgive them.

How can we become more perfect children of God? How can our lives show others that there is a different way to live? Are we willing to suffer persecution in order to live the Christ-like life?

O Lord, bless us as we stand in contradiction to the world.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday of Lent

“Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ The LORD said to Moses, “I see how stiff-necked this people is. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.”

We are constantly tempted to forget what God has done for us and to turn our backs on Him. We have selective memories about the past and tend to overlook those things God has done for us in favor of what is happening in our lives today. We disregard the graces, the miracles (great and small), and the love God has given us as we struggled to survive the trials and sufferings of our lives. We let the fears, doubts, pleasures, and distractions of the world weigh us down and claim all our attention. And in our moments of weakness, we make worldly things into our idols. We put our trust into molten calves made of money, power, possessions, pride, and other false gods. However, we, like Moses, must remain faithful to God and seek to help others do the same. When we recognize ourselves or others placing our faith in something other than God, then we must do everything in our power to smash the idol and renew our commitment to God. This is not easy to do when we feel pressured by the world or when we are suffering, but if we want to be worthy of eternal life, then we must resist these temptations and trust that even when we feel abandoned that God is with us and only wants the best for us.

What are worldly things tempt us away from God? How can we rid ourselves of these temptations and replace them with trust in God’s Divine Plan? How can we help others do the same?

O Lord, we want to be a great nation for you. Please, be patient with our failings.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Lent

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

Sometimes we feel forsaken and abandoned by God. Even Jesus, the Son of God, and God Himself, came to experience this feeling on the cross. And it is this experience that should reassure us. God knows what it feels like to be one of us. He knows it isn’t easy to suffer trials whether physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature. However, He makes it clear time and time again that He will not forget us. He loves us more than any parent could ever love. He wants what is best for us. He doesn’t want us to suffer. He wants to protect us from harm, even from ourselves. He will give us every opportunity to prosper. He will give us every grace we need to survive and to thrive. He will pour out His Divine Mercy so that we might experience His Forgiveness.

Do we feel abandoned by God? What can we do to remind ourselves that He will never forget us? How can we imitate His Love and Mercy when dealing with those who feel forsaken?

O Lord, we know you shall never forget us. Give us the grace to never forget you.

Amen.

Fourth Tuesday of Lent

Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.

The river in this passage signifies God’s blessing upon His followers. He wants us to live abundantly, to be refreshed in faith, and to grow in love. He wants us to bear good fruits in thought, word, and work. He wants our hearts to remain ever green with life-giving grace. He wants to wash us with the waters of His Love and Mercy. He gives all these things to us because He wants us to be fruit for the world, sustaining those in physically, emotional, and spiritual need. He wants us to be medicine for the sick in mind, body, and spirit. He pours Himself out to us not to grow in isolation from each other, but to imitate Him and pour ourselves out for Him and His children. He is our sanctuary because He wants to show us how to be shelters for others.

Are our lives planted near the living water that flows from the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit? Are we drawing our sustenance from the eternal spring of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace? How can we become fonts of goodness in the midst of the deserts of the world?

O Lord, water us with your love so that we might bear good fruits.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Lent

Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people.

This world is only a way point on our road to forever. It is not meant to be the beginning and the end of our lives. It is only the end of the beginning. It is the inciting event that propels us into eternity either as selfish sinners doomed to Hell or selfless saints destined to share our afterlives with God. If we allow this world to consume us, then there will be nothing left of us for God to save. We shall have no thoughts, words, or works to show Him. However, if we know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, then we shall be saved. We shall witness the creation of the new heavens and earth. We, like God, will forget the things of the past and instead we shall rejoice and be happy.

Do we realize that the things of this world are fleeting and will never satisfy the true desires of our hearts? Are we willing to die to our lives so that we might live forever with God? What are we doing to prepare ourselves for the new creation and eternal life with God?

O Lord, we want to be a delight to you and all your children.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

“Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue.

There will be times in our lives when we will be challenged to either stand up for the truth and be punished for doing so or remain silent and save our skins. This is the choice the blind man and his parents were faced with and it is the same one we must confront in various ways in our lives. The parents chose to pass the buck onto their son. They were afraid of acknowledging Jesus ever after he healed their son. They should have been happy for the miracle of their son’s cure, but they let worldly concerns strangle their joy and muzzle their praise. The formerly blind man on the other hand is not afraid of speaking the truth. He does so several times and because of this he is tossed out of the synagogue. However, this apparent loss is really a gain. Jesus finds him and reveals himself to be the Son of Man. The man’s faith has saved him. He has chosen the light of Christ over the darkness of the world.

Are we willing to suffer in order to proclaim the truth? Are we willing to be persecuted for our faith? How can we conquer our fears and live in the light of the Good News?

O Lord, cure our blindness so we might see your guiding light.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

It doesn’t matter how much we sacrifice or offer to God in reparation for our sins if we are not truly contrite, do penance, and intend to sin no more. There is nothing we can do to make up for the weight of our sins and failings. All we can do is make up for what is lacking in Christ’s sacrifice, namely our contrition and acceptance of God’s Divine Mercy. When we sin against God we sin infinitely so and it is only through the infinite sin offering of Christ on the cross that we can be saved from the punishment that is rightfully ours. This is why Jesus had to die for us once and for all. By doing so, he offered each of us a means by which we could be consecrated to himself, filled with the Holy Spirit, and cleansed in the eyes of the Father. The difficult part for many of us is admitting we are wrong, doing penance, and amending our lives.

How can we cultivate contrite hearts? What can we do to recognize our sins and failings so that we can amend our lives? How can we give thanks to Jesus for his sacrifice for us?

O Lord, we want to be consecrated to you and do your will in all things.

Amen.

Third Friday of Lent

I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

When we come to God contritely asking for His forgiveness, He is more than willing to absolve our sins, give us penance, and send us forth to sin no more. He wants to heal our every defection. He wants to have a reason to withhold His wrath and to love us freely. He wants to give us life-giving graces that will help us grow in faith, sustain our hope, and blossom in love for Him and His children. He wants to be at the very root of our every thought, word, and work. He wants us to bear good fruits and provide us with protection. He is Our Heavenly Father, Our Life-Giving Brother, and our Holy Spirit and if we accept Him into our lives, then we will flourish and prosper.

Do we seek our God when we have sinned? Do we appreciate everything He does for us through His Divine Mercy? How can we grow the Kingdom of God through our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, pour out your mercy on us so that we might blossom in faith, hope, and love.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Lent

Thus says the LORD:  This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

We are all tempted to harden our hearts. We all disobey God in one way or another. We all blind ourselves with sin and deafen our ears to God’s Word with worldly noise. We all turn our backs on God’s Will and follow our own way. We all find things to distract us from the true and holy purpose of our lives. However, this is not what God calls us to do. He wants us to obey Him, to listen to Him, to acknowledge His role in our lives. He wants us to walk with Him, not against Him. He wants our good, in spite of all the evils we do. He loves us enough to forgive us our sins great and small. But He will not force us to follow His commandments. He will not make us know, love, and serve Him and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. He wants us to come to Him of our own accord, out of a realization that it is only by placing our faith, hope, and love in Him that we can become the best versions of ourselves and prosper.

Are we listening to God’s commandments, teachings, and inspirations? Are we walking in the Way He has prepared for us? How can we soften our hearts and become good and faithful servants?

O Lord, we have not always obeyed you, but we desire to become obedient unto death, even death on the cross.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

“‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today? However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

When we listen to and put into practice God’s commandments to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and to love our neighbors as He loves them, then we become truly wise and intelligent people. By doing so, we let God enter into our lives and be close to us. He has give us this Way, Truth, and Life for a reason and the reason is this: to become living sacraments of His Love, Mercy, and Grace to all the world. Becoming signs that not only show people that God is Good, but also bring that goodness about through our thoughts, words, and works. However, in order for us to fulfill God’s Divine Plan of Love, we have to be on our guard, to remember everything God has done for us, and teach other generations to do the same.

Do we listen to and put into practice God’s commandments to love Him and His children? What do we do to make God the center of our lives? How do we answer the call to be vigilant in our faith, courageous in our hope, and constant in our loving proclamation of the Good News to all?

O Lord, make us into truly wise and intelligent people.

Amen.

Third Tuesday of Lent

But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.

These words are spoken by Abednego (Azariah) from within Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace after he, Shadrach, and Meshach refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. Knowing their decision could mean their death, these three men trusted God would save them from the furnace if it was His Will to do so. They would rather die than to worship a false god. What courage these men had and though it might be hard for us to realize it, we too are called to be willing to make the same sacrifice. The world offers us many false gods to worship: fame, glory, money, drinking, smoking, TV, music, games, sports, and even ourselves. This is not to say these things are evil in and of themselves (most aren’t), but rather that we avoid making them into idols that are more important to us than knowing, loving, and serving God and others. There are many worldly things that will beg for our attention and distract us from what is right. However, if we are willing to sacrifice all of them for God’s Will. If we are detached from them enough to walk away when they are demanding too much of our time and energy, then we shall find, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that we can withstand the sacrifice. And through this experience of self-surrender, our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies will be purified by the fires of fasting so we can become better almsgivers and prayers.

Are we willing to give up all those worldly things that consume our time, talents, and treasures? How can we learn to avoid obsession and turning goods into idols? What sacrifices can we make today to rid ourselves of those things that have become idols in our lives?

O Lord, give us the strength to make ourselves into a living sacrifices to you and for your children.

Amen.

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.

God sent His Beloved Son into the world to build a house for Himself. This house can be found in the Church and its scriptures and traditions. It can also be found within our hearts. Each of us has a temple within our souls that we either adorn with every virtue or disgrace with every sin. We, like St. Joseph, are given the choice to either divorce ourselves from God’s Will and thereby cut ourselves off from the house of Jesus or we can do as God asks us and take Jesus into our hearts and prepare a place for him there. If we do this and do not turn away from God’s Will, then we shall make God’s throne firm within our souls and His Kingdom will endure within us as we proclaim the Good News to all who enter our lives.

Are we building a house to God within ourselves or are we filling it with worldly things? How can we adorn our hearts with good thoughts, words, and works? What can we do to make our souls good and faithful temples to God?

O Lord, help us to build your house within us.

Amen.

Third Sunday in Lent

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I have done.” When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

No matter how many times we see the faith alive in someone else. No matter how often we hear someone proclaim the Good News through word or work. No matter how much we are exposed to the conviction of other Christians. In the end, we have to choose to believe in Christ for ourselves. We have to accept the truth he has given us through the scriptures and the traditions of the Church he founded. We have to trust that the Holy Spirit has kept his Gospel message alive in the members of His Spiritual Body, the Church. This personal choice leads us to the community of saints. The two are inseparable. And once we come into the community of believers, then just like the Samaritan woman, we are asked to spread the Good News to others and help them come to their own choice to join the Body of Christ and recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior, too.

Who were the people in our lives who helped introduce us to the Good News? Do we pray for them and thank them for giving us the opportunity to discover our faith? How do we proclaim the Gospels to others in our lives?

O Lord, help us to lead others to faith in you.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Lent

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

God is the only one who can remove our guilt and pardon our sins. He has every right to be angry with us for our sins. We turn our backs on Him when we give into temptations and squander the gifts He has given us when we use them for selfish reasons or fail to use them at all. However, He is not an angry or vengeful God. He does not want to crush us under unbearable burdens. He does not want us to wallow in destitution, starve, or be alone. Rather He is the God of Clemency and Compassion. He is with us always, no matter how forsaken we might feel. He wants to raise us up, to give us grace, to show us He loves us. We might not always see Him beside us, or hear His Word in our ears, or feel His presence, but He is there. He will not abandon us in our times of need.

Do we turn to God to remove our guilt and pardon our sins? Do we seek out the sacrament of reconciliation or do we assume He will forgive us without acts of contrition and penance? What can we do to imitate the clemency and compassion of God?

O Lord, you are the source of all forgiveness and mercy. Help me to be a font of both to others.

Amen.

Second Friday of Lent

They then sat down to their meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers: "What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood? Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

Jealousy can lead us to do terrible things. Jealousy is a sin that is subtle and worms its way into our hearts when we focus to much on what other people have and are not satisfied with what we've got. It is a sin that comes from a lack of love and empathy for others. When someone has something we wish we had, we can be tempted to be envious. However, instead of envy, we should be thankful for the other person's good and supportive of them. We all have areas in our lives that are lacking in comparison to others, but one thing we are not lacking is God's Love. He loves all of us as his children and we need to recognize that all though God might seem to love others more than us, that is just our own lack of knowledge and perception. God will always love us because we are each a unique and unrepeatable expression of His Love of others and the world. We all have a unique role to play in Creation and we should be thankful for that above all else and realize jealousy denies this truth by taking away our uniqueness and trying to replace it with someone else's individual good.

Are we jealous of anyone? How can we rid ourselves of our envious thoughts? What can we do to focus on our own uniqueness and how special we are in God's Creation?

O Lord, cleanse us of all jealousy.

Amen.

Second Thursday of Lent

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. 

If we want to have peace in our lives, even in the midst of trial and tribulation, then we need to place our trust and hope in God. It is from His Divine Love that we can draw our courage and strength. He gives the graces we need to be not afraid to do His Will. He is the root of our every consolation and virtue. He is the stream of living water which nourishes and sustains our spirits through good times and bad. He makes it possible for us to do what is right and bear good fruits even when we are suffering or being persecuted. With God’s Life within us, we grow in faith, hope, and love. He makes it possible for us to do His Will and do it wisely and well.

Do we truly trust in God or do we place our trust in ourselves? In what ways can we show to God that our hopes are in Him and not worldly things? How can we foster a spirit of trust within our faith lives?

O Lord, you are the root of all our faith and the seed of all our good works.

Amen.

Second Wednesday of Lent

Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.

 Our good thoughts, words, and works will not always be repaid in kind. Sometimes we can be charitable and merciful toward another person or persons and they will repay us with evil. However, we should not give in to the temptation to sin against them. To see ourselves as better than them, to hate them, or to strike out at them in anger (in thoughts, words, or works). These reactions lessen us and lead us astray. Our source of consolation should reside in God, not in others. We should not seek other people’s congratulations, recognition, or respect. Yes, these are nice to have, but they are not the reason for us to love others. We should be more than willing to have our good deeds dismissed, misinterpreted, or unrequited. True love and mercy are given without counting the cost or expectation of return. They are given because they are the right thing to do.

Have others in our lives repaid our good deeds with evil ones? How can we learn to bear the burden of being hated for doing what is right? How can we learn to love our adversaries even when they give us every reason to turn our backs on them?

O Lord, you love us even when we mistreat you. Help us to love others even when they mistreat us.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Lent

Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you.

God always gives us a chance to set things right. No matter how badly we’ve messed things up for ourselves or others, He always offers us a chance to redeem ourselves. He wants us to succeed in becoming good and faithful servants. Even though our sins might stain us, they can be washed away through contrition, penance, and God’s Mercy. All we have to do is be willing to make amends for our sins, imperfections, and failings and obey God’s Commandments. If we do these things, then we shall grow in faith, hope, and love and bear abundant fruits.

When we take a wrong turn in our lives, do we seek to set things right again? How can we cleanse ourselves of those sins that keep us from following in the footsteps of Christ? Are we truly willing to obey God in all things?

O Lord, we want to make amends for our sins. In what we have done and what we have failed to do.

Amen.

Second Monday of Lent

O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.

When we sin against God we should be shame-faced. We should recognize what we have done wrong and be contrite and sorrowful for our thoughts, words, or works. We should seek God’s Compassion and Forgiveness and do penance to make ourselves right with Him and those whom we sinned against. And after all of this, we need to amend our lives so we can resist the temptations we are faced with and avoid repeating our sins. We are all called to heed God’s Commandments and to live by His laws of selfless love for Himself, others, and even ourselves. We are asked to become prophets and servants of the Good News, proclaiming it through our actions. Each step toward heaven requires a sacrifice of our selfish pride in favor of a selfless humility. It is only when we keep the New Covenant and learn to love God and others with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths that we become the good and faithful servants we are all called to be.

What are our sins? How can we amend our lives so that we rid ourselves of these failings? What can we do to live by God’s Divine Law from this day forth?

O Lord, we are sorry for all our sins and hope you will give us the grace we need to confess them, do penance, withstand temptations, and sin no more.

Amen.

Missing Daily Posts

Hello All,

Just wanted to apologize for missing the last week's worth of posts. Usually I set up a schedule every week, but somehow I forgot the schedule the week's posts last Sunday.

Anyway, I'll be posting last week's posts shortly and scheduling this week's posts tomorrow.

Again, sorry for missing posts this past week.

God Bless,
Joseph

Second Sunday in Lent

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

We are all called to be a people of transfiguration. We are asked by God to transform our lives by becoming more and more like Christ. We are asked to be more deeply converted by his Good News. We are asked to change our attitudes from fear of what the world will think of us if we reject it to the courage that is necessary to rise up and be not afraid to proclaim the Gospels through our thoughts, words, and works. We are asked to alter our view of the world from a selfish one to a selfless one... to see God and others through Jesus-colored glasses. When we look at creation, we need to see the Lord behind it. When we look at others, we need to see the Christ within them. When we look at ourselves, we need to see the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us to where we are called to be.

Are we listening to Jesus through the scriptures and traditions of the Church? Are we listening to him when he speaks to us through others? How can we learn to rise up and be courageous in Christ?

O Lord, give us the spiritual strength to allow you to transfigure us into yourself.

Amen.

First Saturday of Lent

Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised.

When we celebrate the sacraments, from baptism to reconciliation to communion to confirmation to marriage to ordination to the anointing of the sick, we reaffirm our covenant with God. We promise to remain good and faithful servants to our Heavenly Father and in return God promises us a special place in Paradise. He makes us co-heirs with Christ to His Heavenly Kingdom. Both sides have duties and obligations to each other in our Holy Covenant and as we know, God cannot fail in his obligations, but we can. This is exactly why we have the sacrament of reconciliation. It helps repair our relationship with God and gives us the graces we need to resist and avoid temptations and remain holy.

Are we living up to our agreement with God? Are we using the sacraments to strengthen our relationship with God so we do not stumble and fall in sin? Do we appreciate what it means to be part of a Covenant with God?

O Lord, raise us high and make us a people sacred to you.

Amen.

First Friday of Lent

If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.  Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?

It is never too late for us to choose God over all else. There are many examples of great sinners who repent later in life or after committing terrible sins. St. Paul persecuted the early Church, but after his conversion he became a devoted preacher of the Good News. St. Augustine lived a life of sin, but after many years he came to hear the call of Christ and converted. Each of us is a sinner, some of us have sinned mortally, others venially, but whatever our offense, we still have the option to turn away from all our sins, keep God’s commandments, act justly, and live the Christ-like life. If we are truly contrite and repentant, then God the Father will forget what we have done because when He looks upon us He shall see the change the Holy Spirit has made in our hearts and His Beloved Son will ask for mercy for us as good and faithful servants. God does not want us to perish in the fires of Hell, He wants us to join Him in the paradise of Heaven. So let us take His Hand in hope of rising again and allow Him lift us up to eternal life.

 What are the sins that are keeping us from becoming good and faithful servants of God? How can we learn to keep all of God’s statutes and do what is right and just? How can we imitate God’s Mercy in our dealings with others?

O Lord, help us to turn away from all our sins and live in you.

Amen.

First Thursday of Lent

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God.

God is our only help. He is all we need to overcome every obstacle, to do any good work, and to live good and faithful lives. He brings us grace and blessings to aid us on our journey toward salvation. He gave us His Beloved Son to speak the Good News to us and show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He frees us from the bonds of sin, offers us armor against temptations, and trains us in the virtues we need to defend ourselves and others from evil. As long as we do what is right and pleasing to God, then He shall give us every support we need to make it through the trials of this life and triumph over all that stands between us and heaven.

Do we pray to God for His help when we are in need? Are we receptive of His aid in whatever form it might come, even when it is not exactly what we wanted? How can we learn to depend upon God more than upon ourselves?

O Lord, we have no help, but you.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Lent

“Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.

Although God might not send a prophet to us warning of our destruction if we do not repent, He does give us all a conscience. This voice inside us warns us against evil and exhorts us to do good. It is the voice that calls us to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It asks us to seek God’s forgiveness for our trespasses against Him. It wants us to be worthy of God’s Love and not His Wrath. Only by turning our backs on evil and choosing what is good that we can fulfill our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children. If we do all these things, then God will forgive us our trespasses, offer us a way to reconcile with Him, and give us the grace to carry out His Will.

Do we listen to our consciences? What can we do to show God we are repentant? How can we prove we have turned away from sin and chosen what is right?

O Lord, we want to prove through our actions that we have chosen you above all else.

Amen.

First Tuesday of Lent

Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there
till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

God has given us his Divine Word through many people. The prophets gave it to us through the Old Testament. Jesus gave it to us by becoming the Word made Flesh and expressing it through his Good News. The Church gives it to us through its scriptures and traditions. Every day, God’s Word is with us. It is in the people we meet. Family, friends, and neighbors who think, speak, and act in accord with God’s Divine Plan. It is also within each of us and it is up to us to proclaim it with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. It is up to us to bring about the good ends that God wants for us and others through making ourselves into living words of His Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Are we listening for God’s Word in our lives? How can we become prophets of the Good News to others? How can we cultivate the Word through everything we think, say, and do?

O Lord, help us to achieve the end for which you sent us.

Amen.

First Monday of Lent

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.  Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him.  Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Hatred is not from God. Even those who are the enemies of God and persecutors of His children are loved by God. He loves them because He made them. He gave them the ability to choose right over wrong and He continues to offer them His Hand in forgiveness if they will take it with humble and contrite hearts. If God, who is constantly sinned against and suffered terribly during His Passion, can love His enemies, then we must do the same. We might not like someone, but we can choose to love them. We might be tempted to avenge ourselves against those who have done us wrong. However, God does not desire revenge, He wants us to know, love, and serve others as best as we can. This does not mean condoning evil or standing idly by when we see someone do wrong, but that when we confront others we do so out of love and not out of anger or hatred.

Do we need to cleanse ourselves of any hatreds? How can we learn to love even those whom we dislike or who have hurt us? How can we live out the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves?

O Lord, empty us of all hatred and fill us with your Divine Love.

Amen.

First Sunday in Lent

“Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

The words of Christ are the words Adam and Eve should have spoken to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. “Get away! We are to worship and serve God alone. We do not need to be like gods.” They are the same words we are called to repeat throughout our lives. Satan will tempt us, just as he tempted Adam and Eve and Christ. It is up to us to choose whom we will respond like. Hopefully, we are not drawn in by Satan’s falsehoods like Eve or allow others to pressure us into sin like Adam. Instead, let us pray that we act like Christ, denying the temptations laid before us. Not selling our souls for worldly pleasures. Not putting God to the test when we want something our way. Not making ourselves into gods. Though these temptations may assault us, we must withstand them and respond with faith, hope, and love founded in our trust of God’s Goodness.

Do we ask God for His aid against Satan and his minions? Do we ask God to give us the strength and guidance we need so we do not fall into temptation and sin? How can we come to worship and serve God more faithfully?

O Lord, protect us from Satan and help us to know, love, and serve you.

Amen.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice. Then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

The Sabbath, our Sunday, is meant to be kept holy. It is meant to be a time for giving glory to God and resting ourselves by spending time with Him at Mass and in other spiritual pursuits. It is a day when we are asked to hold back from our own pursuits, from unnecessary work. It is supposed to be a delight for us to honor the Lord’s Day. We can’t do this if we let worldly things take over the day. If all we do is waste it on selfish pursuits, then we lose out on the spiritual profit that can be gained by being in the presence of God and allowing Him to speak to us through the sacraments, reading the Scriptures, doing charitable works, and personal prayer time. It is not enough to go through the motions of going to Mass, we are asked to go forth and spread the Good News with delight. If we do so, then our spirits will be nourished and we shall be worthy of the heritage that comes from being a child of God.

Do we keep the Sabbath holy? What can we do to make the day even more delightful for ourselves and others? How can we nourish our spirits on the Sabbath so we can be stronger throughout the week?

O Lord, you have given us your Sabbath as a gift. Help us to use it to become better children.

Amen.

Friday after Ash Wednesday

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Fasting isn’t about giving up trivial things (chocolate, candy, etc.) or making exterior changes in our lives (exercising more, watching less TV, etc.). Yes, these can be parts of the whole experience, but they need to be grounded in the desire for an interior change that springs from choosing heavenly things over worldly ones. Fasting means acting justly toward others, helping them with their burdens, setting them free from those things that oppress them, breaking the yokes around our neighbor’s necks. It means sharing with, sheltering, and clothing those in need. It is learning to sacrifice yourself for others and never turning your back on them. If we do all these things, then we shall be a light for the whole world showing them the path of love, mercy, and grace that God has prepared for us all. It is not enough to think, say, or do the right thing out of a sense of obligation, we have to do good works because we want to be more like Christ.

What are we fasting from during this Lenten season? How can we interiorize the act of fasting? What can we do to transform ourselves over this time of purification so that we can be more Christ-like year around?

O Lord, give us the grace to fast not only outwardly, but inwardly, too.

Amen.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

No matter how much we might want to convince ourselves otherwise, it is only by dying to our self interests that we can live for God. Every time we choose selfish sin over selfless love, we choose death over life. Every time we choose power, glory, wealth, lust, or any other vice over virtue, we choose death over life. Every time we turn our backs on the needs of others in favor of our own wants, we choose death over life. It is not easy choosing life over death because we are told that it’s the people you know, the places you go, and the things you have that prove whether your life is worth living. However, all of these worldly things are temporary. They are not the foundation of everlasting life. They come and go, but God remains with us always. It is only by loving Him, heeding His Voice, and Holding fast to Him that we find the true purpose of our lives. Without Him, we are dead, but with Him we shall live forever.

Are we choosing a blessed life with God or a cursed death with the world? Have we loved God as we should and heeded His Voice? What can we do to show that we are holding fast to God and His message of selfless love?

O Lord, give us lives that last, filled with faith and good works.

Amen.

Ash Wednesday

Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.

As we enter the season of Lent, we are called to return to God with our whole hearts. We are asked to fast from worldly things. We are encouraged to rend our hearts from the people and possessions that keep us from returning to God. Often, we make excuses to delay doing what we know is right. We choose feasting, pleasures, and sin over fasting, compassion, and sacrifice. We would rather be comfortably sinful, then to be sacrificially virtuous. Thankfully, God is gracious and merciful, giving us everything we need to not only resist temptation, but also recover from our sins. He does not want to punish us. He wants to bless us. And if we make our lives into living libations for the Lord, then we shall find our Heavenly Father welcoming us into His arms when we enter into Paradise.

Have we chosen a life of feasting or fasting? Are we willing to rend our hearts from the world? How can we make ourselves into living sacrifices?

O Lord, we want to return to you with our whole hearts.

Amen.