Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.

Although Paul’s words are addressed to the Romans and the Church, they echo the life of Mary, who we all should take as our model of holiness. For of all the creatures in the world, only Mary, through the grace of God, remained sinless. She endured the afflictions of the Passion and the Cross. She persevered in prayer through these trials, placing her trust in God the Father. This is because her love is sincere, she hates evil, she holds onto what was good. She loves others with compassionate affection and shows them honor and gives them dignity. Her zeal for doing God’s Will never wavers, she is fervent in the Spirit, her Beloved Spouse. She serves the Lord and His children. She rejoices in her Savior and Son, the Prince of Hope. She contributes to the needs of the God’s holy ones past, present, and future. She exercises every hospitality to God’s children, her children, because she loves us all as her own. By imitating Mary, we become more Christ-like. She is our stepping stone, leading to the Holy Trinity, Her Father, Her Son, and Her Holy Spouse.

Is our love of God and neighbor sincere? Are we fervent in the Spirit? How can we imitate Mary and become more like Christ?

O Lord, help us to become more like you, just as Mary did in her most holy life.

Amen.

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me.

With the aid of the Holy Spirit, our faith can move mountains, our hope can overcome all tears and trials, and our love can bear witness to God’s Love and Mercy. If we tried to act like Christians without the support of the Holy Spirit, we would soon be crushed beneath the weight of our fears, doubts, sins, and all the worldly trials that face us. We are too weak to carry our crosses by ourselves, but thankfully, our Heavenly Father gave us the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son. All we have to do is keep our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. If we are receptive to these gifts and the graces that come with them, then we will become good and faithful servants to our God and be willing and able to accept the sacrifices He asks of us. And when we go through our own passions and deaths, we shall know in our heart of hearts that we were not alone, but flanked by the Holy Trinity.

Have we served God humbly through good times and bad? Have we bore witness to God’s Goodness, Love, and Mercy with every ounce of life we have? How can we open our hearts to the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we thank you for your gifts and desire only to follow you to where we need to be to put them to their best use.

Amen.

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men.

In the sacrament of baptism, we receive an indelible mark on our souls that consecrates us as belonging to Christ and grants us the Holy Spirit. Once baptized, we are forever Christians. There is no way to erase the mark, even if we cut ourselves off from the Church, the Body of Christ. We will always retain the seal of our baptism. Hopefully, we do not want to rid ourselves of this holy seal, but rather to live up to it. The best way for us to live with the mark of baptism is to live out our baptismal promises with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. To proclaim our love for our Heavenly Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit that makes up the Trinity. It was by the three personal names of our One God that we were joined with Him and His Church. And just as the Holy Spirit is the Love of Father for Son and Son for Father, so too the Church is the love of the Holy Trinity for us and us for the Holy Trinity. Our love for God and each other lives in the Church and her teachings and traditions because God is alive in her.

Are we living up to the responsibilities of being Christians? How do we manifest and magnify the indelible mark that has be left upon our souls through the sacrament of baptism? How can we more perfectly imitate the love of the Holy Trinity in our love of God and others, especially through the institution of the Church?

O Lord, send your Holy Spirit upon us so we might live and love like God.

Amen.

The Ascension of the Lord

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Even after everything Jesus had done for his disciples, they still doubted. We are often tempted to doubt, too. No matter how many times God proves Himself to us in great and small ways, we still doubt. Perhaps we doubt in God Himself or His Goodness, especially after a tragedy in our lives or when we are in the midst of trials. Perhaps we doubt He forgives us for our sins when we are despairing. Perhaps we doubt the teachings and traditions of the Church because they do not align with our own opinions. The temptation to doubt is constantly around us, but it does not and should not define us. Instead, our lives should be defined by faith, hope, and love. Faith in a Good and Merciful Heavenly Father, who loves us and gives us every grace we need to survive our trials and thrive as saints. Hope in a Savior, who sacrificed Himself for us and will always be with us. Love in a Holy Spirit, who guides, inspires, and enlightens us to grow as charitable members of the Body of Christ, the Church.

Are we willing to place our faith in our Heavenly Father? Are we willing to ground our hope in our Savior, Jesus? Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit to know, love, and serve others through us?

O Lord, you are with us always. May we never forget this simple, but profound truth!

Amen.

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.

None of us know the whole truth of the Good News. We may be authorities on the Scriptures as Apollos was. We may have many insights into the Gospels. However, at times we all need to be taken aside and have the Way of God explained more accurately to us. It takes great humility of spirit to allow ourselves to be taught, to open our hearts to new ideas, to keep a receptive mind. Sometimes we will discover that the truth isn’t always in the newest philosophies, but in the oldest traditions. Other times we will find new insights into our faith that will update, but not invalidate the teachings of the Church. The Holy Spirit is alive in our lives in many ways... through other people, through the teachings and traditions of the Church, and through our consciences. If we are welcoming to His inspirations, He will give us His gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord and these graces will lead us to following the Way of God more accurately than if we tried to make our own way.

Are we open to the counsel of others and the Church? Are our hearts receptive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? How can we make the gifts of the Holy Spirit more central to our lives?

O Lord, help us to live Your Way more accurately.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, "Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city." He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.

Although we might not receive such a message directly from God, we should take God's message to Paul into our own hearts. We should not be afraid to go on speaking the Good News to others. We should not be silent when confronted with opposition to our faith because God is with us. None of those who attack us can truly harm us as long as we hold fast to the faith and trust in God. Yes, we might suffer for our faith, but God will never give us more than we can handle and the wounds we receive for his sake are ones we can wear proudly to the Judgement Day.

Have we put fear behind us in regards to proclaiming the Good News? So we truly believe God is with us everywhere we go? Are we willing to teach the word no make the opposition?

O Lord, we are not afraid of going forth and speaking the Good News.

Amen.

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

We all have a responsibility to spread the Good News. However, we should not force our faith on others. Some people will be turned off if we push too hard. We simply have to pray for guidance in these matters and be aware of when we might be pushing our beliefs onto others. Every person’s faith journey is different. Some people need constant support to grow in the faith. Others are better off coming to the faith more independently. Once we have introduced the faith to someone, we should let them take the next step. Only they know if they are ready to receive the Word of God. There may be times in our lives when we come across people who do not want to be evangelized and might be turned off by the way we think, speak, or act as Christians. If this is the case, then we, like Paul, are clear of our responsibility and can move on to more fertile souls. We shouldn’t see such moments as failure either... because we have succeeded in spreading the word and who knows... perhaps one day the seed we planted will grow into faith.

In what ways are we preaching the word? Are we willing to be rejected? How can we spread the Good News without forcing it on others?

O Lord, may our lives be a testimony to the truth that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’

In many ways we are blind and our blindness causes us to stumble into temptation, to fall into sin, and to overlook opportunities to do good. We might mean well, we might want to do good, we might hope for something better, but do not come to terms with our weaknesses. Perhaps we enjoy our little blind spots, our earthly pleasures, and don’t want to give them up. We think they are harmless, but no sin is harmless. Whether mortal or venial, they all wound ourselves and our relationship with God and His children. However, God does not leave us alone in our blindness. He is always with us, giving us life, breath, and everything good. He even gives us insights into ourselves through our consciences, showing us our weaknesses not because He wants to shame us, but because He loves us and wants us to do better. He wants us to be the best versions of ourselves. We cannot do that if we are worldly and love our sins more than Him. When we sin we are shadows of ourselves, we are empty, unfulfilled, but when we are holy, following the commandments, teachings, and inspirations of God... we truly live, moving in the Spirit, and thriving as good and faithful servants.

What are our spiritual blind spots? How can we address these areas of weakness and with the help of God overcome our temptations and sin no more? How can we become more faithful offspring in all we think, say, and do?

O Lord, in you we find our life, our purpose, and our being.

Amen.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved."

It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to run away after the doors to their cells were opened and their chains broken, but they didn't leave. We might wonder, "Why?" Perhaps the Holy Spirit gave them the courage to remain in spite of the dangers. Maybe in their hearts they knew the jailer would be in even greater danger if they left and so they choose to stay for his sake. In this way, they showed compassion and love for someone who was in every sense of the word an "enemy." But Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and the jailer's conversion shows us why… by loving our enemies, we offer them an opportunity to be converted and saved. If we run away from non-believers or persecutors, we won't have a chance to change their minds.

Are we running away from our enemies or those who might benefit from a show of compassion and love? How can we be there for those in need of conversion? What can we do to change the minds of our enemies so they can come into the light of the faith?

O Lord, help us to be there for others as they walk the road to deeper conversion.

Amen.

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

The beautiful thing about evangelization is that it often comes from unexpected moments. Here Paul and others have gone outside the city to find a place of prayer. Once there, they engage others in conversation and this leads Lydia to seek baptism for herself and her household. Paul set out to pray, to find some solitude, and comes back with a convert. Similarly, as we go through life, we will be faced with opportunities to evangelize others we meet. We might only have a brief moment to show we are Christians or we might have a longer time. But no matter the duration, if we reveal ourselves to be Christians not only in word, but also deed, then we shall leave a lasting impression on those we have evangelized. Our example will lead them to seek a deeper understanding of our faith and perhaps one day they will either renew their baptismal vows or make them for the first time. We should be ever watchful for these moments of evangelization because we have the responsibility to recognize them and lead others to God.

Are we open to becoming instruments of evangelization? Do we place ourselves in the hands of the Holy Spirit when we are given the chance to proclaim the Good News through word and deed? What do we do to support the evangelization efforts of the Church?

O Lord, if you consider us believers come stay with us and show us how to be better evangelizers of the Good News.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.

If we love God, He will give us the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live in accordance with God the Father’s Will. This Holy Spirit will guide our thoughts and inspire our words and works. He will enlighten our minds with eternal truths and enkindle our souls with the fires of compassion. He will grant us the graces we need to follow the commandments and thrive in righteousness. He will be a Spirit of opposition to the world, reminding us that earthly things will pass away. He helps us to detach ourselves from the world so that we can attach ourselves to heavenly and holy things. The Holy Spirit will remain with us through good and bad times, being a constant support for our faith, hope, and love. As long as we are open to Him working in our lives, then we shall have a constant companion along the way to eternal life in Paradise.

Do we show our love for God by keeping His commandments? Have we accepted the Holy Spirit into our lives? Have we allowed Him to lead us to the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

O Lord, give us the Holy Spirit to inspire, guide, and sustain us.

Amen.

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

Sometimes God prevents us from doing something He knows won’t lead us in the right direction. We might have our hearts set on something, but be unable to achieve it. This failure can be disheartening, but we need to remember that failures can lead to greater opportunities. When a door closes... a window opens. We can’t be so focused on one life path that we close our hearts and minds to the possibility that God is calling us elsewhere. By leaving ourselves open to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we allow God to work through us in a way that both fulfills us and is in accordance with God’s Will. Sometimes a setback is just what we need to give us a new perspective on life, to give us a nudge in the right direction, and ultimately to become the best disciples of Christ we can be.

Do we get frustrated with our failures or see them as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve? Are we open to allowing God to lead us in unexpected directions? How can we prepare ourselves to listen to the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, lead us in the right direction.

Amen.

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

“It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.” And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

God doesn’t burden us beyond the necessities. He wants us to be as free as possible. He wants us to be uniquely Christ and to use our gifts and talents to know, love, and serve Him and His children. He gave us the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Christ, and the traditions of the Church to protect and empower us and not to stifle us. He wants us to do what is right in accordance with our distinctive characters because each of us reflects and magnifies individual aspects of His Divine Image. We do not stop being ourselves when we act in harmony with the Way of Jesus Christ, but rather by acting like him we become more like ourselves. We are the best versions of ourselves when we magnify the Lord, rejoice in our Savior, and give witness to the Love and Mercy of our glorious God.

Have we thanked God for the freedom He has given us? Do we choose to obey His commandments, live out the teachings, and embody the traditions of our faith? How do our lives reflect and magnify the Divine Image?

O Lord, keep us free from evil and lead us to do what is right.

Amen.

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.”

God makes no distinction between us when it comes to giving us every opportunity to become saints. He wants every person in this world to choose Him over the world. He wants all of us to become heirs to His Kingdom and good and faithful servants. He never asks us to carry burdens beyond the strength He has given us. Nor does He give us impossible tasks. He wants us to succeed in those things which will bring us closer to Him and He wants to lead us to where we need to be in order to become the best versions of ourselves. He knows our hearts and what would fulfill and purify them. He gives us the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide us and with Him by our side we can become saints.

How are we living up to our calling to be saintly heirs to the Kingdom? Do we thank God for all the graces He has given us so that we can overcome the trials of this life? How do we let the Holy Spirit guide our decisions as the Apostles did?

O Lord, you have granted us the Holy Spirit. Give us also open ears and hearts to listen to and live by His spiritual guidance.

Amen.

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”

We won’t always agree about what it means to be Christian or the direction the Church is taking or not taking. After all, we are human and our knowledge and actions are imperfect so it’s only natural to realize we’ll get into debates about faith. However, we should talk to each other respectfully and in light of the collective wisdom of the Church’s two thousand years of teachings and traditions. We should also trust that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church in her deliberations and lead her to make the right decisions at the right time. This doesn’t mean we’ll agree with everything. However, part of being faithful servants to God and His Church is trusting that believing will lead to understanding and that the Truth will win out in the end.

Do we dialogue with those who disagree with us or do we argue and alienate them? Do we recognize the possibility that we don’t have all the answers and need to listen to the lessons the Church has to teach us? Are our hearts open to both the traditions of the Church and the evolution of those traditions in accordance with the Scriptures and the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, make our dialogues with each other fruitful and uniting.

Amen.

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.

Paul is stoned for preaching the Good News, but he does not let that stop him from giving witness to the Divine Word. Imagine being pummeled with rocks to the brink of death for living out our faith. It seems so foreign to us and yet each day people die for the faith. They might not die in our neighborhoods, but they do die in areas of the world that are hostile to Christianity. These martyrs choose faithful deaths over safe lives and we would do well to remember them in our prayers and when we are faced with our own choices between holiness and worldliness. We should realize that to be true disciples of Christ means that we will have to undergo many hardships, trials, and tribulations. There is no free ride to the Kingdom of God. The narrow path is paved with sacrifices... physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Prayer, fasting, and charity provide us with the nourishment we need to walk the Way of Christ, defend ourselves from temptations, and arrive at the Gates of Heaven where we shall hope to be welcomed by God not solely because of anything we’ve done, but because Jesus Christ died for us and we were willing to accept his saving grace.

Do we remember those who have died for the faith? How can we imitate the fidelity of the martyrs in our own lives? What are we willing to sacrifice for God and His children?

O Lord, we honor your sacrifice by choosing to live in imitation of you.

Amen.

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this?  We are of the same nature as you, human beings.  We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.”

It is important for us to remember that all the good we do is from God. We are not the source, center, or summit of Goodness, God is. As people of faith, we can be tempted to feel like we are better than others and lord it over those whom we see as unfaithful. However, God does not call us to become modern day Pharisees. Instead, He calls us to do His Will with humble hearts, without expectation of return or seeking worldly glory or consolations. There may be some whom we help who might want to treat us like saviors, but there is only One Savior and he is Jesus Christ. Every good we do is an imitation of God and a fulfillment of the vocation to love that God has given all of us. Though we are called to be saints, we should remember that we are all human. We all have strengths and weaknesses and should not seek to make ourselves into false idols. We are called to sanctity, not to proclaim ourselves as good, but to proclaim God’s Good News... that all of us have a chance to be holy if we will confess our sins, amend our lives, and love God and neighbor with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Have we made ourselves into false idols through the sins of pride and self-righteousness? Do we give all the glory for our good deeds and successes to God or claim it for ourselves? How can we become more humble servants of God, magnifying Him and not ourselves?

O Lord, remind us that part of becoming saints is learning to be humble of heart.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.

The goal of our lives is to be with God in heaven. We know that God wants us to join Him in Paradise, not for Himself, but for our own good. He loves us so much He sent His Beloved Son to preach the Good News to us, give us the sacraments, and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of souls. He has prepared a place for us in His Kingdom from the very beginning and it is a very good place if we are willing to accept it. He gives us every grace and inspiration to lead us along the narrow path to the Gates of Heaven. He has given us the gifts of faith, hope, and love. He has provided us with the Church and His Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. These are all foretastes of His Goodness and the wonders of the love He will reveal to us when we see Him in Heaven. However, He will not force heaven on us. He gives us a choice. We can either be of this world or the next. Hopefully, our hearts choose the eternal joys of heaven over the fleeting pleasures of earth.

Are we living our lives as if our afterlives depend upon it? Do we believe God has prepared a place for us in heaven? Are we making a place for God in our hearts so we can accept God’s invitation into His Own Heart of Hearts?

O Lord, lead the way to heaven and we will follow.

Amen.

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter

It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.

Not everyone will accept the Good News. Some will not want to hear it. Others will deny or suppress it. Some will persecute us for speaking the truth. Others will speak falsely against us. However, just because some people reject the Divine Word doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to proclaim the Gospels with all our hearts. We may discover, like the disciples, that there are people who are open to the teachings of Christ and His Church. All they need is someone to become their guiding light and lead them to eternal life. We do this best when we ask for the Father’s protection, Jesus’ love, and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. With these things we can become instruments of salvation for all those whom we meet, who are ready to accept the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ.

How can we respond more fruitfully to those who do not want to listen to the Good News? Are we willing to set aside our own feelings and put the proclamation to Gospels first and foremost in our lives? What can we do to transform ourselves into lights of God’s Love and Mercy?

O Lord, make us into instruments of your peace and salvation.

Amen.

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

We are all the children of God and as such we are all given every grace we need to become a worthy heir to the Kingdom of God. He gives us gifts and talents to use to spread His Divine Word and proclaim the Good News to others. He watches over us and protects us from evil. He consoles us when we are suffering and promises us that better days are ahead. He is with us always, never abandoning us, even when we abandon Him. He raises us up when we fall into temptation or worry and strengthens us with His Mercy and Love.

Do we act like worthy heirs to the Kingdom of God? In what ways do we proclaim the Good News? How can we give thanks to God for all He has done for us?

O Lord, makes us witnesses to and prophets of the Word of God.

Amen.

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

“Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”

Paul makes a clear connection between God’s promises to the Israelites and the fulfillment of those promises in the person of Christ and the Church founded on Jesus’ teachings. Although we might not realize it, we too have been given promises by God through the New Covenant. He has promised to always be with us, to give us the graces we need to become good and faithful servants, and to save us from sin and death. In return for these things, He asks us to put our faith and trust in Him, to place our hopes in the gifts He has given us, to and to repent of our sins and do penance so that we can be as loving and merciful as God is to us.

Do we trust that God will provide and protect us? Do we place our hope in Him? Are we ready to amend out lives so that we can come to know, love, and serve God and His children to the best of our abilities?

O Lord, we want to be people after your own heart and to carry out your every wish.

Amen.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.  When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. 

Worship, fasting, prayer, and proclaiming the Word of God. All of these actions played pivotal roles in the success of the early Church and they can make a world of difference in our own lives, too. First, worshiping together as a community unites us in Christ through shared prayer and the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ. Fasting cleanses us from our attachments to worldly things and helps to disciple our passions so that we can put heavenly things before all else. Prayer opens our hearts and minds to God and allows us to enter into a dialogue with our Heavenly Father. And silent prayer helps us to let go of our worries and fears and let God speak to us in the solitude of our thoughts. Worship, fasting, and prayer help prepare us to proclaim the Gospel through our words and our works. They give us the graces we need to manifest God’s Love and Mercy and find fulfillment as disciples of Christ.

Do we make the most of the time we spend with God in worship and prayer? How can we make fasting a central part of living out our faith? In what ways do we proclaim the Word of God?

O Lord, set us apart and send us to where we need to be.

Amen.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord.  Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.  For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

We are all called to spread the Good News in our own way. We do this through our ideas, our words, and our works. We do this by remaining faithful to the teachings of Christ, being firmly faithful, and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us. We do this by becoming more and more like Christ, manifesting God’s Love and Mercy for all whom we meet. We do this by allowing God to send us forth to where He needs us and opening our hearts to the graces we need to do His Will. Then, and only then, will we deserve the name of Christians and become good and faithful servants of God and heirs to the Kingdom.

In what ways do we spread the Divine Word of Jesus? What can we do to prepare ourselves to be sent forth to proclaim the Good News? How can we imitate Christ more faithfully?

O Lord, fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we might be made worthy of the title of Christians.

Amen.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?

Sometimes we are tempted to put people into boxes. These people are good. These people are bad. These people are holy. These people are immoral. However, no one is guaranteed salvation and no one is beyond redemption. People are bigger than the boxes we want to put them in and if we look at a person as believe they are irredeemable, then perhaps we should look in the mirror, too. Jesus didn’t look at sinners and see only their sins. He looked at them and saw their potential, too. He saw the Divine Image behind each individual’s disfigurations. The Good News, the sacraments, and the Church couldn’t remain hidden in Israel precisely because of this universal, shared, Divine Imprint on every human being. Jews and gentles were made in God’s Likeness and so they both became heirs to His Kingdom. They both have the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ and receive the same Holy Spirit. It is God’s Infinite Image within us that makes putting anyone into a box impossible... because within us all is the potential to become uniquely Christ.

How can we keep ourselves from putting others into boxes? How can we overcome our biases, prejudices, and opinions and see others with Jesus-colored glasses? How can we learn to love the Divine Image within each individual?

O Lord, help us to be as welcoming of others as you are.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

There is only one way into heaven and that is through the Divine Gateway of Jesus Christ. It is through his shepherding teachings that he shows us the true way to eternal life. There are no other paths to paradise, except those which go through Christ. The road to ruin is wide and full of thieves, stealing, slaughtering, and destroying poor souls. However, God will protect us from the dangers of the world if we are willing to listen to His Voice and follow Jesus along the narrow and righteous trail to heaven. He shall feed us with his Body and pour out his Blood for us so we might be sustained through our trials and have more abundant lives with him.

Have we accepted Jesus as our Shepherd? Do we listen to his voice? Do we follow him to where we need to be?

O Lord, help us to live our lives more abundantly in, through, and with you.

Amen.

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

"Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them.  When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.

When Peter is asked to come to Tabitha, he does so without delay. He heads upstairs and after seeing what Tabitha has been doing to help support the other faithful, he kneels, prays, and calls on her to rise. When she does return to life, it's a moment of great joy for everyone. There will be times when we are doing something like Peter and suddenly be asked to help someone else. We can respond like Peter and go immediately or we might delay or refuse. The first response we should have as Christians is to help those in need to the best of our abilities. So let us keep a watchful eye and a listening ear so we can respond how we should, quickly and without complaint.

Do we delay our help of others? How can we be more responsive to those in need? What can we do to help others to the best of our abilities?

O Lord, give us the spirit to come to the aid of others without delay.

Amen.

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”

Although we might not realize it, we persecute Jesus just as Saul did. We might not hunt down Christians like he did or stand by as innocent people are stoned to death, but we do it in little ways. We do it when we chose our own interests over what God is calling us to do. We do it when we put our selfish desires ahead of the good of others. We do it when we choose to be lazy or to let an opportunity to do good pass us by. We do it when we let our passions rule our wisdom and our conscience. We do it when we don’t listen to someone’s cry for help. We do it when we seek revenge or deny forgiveness to those who ask for it. We do it in many great and small ways whenever we sin. However, thanks to the Resurrection and the hope it gives to us, we like Saul, can be transformed into good and faithful servants if we are willing to listen to His Word and do what He tells us in our heart of hearts.

How are we persecuting God? How can we overcome our sins and make amends to our Lord and God? Are we ready and willing to listen to the plan that He has for us and embrace it?

O Lord, transform us from sinful Sauls into faithful Pauls so we might become more Christ-like in all that we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out.

God sends us forth every day of our lives. He sends us forth to proclaim His Divine Word, to reveal His Love and Mercy, and to show others how to become more Christ-like. He sends us forth to help those who are confused and in need of help. He sends us forth as witnesses to the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus. We might not understand why he sends us forth into the lives of others or what we are supposed to do when we get there, but if we are open to the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, then we shall be given the right words and works to lead others and ourselves closer to God.

How do we prepare ourselves for God’s invitation to do His Will? Are we willing to place our trust in Him when He sends us forth into the unknown? What can we do to open our hearts to the calling of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, send us forth for we are ready to know, love, and serve you and your children.

Amen.

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.

Just like the early disciples, we shouldn’t let persecution keep us from preaching the word and helping others. Proclaiming the Good News and doing good works are two of the most essential actions we can take as Christians. By giving our voices to the Divine Word of God, we can guide and inspire others to become better models of Christ. By giving our flesh to the Body of Christ, we can perform acts of charity and mercy that can heal others of their physical, emotional, and spiritual ills and bring joy to those who are suffering. All it takes for this world to become a better place is for each of us to choose to better ourselves by becoming more Christ-like in thought, word, and work.

Are we willing to preach the Word of God even if it means suffering for it? Are we willing to help others in their times of need even if it means we might be persecuted? How can we become more charitable and merciful in our thoughts, speech, and actions?

O Lord, send us forth to preach your word and heal the hurt.

Amen.

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Forgiving others can be very difficult, but imagine the love and mercy we would need to be able to forgive our murderers. It is the love and mercy of Jesus Christ revealed again through the faithful witness of St. Stephen. It is the also exactly what we are called to do. Though we might not be crucified or stoned, we are all called to be martyrs and forgivers in one way or another. Perhaps we are martyred by the way members of our family treat us. Perhaps we are martyred by backstabbing or gossipy coworkers. Perhaps someone else is casting stones at our character or being physically abusive. In each of these instances, and so many more, we are called upon to put aside our selfish desire for revenge and ask God to forgive those who have sinned against us. Not because we like the person or condone what they have done, but because forgiving others frees us from the temptation to strike back. It frees us from our anger, our resentment, and all those other feelings that could lead us into sin. When we let go and let God, we recognize God as the One and Only Judge and can fall asleep in His Arms secure in the knowledge that He will protect what is most important... our souls.

Who do we need to forgive in our lives? How can we learn to show mercy, even to those who show none to us? What can we do to resist the temptation to retaliate against those who harm us?

O Lord, do not hold the sins others commit against us against them.

Amen.

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Stephen, a deacon, was called to service in a special way among the early Christians. However, he not only worked great wonders and signs, but also proclaimed the faith with wisdom and the Spirit even though he knew it might mean his death. In a similar way, we are all called to be prophetic servants of God’s Word and His Will. We might not have a specific vocation to the deaconate or be called to be martyrs, but we are all asked to know, love, and serve God and His children in our own unique ways and be willing to suffer and die in order to fulfill our mission to evangelize the world. Our service and deaths might not be as dramatic as Stephen’s, but that doesn’t mean they are any less important in the eyes of God. He sees our good deeds and sacrifices with the eyes of a loving Father, compassionate Brother, and supportive Advocate. He only cares that what we do is done with great love and mercy.

How are we being called to be a sign of God’s Goodness? In what ways can we proclaim the Good News to others? What vocation is God calling us to?

O Lord, makes us prophetic signs of your love and mercy.

Amen.