Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness!" Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.

God is willing to accompany us on our life journeys even when we are not perfect. He is willing to pardon us and receive us as His own children. He knows we are not guiltless and yet He loves us nonetheless. He wants to be with us, always, and we should want Him with us, too. We should start each day bowing to God and asking Him, like Moses, to come along in our company. And if we do this, we shall find Him in our midst wherever we go and whenever we most need.

Do we invite God to be with us every day? How can we become better people? Are we willing to pardon others as God pardons us?

O Lord, pardon us and receive us as your own.

Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest treasure God can give to us. It is a place of rest, a place of joy, a place of love where we will be fulfilled. It is in heaven that we will experience God firsthand. We shall see His Divine Face and bask in the Beatific Vision. We shall see the Divine Image that is within each of us, but perfected beyond our wildest dreams. And this is why we should be willing to sell everything we have to buy Heaven. We must sell our attachments to worldly things, to other people, to everything that is holding us back from obtaining Paradise. We must be willing to sacrifice, to pray, to fast, to give alms, to give our entire lives over to God in hopes that He will open the Gates of Heaven for us.

Are we willing to sell everything we have to obtain Heaven? What are the worldly possessions, unhealthy attachments, and other things keeping us from being completely God’s children? How can we learn to let them go?

O Lord, help us to invest ourselves completely in you.

Amen.

Sixteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.” Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.”

God has given us everything we need to fulfill our end of the New Covenant, just as He gave the Israelites what they needed to fulfill the Old Covenant. He has given us the Scriptures to guide us and the Church to shepherd us. He has given us His Beloved Son as a sacrifice and sign of His Covenant with us. In return, He asks for our faith in His commandments and teachings. He asks us to place our trust in Him and not the world or ourselves. He asks us to love Him and others as He loves us. The Passion and Death of Jesus sealed the New Covenant with the Body and Blood of Christ and we in turn seal our end by following the Scriptures and traditions of the Church, especially when we make present Jesus’ sacrifice when we partake in the Blessed Sacrament.

Are we thankful for all God has given us through the New Covenant? Are we living up to our end of the bargain? How can we live more covenantal lives?

O Lord, everything you have said we will heed and do.

Amen.

Sixteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

In those days: God delivered all these commandments: "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The first commandment is one which makes clear where our minds, hearts, and souls should be focused during life… upon God. He is the one and only thing we need to know, love, and serve in this world. He is our Creator, Master, and Just Judge. He will look at our lives and measure them out not according to our worldly successes, but by how much we kept the commandments and gave Him the first and last place in our hearts. Thankfully, God is merciful and forgiving because we often fail to give God what is due to Him. We let the world lead us stray and into worshiping false idols. But God is patient and give us every chance to avoid His strictest punishments and instead enjoy His Mercy in this life and His Divine Presence in Heaven.

Are we following the commandments? Have we given God the first and last place in our hearts? What can we do to avoid those things that are false idols?

O Lord, you are our God, who delivers us from the slavery of sin and death.

Amen.

Sixteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also.” When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, the LORD added, “Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.”

We all need to prepare ourselves for God’s Presence in our lives. We can do this in many ways from daily prayers to acts of sacrifice, but most effective is through the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation. When we go to God with contrite hearts, admit our sins, and accept His Mercy, we become spiritually clean. We sanctify ourselves through confession and making a firm commitment to God to sin no more. We wash ourselves in the saving grace of Christ and ready our souls to receive God not only in our everyday experiences, but in the Eucharist. Preparing ourselves for God is something we need to do on a daily basis because God is always with us.

In what ways do we prepare ourselves for God’s Presence? How can we cleanse and sanctify ourselves? Are the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist at the core of who we are and how we act?

O Lord, sanctify and wash us with you Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

As Christians, we frequently pray for our daily bread through the Our Father. In this prayer we express our need for God’s Presence in our lives each and every day. We cannot sustain ourselves on worldly things. Only the Body and Blood of Christ given to us through the sacrament of the Eucharist can truly nourish us. Sometimes we can become so busy worrying about tomorrow we forget to provide for our daily spiritual needs. We might make time for breakfast, lunch, and diner... and maybe a few snack times, but what about partaking in the Presence of God? Shouldn’t we spend as much, if not more, time feeding our spirits through prayer, meditation, contemplation, good works, acts of mercy, and all the other things that nurture holy souls? It is so much easier to feed our bodies, and yet we do ourselves and others a disservice by forgetting to provide for our spiritual well-being. We all need a steady diet of our Daily Bread, our Jesus, through whatever forms we can get him whether through the sacrament of the Eucharist, or prayer, or imitation of him through our acts of faith, hope, and love.

Do we set aside time each day for our daily bread, even if only through spiritual communion? In what ways do we feed our spirits? How can we become a more Eucharistic people?

O Lord, rain down your presence upon us, especially through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Amen.

Feast of Saint James, Apostle

Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we too believe and therefore speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

As Christians, we all have the same Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We all have the full potential to become saints rather than sinners. We all have the same mission to proclaim the gospel and the same responsibilities to know, love, and serve God and His children. We also share in the same promise of one day meeting God face-to-face and entering into His Presence for all eternity. This is what it means to be part of the New Covenant and we should do everything in our power to ensure we do not take for granted the gift of the Holy Spirit and all God has given us through Him.

Are we speaking out about our faith? What are we doing to keep ourselves good and pure so we are worthy of remaining in God’s Presence for all eternity? How can we multiply God’s Grace in the world?

O Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Sixteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert.” But Moses answered the people, “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.

How quickly we can forget all God has done for us! He does so much to show us His Love and Mercy. He gives us graces and consolations, and yet we find things to complain about. We wonder why He couldn’t do this or that for us and grumble about where He is leading us. How short our memories are when it comes to God’s faithfulness to us. He is always here for us, and yet we feel abandoned or anxious. We wonder why He couldn’t just leave us alone, let us rest on our laurels, and stay in our comfort zone. However, He has our best interests at heart. He wants us to grow in faith, hope, and love and we cannot do that without exercising our spirit and pushing ever onward toward the Promised Land. He tells us to, “Fear not!” because if we place our trust in Him, He will lead us to victory over sin and death.

In what ways do we remind ourselves of all God has done for us? How can we learn to accept whatever comes along the road to Heaven, rather than to complain about it? Are we willing to keep moving forward to the Promised Land in spite of the sacrifices we will need to make to do so?

O Lord, help us to keep in mind all you have done for us, especially when we feel most anxious and worried.

Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Sometimes we might wonder why there is evil in this world. However, it wasn’t God who brought sin and wickedness into His creation, but the Devil and our own pride. The temptation to believe we know better than God is one we constantly are faced with in great and small ways. Evil exists because God gave us the freedom to choose between right and wrong, but this free will is also a blessing because it also allows us to love and do good. God could have chosen to uproot evil in the human race, but that would have robbed us of our Divine Image and made us into something less than human. Without choice, we cannot love God or His children or do good works because there is no other option and love and goodness cannot be forced upon us. And so God lets evil exist, not because He wants it to, but because He doesn’t want to violate our humanity or rob us of His Divine Image.

What are the weeds in our lives? How can we uproot them and become more faithful servants? What can we do to use our free will for good?

O Lord, burn away our imperfections and sins, leaving us only with the fruits of your divine image within us.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves–I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves.

Love makes us go out to others. It makes us get up in the middle of the night and seek our beloved. It disturbs us in a good way. It does not let us rest or focus all our energies on ourselves. It requires us to go forth and seek what is best for God and others. If we only care about ourselves than the thought of others would be the furthest thing from our minds. We would have no need for them and become self-involved to the point we would ignore everything else. Selfishness would consume us. But when we love someone else, we can cast aside our selfishness and become selfless for them. Hopefully we do that for God and His children because it is the only way we will ever have eternal life.

What disturbs us from our selfish thoughts? Who do we love more ourselves or God and His children? How can we become more selfless and loving?

O Lord, may our hearts seek you every day and night.

Amen.

Fifteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

As Christians, it is important to remember the Passover and its relationship with Jesus. It was at the celebration of the Passover meal that Jesus gave us His Body and Blood and in many ways our Mass reflects this Jewish tradition. We might not dress like those in flight when we attend Mass, but we should all clothe our hearts as pilgrims setting out to the Promised Land. We do not belong to this world, but to the next and so we should keep in mind this image of flight from Egypt because it reminds us that our home is not in earthly things, but in heavenly ones. And just as the Passover meal is a celebration of deliverance, so too the Liturgical and Eucharistic rites are focused on celebrating the promise God made us... to deliver us from our sins and give us eternal life in His Kingdom. The Mass makes present the Body and Blood of Christ, which marks us as houses of the Living God and protects us from God’s Righteous Wrath.

In what ways do we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ? How can we remember that we are merely pilgrims on this earth, passing through to another life? What do we do to mark ourselves as Christians in thought, word, and deed?

O Lord, mark us as your own.

Amen.

Fifteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.

God is always concerned for us and our well being. We might not feel that way all the time. We might feel abandoned and lost. However, God is always with us, by our side in good times and bad. We might not see Him, but He is there to protect and guide us. He gives us the graces we need to overcome every obstacle, to bear any burden, to make it through our sorrows. And through Jesus Christ, He has given us a way, leading us out of our worldly miseries and into the promised land of eternal life with Him.

Do we feel abandoned or lost? Are we miserable or sorrowful? How can we turn these things over to God and allow Him to bear us out of our hardships and worries?

O Lord, lead us to the land flowing with your love and mercy.

Amen.

Fifteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Holy ground is something we don’t always think about when going to Mass, but when we enter a church and its grounds we find ourselves on it and should act accordingly. We should treat the church and its grounds with respect and do our best to be holy. We should strive to be loving, merciful, patient and mild while there in our reverence for God, our treatment of others, and our attention to the Mass, the sacraments, and any other programs or events going on within the church or its properties. We should be prayerful and united in Christ while in these holy places. We should dress properly, speak appropriately, and act in accordance with God’s Will. If we cannot contain our vices, imperfections, and passions within these sacred grounds, then how can we ever hope to be worthy of heaven? So let us be respectful of the holy places we enter and treat them wisely and well.

Do we treat holy grounds with reverence? How can we allow the holiness of these sacred sites infuse and upraise our spirits? What can we do to make our hearts into sacred grounds consecrated to God?

O Lord, give us a healthy respect for your holy grounds, the sacraments we celebrate there, and those we meet within your sacred places.

Amen.

Fifteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying! She was moved with pity for him and said, “It is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” “Yes, do so,” she answered. So the maiden went and called the child’s own mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you.”

Through the act of saving Moses, the Pharaoh’s daughter showed compassion for the innocent and for those whom her father saw as his inferiors. She risked much by this act of charity and similarly, we are sometimes asked to risk ourselves in service of God and others. This scene reminds us all that we need to cultivate a sense of compassion for others, a willingness to love them and show mercy to them no matter who they are or what their circumstances. Sure it is easy to be compassionate toward innocent people or loved ones, especially when there is nothing at risk from our doing so. However, we need to have the same storehouse of love and mercy for those whom we dislike, whom are our enemies, or whom we might suffer for helping. Our compassion must be blind, given freely without reservation or restriction. This is how Jesus gave himself to and for us and we should do no less.

In what ways do we show compassion for others? Are we willing to put aside our own feelings and know, love, and serve those whom we dislike? Are we willing to suffer in order to become loving and merciful souls to all who seek our aid?

O Lord, grant us compassionate hearts.

Amen.

Fifteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.

We are not guaranteed that our past actions will be rewarded. We never know when someone will come along who does not know or respect us. They might see the goods we have done and dismiss them or be jealous of them. The might seek to oppress us out of envy or pride in order to raise themselves in the eyes of others. We never know when our lives might be turned upside down by the actions of another person. However, in spite of all these things, if we trust in God’s Love and Mercy. If we believe in His Goodness. If we accept what comes with humility and patience, then we shall overcome, we shall be freed from our oppressors, and we shall be brought to the promise land of eternal life.

Do we trust in God? Do we believe that no matter what happens to us He shall protect and strengthen us? How can we become more humble and patient people?

O Lord, multiply your graces in us in our times of need.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Becoming fruitful followers of Christ requires us to do three things: know, love, and serve God and His children. In order to know God, we have to be open to the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In order to know God’s children, we have to listen to them and empathize with them. In order to love and serve God and others properly, we need to understand the Word of God and what it is asking of us as followers of Christ. Our knowledge and understanding of the Good News shows us the Way to live Christ-like lives and helps us to bear good fruits through our thoughts, words, and works.

Are we open to listening to the Word of God, even in the midst of our busy lives? What can we do to help ourselves to understand the Word of God? How can we know, love, and serve God and His children in fruitful ways?

O Lord, grant us the graces we need to be fertile soil for your Divine Word.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, “When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”

Joseph’s trust in God’ Providence is something we should all strive for. He believes God keeps His promises, maybe not always in the way or time we expect, but He always fulfills His oaths. Through Jesus, God promised us salvation if we would listen to Jesus’ teachings and follow in his footsteps. It is by doing these things that we align our lives with the Truth, walk the Way of Christ, and live the Life of love and mercy God calls each of us to. He also promised us that one day Jesus Christ would return and we would be judged according to our faith and works. We shall have a place either in Heaven or Hell. Hopefully, we choose to live in accordance with God’s Will and find ourselves counted among the saints.

Do we trust in God’s Providence? Do we believe God will take care of us and lead us to the Promised Land? How can we prepare for His coming as if it was to be today?

O Lord, take care of us and lead us to Paradise with you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

God is our Heavenly Father and like Joseph we should rejoice in Him. We should show Him respect, give Him homage, and offer Him everything we have. We should not rest until we are in His Divine Presence and should do all things in hopes of one day entering into His Kingdom. We should fling ourselves upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and weep in His Arms for the love and mercy He has shown us. We should go to Him wherever we can find Him, in our families, friends, and strangers who bear the image of God within them. We should prepare our hearts and homes to receive Him when He comes... through the presence of others, the sacraments, and our own prayer lives. God is our Father and it is in Him that we shall find our fulfillment.

What can we do to prepare ourselves to receive our Father? How can we be mindful of His Presence in our lives? How do we give thanks to Him, who has do so much for us?

O Lord, we fling ourselves upon you and weep for joy in your arms.

Amen.

Fourteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”

Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is something we can all learn from. He shows us how to put aside the wrongs others have done to us and instead embrace those who wronged him in spite of the temptation for vengeance. He could have been bitter and turned his back on his brothers as they had done him. And yet, he is merciful and sees how his brothers’ ill treatment of him led to a greater good. He focuses not on his brothers’ sinfulness, but rather on God’s goodness. Joseph’s merciful and trusting nature comes from his choice to do what is right and loving even to those who have wronged him. This is what Jesus did in His life, when he chose to sacrifice himself for us... sinners who betray him every day in great and small ways. But thankfully, Christ’s Divine Mercy and his desire to save lives is far greater than any of our sins and so he spares us when we come before him and admit our guilt.

Are we willing to forgive those who have wronged us? Can we put aside personal feelings and do good to those who have done us evil? Are we willing to suffer for the sake of saving lives?

O Lord, help us to be merciful and loving even to those who have harmed us.

Amen.

Fourteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them. When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt. In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.

Before the famine, Joseph interpreted one of Pharaoh’s dreams as being a foretelling of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Impressed by this insights, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. For seven years, Joseph stored up the bountiful harvest in preparation for the famine so that all of Egypt would be prepared. Sometimes we are given insights into our own futures and given the opportunity to store up for our own times of famine. Perhaps we might foresee the loss of a job, or anticipate the loss of our health, or sense family troubles ahead. The best time to prepare for difficulties is when we are having years of plenty. We can store up our treasures, make the best use of our talents and time, and prepare ourselves for the trials ahead... so when we come upon rough times we are not left with nothing. The prudence of Joseph is something we should all strive for because when we are prepared for the worst, we are less likely to waste our time despairing, and instead learn to live within the limitations of the moment in hopes of experiencing years of plenty again.

Are we prepared for the worst? Do we foresee any difficulties in our lives? How can we prepare for them physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to live through the famines of our lives.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” The man asked, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.”

Jacob’s persistence pays off with a blessing from God. He could have easily given up at any time, especially when his hip socket was wrenched. However, he refused to let go and so he was blessed. Sometimes we have things we must wrestle with in our lives. They might be bad habits and sins, they might be major decisions about our lives, or they might be trials that test our faith. But no matter what they are, if we persist in holding onto God as our rock and savior, we shall be rewarded in the end.

Are we persistent in the things that matter most... in faith, hope, and love? Are we willing to wrestle with the tough choices of our lives instead of flee from them? How ca we prepare ourselves for the physical, mental, and spiritual struggles that lie ahead?

O Lord, bless us who hold onto you.

Amen.

Fourteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed, “Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!” In solemn wonder he cried out: “How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.

After receiving his vision of the stairway to Heaven, Jacob gives glory to God, sets up a memorial stone, anoints it with oil, and vows to become a follower of God if the Lord protects him. These actions can teach us a lot about how to respond to God’s inspirations in our lives. When we receive guidance from God through insights, the voice of our consciences, graces, or other means, we should first give glory to God. Then, we should remember what God has given us and honor the gift as best we can. Lastly, if the inspiration comes from God, then it will have its good fruits and it will be by these fruits that we shall know God’s Will has been done.

Do we give glory to God whenever he does something for us? How can we honor his gifts? What can we do to remain with God as He remains with us?

O Lord, truly you are with us.

Amen.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

We all labor and are burdened, but not all of us have rest. When we do not pray to God for the graces to accomplish our works, we shall be crushed be them. When we do not take the time to listen in silence to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, we shall lose our way and fall into the pits and snares of the Devil. When we do not have faith in God, we lose hope, become paralyzed by our fears, and are suffocated by our worries. When we do not turn to God and the sign of the cross in our times of need, then we turn our backs on God and abandon Him in selfish despair. However, if we take upon ourselves the yoke of faith, becoming meek and humble of heart as Jesus did in his own life, then we shall find rest. We shall discover that the grace of God makes our labors easy and our burdens light. Not that we will be spared sacrifices and sufferings, but our hearts are filled with the peace that comes from letting go and letting God lift us into His arms... allowing Him to take up our burdens.

Do we come to God in all our labors and burdens? Are we willing to take upon ourselves the yoke of the Christ-like life? How can we become meek and humble of heart?

O Lord, we accept the yoke of doing your will.

Amen.

Thirteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Rebekah had been listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. So, when Esau went out into the country to hunt some game for his father, Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of his neck. Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the bread she had prepared.

Mary does for us what Rebekah did for Jacob. She listens to God and knows what He wants and if we treat her with honor and love, then she will do everything she can to put us into position to receive God’s blessing. If we listen to her and do whatever she tells us, then God will find us pleasing. She tells us to dress in the virtues of faith, hope, and love because she knows our Heavenly Father favors them. She tells us to cover up our flaws and imperfections by putting on the sacrificial life of Christ because she knows that the only way to our heavenly reward is through becoming children of God. She prepares for us a feast of faithful acts and good works that she knows God will enjoy. Mary is our most perfect Mother, giving us every advantage... for who knows God better than His Daughter, His Mother, and His Holy Spouse?

Do we honor and love Mary as we should? Do we follow the example she sets for us? How can we make Mary a more important and influential model for our lives?

O Lord, thank you for our immaculate mother.

Amen.

Thirteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

"Put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not procure a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live, but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred to get a wife for my son Isaac." The servant asked him: "What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?" "Never take my son back there for any reason," Abraham told him. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my kin, and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me, 'I will give this land to your descendants'–he will send his messenger before you, and you will obtain a wife for my son there. If the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But never take my son back there!"

Abraham is adamant about the oath he makes his servant swear in regards to procuring a wife for his son. He makes clear that the wife must come from his own land and kindred. He also makes clear that his son is not to go back to the old land. Abraham firmly believes in the covenant he has made with God and as such he sees settling for less or going backwards as two things he cannot allow his son and heir to do. Abraham trusts that God’s promise will be kept and so he makes clear his intent to only move forward in faith and not look backward. It can be hard for us to have the same trusting and forward-looking attitude in our own lives. There are moments when we are tempted to settle for less than our best. There are times when our past weighs upon us and tries to drag us backward. But we cannot allow this to happen. We must trust in God and march forward to the end that God has prepared for us in the Promised Land of Heaven.

Are we as adamant in our faith in God’s Providence as Abraham? How can we come to trust in God more and more? What can we do to avoid the pitfalls of settling for less or being dragged backwards by our pasts?

O Lord, let us put all our trust in you and your Divine Providence.

Amen.

Thirteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”

We have to be willing to give up what we love for God. God might not ask us to sacrifice in the same way as He did Abraham, but every day He does ask us to sacrifice the things we like and love to do what is right and good. We might have to give up TV or computer time to help a neighbor or listen to someone in need of a friendly ear. We might be asked to pull up our roots and move to a new place in order to follow where we know God is calling us. We might have to fast from fatty or sugary foods to become healthier people. We might have to give up our time, talents, and treasures to the Church or charities in order to make a difference in other people’s lives. Whatever it might be, we must be willing to sacrifice everything we hold dear to do God’s Will. Then and only then, will we prove that we are truly devoted to God.

Are we willing to give up what we love for God? How can we develop the habit of putting God’s Will before our own? What sacrifices is God asking us to make today?

O Lord, give us the devotion to withhold nothing from you.

Amen.

Thirteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

"Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!" Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring."

Jealousy can corrupt all of us if we let it. It is a sin that worms its way into our hearts and slowly gnaws at us from the inside out. Like all sins, it is best to resist it from the outset. If left to feast on our darker emotions, it can lead us to not only evil thoughts, but evil actions, too. Envying others does us no good. It is a waste of time that only leeches our time and energy and gives us nothing in return. In fact, because the time we spend on envious thoughts leaves us empty, it makes us even more aware of what we lack which in turn leads to more and more jealousy. So, best to resist these harmful thoughts from the beginning and instead always be supportive of others, like God was supportive of Hagar and Ishmael.

Are we jealous of anyone? If so, how can we rid ourselves of our jealousy? What can we do to be more loving and supportive of those we are tempted to envy?

O Lord, uproot all envy in our hearts.

Amen.

Thirteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

"Flee for your life! Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain. Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away." "Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied, "You have already thought enough of your servant to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life. But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me, and so I shall die. Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to. It's only a small place. Let me flee there–it's a small place, is it not?–that my life may be saved." "Well, then," he replied, "I will also grant you the favor you now ask. I will not overthrow the town you speak of.  Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything until you arrive there."

Lot’s request to flee to a small town instead of the hills might seem odd at first. After all, the angels are telling him to flee for the hills before Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire and brimstone. Lot thanks the Lord for his kindness, but flatly states that he can’t make it to the hills. We can only guess as to why Lot couldn’t flee all the way to the hills. Perhaps he had a bad knee or hip or some other malady that made the journey impossible for him. Or maybe the hills were dangerous and he feared them. Whatever the reason, the angels consent to this change in plans. Lot is allowed to flee to the small place and be safe from destruction. Although we might not be faced with such dire situations ourselves, sometimes we do face what might seem like overwhelming trials. It is comforting to know that God is willing to listen to our pleas, take into account our abilities, and grant us little favors and small places of respite in the midst of our trials.

What pleas do we need to make to the Lord? Are there trials we are facing which are in dire need of God’s help? Do we truly appreciate how much God listens to our prayers and petitions?

O Lord, listen to our pleas and give us small places to rest in times of trouble.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As Christians, we are all part of a community of saints. We are members of God’s household and as such we have certain responsibilities to God and to others. We are asked to think, speak, and act in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to us through the Scriptures. We are also called to follow the traditions of the Church as handed down to us through the Apostles. The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus stand at the heart of what it means to be part of the community of saints. It is Christ who holds us together and supports us as we build ourselves and each other into living temples to God’s Glory. It is when we imitate this Beloved Son, our Lord, that we become the holiest of holies and make our hearts into homes for the Holy Spirit.

How are we living out our calling to be a part of the community of saints? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities to God and to others? What can we do to build up the temple of God both in the Church and others?

O Lord, build us into dwelling places for your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

We should be more welcoming to God and others. We should welcome God into our minds, hearts, and spirits. We should welcome others into our homes and lives. We would all be better off if the world with a more hospitable place where everyone loved each other to the best of their abilities. We can love others best by knowing, loving, and serving God and His children with humble and caring attitudes. Preaching, praying, acting righteously, and being compassionate and merciful are all ways we can receive God and others into our lives and bear good fruit in our relationships with them.

Are we receptive to having God in our lives? Are we welcoming of others? How can we show our hospitality to everyone so they can in turn see how welcoming God is to all peoples?

O Lord, let us receive you into our hearts so we can better give you to others through our preaching, praying, and acts of charity and mercy.

Amen.

Twelfth Saturday of Ordinary Time

“Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?” But the LORD said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?’ Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.” Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But he replied, “Yes you did.”

There may be times in our lives when we feel like Sarah... we think to ourselves that something is impossible even for God to do. However, we need to remember that God is all powerful. He can help us overcome any obstacle. He can give us the strength to carry any burden. He can offer us the graces and gifts we need to fulfill His Will. He can forgive us our sins, no matter how bad they might be. He is not limited in His Love or Mercy and at the appointed time He will gives us all we need to survive our trails and thrive in holiness. But in His time, not ours. So let us resist the temptation to put restraints on God’s Goodness and Power and instead accept God’s aid in whatever form it comes... whenever it comes.

Are there things in our lives that we haven’t entrusted to God’s Providence? How can we place these things into His Hands? What can we do to become more trusting of God’s Love for us and His willingness to provide for our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs?

O Lord, there is nothing too marvelous for you to do.

Amen.