Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year. Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.

Merely following the commandments or making sacrifices isn't enough to take away our sins. We have to want to do God's Will above our own and then express that desire through the frequent reception of the sacrament of reconciliation. It is only by seeking to make ourselves right with the Lord that we can truly consecrate ourselves to God in body, mind, and spirit. In order to follow Christ to Heaven, we need to recognize our weaknesses and sins and seek to reform ourselves and make amends for our selfish ways.

What are the sins that we need to cleanse ourselves of? Are we taking every opportunity to express our contrition to God through the sacrament of reconciliation? Are we following through on our confessions and truly trying to amend our lives?

O Lord, help us to make good confessions.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

On that day You need not be ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD: the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them.

As long as we are willing to admit our mistakes, ask God for forgiveness with contrite hearts, and do penance, then we shall have nothing to be ashamed of when we stand before God. All our rebellious actions will be washed away in God’s Mercy. The key to doing all these things is humility. We must be willing to prostrate ourselves before God and cast aside our prideful impulses. It is only then that we shall be able to live our lives based on the Eternal Truth and not our own opinions.

Have we sought God’s Mercy for our sins, great and small? Are we willing to humble ourselves before God so He can raise us up on the Last Day? Do we live our lives according to the Truth or our own desires?

O Lord, wash away our misdeeds and rebellious actions with your never-ending mercy.

Amen.

The Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.  He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.  Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.'

We all have acted like the prodigal son in one way or another. We have being greedy, prideful, inconsiderate, wasteful, and many other things. However, God is always waiting for us to return to Him. He watches for us and hopes that one day we will come to our senses and seek him out. No matter if our sin is great or small, He rejoices in our return. All we have to do is to admit our sins, seek out His Mercy with contrite hearts, and do penance. Once these are done, God will cloth us in His Love, Mercy, and Grace and return us to life. It is difficult for us to admit we are flawed, that we have weaknesses, and are sinful. We tend to blind ourselves to what is wrong with us and only discover our underlying problems when all else fails. Thankfully, with God's help the way to salvation can be revealed to us even in our sinful state, though it us up to us to head toward the light and not hide from it. Then once we return to our Heavenly Father we shall be cleansed of our sins and given every blessing we need to live saintly lives filled with faith, hope, and love.

In what ways have we acted like the prodigal son? How can we amend our lives so we can become good and faithful servants? How can we show others the mercy God has shown to us?

O Lord, give us new life in your heavenly kingdom.

Amen.