The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

We have much to be glad and rejoice about in our lives. As such, our thoughts, words, and works should sing to the Lord and bless His name. After all, it is because of God that we have the time, talents, and treasures present in our lives. We would be nothing and have nothing, if it wasn’t for the generosity of our Heavenly Father, who gave us not only His Beloved Son as a sacrifice for our sins, but His Holy Spirit as a guide to holiness.

Are we glad for all we have? Do we rejoice in God’s Goodness and Graces? How can we make our lives sing God’s praises?

O Lord, we bless your name and sing with joy to you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

We are truly blessed to have a loving and compassionate God. He is infinitely patient with us through our periods of sin, doubt, indifference, and selfishness. He is constantly helping us to overcome our weaknesses and to strengthen us in faith, hope, and love. He kindly extends His hand to us offering graces, blessings, and salvation to all whom will accept Him into their hearts. He is good to us all, even when we feel most abandoned and lost. Though we do not always see Him in our lives, He is always with us, waiting for us to open our eyes again and see Him next to us through thick and thin.

Do we recognize how blessed we are to have such a good God on our side? What can we do to express our thankfulness for His Graces, Love, and Mercy? How can we become more like Him, good and compassionate to all whom we meet each day?

O Lord, we extol you and bless your name forever.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Advent

The Lord our God comes with power. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name; announce his salvation, day after day.

Our God is powerful and He will do everything He can to save us. He will move mountains to move our hearts closer to Him. He will fill in valleys to raise our spirits. He will send angels to protect and guide us. He has already sent His Beloved Son to live, suffer, and die for us so we might grow in faith, hope, and love. He will bless us with every grace and give us every chance to choose Him over the world. Day after day, He offers us salvation. And if we will treat others as He treats us, then one day we shall stand before Him and He will say to us, "Well done, my good and faithful servants." And we will sing His praises for the rest of time.

Do we sing to the Lord and bless His Holy Name? Do we trust in His power? What can we do to become a good and faithful servant worthy of the salvation He offers to us each day?

O Lord, we sing to you and bless your name.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Advent

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.  When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.”  But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

It is human nature to want to share our good news with family and friends, just as Zechariah and Elizabeth did with their relatives and neighbors. When doing so, we should give witness to God’s Goodness in our lives and thank Him for all He has done for us. We also shouldn’t let those who do not understand our faith to get in the way of celebrating our good news. Instead, our attitude of gratitude should be ever present in our thoughts, words, and works no matter who might question our faith. Like Zechariah, we should express our appreciation to God by doing His Will in spite of what others might think. We might not receive an angelic visitation to tell us what God’s Will is, but as long as we form our conscience wisely and well, we will know the right direction we should be taking in our lives. Then, when we do take those first few steps upon the narrow road to salvation, we too will have our mouths opened, our tongues free, and bless God for all He has done for us.

Do we invite others to share in the goods of our lives? Do we do God’s Will even when others might not understand it?  Do we bless God for all He has done for us?

O Lord, we only wish to be called your good and faithful children.

Amen.