Second Sunday of Advent

Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

We should be eager to live virtuous lives... to do good and avoid evil. We should be eager to rid ourselves of our imperfections and resist all temptations. We should be eager to be at peace with God and ourselves and not caught up in the chaos of the world around us. Throughout each day we will be tested by distractions, doubts, sufferings, obstacles, and all manner of trials, but as long as we choose what is right over what is wrong and put our trust in God, then we shall find inner tranquility. The world might race around us and people might run here or there, but we shall remain where we need to be... centered in Christ. Earthly things may try to divert our attention from God and from good deeds, but we shall remain focused on the Way, Truth, and Life Jesus has shown us. It is not easy to live spotless lives and to be at peace, but as long as we seek reconciliation with God, we shall be given both... and much more: eternal life.

Are we eager to live out our faith? Are we willing to deny ourselves worldly things in order to remain unblemished? How can we better base our lives on the calm and steady rock that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

O Lord, purify us in the fires of your love and mercy and grant us your peace.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Monday in Ordinary Time

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands. Indignation seizes me because of the wicked who forsake your law.

The unfair treatment of others should fill us with indignation. It should light a fire within us. One that inspires us to bring love, mercy, and justice to the world around us. When we see wickedness, we should oppose it and try to show people there is another way. We cannot force goodness on others, but we can proclaim the Good News and show what it means to be Christians by living our lives in accordance with Scriptures. Most importantly, although we might hate the sins, we must also love the sinner. We must be able to separate the two from each other so we can treat people well no matter how ugly their actions are. God is the only judge and no matter how much we might be tempted to condemn another, we must only condemn their actions, not the person.

How are we fighting against the unfair treatment of others? How can we learn to love those whom we find most repugnant? What do we do to keep ourselves from being judgmental?

O Lord, help us to fight against the unfair treatment of others.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.  So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Our strength to endure all hardships comes from God. He is the source of our courage and resilience. He is the Father of all the gifts, graces, and blessings that help us to overcome our difficulties in our lives. He is the foundation of our power, love, and self-control. The Church stands before the world as a sign of God’s Holy Spirit, alive and at work in the world and we have a responsibility to magnify that Spirit through our own thoughts, words, and works. For it is through our acts that we give testimony to our Lord and it is through the example of how we bear our burdens that we show what it means to be Christians. So, let us to be strong in the Spirit and do whatever God is calling us to do without worrying about what we might suffer, but rather focused on how through our sacrifices we might give glory to God and do good for His children.

Do we ask for God’s strength when faced with the challenges of our lives? How can we open ourselves more to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit? How can we use the gifts, graces, and blessings God has given us to grow in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, grant us a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.  Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. 

We are all Paul is some way or another. Some are blasphemers. Others persecutors. Many are arrogant in their own unique ways. All of us have acted wrongly whether out of full-knowledge and consent to sin or out of ignorance. Thankfully, God is infinitely more forgiving than we could ever be sinful. No matter what we have done or failed to do, He has the grace to wash our stains and imperfections away and give us a clean start. After all, Jesus Christ did come into this world to save sinners and we all are sinners. Some of us foremost among them. However, God is compassionate and if we come to Him and confess our sins with humble and contrite hearts, then He will treat us mercifully. God is patient and kind. He will never use our admission of guilt against us. Instead, He will respect us for having the courage to admit we are wrong and in need of help and He will give us the graces we need to overcome our weaknesses and defend ourselves from the wickedness and snares of the Devil and all the evil powers of the world. Then, one day, when the race has been run, He will welcome us into the Heavenly Kingdom and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servants.” And all the sins of our past will be left behind and forgotten.

In what ways are we like Paul before his conversion? Do we make regular use of confession to help us uproot our weaknesses and sinful tendencies? How do we mirror God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace to others, especially those who tempt us to sin or who we have difficulty forgiving?

O Lord, we thank you for treating us with such infinite mercy.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Tuesday in Ordinary Time

The Lord is compassionate toward all his works. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.

God is compassionate toward all of us. He may be just in His punishment, but He is merciful, too. He gives us an example of treating others well and being good to them, even when they aren’t good to us. He shows us how to know, love, and serve Him and all His children, especially those who are most difficult to love. It is by His Holy Name that we are blessed and filled with grace and it is because of Him that we are called to become living sacrifices.

How do we treat others? Are we as compassionate as God is compassionate? What can we do to grown in mercy and love of God and others?

O Lord, be compassionate toward us.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Wednesday in Ordinary Time

I trust in the mercy of God for ever. I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, Trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

God planted us upon this earth to bear good fruit. He has nourished us with the Light of faith and the waters of His Love and Mercy. He has cultivated us with Hope and pruned us with the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. He has weeded evil out of our hearts and protects us from the worms of temptation. We flourish under His care and grow in holiness and grace with each passing season. It is because of Him that we have good things and produce good works. And we should be thankful He has planted us in the fertile soil of His Divine Image, which gives us all we need to become fruitful Christians.

Do we trust in the Light of God’s Truth? Do we allow ourselves to be saturated with the waters of God’s Love and Mercy? What can we do to ensure we bear good and abundant fruits?

O Lord, we trust in your mercy.

Amen.

Seventeenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

O God, let all the nations praise you! The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

God has blessed us in many ways. He is the source of all our good. He is the center of all our joy. He is the summit of all we should strive to be. If we cultivate our relationship with Him, then we will grow in faith, hope, and love. We will blossom with kindness and bear good fruits as long as we drink from the font of holiness and let the light of truth sustain us. If we have deep roots into our faith, then when dark nights or dry spells come into our lives, we will continue to thrive on the holy waters within our hearts. And when good times come, we will yield thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold.

How can we make God the source, center, and summit of our lives? What can we do to bear good fruits? How can we allow God to sustain us through the difficult times of our lives?

O Lord, help us to yield good fruits.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

As Christians, we shouldn’t be afraid to sacrifice and suffer. Jesus showed us that being willing to suffer for the good of others is not only good, but necessary to salvation. Yes, we can be good and do good without too much difficulty when it requires little or no sacrifice, but what happens when doing the right thing will cost us greatly? Will we have the same courage and fortitude to do good in the face of great sacrifice? Hopefully, we will be able to let go and give everything we have to God for His Glory and His children’s good. As today’s scripture says, affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, proven character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. So, let us pour ourselves out in selfless sacrifices so we might be a sign to the world that proclaims... sacrifice is good and should not be run away from.

Are we providing a good and faithful example of what it means to sacrifice and suffer for God? How can we become more enduring, hopeful, and loving in all our endeavors? In what ways can we allow God to pour Himself out into the world through us?

O Lord, hope in you never disappoints.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

In the end God will be victorious. Good will overcome evil. Holiness will defeat sin. Life will destroy death. And knowing these things should give us a lot to sing about. We should sing a song of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for all the amazing graces He has given us. We should sing God’s praises to the mountains and seas. We should march throughout the world as saints, proclaiming God’s Mercy and the promise of Heaven. We should sing joyfully to the world and bear the Good News with all our thoughts, words, and works.

How can we join our voices to those of the heavenly choir? What can we do to bring the music of mercy and love into our world? What joyful notes are we being called to sing for God and His children?

O Lord, we sing your praises on the harps of our hearts.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Easter

The Lord has established his throne in heaven. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

God’s kindness toward us is beyond anything we can imagine. He is loving and merciful toward us in spite of our sinfulness, our indifference, and our failings. He is good to us even though we take Him for granted, abuse His trust, and desert Him. He is willing to forgive us no matter what we have done. Can we say the same in our dealings with others? Are we as kind? As loving? As merciful? Not even close, and yet, God doesn’t abandon us. He remains with us and does everything in His Divine Power to protect us from evil, guide us to better lives, and help us to be holy.

How can we be as kind and merciful as God is toward us? What can we do to make the world a more loving place? How can we help others to grow in goodness?

O Lord, help us to imitate your kindness, love, and mercy.

Amen.

Sixth Thursday of Easter

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.

God constantly reveals His saving power to the world. Throughout the ages, He has proved again and again how compassionate He is. He forgave Israel over and over. He sacrificed His Beloved Son for our salvation. He sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us. He is with us through every trial and tribulation from birth to death to the afterlife. He is a just and merciful God, who remembers each of us with kindness and faithfulness. And all He asks from us in return are humble and contrite hearts that love Him and His children as much as He loves us.

Do we appreciate God’s saving grace and its role in our lives? How do we reveal the saving power of God? How can we be as merciful and loving as our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, make us into instruments of your saving power.

Amen.

Fourth Friday of Easter

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. “I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”

We are the children of God. This means we are unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father. He cares for us better than any earthly parent ever could and will do everything in His power to help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. He wants us to succeed in life, but like a good father, He will not force us to become what He wants us to be. He wants us to choose to know, love, and serve Him on our own because He knows He can’t force us to be good and faithful. We must want to follow in His footsteps before we can walk with Him into Paradise.

Are we living up to the responsibilities of being a child of God? How can we become better sons and daughters of our Good Father? What can we do to help others to be better children, too?

O Lord, you begot us and love us, help us to be holy children.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Easter

How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

It is impossible for us to truly repay God for all He has done for us. He gave us the world we live in. He gave us His Divine Image. He gave us our lives. He has offered us His Love, His Grace, and His Mercy. He has given us more than we could ever return to Him. All He asks for in return is our faith, hope, and love so we might know, love, and serve Him and all His children to the best of our abilities.

Are we making a good-faith effort to repay God for all He has done for us? What can we do to build up the Kingdom of God on earth? How can we fulfill our baptismal vows?

O Lord, help us to be counted among your faithful ones.

Amen.

Third Friday of Easter

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

God is faithful and kind to us. In good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in sin and holiness, He will always love us. His love is unconditional. It does not weaken with time or out of anger. It endures all out of a deep love for His every child. He is our Heavenly Father and in Him we have the Promise of eternal life.

How can we become as faithful and kind as our Heavenly Father? In what ways can we go out into the world and tell the Good News? How can we strengthen our faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, help us to be kind as you are kind.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Easter

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Bless our God, you peoples, loudly sound his praise; He has given life to our souls, and has not let our feet slip.

Joyful spirits are something we all need to cultivate in this world. Having a joyful spirit can be the difference between optimism and despair. Without joy, faith weakens and withers. Without joy, hope drains and disappears. Without joy, love falters and fails. We must be able to rejoice in our triumphs as is right, but also remain joyful in the midst of trials. God loves a joyful spirit. He gives strength to those who cultivate joy in their hearts and spread its good seeds to others. He wants His children to have a contagious joy that can’t help but spread from person to person, bringing each person closer to Him.

Are we joyful people? How can we increase our joy? What can we do to bring joy to others?

O Lord, we cry out to you with joyful spirits.

Amen.

Sunday of Divine Mercy

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

God’s Mercy endures forever. When He forgives us, it isn’t like how we forgive. Sometimes we are tempted to bring up old wounds to those who have harmed us. We do this especially when we are annoyed with another person such as a sibling, friend, and co-worker. We snap and say things that could be hurtful. This is why it’s so important to keep in mind the example of Christ on the cross. He was arrested, beaten, mocked, and scourged. He was forced to carry his cross and was treated like a criminal. And yet, he bore these terrible burdens without complaint and forgave his persecutors. He does this for us, too. If only our mercy and forgiveness could mirror his!

How do we give thanks to God for His Goodness and Love? How do we show others God’s Mercy? What can we do to keep ourselves from giving into the temptation to point out past harms done to us?

O Lord, we are thankful for your goodness.

Amen.

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just.

When we are in need of strength and courage, all we have to do is ask for them and God will provide. If we need joy or justice, all we have to do is seek them out in the Lord and He will grant them to us. If we desire mercy and love, then all we have to do is knock at the door of Jesus’ Sacred Heart and he will let us in. God is good and He will never ignore us. If our prayers are seemingly unanswered, then perhaps God is answering us in an unexpected and better way. Because He loves us, He does not always give us what we want. He knows better than us what we would do with our requests and sometimes we aren’t ready for our prayers to be answered.

Do we give thanks to God for not only when He answers our prayers, but also when He answers them in ways we don’t expect or might not even like? Do we ask Him for the graces to be strong and courageous in the faith? How can we be as just and merciful as God?

O Lord, we shout for joy for you have answered us with love and mercy.

Amen.

Tuesday of Holy Week

 I will sing of your salvation. In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me.

We will never be put to shame for our faith. The world might try to shame us in various ways for our beliefs, but if we remain faithful and true, then we will triumph in the end. God will rescue us from injustice and deliver us from evil. He is always listening to us through our prayers and watching us in action. And if we are thinking, speaking, and doing His Will, then He will save us. He is a refuge for all whom are good and faithful, which is certainly something to sing about.

Who has tried to shame us for our faith? How can we respond to them with love and in such a way as to build up the faith of others? Are we as faithful to listening to God as He is to listening to us?

O Lord, we sing of your salvation.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Think about what it means to be an ambassador for Christ. Just like a worldly ambassador, we have many responsibilities to our God and King. We act on His behalf through our thoughts, words, and works. We are His representatives to those around us... to our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. If we fail to live up to our duties, then we fail not only God but all those whom we were supposed to aid through our position. If we are corrupted or selfish, we give the world yet another reason to reject God. However, if we are true to our faith by spreading hope and love to all the nations, then we will become powerful testaments to God’s Goodness. We shall help others to be reconciled with God and guide them to salvation. We are all called to magnify the Lord in all things and help others to know God is With Us. It was for this that we were put on earth and hopefully we fulfill that purpose each and every day of our lives.

Are we good and faithful ambassadors for Christ? What are we doing to lead others to reconciliation and salvation? How can we manifest God’s Love for all and do all things with righteous hearts?

O Lord, we are your ambassadors send us where you will.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Lent

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

We are all in danger of hardening our hearts. Some harden all at once because of some event in their lives that turns them against God. Others harden over time corrupted by the world and its distractions, worries, and trials. We have to constantly soften our hearts, souls, and minds through acts of sacrifice, humility, and love. Without doing so, our fields dry up and it becomes difficult for goodness to grow. We cannot bear fruits if our souls are burned up on rocky ground. If we want to prosper, then we have to hear God’s Word, understand it, and then put it into practice. We have to bow down in worship and allow God to shepherd us to greener pastures.

What are the things in our lives that are hardening our hearts? How can we rid ourselves of these things? What can we do to soften our souls so they are receptive of the Word of God and allow the seeds of faith, hope, and love to grow within us?

O Lord, soften our hearts.

Amen.