Pentecost Sunday

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in his works! Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the LORD.

The Holy Spirit comes into our lives in many ways. He comes in our moment of conception. He comes in our living. He comes in our loving. He comes in our holy thoughts. He comes in our words of peace and compassion. He comes in our works of charity and mercy. He comes to renew our faith in every prayer we pray and every mass we attend. He comes to us through the Blessed Sacrament. He also goes forth with us into the world. He goes forth with us to proclaim the Good News. He goes forth with us to be our companion along the Way. He goes forth with us to guide us to the Truth. He goes forth into our daily world to show us how to live the Life of Christ. He goes for with us to show us how to make our every moment into a good work that brings gladness to God and others.

Are our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies open to the Holy Spirit? What can we do to bring the Holy Spirit into every facet of our lives? How can we embody the gifts of the Holy Spirit and magnify God through our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, send your Spirit to us so we might be able to go forth into the world and bear your Good News to all your people.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday of Easter

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope. I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Keeping God in mind can be difficult in a world that begs us for our undivided attention, but it is necessary if we want to have inner peace. Anchoring our lives to God will give us the stability we need to resist temptations, worries, doubts, and all those things that try to weaken our devotion to God and our love of others. We need God to be at the center of our lives so we can more easily hear Him above the constant noise of the world around us. We need to take time out of each day and simply listen to Him as He exhorts us to do good and avoid evil. If we do this, then we will be kept safe from evil and given hope in a better life with God in heaven.

How can we be better listeners to the Lord? What can we do to keep our hearts and minds open to His holy counsels and inspirations? Are we willing to make space for God in our lives so He can be at our right hand?

O Lord, counsel and exhort us to goodness and holiness.

Amen.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!

God will not force Himself into our lives. He may be a king, but He will not break down the doors to our hearts if they are barred. Instead, He will camp just outside our gates and patiently wait for us for as long as it takes for us to either let Him in or for us to ruin ourselves utterly. He brings with Himself gifts and graces. He brings with Himself acts of charity and mercy. He brings with Himself faith, hope, and love. He wants to enter into us to bring blessings, tidings of joy, and salvation. It is up to us to unbar our gates and let Him in with open arms and voices raised in thanksgiving and praise.

Are our hearts open to God? Are we ready for Him to come into us and set up His Kingdom? How can we be more welcoming to Him and His Divine Will?

O Lord, you are our king enter into our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls.

Amen.

Third Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Here am I Lord; I come to do your will. I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.

Sometimes we are called to wait for the Lord... to be patient and listen for His call. We don't know the hour when He will summon us to Him, but we can be ready to do His Will. We are like instruments waiting to be played. One day God will have need of us and He will stoop toward us and pick us up. He will test us out and see if we will play the notes He wants. Hopefully, He will find us receptive to Him and willing to work the music He has planned. If not, He might put us away for a while longer and come back to us later in hopes that we will ready ourselves for the work ahead. However, if He finds us ready, then He will make beautiful music through us and with us and in us... a music that will proclaim His glory and lead to our salvation. So, let us keep our souls in tune by doing good and avoiding evil... by confessing our sins, doing penance, and striving to be holy.

Are we waiting patiently for God's call? How can we make ourselves more open to His invitations to holiness? What can we do to keep ourselves ready for the work God has prepared for us?

O Lord, we are ready for you to put a new song into our mouths so that we might fulfill your will.

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.

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.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

Before Jesus made the decision about whom he would name Apostles, he went off by himself and spent the night in prayer. This is how we should pray before making our own decisions, great and small. We should ask God for guidance and trust He will lead us to the best decision. We cannot secure salvation on our own, and we would do well to understand our dependency on God for this and for many other graces that get us through each day. It is by God's Love and Mercy that we are saved and we should recognize this in our prayer lives. We cannot become good and faithful servants without turning our lives over to God and allowing Him to lead us where we need to be and not necessarily where we want to go.

Do we turn to God in prayer before we make important decisions great and small? Do we allow God to lead us where we need to be? How can we make our lives more open to prayer and its fruits?

O Lord, call us to you and make us your good and faithful servants.

Amen.

The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Even when we are acting charitably and mercifully, we can sometimes lose sight of what’s important in life. We can become all consumed with our “mission” that we forget the real reason why we seek to know, love, and serve our neighbors. We do it for God! Because we love His Divine Image within those we serve. We also can get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to take time to sit at the feet of Christ and listen to him in silent prayer. In a world where we are constantly bombarded by images, sounds, and all manner of tasks to do, we can fail to remember to open our eyes, ears, and hands to God. There is need of only one thing: allowing God to speak to us in the silence of souls and then acting on the inspirations He sends us through the Holy Spirit.

Do we take time out of our busy schedule to listen to God? Are we choosing the lesser part of listening to our worries or the greater part of listening to the Lord of Hope? In what ways can we create a spirit of peace in the daily storms of the world?

O Lord, we have need of only one thing: you.

Amen.

Fourteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

We are constantly tempted to think, say, and do what we want; especially when we think we are right or being mistreated. However, before we think, say, or do anything, we should take a moment and allow God to guide our thoughts, words, and works. In a world where we are constantly interacting with others, we can forget how important it is to take a step back and give God a chance to influence our actions. We feel pressure to respond immediately, but sometimes our gut responses are not the best and can make things worse. If we would only take a deep breath and let the Holy Spirit inspire us, we might find the best thoughts, words, or works that will help us to do the right thing.

Do we take the time to allow God influence our thoughts, words, and works? What can we do to open our hearts, minds, and beings to God’s guidance?  Do we trust God enough to let Him think, speak, and act through us?

O Lord, give us the right thoughts, words, and works to do your Will.

Amen.

Third Friday of Advent

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Sometimes we are afraid to do God’s Will in our lives. We know what must be done, but delay, make excuses, or convince ourselves that other things are more important or we misunderstand what God wants from us. However, nothing is more important than doing God’s Will. We do not need to understand it, but rather to take it on faith that God is guiding us to where we need to be and what we are called to do. So when we discern God’s Will in our lives we should not be afraid, but rather act like Joseph and do what He has commanded us without complaint or hesitation. We can learn a lot about what it means to be a good and faithful servant from Joseph and his attitude of silent obedience to God.

Are we afraid of what God is asking us? Are we willing to be open to the inspirations God sends us? How can we build up the habit of holy obedience to God’s Will in our lives?

O Lord, give us the grace to be not afraid and do as you command us throughout our lives.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Jesus reminds us that blessings come from hearing the word of God and observing it and not any worldly connections people might have with him. In this light, we can see that rather than being a rebuke of his mother this statement is actually a reinforcement of his mother’s blessedness. After all, who among us has heard the Word of God and observed it as well as Mary did in her own most humble and obedient life? So it is only natural that we should take Mary as our model for living the Christ-like life. She shows us (through her fiat, hidden life, and suffering at the foot of the cross) how to make our lives into a living “Yes!” to God, to be gratefully humble, and to suffer with patience and without complaint.

Do we listen to the word of God and observe it? How can we learn to be humble and obedient like Mary? Are we ready and willing to give our fiat to God?

O Lord, open our ears to your word.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Friday of Ordinary Time

Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.

We have a tendency to absorb the traits of those whom we spend the most time with in our lives, whether that is family, friends, mentors, spiritual directors, or God. Whomever we listen to the most is who we will be like in our thoughts, speech, and actions. Jesus reminds us today that they become our teachers. Hopefully, we choose to listen to good people and to God, but sometimes we allow evil to speak to us through our families, friends, the television shows we watch, etc. When we hear these evil counsels, we must be willing to rebuke them and turn our attention to God for guidance. He will teach us how to see and if we allow Him to open our eyes, we will not lose our way and fall into the pit. Instead, we will see the goodness of God and in turn, we will be able to pass along our knowledge of Him to those who listen to us.

Who do we listen to in our lives? Do we keep our ears open to God’s counsel? Who are we becoming like?

O Lord, be our teacher so that we might one day be like you.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.

In order to be open to God’s Will, we too need to get away from the crowd and the distractions of our lives. It’s hard to hear God through the constant din of worldly things around us. This is why Jesus is constantly going off to deserted places, because he is opening himself to the will of his Father. When he brings the deaf man away from the crowd, he is giving us an example to emulate in our own lives. We need to find our own quiet places so that we can be open to the Holy Spirit’s inspirations. Being open to God requires not only an intellectual or spiritual willingness on our part, but also taking concrete actions that will help us listen more closely to His callings.

Do we take time to be alone with God? Are we open to His inspirations? What impediments are keeping us from doing God’s Will?

O Lord, open our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths to your Divine Word.

Amen.

Sixteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

When Jesus speaks of rich and poor in these terms, he is not talking about the monetarily wealthy, but rather the spiritually wealthy. He tells us that those who are rich in faith, hope, and love will continue to prosper, while those poor in these virtues will have everything taken away from them. He also goes further by saying those who understand his parables are blessed because when they hear the gospel message they are converted and healed. Those who do not listen to the good news or understand it will be spiritually blind and deaf. They will have no point of reference in regards to what God wants them to do in their lives. Jesus emphasizes the importance of opening our eyes and ears to his teachings and as long as we continue to do so we will grow in faith, hope, and love.

Do we keep our eyes and ears open to the messages God is trying to impart to us through our lives? Do we listen to and try to understand God’s Will so that we can better fulfill it? How can we cultivate our faith, hope, and love so that we can become spiritually rich?

O Lord, help us to grow rich in your gospel message.

Amen.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" 
And they took offense at him.

The people of Nazareth speak these words when Jesus returns to his native place. Here they recognize his wisdom and mighty deeds, and yet they take offense at him. Why would they do this? Sometimes when we think we know someone and they do something unexpected, something that challenges our preconceptions about them, we can rebel against it. We are much more comfortable in a world where we can put people in a box and label them. This is what the people of Nazareth do to Jesus. They label him to be a carpenter, the son of Mary. Anything that challenges this opinion upsets the status quo. As Christians, we must not be afraid to change our opinions of people if they prove us wrong. We should not claim to know the hearts of others as the people of Nazareth do. Instead we should be open to having our opinions changed in light of the actions, good or bad, that others take.

Who are the people in our lives whom we might be misjudging? How can we be more open to them and less judgmental? What can we do to rebuild the faith of others, especially those whom we have let down?

O Lord, help us to be open to your wisdom and mighty deeds.

Amen.

Fourth Tuesday of Easter

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.

What a blessing and a grace to be in Jesus’ hand! While we are in his gentle hands, nothing can take us away from him. He teaches us His Truth. He leads us by His Way. He gives us His Life. How can we ever repay him for what he has done for us? Perhaps we can start by opening our ears and listening to his voice, by following in his footsteps, and accepting the eternal life he offers us so that we might never perish. When we do these things we become more Christ-like and begin to understand what it means to make our lives into a living sacrifice as Jesus did for us.

Do we listen for and to the God’s voice in our lives? Do we follow in Christ’s footsteps or do we make our own way? Have we truly accepted eternal life or have we settled for the worldly one we are living?

O Lord, keep us in the palm of your hand.

Amen.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.

When someone calls our name, we usually respond to them. Sometimes we know who is calling us even before we see them because we know their voices. God knows each of us by name and we should always keep our ears open to His call. This is especially the case when we are in the midst of trial and turmoil, like Mary was as she frantically searched for Jesus’ body. She was so distraught she didn't recognize Jesus by his appearance, but rather by his voice. The gospel is one of the ways God’s voice makes itself manifest to us and if we want to be able to recognize Him when he is calling, we need to familiarize ourselves with it. We also need to be open to the messages He sends to us through our family, friends, and neighbors. They might not always speak for God, but sometimes they tell us something God needs us to hear.

Are we listening for God’s voice? When we hear it, how do we react? Do we welcome it or ignore it?

O Lord, you are our teacher, help us to listen to your voice.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Ordinary Time

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

Christ’s healing of this deaf man reveals an intimacy of action toward him. Jesus brings this man away from everyone else, touches his ear and tongue, and calls out to heaven on his behalf, revealing how much God loves each one of His children. He takes a personal stake in our lives and is willing to heal us of all of our imperfections and sins if only we will go with him and leave the world and its crowds behind. He will open us to his Word and if we accept it we will be able to speak plainly the Gospel through our actions. We have a wonderful savoir in Jesus and we should be ever thankful for his tenderness toward us in the midst of our afflictions.

What deafens us to the call of the Word of God? What keeps us from preaching the Good News to those who are around us? Have we ever meditated upon our personal relationship with Jesus and how it reveals His love for us each and every day?

O Lord, let us be open to your Word.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!

Familiarity with someone can sometimes blind us to the good and the bad within them and it is no different with Jesus. The people of his native place doubt him, his wisdom, and his works. We can do the same to those around us who make a change in their lives, especially one which forces us to look at them in a new light. We have a tendency to put others into boxes after a while and when they do something outside that box we wonder what is wrong with them. Some of these changes are for the better, others for the worse and it is up to us to put aside our former ways of thinking about the person in order to recognize which it is. If it is good we should encourage it, if bad we should convince them to stop it.

Who are the people we doubt? Are we being fair to them in light of the actions they have taken not just in the past, but in the present? When we see someone we know do something unexpected are we able to look at what they have done objectively and make a just judgment about it?

O Lord, help us to recognize your wisdom and works in others, especially those whom we find it most difficult to love.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Ordinary Time

Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and it is he who lends us his flame of love. He ignites our hearts and makes us into lamps of his goodwill toward all. When we accept His Light into our lives, we are tasked with lifting it up for our family, friends, and neighbors to see. By doing so we reveal the hearts and minds of those around us and give God’s children a chance to participate in the revelation of what it means to be a servant of the Light. Of course, being a disciple of Jesus also means opening up ourselves and revealing the hidden recesses of our hearts in order to allow His Love to fill us up. Once we are full of his charity, the shadow of sin has no way to enter because all is light within us.

Do we hide the light of the gospel in our daily lives out of fear of what others might think about us? What are our secret sins, the ones which keep us from being a light for others? What can we do to lift up the Light of the Lord and make ourselves into sacramental signs of God’s love for all?

O Lord, make us lights unto your people.

Amen.