Thirtieth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy. Look, answer me, O LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”; lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.

Our hope is indeed founded upon God’s Mercy. It is not up to us if we are forgiven. It is up to God. We can only offer small penances and repayments to God for what evils we have done and what goods we have failed to do. We are not perfect and depend upon His Divine Mercy. It is only through Him that we have a chance at redemption. It is only in Him that we have any hope of triumph. He is the source of our good, the center of who we should be, and the summit of what we are called to become. He is the light that guides us where we need to go and shows us the way out of the dark valleys that surround us.

Does our hope reside in God’s Divine Mercy? Do we allow God to light the way when we are lost? How can we become what we are called to be?

O Lord, answer us and give us your light.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Tuesday in Ordinary Time

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.

Thank goodness God doesn’t mark our iniquities! Instead, He offers us forgiveness and mercy. He allows us to wash away and cleanse our sins though the sacrament of reconciliation. He allows us back into His good graces if we come to Him with humble and contrite hearts, confess our sins to a priest, and do penance. What a wondrously loving God we have! One who is willing to forgive and forget our sins if we are willing to be humbled before Him.

Do we appreciate how forgiving and merciful God is to us? Do we mark the iniquities committed against us? What can we do to be more forgiving of ourselves and others?

O Lord, may you be revered forever for your mercy and forgiveness.

Amen.

Second Monday of Lent

Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.

We should count ourselves very blessed that God is loving and merciful. He offers us forgiveness for all our imperfections, weaknesses, and sins. He is willing to forgive and forget our iniquities and cleanse us of our sins. All we have to do is come to Him with humble and contrite hearts, confess our sins, do penance, and amend our lives. Then, He will show us His boundless compassion and lift us up from our lowliness, raising our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies back into His good graces.

In what ways have we sinned against God? How can we amend our lives so we do not sin in these ways again? Do we make time to confess our sins and do penance?

O Lord, remember not our iniquities.

Amen.

Fifth Friday in Ordinary Time

Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord. Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile.

None of us are perfect. God knows this and that is the reason He gave us the example of His Beloved Son. Jesus showed us what true forgiveness is. He revealed to us the Divine Mercy of God through His life, passion, death, and resurrection. He showed us how to be just and compassionate. He showed to us how to forgive others, even those who we find most difficult to forgive. God also gave us the sacrament of reconciliation because He knew we would need it. We are not perfect in this life, but we can ask for forgiveness, do penance, and strive to be better people.

Are we just? Are we forgiving? How can we be more merciful like Christ?

O Lord, we rejoice in your just compassion toward all.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Tuesday in Ordinary Time

You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But when he, who from my mother's womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.

We all have ways of life we need to be converted from. Some of us must be converted from pride, others from envy. Some from wrath, others from sloth. Some from lust, others from avarice. Some from gluttony, others from a combination of these sins. No matter what sins we've committed in our past, we have a chance at redemption. God's Mercy is greater than our sins and if we confess our failings, do penance, and strive to do good and avoid evil, then we shall be more deeply converted. Our hearts will be transformed from stone to flesh and we shall grow in grace, spreading God's Word through our thoughts, words, and works.

What ways do we need to be converted from? What sins do we need to purge ourselves of? How can we become more faithful followers and messengers of God's Divine Will?

O Lord, convert us from our former ways of sin so we might grow in holiness.

Amen.

Twentieth Thursday in Ordinary Time

I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Each of us need to be cleanse of our sins from time to time. We have to be purged of our impurities and stripped of our false idols. We often need to approach our lives with a new or renewed spirit of holiness. It is through the sacrament of reconciliation that we can be purified and our hearts of stone softened. The confession of our sins and humble penance also grants us the graces we need to live by God's commandments, teachings, and inspirations. Taking these steps goes a long way toward bringing us closer to the Heavenly Kingdom and life everlasting with our Lord and God.

What sins and imperfections do we need to be cleansed of? How can we be more receptive of the Spirit of God in our lives? Do we make regular and meaningful use of the sacrament of reconciliation?

O Lord, cleanse us from our sins and soften our hearts.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you. For your name's sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not. Among the nations' idols is there any that gives rain? Or can the mere heavens send showers? Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things.

Before we can make a good confession, we need to recognize our wickedness. We have to examine our consciences and look at ourselves in the mirror... warts and all. We have to be willing to recognize our failings and faults, our sins and indifference, our doubts and fears. We have to make our hearts humble and give a good confession. We have to do penance and seek to sin no more. We have to put aside our false idols and rededicate ourselves to God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Because the only one who can nourish our spirits and lead them into life everlasting is our Lord and God.

Do we make regular examinations of our consciences? How do we prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation? What can we do to show God we are sorry for our and are serious about amending our lives?

O Lord, pour your grace and mercy into our hearts.

Amen.

Fifteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches; In the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; They cheat an owner of his house, a man of his inheritance. Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; Nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil.

The evil we do will be repaid. The only question is whether it is repaid through the sacrament of reconciliation and time in Purgatory or in the fires of Hell. These are our only options and, in the end, we will choose one or the other... and if we fail to choose, we will pay for our indifference with eternal torment. Therefore, let us choose what is right and good... to confess our sins with humble and contrite hearts, to do penance, to avoid temptations, and sin no more.

What evils have we plotted and done? How can we repay God and those whom we’ve harmed? Are we ready to amend our lives and be good and faithful servants of God and all His children?

O Lord, uproot our sins and purify our hearts.

Amen.

Fourteenth Friday in Ordinary Time

Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion."

We commit many crimes against God and others throughout our lives. Some are great, many are small. However, all need to be forgiven. And so, we, like the Israelites, are asked to come before God through the sacrament of reconciliation and ask for forgiveness for all our sins. Only after being freed from our sins through a good confession and penance, can we offer to God all our good works to full effect. It is the difference between offering our Lord and King a treasure covered with filth or one polished and clean. The former He will reject, while the latter He will accept. It also means remembering all of our good thoughts, words, and works are not ours. They are God's and we should be ever thankful for the gifts and talents He has given us and be more than willing to give them all back to Him whenever He desires them.

Have we sought forgiveness for all our sins great and small? Did we make a good confession and penance? Are we willing to turn over all our good works to God to do with as He wills?

O Lord, forgive us our iniquities and cleanse us of our sins.

Amen.

Fourteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.

We disappoint God in many ways, through our failures to do good and our sins against Him and others. We turn our backs on Him in wickedness, indifference, and weakness. We fail Him when we let our fears, doubts, passions, and selfishness keep us from doing His Will. Thankfully, God is loving and forgiving. He is willing to look past our faults and give us many opportunities to confess our sins, do penance, choose what is right, and sin no more. He has pity on us and puts aside His righteous anger. As our Heavenly Father, he does not wish us to perish and so He opens His arms to us and says, "Come to me." It is up to us to accept this invitation and become faithful children.

In what ways are we disappointing God? How can we rid ourselves of those things that keep us from doing God's Will? What can we do to give thanks to God for His Divine Mercy?

O Lord, look past our faults and failings and help us to grow in grace and love.

Amen.

Thirteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

On that day I will raise up the fallen hut of David; I will wall up its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, That they may conquer what is left of Edom and all the nations that shall bear my name, say I, the LORD, who will do this.

When we fall into sin, our souls are like a ruined city. There are breaches in our spiritual defenses, weaknesses our enemies can exploit, and we are despoiled. However, when we make a good confession and do penance, our souls are rebuilt by God’s Grace. His Divine Mercy raises us up from the rubble and makes us whole again. His Strength becomes our strength and we are able to overcome temptations to sin and the wickedness of the Devil. We are able to conquer our sinful selves and fashion ourselves into a people of God.

Do we call upon God to rebuild our faith lives after we fall into sin? What can we do to prepare ourselves to be rebuilt in spirit? How can we conquer all those things that lead us into sin?

O Lord, raise us up from the ruins that our sins leave behind.

Amen.

Fifth Saturday of Lent

I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

God’s sanctuary is within all of us. He wants to dwell within our hearts and as long as we keep them clean from sin... He is with us. However, if we do fall into sin, then we need to take the time and effort to cleanse ourselves and rededicate our whole being to doing God’s Will. We do this through the sacrament of reconciliation. In a way, each time we are reconciled with God, we re-proclaim our relationship as members of the Body of Christ. When we make a good act of contrition and do penance, then we are freed from our sins and given a new opportunity to make ourselves into worthy dwelling places of the Lord.

What are we doing to keep ourselves clean of the stains of sin and indifference? How can we make our hearts into pristine temples to the Lord? Are we making the best effort we can to seek God’s Forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation?

O Lord, dwell within us and help us keep ourselves clean of sin.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday of Lent

Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage." So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

We are all sinners in one way or another. We all deserve God's Wrath for the evils we've done and the good we've failed to do. It is only by the saving grace of God's Divine Mercy that we have the opportunity to be spared condemnation. However, God doesn't just give us salvation without us work towards it. He wants us to be loving and merciful as He is loving and merciful. He wants us to be good and faithful as He is good and faithful. He wants us to be contrite and penitent as He is forgiving and just. He is willing to let His blazing wrath die down, if we are willing to come to Him in the sacrament of reconciliation and make amends for our sins and failings.

What are our sins? Are we genuinely contrite for the wrongs we've done and the goods we've failed to do? Are we making use of the sacrament of reconciliation as often as we should?

O Lord, we come to you with contrite hearts. Relent and grant us your mercy.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Lent

Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

We all need to learn to wash clean our hearts, to put away our misdeeds, and learn to do good. We can’t do that if we are unrepentant or allow ourselves to be distracted by the world around us and all the pleasures it offers us. If we want to set things right with the Lord, then we have to know, love, and serve God and His children with all that we are. We have to put justice, penance, and charity ahead of our own desires and passions. We have to seek out God’s forgiveness with contrite hearts and strive to obey Him in all things. Only then can our sins be washed away and our souls be prepared for the heavenly feast.

How can we lead spiritually clean lives? What misdeeds and sins do we need to put away? How can we put right our wrongs?

O Lord, wash us clean.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD. Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud; I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever."

Just as Solomon built a holy place for the Lord to dwell, so are we all called to create a sacred space in our hearts. We need to build our lives around our God so He can dwell within our thoughts, words, and works. We need to consecrate our lives to Him through daily sacrifices, mortifications, and offerings of good works. By doing so, we make room in our lives for God and become princely houses for our Lord. It isn’t always easy to open our hearts to God and clean out all those sins and imperfections that clutter up our inmost thoughts. However, if we want God to abide with us forever, then we must cleanse ourselves and do everything in our power to prepare a place for God to live within us.

What are we doing to prepare our hearts to be a resting place for God? How can we make our hearts into thrones for our Lord? What sacrifices, good works, and penances do we need to make in order to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist?

O Lord, help us to build hearts where you may abide forever.

Amen.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever.

We are proved each and every day of our lives. Either we remain pure and virtuous or we become impure and sinful. Our choices determine whether we are worthy of becoming an offering to God or if we need more refinement in the fires our daily trials. If we do good and avoid evil, we shine for all the world to see and set the world on fire with love and mercy. If we do evil and avoid good, then we become blind and may even lead others into the darkness of sin. God judges us on how we think, speak, and act, holding us accountable for what we do, but also willing to forgive and forget if we are willing to admit our faults and do penance. 

Do we prove our faith, hope, and love each and every day? What can we do to remain pure and virtuous? How can we be a light for the whole world, leading others to God?

O Lord, prove us in the fires of your love and mercy.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

"My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today. And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude.

We all go through periods of feeling unworthy or shame because of what we do or fail to do. When we sin, our consciences prick us with a sense of guilt which prods us toward confession of our sins and reconciliation with God. Our guilt is not meant to drive us away from God, but rather to drive us to Him. He wants us to cleanse ourselves of sin and return to Him. He wants to brighten our eyes and give us relief from sin’s chains.

Are we in a state of sin? If so, are we making every effort to confess our sins, do penance, resist temptations, and avoid the evil inclinations that can sometimes plague us? How can we keep ourselves clean in conscience?

O Lord, remove the scales of sin from our eyes and brighten them with the light of your love.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

It doesn’t matter how much we sacrifice or offer to God in reparation for our sins if we are not truly contrite, do penance, and intend to sin no more. There is nothing we can do to make up for the weight of our sins and failings. All we can do is make up for what is lacking in Christ’s sacrifice, namely our contrition and acceptance of God’s Divine Mercy. When we sin against God we sin infinitely so and it is only through the infinite sin offering of Christ on the cross that we can be saved from the punishment that is rightfully ours. This is why Jesus had to die for us once and for all. By doing so, he offered each of us a means by which we could be consecrated to himself, filled with the Holy Spirit, and cleansed in the eyes of the Father. The difficult part for many of us is admitting we are wrong, doing penance, and amending our lives.

How can we cultivate contrite hearts? What can we do to recognize our sins and failings so that we can amend our lives? How can we give thanks to Jesus for his sacrifice for us?

O Lord, we want to be consecrated to you and do your will in all things.

Amen.

Second Monday of Lent

O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.

When we sin against God we should be shame-faced. We should recognize what we have done wrong and be contrite and sorrowful for our thoughts, words, or works. We should seek God’s Compassion and Forgiveness and do penance to make ourselves right with Him and those whom we sinned against. And after all of this, we need to amend our lives so we can resist the temptations we are faced with and avoid repeating our sins. We are all called to heed God’s Commandments and to live by His laws of selfless love for Himself, others, and even ourselves. We are asked to become prophets and servants of the Good News, proclaiming it through our actions. Each step toward heaven requires a sacrifice of our selfish pride in favor of a selfless humility. It is only when we keep the New Covenant and learn to love God and others with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths that we become the good and faithful servants we are all called to be.

What are our sins? How can we amend our lives so that we rid ourselves of these failings? What can we do to live by God’s Divine Law from this day forth?

O Lord, we are sorry for all our sins and hope you will give us the grace we need to confess them, do penance, withstand temptations, and sin no more.

Amen.

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.  I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

As we stand on the verge of a new year, we are challenged by the Gospels to beware of the antichrists in our lives and to cling to the truth no matter what comes our way. The antichrists are all those people, activities, and things that take away from our time with God. They are the instigators of our selfish impulses. They promote sin and keep us from doing good. Each year we struggle against these worldly influences. Sometimes we fail and as we begin a new year we should make a fresh start by confessing our sins, doing penance, and avoiding sins. So too, we need to renew our dedication to living out the teachings of our faith, especially those we find most difficult because only the truth can set us free from selfish thoughts and lead us to the selfless lives we are called to live.

What are the antichrists in our lives? How can we overcome them? Do we follow the teachings of Christ, especially those that are most difficult?

O Lord, help us to know the truth and follow it all the days of our lives.

Amen.