Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

From all their distress God rescues the just. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.

God will rescue us if we are just and good. He will not abandon us in our times of need. Nor will He forget what we have done for Him and His children. He will bless us with every grace we need to become the best Christians we can be. He will guide us through the Holy Spirit to lives of imitation of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He will protect us from evil and save us from the fires of Hell. He will listen to us and give us what is best for us.

Do we thank God for all He has done to rescue us from sin and evil? Do we bless and praise Him as we should? What can we do to let our souls glory in the Lord?

O Lord, rescue us from our distress.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire. 

The enemies of God will never truly triumph. They might win battles here and there, but they are doomed. One day, they will be scattered and flee before Him. They will be driven away to the abyss and melt before the fire of His Divine Power. Whenever we are tempted to despair or worry or lose hope, we should recall this truth. We should arm ourselves with trust in God and shield ourselves with hope in Him for He will never abandon us to our enemies. He will always free us if we ask Him to release us. He will always drive away darkness and raise up the hopeful banner of the cross.

Who are the enemies of God in our lives? How can we trust God will overcome them? What can we do to show them the love of God and offer them a chance to enter into God’s good graces?

O Lord, we trust in your protection.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Lent

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.

God is constantly trying to rescue us. He protects and guides us in great and small ways. He is always offering us a hand when we fall or when we are lost. If we accept His aid, He will draw us clear of danger and free us from the wickedness and snares of our enemies. He does all this for us because He does not want to lose us to sin, darkness, death, and Hell. He gives us virtue, love, mercy, and grace to help us overcome our vices and imperfections. He only wants the best for us and He will do all He can, short of forcing us, to preserve us from evil and lift us up to eternal life with Him.

Do we recognize all God has done to rescue us? How can we be more accepting of His help? What can we do to help others to persevere, too?

O Lord, rescue us and preserve us from destruction.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

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.

God is our Shepherd and Guide. He calls out to us for our own protection and to lead us to greener pastures. He wants us to grow in faith, hope, and love so we might become good and faithful children and produce good for all. When we are weak, He will carry us. When we are confused, He will call out to us. When we are lost, He will seek us out. He will never abandon us, He will always do everything in His power to lead us safely home to Him and Heaven. So, the least we can do is to listen for His voice in our hearts and do whatever He tells us.

Are our hearts hardened by the world or open to the inspirations of our Heavenly Father? Do we bow down and worship God as He deserves? Do we thank Him for shepherding us and guiding us to life everlasting?

O Lord, keep our hearts from being hardened by the world and our own weaknesses.

Amen.

First Thursday of Advent

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

The Lord is our refuge. He is there for us always. In good times and in bad times, in sickness and in health, He is with us. His Mercy and Grace protect us and guide us from the moment we are conceived to the moment of our rebirth in the afterlife. His Goodness leads to our good. If we trust in Him above all else, then we will not be disappointed. Instead, we will be blessed with life everlasting.

Have we given thanks to God for all He has done for us? Do we seek shelter in Him when we are in need or sorrow? Do we trust in Him more than ourselves or others?

O Lord, we give thanks for all the blessings you have given us.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Lent

"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him." But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!

God is our mighty champion. He wants to defend us from evil and protect us from sin. He wants to lift us up when we fall, to lend His strength to us when we need it, and lead us to victory over the wickedness of the world. He wants to grant us His grace and forgiveness. He loves us all and He will not let our enemies overpower us if we trust and depend upon Him. However, He will not force His aid and protection upon us. He wants us to choose it freely and willingly by testing us and probing our minds and hearts. If we choose Him as the center of our lives, then He will rescue us from the power of the wicked and champion us through the valley of darkness to the light of paradise.

Do we seek out God’s help in our lives? Do we depend upon Him and trust He will see us through all our difficulties? How can we make Him the center of our lives in thought, word, and work?

O Lord, rescue us from the power of the wicked.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Advent

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.

We should all shout for joy in response to how well God treats us. He created us at the moment of our conception and has loved us from the first spark of life. He protected us in the womb and has be our shield every since our birth. He loves us like a Father, who knows our hearts and minds and wants only the best for us. He is merciful to us when we fall into temptation and sin, seeking only to correct us and help us to make amends. He wants us to be saved and so He forgives and forgets as long as we come to Him with humble and contrite hearts. He will aid us in all our good endeavors and defend us from all our enemies. He will always be with us and because of this eternal Truth, we should never be afraid.

Are we joyful people, exulting God for all the good He has done for us? If not, then how might we cultivate a joyous spirit? Do we realize God is always with us and we have nothing to fear?

O Lord, we are glad to have you as our Heavenly Father and exult you with all our hearts.

Amen.

Fifteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.

We are not guaranteed that our past actions will be rewarded. We never know when someone will come along who does not know or respect us. They might see the goods we have done and dismiss them or be jealous of them. The might seek to oppress us out of envy or pride in order to raise themselves in the eyes of others. We never know when our lives might be turned upside down by the actions of another person. However, in spite of all these things, if we trust in God’s Love and Mercy. If we believe in His Goodness. If we accept what comes with humility and patience, then we shall overcome, we shall be freed from our oppressors, and we shall be brought to the promise land of eternal life.

Do we trust in God? Do we believe that no matter what happens to us He shall protect and strengthen us? How can we become more humble and patient people?

O Lord, multiply your graces in us in our times of need.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

There is only one way into heaven and that is through the Divine Gateway of Jesus Christ. It is through his shepherding teachings that he shows us the true way to eternal life. There are no other paths to paradise, except those which go through Christ. The road to ruin is wide and full of thieves, stealing, slaughtering, and destroying poor souls. However, God will protect us from the dangers of the world if we are willing to listen to His Voice and follow Jesus along the narrow and righteous trail to heaven. He shall feed us with his Body and pour out his Blood for us so we might be sustained through our trials and have more abundant lives with him.

Have we accepted Jesus as our Shepherd? Do we listen to his voice? Do we follow him to where we need to be?

O Lord, help us to live our lives more abundantly in, through, and with you.

Amen.

First Monday of Advent

Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, a smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

If we lead holy lives, then God will protect and shelter us. He will give us rest and keep us from harm. He will overshadow us with His Love and guide us with the light of His Truth. With God, all things will be possible for us. Our words and works will honor and glorify God. And at the end of time, our world will be remade into a paradise. And if we have been good and faithful servants, then we shall be given the greatest gift of all: eternal life with our Beloved God.

Are we leading holy lives? Do we trust that God will protect us? Are we willing to make Him our refuge not only in this world, but in the next, too?

O Lord, you are our shelter and the light of our lives.

Amen.

Feast of St. Luke, evangelist

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.

What Jesus says about his disciples also applies to us. We are to be like lambs among wolves. Our hearts, minds, and souls should be united with Jesus, who was the Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb. And just like him, we are called to live lives of sacrifice and not consumption. Pride, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony, sloth, and lust are the wolves of the world and they are constantly on the prowl to drag us away and devour us. When we lose our way, they are there waiting for us to fall into their traps. And if we do not cry out to our Heavenly Shepherd with repentant hearts, then we shall soon find ourselves in the belly of the beast. Thankfully, God is constantly protecting us from harm, calling out to us in our times of need, and gives us every grace we need to triumph over evil. All we have to do is to follow his commandments and we will reach the Kingdom of God.

Are we being good and faithful laborers? Do we act like lambs or wolves? Do we trust God to protect us from all those who would lead us astray and devour us?

O Lord, protect us from the wolves of this world.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Angels are constantly watching over each and every one of us. We pray to St. Michael for protection from the wickedness and snares of the devil. We pray to Gabriel that we might receive the Good News with open hearts just as Mary did. We pray to Raphael for healing of body, mind, and spirit. Each archangel's name reveals an important aspect of our faith. Michael's name means, "Who is like God?" and reminds us that we should never let our pride or worldly temptations replace our faith in God, who should be the Alpha and Omega of our lives. Gabriel's name means "God is my strength" and we would do well to remember that when we are faced with trials and sufferings. Our strength can only bear so much without God, but with Him all things are possible and great burdens can become light. Lastly, Raphael's name means "God has healed" and as long as our hearts are open to His Mercy, our spiritual wounds will be healed and we shall be cleansed of our sins. We are all blessed to have these archangels watching over us and constantly reminding us that God gave them to the world to protect us, give us strength, and heal us.

How often do we turn to our guardian angels for help? What about the archangels? How can our lives be more angelic and always point others toward God?

O Lord, send your angels to protect and guide us.

Amen.

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

We all have a guardian angel watching over us, but do we ever speak to them? Perhaps we should take time each day to be mindful of our guardian angels and ask for their help in listening to Our Lord, doing God’s Will, and overcoming the temptations that hound us. These angels are not only our guardians, but also spiritual guides, who know how best to know, love, and serve God and His children. So let us make use of them!

Do we pray for the intercession of our guardian angels? Do we thank them for the help they give us each day? Do we ask for their help in overcoming our trials and temptations?

O Lord, thank you for giving us all guardian angels to watch over us and protect us.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Easter

“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”

If we believe in a loving God, then why do we so often fail to be loving? Sometimes we allow the darkness in our lives to overwhelm us with doubt and fear or deter us from doing the right and good thing. We need to remember that Jesus came into the world as light for us when things are at their darkest. No sin is too much for him to forgive if we will but believe in him and trust in his promise to protect us from evil and raise us out of sin.

How do we express our belief in Jesus? Do we try to see him in all the people around us? What do we do to allow the light of Christ to shine through us and into the world?

O Lord, be our light.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus is our good shepherd and throughout the Gospels he constantly shows us what it means to lay down our lives for others. He protects us from those things which would kill us, not just physically, but spiritually. The only time we lose that protection is when we wander off on our own sinful ways and refuse to let him help us. Even then, he does not stop searching for and calling out to us. We can learn a lot about how to be good shepherds of men by emulating Jesus in our daily lives and laying down our life for our fellow children of God.

What do we do each day to imitate the Good Shepherd? Who do we lay our lives down for and how? What makes us afraid to risk ourselves for others?

O Lord, you are the good shepherd. Show us how to lay down our lives for others.

Amen.