First Wednesday of Ordinary Time

So Eli said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening." Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

We are all being summoned by God in one way or another. Like Samuel, we might think someone or something else is calling us and go off in the wrong direction, but eventually God will give us the clarity we need to make a choice to either listen to Him or turn a deaf ear. One thing we need however is time away from the world. For Samuel this time was when he was asleep. For us it may be taking a few minutes out of each day to invite God into our lives and simply listen in our hearts. No matter the time or place we choose, it is important for us to set aside this time in a quiet and reflective place away from worldly distractions. After all, we cannot listen to God’s inspirations if we are focused on earthly things. So let us take Eli’s advice and when we are at rest in the Lord and feel Him calling us, we should say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Then God will reveal Himself to us and show us what we are being called to think, say, or do through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of our consciences.

Are we listening for the Lord? How can we place ourselves in the right place and state of mind to listen to God’s inspirations? How can we come to rest more perfectly in the presence of our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, speak, for your servants are listening.

Amen.

First Friday of Ordinary Time

For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this manner, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works; and again, in the previously mentioned place, They shall not enter into my rest. Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience.

We are all called to rest in God. He is our seventh day, our Sabbath. It is in Him that we shall find eternal rest from the world. However, if we are disobedient and fail to live our lives according to His Good News, then we shall not enter into His Rest. In a world where we are constantly tempted to work toward earthly rewards, we can often lose sight of the need to rest our spirits and take time to simply be with God in prayer and solitude. But if we are always on the go and never reflect on our choices, successes, failures, joys, or sorrows, then how can we learn from them and grow in our faith?

Do we take time out of each day to rest with God? Do we keep holy the Sabbath Day? How can we make our lives more spiritually restful?

O Lord, we want only to rest in you forever.

Amen.

Tenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

We are meant to be lights to the world. Our thoughts, words, and works should shine before others, leading them toward God’s Divine Light and away from the darkness of sin. We are not meant to hide our faith, hope, or charity from the world. Instead we are supposed to reflect the love and mercy of God and be a source of grace for those around us. We do this best through our good deeds, through which we give glory to God. We might be tempted to keep quiet when we hear evils spoken by or about others. We might be tempted to close our eyes to injustices or those in need. But this is not why God gave us the breath of life. We should speak out and give an unquestionable witness to the love of God for all His children, even if it leads to our persecution.

Are we lights for the world? Is there anything holding our spirits back from blazing like the Sun? How can we share our faith with others who are in darkness?

O Lord, make us a light that shines before others and glorifies you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

We all need rest. We cannot work all the time. This is why God gave us the Sabbath as a feast day. We need it in order to reflect on our thoughts, words, and works each week. We also need time each day to do the same. Without rest and reflection, we can become overworked and lose sight of why we are here on earth. We forget that everything we think, say, and do should have its source, center, and summit in God. We cannot reflect on these things if we don’t set aside time to pray to God for guidance, meditate upon our actions, and evaluate the direction of our lives. We can become lost in our work, even good works, and become burned out if we do not take a break from time to time to recharge our spiritual batteries so that we can go back into the world as lights for all God’s children.

Do we rest and relax in the Lord when we are wary? Does our leisure time bring us closer to God or further away from Him? What can we do to keep holy the Sabbath day?

O Lord, let us rest in you.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

As Christians, we are asked to not only do God’s Will, but also to reflect upon all God has done for us. We need to do the later in order to keep our lives in perspective. We need to remember that God is the source of all our goods and goodness. He is the one who gives us our time, talents, and treasures. Without Him we would be nothing, but with Him we are everything we need to be. When we do a good deed or have one done for us, we should take the time to ponder the source of these words and works. By doing this, we bring God to the forefront of our minds, give constant thanks for His graces, and make Him an intricate part of our lives. When we fail to do this, we can become lost and lose sight of the reason behind our acts of love and mercy. Sometimes we can do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitudes. God does not want us to do the right things halfheartedly or out of sense of obligation. He wants us to do them because we love Him and His children. Without reflection upon our words and works, we cannot learn from our mistakes and successes and grow in our faith.

Do we reflect on the time, talents, and treasures God has given us? Have we pondered the good things in our lives and sought to understand God’s role in each of them? Are we doing the right things for the wrong reasons or are our hearts in the right place, too?

O Lord, let us keep all you have done for us in our hearts and reflect upon them.

Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."

After sending his disciples out to preach the good news, Jesus gathers them together again, debriefs them, and then asks them to come with him to rest for a while. Jesus wants to impress upon his disciples the need to rest. We can’t keep going full speed ahead twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Just as God rested on the seventh day, so we too need to rest, relax, and reflect upon what we have done. In this way we can reenergize ourselves for the next set of tasks in our lives. Without rest, we get run-down and lose focus. We let our activities take over our lives without reflection upon their greater meaning. If we don’t rest, then we don’t gain the perspective we need to make the right choices in our lives. If we are always busy, than we shall miss out on opportunities for spiritual growth.

Are we too busy to rest and relax with Jesus as the disciples did? Are there things we do now that we could cut from our busy schedules so that we could have some more rest in our lives? Do we reflect upon our activities in order to better appreciate what they mean to us, others, and more importantly if they are in line with what God wants from us?

O Lord, gather us with you and lead us to rest.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Lent

Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.

Jesus converses with both Moses and Elijah because he is the continuation and fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This is why they disappear when Jesus is revealed as the beloved son of God. He alone is the accomplishment of God’s plan of salvation. Just as he is transfigured into the fulfillment of God’s Divine Will, so are we. When we become Christ in our daily lives, we reflect God’s love into the world and become well beloved sons and daughters to Him.

What can we do to be better reflections of Jesus? How can we make Jesus the source, center, and summit of our every thought, word, and work? How can we be transfigured into Christ?

O Lord, help us to converse with you and be transfigured into your Divine Image.

Amen.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

When the shepherds come to see the Holy Family they bear the good news of the angels to them. Mary reflects upon this message of the birth of the Messiah and Lord, of God’s glory, and peace for His favored ones. She, like the shepherds, must have wondered what all this might mean for them and perhaps even why they had been chosen. It is important for us to meditate upon the good news in our own lives too keep all of God’s love, mercy, and grace in our hearts.

What do we keep in our hearts? What are the things we are being asked to reflect upon in our lives in order to bring us closer to God? What is the good news in our lives today?

O Lord, teach us how to reflect upon the good news in our lives.

Amen.