Friday in the Octave of Easter

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

It is probably difficult for us as Christians to understand how the people of Jesus’ time could reject, scourge, and crucify such a loving and good person. However, when we think about our own lives it becomes much clearer just how people can turn their backs on Jesus. We reject him every time we choose selfishness over selflessness. We reject him every time we take the easy road of sin instead of the hard path of holiness. We reject him when we judge others rather than love and forgive them. We reject him when we feel superior to others instead of being humble and merciful. Those who rejected and crucified Jesus weren’t very different from us and some of them even became Christians after he rose from the dead. Thankfully, just because we turn our backs on Jesus from time to time doesn’t doom us to destruction. It simply means that like Paul we have to cast aside our old sinful ways and embrace God’s Divine Mercy, which endures forever.

In what ways have we rejected God in our lives? What part of ourselves is built upon the unstable sands of the world and which are built on God? How is God’s Mercy at work in our lives?

O Lord, we fear disappointing you, but if we do, then please be merciful to us.

Amen.

Fourth Saturday of Easter

It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.

God gives us many chances to follow His Divine Will, but if we reject it, then He will find another way. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and plans accordingly. He won’t force us to do what is right, but He wants us to be good and faithful servants. Sometimes we fail in this regard, but it isn’t the end. God finds a way to spread the Good News and continues to offer us new opportunities to show Him we are truly His children. He gives us every chance to be a light of holiness in the world, leading people to Him. Hopefully, we, like the Gentiles, will accept that calling and become instruments of salvation to the ends of the world.

In what ways have we failed to do God’s Will? How can we become more faithful to the proclamation of the Gospels? What can we do to prepare ourselves to be lights to the world and instruments of salvation?

O Lord, command us.

Amen.

First Friday of Ordinary Time

All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, "Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us." Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer: "Grant the people's every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king."

All of us have rejected God in one way or another. Some of us have rejected Him through sin. Others through being caught up in worldly distractions or laziness. However, no matter the reason, God will always be our King, waiting for us to allow Him to protect us from the wickedness and snares of the Devil and the world. He won’t force us to accept Him because He wants us to give our faith to Him freely and without reservation. He wants us to become His followers by our own choice. So let us remember that when we make sins or worldly things our kings, we will suffer greatly for it, but if we turn to God, then He will grant us what is good and lead us to the Promised Land and eternal life with Him.

In what ways are we rejecting God? How can we overcome our sins and inordinate attractions to worldly things? What can we do to place God firmly at the center of our lives?

O Lord, you are our one and only King. Rule over our hearts forever.

Amen.

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

We all have a responsibility to spread the Good News. However, we should not force our faith on others. Some people will be turned off if we push too hard. We simply have to pray for guidance in these matters and be aware of when we might be pushing our beliefs onto others. Every person’s faith journey is different. Some people need constant support to grow in the faith. Others are better off coming to the faith more independently. Once we have introduced the faith to someone, we should let them take the next step. Only they know if they are ready to receive the Word of God. There may be times in our lives when we come across people who do not want to be evangelized and might be turned off by the way we think, speak, or act as Christians. If this is the case, then we, like Paul, are clear of our responsibility and can move on to more fertile souls. We shouldn’t see such moments as failure either... because we have succeeded in spreading the word and who knows... perhaps one day the seed we planted will grow into faith.

In what ways are we preaching the word? Are we willing to be rejected? How can we spread the Good News without forcing it on others?

O Lord, may our lives be a testimony to the truth that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Wednesday of Ordinary Time

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent."

After being rejected by his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus comes to Capernaum and is accepted to the point where the crowds there want to keep him from leaving. However, Jesus makes clear his mission is not just to minister to one town, but to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to others. In the same way, we are called to proclaim the gospel to others. We cannot let rejection stop us. Nor can we let the temptation of comfort keep us from following in Jesus footsteps. Jesus didn't stop his mission in Capernaum, where we would have been beloved by all and treated like a king. Rather he choose to continue his teaching throughout Judea. Jesus did not come into this world to be comfortable, but rather to speak the Truth, to show us the Way, and to give us the Life that never ends. We are called to follow in his footsteps, seeking neither rejection nor acceptance by man, but rather living our lives in accord with God's Will in the hopes that one day He shall smile upon us and call us to our eternal rest as good and faithful servants.

How can we overcome rejection in order to know, love, and serve God and His children more perfectly? How can we overcome the temptations to be prideful or rest on our laurels when we succeed at doing God's Will and helping others? For what purpose has God sent us into the world and how can we fulfill it?

O Lord, give us the words and works to proclaim the good news of your kingdom.

Amen.

Ninth Monday of Ordinary Time

He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

Respect is something we should give to others every moment of our lives. This is because God dwells in all of us from the lowliest of the poor to the wealthiest of the rich. The image of God is emblazoned upon us and everyone around us. As such, we should treat everyone as God's Beloved Son. We cannot let selfishness, greed, pride, or any other vices get in the way of treating others with love and mercy. The tenants in this parable allowed their greed to rule over them and led them to do horrible things to others. They rejected the call to be good to and love others. They decided to build their lives on their own debased ideas. As Christians, we are called to cast aside our baser instincts and instead allow God to live and work though us so we can bear good fruits for the glory of God and the good of all.

Do we show respect to God in all things? How can we rid ourselves of the vices that might lead us astray? How can we become good and faithful tenants in the vineyard of souls that is the earth?

O Lord, let us not reject you, but rather choose to always respect you and the work you've placed before us.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Friday of Ordinary Time

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Jesus’ life leads him to make the ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind. He suffers, dies, and is buried, but in the end he is resurrected, ascends into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father. The trials and tribulations of our own lives can also be redemptive when we unite them with Jesus’ sacrifices. We must be willing to suffer, to be rejected, to die to ourselves so we can be raised by God. Our consolation is not of this world, it is of the next and in the knowledge that our acts of faith, hope, and love imitate Jesus.

Are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do God’s Will? When we suffer trials and tribulations, are we willing to accept them and unite them with Jesus’ sacrifice? Can we accept the rejection and persecution that comes with being a God-bearing person?

O Lord, we offer you all of our sacrifices to make into your own.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them."

When people reject our kind words or good actions, we can become offended and angry with them, but this is not what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to leave behind the hurt feelings caused by our trials. By doing this we shake off the “dust” of resentment that can cling to our soul after we experience persecution for our beliefs. We leave behind all those things that could keep us from being Christ-like toward those who reject our gospel message. In this way, we do not take out our frustrations or waste energy on those who oppose us, but rather leave everything in God’s hands. It can be difficult to let go and let God, to release our anger or annoyance with someone else and let God do the judging and the punishing, but it is necessary. We don’t need to carry extra baggage of resentment around with us. Instead, we should use these moments of strife to practice trusting in God’s Mercy and Justice.

How do we handle rejection and persecution? What can we do to be more Christ-like to those who hurt us? Are we willing and able to shake off the dust of our past encounters so we can focus on those we are with now and will meet in the future?

O Lord, give us the strength and wisdom to shake the dust off our feet and let you be the judge, not us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

We can acknowledge Jesus in many ways. We can meditate upon his life, death, and resurrection. We can proclaim him with our words, not just those offered up in prayer, but also in those kind or comforting words we speak to others. We can give glory to him also through our every work, great or small. When we act with faith, hope, and love, we acknowledge Jesus by living out his gospel message. However, we can also deny Jesus in our thoughts, speech, and deeds. When we dwell on evil things, complain about or put down another person, or commit a sin or fail to do good works, we reject Jesus in our selfishness.

In what ways do we acknowledge Jesus through our thoughts, words, and works? On the flip side, how do we deny him through these things? What can we do better in light of these questions?

O Lord, help us to acknowledge you in all things.

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.