Easter Sunday

Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Easter is the perfect time of year to reevaluate our priorities and renew our spiritual lives. It is a time for cleansing ourselves of our sins, indifference, and distractions and starting over with a clean slate. Over the course of each year, we can find ourselves falling into bad habits and today is a good day to put an end to them and begin a new life of good habits. Easter is a day of resurrection, of breaking free from the chains of sin and death and choosing to seek out the risen Lord. It is a time to cast off our worldly worries and weaknesses and put on the white garment of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is a day to rid ourselves of malice and wickedness and celebrate the Way, Truth, and Life of the Risen Lord with sincerity.

Are we living our lives in accordance with the Father’s commandments, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s inspirations? What sins, weaknesses, and imperfections do we need to clear out of our hearts and minds? How can we renew ourselves in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, we celebrate your Resurrection with the bread of sincerity and truth.

Amen.

Ninth Friday of Ordinary Time

"Blessed be God, and praised be his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised throughout all the ages, Because it was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!" Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice for everything that had happened. Tobiah told his father that the Lord God had granted him a successful journey; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel's daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh.

There is always the chance of redemption for us if we are willing to pray for and seek it out. No matter how much we’ve sinned in the past, are sinning now, and will sin in the future… The Lord, Our God is willing to be merciful to us. We have only to seek Him our sincerely and come to choose him over ourselves and our selfish vices. If we do this, then we, too will be saved by God’s Mercy and have a successful journey in this world… one that leads us to eternal happiness with God in Heaven.

What are the sins we are being scourged for? Are we sincerely seeking God’s Mercy and trying our best to amend our lives? Do we realize that the only way to have a safe journey on this earth is to live prayerful and faithful lives?

O Lord, praise be to your name and your mercy.

Amen.

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.

Although Paul’s words are addressed to the Romans and the Church, they echo the life of Mary, who we all should take as our model of holiness. For of all the creatures in the world, only Mary, through the grace of God, remained sinless. She endured the afflictions of the Passion and the Cross. She persevered in prayer through these trials, placing her trust in God the Father. This is because her love is sincere, she hates evil, she holds onto what was good. She loves others with compassionate affection and shows them honor and gives them dignity. Her zeal for doing God’s Will never wavers, she is fervent in the Spirit, her Beloved Spouse. She serves the Lord and His children. She rejoices in her Savior and Son, the Prince of Hope. She contributes to the needs of the God’s holy ones past, present, and future. She exercises every hospitality to God’s children, her children, because she loves us all as her own. By imitating Mary, we become more Christ-like. She is our stepping stone, leading to the Holy Trinity, Her Father, Her Son, and Her Holy Spouse.

Is our love of God and neighbor sincere? Are we fervent in the Spirit? How can we imitate Mary and become more like Christ?

O Lord, help us to become more like you, just as Mary did in her most holy life.

Amen.

Seventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

My son, when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, incline your ear and receive the word of understanding, undisturbed in time of adversity. Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not; thus will you be wise in all your ways. Accept whatever befalls you, when sorrowful, be steadfast, and in crushing misfortune be patient; for in fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and God will help you; trust in him, and he will direct your way; keep his fear and grow old therein.

As Christians, we must be prepared for trials. Doing God's Will requires many sacrifices on our part. We must be willing to sacrifice our selfish desires, our goods, our possessions, and even our lives to follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We need to cultivate sincerity, steadfastness, and understanding during our times of adversity. We must learn patience, acceptance, and trust of God even in the midst of trial and humiliation. Most of all, we should fear disappointing God through our actions or inactions because it is this fear that helps drive us to do good and avoid evil.

Are we prepared for the trials and adversities that await us as Christians? What sacrifices are we willing to make? How can our fear of the Lord help us to make better decisions in how we live our lives?

O Lord, help us to serve you in justice and always be afraid of disappointing you.

Amen.