Thirty-Fourth Friday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him! “Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

All of creation was made by God and finds its source, center, and summit in Him. He is the only thing that can fulfill us and transform us into what we are called to be. He made us in His Divine Image and offered us every spiritual blessing so we might be holy as He is Good. What a wonderful God we have in Him for He has shown us what it means to be charitable, merciful, and good. He made us to be manifestations of Himself and we find true peace only when we exult Him through our thoughts, words, and works.

In what ways do we give glory to God? How can we exult Him in everything we do? What can we do to live up to the Divine Image within us?

O Lord, we give you glory and eternal praise.

Amen.

Seventeenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

O God, let all the nations praise you! The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

God has blessed us in many ways. He is the source of all our good. He is the center of all our joy. He is the summit of all we should strive to be. If we cultivate our relationship with Him, then we will grow in faith, hope, and love. We will blossom with kindness and bear good fruits as long as we drink from the font of holiness and let the light of truth sustain us. If we have deep roots into our faith, then when dark nights or dry spells come into our lives, we will continue to thrive on the holy waters within our hearts. And when good times come, we will yield thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold.

How can we make God the source, center, and summit of our lives? What can we do to bear good fruits? How can we allow God to sustain us through the difficult times of our lives?

O Lord, help us to yield good fruits.

Amen.

Fifth Monday of Easter

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy, because of your truth. Why should the pagans say, “Where is their God?”

Everything we do should be for God’s glory, honor, or praise. Our every act should have Him as its Source, its Center, and its Summit. No matter what our status, occupation, or position in life is, we should find ways to imitate Christ. Our days should be filled with works of charity and mercy toward whoever comes our way, even our enemies and those whom we find most difficult to love. We should magnify God in our work and in play by having a charitable mindset in all things. Our lives should constantly point others toward God. And if we receive praise for what we do, then we should make clear God is the source of all our good.

Do we give glory to God as often as we should? Do our thoughts, words, and works magnify the goodness of our Lord? Do our lives reveal the presence of God to others?

O Lord, grant us the graces we need to show others that you are with us.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday of Easter

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. "My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'"

God’s faithfulness and mercy are always with us just as He is always with us through the presence of the Divine Image He has engraved within our souls. His presence is in us every step of our way through this journey called life. And if we tend and take care of the Divine Image within us, then we, too, will be exulted one day and enter into the kingdom. We, like David, will be able to say to God, “You are our Father, God, Rock and Savior. Thank you for all you’ve done for us.”

Do we remember that God is with us? How should we amend our lives so we do remember this truth, especially when we are most tempted? Are we able to sing the goodness of the Lord along with David and all our fore-bearers in the faith?

O Lord, you are our Father, God, Rock, and Savior.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

Their message goes out through all the earth. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day; and night to night imparts knowledge.

Creation itself reveals the glory of God and proclaims His handiwork. In creation we find good, for God created all things good. He made the day and the night good. He made heaven and earth good. He made the skies and the seas good. He made the plants and animals good. All good things come from God. They find through source, center, and summit in Him. It is no different for us for God made us in His image, which is very good. He wants us to follow Him, to walk His Way, to speak His Truth, and the live His Life. If we do all these things, then we shall overcome all obstacles and become good and faithful servants, now and forever.

Do we take time each day to enjoy the goodness of creation? How can our lives reveal God’s Glory and proclaim His handiwork? What can we do to lead others to good and faithful lives?

O Lord, let the message of your goodness go out through all the earth.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday of Lent

Glory and praise forever! “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”

Our heavenly Father deserves to be glorified and praised. He is our Creator. He is our protector. He is our refuge in whom we trust. He is all the things we should aspire to be. He is our Savior through His Beloved Son. He is our guide through the Holy Spirit. His is the name we should glorify and praise above all others. He is the source, the center, and the summit of all that is good and should take the place of honor in our hearts, minds, and souls.

In what ways do we glorify and praise our Heavenly Father? How do we allow Him to help and guide us? What can we do to lead others to a greater appreciation and love for our Good God?

O Lord, we will glorify and praise you forever.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Thursday in Ordinary Time

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

We all belong to God through Jesus Christ. If we have anything to boast about, it is not our successes, but God’s success through us. Everything good that comes from our thoughts, words, and works finds its source, center, and summit in our Heavenly Father. It is He who inspires, guides, and strengthens us, giving to each person the time, talents, and treasures they need to fulfill His Divine Will. Anything virtuous we accomplish is made possible by our faith in God, hope in His promises, and love of Him.

Do we boast of ourselves or of all God has done for us? How can we more faithfully belong to God through Jesus Christ? What can we do to accomplish the Will of God in our own lives?

O Lord, we belong to you.

Amen.

Fifteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.

We are but servants of God. We are tools and vessels created by God to do His Will. If there is any goodness that comes from our thoughts, words, and works, it is God's Goodness, not our own. If we succeed at a task given to us, the laurels aren't ours to claim. We must guard against the temptation to become proud of our accomplishments. After all, they aren't really ours. They are God's first and foremost. We merely manifested His Goodness, Love, and Mercy. Our good fruits do not belong to us, but to God. He has the first right to them and we should be thankful to Him for whatever He might give us from His bounty. If we fail to do so, then like Assyria, we will have everything taken away from us. We will be left with nothing. But, if we boast rather of God and exalt Him above ourselves, then we shall be rewarded beyond our wildest dreams.

Do we boast of ourselves or of God? How can we make it a habit to give God thanks for every good thought, word, and work we have been given? What can we do to exalt God in our lives and humble ourselves?

O Lord, may our lips ever boast of you and your Goodness and not our own.

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.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

For 'In him we live and move and have our being,' as even some of your poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.' Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world with justice' through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.

It is in God that we live and move and have our being. He is the source, the center, and the summit of our existence and we should make Him the firm foundation of our faith. We should make Him the solid shelter of our hopes and dreams. We should make him the bell tower of our hearts and minds... resounding with love, mercy, and grace… calling all of God's children to a better life in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. For we are the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, made so through His Beloved Son and the gift of His Holy Spirit. And if we want to be true to our spiritual adoption, then we must repent of our sins and allow God to manifest Himself through our every thought, word, and work.

Have we made loving God and His children the beginning, middle, and end of our lives? Have we entrusted our faith, hope, and love to Him and His guidance? Are we repentant for our sins and making amends for our faults and failings?

O Lord, in you we live, move, and have our being.

Amen.

Fifth Monday of Easter

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts."

Sometimes our good works can cause others to try to give glory to us, rather than to God. They may mean well, but our response should be one of humility. We should remind those who would honor us that everything good we’ve accomplished is the result of God’s Goodness. We have to resist the temptation to pride and remember we are but lowly servants of the Lord. We are witnesses, proclaiming the Good News and through we might play a part in God’s Plan... it is His Will that has brought about the good fruits we bear. We do not own them, but rather have been given our gifts and graces to glorify God as best we can, nourish the souls of others, and bring gladness into the hearts of those whom we meet each day.

How can we remain humble in the face of the praise of others? What can we do to remind others that all our good works come first and foremost from God? How can we do God’s Will is such a way to magnify Him and not ourselves?

O Lord, help us to proclaim your Good News with humble hearts.

Amen.

Tuesday of Holy Week

Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Sometimes in life we feel like we aren’t making any progress. We feel like we are treading water or worse sinking. We wonder if we have toiled in vain, for nothing, spending our time, talents, and treasures on things that aren’t bearing fruit. However, God doesn’t judge us on the outcome of our endeavors. He judges us by the intentions and reasons behind our thoughts, words, and works. We might not experience worldly success in any of our endeavors and yet still be successful in the eyes of the Lord because we did the right thing or made God the center of our lives. We are all called to be lights to the nations and if we do God’s Will to the best of our abilities, then we shall succeed in the greatest task before us... being good and faithful servants to our Heavenly Father.

Are all our thoughts, words, and works grounded in our love of God? How can we make Him the source, center, and summit of our whole lives? What can we do to remain faithful and trusting in God even when our dreams, plans, and actions don’t come to fruition as we imagined?

O Lord, our recompense is with you and not in worldly success.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them. For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.

Everything beautiful and majestic in this world and beyond was created by God and reflects His beauty, might, and power. The earth, the sea, and the sky are ruled over by the Lord of Lords. The animals that walk, swim, and fly have their source in the mind of their Creator. All living things are rooted in the Divine. We, as men and women, find our origin, purpose, and end in Him, who is the source, center, and summit of our lives. So too, He gives us might and energy through the graces He offers us each day. All that is good reflects and magnifies the splendor of our Heavenly Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit. With all of these beautiful things around us, we have no excuse not to see God’s Hand in our lives... in the daily miracles, great and small, that surround us from the moment we wake to the moment we fall asleep again. In light of this, we should give constant thanks for all we have been given and for the gifts and talents God has provided us.

Do we recognize God’s beauty, might, and power in the people, places, and things that surround us? Do we give thanks for all God has given us? How can we magnify God’s beauty, might, and power through our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, you are the source of all that is good and praise-worthy.

Amen.

Ninth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Raphael called the two men aside privately and said to them: "Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising him. A king's secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known. Praise them with due honor. Do good, and evil will not find its way to you. Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life; but those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies.

When good things happen to us, our first response should not be to congratulate ourselves, but to thank God. After all, every good thing comes from Him. He is the Source, the Center, and the Summit of all that is good and holy. We should never slack in praising God or His deeds. In a similar vein, we should do everything we can to be people of almsgiving. Almsgiving is one of the many ways we can imitate Christ and reflect God’s Divine Image into the world. It is though our acts of charity and mercy that we bring God into the lives of others and leave them better off. So let us make sure we are not only prayerful and fasting, but almsgivers, too.

Do we thank God for all He has done for us? Do we recognize Him as the Source of all our goods? How can we better imitate Him through our almsgiving?

O Lord, make us gracious almsgivers.

Amen.

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this?  We are of the same nature as you, human beings.  We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.”

It is important for us to remember that all the good we do is from God. We are not the source, center, or summit of Goodness, God is. As people of faith, we can be tempted to feel like we are better than others and lord it over those whom we see as unfaithful. However, God does not call us to become modern day Pharisees. Instead, He calls us to do His Will with humble hearts, without expectation of return or seeking worldly glory or consolations. There may be some whom we help who might want to treat us like saviors, but there is only One Savior and he is Jesus Christ. Every good we do is an imitation of God and a fulfillment of the vocation to love that God has given all of us. Though we are called to be saints, we should remember that we are all human. We all have strengths and weaknesses and should not seek to make ourselves into false idols. We are called to sanctity, not to proclaim ourselves as good, but to proclaim God’s Good News... that all of us have a chance to be holy if we will confess our sins, amend our lives, and love God and neighbor with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Have we made ourselves into false idols through the sins of pride and self-righteousness? Do we give all the glory for our good deeds and successes to God or claim it for ourselves? How can we become more humble servants of God, magnifying Him and not ourselves?

O Lord, remind us that part of becoming saints is learning to be humble of heart.

Amen.

Friday in the Octave of Easter

If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.  There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.

Jesus is the source of our salvation. His is the name implanted in our hearts. He is the stone upon which our faith is founded. All our good deeds find their source, center, and summit in him for He is good, like our Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit are good. It is through him that we are protected from temptation, healed of our sins, and become clean. And just as Peter proclaims him through word and deed, so should we give witness to our faith in him through all that we think, say, and do. He is our Master and Savior, we should live up to his Loving Way and be ever thankful for his Divine Mercy.

Do we say and do everything in the name of Jesus Christ? How can we imitate him in our own lives? In what ways do we thank him for his saving graces?

O Lord, you are our cornerstone, we will never reject 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.

Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Jesus reminds us that just because we know, love, and serve God and His children we should not expect to be given honors and compensation. We are merely doing what we should be doing as disciples of Christ. We also should remember that all of our good works have their source in God. We are merely His instruments and unprofitable servants. This can be hard for some people to accept, but just because we are good doesn’t mean we deserve anything from God. Instead, we should focus on serving Him as well as we can and do everything He asks us to do.

Do we recognize that all our good thoughts, words, and works have their source and inspiration in God? Are we willing to be unprofitable servants and serve Him always and in every way no matter the cost? Are we listening to God’s Will and doing as He commands us?

O Lord, you are the source of all good. Inspire us to be good and faithful servants.

Amen.