First Sunday of Advent

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has bestowed on us many graces throughout our lives. We might not notice them. We may take them for granted. Or we may even turn our backs on them, but they are always within our reach. All we have to do is accept them, use them wisely and well, and give God thanks for all His help. If we welcome God’s Grace into our hearts, then He will enrich us in every way with virtues, holiness, works of charity and mercy, and spiritual rewards. He will make us into saints fashioned in the likeness of Jesus, our Lord and King.

What graces has God given us? Do we give Him glory, praise, and thanksgiving for all He has done for us? How can we more perfectly put to use the physical, mental, and spiritual graces God has provided us?

O Lord, keep us firm in our faith to the end.

Amen.

Thirty-First Monday of Ordinary Time

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To God be glory forever. Amen.

We might not always understand why things happen the way they do, but they happen for a reason. God is wise and knows exactly what each of us need to grown in our faith. He allows us the trials and gives us the graces that provide us the best possibility of spiritual success. We might wonder why we have to suffer or overcome obstacles on the way to heaven, but without these things we would not be forged into good and faithful servants. If things came too easy, we would take them for granted and forget how much we need God each and every day. It is from, through, and for Him that all things were made, even us, and we would do well to remember that it is only by giving glory to God through our thoughts, words, and works that we will be glorified in heaven.

Are there things going on in our lives that we don’t understand? How can we place our trust in God even in the midst of own trials and sufferings? How can we renew our faith so we are living holy lives from, through, and for God?

O Lord, glory be to you forever.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

Rely not on your wealth; say not: “I have the power.” Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart. Say not: “Who can prevail against me?” or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?” for God will surely exact the punishment. Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?” for the Most High bides his time. Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not: “Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.” For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath.

There are many ways we can convince ourselves we do not need God in our lives. We can assume ourselves to be self-sufficient because of money or power. We can believe we have the ability to overcome every obstacle and enemy by ourselves. We can have a false sense of security and hubris. We can be disrespectful of God’s Love and Mercy by taking it for granted. The truth is that we all need God in our lives. He is the source, center, and summit of all power. He is the one who can give us the healthy desires of our hearts. He is the one who can help us prevail and give us success in our good deeds. He is the one who will punish us for our selfish pride and our presumptions upon His Love and Mercy. He will set us straight when we go astray. All these things together remind us that we should not waste our time, talents, and treasures on selfish pursuits, but rather we should seek to be more deeply converted and willing to depend upon God for all that is good.

Are we prideful, presumptuous, falsely secure in our salvation, or disrespectful of God’s Love and Mercy? If we are, then how can we overcome these sins and depend upon God more firmly? How can we cultivate the virtues of humility, modesty, hopefulness, and respectfulness of God?

O Lord, cleanse us of our false sense of self-sufficiency and give us a childlike trust in you and you alone.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.

Sometimes we take God for granted. When we pray for something and we receive it, we might thank God with a little prayer (or not), but fail to contemplate what He has done for us. When we are inspired by God, we sometimes forget to recognize where our good ideas come from. We are surrounded by daily miracles, great and small, and yet sometimes we continue on with life as if the world is what matters when in reality it is God and His Kingdom that we should be concerned about. Let us put our concerns in the right place from this day forward.

How do we remind ourselves to be thankful for God’s gifts and inspirations? What do we do to cultivate a spirit of repentance in light of all that God has done for us? How are we preparing ourselves for the day of judgment?

O Lord, you have done might deeds for us. Help us to respond with repentant hearts.

Amen.