Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

The Holy Spirit has many gifts to offer us and He does so with generosity and compassion. He desires for us to be wise, understanding, full of good counsel, strong in faith, knowledgeable, and fearful of letting the Lord down. He offers us eyes to see the Way, ears to hear the Truth, and hearts to live the Life of Christ. He gives us the guidance of our consciences to help us lead just lives and choose right over wrong. He wants us to be sealed to Him through righteousness and faithfulness and never leave His side. He wants only the best for us, but He will not force His Will on us. Instead, He lets us make our own choices to accept or deny His gifts of our own free will.

How can we strengthen the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us? How can we conform our lives to justice toward all and fidelity to God? Are we willing to bind ourselves to God, giving up earthly goods, in order to become good and faithful servants?

O Lord, send down your Holy Spirit and His gifts.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Thursday in Ordinary Time

I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

If we pray to God, He will save us through His Beloved Son and strengthen us with His Holy Spirit. He will give us every blessing so we might grow in faith, hope, and love. He will help to build up and support our inner selves and give us the confidence we need to believe He is always by our side. His Love will pour out upon us so our souls might grow in fertile soil, rooted in His commandments, teachings, and inspirations. He will nourish our faith, hope, and charity, giving us every grace to bear good fruits for Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. He will fill us with Himself so we might reflect Him more perfectly and magnify Him in all we think, say, and do. So, let us prepare ourselves for Him and welcome Him as our Heavenly Father, our Beloved Brother, and our Holy Spouse.

Do we act as if we are members of God’s Holy Family? How can we become more faithful children to our Heavenly Father? Are we willing to let God into our lives so He might dwell within us, strengthen us, and fill us with His Love?

O Lord, we kneel before you and ask that you might grant us your strength and comprehension.

Amen

Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right? I do as you requested.  I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like."

The gift of understanding isn’t something most of us would ask for if God offered to give us any one thing we prayed for. However, it should be first and foremost on our minds when we are praying for God’s intercession in our lives. We should ask Him for the grace to know right from wrong, to choose prudently, and to be good and faithful servants to God and His children. Many of our decisions each day would bear good fruit if we took the time to ask for understanding and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Our thoughts would be more blessed, our words holier, and our actions more pious and pure. And, like Solomon, we would find our lives spiritually richer because of our understanding of God, others, and even ourselves.

What areas of our lives are in need of understanding? How can we make it a habit to pray for this gift of the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to abide by the understanding God sends to us and not turn away from what we know is right?

O Lord, grant us wise and understanding hearts and minds.

Amen.

Thirty-Second Thursday of Ordinary Time

In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

Here we have a description of the various traits of Wisdom and we would do well if we aligned our lives to manifest as many of these in our own lives. For God loves those who are wise. He wants us to be intelligent, holy, and unique in our faith. He wants us to be manifold by magnifying Him through our thoughts, words, and works. He wants us to be subtle in how we lead others to the truth. He wants us to be agile in our response to the needs of others and clear in our intentions. He wants us to remain unstained by sin and never baneful towards our enemies. He wants us to love the good. He wants us to be keen in mind and heart, unhampered by worries or doubts. He wants us to be beneficent and kindly. He wants us to be firm, secure, and tranquil in our hope. He wants us to believe He is All-Powerful, All-Seeing, and All-Present for us. This is a daunting task, but it is what we need to do if we want to be considered one of the wise and not one of the foolish.

Are we living up to our calling to be wise? How can we grow in our wisdom? Do we take time to gather the knowledge and understanding we need in order to form our consciences and become wise?

O Lord, make us into embodiments of your Wisdom.

Amen.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

Spiritual wisdom is something we should all strive for in our lives. It is build upon the pillars of knowledge and understanding. In order to become wise, we must seek the knowledge of how to know, love, and serve God and others more perfectly. So too, we need to understand the divine truths that are at the heart of our faith, the source of our hope, and the foundation of holiness. This spiritual knowledge and understanding are gifts from the Holy Spirit and they lead to a third gift... the wisdom to seek the good and avoid the evil and the insights to distinguish between the two. Being wise leads us to be spiritually prepared for anything we might come across as Christians and allows us to make prudent decisions about how best to live our lives so we are prepared for the coming of the Lord.

Are we actively seeking the knowledge we need to be holy? How can we grow in our understanding of the Good News as handed down to us through the Scriptures and teachings of the Church? What can we do to become wise in our love of God and others?

O Lord, grant us your wisdom.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Becoming fruitful followers of Christ requires us to do three things: know, love, and serve God and His children. In order to know God, we have to be open to the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In order to know God’s children, we have to listen to them and empathize with them. In order to love and serve God and others properly, we need to understand the Word of God and what it is asking of us as followers of Christ. Our knowledge and understanding of the Good News shows us the Way to live Christ-like lives and helps us to bear good fruits through our thoughts, words, and works.

Are we open to listening to the Word of God, even in the midst of our busy lives? What can we do to help ourselves to understand the Word of God? How can we know, love, and serve God and His children in fruitful ways?

O Lord, grant us the graces we need to be fertile soil for your Divine Word.

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.

First Tuesday of Advent

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

All these things are true of Jesus, but they are also meant to be true of us, too. We are meant to be a blossoming sprout of goodness in the world. The Spirit of the Lord should rest on us, too. We should be wise, understanding, and full of good counsel and spiritual strength. We should cultivate our knowledge and fear of the Lord so that we can better live the Good News and be faithful servants to God and His children. We should not judge others by their appearance or hearsay, but rather be just in all things, especially to the poor and afflicted.

Do our lives reflect the life of Christ? How can we grow in goodness, wisdom, compassion, and justice? What can we do for the poor and afflicted?

O Lord, help us to blossom in goodness and justice.

Amen.

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

We do not always understand why things happen in life. Certainly Joseph and Mary didn’t understand why Jesus disappeared for three days. Imagine the emotions they went through during their search only to finally find Jesus in the temple. And then, when they discover him, he isn’t looking for them, but rather he is listening to, questioning, and answering the temple’s teachers. It is only natural for Mary to ask Jesus why he had put them through three days of anxiety. And yet, Jesus does not apologize. Instead, he asks her why they did not start their search in the temple. In a similar way, when we feel lost or anxious, we should take Jesus’ advice to his parents and turn to God first and trust that He will lead us where we need to go and show us what we need to do. Then like Mary, we will learn to treasure all these things in our hearts and come to believe that in the end even the most worrisome of situations will turn out for the best if we have faith in God.

Are there things going on in our lives that we don’t understand? How can we turn these over to God and learn to trust Him enough to lead us to the right place at the right time? Is our first reaction when we are in trouble to depend on ourselves or on God?

O Lord, remind us that it is in your house that we shall find what we are looking for.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living.

Sometimes we do not entirely understand one of God’s teachings and are misled by our own intellect to believe we know better. We can claim to have more insight into the faith than two thousand years of accumulated knowledge. We can claim that “times have changed” or Jesus was confined by his times. However, if we want to be Christians, then we need to trust not in our wisdom and cleverness, but rather in God’s eternal truth. This is especially necessary for those issues or teachings which we do not understand. In a world which tells us that truth is relative and changeable, it can be hard for us to accept that the Scriptures present an immutable reality, a Divine Truth, which we cannot argue or compromise with. This requires a great deal of trust on our part and a firm belief in Jesus’ gospel message and the power of God.

Do we know the Scriptures and trust their teachings? Do we recognize the power of God? Are we willing to sacrifice our own intellectual doubts and choose instead to believe in spite of our unbelief?

O Lord, we trust in your word and power.

Amen.

The Second Tuesday of Easter

Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Sometimes Jesus’ parables and symbolic language can confuse us. However, he does not speak figuratively to confuse us. He speaks figuratively because he knows it is easier for us to comprehend worldly things than heavenly ones. Because of this, he gives us parables and symbolic comparisons as stepping stones to help us understand the spiritual truths he is speaking about. We might not always comprehend what he is telling us, but he makes it as clear as he can through the limitations of our language. Of course, the greatest symbol he gives us is not to be found in a parable, but rather in the story of his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The cross and empty tomb are lifted up before us so that everyone has the opportunity to believe and have eternal life.

Do we accept Jesus’ testimony to the truth about heavenly things? If so, then how does that change the way we live our lives? Do our lives testify to the truth?

O Lord, may we have eternal life in you.

Amen.

The Fourth Saturday of Lent

“Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”

Sometimes we judge people even before we meet them because of gossip and second-hand knowledge. These opinions can color how we treat others and even cause us to mistreat them. This is one of the reasons why Jesus warns us against judging others. God is the only one who should judge another person's character. Unlike us, He sees everything and knows the context we don't have. He also knows the hearts of others whereas we only know what we can see and make assumptions based off of incomplete knowledge. This is why it is so important to be open to changing our opinions about other people, especially those we have the most difficulty liking or understanding.

Do we listen to or spread gossip about others? Do we prejudge people? How can we cultivate hearts that are not prejudiced, but rather loving and understanding?

O Lord, keep us from condemning others and instead find ways to love all your children.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of 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 Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Yet again, the gospel gives us another account of Jesus being rejected by the people who know him best. They do this in spite of recognizing his wisdom and the might of his deeds. They simply cannot get past their own opinion of Jesus. Sometimes we do the same thing in regards to others in our lives. We make a judgment about them based off our first impressions or a long-lasting relationship with them. However, we must always be open to changing our opinions of others as we learn more about them, especially those people we find most difficult to like. Our perception of their motives, personality, etc. can be colored by a variety of things and often we do not have the whole picture about why a person acts a certain way towards us or others. The people in Jesus’ native place probably saw him as overstepping his authority and puffing himself up with false claims. Perhaps someone in our lives appears to be something they are not. It is up to us to be open to seeing them with new eyes so that we can come to know the real person behind our opinions of them.

Who are the people we don’t like in our lives? Have we made an honest attempt to get to know them? Would we be willing to change our opinions of them if we found out who they truly are?

O Lord, let us be open to changing our hearts towards others, especially those whom we find most difficult to love.

Amen.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, 
listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded 
at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, 
and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

The holy family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph shows us all how to live our lives in relationship with God and each other. We, like Jesus, should always seek to do our Heavenly Father’s Will. So too, we should be like Mary and Joseph seeking to understand Jesus’ role in our lives and the messages God sends us through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We might not always appreciate the tribulations we suffer, just as Mary and Joseph didn’t, but we can accept with humility that our sorrows can help us grow in wisdom and favor before God and man. This is why we should treasure our trials just as much as we do our triumphs. By doing so, we learn to appreciate not only what we have, but also the sufferings of Christ. In this way, we imitate the life, death, and resurrection of Christ by responding to our adversity in the same way as he did… by not letting it trouble our hearts or sour our souls. The holiness of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph’s family did not come from lack of hardship, but rather the selfless acceptance of God’s Will without counting the cost.

Do we ask God why He has done something to us? How can we learn to transform our anxieties into trust in God’s Divine Plan? How can we appreciate what we have and to be willing to suffer for the glory of God?

O Lord, we shall treasure all your words in our hearts in the hopes of one day growing in wisdom and favor with you and your children.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

Sometimes people tell us things and we just don’t understand what they are trying to say. However, if we don’t seek to clarify, then we remain in the dark. We should never be afraid to question and to seek to understand our faith. This is not to say that we should not believe something because we do not understand, far from it! Rather we should choose to believe while we seek to understand. We need this fidelity to Christ’s message even more when we are faced with trials and tribulations that tempt us to doubt our faith. We will never have a full and faultless knowledge of the Gospels, but what we can do is try to live out the spirit of the good news God has given us through the Scriptures and His Holy Church. There are times when the truth requires us to make a leap of faith in the face of our personal doubts.

Do we constantly seek to understand our faith? What questions do we have about our faith? Have we done everything possible to reconcile our doubts with the Scriptures and the traditions of the Church?

O Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.

Amen.

Sixteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Jesus makes clear to the disciples the dangers that face their flock. Some of those who hear the word of God will not understand it, others will fall away because of trials, and still more will be choked off by anxieties and the lure of riches. It is not enough for us to hear the good news, we must also understand it, persevere through the trials that come because of our understanding, and most importantly put our faith into action. We cannot bear any spiritual fruits if we are constantly concerned by and with the world. First and foremost in our thoughts should always be how we might use our gifts and talents to yield a harvest of good works for God and the salvation of souls.

Do we truly understand the gospel? Do we persevere through our trials and tribulations? What good works have we done in spite of our anxieties and the lure of the world?

O Lord, help us to bear fruit and yield a hundred fold.

Amen.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Jesus often spoke in parables to the people of his time and to us even now through the Scriptures we read. He does so because parables are not only more entertaining than lectures, but also because they require the listeners to use their imagination and their intellect to understand. Only those who are truly interested in finding out the truth will take the time to discern the meaning of the parables he presents. Those who don't will simply think them silly stories and nothing more. But those who seek the Truth, will want to understand what Jesus is saying so they can live more meaningful and better lives. This is why it is so important to take time to really delve into and meditate upon the parables Jesus gives us. They will reveal truth to us if we let them and lead us to eternal life once we live out their teachings.

Do we take time to really understand the parables we hear and read? How can we do a better job of listening and meditating upon these stories of our faith? What parables speak most directly to our hearts and minds right now?

O Lord, show us the true meaning of your parables so we can become better people in thought, word, and deed.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?

It is hard for some of us to admit when we do not know or understand something about the faith and so we start assuming. These assumptions get us into trouble because they are based off of our own flawed interpretations of the Gospel and not on those handed down to us through the collective wisdom of the Church. When Jesus makes his comment about the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod, he is pointing out how they have puffed themselves up through their interpretations of the Law. Christ does not want his disciples to do the same thing. He is not preaching a holier-than-thou lifestyle, but rather one of trust in the Lord and service to others, as evidenced by his multiplication of the loaves.

Do we not yet understand this message? Are our hearts hardened to its demands on our lives? Do our eyes not see, our ears not hear God’s warning against prideful assumptions?

O Lord, grant us an understanding of your Words in the light of your life and the collective wisdom of our Church.

Amen.