Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

As Christians, we are called to profess our faith through our words and works. The people who hear and see us should know without a doubt we are Christians by our expressions and acts of love and mercy. And if we do these things, we will never be put to shame. No persecution, mocking, failure, disrespect, or other suffering will be able to touch us because our hearts will be protected as long as they remain true to God and believe in the promise of eternal life. It is this belief in the resurrection that sparks us to action and to sacrifice for God and for others.

Do we confess that Jesus is Lord through word and deed? Do we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead? Do we trust that no matter what might happen to us God will never allow us to be put to shame?

O Lord, we believe in you with our whole hearts.

Amen.

Two Year Anniversary!!

First, thanks to everyone who has joined me on this journey of spiritual reflection. It is good to know others are reading these reflections and hopefully getting something out of them.

Second, I look forward to reflecting on the daily Old Testament readings (since we've read all the daily gospels over the course of the past two years) and Sunday gospels from Mathew with you in the coming year.*

Lastly, I hope you will continue to walk with me on this journey and explore the wonderful readings the Catholic Church.

*For those who don't know, each year's readings focus on a particular gospel: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John is used for special occasions, such as the Easter season. This way Catholics essentially read the entire New Testament every three years.

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.

First Monday of Advent

Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, a smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

If we lead holy lives, then God will protect and shelter us. He will give us rest and keep us from harm. He will overshadow us with His Love and guide us with the light of His Truth. With God, all things will be possible for us. Our words and works will honor and glorify God. And at the end of time, our world will be remade into a paradise. And if we have been good and faithful servants, then we shall be given the greatest gift of all: eternal life with our Beloved God.

Are we leading holy lives? Do we trust that God will protect us? Are we willing to make Him our refuge not only in this world, but in the next, too?

O Lord, you are our shelter and the light of our lives.

Amen.

First Sunday of Advent

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

In this season of Advent, we are all called to prepare ourselves for the celebration of the coming of Christ into the world on Christmas. However, we are also preparing ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ as well. Both the Incarnation and Second Coming are central beliefs in our faith. They are the bookends to what it means to be Christian. It is our belief in the Incarnation that is the bedrock of our faith. It reveals to us a loving Savior, who was willing to suffer, die, and be buried for us so that we could rise again with him. It is the Second Coming that gives us hope in a merciful judgment at the end of time and the possibility of eternal life spent with God if we follow His commandments, teachings, and inspirations. Taken together these two revelations provide us with the greatest expressions of love we will ever experience. And it is this love we are all called to imitate throughout our lives by being there for God and others, acting with love toward God and His children, and showing mercy toward those who have trespassed against us.

How can we prepare ourselves to celebrate the gift of the Incarnation at Christmas? Are we preparing ourselves for the Second Coming by living good and faithful lives? How can we give thanks to God for these great gifts, both past and future?

O Lord, help us to stay awake and prepare a place for you in our hearts.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.

Be vigilant at all times. This message is one we should take to heart. We are constantly tempted to lose our focus on what is important in life, namely knowing, loving, and serving God and others. Our good thoughts, words, and deeds can drown in the anxieties of daily life. Our sins can make us drowsy and cause us to fall spiritually asleep. However, the things of the world are passing, they can’t sustain our souls that yearn for the eternal life. Nor can they give us peace of mind or heart. The only one who can lead us to paradise is Jesus Christ, who gave us the roadmap to the narrow path to Heaven. Now it is up to us to be vigilant, pray for strength, and be willing to stand before God, trusting in His Divine Love, Justice, and Mercy.

Are we being vigilant in our spiritual lives? How can we overcome the traps of sin and anxieties? How often do we pray to God for the strength to do His Will not matter the cost?

O Lord, give us the grace to be vigilant at all times.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Jesus’ words will not pass away. His Truth will triumph over ignorance and deception. His commandments to know, love, and serve God and His children will always remain. His promise of life after death for those who follow him will never go unfulfilled. His words of forgiveness and mercy will echo throughout eternity. Everything Jesus said was to enlighten us and lead us to a never-ending life with him in heaven. We would do well in this life to remember his Good News and live it out to our fullest.

Have we listened to and learned from God’s words in scripture? Are we listening to God’s inspirations through the Holy Spirit? How can we make the gospel message of Christ into the source, center, and summit of our lives?

O Lord, may we be incarnations of your divine word.

Amen.