First Saturday of Lent

Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.

It is easy to love those who love us, but much harder to love those who persecute us. These enemies may attack us physically, intellectually, emotionally, or spiritually. In the face of such assaults it is difficult to recognize our foes as fellow children of God and co-bearers of the Divine Image. However, these are the people in our lives most in need of charity. They are the ones who test the mettle of our love. Is our charity weak and brittle and unable to withstand the resistance of others? Or is it strong and durable? It is up to us to decide. That being said, we must recognize that we cannot win over the hearts of all our enemies with love. Sometimes it is best for us to retreat from someone who is mistreating us and pray for them from a distance. Prudence should guide our love so that we recognize when a relationship is too toxic for our own good. But that is the wonderful thing about prayer and love, they can be offered even from afar.

Who are the people in our lives whom we have the most difficulty loving? What can we do to love them in spite of our antagonistic relationships? Are we willing to sacrifice our pride in order to love our enemies?

O Lord, help us to love our enemies and pray for them for even they are your beloved children.

Amen.

First Friday of Lent

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Forgiveness is a three-way street between us, our neighbors, and our God. We are not only judged by how we seek forgiveness for our own sins from God, but also on how we forgive others when they seek our forgiveness. It is much easier for many of us to ask for forgiveness than to truly grant our forgiveness to those who have harmed us. However, this act of mercy is exactly what God wants us to do. By petitioning God for forgiveness we show our faith, but by giving it to others we reveal our good works to the Lord.

Do we have anything against someone else? Does anyone have anything against us? What are we going to do about it?

O Lord, grant us the grace to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters.

Amen.

First Thursday of Lent

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

When we ask with faith, seek with love, and knock with hope, we will always find our Heavenly Father ready to give us good things. He gives us a model of living based on charity toward others and we ought to imitate Him. We need to help those, who like us, are asking, seeking, and knocking. We can become the answers, the treasures, and the opportunities they need to become good and faithful children of Our God.

What do we do when people ask us for something? Do we help others to find what they are seeking? Are we willing to open doors for others?

O Lord, grant us the grace we need to continue asking, seeking, and knocking.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Lent

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Jonah told the people of Nineveh that in forty day their city would be destroyed and they responded by proclaiming a fast. There was no guarantee that God would relent and forgive them, only a hope that they might not perish. This act of penance and faith convinced God to spare them. When we commit sins, we act like the people of Nineveh before Jonah prophesizes to them. However, unlike them we have Christ as a constant reminder of our need to repent and an endless source of God’s mercy. Nineveh had only one chance to seek forgiveness from God and then only by proclaiming a fast. We, on the other hand, have access to the sacrament of reconciliation and its justifying grace whenever we want to seek it out. As long as we are contrite and accepting of God’s mercy we are forgiven of our sins.

Do we take advantage of the immeasurable gift we have been given in the sacrament of reconciliation? Do we ever call a fast, be it from food or other things, to manifest our contrition before God? When we look upon the cross do we not only see a warning against sin, but also the promise of God’s forgiveness?

O Lord, help us to fast from our sins and see you as the Great Sign of Mercy.

Amen.

First Tuesday of Lent

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the perfect prayer—the Our Father. In this simple prayer we are given a microcosm of our faith. We recognize God as Our Heavenly Father and hallow his name. We remind ourselves that the focus of our faith should be on the second coming and doing God’s Will on earth. We ought to desire the daily bread of the Eucharistic celebration, but also the future bread of the heavenly feast. We ask for the forgiveness of our sins and the grace to forgive others. Finally, we petition God to protect us from temptation and evil. This single prayer encompasses the petitions at the heart of our faith and every time we pray it we unite ourselves to Our Father and all of His beloved children.

Do we meditate on the Our Father when we pray it or do we just say the words? What can we do to take these words into our hearts and live them? What petitions do we have for God today?

O Lord, when we pray the Our Father grant us the grace to ask you for what we really need, and not just what we want.

Amen.

First Monday of Lent

Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

Jesus gives us a litany of merciful acts in today’s gospel. He lays out for us what it means to be a sheep in his flock. It is not an easy life, it is a life of sacrifice and self-gift. Each of us is called to empty ourselves in different ways, some of us to feed the physically needy, while others to give drink to the spiritually wanting. Everyone we meet is in need or want of something, sometimes it is obvious and other times it is an enigma. However, when faced with our fellow children of God, we ought to love them to the best of our abilities. Only then will be able to inherit the kingdom and enjoy the heavenly feast.

How have we succeeded and failed to feed, welcome, clothe, care for, and visit those in need? What acts of mercy can we do today? Do we keep those in most need of these acts of love in our prayers?

O Lord, we want to be a blessing for the needy and worthy of inheriting your kingdom.

Amen.

First Sunday of Lent

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

Sometimes the Spirit of God drives us to risk ourselves. He asks us to go out into the desert of the great unknown and leave behind our lives of comfort for something greater. When we are called in such a manner we must imitate Christ and be ready to go, even to those places where we might not want to travel. When we make such a major change in our lives we will be tempted by Satan to turn back, to give up, and let someone else do it. We will run into people who turn on us like wild beasts and say to us: Are you crazy? Why do you want to do that? Why waste your time? However, if we pray about these decisions and discern a call to ministry whether it is official or volunteer, then we should not be afraid to walk into the unknown secure in the knowledge that we are doing it because we love God and want to express our love by serving our neighbor.

Have we ever had a moment in our lives where we felt driven by the Spirit to say or do something? If so, then what thorns did we have to face and what fruits came from our work? Are we willing to leave everything behind and walk into the desert with Jesus?

O Lord, let your Spirit drive us to where you need us to be.

Amen.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.

Jesus also calls us to follow him and in order to do this we too must leave everything behind. We cannot let our personal desires keep us away from doing what we need to do as followers of Christ. He came to heal us and part of that process is cutting away all of those sins which keep us from following him perfectly. He comes to us as our Heavenly Physician and his prescription is for us to repent and accept the grace he offers us.

Are we really following in the footsteps of Jesus? Are we willing and able to leave everything behind? Is there anything we can give up in our lives to take that first step?

O Lord, help us to leave everything behind and follow you.

Amen.

Friday after Ash Wednesday

Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?

When we see someone else having an easier time of it then us, whether it be physically, financially, emotionally, or otherwise, we start to question God. We ask him, "Why do they have it better than us? Haven’t we done everything right? Don’t we deserve better?" However, these are selfish thoughts filled with pride and envy. They fail to recognize that every good we have comes from God and none of them can be earned through our actions. They are freely given gifts, which God can dispose of however he wants regardless of what we might think. We might pray for these things and hope for them, but we should never expect or demand them. Our God gives us exactly what we need to fulfill His Will and be good and faithful servants. We often focus our thanksgiving on what we have, but we should also be thankful for what we do not have because some things we wish we had would not make us better people. They might even lead us away from God. So the next time we see someone else getting ahead, especially if it is someone we dislike, we should not envy them, but rather be thankful for what we do have because often it is far more than we deserve and far more than many others have.

Who are the people in our lives whom we envy? How can we overcome this envy and be thankful for them and content with what we have? What are the things in our lives which we wanted, but never got and how did failing to receive them bring blessings into our lives?

O Lord, grant us what we need to do your Will and no more.

Amen.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?

The paradox of living a life of love is we must give ourselves away in order to increase in the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. We must risk losing everything for love of others, because those worldly things we cling to become anchors around our necks keeping us looking at the earth and not the heavens. We are not profited by those things which keep us from doing God’s Will with our whole hearts. We must be willing to lose our selfish lives and thereby win our place at the Heavenly Banquet. Jesus shows us throughout the Gospels how to sacrifice in great and small things and the least we can do is to repay Him by offering him everything we have.

Are there things in our lives which keep us from fixing our lives upon heavenly things? Are we willing to sacrifice everything we have for God, especially those things that do not lead us closer to Him? Are we willing to risk all we have to do God’s Will?

O Lord, help us to lose our lives for your sake.

Amen.

Ash Wednesday

Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.

Sometimes we are tempted to toot our own horn, to point out what we have done for others, and to ask to be recognized for it. However, this is not what Jesus would do, it is not what he wants from us. He does not need grandstanders or woe-to-me complainers. Our prayers, alms, and fasting should be done with as little fanfare as possible. Sure some people might notice what we are doing and if we are asked we should tell them the truth (and not lie out of some sense of false humility), but we don't need to draw attention to ourselves with outward displays of piety. People should know we are Christians by our love, not by how loud we make ourselves.

Do we do the right thing even when no one is there to see it? Are we willing to do it even if people might misunderstand or persecute us for practicing our faith? What was the last righteous deed we performed and were we content with no one knowing about it or did we point it out to others?

O Lord, we want to do righteous deeds not in order for others to see, but because we love you and all your children.

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.

Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time

Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.

Sometimes in our lives we ask God for signs to show us what to do, to bargain with him, or worst yet to test Him. However, signs are not what God wants us to be asking for in our lives. Even if He did answer us we would still have to interpret what a particular sign meant and might misunderstand it. Instead, we should focus on doing the right thing at all times and loving others as best as we can. If we do this then it should not matter whether we receive signs or not, we will know we are doing God’s Will and that is enough.

Do we look for signs in our lives or try to bargain with God through those signs? Are we willing to make blind leaps of faith without depending upon some false sign which might point us in the wrong direction? Can we set aside our prideful desire to interpret signs and simply love and do what God wills?

O Lord, give us no sign except for the cross.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

We are lepers in some way or another whether it be our health, minds, or spirits which are afflicted. When we face our imperfections, sins, and even those trials from God which we do not understand, we should be like the leper and kneel down and beg God to cleanse us of our afflictions. He might not heal us in the manner we expect or within the time of our choosing, but moved with compassion He will answer our prayers according to His Will, which is always for our best.

When we are in need of help do we seek to solve the problem ourselves or do we turn to God for help? How do we treat others who are ill in body, mind, or spirit? Do we avoid them or mirror the compassionate presence of Christ?

O Lord, if you wish you can make us clean.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop

My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.

Jesus continually shows his compassion for others throughout the gospels. He cares about both their physical and spiritual well-being because he knows he needs to address both our body and a soul through his words and works. He marries his preaching to his actions and cares for the entire person.

In what ways are we compassionate toward others? How do we anticipate and address their needs? What can we do to feed our own bodies and souls?

O Lord, take pity on us and feed us with your Bread of Life.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Ordinary Time

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

Christ’s healing of this deaf man reveals an intimacy of action toward him. Jesus brings this man away from everyone else, touches his ear and tongue, and calls out to heaven on his behalf, revealing how much God loves each one of His children. He takes a personal stake in our lives and is willing to heal us of all of our imperfections and sins if only we will go with him and leave the world and its crowds behind. He will open us to his Word and if we accept it we will be able to speak plainly the Gospel through our actions. We have a wonderful savoir in Jesus and we should be ever thankful for his tenderness toward us in the midst of our afflictions.

What deafens us to the call of the Word of God? What keeps us from preaching the Good News to those who are around us? Have we ever meditated upon our personal relationship with Jesus and how it reveals His love for us each and every day?

O Lord, let us be open to your Word.

Amen.

Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

Jesus came into the world to save all of us, both Jew and Gentile, and this gospel helps drive home this point. God does not deny his children the food of love, mercy, and grace. He offers to feed us all no matter who we are or what our sins might be. All we need to do is be contrite and accept what he is constantly offering us: salvation! The boldness of the woman in this story reminds us that as long as we seek God out in faith He will answer our prayers.

Are we bold in our seeking of salvation? Are we willing to beg Jesus Christ to forgive us our sins so he can save us from the fires of Hell? Do we have the necessary humility to approach God not just for what we want, but more importantly for what we need to be faithful heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven?

O Lord, give us the scraps of your love, mercy, and grace and we shall be sustained through all our earthly trials.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.

Jesus constantly reminds his followers their actions determine what kind of person they are, not any outside influences. We might blame our parents, our background, our environment, or any other number of things, but these scapegoats do not force us to sin. They may offer us the opportunity to sin, but in the end we are the ones who take the bait or refuse it. Our wills choose between good or evil in great and small things and we should be on constant guard against those things that lead us into temptation and sin. We also must be careful about what we allow to come out of our thoughts, words, and works. What we do can be the occasion for someone else to sin and woe to us when we lead others into evil.

What are the thoughts, words, or works in our lives which defile us? When we sin do we own up to our failings or do we blame something or someone else? What can we do to clean up our acts and remain good and faithful servants of Christ?

O Lord, cleanse our bodies, minds, and souls so all we do will be cleansed from the stain of sin.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.

We often talk a good game about doing God’s Will, but when it comes to actually doing the right thing we can sometimes convince ourselves to do the wrong thing because it seems more socially acceptable or avoids conflict with others. We can also convince ourselves we are morally superior to others and act holier-than-thou toward them because of their sinful lives. However, we must always keep in mind that we are sinners too and should not judge lest we be judged by the same measure.

Do we honor God with our lips only, or also with our hearts? Have we acted superior to others? If so, then how can we make amends to them and love them as Jesus loved the sinner, but hated the sin?

O Lord, help us to honor you with our hearts and seek not to judge others.

Amen.

Fifth Monday of Ordinary Time

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

Those who came to Jesus to be healed believed in his power because they saw it or heard of it. On the other hand, we do not have firsthand knowledge of Jesus and so our belief in him is founded upon our faith in Christ and a trust in the message of the His Gospels. We seek out Jesus just like those first petitioners for not just physical healing, but also for our spiritual health. We beg him to heal us and others through our prayers and our acts of mercy and trust that his love will renew us. We reach out to him as the crowds of old did, but we understand that his touch will not just save our bodies, but also our souls. In addition, we realize Jesus’ Good News is not just a passive transmission, but an active transaction which demands that we bear the Word of God to others.

What are the sins and imperfections we need healed? Are we not only willing to reach out to God for His Mercy, but willing to do the same for those around us? Do our works speak of our belief in the Gospels or do we speak of our belief without the good works to back them up?

O Lord, we reach out to touch you. May your healing power flow into and through us to others.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”

Jesus recognizes when it is time to move on and challenges us to do the same. We have a habit of finding a comfort zone and staying there whether it is a place, a job, or a daily routine, but sometimes these comforts can keep us from doing God’s Will. Jesus could have stayed, healed more people, and lived comfortably in the town where he preformed his miracles. However, he understood through prayer and reflection that he was not called to remain in one place. He had a wider mission and trusted God would provide for him along the way he was walking. So too we must be willing to put aside our good for something better and not fall into the trap of confusing comfort with the happiness which comes from living the Christ-like life.

Are we truly happy with who we are and where we are at in life? Would we be willing to leave our comfort zone if God called us to do something greater, even if it meant risking everything we hold dear? What is the purpose of our lives?

O Lord, we do not seek to be comfortable, but rather to be purposeful as you were in your Most Holy Life.

Amen.

Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.

It is important to know not just when to work but also when to rest. This is why Jesus tells his disciples to come with him and rest a while. Of course the people follow them and the opportunity for rest is replaced with an opportunity for preaching. However, throughout the Gospel we see Jesus seeking solitude in prayer and we need to do that as well. Sometimes our problems will follow us and we should deal with them, but we should not stop trying to find Sabbath time to converse with God and rest in His Peace.

Do we set aside time to rest and relax every day? If not, then how can we improve the balance between our work and rest? If yes, then do we spend at least part of that time alone with God and allowing him to speak to us through the silence?

O Lord, bring us to a deserted place where we can rest a while within the refreshing shade of your Love.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.

Sometimes we make promises to other people that we should not keep. We let a sense of pride get in the way of doing the right thing and then after we have sinned, we make excuses or claim everything was out of our hands. However, nothing excuses us from doing the wrong thing, even the right reasons. The ends do not justify the means. We have to face the fact that sometimes we make promises that we should not keep because they are bad for others and ourselves. We should not let our likes or dislikes of others keep us from doing the right thing.

When we are faced with the choice between what is right and wrong,  how do we remind ourselves that God is watching? Have we ever let our pride get in the way of saying or doing what we ought to do? Do we allow people to impress and influence us into committing sins?

O Lord, when we are faced with the choice between good and evil give us the strength to choose the former and the wisdom to avoid the latter.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick —no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

When Jesus sends his disciples out into the world he has them take nothing with them but a walking stick and sandals. They are to trust that God will provide everything else they will need for their journey. This need for faith in God’s Providence is reinforced by Jesus telling them to stay in whatever house they enter when they first arrive in an area. This house should be good enough for them and they should not seek better arrangements for themselves. When they follow Christ’s commandments they are able to drive out demons and cure the sick because like Christ they have accepted God Will.

Have we ever just put aside everything in our lives and done something for God in service to His children? Are we content with what we receive from others or do we have a tendency to move on from those less fortunate toward those who can offer us more in terms of worldly things? What are the things in our lives which we would find most difficult to give up for Jesus and why are we so attached to them?

O Lord, let us take nothing with us on the journey of salvation, except for you.

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!

Familiarity with someone can sometimes blind us to the good and the bad within them and it is no different with Jesus. The people of his native place doubt him, his wisdom, and his works. We can do the same to those around us who make a change in their lives, especially one which forces us to look at them in a new light. We have a tendency to put others into boxes after a while and when they do something outside that box we wonder what is wrong with them. Some of these changes are for the better, others for the worse and it is up to us to put aside our former ways of thinking about the person in order to recognize which it is. If it is good we should encourage it, if bad we should convince them to stop it.

Who are the people we doubt? Are we being fair to them in light of the actions they have taken not just in the past, but in the present? When we see someone we know do something unexpected are we able to look at what they have done objectively and make a just judgment about it?

O Lord, help us to recognize your wisdom and works in others, especially those whom we find it most difficult to love.

Amen.

Fourth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Do not be afraid; just have faith.

When the answers to our prayers are delayed or do not come, we can sometimes turn to God and say, "Forget about it." This is what the people essentially say to Jairus after his daughter dies. No sense in bothering Jesus any more, right? Wrong. We need to continue to pray to Jesus just as much when our prayers are seemingly denied as when they are answered affirmatively. We should not be afraid to have failures come knocking at our door and instead have faith that even in the midst of our trials Jesus will be able to raise us out of the darkness of despair.

What prayers have gone seemingly unanswered by God? Are we sure there was no answer or in hindsight can we see the good which came out of the trial we faced? Are we able to say we are not afraid and have the faith to face whatever difficulties will come along the Way to the Kingdom of God?

O Lord, we do not want to be afraid. Grant us faith in you.

Amen.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

Simeon has waited his entire life to see Christ the Lord, and even though Jesus comes as a helpless infant the man recognizes him. He trusts in the Providence of God and in the salvation which Jesus’ presence promises. His actions give us an example of what it means to be righteous and devout. We, like Simeon, should accept the Word of God and the peace He offers us through out our lives from beginning to end. We are called to offer glory and praise to our God for all of the good He has done for us, especially for those graces He gives which we have not noticed.

Do we really trust in God’s Providence? If not, then what can we do to foster a belief that all will turn out right in the end? When good things do happen to us, what do we say to God in thanksgiving?

O Lord, help us to trust in you and the salvation you offer us so that one day we too might go in peace.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.

Jesus tosses out an evil spirit from a synagogue in today’s gospel. In doing so he reveals to his audience at the time and to us that he speaks with divine authority. The power behind his words is undeniable in the eyes of many of those who witnessed his works. His power impresses them because the Pharisees and scribes did not speak with personal authority. They represented the teachings of their masters, but Jesus is the Word of God made Flesh and when he speaks it is with an authority all of his own. This authority challenges us to follow in Jesus' footsteps and walk with him along His Way, which is not the way of the world.

What is this gospel of Jesus to us? Do we recognize His authority not only over unclean spirits, but over our sin-stained souls? What are we doing to protect ourselves from the wickedness and snares of the Devil?

O Lord, open our hearts to your teachings.

Amen.