Seventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Not so, the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

We are relentlessly tempted to wickedness by the world. The world tells us to do what feels good, when what it really is saying is do what is wrong and forget what is right. Worldly people do not care about giving glory to God or doing good for others. They are only concerned with themselves and what benefit they can get from doing this and that. Yes, they might be charitable, but for all the wrong reasons. They might be helpful, but only when they see gain for themselves. As Christians, we are called to do what is right and good no matter the cost to ourselves. We must be willing to carry our crosses in this world and suffer greatly. We must be willing to be mocked and persecuted for our beliefs. We must be willing to be rejected by everyone around us. God’s Will is not the will of the world. It is a harder road, but one worth traveling because the wide road of wickedness leads to destruction.

How can we resist the temptations of the world? What can we do to rid ourselves of all wickedness? Are we willing to suffer in order to do what is right and good?

O Lord, watch over us and lead us to live just and hopeful lives.

Amen.

Seventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law. Those who love your law have great peace, and for them there is no stumbling block.

Many in the world see the laws of the Lord as restricting. They are, but for our own good. God didn’t give us the Ten Commandments to oppress us, but rather to help us to be free from sin and death. When we follow and love God’s Laws, we become just and holy people. We show the rest of the world there is a path to peace and hope. We only need to let go of our selfish instincts and embrace the selflessness of Jesus Christ, who revealed to us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we are acting as Christians should, we experience an inner peace that cannot be shaken as long as we trust in God. There is no stumbling block that can cause us to fall if we depend upon God and follow in His Son’s footsteps. Even if the world is crashing down around us, we can have inner peace by simply loving God and doing what He leads us to do.

Are we at peace with God? Are we at peace with others? How can we become better lovers of God and His Divine Laws?

O Lord, we love you and your laws.

Amen.

Seventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you. Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

God will help us if we are willing to let Him. He wants what is best for us and if we are committed to Him, He will lead us where we need to be and inspire us to do what needs to be done. If we trust in God and are open to His Holy Spirit, then we will do good and avoid evil. We will be secure from sin and able to resist temptations. Our faith is one that is meant to be lived with complete fidelity and joy. We should take delight in being the children of God and doing His Will in all things.

Are our lives committed to the Lord? Do we trust in Him enough to let Him led us where He wants and not where we want? How can we do good works in our lives.

O Lord, help us to do good.

Amen.

Seventh Monday of Ordinary Time

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. And he has made the world firm, not to be moved. Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD.

Many in this world will tell us that there is no such thing as black and white. Everything is a matter of perspective and opinion. Good and evil don’t exist in their eyes. They have an anything goes kind of attitude and try to convince us to let go of our beliefs and embrace the grayness they live in. It may indeed be tempting to forget what we’ve learned as Christians and simply be part of the world. However, we were not created for the world, but for God and He is Good. He is Light. He is right. We cannot follow Him if we do not believe these things. We cannot be examples of holiness to others if we do not accept there is good and evil in the world. God is our King, there should be no other. He made the earth and everything in it good. It was only through the Devil and the original sin of Adam and Eve that evil entered into the world. God’s throne is planted firmly in the Way, the Truth, and the Life we are all called to live and if we want to be part of His Kingdom, then we must believe this and live it.

How can we do better and avoid evil? What can we do to fight our sinful inclinations? How can we anchor God’s Throne of Wisdom within our hearts so we might be worthy of being part of His Kingdom?

O Lord, plant your throne firmly in our hearts.

Amen.

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

We are both earthly and heavenly creatures. We have the potential for good and evil that Adam, our first ancestor had. We also have the opportunity to cultivate Christ’s heavenly virtues in our every thought, word, and work. We are our best selves when we choose the goods of earth and heaven over the evils of worldliness. But God won’t force us to be good as He is Good. He won’t take away our free will. He wants us to know, love, and serve Him of our own accord. He wants us to choose eternity in Heaven with Him over the here and now desires we have on the earth. This isn’t to say God doesn’t want us to enjoy the earth, after all He created it and it was good. But that should be something that flows naturally from the course of events as we follow Him and His commandments and not the goal of life itself.

Are we using our earthly selves to do good instead of evil? How are we allowing the heavenly to influence our thoughts, words, and works? What can we do to bear the image of God to the whole world?

O Lord, you made us earthly and heavenly. Help us to understand how to be faithful in both.

Amen.

Sixth Saturday of Ordinary Time

I will praise your name for ever, Lord. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might.

We should all give thanks to God for what He has done for us. In little and great ways, He has guided and blessed our lives so we have the best chance to join Him in Heaven. Without Him we would be lost to the abyss and have no hope of salvation. But with Him, we can think, say, and do things that will bring us closer to Him and the glory of His Kingdom. It is His Might that becomes our strength in times of need and we should learn to accept and lean on Him when we are in need physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. He is the rock on which we are meant to build our lives because He is the root of our strength.

Do we thank God for the might He lends us? How can we use the strength He gives to build up His Kingdom? Are we willing to be humble and allow Him to uphold us in our times of need?

O Lord, lend us your might.

Amen.

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage.

We have nothing to fear as long as we are right with God. If we seek forgiveness for our sins with humble and contrite hearts, then He will show us mercy. If we trust in His Divine Plan, then He will lead us where we need to be. If we think, speak, and act like Christ, then we shall become co-heirs to the kingdom. If we believe God is at our side, we shall have the courage we need to face any challenge. If we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the glory of God and the good of others, then we shall find our reward in Heaven.

Are we afraid of things we shouldn’t fear? How can we overcome these anxieties and show God we trust in Him? What can we do to give others the courage to live out their faith, too?

O Lord, we fear no evil for you are at our side.

Amen.

Sixth Thursday of Ordinary Time

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth. Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: “The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”

God wants to free us from the chains of sin and prison of death. He does everything in His power to give us the graces we need to resist temptations, do good, and lead Christ-like lives. He didn’t need to do any of this for us, but He choose to do it anyway because we are made in His Divine Image and He unconditionally loves us. He wants us to choose freedom with Him over slavery to our worldly desires. Hopefully, we end up choosing life over death.

What are the sins and worries that chain and enslave us? How can we break free of these things and be released from our bondage? Do we praise God for all the help He has given us to free us from sin and death?

O Lord, release us from all evil.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

God has done many good things for us. He gave us existence and life. He has provided us with every good thing and blessing we experience. He has given us graces, gifts, and talents to use for His Glory and the good of others. All He asks in return is our love and the sacrifice of praise. If we do these things, then He gives us even more… the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven.

Do we praise God for the goods He has done us? Are we using the graces, gifts, and talents we’ve received from God for His Glory and the good of others? How are we making ourselves into living sacrifices of praise?

O Lord, let us return what we can to you through sacrifice, love, and praise.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

The Lord will bless his people with peace. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

Peace is something most people strive for. We don’t like arguments or confrontations. We want people to live in security and without fear of harm to themselves or their loved ones. When asked about wishes for the world, many people will say they wish for peace. And yet, the world is full of war, conflicts, and arguments. We might wonder why God allows this, but it always comes back to mankind’s free will. We could not love without it, but the flip side is true without free will we couldn’t hate, either. We have to take the good with the bad of free will… and hope one day the good wins out. If not in this world, then in the next.

Are we striving for peace in our own lives? Are we using our free wills to foster love and not hate? How can we bring peace to those around us?

O Lord, help us to use our free will to be people of peace.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time

Offer to God a sacrifice of praise. God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

God wants us to make sacrifices to and for Him, but He does not want us to make sacrifices in the mistaken belief that if we do this for Him, He will do whatever we want. That’s not how sacrifices are made. Just because we give up something for God doesn’t entitle us to anything. God’s Grace, Mercy, and Love are given to us freely without strings attached and so our sacrifices must be made freely without expectation of consolation or reward. This isn’t to say God won’t give us these things, but rather that when He does, we should consider it a bonus beyond what we deserve. God wants our obedience and sacrifices generously given. He wants our praise, honor, glory, and love above all.

Are our sacrifices done without hesitation or expectation? How can we put aside our pride and accept whatever comes in this life without complaint? What can we do to thank God when He does offer us a grace or consolation?

O Lord, we offer you an unconditional sacrifice of praise.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

We believe in the resurrection of the dead. There is an afterlife and we will live it out according to how we lived this life on earth. We will go to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. There isn’t an end when we die. It is a beginning of eternity. Whether we suffer for that eternity or enjoy it is up to our actions and inactions while here on earth. This is a part of our faith that isn’t up for debate. It is both a comforting and uncomforting idea because it speaks to ramification for everything we think, say, and do.

Do we believe in the resurrection? If we do, then why to we forget this truth so often when we sin? How can we bring this truth to mind more faithfully so it can affect our decisions in this life?

O Lord, we believe you will raise us from the dead and lead us to life everlasting.

Amen.

Fifth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.

God constantly pours His love upon us because He wants us to be filled with love. He wants us to be overflowing with holiness, goodness, truth, mercy, and all that He is. He wants us to magnify Him in and through our every thought, word, and work. He only wants what is best for us and does everything in His power to provide us with the graces and blessings we need to become good and faithful servants to Him and His children.  He wants to make us heirs to His Heavenly Kingdom because He wants to spend the rest of eternity with us. Our Father wants us to be his sons and daughters forever and ever, for a thousand years and beyond... till time ends and beyond. It should humble us to imagine that God loves us so much although we are less than dust compared to Him. What a marvelous thing it is to be loved by an infinite God.

Are we allowing ourselves to be filled to the brim with God’s Love? Do we sing for joy at the thought of how much we are loved by our Heavenly Father? How can we help others feel loved, too?

O Lord, fill us with your love.

Amen.

Fifth Friday in Ordinary Time

Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord. Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile.

None of us are perfect. God knows this and that is the reason He gave us the example of His Beloved Son. Jesus showed us what true forgiveness is. He revealed to us the Divine Mercy of God through His life, passion, death, and resurrection. He showed us how to be just and compassionate. He showed to us how to forgive others, even those who we find most difficult to forgive. God also gave us the sacrament of reconciliation because He knew we would need it. We are not perfect in this life, but we can ask for forgiveness, do penance, and strive to be better people.

Are we just? Are we forgiving? How can we be more merciful like Christ?

O Lord, we rejoice in your just compassion toward all.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop

See how the Lord blesses those who fear him. Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.

In life, we must choose whom we are going to disappoint. We cannot find favor with everyone. We cannot please one and all. We either love God and do everything in our power to glory, honor, and praise Him or we love the world and go our own way. The roads to salvation and destruction may occasionally cross from time to time, but they ultimately diverge. And we must make a decision as to which path to follow. The wide and easy way to sin and death or the narrow and difficult trail to holiness and resurrection. We cannot walk the line between good and evil. We either seek to be good or we are evil. Yes, we might falter and fail, we are sinners after all. But if we have chosen God over the world, then we will ask for forgiveness with contrite hearts, do penance, and continue to strive toward holiness.

Do we fear disappointing God? Are we willing to walk His ways even if it means suffering and sacrifice? How can we grow in God’s blessings, good fruits, and favor?

O Lord, guide us along your ways.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.

The Lord sends out His Holy Spirit to each and every one of us and through the Holy Spirit He offers us virtues, gifts, and graces. He pours out His Love and Mercy upon us and offers to make us holy, too. He wants our souls to be blessed and our lives to be good. He wants us to be great like He is great. He wants to clothe us in His Light and robe us in His Truth so we might walk His Way in confidence. He gives us more gifts than we can count. More than we could ever repay. And yet, all He asks of us is to be good and faithful servants and love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and our neighbors as He loves them. Truly, He is majestic, glorious, and good.

Are our hearts open and welcoming to the Holy Spirit? Do we put the graces and blessings we receive through the Spirit to good use? How can we magnify the greatness and the glory of God for all whom we meet?

O Lord, send your Holy Spirit to renew our hearts.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?

It is an amazing and humble thought to realize God cares for us. In all the universe, He has chosen to create us in His Divine Image and made us co-heirs to His Kingdom. He loves us unconditionally and gives us every grace to help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. He wants us to succeed in our spiritual lives and lead us to holiness and life everlasting with Him. All of creation, He made for us. How wonderful for us that God wants to spend forever with us and is willing to help us along the narrow way.

Are we open to God’s help as He leads us toward salvation? How can we care for others like God cares for us? What can we do to be worthy co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom?

O Lord, thank you for caring so much for us.

Amen.

Fifth Monday in Ordinary Time

May the Lord be glad in his works. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.

We are the works of the Lord and He is glad in us when we do His Will. He created us to be co-heirs to the Kingdom with His Beloved Son and instruments of His Grace, Mercy, and Love. We are constantly blessed by Him with time, talents, and treasures that He means for us to share with all His children. He is a great Father indeed, clothed in majesty and glory. He is our Light and our Savior. He has done marvelous deeds for us all. It is only fitting that we know, love, and serve Him more perfectly by doing good and avoiding evil.

Are we allowing God to work through us? How can we be more open to allowing Him to use us as instruments of His Goodness? What can we think, say, and do to show others how great our Heavenly Father is?

O Lord, may we do your works and bring gladness to your Divine Heart.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

We are Christians by the grace of God. Some of us were born into the faith, others came to the faith later in life. However, all of us are in need of deeper conversion. Just like Paul, we all are called to proclaim the Gospel in our own unique ways. It is up to each of us to accept our vocation and to toil harder than we ever imagined to bring the Way, the Truth, and the Life into the world. So, let us all preach in our own way, by thoughts, words, and works and show those around us we are worthy of the name Christians and true heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Do we think, speak, and act like Christians in all things? How can we live out our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? How can we toil harder to bring the Good News to others?

O Lord, by your grace we can become good and faithful servants to you forever and ever.

Amen.

Fourth Saturday in Ordinary Time

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage.

If we listen to the Holy Spirit within us, He will guide us in right paths to holy and fruitful lives. Even if those paths might pass through dark valleys and darker nights, we will have nothing to fear if we trust in God. He might not lead us along the paths we would choose, but He will lead us along those ways that will lead to our good and our salvation. With God at our side, we have nothing to fear from the world or from the evils within it.

Do we allow God to shepherd us? Are we willing to let Him lead us even to where we don’t want to go? How can we be more trusting of Him even when we are passing through dark valleys and darker nights?

O Lord, guide us along right paths to holiness and salvation.

Amen.

Fourth Friday in Ordinary Time

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; Though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust.

No matter what happens to us, if we trust in God, then we will have nothing to fear. If we are having financial difficulties, but trust in God, we will be taken care of. If we lose our health, but trust in God, we will make it through our troubles. If we lose a loved one, but trust in God, we will be at peace. If our enemies persecute and mock us, but we trust in God, then we will triumph over them. If we go through any sort of difficulties, but trust in God, we will survive them all. If we make God our Light and our salvation, we will have nothing to fear.

Do we put our trust in God in our most difficult times? How can we be at peace even in the midst of trials? What can we do to resist the war waged against us by evil in the world?

O Lord, with you at my side I have nothing to fear.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday in Ordinary Time

O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple. Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth.

If we know, love, and serve God, then our souls become temples to God. He dwells within us and pours His Love and Mercy out upon us. It isn't always easy to upkeep our inner temples, but they need constant tending through prayer, charity, mortification, and acts of mercy. Without these actions, our temples would fall into disrepair and collapse. However, God gives us all the building blocks we need to build Him a great temple within our hearts. So, let us make use of all those graces, goods, and blessings He has given us and make a place of refuge for ourselves and all those whom we meet each day.

Do we treat ourselves, body, minds, and spirits, as living temples of the Lord? How can we build up our inner temples? What can we do to keep them from being weakened and destroyed?

O Lord, we ponder your mercy and hope to build up a temple for you within our hearts.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him. Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

When we think of the benefits God gives us, we often think of the gifts, goods, and graces He provides us. However, there is another benefit that He gives us... discipline. Trials, sufferings, difficulties can sometimes seem like a punishment, but they are not allowed to happen to us without a reason. We might not understand why we must suffer, but God knows what good comes from our tribulations. He doesn't allow evil to befall us because He doesn't care, but rather He allows it so we might do what is right. If our lives came too easily for us, we would take everything for granted and lose our perspective. We would come to expect everything to arrive on a silver platter. We would forget that doing what is right and good often takes sacrifice of worldly pleasures. So, let us not complain when we are undergoing trials, but rather accept them gratefully as chances to build up our faith, rely on our hope, and show our unwavering love.

What difficulties are we going through? What can we do to get through them without bitterness? How can we see our trials as a blessing and not a curse?

O Lord, we shall never forget all the benefits you've given us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

They will praise you, Lord, who long for you. I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him. The lowly shall eat their fill; they who seek the LORD shall praise him: “May your hearts be ever merry!”

If we aren’t longing for the Lord, then we don’t have our priorities straight in this world. We should be living in constant anticipation of God’s coming into our lives, especially through the sacraments. We should be preparing ourselves for the Second Coming and the Day of Judgment. We should be striving to become holy people full of faith, hope, and love. We should strive to keep the vows of our baptism and to eat our fill of the Blessed Sacrament. We should be seeking God in every way possible from the beginning of each day to the end of each night. We should praise God with every ounce of our being. We should have merry hearts because when we long for God, we can be confident in His longing for us, too.

Do we long for God as we should? How can we cultivate a life of anticipation focused on being with God now and forever? How can we participate in the sacraments more fully and longingly?

O Lord, may our hearts long for you and be ever merry.

Amen.

Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord. How great is the goodness, O LORD, which you have in store for those who fear you, And which, toward those who take refuge in you, you show in the sight of the children of men.

No matter what might be happening in our lives, no matter the trials, the sufferings, the failures... we should take comfort in the Lord. He is our beacon of Hope in the darkness of the world. He is full of goodness and compassion and will never abandon us to evil. We might go through great challenges and difficulties, but He will always give us the graces we need to overcome the challenges of our lives. He holds a special place in His Divine Heart for those of us who respect and love Him enough to fear disappointing Him above all.

Are we hopeful? Do we trust in God’s Goodness and Divine Grace? How can we nurture a healthy fear of failing the Lord?

O Lord, we hope and take refuge in you.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In many ways we can be childish in our lives. We can be selfish, inconsiderate, and temperamental. However, if we have faith, hope, and love, then we will grow into holy children of God. We shall become Christ-like in all things, see the world around us more clearly, and know God’s Will more perfectly. The difference between childishness and child-likeness is the difference between self-centeredness and God-centeredness, between prideful self-dependence and trusting dependence upon God. Yes, God asks us to put away the childish things in our lives, the ones that lead us away from Him, but He doesn’t want us to rid ourselves of the most important thing we have to offer Him... our child-like love.

In what ways are we childish? How can we overcome these selfish and prideful sins and imperfections? What can we do to become a more faithful, hopeful, and loving child of our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, help us to put away those childish things that keep us from being holy heirs to your Heavenly Kingdom.

Amen.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!

God will not force Himself into our lives. He may be a king, but He will not break down the doors to our hearts if they are barred. Instead, He will camp just outside our gates and patiently wait for us for as long as it takes for us to either let Him in or for us to ruin ourselves utterly. He brings with Himself gifts and graces. He brings with Himself acts of charity and mercy. He brings with Himself faith, hope, and love. He wants to enter into us to bring blessings, tidings of joy, and salvation. It is up to us to unbar our gates and let Him in with open arms and voices raised in thanksgiving and praise.

Are our hearts open to God? Are we ready for Him to come into us and set up His Kingdom? How can we be more welcoming to Him and His Divine Will?

O Lord, you are our king enter into our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls.

Amen.

Third Friday in Ordinary Time

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

Our salvation comes from the Lord. It is a gift given to us freely and lovingly. However, it is a gift we can reject through sin and selfishness. This is why we must be on constant guard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. He wants us to distrust and ignore the Lord. He wants us to do evil. He wants us to delight in ourselves. He wants our destruction. Thankfully, God is patient and merciful and if we trust in Him and are good, He will lead us to salvation and protect us from all that would harm us. Moreover, He will grant us our hearts’ requests as long as they will lead us closer to Him.

Do we trust in the Lord’s Divine Plan for our lives? What can we do to guard against the temptations of the Devil? How can we do better with the time, talents, and treasures God has given us?

O Lord, grant our hearts’ requests if they are in line with Your Divine Will.

Amen.