Twenty-First Saturday in Ordinary Time

The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice. Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.

We should welcome God’s rule over us. We should be thankful He wants to conquer our hearts and make them part of His Heavenly Kingdom. We should exult that He has come to humble us. We should be happy we are made into His servants. We should praise Him for His light yoke and easy burden. We should glorify Him for His Justice and Mercy. We should be glad He treats us with equity. We should leap for joy in the knowledge He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever.

Are we willing to let God rule us? How can we humble ourselves before Him? What is our Heavenly King asking us to do today, tomorrow, and forever?

O Lord, rule over us.

Amen.

Twenty-First Friday in Ordinary Time

Rejoice in the Lord, you just! The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones; from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.

Evil can be alluring. It can be easy. It can tempt us in many ways. But no matter how alluring or easy or tempting it is, it ultimately leads to destruction. Destruction of our relationship with God. Destruction of our connections to family, friends, and neighbors. Destruction of ourselves from the inside out. Evil is corruptive by nature. It decomposes us in body, mind, and soul. It breaks us down and turns us into bleached corpses, dried out and lifeless. This is why we must strive so hard to guard against evil and all its empty promises. If we don’t then we will have no one to blame but ourselves because God give us everything we need to overcome our temptations and be freed from the chains of sin.

Do we hate evil? Are we guarding our lives against it? How can we grow in goodness and help others to do the same?

O Lord, we hate evil, guard our lives against its empty promises.

Amen.

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!

God is constantly at work within us. He is always trying to use our bodies, minds, and spirits to bring forth good and do away with evil. His inspirations are whispered into our thoughts. His strength pours out into our veins. His teachings echo in our hearts. His influence is ever present in us. We have only to be open to it and allow Him to work through us. When we do this, our words will bring joy and peace… our works happiness and good. So, let us be open to the Lord our God and shout for joy at His Presence in our lives. If we do this, then our works will bear fruit and prosper.

Do we allow God to fill us with His Love? Are we allowing God to work through us? How can we be more open to allowing God to work through us?

O Lord, prosper the works of our hands.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

You have searched me and you know me, Lord. Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.

God is ever-present in our lives. There is not a moment when He abandons us, even if we might sometimes feel that way. He is always beside us, even when we turn our backs on Him. He does not leave us alone, no matter how much we might push Him away with sin. He is a loving Father who is always waiting for us to return to Him when we go astray. And sometimes, He goes far out of His way to find us and bring us home. There is no place we can flee that is out of His reach and nothing we can do that He won’t forgive if we are truly sorry and contrite. So, let us not be afraid of Him, but rather embrace Him and make Him a central part of every day.

Do we sometimes think we can escape God? How can we embrace God as central to our lives? What can we do to make ourselves more present to Him as He is ever-present for us?

O Lord, you are always there for us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Monica

You have searched me and you know me, Lord. O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.

God knows us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows our virtues and our vices. He knows what we want and what we need. He knows our thoughts and understands them. He knows what we are capable of, both good and evil. He knows what we could become if we put our minds to it. He knows the truth behind our every action. He knows us better than we know ourselves. This is why sometimes He takes things away from us or sends us a trial. It is all done for our benefit... to help us to discover and become the best version of ourselves.

How can we come to better know ourselves? Are we willing to search our motives and change our ways if they do not conform with God’s Will? What is God calling us to become?

O Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. Show us the way to become more perfectly yours.

Amen.

Twenty-First Monday in Ordinary Time

The Lord takes delight in his people. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; Let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!

Our glory is determined not by our worldly fame or fortune, it is determined by how well we fulfill God’s Divine Plan for our lives. God delights in us when we manifest Him and do everything in our power to know, love, and serve Him and His children. He wants us to exult Him and His marvelous deeds and to encourage our fellow Christians to bear good fruits. We do this through the way we live our daily lives and the way we treat others, especially those most difficult for us to love. We sing His praises best when our voices are ones full of charity and compassion. We amplify God’s greatness most powerfully when we imitate the life of Christ, who is the most perfect example of holy goodness.

How can we give glory to God in all we think, say, and do? How can we sing His praises more meaningfully? In what ways can we grow in the glory of all God’s faithful?

O Lord, we exult you in glory and praise.

Amen.

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

We are all in need of some discipline. There are areas of our lives where we all need some extra work. There are imperfections and sins in each of us that require some correction. So. it should come as no surprise when we are disciplined in some way. God doesn’t do this to hurt us, but rather to help us overcome our weaknesses and build up our faith, hope, and love. These moments of trial may be painful, but if we use them as opportunities to grow in holiness, then they will ultimately lead to joy and the peaceful fruits of righteousness.

What areas in our lives do we need more discipline? How can we learn to appreciate the trials that come our way and use them as stepping stones toward holier lives? What can we do to help others to overcome their weaknesses?

O Lord, we accept your discipline and hope to grow from it.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Our faith isn’t a passive one. It requires us to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News. It asks us to move out of our comfort zones and do what is right even though it might cost us greatly to do so. It calls us to be the best versions of ourselves by imitating Christ, even to the point of dying on a cross. It is through us that God manifests himself to most people. Our thoughts, words, and works reveal Him to others and we will be held accountable for how well or poorly we bear God into the world around us. So, let us lift high the cross and proclaim we are Christians by our love.

Do we make known the splendor of God’s Kingdom? What can we do to show others the glory of God? How can we help God’s Kingdom to endure through all generations?

O Lord, we are your friends and will make you known wherever we go and in whatever we do.

Amen.

Twentieth Friday in Ordinary Time

Praise the Lord, my soul! Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.

Sometimes we can become so caught up in doing things that we can forget God wants to be our helper. He wants to protect us from evil. He wants to show us how to know, love, and serve Him and others. He wants to inspire us and guide us to become better people. He gives us every grace to help us to overcome the obstacles in our way and succeed at what is most important in life... being good and faithful servants to God. And this truth should give us an abundance of hope in our futures because with God on our side nothing can stand in the way of us becoming what we are called to be.

What are the things in our lives that we are struggling with? How can we make time to ask God for help when we need? Do we place our trust in God above ourselves?

O Lord, bless and help us in all we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood.

Trusting in the Lord means being willing to leave everything behind in order to follow Him. It means being willing to sacrifice our most precious earthly possessions. Sometimes it even requires us to walk away from family and friends. It means rejecting all idols and the falsehoods they represent. It means accepting God’s Will, no matter the cost. It means being willing to die upon a cross.

Do we constantly say to the Lord that we are here for Him? Are we truly willing to do God’s Will even if it costs us our goods, our relationship, and lives? How can we protect ourselves from the false idols that surround and tempt us?

O Lord, you are our trust.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Lord, in your strength the king is glad. O LORD, in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire; you refused not the wish of his lips.

We are reminded in today’s psalm that we should rejoice in God’s victories on this earth. Sure, we are more likely to recognize and celebrate our own triumphs, but it is even more important to rejoice in those victories that God wins in the world. These successes can be great or small. They can be simple or complex. They can be a single kind word or an elaborate act of charity. We can see these victories of faith, hope, and love all around us in our families, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. We can also participate in the triumph of good over evil by choosing to live holy and loving lives and fulfilling God’s Will.

Do we keep our eyes and ears open to God’s victories in this world? In what ways can we help God triumph? How can we help others to succeed in their good deeds?

O Lord, we rejoice in every victory that is won for and by you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

The Lord speaks of peace to his people. Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.

Kindness is necessary if we want to imitate Jesus. There wasn’t a moment in his life when he wasn’t kind. Even when he overturned the money changers tables, he did it out of kindness, namely to save souls. Kindness isn’t a passive virtue. It goes out from us and shows our love of God, of our neighbors, and ourselves. Truth is also needed if we want to be good and faithful servants to God. After all, if we do not proclaim and follow the truth in our lives, then how can we expect to share in the life to come? Justice, too, is a virtue we must cultivate in order to live up to the title of being Christians. We need to give God and His children what they deserve in thought, word, and work. Otherwise, we will have nothing to show when the time comes to make an account of our lives. Lastly, peace should be at the core of our being. The calm that comes from trusting in God’s Divine Will and Mercy and believing that no matter the trials we face, we will overcome them with God’s grace.

Have kindness and truth meet within our hearts? Have justice and peace kissed our cheeks? How can we make ourselves into true imitators of Christ, who embodied all these virtues and more?

O Lord, make us kind, truthful, just, and peaceful.

Amen.

Twentieth Monday in Ordinary Time

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. They did not exterminate the peoples, as the LORD had commanded them, But mingled with the nations and learned their works.

God may have created us in this world, but He does not want us to be enthralled with it. He made us for Himself and does not want anything or anyone else taking us away from Him. He wants our undivided attention and gives us every grace we need to resist the temptations of the world around us. He set us apart from the world through our baptism and if we want any part in His Kingdom, then we must honor His wishes by living lives detached from earthly things. We must rid ourselves of all those things that compete with God for our attention. We must disentangle ourselves from worldly doubts, fears, worries, and possessions. And instead, we should pick up the life of Christ, put it on, and walk with God always at our side.

What do we need to exterminate from our lives? What worldly things must we disentangle ourselves from so we might attach ourselves more perfectly to Christ? How can we cultivate a spirit of holy detachment from the world?

O Lord, you created us to be wholly yours, let it be so always.

Amen.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.  Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

We are not alone in our struggle against sin. There is a cloud of witnesses from the Patriarchs of the Old Testament to the saints of our times, who are all praying for us. They also provide us with an example of how to resist evil and do good no matter what. In their lives they rid themselves of every burden and sin that clung to them and persevered till the end of their earthly race. They kept their eyes fixed on Jesus and endured their crosses. We would do well to imitate them just as they imitated Jesus and His Mother. So, let us take our inspiration from these witnesses, be willing to suffer for the sake of holiness, and one day join God in Heaven. 

Do we call upon the saints for help when we need it? How can we live in imitation of the Jesus as the saints did in their lives? Are we willing to resist sin to the point of shedding our blood for the glory of God and the good of others?

O Lord, thank you for the example of your holy and selfless life and the lives of your saints.

Amen.

Nineteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

You are my inheritance, O Lord. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

God is everything we should be striving for in our lives. He should be the source, center, and summit of our thoughts, words, and works. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and if we want to find ourselves, then we must seek Him. If we want to know who we truly are, we must strive to be more like Him. If we want to be at peace, we have to do whatever the Holy Spirit guides us to do. The only way we can ever have joy in this life is to know, love, and serve God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. However, this path is not an easy one. It leads to the cross, which we must carry without hesitation or complaint, sacrificing ourselves of the glory of God and the good of others. Then, and only then will we be made worth of the promises of Christ and the delights of Heaven.

Do we strive to follow the path of life God has shown us? How can we walk His Way more joyfully and trustingly? What can we do to prepare ourselves for the Heavenly Feast that awaits those who know, love, and serve God and His children?

O Lord, show us the path that leads to you.

Amen.

Nineteenth Friday in Ordinary Time

His mercy endures forever. Who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures forever; Who smote great kings, for his mercy endures forever; And slew powerful kings, for his mercy endures forever.

If we live holy lives by following God’s commandments, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s inspirations, then we will triumph over all that stand in our way to Heaven. There will be no wilderness of temptation and sin that will be able to confuse us and lead us astray as long as we allow God’s Light to show us the Way. There will be no enemies, human or otherwise, who will be able to keep us from the Promised Land. Every evil will part from us and every doubt will be washed away if we trust God will be with us through it all. His Mercy will always endure forever and for that reason we should be good and grateful servants.

What wildernesses do we need help passing through? How can we let go and let God lead us through these barren lands to the Promised Land? How can we aid others in their own journeys toward God?

O Lord, be merciful and lead us to eternal life with you.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold. The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.  The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold. Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house.

As Christians, we are called to forget our worldly lives and take our place among the saints. We cannot do that if we are constantly turning back to our earthly desires or dwelling upon our past mistakes. We must let go of these things and trust in God, who is our Heavenly Father and Mary, who is our Spiritual Mother. If we do this, then God will array us in gold and give us a seat at His Heavenly Banquet, where we will enjoy His Presence for the rest of time and beyond.

What do we need to forget in our lives? What do we need to leave behind? How can we cast these things away from us and not look back?

O Lord, grant us the grace to forget our worldliness and become one with you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire! Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God: "How tremendous are your deeds!"

God is constantly trying to fill us with the fires of his faith, hope, love, goodness, truth, mercy, and grace. He wants us to be ablaze with Him from the moment we wake in the morning to the moment we close our eyes at night. When people see us, they should know we are Christians by the light of our lives shining in the darkness of the world. We should be beacons of faith, hope, and love. We are meant to be lights for all the world to see and constantly lead others to Him. So, let our lives burn bright in the night, praising, glorifying, and magnifying God in all we think, say, and do.

Are we keeping the fires of our faith alive even in the midst of the darkness of the world? How can we make ourselves into beacons of grace for all who see us? What can we do to enkindle the light of Christ in ourselves and others?

O Lord, fill our souls with your fire.

Amen.

Nineteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

The portion of the Lord is his people. For I will sing the LORD’s renown. Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God! The Rock–how faultless are his deeds, how right all his ways!

We should indeed sing the Lord’s renown for not only what He has done throughout the ages, but also what He has done for us. We are merely specks in the grand scheme of His Divine Plan and yet He has become our Heavenly Father, sacrificed His Beloved Son for us, and given us His Holy Spirit. There is nothing on earth, under the seas, or in the skies that can satisfy us more profoundly and completely than God. He is righteous and good and loving beyond all expectations. He is the rock of our salvation and it is upon Him that we should all build our lives.

Do we understand what it means to be part of God’s Holy Family through the Church? In what ways do we proclaim the greatness of our Heavenly Father? How can we imitate Him and all His righteous ways?

O Lord, we will sign of your renown and greatness all the days of our lives.

Amen.

Nineteenth Monday in Ordinary Time

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!

Our hearts are like Jerusalem. They are cities made of virtues and vices. We have places of holiness and openness to God’s Will and we have our dark corners where it isn’t safe for us to go. But no matter what, we can be sure that like Jerusalem God will grant us peace in our borders if we have faith in Him, hope in His Goodness, and love as He loves us. He will wash away our iniquities and cleanse the places in our hearts that have grown dark from abuse and indifference. He will fill us up with His Grace and Mercy if we allow Him through our gates and welcome Him into our lives. He will bring great riches into us if we let Him. And He will dwell within us if we make ourselves into His living temples.

Are we willing to let God bring peace into our hearts? What dark places do we need to cleanse from our lives? How can we be more open to the spiritual food God offers us?

O Lord, grant us your peace and fill us with good fruits.

Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.  By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. 

Sometimes we don’t know where God is calling us, but we go anyway. It is by faith alone that we set out along the way prepared for us. We trust Him even though we don’t have a clear picture of what the future holds. We intrinsically believe something better lies before us because God loves us. We understand we might wander for many years, get lost, be asked to make sacrifices, and undergo many trials, but if we believe in Him, He will lead us to the promised land. He will protect us from our enemies, including sometimes ourselves, and bring us to the place we need to be. And, once we arrive, if we do what is asked, He will welcome us into His Holy City with open arms and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servants... Come, share your master’s joy!”

Where is God calling us? What is He asking us to do? How can we answer Him with the faith of Abraham, Mary, and all the saints who have come before us?

O Lord, grant us the faith to obey you whenever you call and go wherever you send us.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

We all have something we can give to others. We have an abundance of time, talents, and treasures at our disposal, which we can use to give glory to God and for the good of others. We might not be able to say, “Yes” to every request, but when we can, we should make time for those in need. Just as God is gracious with us, so we should be gracious to others, conducting our lives with justice, mercy, and charity for all whom we meet.

What do we have to give to God and others? How can we use our time, talents, and treasures to bear good fruits? In what ways can we be more generous with ourselves?

O Lord, give us the grace to be generous and just in all our thoughts, words, and works.

Amen.

Eighteenth Friday in Ordinary Time

I remember the deeds of the Lord. I remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I remember your wonders of old. And I meditate on your works; your exploits I ponder.

Every day we should take time to ponder the words and works of the Lord. We can do this through reading the Scriptures and going to Church and receiving the sacraments. We can also do it through quiet times of spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, and even contemplation of the mysteries of Christ. We can also remember God’s deeds when we act charitably and mercifully and treat others with dignity. It is a remarkable blessing to make Him present in our lives through imitation of Jesus, which is the best way to know, love, and serve God.

Do we take time to meditate on God’s works, not only in Scripture, but also in our lives? Do we remember everything He has done for us and try to imitate Him in the way we treat others? How can we put into action the commandments of our Holy Father, the teachings of His Beloved Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we shall always remember your deeds.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

God will provide. He always does. When the night is darkest, He gives us light. When the way is uncertain, He gives us a narrow path to follow. When we need spiritual food and drink, He gives it to us. When we are weak, He carries us. When we are alone, He is with us. When all the world seems to be against us, He stands by our side. He is the Rock of our Salvation and from Him flows all grace, love, and mercy. And all He asks in return is our faith, our hope, and our love.

Do we sing joyfully to God for all He has done for us? Do we acclaim Him as the source of our salvation? How can we provide for the good of others?

O Lord, we sing joyfully to you.

Amen.

Eighteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. We have sinned, we and our fathers; we have committed crimes; we have done wrong. Our fathers in Egypt considered not your wonders.

God favors us in many ways and yet sometimes we forget how much He does for us. When something doesn’t quite go our way or when we are asked to take a leap of faith or make a sacrifice, we can sometimes rebel against Him. We choose selfishness and sin over self-sacrifice and virtue. We grumble and complain against God rather than glorify and praise Him. We have a worldly attitude toward God, asking, “What have you done for us?” Instead, we should be asking, “What are you, O Lord, asking of us?” And when He responds, we should take that leap of faith and say, “Yes!” This is what Mary did in her most holy life. It is what the saints and martyrs did. It is the only way for us to share in God’s promise of salvation and enter into the Promised Land.

Do we spend time each day thinking about all the blessings, graces, gifts, talents, and other marvelous deeds God has done for us? How can we repay God for all the goods He has given us? What can we do to bring blessings and graces into the lives of those around us?

O Lord, help us to remember your presence in our lives and be ever thankful for it.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.

Sometimes our hearts can become mountains. They can become piled up with all sorts of doubts, worries, anxieties, and worldly cares. These can become so heavy within us that it is hard to do anything. However, God is willing to melt these things away and free us from our burdens. All we have to do is seek God in prayer and in the sacraments of His Holy Church and ask for the graces and blessings we need to leave behind all our worldly concerns. Then, we can focus on what is truly important, proclaiming God’s Goodness, Mercy, and Love to all the nations. And being charitable and just in our words and actions so all peoples can see God’s Glory through us.

What is weighing on our minds and hearts? How can we let go of these burdens and allow God to lift them away from us? What can we do to help lift other people’s burdens?

O Lord, melt our worries away with your love and mercy.

Amen.

Eighteenth Monday in Ordinary Time

Sing with joy to God our help. “My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.”

There are many things in this world that can drown out the voice of God. Other people can lead us astray. TV, computers, games, and other forms of entertainment can distract us from what we should be doing. Our goods and possessions can come to possess us. We can suffer setbacks and difficulties without once turning to God for help. We complain about what we have, we envy what others possess, we are consumed by consuming. Our hearts are hardened with hatred, prejudices, sins, and evil thoughts. However, all these things can be overcome if we turn to the Lord, pray for His intercession, and are willing to listen to what He is asking us to do with our lives. It might not be where we want to go, but it is what is best for us and the sooner we accept this and humble ourselves before God, we sooner we will have peace and spiritual prosperity.

What are the things in our lives that are drowning out God’s voice? What can we do to free ourselves from these spiritual dead ends? How can we walk in God’s counsel rather than our own?

O Lord, we sing to you, who helps to soften our hearts with love and mercy.

Amen.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. 

We all have parts of our lives that need to be put to death in order to live like Christ. Some of us fight against immorality, others impurity, still others with passions and evil desires. We all have our areas of idolatry where something other than God takes center stage in our hearts and minds. We need to stop lying to others and ourselves and take off these old, sinful selves and put on the yoke of Christ. It is only by doing this that we can be renewed in faith, hope, and charity. It is the only way we can come to know, love, and serve God and His children as they deserve. It is the only path that will lead us to become true reflections of the Holy and Divine Image that resides within each of us.

What do we need to put to death in our lives? How can we rid ourselves of all those things that tarnish the image of God within us? What should we do to take off our sinful selves and put on Christ?

O Lord, help us to put to death our sins and imperfections.

Amen.

Seventeenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

O God, let all the nations praise you! The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

God has blessed us in many ways. He is the source of all our good. He is the center of all our joy. He is the summit of all we should strive to be. If we cultivate our relationship with Him, then we will grow in faith, hope, and love. We will blossom with kindness and bear good fruits as long as we drink from the font of holiness and let the light of truth sustain us. If we have deep roots into our faith, then when dark nights or dry spells come into our lives, we will continue to thrive on the holy waters within our hearts. And when good times come, we will yield thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold.

How can we make God the source, center, and summit of our lives? What can we do to bear good fruits? How can we allow God to sustain us through the difficult times of our lives?

O Lord, help us to yield good fruits.

Amen.

Seventeenth Friday of Ordinary Time

Sing with joy to God our help. Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel, the pleasant harp and the lyre. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast.

Feast days like Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi are celebrated in memory of important events in the Life of Christ and our Church’s History. They are meant to remind us of our spiritual roots and give us a foretaste of the endless joy that is promised to all of God’s good and faithful servants. Of course, there are many more feast days than we probably realize. There are feasts for the Blessed Virgin, Mary, for various Saints and Martyrs, and even all the angels in Heaven. We would do well to remember these days as we go through our daily lives and join in the feasts that make up or faith. After all, we are part of a Church that exists beyond just the earth, but stretches through Purgatory and into Heaven. So, let us join in the songs of the saints and sing in thanksgiving for Our Heavenly Father, who wants us to feast with Him forever and ever.

Do we keep aware of the feast days of the Church? Do we celebrate them as we should? What can we do to be more in tune with the choir of saints, who has gone before us?

O Lord, we sing with joy to you, our help.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

We should live our life on Earth with the goal of joining God in Heaven. Our hearts should pine to be with God for all eternity. We should yearn to see His Holy Face. We should cry out for the living God to live within us and to help us become good and faithful servants. We should desire to become a dwelling place for the Lord in preparation of entering into His Heavenly Abode when we pass from this earth. To gain eternal life with God we must be willing to lose our worldly one without hesitation or counting the cost.

Do we live our lives with the ultimate goal of reaching God’s Kingdom? Do we yearn to be with God always and forever? How can we welcome God into the dwelling places of our hearts?

O Lord, our souls yearn for you.

Amen.