Twenty-Fifth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.

We should all go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. We should seek out our parishes and spend time in our churches not merely out of obligation, but because we want to be there. Although we might commune with God in many ways, such as prayer, meditation, and spiritual readings, we can only experience the true and full presence of God in the Eucharistic feast and in Adoration. When we partake in the Body and Blood of Jesus, we unite ourselves body and soul to God in a way we cannot achieve on our own. When we dwell in the presence of the monstrance that holds the Body of Christ, we make ourselves present to God in a way we cannot do anywhere else in this world. So, let us go to Mass and to our parishes and take advantage of the presence of God who waits for us there in a special and sanctifying way.

Do we go to church on Sundays? Do we go joyfully? Can we make time to go to church during the week for daily mass and times of Adoration?

O Lord, we give you thanks for your presence in our lives.

Amen.

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.  And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

We can learn a lot about how to live a holy life by following Anna’s example. We should spend more time in the presence of the Lord not only in church (via the mass, adoration, etc.), but also in fasting and prayer. We should also make a point to give thanks to God for every day He has given us in this life and speak to others about Jesus and the salvation he offers to all. It can be so easy to get caught up in the worries of the world and forget about spending time with God. We should seek out God’s presence in our lives and let Him speak to us through the sacraments and our daily reflections on the graces He has given us.

How can we better worship God, both day and night? How can we cultivate the habits of fasting and prayer? How can we express our thanks to God for all He has done for us?

O Lord, thank you for your redeeming graces in our lives.

Amen.