Second Tuesday of Advent

Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

We are all called to be heralds of the Good News to the world around us. We do this through our thoughts, our words, and especially through our works. We give witness to God’s Goodness, Love, and Mercy through sharing our own faith with those we meet each day from friends and family to neighbors and strangers. We shouldn’t be afraid of what others might think of us for devoting our lives to God and His Church. After all, if we live according to the Gospels, then we shall receive the greatest reward... eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Besides being heralds, we are also tasked with being co-shepherds feeding God’s flock with good works, helping God gather others into lives of saintliness, carrying those who are injured by sin, and leading the young and old alike toward our Savior through acts of charity and mercy.

In what ways are we acting as heralds of the Good News? How can we do a better job of fulfilling our calling to proclaim the Word of God? How can we become better shepherds and lead others to faith in our Merciful Lord?

O Lord, give us what we need to be heralds of the faith and shepherds of your flock.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees our deepest secrets. He knows our greatest potential. He believes we can all become saints and gives us everything we need to become holy. He guides us in great and small ways towards eternal life, but He will not force His Way, Truth, or Life on us. He wants us to choose them ourselves. He knows what we will think, say, and do before we know and provides us with guidance so we might think, speak, and act as Jesus would. There is no escaping from God. He sees everything in our minds and hearts, understands the inner struggles we have, and wants to help us overcome everything so we can be His good and faithful servants.

What does God see within us? What do we see within ourselves? Are we the person we are called to be as Christians?

O Lord, guide us along the everlasting way to life with you.

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.

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.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

It is through our baptism that we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We share in his death through our own weaknesses and sins, which he took upon himself and cleanses from us through the cross. We also share in his new life through our faith in him, the sacraments of His Holy Church, and through our choices to live in imitation of him. His love and forgiveness offer us a model to follow and a yoke to embrace. So, let us carry our crosses without complaint or hesitation and seek to know, love, and serve God and His children in all things.

How often do we renew our baptismal promises? What can we do to keep our calling to be Christ-like at the forefront of our minds? How can we help others to rise from the death of sin and be resurrected into a new life?

O Lord, destroy the chains of sin and raise us to new lives in you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Jesus Christ holds us together as Christians and human beings. He is what binds us to be loving and respectful to one another no matter the differences between us. He showed us time after time how he has called all men and women to become his disciples. He reminds us again and again that each of us has a role to play in God’s Divine Plan. We are not all the same, but we do fit together when we choose to be a part of His Spiritual Body, the Church. It is through the teachings and traditions of the Church that we are bound together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, each in his or her own unique way. So, let us each allow ourselves to be placed where we are needed in the Church so it might be a strong, holy, and united family.

What role is God calling me to take up in His Holy Church? How can we fulfill this vocation with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? How can we help others to fit into the Body of Christ, too?

O Lord, build us into a living and united temple sacred to you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Monica

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

God makes us worthy of our calling through His graces. He gives us the virtues, goodness, and strength to be good and faithful Christians. He is the one who brings to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of our faith. We are His instruments, His living vessels and our primary purpose on this earth is to do His Will, to glorify Him, and love Him and His children. It is by doing these things with a humble and self-sacrificing heart that we are saved and eventually glorified. Moreover, we are not only responsible for ourselves, but also the faith lives of those around us. We are called to do everything we can in order to help our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even our enemies to become instruments of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Are we putting our time, talents, and treasures to good use? Are we making every effort to fulfill the purposes God has given us? What are we doing to help others fulfill their purposes?

O Lord, make us worthy of our callings.

Amen.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Discerning God’s Will for us isn’t always easy. Yes, sometimes the path is clear, but other times we are faced with multiple ways to go forward and it is difficult to know which one is the best. Sometimes He is calling us to leave behind something. Other times He is asking us to try something new. Sometimes the changes in our lives are forced upon us by the loss of a job, a loved one, or some other circumstance. Other times we have time to prepare for a choice we know must be made. Whatever decisions we are faced with, the best way to undertake them is to pray and allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

What is the Will of God for us? How can we more faithfully discern the path God wants us to follow? How can we lead others to the right path, too?

O Lord, we thank you for everything you’ve done for us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."

We should not be ashamed of our faith. Our faith asks us to make many sacrifices that worldly people don’t understand. It asks us to put our passions in check and reign in our desires. It asks us to be counter-cultural in our choice of virtues over vices. It asks us to do good, even to our enemies. It asks us to remain pure in a world with so many opportunities to be impure. It asks us to place our trust in God and not ourselves or anyone or anything else. It asks us to praise and worship God and turn our backs on all those things we are tempted to idolize. It asks us to choose a life of service and love of God and His children over a life of self-interest. It asks us to be righteous in a world that preaches an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Most of all, it asks us to live by faith, hope, and love, rather than pride, envy, and wrath.

Are we doing all we can to answer God’s call to righteousness? How can we live out our faith more authentically? What can we do to become fonts of faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, we ask you to help us to grow in righteousness.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Friday of Ordinary Time

For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us, but each one of us went off after the devices of his own wicked heart, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.

We are constantly tempted to follow our own devices, to serve other things or people, and to do evil in the sight of God. However, God didn’t give us life or put us on earth to ignore Him or His Words. He wants us to heed His voice through our consciences and to live our faith in accord with His Teachings in the Scriptures and the Traditions of the Church. He has given us not only the prophets to proclaim the Divine Word, but made the Word into Flesh so He could show us the Way, speak to us the Truth, and give us the Life He wants us to live. It is up to us to accept the messages He has sent us and to conform our lives to them so we might have good hearts and know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. He wants us to do good in His sight and to bear abundant fruits.

How can we put God’s callings before our own devices? What can we do to serve God and avoid the temptation to idolize worldly things and people? How can we make our lives more spiritually fruitful?

O Lord, help us to do good in your sight.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king: "May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?" The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it."

God wants us to be happy. He wants to give us what we need to succeed in our spiritual lives. He is constantly asking us, “What is it, then that you wish?” Not for us to answer in worldly terms or to make selfish requests, but rather to prayerfully ask for the thoughts, words, and works that will help us to build up the temples within our souls. He wants us to discern with Him what are the most important aspects of our lives so we know where we wants us to go and what He wants us to do. We can’t do that if we are paralyzed with fears, doubts, and distractions. However, if we answer His call and pray for guidance, He will lead us where we need to be and inspire us to say and do what is in accord with His Will.

How can we overcome our fears and answer God’s call to follow Him? What is it that God wishes for us? What can we do to discern God’s Will in our lives?

O Lord, help us to wish for what is right and good.

Amen.

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

In a way, we are all like Paul in that we have been arrogant and sinned against God and others. Thankfully, God is merciful in spite of our failings and instead of condemning us, our Heavenly Father gives us every opportunity to turn our lives around. He might not knock us to the ground and show us visions as He did Paul, but God does nudge us every now and then in the right direction and whisper in our ears in hopes that we will listen. Our God treats us mercifully, strengthening us and pouring out His abundant graces so we might grow in faith and love. He wants us all to minister to Him and His children through thoughts, words, and works. He wants us to answer the call and accept our mission to be priests, prophets, and servant leaders for His people. And if we do this, then we like Paul will be considered a trustworthy servant and worthy of the Kingdom.

How can we overcome our arrogance and sins and turn our lives around? Are we willing to allow God to guide us to where we need to be and to what we need to be doing just as Paul did? What can we do to put ourselves into position to answer God’s call when it comes?

O Lord, we are grateful for the strength you’ve given us.

Amen.

Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Mass during the Day

Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

There are times in our lives when we feel trapped or are tempted to despair, but if we place our trust in God, then no matter what happens we will be able to remain hopeful. However, hope also depends upon us answering God’s call when it comes and doing what God is asking of us without delay. God’s requests come through other people or from the inner voice of our conscience. It is important for us to listen to God in these moments and to respond quickly. When God asks us to follow Him, we should go willingly and without hesitation. This can be done best by building up the habit of acting upon the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and allowing God to lead us where we need to be when we need to be there.

Are there any areas of our lives where we feel trapped or tempted to despair? How can we cultivate the habit of trusting in God? What can we do to better listen to and act upon the inspirations of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, give us a spirit of hope and trust in you.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

“‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today? However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

When we listen to and put into practice God’s commandments to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and to love our neighbors as He loves them, then we become truly wise and intelligent people. By doing so, we let God enter into our lives and be close to us. He has give us this Way, Truth, and Life for a reason and the reason is this: to become living sacraments of His Love, Mercy, and Grace to all the world. Becoming signs that not only show people that God is Good, but also bring that goodness about through our thoughts, words, and works. However, in order for us to fulfill God’s Divine Plan of Love, we have to be on our guard, to remember everything God has done for us, and teach other generations to do the same.

Do we listen to and put into practice God’s commandments to love Him and His children? What do we do to make God the center of our lives? How do we answer the call to be vigilant in our faith, courageous in our hope, and constant in our loving proclamation of the Good News to all?

O Lord, make us into truly wise and intelligent people.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Tuesday of Ordinary Time

“Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

When we trust in God’s Will and act in accord with it, we become true descendants of Abraham. It is one thing to think and say we believe, but quite another to act on our faith when we have doubts and fears. However, being Disciples of Christ means we must put aside our own insecurities and sense of unworthiness and take up the challenge to live Christ-like lives. We might not do so perfectly, but as long as we struggle to do good and avoid evil and repent for our failures, then we shall be able to answer God’s call when it comes and be saved.

Do we trust God’s Will? How can we place ourselves in the path of Jesus? Are our hearts open to responding to the call of Christ?

O Lord, bring salvation to our homes.

Amen.

The Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."

If only we were all a little more like Zacchaeus and willing to go out of the way to place ourselves in Jesus' path. If only we would respond quickly to Jesus' call. If only we would be willing to give up everything for Jesus and repay him four times over for all our trespasses against him. This is what it takes to become a disciple of Christ and be saved. It is in seeking that we find. It is in answering the call that we become who we are meant to be. It is in sacrificing that we are enriched in love, mercy, and grace.

What can we do to place ourselves in the path of Jesus? What can we do to respond to the call of Christ? Are we willing to make amends for our sins and live charitable lives?

O Lord, let us come quickly when you call.

Amen.