Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.

The world teaches us to boast of what we have and what we have done. It tells us we should trumpet our own horns and let everyone else know how great we are. This is not what God wants. He wants us to boast of Him. He wants us to boast of His Goodness and Mercy. He wants us to boast of the cross He bore for us and the crosses we bear for Him. He wants us to humble ourselves through lives of sacrifice and love. He wants us to bring peace and mercy to all whom we meet, just as Jesus did in his own life.

Do we boast more of worldly things or Godly ones? What can we do to rid ourselves of our dependence upon the opinions of others and instead focus our lives on doing our Heavenly Father’s business? How can we humble ourselves so we can follow God’s commandments without feeling holier than others?

O Lord, we boast only of you and your cross.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people. Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever.

God has asked all of us to be leaders in His Church. He wants us to follow in His Beloved Son’s footsteps. He wants us to be fishers of men and shepherds of His flock. We can’t do that if we don’t take up our crosses and lead by example. Each of us has a unique leadership role to play in the Divine Plan. We have gifts and talents that only we can give. No one else can do what we do for God and His children. We might not realize how unique we are in the plan of salvation, but we are special and we do everyone a disservice if we do not live up to our potential. So, let us accept the seat of leadership God has prepared for us and give it our all.

In what areas in our lives are we being called to leadership? What gifts and talents can we use to further the glory of God and the good of others? How can we become better stewards of the goods and responsibilities God has given us?

O Lord, we praise your name for giving us a seat at your table.

Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

Lord, in your great love, answer me. For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

The world constantly blasphemes and mocks our faith and us for having it. It tells us we are fools. It says we are superstitious. It says we are wasting our time. It insults us for our beliefs. It shames us and calls us outcasts. We are strangers to the world, but we should be thankful because when we are too close to the world, we lose sight of what is right and good and just. So, let us ignore the protests of the world and instead let zeal for God consume us and make us into good and faithful servants.

What can we do to resist the insults of the world? How can we show those who persecute us that our faith is a boon and not a curse? Are we willing to become outcasts and defend our faith?

O Lord, we are willing to bear any insult or shame for you.

Amen.

Ninth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design.

Our faith requires us to be brave. We cannot be cowards if we want to be like Jesus Christ. We cannot be cowards if we want to be saved from our sins. We cannot be cowards if we want to have a place in heaven. Instead, we must put on a spirit of power, love, and self-control. We might be called upon to suffer much for God's Glory and the good of others. And if this is the case, then we must bear our share of hardships for the Gospel without hesitation or complaint. We must trust God will grant us the strength we need to overcome all our trials and lead holy lives guided by His Divine Will.

Are we brave in our faith? How can we resist the temptation to cowardice in our spiritual lives? What can we do to bear the hardships of our faith with complete trust that God will see us through all our sufferings to a life without end?

O Lord, give us your spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.

Jesus Christ laid his life down for us and our salvation. In the same way, we are called to lay down our lives for others. Just as Jesus loved each of us enough to sacrifice himself upon the cross, so we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. We might not have to suffer in the same way as Christ, but we are each called to take up our crosses, carry them with perseverance, and show compassion to all those whom we meet along the way. Loving others even in the midst of our trials is exactly what Jesus did for his mother and those women who wept for him. Even weakened, beaten, and condemned... Christ had love and mercy in his heart for those who suffered with him and ever for those who persecuted him. So let us love not only in word and speech, but also most importantly in deed and truth.

Are we willing to lay down our lives for God and His children? How do we respond when we see one of our brothers and sisters in Christ in need? What can we do to live out the Gospel call to love others in word and deed?

O Lord, we are willing to lay down our lives for you and your children.

Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.

Becoming a good and faithful servant to God and His children requires us to train our tongues to speak the truth, to inspire others, and to be charitable in our speech. To train our ears to listen to our consciences and the needs of others. To train our wills to be obedient to God, to avoid temptation, and to sin no more. To train our spirits to be humble, patient, and forgiving. All of these things require constant work on our part. They ask us to sacrifice our selfish desires and learn to put God and others before ourselves.

How can we train our tongues to speak with God’s love? How can we train our ears to listen with God’s Mercy? How can we train our wills and spirits to bear any burden for God?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to become good and faithful servants.

Amen.

Second Wednesday of Lent

Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.

 Our good thoughts, words, and works will not always be repaid in kind. Sometimes we can be charitable and merciful toward another person or persons and they will repay us with evil. However, we should not give in to the temptation to sin against them. To see ourselves as better than them, to hate them, or to strike out at them in anger (in thoughts, words, or works). These reactions lessen us and lead us astray. Our source of consolation should reside in God, not in others. We should not seek other people’s congratulations, recognition, or respect. Yes, these are nice to have, but they are not the reason for us to love others. We should be more than willing to have our good deeds dismissed, misinterpreted, or unrequited. True love and mercy are given without counting the cost or expectation of return. They are given because they are the right thing to do.

Have others in our lives repaid our good deeds with evil ones? How can we learn to bear the burden of being hated for doing what is right? How can we learn to love our adversaries even when they give us every reason to turn our backs on them?

O Lord, you love us even when we mistreat you. Help us to love others even when they mistreat us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Although we might not be ordained like Timothy or Titus, we all should seek to stir into flame the gift of faith that God has given us and fulfill our vocation to be a priestly people. We are asked to be courageous in our faith and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, the love of Christ to pour out of us, and the self-control demanded by the Father to make us into good and faithful servants. We should not be ashamed of the testimony we give to our Lord through our every thought, word, and work. Instead, we should bear every burden with the strength that comes from following God’s Will. Then, and only then, will we proclaim the gospel of the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and become a truly priestly people.

How can we stir the flame of our faith? What can we do to become courageous in our spiritual lives? How can we live out our calling to become a priestly people?

O Lord, give us the spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Amen.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."

Jesus could have easily saved himself, but instead he choose to lay down his life for us. This choice is his crowning moment, when he proclaimed himself King of Paradise and our Savior. And although we are not faced with a true crucifixion like Christ, we are faced with many moments of crucifixion throughout our lives. If we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, then we must learn to embrace our trials and seek not to save ourselves, but to save others. This is what it means to be Christ-like, to live a self-sacrificial life, and to ultimately be remembered in the Kingdom of Heaven and be always with our God in Paradise.

Are we seeking to save ourselves or others? How can we learn to embrace our crosses like Christ did? How do we pay homage to Christ, our King?

O Lord, you are our King and salvation.

Amen.

The Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus does not want us to hate our fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, sisters, or even our own lives at least not in the way we might think of hating. Rather he is asking us to whom are we loyal to? Are we loyal to God first and foremost or are we loyal to family, friends, and those who give us what we want in this life. If we choose God, then we will be better able to know, love, and serve God and others. This may seem counter-intuitive to some, but when we do God's Will we serve others more than when we serve them directly because our actions bring God's grace into their lives. In addition, Jesus challenges us to take up our crosses and follow Him. God does not want us to suffer, but our sins cause suffering for others and ourselves. He could stop suffering by taking away our free will, but He doesn't do that because love depends upon the ability to freely choose another over ourselves. Because of God's respect for our freedom, we have to accept our cross in order to be Jesus' disciple. He does not force it on us. And if we do accept it, then although we might suffer, we suffer joyfully and secure in the knowledge that God will never abandon us.

Are we loyal to God, to others, or to ourselves? How can we foster a fidelity to God that will allow us to not only choose to be loyal to Him, but also to accept the crosses that come to us because of this choice? Are we willing to suffer in order to know, love, and serve God and others?

O Lord, help us to be loyal to you and to carry our crosses as faithful disciples.

Amen.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 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?

We are all called to take up our daily crosses. Running away from or otherwise avoiding them gains us nothing. The crosses we are asked to carry are different for each person and in accord with what we can carry. God never gives us more than we can handle, especially when we accept His help. Some of us carry crosses that test our faith, others our hope, and still more our love. The weight of these crosses can feel unbearable and even cause us to fall when we are weak, but we should not be discouraged. Even Jesus fell. The important thing is to get back up and keep walking the path God has prepared for us. In the end, we might have to make the ultimate sacrifice just as Jesus did, but as long as we let God lead us to where He wants us, then our lives will be a triumph, too.

Do we deny ourselves even the goods of our lives in order to take up our daily crosses? Are we willing to lose our lives for our faith? What can we do to cultivate the habit of getting back up from our falls into sin and temptation so that we can continue down the road to salvation?

O Lord, give us the strength to bear our daily crosses.

Amen.