Twenty-Eighth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works. Only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.

We will be judged by our works in this world. We will be weighed by our words, too. How we treat others will reflect on us and reveal to God how He should treat us. If our souls are in God and of Him, then we will do good and avoid evil and our souls will be at rest. However, if we are in and of the world, seeking earthly pleasures and acting out of vice, then our hearts will be greatly distressed when the time of Final Judgment comes. It is only in God that we will find salvation and eternal life. It is only by founding our lives upon Him that we can have any hope of withstanding the wickedness and snares of the Devil. God is our stronghold against the Evil One and when we think, speak, and act like Him, we are protected from spiritual attacks and our hearts remain calm because we know God is always there for us.

Do our souls rest in God or the world? How can we found our lives more perfectly upon the Rock of our Salvation? Do we give ourselves to others as we would want them to give themselves to us?

O Lord, in you our souls find rest.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Advent

Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

We should be eager to live virtuous lives... to do good and avoid evil. We should be eager to rid ourselves of our imperfections and resist all temptations. We should be eager to be at peace with God and ourselves and not caught up in the chaos of the world around us. Throughout each day we will be tested by distractions, doubts, sufferings, obstacles, and all manner of trials, but as long as we choose what is right over what is wrong and put our trust in God, then we shall find inner tranquility. The world might race around us and people might run here or there, but we shall remain where we need to be... centered in Christ. Earthly things may try to divert our attention from God and from good deeds, but we shall remain focused on the Way, Truth, and Life that Jesus has shown us. It is not easy to live spotless lives and to be at peace, but as long as we seek reconciliation with God we shall be given both... and much more: eternal life.

Are we eager to live out our faith? Are we willing to deny ourselves worldly things in order to remain unblemished? How can we better base our lives on the calm and steady rock that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

O Lord, purify us in the fires of your love and mercy and grant us your peace.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

God is our Rock and if our lives are founded on Him, we shall not lose them. No storm of suffering will topple us. No quake of fear will bring us down. No flood of woes shall wash us away. With God as our cornerstone, we can withstand any trial and stand firm against all temptations. We shall survive all difficulties if we trust in God and let Him lead us to a saintly life. It may not be easy to keep the faith in the midst of sufferings, but reaching the Gates of Heaven is worth every test we must undertake.

Are our lives founded on Our Lord and God? Do we trust Him to support us through every trial? How can we make God the foundation of our every thought, word, and work?

O Lord, we trust in you, Our Rock and Savior.

Amen.

First Thursday of Advent

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

Jesus gives us a choice to make between living our lives according to His Word or according to our own. His Word offers us a firm foundation upon faith, hope, and love, while our words are changeable, unsteady, shifting with the winds and the rains that buffet us in life.

Do we build our lives upon the bedrock of the Word of God or upon our inconstant selves? How often do we mistake the quicksand of our selfishness for the bedrock of faith? When we hear the words of God do we act on them as Jesus asks us to do or do we follow our own good intentions off of the cliff of destruction?

O Lord, give us the wisdom to listen and act upon your words and to build the temple of our souls upon the bedrock of your Gospel. Let us not mistake our selfish desires for your Selfless Will.

Amen.