Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time

The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

After we sin, we have a tendency to blame others for our actions or make up excuses. However, God sees past our attempts to pass the buck or explain the reason for our misdeeds. And when we stand before Him at the Last Judgment, He will strip away all the pretexts and show us the truth. We are responsible for our own actions. We choose to do right or wrong. No one else chooses for us. Yes, people can lead us into situations that can tempt us to sin or put pressure on us to do wrong, but in the end we have the ability to reject these temptations. It might cost us greatly to do the right thing. It might require us to suffer persecution or sacrifice a friendship or possessions, but these are nothings compared to the eternal life we will receive when we do God’s Will over our own.

Do we make excuses or blame others when we sin? Or do we take responsibility for our actions and make amends for what we have done? Are we willing to sacrifice everything we have to do God’s Will?

O Lord, we are sorry for our sins. Give us the grace to avoid repeating them.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

When we do something wrong, we have a tendency to look for excuses or blame others. This is exactly what Adam and Eve do. Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. This temptation to fault everything and everyone but ourselves is one we have to struggle with throughout our lives, especially when we feel unfairly treated by people or wonder why things aren’t going our way. Instead, we should accept responsibility for the consequences of our sins, confess them with contrite hearts, and do penance with the joy that should come from being freed from our burdens.

Who do we blame for our problems? What are our excuses for sinning? How can we train ourselves to own up to our failings and strive to be better?

O Lord, we are naked before you. Clothe us in your mercy and grace.

Amen.

Thirteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

After Jesus drives out the demons and the swine drown, the whole town comes out to meet Jesus. And do they thank him for helping the two people who were possessed? No, they beg Jesus to leave. Why do they do this? One thing that may not be clear at first is that the townspeople are Gentiles, not Jews, since they are tending “unclean” swine. Also those swine would have been a source of money and food for the people of the town. So why does Jesus cast the demons into the swine? Doesn’t he know that doing so would ruin their livelihoods? Perhaps this is exactly the reason he does this. He wants to remind us that the things of this world are passing away. He is the only true livelihood. He is the food of everlasting life. We should be more concerned with him than we are with earthly things, which are there one day and gone the next.

When we lose something we care about, what is our reaction? Do we blame others or God? Or do we try to learn from our loss and ground our reaction to it in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, let us put our trust in you and the everlasting life you promise us.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.

Jesus constantly reminds his followers their actions determine what kind of person they are, not any outside influences. We might blame our parents, our background, our environment, or any other number of things, but these scapegoats do not force us to sin. They may offer us the opportunity to sin, but in the end we are the ones who take the bait or refuse it. Our wills choose between good or evil in great and small things and we should be on constant guard against those things that lead us into temptation and sin. We also must be careful about what we allow to come out of our thoughts, words, and works. What we do can be the occasion for someone else to sin and woe to us when we lead others into evil.

What are the thoughts, words, or works in our lives which defile us? When we sin do we own up to our failings or do we blame something or someone else? What can we do to clean up our acts and remain good and faithful servants of Christ?

O Lord, cleanse our bodies, minds, and souls so all we do will be cleansed from the stain of sin.

Amen.