The Ascension of the Lord

When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

Things in our lives don’t always go as we imagined them and sometimes that is a good thing. The disciples of Christ were so concerned about restoring the kingdom of Israel, they were blinding themselves to other possibilities. We do this, too. And it is by the grace of God that our eyes are opened through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. His guidance can show us a new way we haven’t considered before, one which will give us a greater power for good and make us more effective witnesses of our faith. The restoration of God’s Kingdom on earth isn’t something we can control or predict. All we can do is to prepare for God’s coming, doing everything we can to be ready for the day when Jesus will return and usher in a new age of everlasting life with him.

What isn’t going as planned in our lives? Have we thanked God for these obstacles and asked Him to show us the way to a better life? How can we become better witnesses to the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ?

O Lord, we look forward to your return.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.

We learn the most from those whom we trust. If we trust in worldly people, then we shall become more like them. If we trust in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then we shall become more like Jesus Christ and his disciples, the saints. The world blinds us to the truth through our passions, imperfections, and sins and if we do not seek out a teacher who knows our faults, then how can we learn to avoid them, to overcome them, and live a good and holy life? This is why we should seek out the Church, its priests, spiritual directors, and faithful servants. They all teach us how to do good and avoid evil and become more Christ-like in all that we think, say, and do.

Who is our teacher, the world or God? What pitfalls do we need to avoid in our lives? What can we do to become good and faithful Disciples of Christ?

O Lord, train me to be more like you.

Amen.

First Friday of Advent

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”  When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

After the blind men ask Jesus to have pity on them, Jesus asks them if they believe he can heal them. They both respond with “Yes, Lord.” This is the spirit of faith and hope we all need to have in the midst of the sufferings of our lives. We need to believe God is able to help us out of whatever trials we are undergoing. Our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths must say with one voice, “Yes, Lord, we do believe.” Then our eyes will be open to God’s love, mercy, and grace and we will be able to see His helping hand actively aiding us every day of our lives. What a comfort it is to know our God is interceding for us in our every need. He is ready to heal us of any ill if we but ask Him to have pity on us and believe He will respond to our pleas.

Do we ask God to have pity on us when we are in the midst of our trials? Do we believe He will help us? Have our eyes been open to the love, mercy, and grace God shows us every day?

O Lord, have pity on us and heal us.

Amen.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Bartimaeus gives us an example of how we should call out to Jesus in our daily lives. We may not be physically blind, but our sins can make us spiritually blind. When this happens all we can do is seek out Jesus and ask him to have pity on us. Just as Bartimaeus, we will face rebukes by friends, families, and neighbors who won’t understand our desire for God’s help. However, if we persist in our belief in Jesus and trust in his mercy, then we will be called to God and He will answer our prayers. Then we will be able to take courage and know God will grant us what we need in order to do His Will in all things.

Do we call out to God when we are in need? Do we allow others to intimidate us into not living out our faith? How can we take courage in Christ?

O Lord, we call upon you, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Good Friday

“Didn't I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Sin can be a very subtle thing. It can sneak up on us when we least expect it and lead us to think, say, or do something wrong. This is what happens to Peter in today’s gospel. He is concerned with what is happening to Jesus, which is a good thing, yet when he is confronted by others about his involvement with Christ, he denies Our Lord three times. He doesn't even know what he is doing until the cock crows. And one must wonder if he would have known he was sinning if Jesus had not warned him about what would happen. He might have kept on denying Jesus if not for the foretold sign of the cock’s crow. When we are in the midst of sin we often don’t know that we are. We need someone or something else to reveal it to us. Then, once we recognize our sin we have a choice to make, we can continue to sin or we can seek forgiveness and reconcile ourselves to Our Lord.

What are the subtle sins in our lives? Are there any warning signs we've been ignoring or been told to us by others? If we are denying Jesus in some way how can we make amends for our sins?

O Lord, we know we have denied you, but please forgive us as you did Peter.

Amen.