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

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Jesus Christ is our King. This is something we as Christians need to accept. We need to recognize him as our Lord, who has the right to ask us to do whatever is needed to fulfill his will. If he asks for our gifts and talents, then we must give them to him to the best of our abilities. If he asks for our treasures and goods, we must offer them up for his purpose. If he asks for us to suffer mockery and persecution for him, then we must stand at his side ready to receive the blows. If he asks us to die for his glory or the good of others, then we must be able to let go of our lives and give them over to him as a sacrifice. In all things, we must we willing to accept our crosses, whatever they might be... great or small, easy or hard. This is what Jesus did for us, and we should be willing and able to do the same for His Kingdom.

Do we recognize that we were created through and for God and not ourselves? Do we recognize Jesus as the Head of the Church and the master of our lives? What are we doing to seek out our spiritual fulfillment in and with Him?

O Lord, in you we were created and for the magnification of you we were made.

Amen.

Fifteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

The Lord remembers his covenant forever. He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations—Which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. 

God’s covenant is not only with Abraham or Isaac. It is not only with the Apostles. It is with all his followers. It is with all who are willing to pick up the light burden of the cross and carry it where God wills us to go. It is with all those who choose to rest in God through prayer. It is with us if we keep His commandments to know, love, and serve Him and treat our neighbors as He treats them... with charity and mercy. If we do good and avoid evil and live lives that proclaim the Good News, then when we pass from this earth, we will have a place in Heaven and a share in salvation.

Do we remember the covenant God has with us? Do we keep it in mind when we are tempted to sin? How can we be faithful to the covenant like our Heavenly Father is faithful to us?

O Lord, we are bound to the New Covenant, remind us of this as often as we forget it.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Thursday of Ordinary Time

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin can be alluring in many ways, but it leaves a bad aftertaste. It leaves us weakened, empty, and ashamed. It disfigures us, marring our bodies, minds, and hearts. It hobbles and binds us, restricting our ability to do good and avoid evil. It turns us into slaves of our lesser passions and selfish instincts. Ultimately, sin leads to death. However, God offers us the gift of sanctification, which strengths, fulfills, and encourages us. It restores the image of God that is within each of us and marks us as co-heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. The saving graces He provides us through the sacraments, free us from our slavery to sin and offer us the chance to turn our lives over to God. We are given the choice to take up the yoke of our faith and carry it without complaint. And if we do this with hope and love, then we shall be given the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer.

What sins do we find ourselves drawn to the most? How can we learn to resist the temptations to those sins and become obedient servants to God? Are we willing to accept the cross that leads to eternal life?

O Lord, we are your slaves. Do with us as you will.

Amen.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"My Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us. Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian." The LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you." But Gideon answered him, "Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house." "I shall be with you," the LORD said to him.

Like Gideon, we can be tempted to wonder why God lets certain things happen to us. We wonder why he doesn’t fix things. We feel abandoned. However, sometimes God wants us to fix things. He wants us to take up our cross, go out into the world, and trust in His Strength. At first, we might shrink away from this idea and wonder why He wants us to go forth. We don’t feel worthy or strong enough. We feel insignificant and powerless, but we should not be afraid because God is with us. He can lift up the lowly to the highest heights and give strength to the weak. He can do all things, if we let Him into our bodies, minds, and hearts... and allow Him to manifest His Divine Will through us.

Are there areas of our lives that we feel have been abandoned by God? How can we remember He is always with us? What can we do to prepare ourselves to go forth and do the Will of God?

O Lord, be with us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

Very few of us will ever outright deny Jesus, but all of us deny him in some shape, form, or fashion. We deny him when we sin. We deny him when we fail to do good. We deny him to our families, friends, and neighbors who challenge our way of Christian living. We deny him especially in those whom we have the most difficulty in loving. However, God understands that we will turn our backs on Him and fall and that is why He gave us His Beloved Son as an example of what it means to triumph over our human frailties. He shows us how to carry our crosses with confidence. He shows us how to show compassion even in the midst of our own trials. He shows us how to forgive those who trespass against us. He shows us what it means to give hope to the hopeless. He shows us how to persevere even when we feel abandoned by God. He shows us that he loves us like brothers and sisters by giving us his Mother to watch over and intercede for us. He shows us how to thirst for righteousness. He shows us how to accomplish God's Will. He shows us how to commend our spirits to God. And most importantly, he shows us how to pour out God's Love and Mercy to a world in need of them both.

In what ways do we deny Jesus? How can we transform our hearts so we can turn our denials of God's Will into whole-hearted acceptance of it? How can our lives show God's Love and Mercy to others?

O Lord, we acknowledge you as our Lord, our Savior, and our perfect Model.

Amen.