Twenty-Fifth Thursday in Ordinary Time

Now thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; And whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it.

There are some people who keep themselves very busy, but don’t accomplish much. Others are never satisfied with what they have no matter how much they’ve got. Some are never exhilarated by their lives and are always on the lookout for something better. Many have everything they truly need in life, but are not warmed by their good fortune. All of these people are like bags with holes in them. They will never be full, never be happy, never be at peace. They let their desires rule them and never stop to enjoy what they have. They think amassing more of everything will solve their problems, but their greed only multiplies their difficulties. Instead, we should consider our ways and try to remember that God loves those who are poor in spirit. He does not weigh our toys at the end of our lives, but rather our good words and deeds. And it is only in these good things that we will find any satisfaction.

Do we consider our ways each day? How do we try to improve ourselves in body, mind, and spirit? What can we do to patch the holes in our spiritual lives so we can hold onto what is truly important: our relationships with God and His children?

O Lord, help us to consider our ways and change for the better.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Monica

You have searched me and you know me, Lord. O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.

God knows us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows our virtues and our vices. He knows what we want and what we need. He knows our thoughts and understands them. He knows what we are capable of, both good and evil. He knows what we could become if we put our minds to it. He knows the truth behind our every action. He knows us better than we know ourselves. This is why sometimes He takes things away from us or sends us a trial. It is all done for our benefit... to help us to discover and become the best version of ourselves.

How can we come to better know ourselves? Are we willing to search our motives and change our ways if they do not conform with God’s Will? What is God calling us to become?

O Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. Show us the way to become more perfectly yours.

Amen.

First Saturday of Lent

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart.

Seeking God with all our hearts isn’t easy. There are so many things in the world that demand our attention, drive us to distraction, and try to lead us astray. However, if we follow the commandments of God, then we will be able to follow God more perfectly and be blameless in His sight. If we strive to know, love, and serve God and His children, then we will be blessed. God pours out His Grace upon those who seek Him and do His Will with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Yes, the way to salvation is narrow, but God’s arms are broad and He will draw us back to His path if we are humble enough to turn back to Him and take His Hand.

How can we become blameless in the sight of God? What can we do to become holier people? What changes is God asking us to make so we can walk in His Way, Truth, and Life?

O Lord, we seek you with all our hearts.

Amen.

Thirteenth Monday in Ordinary Time

For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke my word; Because they sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute, profaning my holy name. Upon garments taken in pledge they recline beside any altar; And the wine of those who have been fined they drink in the house of their god.

Even God's Divine Mercy has limits and woe to us if we do not change our ways. God expects the best from us, not the worst. He expects us to do good and avoid evil. He expects us to be holy and resist temptations. If we fail His expectations, we will pay a price on earth and in purgatory... or worst of all... Hell. The sins we commit have a gravity to them and each on pulls us farther and farther away from God. If we do not sever ties with these evils, then eventually they will pull us so far into the world that we will lose sight of God. God will give us every chance to free ourselves, but He won't force us to become his good and faithful servants. It is up to us to accept His help and rid ourselves of our faults, failures, and wickedness. Only then can we be worthy of joining Him in paradise.

Are we living up to God's expectations for us? In what ways do we need to change our lives? How can we accomplish this conversion?

O Lord, we are heartily sorry for our transgressions against you. Help us to make amends for our crimes against you and your children.

Amen.

Saturday within the Octave of Easter

Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply.

It is amazing to think that in less than three days, Peter has gone from denying and fleeing from the trial of Christ to proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. So, too, John has gone from fleeing from the guards in the garden to standing before the people who put Jesus to death. The Sanhedrin might perceive Peter and John as uneducated and perhaps even weak, but they get caught up in their own superiority and fail to see the truth before them. These men have been changed. Their hearts have been deeply converted and this in combination with the gifts of the Holy Spirit gives them a power the elders and scribes can’t anticipate. They think that just like Jesus, this upstart faith will die, but they don’t understand what the Resurrection means to the disciples of Christ. It means hope and hope can’t be told to be quiet. No. Hope shouts the truth that sets us all free. That Jesus is arisen.

How has the Resurrection of Jesus changed our lives? How can we proclaim the Good News like Peter and John? How can we make ourselves into embodiments of hope for all whom we meet?

O Lord, make us bold in proclaiming your holy word.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

"Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish." When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.

Acts of repentance both cleanse and renew us spiritually. Through fasting, almsgiving, and praying we show God we are serious about changing our lives and making amends. By turning our back on our evil ways and denying temptations, we choose the better life over the easier one. When we sin, we either repent or harden our hearts. The former leads to forgiveness and everlasting life, while the latter leads to death and damnation. It might not be easy to turn from our evil ways, but it is necessary if we want to live and spend eternity with God in the Heavenly Kingdom. Thankfully, God is loving and merciful and more than willing to forgive us as many times as it takes for us to finally convert our hearts and do God’s Will always and in every way.

What do we need to repent for? How can we show God the sincerity of our repentance? Can we convert our hearts to what is right in the face of our temptations?

O Lord, help us to turn away from our evil ways and follow you.

Amen.

Twentieth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him, "Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?" Boaz answered her: "I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband's death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously."

We don’t always know how our actions affect others. Sometimes when we do something it goes unnoticed. Other times we are immediately recognized for what we’ve done, both good and bad, and rewarded or suffer accordingly. However, some of our actions do not bear noticeable fruits until later or they bear fruits we do not know of. Ruth cares deeply for her mother-in-law and does what is right by her and this catches the attention of Boaz and leads to their marriage. In a similar way, when we do good or evil, others see our actions and are affected by them. When we do good, we can bring out the best in people... perhaps not right away, but over time our persistent goodness comes to fruition. When we do evil, we can bring out the worst in others and ruin lives without even knowing it. Our words and works can have far reaching effects and this is why it is so important that we cultivate a spirit of faith, hope, and love which will be an aid to the spiritual growth of others and not a stumbling block. God wants us to lead people toward Him and this means doing what is right. Always.

Are we stepping stones toward heaven for those whom we meet or stumbling blocks to their faith? When we speak and act, do we think of the ramifications of our actions on others? How can we more firmly ground our thoughts, words, and works in God’s Goodness?

O Lord, help us to lead others to a deeper love of you and your children.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

“Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Yet again, the gospel gives us another account of Jesus being rejected by the people who know him best. They do this in spite of recognizing his wisdom and the might of his deeds. They simply cannot get past their own opinion of Jesus. Sometimes we do the same thing in regards to others in our lives. We make a judgment about them based off our first impressions or a long-lasting relationship with them. However, we must always be open to changing our opinions of others as we learn more about them, especially those people we find most difficult to like. Our perception of their motives, personality, etc. can be colored by a variety of things and often we do not have the whole picture about why a person acts a certain way towards us or others. The people in Jesus’ native place probably saw him as overstepping his authority and puffing himself up with false claims. Perhaps someone in our lives appears to be something they are not. It is up to us to be open to seeing them with new eyes so that we can come to know the real person behind our opinions of them.

Who are the people we don’t like in our lives? Have we made an honest attempt to get to know them? Would we be willing to change our opinions of them if we found out who they truly are?

O Lord, let us be open to changing our hearts towards others, especially those whom we find most difficult to love.

Amen.