Thirtieth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth.

God calls us to obey our parents and to honor our fathers and mothers. This is sometime difficult to do, especially since our parents are all imperfect. Just like us, they are sinners, too. They have their blind spots and their blemishes and sometimes it can be hard to love them. They aren't always the best influences, either. However, we should always strive to honor them in the sense of loving them unconditionally and doing our best to obey them when it doesn't lead us into sin. Our relationship with our parents mirrors the relationship between God and us. Sometimes we are difficult to love. Sometimes we are sinners. Sometimes we are blind and blemished. Sometime we are not the best influences on others. Still, God loves us and so we should love our parents, too, in spite of their imperfections. For if we love them, then we will be better able to obey our Heavenly Father and Mother so our lives might go well and we might live forever and ever with God in Heaven.

Do we obey and honor our earthly fathers and mothers? What about our Heavenly Father and Mother? How can we become better children of both?

O Lord, we seek to obey and honor you, our Heavenly Mother, Mary, and the parents you've given us in this life.

Amen.

Nineteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

Children are great teachers about what it means to love unconditionally. They do this in both their way of loving and annoying. They have the potential to love their parents, grandparents, and other family members without reserve. In addition, they can push all our buttons and try our patience to the breaking point. However, this stress test also helps us to understand what it means to love without expectation of return just as Jesus loves us. He died for all of us on the cross because he loved us, but he would never force us to return his love. Instead, he lets us make our choice to love others as he did or to selfishly pick ourselves over others. When a child throws a tantrum or refuses to give us a hug or kiss, then we have a small taste of what Jesus goes through when we deny him through our words and works and instead choose evil over good. So the next time we are tempted to sin, perhaps we should imagine ourselves as a child before Christ and remember that our choice is between love and selfishness. Hopefully, we shall choose wisely and well.

Are we childlike in our unconditional love of God and others? How can we be more Christ-like when we are faced with people who refuse to return our love? How can we encourage children to grow in their love of God and others?

O Lord, give us hearts filled with childlike love.

Amen.

Second Tuesday in Advent

It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.

Our Father does not want any of us lost to sin. He constantly searches us out when we stray from him with our imperfections, sins, and failings. He offers to carry us as he carried the cross if we will but yoke ourselves to Him. How blessed are we to have such a Father, who is willing to forgive us our trespasses and rejoices when we allow Him to led us where we need to be.

How often are we lost, afraid, anxious, or doubtful in our lives? Do we take the time during these times of troubles to let go of our selfish worries and let God lead us through the darkness to greener pastures? What do we do in our lives to make sure none of God’s little ones are lost?

O Lord, you are our shepherd, find us when we are lost and weak with sin and lead us to life everlasting with you.

Amen.