Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin/Doctor of the Church

God is with us. I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those that know the LORD; Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia: “This man was born there.” And of Zion they shall say: “One and all were born in her; And he who has established her is the Most High LORD.”

We are all born to become citizens of the City of God. We are all given rights and responsibilities by the mere fact of our conception. God is with us from the moment of creation and remains with us even through death to the final judgment and beyond. He wants us all to be good and faithful servants, willing to do our duty to Him and to all His children. So, let us come together as one and live out our calling to be God’s representatives on earth in hopes of one day enjoying the Heavenly banquet with our Lord and King.

Have we accepted our citizenship within the City of God? How are we respecting the rights of others and fulfilling our responsibilities as Christians? What can we do to build up the Kingdom of God?

O Lord, we will strive to be good and faithful citizens of your Kingdom.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Lent

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and as such we have rights and responsibilities to our Lord and God. We have the right to God's Love Mercy and Grace. We have the right to life, to liberty from sin, and the pursuit of spiritual happiness. However, these rights do not come without cost or responsibilities. The cost of being saved is being willing to conform our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies to the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In order to live, we must be willing to die to ourselves. In order to be free, we must be willing to become humble servants of God. In order to have happiness, we must be willing to face trials and sufferings for God's Glory and the good of others. If we want to be saved, then we must be willing to lose ourselves in the Love of God and stand firm with our Beloved, now and forevermore.

Do we act like citizens of the world or citizens of Heaven? Are we using or abusing our God-given rights? How can we conform ourselves more perfectly to God's Will so we can joyfully fulfill our spiritual responsibilities?

O Lord, change us so we conform more perfectly with your glorified body.

Amen.

Thirty-Second Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise. They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another.

As Christians, we are called to be good citizens, obedient to all legitimate authorities. We must be open to every good enterprise and ready to do every sort of good work. Although we should stand up for what is right and strive to change bad laws, we should do so through peaceful means. Not slandering our opponents, but rather being considerate and gracious toward all. We should have pity on those who have been led astray by their worldly desires and pleasures and seek to show them the right way to live without forcing them into the faith. We do this best by allowing God to think, speak, and work through us to bring about the conversion of sinners.

Are we being good citizens? Are we showing compassion even to those whom we most disagree with? How can we show others what it means to be a good Christian neighbor?

O Lord, make us into peaceable, considerate, and gracious citizens.

Amen.