Memorial of Saint Martha

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea.

We can be a bit forgetful when it comes to all the things God has done for us. Like the Israelites, we can become lost in worldly things or feel abandoned by God. We can seek out false idols in our lives and while we might not think we are worshiping them, we can give them far more time, talents, and treasures than we give to God. However, it is far better for us to not become lost in the desert of sin, especially mortal sins like idolatry. Better for us to seek God and find Him, then to complain against Him when things don’t go our way. Better for us if we put our energies to use knowing, loving, and serving God and others, then to waste them in the fires of our own selfishness. 

Do we forget God in our daily lives? How can we rid ourselves of the idols of distraction and sin that surround us? What can we do to become more perfect followers of our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, never let us forget you.

Amen.

Sixteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The Lord gave them bread from heaven. They tempted God in their hearts by demanding the food they craved. Yes, they spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the desert?”

Nothing is impossible for God. No matter how dire our situation might seem, He always will be able to save us, if we let Him. There are many who complain that God doesn’t do enough for them or asks too much of them. However, when we consider what God has given us, we should have no other response, but “What is your will, O Lord?” God has given everyone the Bread of Life through Jesus Christ and no matter what temptations might come that try to convince us God owes us anything else, He doesn’t. Everything He provides us is a gift and we should appreciate and respect that truth. And we do this best by loving God with all our minds, hearts, souls, and strengths and trusting He will lead us through the desert of this life and into the Promised Land of the next.

When we are going through a spiritual dry spell, do we seek out the nourishment of the Blessed Sacrament? How can we avoid becoming complainers and instead trust in God’s Divine Plan? How often do we stop and ask God what He wants us to think, say, or do?

O Lord, thank you for the Bread of Life.

Amen.

Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord. Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.

When we are suffering, God is listening. He is watching over us even in our times of trials. He will not abandon us, but He will not always answer us in the way we seek. He may indeed save us from our trials and tribulations, but if He chooses not to do so, we have no reason to be angry with Him. He is just and merciful, but He also will not hand us life on a silver platter. He will not solve all of our problems. He wants us to learn and grow in our own unique ways. He wants us to discover our unique callings and not force them on us. He hears our outcries, but we should remember that He might not answer us at the time or in the way we expect. Instead, He will help us in ways that will offer us a chance to grow in faith, hope, and love. Let us pray we take these opportunities and accept their challenges so one day Our Heavenly Father might say, “Well done, my good and faithful servants.”

How do we suffer? Do we complain and get angry and get even? Or do we offer everything up to God and accept the sacrifices asked of us without hesitation or moaning?

O Lord, attend to my outcries how you deem best.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Friday in Ordinary Time

Then Job answered the LORD and said: Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more.

There is always the temptation to complain about our lot in life. When things aren’t going as we planned, we try to find someone or something to blame. We might even be tempted to blame God for our sufferings. However, the sin of pride is the root of complaining, “Why me?” This self-centeredness tries to convince us we know better than God. If only we had the power, we’d make everything right. This is what Adam and Eve thought when they reached for the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to be the judges of right and wrong, but their pride led them into sin and exile from the Garden of Eden. Instead of complaining or thinking we know best, we should make ourselves humble before God. We, like Job, should recognize our littleness and put a hand over our mouths so we can stifle our complaints before they are spoken. Then, perhaps we shall hear the truth God is speaking to us through the Gospels and the traditions of the Church.

Do we think we know better than God what is good for us? How can we become humbler in spirit and accepting of the sacrifices being asked of us? How can we avoid complaining and instead give God glory, honor, and praise?

O Lord, strip us of our petty complaints and clothe us in humility.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

"Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, when suddenly a great wind came across the desert and smote the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you." Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair. He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said, "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!" In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.

We all will suffer losses in our lives. Some of our losses will be in terms of wealth. Others in terms of health. Still more will be of our loved ones. We can react to these sufferings in many ways. We can become bitter and complain about how unfair life is, we can become lost in despair and sorrow, or we can accept our losses and trust God’s Grace will see us back to prosperity. We will be tempted to be angry toward God or to believe He has abandoned us, but all we need to remember is He is always with us. He sent His Beloved Son to suffer and die for us so we might never be alone in our darkest hours. Even if it is difficult for us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we must remember it is there. All we have to do is put one step in front of the other and continue to follow the path Jesus Christ prepared for us.

Are we bitter or despairing of any losses we have suffered? How can we learn to trust God even in the midst of our dark nights? How can we cultivate the spirit of detachment needed to be able to let go of our goods, our health, and our loved ones so we do not fall into sin when we lose them?

O Lord, blessed be your name in our good times and in our bad.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

"Have you reason to be angry over the plant?" "I have reason to be angry," Jonah answered, "angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?

Our own sufferings can sometimes cause us to lose sight of the big picture. We see something good taken away from us... a loved one, our health, our job, etc. and we get angry at God. We ask Him, “How could you do this to me?” Or we complain that we’ve done everything He’s asked and we’re still no better off or even worse off. We think God is a miracle dispenser and wonder why He’s not giving us what we want after we’ve “paid” him in fasting, almsgiving, or prayers. However, God isn’t some magical vending machine dispensing good things to us after we pay Him in some way. Rather, He gives freely and in accord with our needs and His Divine Plan. He does everything for a reason, but not necessarily in the ways we want. What He gives us isn’t ours. The graces, gifts, and goods of our lives are on loan to us and when they are taken away we shouldn’t complain. Instead, we should thank God for the time we had with what He gave us and express our trust that He has taken away what we had for our betterment. With this type of approach, we can better let go and let God in all things.

Is there something we are angry with God about? How can we prepare ourselves better for those times when we are tempted to complain to God? How can we avoid being like Jonah and being concerned only for ourselves?

O Lord, help us to keep in mind the big picture.

Amen.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live." Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

I can be tempting to complain about our lot in life, especially when we experience some difficulty or setback. However, we need to keep in mind life isn’t about getting what we want when we want it. It’s about accepting what God wants for us when He gives it. Jesus came into this world not to take away suffering, but to transform suffering into the reparations of sins and the salvation of souls. In a similar manner, our sufferings can be a source of glory for God and salvation for others, especially when we offer them up in unity with the Passion and Death of Jesus. Just as Jesus was lifted up as a sign of God’s Love and Mercy, so too we are asked to be signs of God’s Compassion for all we met each day.

Have we sinned by complaining about our lives or about God? How can we remain steadfast in faith even in the midst of our sufferings? What can we do to transform our sufferings into opportunities for grace?

O Lord, it is when we spend our lives looking upon you that we live most fruitfully.

Amen.

Eighteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me. Tell them: By my life, says the LORD, I will do to you just what I have heard you say. Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall. Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me. I, the LORD, have sworn to do this to all this wicked assembly that conspired against me: here in the desert they shall die to the last man.

After everything God had done for the Israelites, from freeing them from Egypt to dwelling with them in the ark, they still did not trust God. This lack of faith spurred by fears and doubts overcame their confidence in God. How easily we can fall into the same pattern in our own lives. We are faithful followers of Christ while things are easy, but the moment He asks us to risk something for our spiritual growth, we grumble and complain. He offers use a life overflowing with graces and good fruits, but we recoil from it because we are afraid of the obstacles in our way. We come up with excuses not to take the leap of faith and deny God our trust. And then, we wonder why our lives seem to be wondering aimlessly through the desert from suffering to suffering with no relief. It is because we turned our backs on the way forward and have chosen to oppose God’s Will. The only remedy for this is to purge ourselves of our doubts and fears and put our faith in God’s Providence.

What are the things we grumble about in our lives? Are our doubts and fears holding us back from where God is calling us? How can we learn to take the leap of faith when God provides us with an opportunity to follow Him into the Promised Land?

O Lord, we are sorry for our grumbling and ask you to lead us where we need to be.

Amen.

Eighteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved. “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the Lord. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?”

There are times in our lives when we feel overwhelmed by what is going on. We might be ill, persecuted, sorrowful, fearful, or any number of things and pray to God for a way out. We might be upset with God because we are in a rut and don’t have a sense of progress in our lives. We might be angry that others are complaining to or about us. We might wonder why God is treating us so badly after all we have done for Him in our lives. We might even worry we’ve done something wrong and are being punished for it. All these feelings are part of being human, we know, love, and serve imperfectly and so time and time again we find something we can grumble about. However, if we trust God and prayerfully ask for His help, He will give it to us and we will eventually find our burdens lifted, the obstacles in our way removed, and our spirits renewed. We simply must be patient and let not our hearts be troubled by worldly things, nor should we allow our minds to become so prideful we mistakenly believe God owes us in some way. Whatever aid He gives comes as a gift, not a repayment.

What do we grumble about? How can we let go of our grumblings and trust in God’s Divine Providence? How can we remind ourselves doing God’s Will is not a burden, but an opportunity to grow in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, protect us from the temptation to complain about our lives.

Amen.

Sixteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert.” But Moses answered the people, “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.

How quickly we can forget all God has done for us! He does so much to show us His Love and Mercy. He gives us graces and consolations, and yet we find things to complain about. We wonder why He couldn’t do this or that for us and grumble about where He is leading us. How short our memories are when it comes to God’s faithfulness to us. He is always here for us, and yet we feel abandoned or anxious. We wonder why He couldn’t just leave us alone, let us rest on our laurels, and stay in our comfort zone. However, He has our best interests at heart. He wants us to grow in faith, hope, and love and we cannot do that without exercising our spirit and pushing ever onward toward the Promised Land. He tells us to, “Fear not!” because if we place our trust in Him, He will lead us to victory over sin and death.

In what ways do we remind ourselves of all God has done for us? How can we learn to accept whatever comes along the road to Heaven, rather than to complain about it? Are we willing to keep moving forward to the Promised Land in spite of the sacrifices we will need to make to do so?

O Lord, help us to keep in mind all you have done for us, especially when we feel most anxious and worried.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Lent

“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”

When things don’t go our way, we are tempted to complain. Why couldn’t God help me? Why didn’t He give me what I wanted when I wanted it? Why do I have to suffer this or that? However, these questions are poisonous to our hearts, minds, and souls. They turn us against God through unrealistic and unfair demands. God is not with us to cater to our every want and desire. He knows far better than us what will do us good and what will harm us. What we want and what we truly need can be complete opposites. Some of us require reminders of our place in the world. Our pride can blind us and God sends trials to us to open our eyes. Others suffer not because of something they’ve done wrong, but because God knows their response will be Christ-like and deepen their faith in ways that could not happen if their lives were all sunshine and happiness. God knows what each of us can beat. He never gives us more than we can handle. We might not like what He is asking of us, but it doesn’t mean His Divine Plan is unfair. His Will is just, loving, and merciful and will forge us into good and faithful servants if we will allow it to do so.

Have we ever felt disgusted with our lot in life and complained to God? How can we learn to embrace what we are going through, even the sufferings, and do God’s Will? What can we do to build up the virtue of fortitude in our faith even during times of trial?

O Lord, take away the poisonous complaints that find their way onto our lips and make us into a persevering people.

Amen.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, 
he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee.

Throughout the nativity story, Joseph listens to God’s messages and carries them out without complaint. He could have complained about how unfair his lot in life was. His plans for marriage and a family were high jacked by God’s plans. He could have complained about the public shame he must have suffered when Mary was found to be with child before his official marriage to her. He could have refused to raise a child that wasn’t his own. He could have grumbled about having to leave everything he ever knew and flee to Egypt. He could have protested about being told to come back to Israel only to find out someone just as bad as Herod had taken over. He could have whined about a lot of things, but he didn’t. He accepted God’s Will and took Mary as his beloved wife and Jesus as his beloved son. He did what he was told without hesitation. He took it on faith that everything his family was going through had a reason and a purpose. He might not have understood why, but he understood God’s Providence would provide and everything would make sense in the end. In the same way, we need to trust in God’s plans for our families and ourselves. We might want to complain or run away, but God gave us our parents, siblings, and other family members for a reason and a purpose. We would do well to remember that it is not necessary for us to understand our family to love them as God loves them.

Do we complain about our family or hesitate to help them? Are we willing to accept we won’t always understand why certain things happen to our loved ones or ourselves? How can we be more trusting of God’s Divine Plan?

O Lord, help us to be holier families.

Amen.

The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”

In this gospel, we are given the example of people who initially speak highly of Jesus, but because of their familiarity with him, they expect him to perform miracles for them just as he did in Capernaum. However, Jesus tells them that there will be no miracle for them. The people in the synagogue were filled with fury at this and tried to kill him, but Jesus walks away from them unharmed. Just like the people in the synagogue, we can sometimes begin to expect God to take care of our problems and console us as a sign of his love. But God’s Love is a gift freely given. We cannot demand how and when He manifests His Love for us. In addition, just because God loves us does not mean He will do everything we want, when we want it, and exactly the way we want it. Sometimes sacrifice and sufferings on our part are necessary for our spiritual growth. Also, God never forces us to follow His Will, and as such He allows us to doubt Him and deny His Love just as the people in the synagogue did so long ago. He lets us grow furious with Him, while He continues to love us in spite of our complaints. Perhaps we would do better if we complained less and loved more.

Do we expect God to perform miracles or give us consolations in our lives? Are we willing to see our sacrifices and sufferings, not as punishment or abandonment by God, but as opportunities to grow in our faith? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s Love even when things aren’t going our way?

O Lord, cure us of our impatience and demanding natures.

Amen.

Third Tuesday of Advent

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? 
A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.”

It is better for us to do good without hesitation, but sometimes we hesitate, complain, or put off doing the right thing. However, if in the end, we do the right thing in spite of our hesitation, complaints, or procrastination, then at least we have done God’s Will… albeit belatedly. Worse than being slow to do good is promising to do good and then not following through on our word. This can happen when we become distracted, choose sin purposefully, or otherwise avoid doing the right thing in favor of some lesser good. In these cases, we fail to do God’s Will and compound the problem by not following through on our stated intentions. Our words have meaning, but our actions hold more weight. We can pay lip service to God through our prayers, but without works to back those words up, our prayers are like clanging cymbals with no real meaning.

Do our words and prayers mean something? What can we do to give our words true meaning? What actions can we take to make our faith manifest?

O Lord, let us go out into the vineyard and work without delay and without distraction.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Sometimes we encounter people who complain when we do something good. They criticize our actions or our motives. They grumble about how we do something. We might even be in the middle of helping them when they start complaining about how we are helping them. This attitude of ingratitude can turn us off to helping others, especially those who are criticizing us. However, we are not doing the right and good thing to be praised by those whom we help. Our consolation should not be in the response of those whom we are helping or those who are around to witness our acts of charity, but rather our consolation should be found in the knowledge that we are doing God’s Will. We might want to be recognized and thanked, but we should not expect or demand it and if persecution comes our way because of a good deed, then we should embrace the suffering that comes from it and unite it with the cross of Christ, which was carried for ungracious sinners. We should view such trials as an opportunity to imitate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Have we ever complained about or misinterpreted someone’s good actions? Have others done the same to us? Are we willing to perform our good deeds even if it means others might persecute us?

O Lord, give us the grace to perform mighty deeds in your name.

Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God.”

Just as the people murmured and complained against God and Moses in the desert, they also do the same to Jesus. How could he be the bread that came down from heaven? Don’t they know his family? What gives him the authority to teach his message? However, their grumbling deafens them to the underlying message of Jesus. He has come to feed the world with a gospel of love, mercy, and grace that promises those who partake in it everlasting life. We should keep in mind the muttering crowd whenever we feel like complaining about something to God. Jesus asks for us to accept his word with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We cannot do that if we are focused on what’s wrong in our lives.

What do we complain about? How can we foster a spirit of resignation in regards to these problems in our lives so that they do not interfere with God’s message of love, mercy, and grace? What lessons have we learned from the life of Jesus?

O Lord, draw me to yourself and your teachings.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene

And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.

When we are in the midst of trials, we can forget that God is with us. In our weeping, mourning, or even complaining, we can become so focused on our own needs that we fail to remember that Jesus is there beside us. We also fail to see how others are acting Christ-like toward us. The angels in the gospel try to comfort Mary by challenging her to look beyond her own worry about the missing Jesus and to see the miracle of the resurrection. She is so distraught that she can’t recognize Jesus when he is standing in front of her. It isn’t until he calls her by name that she finally realizes who she is talking to and sees the empty tomb as not an obstacle to her devotion, but a miracle of God’s Providence.

When we are in physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, do we keep our eyes open to God’s presence? Do we trust in God’s Will even in the midst of our trials and tribulations? We are the people in our lives who have acted Christ-like to us when we were in need?

O Lord, open our eyes to your presence.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that we need to be willing to settle our differences with others. This can only be done by seeking forgiveness for our own transgressions and forgiving others their transgressions against us. If we go to the Final Judgment with sins on our hands or without any acts of mercy to show God, then we should expect to reap what we've sown. If all we sow is blame or condemnation, then that is what we will deserve when the end comes. So let us make peace with our enemies and show mercy to those who transgress against us. Only then will we be able to come to God with a clean conscience and be rewarded with the consoling gift of Heaven.

Who are the people we are holding grudges against? Who do we complain about? How can we settle accounts with them in a forgiving and merciful way?

O Lord, let us come before you with clean consciences and merciful hearts.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Lent

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

There are some people in this world who always look for the dark lining in the clouds or are never satisfied. We can perform all manner of good deeds and they will find some fault with us. We can speak the truth and they will ask for some sign that we are right. This is what Jesus faced in his opponents. They would always find some reason to complain or to ask for more. They are not satisfied with what Jesus is offering them and so they belittle and misuse him. We should always be on guard against falling into the traps of finding fault with others or asking God to prove Himself to us through signs. Instead, we should be thankful for the good works we see others do and accept that God has a plan that will see us to heaven if we are willing to follow the only sign we will ever need… Jesus on the Cross!

Are we like the people who celebrate and are amazed at Jesus' good works? Or are we like those who complain or seek more signs? How can we resist these temptations and fully trust in God?

Amen.