Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord. Out of my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me; From the midst of the nether world I cried for help, and you heard my voice.

The rosary is a lifeline for us all. It is a prayer we can all benefit from. It is a prayer we should take our time with whenever we are inclined to say it. It is a pray that speaks to the mysteries of our faith and helps us to meditate upon and contemplate the life of Christ and the Beginnings of the Church. It is a powerful tool for good in the world, freeing people from sin and death, filling them with graces and blessings and guiding them to better lives founded on the Holy Spirit. We should all be thankful for such a fulfilling prayer, given to us by our Heavenly Father to celebrate His Beloved Son and Dearest Daughter.

Do we pray the rosary on a regular basis? Do we pray it purposefully and meaningfully? What can we do to live out the mysteries of the rosary?

O Lord, out of the darkness we call to you.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Friday in Ordinary Time

Come with joy into the presence of the Lord. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; bless his name.

We should all seek to be in the presence of the Lord. We should strive to find ways to make Him present in our daily lives. We can do this in many ways. We can see God in the world around us and appreciate everything He has created. We can pray to Him in thanksgiving for all the graces and blessings He has given us. We can meditate upon His Divine Mysteries and contemplate Him in all His glory. We can read the Scriptures as a living book and imagine ourselves in the time of Jesus. We can be holy people, good as our Heavenly Father is good. We can imitate Christ and follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We can go to Church for adoration and mass. We can participate in the sacraments and grow in faith, hope, and charity. The important thing is to seek God out in whatever we are doing, great and small, in chores and leisure and everything in between.

What are we willing to offer in thanksgiving to God? How can we show our thanks to God? How can we make God present in our daily living?

O Lord, we thank you for being with us and bless your holy name.

Amen.

First Sunday of Lent

For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

There are many ways to confess Jesus is Lord. We can choose to use our free time to meditate upon the Scriptures and contemplate the life of Christ. We can proclaim the Good News through words and works. We can be charitable toward those who need charity and merciful toward those who need mercy. We can manifest God’s Love through loving our neighbors as God loves them. If we do all these things, then we will be justified and saved. If we do all these things, we will not be put to shame.

In what ways are we confessing Jesus Christ is Lord? Do we truly believe God will not allow us to be put to shame? How do we show this faith in our lives?

O Lord, we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that you are our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.

There are many ways we can sing God's praises. We can do so through prayerful thoughts and calm meditation. We can do so through contemplation of the Life of Christ and the Mysteries of our faith. We can do so through proclaiming the Good News. We can do so by speaking kindly to others or offering them words of encouragement in difficult times. We can do so through acts of charity poured out for God's children. We can do so through acts of forgiveness and mercy. Every good fruit we bear in this world is a song sung in praise of God and all He has done for us.

How can we sing God's praises through our thoughts? What about our words? What good works can we do to express our joy in being the children of God?

O Lord, we desire to sing your praises in everything we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.

When we go to mass or to any gathering of the faithful, we should go rejoicing. We should put aside all our worldly doubts, fears, and anxieties and focus on being with God. Often, we are beset by distractions in our lives and may be tempted to give them our attention, but we should offer all these up to God and use them as stepping stones to mediation and contemplation of God. This transforms what could lead us astray into something that leads us closer to God. So, when we step through the doors of our church, let us leave behind the world and all its empty worries and instead dedicate ourselves to a deeper participation in the mass and all our church's gatherings.

How can we prepare ourselves to go to church? What can we do to transform our worldly worries into spiritual opportunities for deepening our faith? How can we participate more fully in the mass and in the various spiritual gatherings at our church?

O Lord, let us go rejoicing to your house.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Saturday in Ordinary Time

They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever.

If we are true to our faith, the name of God will be written on our foreheads. Our lips will proclaim the Word of God. Our hands will do the work of God. Our feet will follow the path God has set before us. Our minds will meditate on and contemplate God. Our hearts will be at one with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our lives will be fruitful and abundant with good works. God's Light will dwell within us and make us into shining beacons of faith and hope and love. And the Lord will reign within us and through us to the rest of the world.

Are we living fruitful lives? How can we grow in faith and become more Christ-like in all things? What can we do to bring the God's Light into the world around us?

O Lord, write your name upon our foreheads and our hearts.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

If we want to lead a Christ-like life, then our hearts and minds must be focused on knowing Jesus Christ and contemplating his crucifixion. It is important to follow the example of Jesus from the moment of his birth through the moment of his death and ascension into Heaven. His life teaches us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His death shows us how to be merciful to others, even our enemies, and to make our lives into living sacrifices for the glory of God and the good of others. His Ascension into Heaven reminds us the goal of our lives isn’t to be successful in the world, but rather to strive for holiness so we might one day share in the Resurrection and the heavenly feast.

In what ways are we living in imitation of Jesus’ most holy life? Do we take time out of each day to contemplate the crucifixion and the sacrifices Christ made for us all? How can we prepare ourselves so we might be found worthy to spend eternity with God?

O Lord, our faith depends not on earthly wisdom, but on your power.

Amen.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, and the LORD's holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice. Then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Making holy the sabbath day can be difficult for us, especially in a world that tries to demand our attention every moment of our waking lives. We are constantly tempted to watch TV, play games, and do everything but make time for God. And yet, the sabbath day is meant to be a day of rest, a day to spend with God in prayer, reflection, and meditation. We cannot do any of those if we are constantly distracted by other things. We need to show God He comes first every week and the only way to do that is to hold back from our own pursuits on Sundays and to delight in the time we spend with God not only at Mass but in prayer as well. If we honor God by keeping holy His day, then He shall give us every opportunity to flourish during the rest of the week in what is best for us. He will nourish us with grace and consolations and lead us to peaceful and fruitful lives.

Are we keeping holy the sabbath? How can we make more time for prayer to, meditation on, and contemplation of God? What are worldly things we can cut out of our Sunday routines?

O Lord, help us to pursue you always and especially on the sabbath.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

When we read or listen to the scriptures or contemplate them in prayer, God speaks to us. Deep within our hearts, we recognize His wisdom and hear Him whisper His divine truths to us. Like Mary, we are blessed when we do these things and open ourselves up to the quiet revelations of the Lord. When we believe what God speaks to us we are filled with the graces we need to fulfill our calling. If we do this, then we will magnify the Lord with our thoughts, words, and works and find joy in God our savior just as Mary did in her most holy life. As we continue to grow in our faith, let us model ourselves upon God's humble handmaid, Mary, who is our spiritual mother and the perfect mold for conforming ourselves to Christ.

Do we spend time each day listening to God through the Scriptures or prayer? Do we believe the inspirations He gives us? How do we magnify God in everything we do?

O Lord, help us to believe all you speak to us within the depths of our souls.

Amen.

Memorial of St. Martha

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Sometimes when we are busy, worried, or otherwise distracted, we can lose sight of the important things in life. We, like Martha, let our emotions and sense of injustice get the better of us. We begin to judge others by our own standards and make assumptions about them based entirely on our own priorities. However, we are not called to judge others or force them to “do their fair share.” We should not let our own anxieties color our perception of others. Instead, we should try to put aside our worries, take a deep breath, and focus on what is really important in life, namely hearing the word of God and responding to it with true and active devotion. Martha does not see her sister’s active faith and so she thinks she is being lazy, but this is far from the truth. Mary is contemplating the gospel. Her mind and heart and soul are at work, while her sister focuses on the bodily needs of her guests. This is not to demean Martha’s work, which is also necessary, but rather that Martha in her business has not yet had the opportunity to interiorize the message of Jesus.

Are we too busy to contemplate the life of Jesus and his gospel? What anxieties and worries keep us from devoting ourselves to the spiritual life? How can we do a better job of choosing the better part of life?

O Lord, we are worried, but with your help we will chose the better part.

Amen.