Thirty-Fourth Friday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him! “Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

All of creation was made by God and finds its source, center, and summit in Him. He is the only thing that can fulfill us and transform us into what we are called to be. He made us in His Divine Image and offered us every spiritual blessing so we might be holy as He is Good. What a wonderful God we have in Him for He has shown us what it means to be charitable, merciful, and good. He made us to be manifestations of Himself and we find true peace only when we exult Him through our thoughts, words, and works.

In what ways do we give glory to God? How can we exult Him in everything we do? What can we do to live up to the Divine Image within us?

O Lord, we give you glory and eternal praise.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

Their message goes out through all the earth. Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.

We often talk about the world as if it is an antagonist to our faith, but there is a difference between the world and the worldly. The world as part of creation is good and reflects the glory and majesty of its Creator. It is the worldly, those who focus on earthly things rather than heavenly ones, that we are at odds with. There is beauty and wonder in the world around us, which we should celebrate and give thanks for. There are marvels on the earth, in the seas, in the skies, and beyond that we should appreciate because they reveal a God whose works are wondrous indeed. All throughout the earth the voice of our Creator resounds, reminding us that we are part of His Divine Plan and beautiful, too.

Do we take time to appreciate the world around us? How do we fulfill our calling to be good stewards of the earth? What can we do to listen more carefully to the voice of our Creator?

O Lord, your voice resounds through all the earth.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. O LORD, you have probed me, 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.

We are all wonderfully made. God created each of us to fulfill His Divine Plan. He created us with gifts and talents and insights that make us uniquely capable of saving souls and proclaiming the Good News. He knows what we were made for and so He knows what we are capable of and gives us the graces we need to succeed in our role in salvation. He knows our minds, hearts, and spirits and is familiar with our strengths and weaknesses. He knows everything we have been, are, and will be and scrutinizes our existence in light of what we are called to be. Let us hope that when all is said and done, He will find that we were good and faithful servants who fulfilled our vocations and wonderfully so.

Do we realize how wonderfully made we truly are? How do we live up to the gifts God has given us? In what ways are we fulfilling our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength?

O Lord, we praise you for making us.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

Their message goes out through all the earth. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day; and night to night imparts knowledge.

Creation itself reveals the glory of God and proclaims His handiwork. In creation we find good, for God created all things good. He made the day and the night good. He made heaven and earth good. He made the skies and the seas good. He made the plants and animals good. All good things come from God. They find through source, center, and summit in Him. It is no different for us for God made us in His image, which is very good. He wants us to follow Him, to walk His Way, to speak His Truth, and the live His Life. If we do all these things, then we shall overcome all obstacles and become good and faithful servants, now and forever.

Do we take time each day to enjoy the goodness of creation? How can our lives reveal God’s Glory and proclaim His handiwork? What can we do to lead others to good and faithful lives?

O Lord, let the message of your goodness go out through all the earth.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.

All of creation resounds with joy before the Lord. From the sky to the earth, from the sun to the moon, from the birds in the air to the fish in the sea... everything that was created echoes the goodness of God. He created everything from His Word from the rivers to the mountains and all the living creatures of this world. Most amazing of all, He created us in His Own Image. He granted us free will and the ability to choose the good over the evil. He created us to love Him and each other and spread the Good News throughout the world.

Do our thoughts, words, and works resound with joy before the Lord? Do they bring joy to others? Do they spread the Good News?

O Lord, let us shout with joy before you so all who dwell in the world will know and love you as we do.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was.

All of God’s creations are good. It is the free will of man that introduced the possibility for evil into it. Our Heavenly Father gave us that gift because as good as His creation was, it couldn’t be truly loving of Him without the ability to choose to accept or reject His call to love Him and His creations. We were given free will to reflect the Divine Image and choose to do good, but it is also what allows us to tarnish His Image within us and choose sin. We should not blame God for the evils of the world. He gave us free will out of love for us, knowing it would open the door for us to follow our own selfish and harmful paths. But it also opens the window of opportunity to truly know, love, and serve God and His children like no other creation. Yes, God’s creations are good, but if we choose to become lights for the whole world, then He shall see us as very good indeed.

Do we recognize the goodness in God’s creations? Do we use our free will to know, love, and serve God better or to disfigure His Image within us? How can we inform our consciences so that we make better use of our free will?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to respect your creations and to be very good.

Amen.