Third Thursday of Advent

My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! For you are my hope, O LORD; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. 

From the moment of our conception, God has loved us as His Own children. He blessed us in the womb with gifts, graces, and strengths that would help us throughout our lives. From birth, we have been dependent upon Him for all good things and this reliance will continue till the day we die and beyond. God has watched over us since out youth, granting us everything we need to become good and faithful servants to Him and to our brothers and sisters. He has been a Father to us, protecting, guiding, and encouraging us in our good words. He has also reprimanded us when we have gone astray and tried to lead us back to the right path as gently, but firmly as possible. For all these reasons, we find hope in Him and trust in His Ways. We praise Him for His Works and sing of His Glory because He has been the best Father, we could ever ask for... patient, kind, and compassionate.

Do we thank God for all the blessings He has given us? Do we allow Him to be our Father and act like His children, obedient and loving? What can we do to imitate Him in our lives?

O Lord, you are our Father, in you we trust and hope.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

Glory and praise forever! “Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”

The temple of God’s Glory resides within each of our hearts. How we tend our bodies, minds, and spirits reflects how we treat God. If we ignore our physical, mental, and spiritual growth, then we weaken our living temples. The only way for the walls of our faith to stand up to earthly trials is if we build them on the solid ground of hope and construct them with the best resources of love, mercy, and goodness. Our temples are only as strong as our reliance on God, who supports us in our times of need and weakness. He makes us strong and for that we should be very thankful.

Are we tending to the good and holy needs of our bodies, minds, and spirits? How can we found ourselves more firmly upon the strength of our Heavenly Father? What can we do to help shore up the faiths of others and help them grow as Christians?

O Lord, blessed are you and the temple you have built within our hearts.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Jesus is the capstone of our faith. He is the one who bears the weight of our sins and makes amends for them. He is the one who holds us all together. We cannot support ourselves without his strength. He is the one who upholds us when we are weighed down by worldly worries and cares. He is the one around whom we grow together as one Body, united through the sacrifice of His Body and Blood. It is through following his teachings and example that we are built together into a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. So, let us all lean on Jesus in times of joy and times of sorrow so we might make ourselves into living temples sacred to the Lord, our God.

Have we built our lives around Christ as our capstone? In what ways has Jesus held our lives together? What can we do to shore up our trust and whole-hearted dependence upon God?

O Lord, build us into a dwelling place for your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

In God is my safety and my glory. Only in God be at rest, my soul, for from him comes my hope. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.

No matter how strong or wealthy or famous we are, we will never be truly safe until we put our trust in God. If we depend upon ourselves, we will falter and fail, but if we turn to our Heavenly Father, He will protect and guide us. The goods of this world do not last and cannot give us true comfort or rest. All things will turn to dust in the end, but our relationships with God will last forever. He is the one constant in our lives and if we want any hope for happiness, then we must build our lives upon Him and make Him our stronghold.

Do we depend upon God or ourselves when in need? How can we more perfectly place our hope in God? What can we do to build up a spiritual stronghold to the Lord within our hearts?

O Lord, you are our safety and our glory.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. He is my God, I praise him; the God of my father, I extol him.

God doesn’t need us to give Him glory. He already is glorious beyond anything we can add. However, the glory we give to God is entirely for our benefit as it reminds us who our lives should be dedicated to. We sing God’s praises, not because He needs them, but because they put us in the right state of mind to know, love, and serve Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. God is and always will be triumphant over evil. He doesn’t need us to win the day, but when our virtues triumph over our vices, He is glad for us. He is our strength and courage when we ask for them. He is our salvation when we need it most. He is our God and Father and will always be with us and that is why we extol Him.

In what ways can we give glory to God and praise Him? Do we depend upon Him for our strength and courage? How can we thank Him for being such a good and loving savior?

O Lord, we sing to you and pray that you will help us to be triumphant over all evil.

Amen.

Fourteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad! You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

The world tells us being lowly is to be a failure. It tells us being meek and humble is to be forgotten. It tells us choosing service to God over service to self is enslavement. However, nothing can lead us to triumph faster than to yield our wills to God. Nothing can lead to spiritual success more rewarding than to make ourselves into good and faithful servants to God. Nothing can make us happier than to become the trusting children of God.

Are we lowly, meek, and humble? How can we become faithful servants to God? What can we do to depend more perfectly on our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, help us to be lowly and glad.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Easter

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

In order to be good and faithful servants of our Lord, we have to trust in Him. We cannot waiver in our duties. We cannot hesitate to carry out His commands. We cannot serve God and serve someone or something else. We cannot hold anything back. Our whole minds, hearts, souls, and bodies must be given completely over to Him. For He has held nothing back from us, even to the point of sacrificing Himself on the cross for our redemption. If such an act is not worthy of our trust, then what is? The sooner we recognize God as our Heavenly Father and King, the sooner we can become heirs to His Kingdom.

Are there things holding us back from putting all our trust in God? How can we uproot these attachments and distractions so we can be fully dependent upon our Lord and God? What can we do to show our thanks for having such a good and gracious God?

O Lord, we place our trust in you.

Amen.

Twenty-First Saturday in Ordinary Time

Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.

We don’t have to be wise, powerful, or born into wealth to be good Christians. The only wisdom we need is to follow the teachings of Christ as best we can and trust in God’s Goodness. The only power we need is to make the choice to depend on God with complete trust in His Strength. The only wealth we need is the treasure house of graces that God offers us as followers of Christ. We are meant to be signs of contradiction to the world, showing our strength through our weakness. We are called to be lowly and humble, boasting of nothing except the greatness of our Lord and God.

Is our wisdom founded on the commandments, teachings, and inspirations God has given us? Is our strength totally dependent upon our humble trust in God? Is our nobility reliant upon our kinship with Jesus Christ and our imitation of his way of life?

O Lord, let our only boast be of you.

Amen.

Twenty-First Friday in Ordinary Time

For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Signs and wisdom alone aren’t enough to lead us to the right path in life. We can’t depend on signs because we are human and often misread the signs in our lives. Much better to depend upon the sacraments, especially Communion and Reconciliation. The graces the sacraments give us are there to lead us where we need to go and help us to do what we need to do. We can’t depend upon our own wisdom because we are flawed and do not know everything as God does. Instead, we need to depend upon the wisdom of God and trust that our faith, hope, and love will guide us along the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. Depending upon ourselves leads to pride and foolishness, but if we depend upon God, then we shall be wiser and stronger for it.

Are we overly dependent upon signs to lead us? Have we depended too much on our own wisdom and not on God’s? How can we become more dependent upon God in all things?

O Lord, we place our trust in your wisdom and strength, not our own.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Lent

"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him." But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!

God is our mighty champion. He wants to defend us from evil and protect us from sin. He wants to lift us up when we fall, to lend His strength to us when we need it, and lead us to victory over the wickedness of the world. He wants to grant us His grace and forgiveness. He loves us all and He will not let our enemies overpower us if we trust and depend upon Him. However, He will not force His aid and protection upon us. He wants us to choose it freely and willingly by testing us and probing our minds and hearts. If we choose Him as the center of our lives, then He will rescue us from the power of the wicked and champion us through the valley of darkness to the light of paradise.

Do we seek out God’s help in our lives? Do we depend upon Him and trust He will see us through all our difficulties? How can we make Him the center of our lives in thought, word, and work?

O Lord, rescue us from the power of the wicked.

Amen.

Second Thursday of Lent

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.

It is easy to say we trust in God when things are going well, but it can be more difficult to trust in Him when life takes a turn for the worst. However, this is exactly the time when we need to place our trust in God. It is how we respond to the trials of our lives that determines where our heart truly lies. Does it rest in God, secure in the knowledge that He will take care of us? Or does it quake in fear and seek to end its difficulties through selfish and sinful actions? Hopefully, we choose to rest in God and allow His Love, Mercy, and Grace to sustain us through every challenge. If we do, then our lives will be rooted in God and no matter the dryness of our spiritual lives or the difficulties the world throws at us, we will show no distress and bear good fruits.

Do we trust God to deliver us from every evil? Are we willing to root our lives in the living waters of faith in God, hope in His Goodness, and love of the Holy Trinity? How can we become more dependent upon God as our Father, Teacher, and Inspirer?

O Lord, bless us who trust in you.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.

This hymn of praise reminds us of the importance of praying to God for strength. None of us can bear our burdens alone. We need God’s help to keep from collapsing under the weight of our crosses, which are heavy with doubts, fears, anxieties, and all sorts of worldly worries. We need His Love to encourage and support us. We need His Holy Spirit to sustain and uphold us. We are His children and He will help us in every way to become the best people we can be. He will give us graces and talents to see us through every trial and accomplish good works, both great and small. All we have to do is recognize our dependence upon him, humble ourselves before Him in prayer and be obedient to the teachings of Christ and his Church.

Do we pray to God for strength, especially during our daily trials? How can we share our crosses with God more faithfully? What can we do to show God we are willing to submit to His Will?

O Lord, strengthen us.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Friday of Ordinary Time

The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

How true these words are for many of us! We know what is right. We believe it. We want to do good and avoid evil. And yet, we fall into sin time and time again. We have our faults and imperfections and temptations that lead us astray. We run away from the good because it challenges us to change ourselves and run toward the evil that is easy. How often do we intend to do some good and then talk ourselves out of it? We make excuses for ourselves and come up with all manner of escape clauses for what we know is good. Yes, we know right from wrong, but between knowing and doing is a vast chasm that can only be crossed by faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, and total dependence upon God. And it is up to us to translate our interior desires for holiness and righteousness into exterior acts of charity and mercy and holiness.

How can we conform ourselves to what we know is right and good? What can we do to resist the temptations to sin? How can we put the law of our minds and hearts in charge of our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, free us from the law of sin so we can do the good we want and avoid the evil we do not want.

Amen.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

Great faith is founded upon humility and the recognition we are not worthy to sit at the table with God. We are sinners. However, just because we are undeserving of God’s gifts and graces, we still beg for them anyway. We rely completely upon God’s Mercy. Just as the woman pled for the scraps, so too, we plead for our salvation in hope that God will be compassionate toward us and grant our request. Thankfully, God is full of love and wherever he finds humility and faith, He also gives the petitioner all they need to be healed and thrive in spirit and truth.

Are we humble in our petitions and prayers? Do we realize we are not worthy and should have no delusions that God owes us anything? In what ways do we recognize our complete dependence upon our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, give us humble and faithful spirits.

Amen.

First Thursday of Lent

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God.

God is our only help. He is all we need to overcome every obstacle, to do any good work, and to live good and faithful lives. He brings us grace and blessings to aid us on our journey toward salvation. He gave us His Beloved Son to speak the Good News to us and show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He frees us from the bonds of sin, offers us armor against temptations, and trains us in the virtues we need to defend ourselves and others from evil. As long as we do what is right and pleasing to God, then He shall give us every support we need to make it through the trials of this life and triumph over all that stands between us and heaven.

Do we pray to God for His help when we are in need? Are we receptive of His aid in whatever form it might come, even when it is not exactly what we wanted? How can we learn to depend upon God more than upon ourselves?

O Lord, we have no help, but you.

Amen.

Fifteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

If we want to know, love, and serve God and His children more perfectly, then we shall need to become child-like. Children depend upon their parents for their protection, their goods, and the provision of their needs. They truly understand what it means to have faith in someone, to hope in them, and to love them unconditionally. In the same way, we should be child-like toward our spiritual parents, God, Our Heavenly Father, and Mary, Our Holy Mother. Both of them protect and provide for us in their own way and show us how to be filled with charity and mercy towards all. They give us something greater than ourselves to believe in, to trust in, and love with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. In the end, we will be measured by how well we imitate them in our thoughts, words, and works.

Are we child-like in our relationship with God and Mary or do we pretend we do not need them? How can we become more faithful, hopeful, and loving children of God and Mary? What thanks have we given our heavenly parents for all they have, are, and will do for us?

O Lord, make us child-like in spirit.

Amen.

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.  Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.  Do not move about from one house to another.

Even when serving God, we will be tempted to misuse our talents and authority for personal gain or become prideful. This is why Jesus warns his disciples to carry nothing with them. He wants them to depend upon God, not themselves. He wants them to realize that God is the source of their good works. He also warns them to stay in the same house, to eat whatever is offered, and not to move around. This is because they should trust in Jesus’ words and that God will provide what they need. They should not seek out a more comfortable place. Instead, they should follow the guidance Jesus has given them and they shall receive the payment they deserve. In the same way, we are called to depend upon the Holy Spirit, listen to His inspirations, and do our good deeds not for selfish reasons, but because God wants us to do them.

Are we willing to trust in God completely? Are we willing to give up our personal interests and accept what God offers us? How can we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us more perfectly?

O Lord, we trust in you and will carry your peace wherever you call us to go.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Jesus makes it very clear that the Kingdom of God belongs to the child-like. He rebukes his disciples to make this point because they are acting like Jesus is their possession, instead of them being Jesus' disciples. Their possessiveness over Jesus isn't what Jesus wants from them. He wants them to be more like the children, who seek to touch him. It might not seem like much, but a child's touch shows trust and acceptance. Children don't touch things they don't like. Jesus knows this and he uses the children's actions to remind his disciples that they, too need to be child-like in their trust and acceptance of not only him, but other people. They should let everyone who wishes to take that leap of faith and believe come to Jesus. Lastly, Jesus embraces and blesses the children who come to him. It is the same for us, too. He wants to hold us in his arms and give us every spiritual blessing. All we have to do is approach him with child-like trust, reach out with acceptance, and receive his blessing in our lives.

Do we act like the disciples, deciding who is worthy to approach God and who isn't? How can we be more child-like? What can we do to show God our trust and acceptance of Him?

O Lord, may we be child-like in our love and dependence upon you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.

Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit from his Father so that his followers would be inspired and be able to testify to the truth even in the face of persecution and the temptation to fall away. The Holy Spirit enkindles our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies with a sanctifying fire that protects us from the darkness that surrounds us and seeks to destroy us. By choosing to be Jesus’ disciples, we have chosen a narrow path to climb and one that is fraught with peril. Our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even our own selfish inclinations may oppose us on our journey toward holiness. We will also be assaulted by those evil spirits that prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls. However, as long as we turn to God for strength, guidance, and inspiration, then we shall find our way and one day enjoy the heavenly banquet with the Holy Trinity.

Do we ask the Holy Spirit to testify to the truth through our thoughts, words, and works? Are we willing to suffer and even die in order to live lives that proclaim the Good News? Do we turn to God in our hours of need?

O Lord, we welcome your Holy Spirit into our hearts and only wish for our lives to testify to the truth.

Amen.

The Fourth Friday of Lent

“Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

People are constantly persecuting Jesus throughout the Gospels. They argue with him, belittle him, try to arrest and even kill him. They convince themselves that they are right and he is wrong. We act the same way when we sin against God. We make ourselves into judges of others and decide what is right and wrong for ourselves instead of trusting the teachings of the Church. The pride behind these thoughts can destroy our lives and the lives of others. This is why it is so important to remind ourselves that Jesus's example and teachings should be the guiding factor of our lives and not our self-interests because we too were sent to this world for a reason only God knows.

Are there areas in our lives where we belittle or push away God? How can we foster within ourselves a spirit of dependence on God and His Divine Truth? What can we do to ensure God's Will is being done through us and not our own?

O Lord, we come from you, lead us to where you need us to be.

Amen.