Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.  This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Praying for those in authority is something we all should do. Even if we do not agree with a person’s politics, we should still pray that they make the best decisions for the people they represent. We should pray that our leaders resist the temptations of office, such as corruption, pride, arrogance. We should also pray that our leaders build up the kingdom of Christ and not tear it down through their speeches, decisions, and laws. We might not be able to claim ultimate victory over the worldly in the realm of politics, but that doesn’t mean we should leave the field, either. Instead, we should treat our foes with love and mercy and try to show them the truth by being good citizens who are faithful to the Gospel.

Do we offer prayers for our leaders? How can we show love and mercy to our political foes? What can we do to make our country into one that respects the dignity of each human and our religious freedoms?

O Lord, we pray for those in authority.

Amen.

First Tuesday of Advent

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.

Justice will flourish around us if we live the Christ-like life. When we treat others with dignity and love, they are more likely to respond in kind. Even if they don't respond to our kindness, we will have done the right thing and be at peace with ourselves. We also need to govern our own hearts, minds, and bodies with justice, fostering every virtue and uprooting ever vice. In this way, we can grow in faith, hope, and love. This is why it is so important for us to pray for God' Justice and Mercy in our own lives and to trust that God will endow us with both so we can live holy and fruitful lives forever and ever.

Are our lives governed by God's Justice? How can we promote and nurture the virtue of justice in our own lives and the lives of others? What acts of justice is God calling us to perform for Him and His children?

O Lord, may your justice flourish in us and bring us peace forever.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

So then 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.

We, as Christians, have been brought together by Jesus. We have been built into a living temple so we might give glory to God and be a place of repose for Him. Jesus showed us how to unite ourselves with God by knowing, loving, and serving Him and His children. He also reminded us we all have the image of God within us and as such we all deserve to be treated with dignity, charity, and mercy. He wants us to become friends in the faith and co-workers in his vineyard. He holds us all together through the Way, the Truth, and the Life he has given us and the Church he left behind. He did all these things so we all might become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit and, hopefully, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves, making every effort to uphold the temple of God within us.

How can we be more united with Christ and his Holy Church? What sacrifices and acts of charity and mercy can we make to build up the Living Temple of Our Lord? Do we treat everyone we meet with the same dignity, mercy, and love as Jesus did in his most holy life?

O Lord, built us into a united dwelling place for you.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

David seized his garments and rent them, and all the men who were with him did likewise. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

Mourning, weeping, and fasting for those who have wronged us isn’t something we all immediately think of, but David does exactly this for Saul... the man who tried to kill him. It’s easy to imagine mourning those who are our family and friends, like Jonathan was to David, but quite a different story for those who have persecuted us. However, just like David, we are all called to have compassion on our enemies as well as our friends. Just because someone does evil to us, doesn’t give us the right to deny their dignity, ignore their sufferings, or take pleasure in their pains. If we do any of these things, then we fall short of living out the commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us.

Are we willing to make sacrifices in order to help those who have harmed us in some way? Can we forgive the past transgressions of others and do what is right even to our enemies? How can we live out the beatitude to mourn with others?

O Lord, help us to treat our enemies as Jesus would treat them.

Amen.

Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Saul then said to David: "You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm. Great is the generosity you showed me today, when the LORD delivered me into your grasp and you did not kill me. For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed? May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day. And now, I know that you shall surely be king and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession."

It isn’t easy treating our enemies generously. It’s difficult to do good to those who have done evil to us. However, we are all asked to respect the dignity of others, no matter how much they might disrespect us. God asks all of us to do no harm to others. It isn’t our place to judge or punish, but rather to love unconditionally just as Jesus did. Only our Heavenly Father can judge the hearts of others and we disrespect Him when we try to take justice into our own hands. Instead of selfish retaliation, we are called to be generous to our enemies and let them go unharmed. Perhaps our example of kindness, will change our enemies’ hearts and make them realize the error of their ways, but even if it doesn’t then we can be secure in knowing that we turned the other cheek just as Jesus did and although the world might slap it... God will heal our temporary pain and replace it with eternal life in and with Him.

Who are the people we find it most difficult to love? Are we treating them generously and lovingly? How can we become more charitable to those who are unkind to us?

O Lord, grant us generous and merciful spirits.

Amen.

Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.

Brotherly love is a powerful and profound action. It requires us to see everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ and to treat them with charity and respect. For we are all heirs to the Kingdom of God, and as such we should seek to live in peace and love with each other. We cannot do this if we let petty differences, old grudges, or any other prejudices enter into our relationships with others. We might not like what a person does, but that doesn’t give us a right to disown him. We are all children of God with inherent dignities that must be respected even in those we most dislike. This dignity also calls upon us to honor each other be it as family members, friends, or strangers. It requires us to set aside our personal desires and choose what is best for all God’s children. If we live according to the way of brotherly love, then we shall have but one Heavenly Father for our protector, who shall never forsake or abandon us.

Are our lives built upon brotherly love? How do we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when they are difficult to love? Have we chosen to love God the Father and His children above all else in this world?

O Lord, free us of those things that keep us from loving all others as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Amen.