Twenty-Ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!”

Everyone who trusts in God will be protected by Him. He does not leave any of His faithful servants undefended. Those who live their lives according to His Divine Will shall be given graces, blessings, and gifts that will see them through all things. He will be our light in the darkest of nights and lead us to where we need to be. His laws are written in our hearts and if we live by their spirit, then He will grant us inner peace and abundant love.

Do we think, speak, and act in accord with the Divine Laws written in our hearts? How can we be there for God like He is there for us? What can we do to live in harmony with God’s Will?

O Lord, to do your will is our delight.

Amen.

First Monday of Lent

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

If we live our lives in accord with the laws of the Lord, we will be constantly refreshed in body, mind, and spirit. If we follow the Word of God, we will lack for nothing in our faith lives. If we trust in the inspirations of the Spirit, we will not be disappointed. If we are open to His Will, then we will receive wisdom. If we have confidence in God, we will grow in faith, hope, and love.

Are we following the laws of the Lord? How can we place greater trust in God’s Divine Plan? What can we do to allow the words of God to guide our spirits and our lives?

O Lord, refresh our souls with your words of life.

Amen.

Seventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law. Those who love your law have great peace, and for them there is no stumbling block.

Many in the world see the laws of the Lord as restricting. They are, but for our own good. God didn’t give us the Ten Commandments to oppress us, but rather to help us to be free from sin and death. When we follow and love God’s Laws, we become just and holy people. We show the rest of the world there is a path to peace and hope. We only need to let go of our selfish instincts and embrace the selflessness of Jesus Christ, who revealed to us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we are acting as Christians should, we experience an inner peace that cannot be shaken as long as we trust in God. There is no stumbling block that can cause us to fall if we depend upon God and follow in His Son’s footsteps. Even if the world is crashing down around us, we can have inner peace by simply loving God and doing what He leads us to do.

Are we at peace with God? Are we at peace with others? How can we become better lovers of God and His Divine Laws?

O Lord, we love you and your laws.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life. Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.

If we follow the Lord, the light of life will be in us and guide us along the narrow path to Heaven. Of course, following God isn’t always easy. We are constantly counseled by the wicked to give into our temptations and walk the way of sinners. We are told by the world we should turn our backs on God and make our own way. However, we must resist these evil inclinations and instead focus on living upright lives, delighting in the laws of the Lord, and mediating upon them with humble hearts.

What can we do to open our eyes to the light of life? How can we resist the counsel of the wicked? Do we set aside time each day to meditate on God’s Divine Law?

O Lord, grant us the light of life.

Amen.

Eighteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

God’s Divine and Natural Laws are written upon our hearts. His Holy Spirit reminds us constantly of what is good and evil through our consciences. We have an innate understanding that God is our loving and protective Father. He will not abandon us. He is our God and we are his people. He is a gracious God, who forgives us and helps us to grow in faith, hope, and love. If we live our lives according to the commandments and the golden rule to love God and our neighbors, then we shall find ourselves welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven as good and faithful servants.

Do we live our lives in accordance with God’s Commandments? Do we listen to our consciences and the Holy Spirit? How can we be as forgiving of others as God is to us?

O Lord, you are our God and we are your people.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?

God has given us commandments not to restrict us, but to free us from sin. He has given us statutes and decrees to bless us and lead us to eternal life. He has taught us His Way, Truth, and Life so we might grow in wisdom. He has given us His Divine and Natural Laws because we are made in His Image and He wants us to be as close to Him as possible. He wants us to be the best reflections of Him through lives of holiness, justice, and virtue.

How can we live out God’s Law more perfectly? What can we do to become living reflections of His Divine Image? How can we grow closer to God through our thoughts, words, and works of each day?

O Lord, grant us the wisdom to know your laws and put them into practice every day of our lives.

Amen.

Second Monday of Lent

O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.

When we sin against God we should be shame-faced. We should recognize what we have done wrong and be contrite and sorrowful for our thoughts, words, or works. We should seek God’s Compassion and Forgiveness and do penance to make ourselves right with Him and those whom we sinned against. And after all of this, we need to amend our lives so we can resist the temptations we are faced with and avoid repeating our sins. We are all called to heed God’s Commandments and to live by His laws of selfless love for Himself, others, and even ourselves. We are asked to become prophets and servants of the Good News, proclaiming it through our actions. Each step toward heaven requires a sacrifice of our selfish pride in favor of a selfless humility. It is only when we keep the New Covenant and learn to love God and others with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths that we become the good and faithful servants we are all called to be.

What are our sins? How can we amend our lives so that we rid ourselves of these failings? What can we do to live by God’s Divine Law from this day forth?

O Lord, we are sorry for all our sins and hope you will give us the grace we need to confess them, do penance, withstand temptations, and sin no more.

Amen.