Third Friday of Advent

Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

We are all temples to the Lord. We are all made to be His dwelling place. Our hearts are meant to be tabernacles to our Lord, allowing Him to rest in and work through us. We should strive to be open to our Heavenly Father. We should accept the teachings and wisdom of the Son. We should seek to fulfill the Will of the Holy Spirit and become saintly people. This is the only way we can become who we are meant to be... children of God, who reflect the face of God in our own faces and pass on His blessings through our own thoughts, words, and works. So, let us manifest the Lord to the best of our abilities and allow Him to live and speak and work through us in all things.

Do we let God enter into the temples of our souls? Are we accepting of the blessings and graces He gives us? Do we seek for Him in all things?

O Lord, we seek your face.

Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.

We are God’s building. We are His Church and Temple. We are all parts of one dwelling. We all serve a purpose. We are all founded in one faith, one baptism, for one God. We are united in the Body of Christ which is manifested through us. We are builders, too, of faith, hope, and love. We add onto the Church through our thoughts, words, and works and as such we must take our responsibilities seriously. We must be careful to build upon the foundation of Christ and not upon anything else. We must add onto the Church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must not damage or distort what God has constructed for us. We must be vigilant in the defense of the Scriptures and the Traditions of the Church, while still being open to growing His Temple in new and sanctifying directions.

Do we take care of God’s Temple within our souls? In what ways do we build up the Church? Are our spiritual foundations rooted in Jesus Christ?

O Lord, we are your building, do with us what you will.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

We should live our life on Earth with the goal of joining God in Heaven. Our hearts should pine to be with God for all eternity. We should yearn to see His Holy Face. We should cry out for the living God to live within us and to help us become good and faithful servants. We should desire to become a dwelling place for the Lord in preparation of entering into His Heavenly Abode when we pass from this earth. To gain eternal life with God we must be willing to lose our worldly one without hesitation or counting the cost.

Do we live our lives with the ultimate goal of reaching God’s Kingdom? Do we yearn to be with God always and forever? How can we welcome God into the dwelling places of our hearts?

O Lord, our souls yearn for you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land. I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.

The glory of the Lord dwells everywhere around us. We see it in creation. We see it in the mirror when we look into our own eyes. We see it in our family and our friends. We see it in our neighbors and strangers. We see it in those who do good and avoid evil. We hear it in the Gospels. We hear it in those who proclaim the Good News. We hear it in the songs we sing to God. We hear it in words of kindness and compassion. We feel God’s glory at Church. We feel it when we exchange the sign of peace. We feel it in the Body and Blood of Jesus. We feel it in the good deeds we do and those done for us. Near indeed is God’s salvation because it is all around us.

Are our eyes open to the glory of the Lord? Are our ears open to what God proclaims? How can we manifest God’s glory through our own thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, dwell within the land of our hearts.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”

God’s dwelling is within us. Our hearts are supposed to be His Holy Temples. Our minds are called to be home to His Word. Our spirits are meant to be resting places for our Lord and God. He entrusted His Divine Image within each and every one of us. He has given us the Body and Blood of His Beloved Son to become a part of us. He wants us to be living tabernacles, bearing Him into the world through our thoughts, words, and works. However, in order to do this, we must prepare ourselves. We must be holy, loving, merciful. We must imitate the Holy Trinity in all things. We must be protective of the weak like the Father. We must be kind and compassionate like Jesus. We must be on fire with charitable love like the Holy Spirit. Only then will every tear be wiped away and the old order of sin pass away into the new order of salvation.

Have we prepared our hearts, minds, and spirits to be dwelling places for the Lord? What can we do to make ourselves more welcoming to God’s Divine Presence in our lives? How can we help others do the same?

O Lord, behold, our hearts are yours! Dwell within them always.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Advent

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

The house of the Lord can reside in our hearts as well as the Church. Our hearts, which may be unworthy mangers, can be made worthy to receive Jesus through the sacrament of reconciliation. We can clean out all our old ways and give Christ a place to lay his head when he comes to us in the sacrament of communion. By making our hearts into his home, we open ourselves to all the graces God has prepared for us. He grants us his protection. He gives us repose and inner peace. He leads us to the life-giving waters of love and mercy. He refreshes our souls through His Divine Presence. He makes us into living temples, shining His Light upon the world around us and leading others to rest in Him.

Are we willing to clean out all those things that prevent God from living within us? How can we cleanse ourselves, like Joseph and Mary cleansed and made ready the manger before Christ's birth? What can we do to prepare ourselves to be dwelling places of our Savior and our God?

O Lord, dwell within us and make us holy.

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.

Eighteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

City shall be rebuilt upon hill, and palace restored as it was. From them will resound songs of praise, the laughter of happy men. I will make them not few, but many; they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.

We all need a bit of rebuilding every now and then. When we fall into sin or indifference, we need to restore ourselves in mind and spirit. When we are sick or injured, we need to return our bodies to health. When we have suffered a loss of some sort—be it job, loved one, or something else—we strive to rebuild our lives as best we can. If we do this in a spirit of trust in God's Goodness, then we shall find that no matter what befalls us, He will raise us up again. He will put songs of praise and glory on our lips and laughter in our hearts. We shall be able to restore ourselves and become even stronger in faith, hope, and love.

What areas of our lives need to be rebuilt to become more perfectly God's dwelling place? How can we put the graces God has given us to good and fruitful use in restoring our lives to purity? In what ways can we glorify God for all He has done for us?

O Lord, rebuild us in your image and likeness.

Amen.

Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

In life we will be beset upon by all manner of trials, difficulties, and obstacles. We shall be tempted to sin. We shall be mocked and persecuted for being Christians. We will be misunderstood, ignored, and abandoned. We will suffer. However, if we repent of our sins, seek to do good, and try to be a mouthpiece for God, then He will protect and strengthen us. He shall make us His dwelling place and we shall bear Him to all people.

Are we bringing forth the precious Word of God without tainting it with worldliness and sin? How can we strengthen our faith so we might become strongholds for God? What can we do to fulfill our calling to be mouthpieces of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace?

O Lord, free us from the hands of the wicked and rescue us.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

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.

As Christians, our belief in Jesus brings us together. It forges us into one, united people of God. It transforms us into living temples built upon the foundations of love for the Holy Trinity and all of God's children. There are no strangers among us, but rather fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are built together by our Heavenly Father in order to do His Will and bring about His Kingdom. Our time, talents, and treasures are given to us for this purpose. We are meant to use them to build up His Church and woe to us if we waste or bury them.

Is God the Father the foundation of our lives? Is Jesus Christ the capstone of our faith? Are our hearts sacred temples adorned with the inspirations and graces of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, make us into dwelling places for you.

Amen.

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Within the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we find all we need to understand the plan of salvation. It is a heart that is full of love, mercy, and grace. It is a heart that was pierced for our offenses. It is a heart that poured out its blood to wash away our sins. It is a heart rooted and grounded in love. It is a heart that is filled with compassion of God. It is a heart that can beat within each of us if we allow it. It is a heart that can fill us with the fullness of God.

Do we give thanks for the Sacred Heart of Jesus? How can we be more rooted and grounded in God’s Love? How can we make our hearts into dwelling places for Jesus?

O Lord, strengthen us with your Sacred Heart.

Amen.

Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

After the ascension of Jesus to Heaven, the apostles return to the upper room and pray with Mary. In a similar way, we are also called to pray with our Heavenly Mother each and every day. We are asked to make a special place for God in our lives where we can spend time with Him and allow Him to enter into us so He can express Himself through our thoughts, words, and works. We cannot do that if we don’t make time to pray and make space for God in our hearts by cleansing them of earthly desires and worldly things.

Have we prepared a place in our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit? Are we ridding ourselves of those worldly things that keep us from welcoming God into our hearts? Is prayer a central aspect of our daily lives?

O Lord, we pray that you come and dwell within us.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Easter

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.

Listening and paying attention to God naturally leads into acting like a Christian. Once we hear the Word of God and truly appreciate its meaning, we cannot help but put its commandments and precepts into action. Lydia does this through her hospitality. We do this through our works of charity and mercy. The love and goodness we show others reflects the teachings of Christ and live out our baptismal promises. We say to God, “Come and stay in the home of our souls.” And He comes and makes us into His Dwelling Place.

Are we listening and paying attention to the Lord? How can we put His commandments and teachings into practice? Have we done everything we can to make our hearts into dwelling places for Him?

O Lord, come and stay with us.

Amen.

Fifth Saturday of Lent

I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

God’s sanctuary is within all of us. He wants to dwell within our hearts and as long as we keep them clean from sin... He is with us. However, if we do fall into sin, then we need to take the time and effort to cleanse ourselves and rededicate our whole being to doing God’s Will. We do this through the sacrament of reconciliation. In a way, each time we are reconciled with God, we re-proclaim our relationship as members of the Body of Christ. When we make a good act of contrition and do penance, then we are freed from our sins and given a new opportunity to make ourselves into worthy dwelling places of the Lord.

What are we doing to keep ourselves clean of the stains of sin and indifference? How can we make our hearts into pristine temples to the Lord? Are we making the best effort we can to seek God’s Forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation?

O Lord, dwell within us and help us keep ourselves clean of sin.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.

God dwells with us. We might not see or hear Him directly, but He is always there for us. He is ready to help us in all our good works and to warn us against all our evil inclinations. With Him we can do great things. Without Him we can do nothing. Whenever we think, say, or do anything we should keep in mind God sees, hears, and knows what we are doing. We can’t hide anything from Him, nor can we explain away our actions or inactions. He knows exactly why we acted rightly or wrongly. We should live our lives with the sure knowledge God is with us and do everything according to God’s Will.

Do we rejoice at knowing God is with us? How have we joined ourselves to our Lord? What can we do to keep in mind He is always with us?

O Lord, dwell among us.

Amen.

Seventeenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Then the cloud covered the meeting tent, and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling. Moses could not enter the meeting tent, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling. Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the children of Israel would set out on their journey. But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward.

Our bodies, minds, and hearts should be like the Dwelling Moses built for the Ark of the Covenant. They should be places where God is made present through our thoughts, words, and works. God should be able to settle within us and His Glory shine through us. His Holy Spirit should lead us on our faith journey, inspiring us to do good and avoid evil. We cannot make ourselves into a Dwelling of the Lord without being faithful, hopeful, and loving. We also must be humble enough to allow Him to fill us with His Will so that we might go forth into the world and bear Him to those in most need of His Love and Mercy. We cannot be resting places for the Lord, if we do not do our best to cleanse ourselves of imperfections, weaknesses, and sins. God understands we are not perfect, he does not expect us to be so, but He does expect us to be welcoming of Him and to desire to make our hearts into places worthy of Him just as Mary and Joseph did their best to prepare the humble manger for the arrival of this son and Savior.

In what ways do we prepare ourselves to be Dwellings for God? What can we do to cleanse ourselves of those things that keep us from being worthy resting places for our Heavenly Father? Are we willing to let God determine how we proceed in our lives?

O Lord, settle upon our hearts and fill them with your glory.

Amen.