Easter Sunday

Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

The empty tomb is a wonderful image for us to keep in mind as we celebrate the Easter season. Jesus has risen! He has conquered death with his sacrificial Life. He has conquered sin with his virtuous Way. He has conquered false teachings with eternal Truth. Sometimes we must undergo symbolic deaths of our own in imitation of Jesus. These may be deaths to certain sins, imperfections, or even good things that we sacrifice for God or others. We also undergo deaths when we move, change jobs, and during other instances of change in our lives. However, each of these deaths brings us to a new life and an opportunity to fulfill God’s Will in another way. This is why we are constantly reminded to “be not afraid” throughout the gospels. We should not be afraid of death whether it is literal or symbolic because if we die for God and the good of others, then we will rise with Christ on the last day and share in the paradise of Heaven.

How do we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in our daily lives? How do we express our thanks for Jesus’ sacrifice and the saving grace he poured out upon us through His Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection? Are we willing to undergo the symbolic deaths that will lead us to a better life?

O Lord, thank you for giving us the saving grace necessary for us to lead holy lives and rise with you.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Easter

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

This rebuke of Peter is also a reminder to us to take care of our own business first when it comes to faith. Each of us is given a set of tasks to fulfill in our lives by God and it is our responsibility to concern ourselves with them and not with others. We follow Christ, not our family, friends, or neighbors. We might come to know, love, and serve everyone around us—as Jesus would—but we should not be so concerned with them that we ignore our own tasks. We need to focus on feeding and tending God’s children in the way He asks us to and sometimes that means doing things without or even against our family, friends, and neighbors. This does not mean that we do them without regard to these people or to spite them, but rather we do it because God calls us to do it. He should take precedence over everything and everyone in our lives.

What are the tasks God has set before us? How do we put aside our concern for others and focus on God’s Will? Is our faith in God our top priority?

O Lord, we follow you. Let our concerns be your concerns and not our own.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Easter

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.

These words are spoken by the risen Christ after he asks Peter if he loves him three times. These three yes’s make up for Peter’s three denials of Jesus during his trial. They make clear that Peter has accepted Jesus’ message completely and that he is ready to feed and tend the spiritual flock of Christ’s followers. We too deny Christ in great and small ways throughout our lives and as we mature in our faith there comes many moments in our lives when God asks us “Do you love me?” Hopefully, we answer with an emphatic “Yes!” as many times as He asks us! However, when we do give our assent to His Will, we must be willing to allow God to dress us as he wishes and lead us where He wills, even to those places where we do not wish to go.

Do we love God more than all worldly things? What do we do to feed and tend God’s flock? Are we willing to allow Jesus to lead us to where we do not want to go?

O Lord, we love you, lead us where your will.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday of Easter

And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.

We are all called to be one with God and each other. Our baptismal promises unite us not only with the Holy Trinity, but with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should make every effort to show our unity with God and His children. We should unite ourselves with the Mystical Body of Christ through the Mass, the sacraments, and our prayers for and with each other. The Mass is a wondrous gift to us and through it we are united in the Word of God and His Body and Blood. We share the good news and then we partake in our Lord and Savior’s greatest gift to us—the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The Mass is one prayer we share with the each other and it unites us not only with the Church on Earth, but also the Church in Purgatory and Heaven. We are one with all those who have come before us, who are with us now, and who will come in the fullness of time.

Do we fully participate in the community of believers through the Mass? In what manner do we unite ourselves to God and His children through the Blessed Sacrament? How do we express our oneness with God and each other in prayer?

O Lord, we are one with you and each other.

Amen.

Seventh Wednesday of Easter

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.

May we all be consecrated in the truth of the gospels and accept our mission to evangelize the world around us. Jesus consecrated us through his thoughts, words, and deeds, especially through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. He shows us how to go into the world not as part of it, but as part of His Mystical Body. We are not alone when we speak the truth and do good. Jesus and all of the communion of saints—past, present, and future—are there with us. As long as we keep the commandments in spirit and truth (and not just by the letter), then we will be manifestations of God’s love to the world. We will be true bearers of not only God’s image, but of the cross and suffering that comes with following in the footsteps of Christ.

How do we embody the truth of the gospels, not just in our private lives, but our public ones? What is God sending us into the world to do? Do we witness to and share our faith, hope, and love with others?

O Lord, consecrate us in the truth and send us out into the world.

Amen.

Seventh Tuesday of Easter

I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.

Jesus constantly prays for us before our Heavenly Father and we glorify him by accepting God’s Mercy and living out our lives as an example of His love for His children. By leaving us to do God’s Will, Jesus gives us a chance to become like him and think, speak, and do the right and good thing no matter the cost or suffering. And like him, if we act in faith, hope, and charity we will one day be able to come to the Father. Till that day, we are called to be in the world, but not of it. Our actions should be focused on God and His children and then we shall know the peace that comes with acting rightly and well.

Do we reflect upon the fact that we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters? How do we glorify our Brother, our Father, and our Advocate? How can we be of God and not of the world?

O Lord, pray for us that we might glorify you through our every thought, word, and work.

Amen.

Seventh Monday of Easter

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.

Jesus offers us peace in himself and trouble in the world. When we have consecrated our every thought, word, and work to God, then we shall have the inner peace that comes with being genuinely righteous. We shall take courage in Christ as not only our Savior, but as our model for life. We will conquer the world, not with acts of violence, but with acts of love, mercy, and grace. Still we will have much to suffer before our lives come to fruition. We will be persecuted by family, friends, and neighbors. We will be mocked and misunderstood. The empty consolations of the world cannot give us the peace we are looking for, only God can do that.

What are the troubles we have suffered because of our faith? How do we open our hearts up to God’s peace? How do we use the courage that comes from having our hearts aligned with God?

O Lord, grant us peace and courage.

Amen.

Sixth Saturday of Easter

I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

Just like Jesus, we come into this and we will leave it. This life we are given is a gift and we should not be afraid to live it as Jesus did. He gave us a model for Christian living founded on the gospels and the commandments of God to love Him and love our neighbors as He loves us. As we walk through the world during our lives, we ought to be thankful for its goods and wary of its evils. We need to remember that ultimately, no matter how pleasant or comforting certain aspects of the world might be, it is the everlasting joy of heaven that we want, not the passing pleasures of the world. So let us be not afraid to sacrifice ourselves, to mortify our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. It is only in giving ourselves away completely to God and His children that we can empty ourselves and fully receive those graces God constantly offers us.

How often do we thank God for the gift of our lives? How do we prepare ourselves for leaving this world? What are the things we can sacrifice in order to make more time for God and His children?

O Lord, you have brought us into the world. We hope you will draw us back out of it when we are worthy of your kingdom.

Amen.

Sixth Friday of Easter

When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Loving God and our neighbors requires sacrifice and suffering if we want to do it right. Love asks us to labor with patience, mildness, and perseverance so that one day we can give birth to good works that will ripple out into the world. Like children whom we care for and nurture, these acts of charity and mercy go out into the world and show our neighbors that we are Christians by our love. When we see these good works bear fruit, we forget all of the sacrifices they required from us and are thankful for the graces which flowed from our actions.

What are our current labors of love? What are we willing to suffer and sacrifice for? How can we reflect on the sufferings and good works in our lives in such a way as to grow in our capability to love God, ourselves, and others?

O Lord, help us to give birth to good in the world.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Remaining in God's love can be difficult at times. There are so many things in this world that try to drag us out of it. Temptations try to lead us into sins. Pride can sour our good intentions and actions. Selfishness can make us love ourselves over others. Sometimes we struggle with living according to the commandment and need every grace, every ounce of strength, to resist the wickedness and snares of the Devil. However, if we trust God, put our faith in Him, and allow Him to live and work through us, then we shall overcome all these things and become better people for it. So let us strive to remain in God's Love and live the life we were meant to live.

What things are keeping us from remaining in God's love? How can we resist and overcome them? Are we willing to keep the Father's commandments no matter the cost?

O Lord, help us to remain in your love. Always.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

“But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.”

The Spirit of Truth is with us, just as Jesus is with us, and the Father who sent them. Together they are the Holy Trinity, three persons with their own distinct divine missions, but one God forever and ever. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide us to the truth along our faith journeys and help prepare us for the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Judgment. He gives us all the knowledge and understanding we need to do the Father’s Will and to live our lives in accord with the model of Jesus. We should take heed of the Holy Spirit’s inspirations and find ways to constantly manifest the truth He reveals to us to our fellow man.

Are we actively seeking the truth? Are we preparing ourselves for the things that will come? How do we acknowledge the Holy Spirit in our lives?

O Lord, guide us to the truth through your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Easter

“And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

The Holy Spirit has convicted the world and we are called to convict it too. We are called to turn away from the temptations of the world and the sins they lead us into. We are called to be righteous in our actions towards God and others… always thinking, saying, and doing the right and good thing. We are also called to reject Satan and all his empty promises. We are called into conflict with the world and its values and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can uphold the values of life, liberty, and love.

What sins do we fall into? How can we avoid them and replace them with righteous actions? In what ways do we convict the world and its sins, while loving our fellow sinners?

O Lord, help us to remain true to you in spite of the temptations of the world.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Easter

“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.”

Jesus sent us the Advocate to give us the strength to testify to him and to live out our Christian mission to know, love, and serve God, ourselves, and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We have only to accept the Holy Spirit into our lives and be true to the Word of God. And how do we testify to Jesus? By being faithful in our thoughts, speaking out in hope, and doing good works.

How can we be more faithful in our lives? More hopeful? More charitable?

O Lord, help us to testify to you always.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”

Jesus chose us and appointed us to bear fruit in the vineyard of souls. Thankfully, he also gave us the grace to ask the Father for what we really need (not necessarily what we want). When we do God's Will, we receive every grace and strength we need to go where He is leading us, do what He is asking us, and succeed no matter the odds against us. We have only to trust the path God has chosen for us is for our own good and the mission He has appointed us to perform is obtainable with perseverance.

What path is God asking us to follow? What task has been appointed to us? Do we trust God enough to pray for those graces we need to go and do His Will?

O Lord, you have chosen us. Give us the graces we need to do your Will.

Amen.

Fifth Saturday of Easter

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.”

Too often we try to be liked and loved by everyone, but that’s not why we are here on earth. We are here to do God’s Will and to know, love, and serve Him and his children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Sometimes this requires us to say something someone might not want to hear or do something others might not understand. We have to be willing to accept persecution both great and small.

If we do not belong to the world, then why do we give the world so much of our time and energy? How can we remind ourselves that we are here to serve God and not the world? Are we willing to be hated in order to do the right thing?

O Lord, we belong to you. Your love is all that matters.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Easter

“I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”

We are not slaves, but friends of Christ. What a wonderful thing it is to be friends with the Lord of All Good and no longer slaves to sin! Jesus words in the gospels are a constant reminder to us that he came to free and love us with his whole body, heart, soul, and divinity. He didn’t have to do this, he could have given us a thousand commandments, but instead he gives us just the one to love one another as he loves us. What a wondrous and boundless love it is! We can only hope to love a fraction as well as Jesus did in his life, but with God’s help we can move mountains with our faith and withstand trials and tribulations with our hope. And with love, all things are possible.

What sins are we enslaved to? How can we allow God to free us from them? How often do we thank Jesus for being a friend who is always with us?

O Lord, you have freed us from sin and raised us up as your friends.

Amen.

Fifth Thursday of Easter

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Love one another as I love you. What a commandment we have been given by Christ! Jesus loves us with his whole body, blood, soul, and divinity. He loves us perfectly with total desire for us, friendship towards us, and self-gift for us. The mere thought of trying to match his true love with our human and imperfect love is a challenge beyond our own abilities. However, God gives us the graces we need to love others with a pure desire, to befriend them, and to become living sacrifices of love for others. We have only to let go and let God love through us, imperfect though we made be. If we do that, then we can love perfectly by allowing God’s love to flow through us without alteration or resistance. When we do this, then we truly lay down our lives for our friends.

How do we live out this commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us? What things do we do to prepare our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies to love as they ought to love? What truly loving sacrifices do we make for others?

O Lord, show us how to love more perfectly.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday of Easter

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

We cannot bear any good fruits without grounding them in the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If we do not unite our every thought, word, and work to God, we will be left empty handed when we are called to give an account of ourselves before the Seat of Judgment. So let us take the time to offer up all of our being to God as a living sacrifice and not forget from whom all good things come. When we do the right thing, let us remember that in order for it to be a good thing, we need to make it a glorious gift to God. Only then will we truly be doing God’s work and not our own.

What do we do to remind ourselves to offer up our thoughts, words, and works to God? How do we keep in mind the need not only to do what is right, but also unite those right actions to God so that they become good, too? How do we remind ourselves to remain in the presence of God at all times and in all places?

O Lord, you are the vine from which comes all good things. Help us to bear good fruit.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Easter

“I am going away and I will come back to you.”

We might not see Jesus, but we should always trust he is here with us. We are not alone. We are his beloved brothers and sisters and in the midst of our troubles he will give us peace. This is why he tells us to let not our hearts be troubled and be not afraid, because he has come back to us through the Holy Spirit, our Advocate. He makes ready our paths and prepares us to walk along his Way of Salvation. We should be ever thankful for this gift of self and remember we are not alone.

Do we feel alone? How can we remind ourselves of God’s Divine Presence in the midst of our trials? How do we welcome the Holy Spirit and allow Him to grow and thrive within us?

O Lord, come to us.

Amen.

Fifth Monday of Easter

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

God wants to make our hearts His dwelling place. Just like the manger Jesus was born into, we are seemingly unworthy of such a great honor. However, as Jesus tells us when we keep his word we are beloved by God and it is that love which draws God to us and makes our humble hearts worthy to receive Him. It is a grace for us to be given the strength and perseverance to keep the Living Word of God alive within us. We should be ever grateful for this gift because without it we would be hollow people of the world rather than hallowed followers of Christ. So when we feel alone or unworthy, we should remember God is with us as long as we do the best we can to know, love, and serve Him and He makes us worthy through His Love, which more than makes up what is lacking in the imperfect mangers of our hearts.

In what ways do we keep God’s Word? In what ways do we fail to keep it? How do we prepare ourselves to be dwelling places for the Lord?

O Lord, we want to keep your word and become dwelling places for you.

Amen.