Third Wednesday of Easter

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. “Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

The works of God are constantly on display for us. We see His works in the good deeds of others. We see them in the graces He gives us. We see them in the holy people we come into contact with. We see them through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We see them in the acts of heroism that spring up in times of trial. We see them in the charity of others. We see them in the acts of sacrifice that people make in order to help one another. These acts, both great and small, are worth singing about. They are worth praising and encouraging and ultimately imitating.

 Do we sing God’s praises? How do we embody and manifest the goodness of God for others? How can we encourage others to do the same?

O Lord, we praise you for all your tremendous deeds and hope to imitate them in our own lives.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

We all manifest the Spirit in different ways. This is because we all have a unique role to play in God’s Divine Plan. He has given us gifts and talents that make us perfect instruments of His Divine Grace. However, we must accept these gifts and use them to the best of our abilities. The world will try to distract us from using our God-given gifts. The Devil will try to twist our talents for his own ends. It is up to us to use our consciences to guide our thoughts, words, and works so they lead to God’s greater glory and the good of all His children.

What gifts and talents do we have from God? How can we use them to proclaim the Good News and help others? How can we encourage others to do the same?

O Lord, help us to manifest your Spirit through our every word and work.

Amen.