The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

"This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Our lives are meant to proclaim the life, passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord until he comes again. If we want to be good and faithful God-bearers, then we need to remember Him in every moment of our lives. We need to make Him present in our thoughts, words, and works. We do this best when we go to mass and receive the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This spiritual food nourishes our souls and grants us the graces we need to do God’s Will. We should do everything in our power to prepare our hearts to receive God through the Eucharist. We should make our bodies into living temples dedicated to housing the Holy Spirit and bringing people closer to our Heavenly Father.

How can we prepare ourselves for the reception of the Blessed Sacrament? What can we do to receive God into our hearts as His humble servants? What can we do to remember and make present God in our everyday lives?

O Lord, help us to do all things in remembrance of you.

Amen.

Christmas

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Sing praise to our Wonderful God and Glorious king! He has come down from Heaven to join with us as a babe and a man. He has shared his deep love for us as he has shared in our humanity. He comes to us in the Eucharistic Feast and in gives us food and drink that nourishes our souls and grows our faith, hope, and love.

How are we expressing our joy at Christ’s birth? What can we do to prepare ourselves for his Second Coming? Are we thankful for the gifts he has given us throughout our lives from conception to now?

O Lord, we sing your praise with joyful and expectant hearts.

Amen.

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

The Devil will try to lead us astray in many ways. He will seek to distract us from what is good through temptation, fears, doubts, and worldly things. He will try to turn our minds and hearts toward false idols. He will seek to do everything He can to deny us a share in everlasting life and communion with God. He will especially try to keep us away from the mass and the Blessed Sacrament, which armors us against his wickedness. This is why it’s so important to keep holy the Sabbath Day. It is in the mass that our spirits are fed on the Word and the Eucharist and given the strength and graces we need to resist temptation and be united to the Body and Blood of Christ.

Have we let the Devil lead us astray in some way? How can we guard against false idols? What can we do to prepare ourselves to worthily receive the Body and Blood of Christ and all that it signifies?

O Lord, we, though many, are one Body in and through you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.

The Word of God can nourish and sustain us if we allow it into our hearts. There is a feast of virtue contained within the pages of the Bible. There is a banquet of goodness set before us in the teachings of Christ. We are all asked to partake in this meal through the Liturgies of the Word and the Eucharist. Both mind and body are fed at the celebration of the Mass and we would do well not to starve ourselves of their bountiful fruits. Through the reading of the Scriptures and the sharing of the Blessed Sacrament, we are given heavenly foods that are sweeter than any honey and more fulfilling than any food.

Do we read Scripture every day and allow God to nourish our souls through His Divine Word? Do we make every effort to receive the Body and Blood of Christ whenever we can? Are we willing to bear God’s Good News to all, even if it means being persecuted for it?

O Lord, give us the good food of your Divine Word.

Amen.

Fifteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!

When we are face with trials, the metals of our souls are tested. Are our hearts strong like steel or rusted out by sin? Our faith needs to be firm if we want to be able to stand against the Devil and all his minions. Our hope has to be anchored in the harbor of our trust in the Lord if we want to withstand the storms of temptation that attack us. Our love must be hard as a diamond, unbreakable, even under the heat of our persecutors and pressures of the world. If there is any weakness in our spiritual lives, we must do everything we can to buttress ourselves against our failings and imperfections. We do this best through prayer, mortification, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist. Our enemies cannot harm our spirits if we place our whole trust in God. So let us be firm in our faith by placing the foundations of our lives on the solid rock that is our Lord and God.

Are our faith lives built upon the solid foundation of trust in God's Love, Mercy, and Grace? What can we do to rid ourselves of our weaknesses in body, mind, and spirit so we might become bastions of faith for the Lord? How can we learn to be more trusting of God's Divine Plan over our own?

O Lord, give us the strength to stand firm in our faith.

Amen.

Holy Thursday

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

“Do this in remembrance of me.” These words are repeated for both the Body and Blood of Christ and are a commandment we keep as dearly as the ten commandments of Moses and the golden commandments to love God and neighbor. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is foreshadowed by the Lord’s Supper. Through the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we fully participate in the Passion and Death of Christ. We make present Jesus’ sacrifice for us through the sacrifice on the altar. We proclaim the death of the Lord each time we partake in the Blessed Sacrament, but we also anticipate the Resurrection and the Second Coming in the same act. Jesus died for our sins and through his death we have been granted the saving grace we need to heal our souls.

Do we keep holy the Sabbath day? In what ways can we prepare ourselves to fully participate in the Lord’s Supper each week? How can we make the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross more meaningful to us so we might receive it more respectfully and worthily?

O Lord, we celebrate your sacrifice on the cross with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'

We are all invited to the banquets of communion and eternal life. Both the sacrament and the afterlife are intrinsically tied to each other. The Holy Feast of the Blessed Sacrament prefigures the Heavenly Banquet of Life in Paradise. God wants all of us to come, whether good or bad, and to celebrate with His Son. All He asks is that we accept the invitation and prepare ourselves to attend. There are many temptations in this world that can keep us from accepting God’s call to join Him. We can become busy in worldly pursuits or enamored with mortal sins. He also requires that we prepare ourselves for the banquets of communion and eternal life by leading holy lives doing good and avoiding evil. He wants us to put our best foot forward in this life and come to the feast clothed in virtue.

How do we accept God’s invitation to the Eucharistic Feast? How are we preparing ourselves for the Heavenly Banquet? What can we do to avoid the temptations of the world that might lead us to declining God’s call or not preparing ourselves for these feasts?

O Lord, we accept your invitation and shall cloth ourselves in holiness.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Now thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; And whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it.

It is not enough to spend our lives sowing, but never reaping. Or eating, but never being satisfied. Or drinking, but never being exhilarated. Or clothed, but never warmed. Or to earn wages, but just as quickly lose them. What God is telling us is we need to sow the seeds of faith in our lives so we can bear good fruits to offer God and feed others, spiritually. He wants us to eat His Body and drink His Blood because it is only through sharing in the Eucharistic Feast that we can be truly satisfied and exhilarated. He wants us to be clothed in him because it is only by putting on Christ that our hearts can be warmed by the fires of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to earn our wage as co-workers in His vineyard, cultivating consciences and souls, and not wasting our time, talents, and treasures on worldly endeavors. When our lives are built on temporary earthly successes they fall apart and fail. However, if we build an everlasting temple to God within ourselves and give God honor and glory in everything we think, say, and do, then our lives will last forever with Him in Heaven.

Have we taken time to consider our ways and how they match or deviate from the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ? What can we do to more firmly found our lives upon God? Are we spending our lives wisely and well?

O Lord, help us to consider our ways and amend them so they build up the faith within ourselves and others.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion, sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Jesus offered one sacrifice for all of us on the cross. It is a sacrifice that we make present through the sacrament of the Eucharist and one we are all called to participate in. When we receive the Blessed Sacrament, we are asked to unite ourselves to Jesus as he united himself to us by becoming the Word Made Flesh. In a way, we are remade through our reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, becoming living sacrifices to God and for others. The surrender of self to God’s Will is a cornerstone of our faith and requires complete confidence in our Heavenly Father that our sufferings when united to Christ’s Passion and Death will lead to the Resurrection and eternal life.

Do we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrifice, especially when we receive the Eucharist? How can we become living sacrifices to God’s Glory and for the good of others? Are we willing to give our lives in order to bring about God’s Will?

O Lord, purify us so we might sacrifice ourselves more perfectly to you and for your children.

Amen.

Sixteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also.” When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, the LORD added, “Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.”

We all need to prepare ourselves for God’s Presence in our lives. We can do this in many ways from daily prayers to acts of sacrifice, but most effective is through the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation. When we go to God with contrite hearts, admit our sins, and accept His Mercy, we become spiritually clean. We sanctify ourselves through confession and making a firm commitment to God to sin no more. We wash ourselves in the saving grace of Christ and ready our souls to receive God not only in our everyday experiences, but in the Eucharist. Preparing ourselves for God is something we need to do on a daily basis because God is always with us.

In what ways do we prepare ourselves for God’s Presence? How can we cleanse and sanctify ourselves? Are the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist at the core of who we are and how we act?

O Lord, sanctify and wash us with you Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

As Christians, we frequently pray for our daily bread through the Our Father. In this prayer we express our need for God’s Presence in our lives each and every day. We cannot sustain ourselves on worldly things. Only the Body and Blood of Christ given to us through the sacrament of the Eucharist can truly nourish us. Sometimes we can become so busy worrying about tomorrow we forget to provide for our daily spiritual needs. We might make time for breakfast, lunch, and diner... and maybe a few snack times, but what about partaking in the Presence of God? Shouldn’t we spend as much, if not more, time feeding our spirits through prayer, meditation, contemplation, good works, acts of mercy, and all the other things that nurture holy souls? It is so much easier to feed our bodies, and yet we do ourselves and others a disservice by forgetting to provide for our spiritual well-being. We all need a steady diet of our Daily Bread, our Jesus, through whatever forms we can get him whether through the sacrament of the Eucharist, or prayer, or imitation of him through our acts of faith, hope, and love.

Do we set aside time each day for our daily bread, even if only through spiritual communion? In what ways do we feed our spirits? How can we become a more Eucharistic people?

O Lord, rain down your presence upon us, especially through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Amen.

Fifteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

As Christians, it is important to remember the Passover and its relationship with Jesus. It was at the celebration of the Passover meal that Jesus gave us His Body and Blood and in many ways our Mass reflects this Jewish tradition. We might not dress like those in flight when we attend Mass, but we should all clothe our hearts as pilgrims setting out to the Promised Land. We do not belong to this world, but to the next and so we should keep in mind this image of flight from Egypt because it reminds us that our home is not in earthly things, but in heavenly ones. And just as the Passover meal is a celebration of deliverance, so too the Liturgical and Eucharistic rites are focused on celebrating the promise God made us... to deliver us from our sins and give us eternal life in His Kingdom. The Mass makes present the Body and Blood of Christ, which marks us as houses of the Living God and protects us from God’s Righteous Wrath.

In what ways do we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ? How can we remember that we are merely pilgrims on this earth, passing through to another life? What do we do to mark ourselves as Christians in thought, word, and deed?

O Lord, mark us as your own.

Amen.

Holy Thursday

This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

What sets us apart from worldly people is our disentanglement from people, places, and things in favor of a holy attachment to God. This detachment does not mean cold-hearted indifference to others, but rather a willingness to sacrifice everything we hold dear in order to do God’s Will. It is this sacrificial spirit that makes us true disciples of Christ. Just as he offered himself up for us, so we offer ourselves up for the glory of God, the reparation of sins, the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of souls. Our participation in the Eucharistic celebration at mass prepares us for the long road of holy surrender that we must all walk. Our reception of the Body and Blood of Christ marks us as the sons and daughters of God and co-heirs of the Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. When accepted with humble and contrite hearts, the Blessed Sacrament brings us life and protects us from death.

Are we detached from the world? Are we attached to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Do we mark ourselves as Christians through the passionate celebration and humble reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior?

O Lord, your Eucharistic feast is our sustenance and shield.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

In a world where we are surrounded by distractions and diversions, it can be difficult to keep holy the Sabbath let alone any other day of the week. We are constantly bombarded by computers, TVs, and radios with images and sounds that lure our thoughts away from heavenly things and to earthly ones. In a world full of sights and sounds, it can be hard to hear God calling us and to see the opportunities for good that we are presented with each day. This is why it is so important to make our Sabbath days holy, restful, and renewing in spirit. If Sunday is just another day to surf the web, watch TV, or listen to music, then we lose out on the richness of our faith. Sunday needs to be the pivotal point in our week, replenishing our spirits and giving us the word to live by and the body and blood to sustain us throughout the week. And if we have a chance, we should seek to bring a little bit of the Sabbath into the rest of our days. We could all do with a little less action in our lives and a little more conversation with God.

Do we keep holy the Sabbath day? How is our celebration of Sunday stand out in regards to all the other days of the week? How can we bring the peace and quiet of the Sabbath into the rest of our lives?

O Lord, bless our every Sabbath and help us to keep them holy.

Amen.

Christmas Weekday

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood.  The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord.

The Spirit, the water, and the Blood testify to the truth of God’s love for us. The water of our baptism proclaims us to be beloved members of the Body of Christ. The Eucharistic Blood of Christ unites us with Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross so we can share in his resurrection. The Spirit strengthened through our confirmation reminds us God is our advocate and our guide. All three of these point to how much we are loved by God. He wants us to be with Him forever in paradise and so He gave us Himself. He became man as an expression of His desire to be with us forever in the Kingdom of Heaven.

How do we express our love for God through our baptismal promises? What can we do to better prepare ourselves for the reception of God’s love through the Eucharist? How can we open our hearts to the truth being given to us through the Spirit?

O Lord, we want to be in accord with you, especially through the celebration of the sacraments.

Amen.

The Third Friday of Easter

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven.  Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.

Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus into the world to save us through the sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He didn’t need to suffer his Passion and die in order to do this, and yet, he choose to be immolated for our sake. He did this because he understood how difficult it is for us to grasp what it means to be forgiven for our sins. We needed a concrete symbol to help us visualize the harm our sins do to us and the terrible price we pay for turning away from God. That symbol is the cross, which reminds us not only of the harmful effect of our sins, but also gives us hope that we can find forgiveness. However, we also needed a sacramental sign of forgiveness to help sustain our faith, hope, and love in times of trouble. And this is why before Jesus' Death, he gave us the Eucharist. It is the perfect, and unbloodied, sacrifice that reminds us not only of God’s Mercy, but also the promise of eternal life that awaits everyone who partakes of the Blessed Sacrament and lives their lives as tabernacles to the Lord.

How do we prepare ourselves for the reception of Jesus’ Body and Blood? How do we express our gratefulness for Jesus’ sacrifices on the cross and on the Eucharistic table? How can we prepare our hearts to be worthy recipients of your Blessed Sacrament?

O Lord, give us your Body and Blood so that we might live forever.

Amen.

The Third Thursday of Easter

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. 
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.

Jesus gave his life for us. He sacrificed His Body and Blood for us. He has provided us with the Blessed Sacrament that lives at the heart of our faith, hope, and love. By participating in the Eucharist, we nourish our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. This is why it is so important for us to cultivate a devotion to the Bread of Life and Wine of Compassion. It is through the reception of these grace-filled gifts that we will nourish our spirits and be able to live forever. In turn, we are all called to incarnate Christ through our own thoughts, words, and works. When we receive His Body and Blood, we are asked to carry them with us into the world. Our hearts become living tabernacles wherein the spirit of Christ dwells for all to see. We would do well to remember this and keep ourselves clean so Jesus might find us worthy to be his resting place. Then, when we die, we shall find a resting place in Him.

Do we believe? Do we seek out the Bread of Life whenever we can? What can we do to prepare our hearts to receive and honor Christ’s Body and Blood?

O Lord, give us every opportunity to humbly and graciously partake in your Bread of Life and live forever.

Amen.

The Third Tuesday of Easter

“Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is the spiritual sustenance that fills our hearts, souls, and minds with sanctifying grace. He gives us the graces we need to live in faith, hope, and love. Feeding our bodies may help us survive from day to day, but feeding our spirits help us to live forever with God. We should constantly ask God to give us the Bread of Life. We should constantly seek it in the sacrament of the Eucharist. By doing these things, we will grow in spirit and our virtues will be strengthened. When we partake in communion with God and our fellow Christians, we will never be spiritually hungry or thirsty again.

Do we seek out the bread of life through the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist? How can we become life-giving people? Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness?

O Lord, give us your bread always.

Amen.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

We all have doubts. However, we are all called to believe in spite of our unbelief. Part of faith is choosing to trust in God in spite of our uncertainty. Unlike the disciples, we cannot see the glorified body of Christ and draw upon that experience to sustain us. But we do have the Body and Blood of Jesus which is present to us during every mass. We are very blessed to be able to celebrate the Eucharist with our fellow believers. All of us will struggle with our belief to one degree or another. The important thing is to be able to believe without hesitation that God loves us, sent His Beloved Son to die for us, and is willing to forgive our sins if we accept His mercy with humble and contrite hearts.

What doubts are we experiencing? How can we learn to trust in God's Divine Plan? Are we allowing God's Peace to be upon us through the frequent reception of the Eucharist?

O Lord, we believe, help us overcome our unbelief.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Ordinary Time

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

In today’s gospel, we are reminded that the Sabbath was created for man, not the other way around. God wants us to take at least one day out of every week and make it holy. He also wants us to rest in His Love and Mercy on this day. This is why it is so important to celebrate the Sabbath. His Divine Presence at Mass renews us and gives us the graces we need to make it through the week. The spiritual food we receive through the liturgies of the Word and Eucharist, nourish our souls, make them stronger, help us lead healthier lives, and unite us in the spiritual body of Christ. If we do not take time for the Sabbath, we will go spiritually hungry, become too weak to do God’s Will, and wither away in sin and idleness. The Sabbath is a cornerstone of our faith and we should be perpetually thankful for the graces that flow from our participation in it every week.

Do we keep holy the Sabbath? Do we take time to rest in the Lord? Do we spend time not only receiving the God's Word and the Eucharist, but also make them part of our being?

O Lord, help us to keep holy your Sabbath.

Amen.