Twenty-Ninth Friday in Ordinary Time

Lord, teach me your statutes. Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust.

God has given us commandments for a reason. He has provided the Scriptures for a purpose. He has provided us a Church and its Traditions for an end. They are there to teach us wisdom and knowledge. They are there to show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They give us an example to follow as Christians so we might bear God into the world around us and produce good fruits. If we ignore or deny any of these, we do great harm to ourselves. We uproot our lives and leave them to wither from apathy and rot from sin. It is only by keeping the commandments, living the Scriptural teachings of Christ, and accepting the Traditions of the Church that we can achieve our full potential as servants of God and become the saints we are called to be. So, let us do so willingly and faithfully and live up to our baptismal vocation to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and others as God loves them.

Do we follow God’s statutes? Are we cultivating lives of holy wisdom and knowledge? How can we become more faithful to God’s commandments, Scriptures, and Church?

O Lord, teach us wisdom and knowledge.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Thursday in Ordinary Time

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sometimes we all fall into sin. We give into temptations and lose our way, but as Christians we are no longer slaves of sin. We are freed men and women and have the choice to make amends for our transgressions and to make ourselves right with God. We should indeed be ashamed of our failures, but we also cannot let them drag us into despair or keep us from seeking out God’s forgiveness. God is infinitely more merciful than we could ever be sinful and so we should not be afraid that He might deny us forgiveness If we seek it with humble and contrite hearts. When we return to God in this way, we declare ourselves slaves of His and allow Him to lead us toward holiness and salvation by whatever ways and means He decides are best for us. And it is up to us to remain in God’s service throughout our lives so one day we might be granted eternal life with Him.

Do we recognize there is no profit outside the service of our Lord and God? Are we willing to become slaves to God in all we think, say, or do? How can we rid ourselves of all those things that keep us from fully accepting the gifts of holiness and righteousness from our Heavenly King?

O Lord, free us from sin and accept us as your good and holy slaves.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Thursday in Ordinary Time

How great are the works of the Lord! The works of his hands are faithful and just; sure are all his precepts, Reliable forever and ever, wrought in truth and equity.

We are works of the Lord and as such we are all called to greatness. Some are called to greatness by becoming priests, deacons, and religious. Others are called to be lay faithful and ministers. Many are called to build domestic churches as husbands and wives. Still others are called to live the single life. We are asked to be preachers, teachers, servants, counselors, builders, homemakers, business people, athletes, writers, and all manner of occupations. And if we do them with faith, hope, and love, then the works we do, no matter how seemingly small, will be great indeed. So, let us be wrought in truth and equity, formed in faith, and justice, and become holy people in whatever we do.

Do we appreciate that God has created us for a purpose? How can we live up to the vocation God has called us to? In what ways can we become more reliable servants of God and others?

O Lord, how great are your works!

Amen.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Jesus’ body and blood speak eloquently to all of us of what it means to be a good and faithful servant. It means being willing to give up everything in order to know, love, and serve God and all His children. We might be intimidated by this radical call of self-sacrifice, but it is a vocation none of us can ignore if we want to be a part of God’s Kingdom. We cannot deny what God is asking of us and share in the inheritance He offers us. If we accept His adoption, then we must accept the sufferings that come with becoming His heirs. The only way we can become enrolled in Heaven is to sprinkle ourselves with the blood of sacrifice.

Are we willing to be sprinkled with the blood of suffering and sacrifice in this life so we might join in the feast of the next one? What sacrifices are we being asked to make in order to fulfill God’s Will? What are we doing to prepare ourselves to be God’s good and faithful servants?

O Lord, sprinkle us with your blood.

Amen.

Twenty-First Saturday in Ordinary Time

The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice. Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.

We should welcome God’s rule over us. We should be thankful He wants to conquer our hearts and make them part of His Heavenly Kingdom. We should exult that He has come to humble us. We should be happy we are made into His servants. We should praise Him for His light yoke and easy burden. We should glorify Him for His Justice and Mercy. We should be glad He treats us with equity. We should leap for joy in the knowledge He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever.

Are we willing to let God rule us? How can we humble ourselves before Him? What is our Heavenly King asking us to do today, tomorrow, and forever?

O Lord, rule over us.

Amen.

Twentieth Friday in Ordinary Time

Praise the Lord, my soul! Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.

Sometimes we can become so caught up in doing things that we can forget God wants to be our helper. He wants to protect us from evil. He wants to show us how to know, love, and serve Him and others. He wants to inspire us and guide us to become better people. He gives us every grace to help us to overcome the obstacles in our way and succeed at what is most important in life... being good and faithful servants to God. And this truth should give us an abundance of hope in our futures because with God on our side nothing can stand in the way of us becoming what we are called to be.

What are the things in our lives that we are struggling with? How can we make time to ask God for help when we need? Do we place our trust in God above ourselves?

O Lord, bless and help us in all we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Fourteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad! You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

The world tells us being lowly is to be a failure. It tells us being meek and humble is to be forgotten. It tells us choosing service to God over service to self is enslavement. However, nothing can lead us to triumph faster than to yield our wills to God. Nothing can lead to spiritual success more rewarding than to make ourselves into good and faithful servants to God. Nothing can make us happier than to become the trusting children of God.

Are we lowly, meek, and humble? How can we become faithful servants to God? What can we do to depend more perfectly on our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, help us to be lowly and glad.

Amen.

Thirteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Praise the Lord for the Lord is good! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise, you servants of the LORD Who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.

God has chosen us to be His children. He has given us life through the Heavenly Father. He has given us His Love and Mercy through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He has given us inspiration and guidance through the Holy Spirit. The promises He has made to us through the Word Made Flesh and the Good News cannot be taken back. The gifts He has given cannot be withdrawn. We can reject them through our own choice, but God is always with us offering us the best way to live fruitful, good, and eternal lives. All we have to do is accept the light yoke of becoming servants to Him and take up our place in His Heavenly Home.

What work is God calling us to do? Are we willing to put aside our own wants and dreams and become servants of the Lord? How can we let go of our desire to be masters of our own destinies and instead let God guide us?

O Lord, we praise you for you are good.

Amen.

Twelfth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The Lord remembers his covenant forever. Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly.

Serving God constantly isn’t easy. We are constantly bombarded by distractions and temptations that can take us away from God. Even when we are doing what is right, we can lose sight of why we do it. Sometimes in the busyness of everyday life we can forget to pay attention to God. It is easy to become so caught up in the daily grind that we let our spiritual lives suffer. We don’t remember to offer up our works. We eat and drink and don’t think of saying grace. We buzz here and there and forget where our priorities should be. We take time to enjoy ourselves, but don’t set aside time to be with God in prayer or meditation. Because of how absorbing the world can be, we have to be extra sensitive to God’s Divine Presence in our lives and allow Him to help us through our days. By doing this, we can find ways to make our daily works into holy ones that bring us closer to God and fulfill our calling as Christians of the New Covenant.

When others see us, do they know we are Christians? How can we become better servants to the Lord? What can we do to remind ourselves to be more aware of God in our lives?

O Lord, we seek to serve you constantly.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.

We are all wonderfully made. God created each of us to fulfill His Divine Plan. He created us with gifts and talents and insights that make us uniquely capable of saving souls and proclaiming the Good News. He knows what we were made for and so He knows what we are capable of and gives us the graces we need to succeed in our role in salvation. He knows our minds, hearts, and spirits and is familiar with our strengths and weaknesses. He knows everything we have been, are, and will be and scrutinizes our existence in light of what we are called to be. Let us hope that when all is said and done, He will find that we were good and faithful servants who fulfilled our vocations and wonderfully so.

Do we realize how wonderfully made we truly are? How do we live up to the gifts God has given us? In what ways are we fulfilling our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength?

O Lord, we praise you for making us.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Easter

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

In order to be good and faithful servants of our Lord, we have to trust in Him. We cannot waiver in our duties. We cannot hesitate to carry out His commands. We cannot serve God and serve someone or something else. We cannot hold anything back. Our whole minds, hearts, souls, and bodies must be given completely over to Him. For He has held nothing back from us, even to the point of sacrificing Himself on the cross for our redemption. If such an act is not worthy of our trust, then what is? The sooner we recognize God as our Heavenly Father and King, the sooner we can become heirs to His Kingdom.

Are there things holding us back from putting all our trust in God? How can we uproot these attachments and distractions so we can be fully dependent upon our Lord and God? What can we do to show our thanks for having such a good and gracious God?

O Lord, we place our trust in you.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.

The Lord sends out His Holy Spirit to each and every one of us and through the Holy Spirit He offers us virtues, gifts, and graces. He pours out His Love and Mercy upon us and offers to make us holy, too. He wants our souls to be blessed and our lives to be good. He wants us to be great like He is great. He wants to clothe us in His Light and robe us in His Truth so we might walk His Way in confidence. He gives us more gifts than we can count. More than we could ever repay. And yet, all He asks of us is to be good and faithful servants and love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and our neighbors as He loves them. Truly, He is majestic, glorious, and good.

Are our hearts open and welcoming to the Holy Spirit? Do we put the graces and blessings we receive through the Spirit to good use? How can we magnify the greatness and the glory of God for all whom we meet?

O Lord, send your Holy Spirit to renew our hearts.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

We are Christians by the grace of God. Some of us were born into the faith, others came to the faith later in life. However, all of us are in need of deeper conversion. Just like Paul, we all are called to proclaim the Gospel in our own unique ways. It is up to each of us to accept our vocation and to toil harder than we ever imagined to bring the Way, the Truth, and the Life into the world. So, let us all preach in our own way, by thoughts, words, and works and show those around us we are worthy of the name Christians and true heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Do we think, speak, and act like Christians in all things? How can we live out our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? How can we toil harder to bring the Good News to others?

O Lord, by your grace we can become good and faithful servants to you forever and ever.

Amen.

First Wednesday in Ordinary Time

The Lord remembers his covenant forever. Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

As members of the Body of Christ, we are supposed to live our lives in such a way as to give glory and thanks to God and to invoke His Name wherever we go. We are supposed to make Him known among the nations, sing His praises, and proclaim His wondrous deeds. We can’t do any of these things if we don’t imitate Jesus Christ in our thoughts, words, and works. When people meet us, they should know we are Christians by our love, mercy, and caring. Just as God remembers His covenant with us forever, so we must remember our role in that covenant... as good and faithful servants willing to sacrifices ourselves and our goods for the glory of God and the good of others.

Do we remember God’s covenant with us each and every day? How do we make God known in our lives? What do we do to proclaim His wondrous deeds?

O Lord, help us to make you known among all the nations.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Advent

The Lord our God comes with power. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name; announce his salvation, day after day.

Our God is powerful and He will do everything He can to save us. He will move mountains to move our hearts closer to Him. He will fill in valleys to raise our spirits. He will send angels to protect and guide us. He has already sent His Beloved Son to live, suffer, and die for us so we might grow in faith, hope, and love. He will bless us with every grace and give us every chance to choose Him over the world. Day after day, He offers us salvation. And if we will treat others as He treats us, then one day we shall stand before Him and He will say to us, "Well done, my good and faithful servants." And we will sing His praises for the rest of time.

Do we sing to the Lord and bless His Holy Name? Do we trust in His power? What can we do to become a good and faithful servant worthy of the salvation He offers to us each day?

O Lord, we sing to you and bless your name.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

The end goal of our lives is to be judged as good and faithful servants to God and His children. Everything else in our lives needs to come secondary to our service of the Lord. It can be difficult to make God the center of our lives, especially when the world tempts us to turn our backs on Him. Fame, fortune, pleasure, and all sorts of earthly things try to worm their way into our hearts and lead us into sin. However, if we have a proper fear of the Lord, namely not wishing to disappoint Him, then we will be able to glorify God’s Name in all that we do. If our lives are just and true, then one day we will stand before God and He will welcome us into His Kingdom as His holy children.

Do we have a healthy fear of disappointing God? How can we keep our lives focused on being good and faithful servants? In what ways can we worship God and love our neighbors more perfectly?

O Lord, we fear failing you and pray for the grace to succeed in all that you ask us to do.

Amen.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is our King, but not in the way the world sees kings. He is a servant king, who puts the welfare of his people above his own. He is willing to sacrifice himself for our good in hopes that we might grow in faith, hope, and love. He has given us a faithful witness of what it means to be a good and faithful servant. It means a willingness to suffer and to forgive. It means loving our enemies as well as our family and friends. It means making ourselves into living sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. It means acting like kings and queens called to know, love, and serve God and all His children. It means becoming priestly people, keeping holy the Sabbath and partaking in the sacraments. It means being prophets of the Good News and bearing the Word of God to all whom we meet each day in whatever ways God calls us.

Are we allowing Jesus and his teachings to rule our lives? How can we let the Holy Spirit work through us and become more faithful servants to God and His children? In what ways can we transform ourselves into priests for our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, make us into faithful witnesses to you, just as Jesus was, is, and ever will be the perfect witness to your goodness and glory.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here." So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.

Sometimes it may seem like our enemies have triumphed over us or that the wicked are rewarded for their misdeeds, but in the end, there is always a reckoning with God. Those who mock and persecute us will have to answer for their sins, just as we will have to answer for ours if we trespass against others. Those who do wrong and spurn good will be judged by God and go to their punishment, while those who do good and avoid evil will go to their reward. Those who lie about God, His Church, and His children will be silenced, while the good and faithful people will speak the Truth, follow the Way, and live the Life of Christ for all eternity. We can only hope to be such good witnesses to the Good News that one day God will say to us, “Come up here” and lift us up to heaven and eternal life.

How can we keep faith with God when it seems everything is going wrong? What can we do to ensure we are counted among the good and faithful servants of God? In what ways can we witness to the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ?

O Lord, lift us up and make us into a holy people.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Friday in Ordinary Time

"Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."

Proclaiming the word of God promises to be both a sweet and sour experience. It is sweet because it brings with it the hope of victory over sin and death, but it is sour because it also promises suffering. Just as Jesus’ life was sweet and sour, so ours will be, too. The sweetness comes from being good and faithful servants, filled with God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is a sweetness that can only be achieved by doing God’s Will without reservation. However, doing what is right can require a great deal of sacrifice from us. We might have to die for what we believe it. Proclaiming the Good News doesn’t always win us friends. It can cause us to be misunderstood and hated. It can turn friends and family into enemies. It can lead to others betraying us, just as Jesus was betrayed. The task God gives to us can bring much sorrow to our lives, but if we trust in Him, then we will discover the sacrifices we are asked to make will be worth it in the end.

Are we willing to do what must be done to proclaim the Good News in our lives? Are we willing to suffer the sourness that can come from choosing to follow God? How can we grow in spiritual sweetness and become good and faithful people?

O Lord, let us eat of the same bread and drink of the same cup as you did in your life.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole Body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the Body's growth and builds itself up in love.

Our lives should be spent growing into Christ. We are not perfect like him, but we should strive to be the best versions of ourselves. We might not be the good and faithful servants we are called to be, but we should make every effort to become so. Jesus Christ is our head and our goal. He inspires us through the Holy Spirit and leads us closer to his Heavenly Father so we might become worthy members of His Body. He unites us through love, mercy, and grace and supports us in our hope to become holy. He helps us to fulfill our purpose and build ourselves up. Without Christ in our lives, we have no purpose or function. Our bodies, minds, and hearts wither from abuse, disuse, and indifference. But with Christ, we can become what we were meant to be... the children of God and heirs to His Kingdom.

In what ways are we growing into Jesus? Are there things in our lives that are blocking our growth? How can we become more faithfully united to the Body of Christ and the Will of God?

O Lord, bring about our growth as members of the Body of Christ and build us up in love.

Amen.