First Monday of Ordinary Time

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are all called to become fishers of men in our own way. Some of us are called to be fishers of our families to our parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Some of us are called to be fishers to our fellow children of God through priesthood or religious orders. Some of us are called to be fishers of the lost, lonely, sorrowful, and needy through volunteering and ministry. Whatever our calling might be, we all have the option to respond to it with a yes or a no. God never forces us to do good, He wants us to choose what's right because we desire to do good in imitation of Him. The disciples said yes to Jesus when he called them and left behind their old lives. Others said no for various reasons from selfishness to disbelief. We, too, face this choice every day of our lives and hopefully we choose to cast our nets into the ocean of God’s Love and Mercy and not into the sea of worldliness.

Are we following Jesus where he wants us to go? Are we willing to walk away from the world and become fishers of men? Who are we being called to fish for in our lives?

O Lord, make us fishers of men.

Amen.

Fifteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Today’s gospel is full of hard teachings. Jesus tells us we need to love him more than our family, to take up our cross, and to lose our lives for his sake. The first teaching is not about rejecting our families because they are bad for us, but rather that we should not cling to them so tightly that we miss opportunities to do God’s Will. Sometimes when we are with family we have a harder time acting Christ-like toward them. However this is what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to be able to leave our family behind and come follow him. He also asks us to take up our crosses. This is also a difficult thing to do. We might be comfortable with our lives or feel like we are suffering enough. However, we should never fear bearing the cross with Christ. He will always give us the strength we need to carry our burdens. The worst thing we can do is reject our cross because by doing so we reject the sacrifices of Christ. Lastly, Jesus asks us to lose our lives for him and seek him, rather than the pleasures of the world. Life isn’t bad, it’s good, but if we don’t orient our lives toward God, then we can corrupt the inherent goodness of life by focusing on living for our own sakes, instead of living for God.

Do we love our family and friends more than God? Have we picked up our crosses or denied them? Do we live our lives for God or for ourselves?

O Lord, grant us the grace to pick up our crosses and love you more than our families and ourselves.

Amen.

Third Monday of Lent

Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Sometimes our family and friends do not accept our faith. They know us better than most people and yet that knowledge clouds their opinion of us (and our opinion of them). They might see us trying to become better Christians and they don’t understand it. They know our sinfulness and they point it out to us in such a way to make us wonder if we’re fooling ourselves. They tell us: Why are you wasting your time on prayer? Why are you trying to be someone you’re not? Isn't there something else you’d rather be doing than going to Church? Not all of us have these people around, but for those of us who do, it is a constant struggle to keep living the Christian faith when family and friends don’t live it themselves. We should remember that we are not here on earth just for them. We are here to do God’s Will and sometimes that means leaving our native place in order to fulfill our mission to the world.

Who are the people (not necessarily family or friends) in our lives who challenge our faith? How do we handle having our beliefs challenged? Do we offer up our trials for the reparation of sins and the conversion of sinners?

O Lord, we do not seek to be accepted by anyone else, but you.

Amen.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Jesus was a sign of contradiction for many in his time and in our own. He caused the fall and rise of many evil and good people and revealed their hearts. Being a devote servant to God offers us no consolation other than hope in our salvation and love of our God, both of which are impossible to see without the eyes of faith. These are not the rewards the world promises or offers us and it can be very difficult to live a virtuous life when all around you wonder why you have to be so contradictory. However, as Christians we are not meant to go with the flow or to walk along the wide road. No, we are called to cross against the current and take the narrow path to salvation. We often ask for signs to help us discern God’s Will, but perhaps we are meant to be signs to each other of God’s Love for us and His desire to lead us home to Him.

How are we signs of contradiction to the world? Are we really willing to allow a sword to pierce our hearts? In what way do we seek to reveal God to the hearts of others?

O Lord, make us a sign of your Love to the world, even if it means others will hate us for it.

Amen.

Christmas

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

We are all called to be shepherds to our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. Like the shepherds of the Gospels we are given a chance to glorify and praise God for all we have experienced in this world, especially his love, mercy, and grace revealed to us through God’s choice to come to us as a Savior. He comes as an infant, totally dependent upon Mary and Joseph for His every need. It is through their daily duties and simple acts of love that they express their love for God.

How do we express our thanks for God’s works seen and unseen in our lives? How can we make our everyday chores and routines into meaningful prayers? What other things can we do to live a life that glorifies and praises God?

O Lord, help us to be a good shepherds of your children and to reflect upon all you have done for us in our lives.

Amen.

Third Wednesday in Advent

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The lineage of Jesus Christ is laid out for us today from Abraham through Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father. Family was and is an important part of what it means to be human and this recounting of his ancestors reminds us of both his humanity and his place in the Providential Plan of God. We see all the generations of men, both good and bad, who the Lord has used to bring about the Word Made Flesh.

How important is family to us? What are things we can do to show our family how much we love and appreciate them, even if they are sometimes hard to live with? Can you see God’s hand at work in your ancestors and how their choices have lead you to where you are today?

O Lord, help us to appreciate your providential plan in our lives and led us to where you need us to be.

Amen.