Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.

Fear of the Lord is something many misunderstand. There are many types of fear. Fear for our lives, our health, our finances. Fear for ourselves, for others, for loved ones. Fear of the Lord is a fear of disappointing Him. It is a fear of not living up to the standards Jesus has set for us through his life and works. It is a fear of losing our way and falling into temptation and sin. Thankfully, God has given us everything we need to be successful as Christians and walk in His ways. He blesses and favors us in our thoughts, words, and works so we can be fruitful in our services to Him and His children.

Do we have a healthy fear of the Lord? How can we be more faithful to Him and walk in His ways? What can we do with all the graces, blessings, and favors God has given us?

O Lord, we fear disappointing you and ask for your help so we might walk in your ways always and forevermore.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Tuesday in Ordinary Time

For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

There is the constant temptation to believe we can be self-sufficient in this world. However, riches and material wealth doesn't make us self-sufficient. Instead, they can be dangerous by tempting us to misuse our wealth for selfish reasons and to mistake our worldly successes as a sign God favors us. God favors not the rich or the poor, but those who do His Will. He favors those who purchase His grace through prayer, alms-giving, and mortification. He favors those who clothe themselves in virtues and good works. He favors those who seek to remedy their spiritual blindness by trusting, hoping, and loving Him and His children to the best of their abilities. Most of all, God favors those who are earnest in their desire for repentance and who show mercy to those who trespass against them.

How can we grow in grace through prayer, alms-giving, and mortification? What can we do to clothe ourselves in God's Goodness? How can we gain the spiritual insights we need to overcome our spiritual blindness?

O Lord, we know you love us and are earnest in our repentance.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus… and of his Kingdom there will be no end.

We can learn a lot about how to interact with God from Mary. After being hailed by the angel she ponders its meaning. We can be taken aback in the same way as she was when we hear God calling us to do something unexpected. We know these moments well. They are the times in our lives when we are asked to follow Jesus into the unknown. We are invited to leave our comfort zone and pick up our cross. Just like Mary we are anxious about this idea. But thankfully, God reassures us just as he does for Mary. He tells us do not be afraid. The actions he is asking us to take will bear Christ into the world and advance the Kingdom of God. Like Mary, we might be astonished our calling and wonder, "How this can be?" The answer He gives Mary is the same He gives us: the Holy Spirit will overshadow us and give us the inspiration we need to do God’s Will. Then, when the moment of truth comes to us and we must make our decision.

Will we join Mary in saying, "May it be done unto me according to your word" or will we be selfish or timid and deny our calling? What fears and doubts keep us from doing God’s Will? What steps can we take to make our fiat to God wholeheartedly?

O Lord, grant your favor to us so that we might bear Christ into the world.

Amen.

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

We are all offered the chance to be filled with wisdom and favor of God. However, not all of us accept this offer or recognize it when we are faced with the decision between good and evil. This is why we must fast and pray as Anna did in her life. We are asked to build our spiritual lives upon these two pillars of faith. We also must remember that fasting does not have to be just from food, but it can also be from anything else that keeps us away from God, distracts us from Him, or would be a worthy offering to our Lord. Prayer too is just as important as fasting and is our means of communing with God on a personal level. It helps build up our relationship with him, just as our conversations with family, friends, and neighbors do.

What are we willing to fast from in the coming days, months, and years? How are we preparing ourselves to receive God’s wisdom into our lives? How are we building our relationship with God through our prayers?

O Lord, help us to fast from those things that keep us away from you and to pray that we might be drawn to you so that we might be filled with your Wisdom and Favor.

Amen.