Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. 

Sometimes we are like John. We hear some news and run off. We race ahead. When we arrive at where we are going, we can be tempted to jump right in, but John takes a moment to look before he leaps. Why does he do this? We do not know. Perhaps he is afraid of what he sees. Or maybe he knows Peter should be the first disciple to cross the threshold. Fear or humility... or both... or neither. It is hard to say because we cannot ask him. Perhaps John wonders if his eyes are tricking him... as if all he sees is just wishful thinking and he needs confirmation from Peter before he can fully embrace what his heart is telling him. Sometimes we are like that. We need some sort of confirmation that what we believe is true, where we are going is the right way, what we are doing is for the best. This confirmation can come from many people, places, or things, but all of them have one source... God. It is He who reaffirms our beliefs and helps us take the next step in our lives... to cross the threshold to holiness.

Are we running toward God or away from Him? How can we reaffirm the faith of others as well as our own? Are we willing to cross the threshold to holiness?

O Lord, we believe.

Amen.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Death no longer has power over us. God has conquered it and sin through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He has show us that death has no power over us if we know, love, and serve Him as faithfully as we can. As Christians, we have been crucified with Christ, we have accepted our crosses and willingly bear them toward our own Calvary. We proclaim our readiness to suffer and die for the glory of God and the good of others. And so, we do not fear death because we believe it is only a gateway to a more perfect union with God in Heaven. We see it as merely a threshold to cross so we can be with our Lord and nothing more.

Are we afraid of death? Do we fear what God might ask us to sacrifice in order to have eternal life with Him? How can we overcome these fears and place our trust in God?

O Lord, crucify our selfish selves and sinful bodies so we might be made anew in and through you.

Amen.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

As Christians, we should all aspire to be courageous, faithful, and good. We cannot let our fears overrule our better judgment and our responsibilities to God and His children. We cannot allow our doubts to paralyze us and ruin our faith. We cannot let our selfishness lead us away from good and toward evil. Thankfully, God has given us all the graces we need to resist these temptations so when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we shall be found worthy of God's Mercy.

What do we aspire to do in this life? Is it what God wants us to do? How can we be more courageous in our faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, grant us your courage.

Amen.

Sixth Friday of Easter

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city." He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.

We all have fears and doubts. We wonder if what we are doing is the right thing. We wonder if the path we are taking will lead us to a better life. We wonder if our virtues and faith can overcome our vices and indifference. However, as long as we seek to do God's Will and go on following the Way, speaking the Truth, and living the Life, then we have nothing to fear. Nothing can truly harm us. Yes, the world can bruise us, mock us, and cast us aside, but God will be there through it all granting us His peace and protection. Our minds, our spirits, and our souls will remain untouched by the trials of the world and we shall know the tranquility that comes from knowing, loving, and serving God.

What fears, doubts, and sins do we have to overcome in order to be at peace? How can we trust in God's Love, Mercy, and Grace enough to speak the Good News? In what ways can we put God the Father, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit over our weaknesses and insecurities and let Him protect us from harm?

O Lord, help us to go on speaking the Good News and doing good works no matter the difficulties.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD's and he shall deliver you into our hands.

We might be terrified by the trials we must face in life and be tempted to retreat from them. However, if we seek to do good and trust in the Lord, then God will grant us victory. It might not be how we imagined things, but He will bring good out of our actions if we are willing to do His Will without fear or even in spite of it. When we confront our challenges, we should do so not armed with worldly thoughts, words, or works, but with confidence that God’s Grace will provide us all we need to succeed. If we do everything in the name of the Lord of hosts, then God will deliver us from all evil and give us triumph over every obstacle. God wants us to be armed with faith, hope, and love... and if we put on Christ in such a way, then we shall win the battles we need to and have spiritual triumphs over sin and death.

How can we conquer our fear of difficulties? What can we do to become more trusting and confident in the Lord? Are we willing to let God arm us as He wishes and at the time of His choosing?

O Lord, arm us with your grace and armor us with your love.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Monday of Ordinary Time

"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD.

Sometimes we are afraid of what God is asking us to do and we run away from our calling. We might do so out of fear or selfishness or any number of reasons, but in the end we flee. However, God doesn’t ask us to do anything without giving us every opportunity and grace we need to succeed. Often, when we run away, God gives us another chance to make things right. He asks us to take that leap of faith and trust we won’t drown. He will send us the help we need to arrive where we need to be in order to do what God wants to be done. We can try running away as much as we want, but in the end we will find our way back before our Lord and God... the only difference is whether we embrace our vocation to know, love, and serve Him and His children or if we flee from it in selfishness. Hopefully, in the end, we run to God and chose to do His Will.

Are we running away from God’s Will for us? How can we learn to trust in Him and make the leap of faith He is asking us to take? Are we willing to embrace our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children?

O Lord, give us the grace to trust in you, now and forever.

Amen.

Divine Mercy Sunday

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Sometimes we can be afraid of what God is calling us to do. We try to hide ourselves away from the world or from God because we are anxious about the path that lies before us. The way ahead looks scary to us. We aren’t certain we can overcome all the obstacles in our way. Many times the destination is unknown or murky. We are faced with fears and doubts and choose to lock away our talents and treasures. Better to be safe than sorry. But if we want to be disciples of Christ, then we have to be open to him coming into our lives and sending us forth. We might not know how we will accomplish the mission he sends us on. However, if we allow his peace to be with us and trust that His Holy Spirit will always be by our side, then we have nothing to fear. We learn the important lesson that it is better to be saintly than sorry.

What are we afraid of? What is God asking us to do in our lives? How can we prepare ourselves to accept our calling with peace and joy?

O Lord, as your Heavenly Father sent you, so send us to where we are needed.

Amen.

Easter

Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

After being told by an angel that Jesus has risen, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary rush off to bear the good news of the resurrection to the other disciples. They were overjoyed with the idea that Jesus was alive, yet fearful, too. Why were they afraid? They were bearing a message that might not be readily accepted by the disciples. After all, who would believe such a miracle after the sufferings of the last three days? They feared the doubt the disciples might express. They feared the are-you-crazy looks they might receive from the others. Similarly, when something happens to us that changes our lives in a fundamental way, it can be both amazing and frightening at the same time. We cross a threshold, we die to our former selves and enter into a new life. Whether it be changing jobs, moving, welcoming a child into the world, deciding on a vocation... all these things bring with them conflicting emotions. However, what Jesus told both Marys holds true for us. As long as what we are doing is out of love of God and His children, then we do not need to be afraid. We should instead, go tell others what has happened and meet Christ where he is calling us to be.

Are we bearing the good news of Christ’s resurrection to the world around us? How can we overcome our fears and focus on the joy of doing God’s Will? Are we willing to meet God where He is calling us?

O Lord, we will follow you to where you are calling us.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

“Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue.

There will be times in our lives when we will be challenged to either stand up for the truth and be punished for doing so or remain silent and save our skins. This is the choice the blind man and his parents were faced with and it is the same one we must confront in various ways in our lives. The parents chose to pass the buck onto their son. They were afraid of acknowledging Jesus ever after he healed their son. They should have been happy for the miracle of their son’s cure, but they let worldly concerns strangle their joy and muzzle their praise. The formerly blind man on the other hand is not afraid of speaking the truth. He does so several times and because of this he is tossed out of the synagogue. However, this apparent loss is really a gain. Jesus finds him and reveals himself to be the Son of Man. The man’s faith has saved him. He has chosen the light of Christ over the darkness of the world.

Are we willing to suffer in order to proclaim the truth? Are we willing to be persecuted for our faith? How can we conquer our fears and live in the light of the Good News?

O Lord, cure our blindness so we might see your guiding light.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’

Fear of failure can keep us from reaching our full potential as Christians. We can’t do good if we’re afraid of the cost in time, money, popularity, etc. We can’t avoid evil if we’re worried about ourselves more than others. We can’t be good and faithful servants if we are too anxious about what God is calling us to do. Sometimes we hide our gifts and talents beneath a blanket of insecurities. But Christ isn’t interested in our excuses. He demands good from his disciples. Anything less is unacceptable.

Have we buried our gifts and talents beneath our fears? How can we overcome our anxieties to become fruitful followers of Christ? In what ways can we return God’s Love and Mercy with spiritual interest?

O Lord, we want to multiply the gifts and talents you’ve given us.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

It can be tempting to never rock the boat and never challenge ourselves and others to be better than what they are. We can be tempted to avoid conflict with others and seek to appease them in spite of what our hearts, minds, and morals might say. We are tempted to cover our ears against evil words, but do not rebuke the person using them. We are tempted to turn our eyes away from evil instead of doing something about it. We are tempted to remain silent when we know the truth instead of speaking out against it. We keep the Holy Spirit's Fire at arm's length because if we let it into our hearts we know that it will set our lives ablaze. However, who benefits from our indifference, inaction, and fears? Not those whom God is calling us to confront, for without someone to give voice to the truth, how can they have a chance to know it? Not the people who are affected by our inaction. And certainly not us, because we prove time and time again that we are disciples in hiding, just like those who abandoned Jesus during his Passion, Crucifixion, and Death. But if we do open ourselves to the fires of the Holy Spirit, our hearts shall be enkindled and we shall blaze like the Son of Man. Then, and only then, can we fulfill God's Will and become signs of contradiction to the world.

Are we indifferent, inactive, or afraid of what it means to be signs of contradiction? Are we willing to let the Holy Spirit enkindle our hearts with the fires of faith, hope, and love? Who are the people in our lives who need to be contradicted, not out of a sense of superiority, but out of a sense of true compassion?

O Lord, set our hearts ablaze.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions

That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

God asks us to follow His Will in everything we say and do. Sometimes this means that we have to sacrifice our own ambitions, desires, and plans and instead focus on what He is calling us to do. Some of us may be intimidated by what we think God is calling us to do. Others may think they are unworthy. Still more may ask God to postpone their vocation so that they can do something they would rather do. And more than a few don't really know what God is inviting them to do because they are too busy and too distracted to hear His call. No matter the reason, we must make every attempt to listen for God's appeal to us and keep our hearts open to His Will above all. If we do this, then not only will we grow in faith, hope, and love, but God will entrust us with more responsibilities and the graces to fulfill them and we shall become more and more like Christ.

Do we know what God is calling us to do but are too afraid or selfish to do it? Do we take time out of each day to listen to God with open minds and hearts? Are we willing to be entrusted with fulfilling the demands of God's Will?

O Lord, we want to be your entrusted servants.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."  But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Sometimes we don't understand why God seems to be calling us to do something. Sometimes we are afraid of the answer we might get. However, the only way for us to grown in our faith is by seeking understanding in spite of our doubts and asking for the answers we might not want to hear. We will not understand everything in life, but we can make a firm resolution to put our trust in God no matter what sorrows and sufferings come our way. So too, we can make the resolution to seek the truth about God, others, and ourselves. We will not gain perfect knowledge in this life, but we can get a clearer picture of God as our Father, our Brother, and our Advocate. We might not understand everyone we meet, but we will be able to recognize the Christ in everyone, even those whom we find most difficult to love. Last but not least, we will come to a better, though still imperfect knowledge of ourselves and hopefully we will use it to become good and faithful servants, humble and contrite of heart.

Do we trust in God's Divine Plan? Are our spiritual lives filled with moments of faith seeking understanding? Are we afraid of what God wants from us or are we willing to give Him everything for the reparation of sins, conversion of sinners, and the salvation of souls?

O Lord, we do not always understand, but we shall always believe in your Divine Providence.

Amen.

Fourteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

We shouldn’t be afraid to stand up to those who persecute or mock our faith. We do this best by imitating Christ in all our actions and proclaiming the gospel through our words and deeds. We should expect nothing but trials for doing this as the world rebels against the truth and seeks its own way. In the face of this opposition, we must be willing to die for our faith. We must realize that our beliefs may make us powerful enemies who will seek to kill us, if not physically, than emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. But as Jesus tells us, we should not be afraid of being put to death by the world for our faith. Instead, we should fear what will happen to us, if we do not proclaim the kingdom of God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

What are we afraid of? How can we make our lives a witness to the Good News? Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves to save the bodies and souls of others?

O Lord, give us the courage to proclaim your Way, Truth, and Life, now and forever.

Amen.

The Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, crying out “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”

Arise. It's a word Jesus uses a lot in his ministry to others. He tells it to the people he heals, from the paralytic to the dead. This is because he wants all of his children to arise from their afflictions. He wants us to overcome our failings and imperfections and arise to callings. He wants us to rise from the ground when we stumble and fall. He wants us to be resurrected on the last day and spend eternity with him. He does not want us to blinded by tears of sadness or bound by our fears. He wants to set us free from all that holds us back from doing His Will. The only thing we have to do is listen for his calls to arise and answer them each time by getting to our feet and walking the path God has prepared for us.

Are we weeping or sorrowful about something in our lives? How can we arise to the challenges before us and live our lives as Jesus wants us to? What can we do to stand with Jesus and walk his way?

O Lord, let us answer your call and arise to every occasion.

Amen.

Eighth Friday of Ordinary Time

Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.

We all have the potential to move mountains with our faith. However, we are constantly tempted by our doubts, fears, and anxieties to trust in the world and not in God. We are especially tested when things don’t go our way or when we suffer a trial we do not think we can bear. But if we put our trust in God and do not doubt in our hearts that our prayers will be answered, then we shall receive the answer we need. Jesus goes on to tell us that when we pray, we need to forgive those who have trespassed against us so that our Heavenly Father will know our hearts are filled with love and mercy, not hatred and vengeance. The act of forgiveness Jesus asks us to offer others may not be easy for us to give, but in the end we will be measured by how we treat the least of God’s children and those whom we found most difficult to love.

Do we have faith in God? Do we believe God would move mountains for us? Have we forgiven those who trespass against us?

O Lord, we do not doubt you will do great things for us.

Amen.

The Second Saturday of Easter

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.

The disciples’ first response to seeing Jesus walking on the sea was fear. The second was to make Jesus stop walking on the water and get into the boat. Both of these responses are understandable, but wrong. When we see God at work in our lives, it can be a bit scary, but that is why we rely on faith and hope in His Plan. We might not understand why God is doing something in our lives, but we should trust that whatever He is doing is for our best and gives us the greatest opportunity to learn how to know, love and serve God and others.

Where are we heading in our lives? Are we afraid of what God is asking of us? Are we willing to put our trust in God’s Plan?

O Lord, help us to be not afraid of where you are leading us.

Amen.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Fearful yet overjoyed is such a strange feeling and yet it isn’t an uncommon feeling in our lives. Whenever we receive new or unsuspected good news we can undergo these feelings of fear and joy. When we hear we have gotten into college, been hired for a new job, fall in love with someone, discover we are about to have a child, or any other life-changing event, we can be faced not only with a sense of joy, but also of questioning, doubts, and even fear. What a blessing all these events can be, but they also challenge us to die to our old and sometimes comfortable lives and risk living a life we don’t have a handle on. This is why Jesus’ first words are “Do not be afraid.” He is letting his disciples know that although their lives are about to drastically change, they have nothing to fear because he will go before them and prepare the way. He does the same for us when we are faced with these changes. We have only to trust that Jesus is going before us and making everything ready.

Have we ever been fearful yet overjoyed? Do we place our trust in God whenever we are faced with the unknown? Are we willing to risk the lives we know and are comfortable with in order to do God’s Will?

O Lord, we are not afraid because we believe you are always preparing the path before us.

Amen.

The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Just like Peter, we can sometimes feel so unworthy of God’s Love and Mercy we can close ourselves off to Him. We can become afraid that we are too sinful for God to forgive, but His Divine Mercy is endless and nothing we think, say, or do is unforgivable if we seek God’s forgiveness with truly contrite hearts. And when we do seek God’s Mercy, we have nothing to be afraid of because God loves us all. He proved that by sending His Beloved Son to us as our Savior and our exemplar. The net of Jesus’ grace is always ready to catch us. We have only to allow ourselves to be caught by him. Then, just as Jesus fished us out of our sinful lives, so we can become fishers of men with him and allow him to use us as a net to save other souls.

What can we do to welcome Jesus into our lives? How can we cast off our feelings of sinfulness and fear and follow Jesus’ example of virtue and courage? Are we willing to leave everything behind and become fishers of men?

O Lord, make us good and faithful fishers of men.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Sometimes when we are undergoing a trial, we become afraid, doubtful, and even feel abandoned. We might be tempted to wonder if God cares for us or why He would let us suffer. However, God never deserts us. He is always with us waiting for us to trust in him. And if we do trust in Him, we will be rewarded with peaceful hearts that can weather any storm. So the next time we feel anxious or forsaken by God, we should have faith that He will see us through our trials and safely to where we need to be. He will not let us perish so let our hearts be at peace in the knowledge that if we have faith in God, we have nothing to fear.

What are we afraid of and doubtful about? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s Presence even in the midst of our trials? How can we build up our faith so that it can weather the storms of life?

O Lord, quiet our hearts and give us the faith to be good and faithful servants.

Amen.