Twenty-Eighth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works. Only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.

We will be judged by our works in this world. We will be weighed by our words, too. How we treat others will reflect on us and reveal to God how He should treat us. If our souls are in God and of Him, then we will do good and avoid evil and our souls will be at rest. However, if we are in and of the world, seeking earthly pleasures and acting out of vice, then our hearts will be greatly distressed when the time of Final Judgment comes. It is only in God that we will find salvation and eternal life. It is only by founding our lives upon Him that we can have any hope of withstanding the wickedness and snares of the Devil. God is our stronghold against the Evil One and when we think, speak, and act like Him, we are protected from spiritual attacks and our hearts remain calm because we know God is always there for us.

Do our souls rest in God or the world? How can we found our lives more perfectly upon the Rock of our Salvation? Do we give ourselves to others as we would want them to give themselves to us?

O Lord, in you our souls find rest.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

We all have something we can give to others. We have an abundance of time, talents, and treasures at our disposal, which we can use to give glory to God and for the good of others. We might not be able to say, “Yes” to every request, but when we can, we should make time for those in need. Just as God is gracious with us, so we should be gracious to others, conducting our lives with justice, mercy, and charity for all whom we meet.

What do we have to give to God and others? How can we use our time, talents, and treasures to bear good fruits? In what ways can we be more generous with ourselves?

O Lord, give us the grace to be generous and just in all our thoughts, words, and works.

Amen.

Fourteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever. They are not put to shame in an evil time; in days of famine they have plenty. 

Being wholehearted means offering everything to God. It means not holding anything back. It means giving all we have to God. It means making our lives into living sacrifices. It means handing over our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies to God to do with as He wills. It means loving God and His children with all we are. If we do this, then we will inherit the Kingdom of God. We will not be put to shame. We will have plenty all the days of our lives.

Are we wholeheartedly God’s people? If not, then how can we become more God’s and less our own? What can we do to make clear to God and others that we are Christians?

O Lord, we are wholeheartedly yours.

Amen.

Eighth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

To the upright I will show the saving power of God. “Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge.

God makes clear that if we want to make a covenant with Him, it must be through sacrifice. We can’t go through our lives without being willing to surrender our time, talents, and treasures to God. We must put God first and foremost in our lives and give Him priority over all else. We have to be willing to give up whatever He asks us to leave behind. We cannot live a Christ-like life if we aren’t willing to make every moment of our days into a sacrifice for His glory and the good of His children. If we want to be faithful and upright, then we must be prepared to suffer and do so joyfully and calmly. We must give of ourselves without complaint or counting the cost because Jesus never hesitated to offer himself up as an oblation to God for the cleansing of our sins and the salvation of our souls.

What sacrifices are we being asked to make? What can we do to make our lives into offerings for the reparation of sins and the salvation of souls? How can we become upright and just in our dealings with God and His children?

O Lord, we are willing to sacrifice everything we are and have to be a part of your new covenant.

Amen.

The Baptism of the Lord

The Lord will bless his people with peace. Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire.

We have much to give to the Lord. He has done so much for us that we can never repay Him, but we can do what is right and give Him everything we can... our time, our talents, our treasures. We can give Him our love, our hope, our faith. We can give Him glory, honor, and praise. We can give Him all that is due to Him by knowing, loving, and serving Him and all his children. He has given us peace and blessing, the least we can do is to become instruments of His peace and blessing to the world.

What are we giving to God? Are we giving enough? How can we give more of ourselves to God and all His children?

O Lord, we want to give you the glory due to your Holy Name.

Amen.

Tenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"

As Christians, we shouldn't be afraid to be charitable, even with the last of what we have. Sometimes we are running late or worried about time, but someone comes along and needs us to listen to them or help them in some way. We could say, "I don't have the time," but Jesus always made time for others. Other times we don't have much money or other material goods, but someone comes along who is in need of what little we have. We could say, "I don't have enough to share," but Jesus always found a way to share what he had with those in need. We have to learn to trust that God will always give us the gifts and graces we need to do His Will. And if we trust in this truth, then our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths will never run out. We shall be able to care for ourselves and others all the days of our lives.

Are we afraid of giving of ourselves? How can we learn to let go of our time, talents, and treasures and let God use them for His Will? Do we trust that God will never let us go empty when we are doing His work?

O Lord, let us never be afraid of doing what is right and good.

Amen.

Seventh Wednesday of Easter

I have never wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

As Christians, we believe it is more blessed to give than to receive. We do not seek worldly goods or success, but rather seek to honor and glorify God through our good works and to help our neighbors as best we can. In this way, we make ourselves more and more like Christ, who put God the Father first, others second, and himself last of all. We make our lives into living sacrifices handed over to God to do with as He sees fit and poured out for the blessing of others.

Are we givers or takers in this life? How can we become more charitable people? What can we think, say, and do to help the weak?

O Lord, we want to give an example of your Way, Truth, and Life to others.

Amen.

Seventeenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when every one of you shall return to his own property, every one to his own family estate. In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee, you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines. Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you, you may not eat of its produce, except as taken directly from the field.

The Jubilee year is something we can learn a lot from. In this year slaved were set free, property returned, and the soil rested. First, the captives are freed. This reminds us of how each of us have been freed from the bondage of sin and death through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Second, property is returned. This reminds us God is the true owner of all our goods from our gifts and talents to our possessions and property. Even our lives are given to us on borrowed time and one day all we have and are will return to God. Lastly, the fields are rested and allowed to be picked by all Israelites. This reminds us sometimes we need to trust in God and let Him bring forth good fruits from us spontaneously. It also reminds us to share those good fruits with others, without counting the cost.

What can we do to free ourselves from our sins? How can we make a return of everything we have to God, the source, center, and summit of all our goods? Do we trust God will provide for us if we let Him and share the harvest He provides us with others?

O Lord, make us into living jubilees, celebrating your mercy, generosity, and charity to all your children.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap your harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD that it may be acceptable for you.

We are all called to give the first fruits of our labors to God. We do this because all our goods and works come from God. He is the Alpha and the Omega of everything and it is from Him that we receive the gifts which sustain our lives and help us to grow and thrive as Christians. As such, it makes sense we should return some of what He has graced us with to Him. We do so when we give our time to God in prayer, spiritual reading, ministry, and other works of charity and mercy. We do so when we give Him our talents, by offering up our physical, mental, and spiritual works to Him and using our gifts to do good and glorify God. Last but not least, we do this when we give our treasures to God through tithing, almsgiving, and fasting.

Do we give our first fruits to God? If not, then how can we learn to trust that giving up our time, talents, and treasure will not impoverish us, but enrich us? What can we do to recognize God as the beginning and end of all our goods and works?

O Lord, we bring you our first fruits in hopes that they will be acceptable to you.

Amen.

Eleventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

As we go through life, we should strive to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. We should do everything we can to avoid being a burden on anyone. Will there be times when we are in need of help? Yes, and when those times comes we shouldn’t deny others acts of charity toward us, but once our needs are met and our challenges overcome than we should seek to be givers, not receivers. In this way, we imitate Christ who was the ultimate giver, sacrificing himself for our good and salvation. Let us remember, we become the most Christ-like when we perform acts of love and mercy.

Are we striving to be givers, while being open to help when we need it? In what ways do we take care of others? How can we become more self-sacrificial and less of a burden on others?

O Lord, make us into givers of your love, mercy, and grace.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.

God wants us to give our love and mercy to others without counting the cost. He wants us to give all we can and do so cheerfully without sadness or compulsion. He wants us to take the graces He has given to us and to do good works without expectation of return. He wants us to be givers and not takers. By giving to others, we imitate God, the Great Giver of Life, and learn to detach ourselves from worldly things. Those who are charitable discover that although they might give away much, they receive the greatest reward, which is the joy and peace that comes from doing God’s Will.

Are we sowing sparingly or bountifully in our spiritual lives? How can we become more cheerful givers? What can we do to become abundant in good works?

O Lord, you have given us every grace to sow and reap abundantly.

Amen.

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Sometimes we can convince ourselves that we have nothing to offer God or others. We are too busy, too poor, too unworthy, or too afraid. But Jesus reminds us that we are not called to give out of our surplus, but from our poverty. It is our willingness to make time for God and others, to give of ourselves in spite of our hardships, to take a leap of faith, and to trust in God’s Providence that makes us into true Disciples of Christ. Our livelihood should be founded upon knowing, loving, and serving God and His children to the best of our ability. We might fail more than we succeed, but if Jesus has taught us anything it is that what the world might see as folly can become a triumph if we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for God and others out of love.

Are we giving out of our surplus or our poverty? What can we give to God and others that we aren’t already giving? Are we willing to give our whole livelihood?

O Lord, we want to give you more of ourselves.

Amen.

The Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

When we give, we should do so without thought of return. Instead we should do it because of a love of God and all His children. It is much easier to give our time, talents, and treasures to people who we know will pay us back in some way. It is much more difficult to do the same things with those whom might not return our favors or even completely reject them. However, true love is sacrificial. Jesus gave his life for all, even though he knew not everyone would accept him as their Savior and might even mistreat him and his followers. When we love people who cannot repay us in any way, then we act more like Christ. In a world that often asks, "What can you do for me?" It is a grace and virtue to constantly have upon our lips the question, "What can I do for you?" If we live our lives in such a way, then we will be blessed and our reward will come when God tells us that we are good and faithful servants and worthy of remaining with Him for all eternity.

Do we help others without thought of return? Do we treat those who might not be able to repay us in the same way as we would treat those who are always helping us? How can we be more generous with our time, talents, and treasures, especially for those whom we have difficulty loving?

O Lord, give us the grace to invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind into our lives so that we can pour out your love for them.

Amen.

The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed.  I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence."

Being Disciples of Christ requires a great deal of persistence. In order to do God’s Will, we often have to persist through trials and overcome obstacles. Because we forsake the riches of the world in favor of heavenly rewards, we will often find ourselves in need of or depending upon the charity of others. This requires a great deal of humility on our part. It is not easy to ask for help, but God wants us to ask for His help and the help of His children. By doing these things we give God and others an opportunity to express and share their love with us. At the same time, this experience of love multiplies our own acts of charity and mercy. That is the wonderful thing about love. It is the one thing we can give that does not lessen us, but makes us more than we already are. Being persistent in the virtue of love is one of the greatest callings in our lives. We might not always feel like helping out, but our feelings and passions should not rule us. Instead, our minds and wills should hold sway and choose to love in spite of how we might feel. This too is the lesson Jesus is trying to teach us. It is not only the persistence of the asker that we should imitate, but also the willingness to act charitably to others even when we do not feel inclined to do so.

Are we persistent in our love of God and His children? Are we willing to humble ourselves to ask for help? Are we willing to love others even when we feel inconvenienced or uninspired to do so?

O Lord, help us to be persistent in following your Will and acting with love and mercy.

Amen.

Fourteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.

Every good work we do has its source in God and we should remember this when we are tempted to take credit for the goods we do. All our acts of charity and mercy come from God, it is He who gives them to us. The only thing we do is open ourselves to these gifts and graces and pass them onto those we meet. We receive every good we have from God and this is why we should give to others without counting the cost. When we give to others, we should depend upon God for everything and accept whatever He offers us as reward, however great or small it might seem compared to what we must sacrifice.

What good works is God calling us to do? Do we give of the time, talents, and treasures God has given us to others without counting the cost? Are we willing to do the right thing without expecting a return?

O Lord, inspire us to give without counting the cost or expecting a return.

Amen.

The Second Friday of Easter

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

When we generously give our time, talents, and treasures, we end up with much more than we started with. This is especially true of the love we give to God and others. The more we love our family, friends, and neighbors, the more we are loved and the more they are able to love others and so on. Doing good deeds sparks others to do them. Forgiving others leads others to forgive. Nothing given out of love is ever wasted. In truth, it multiplies and increases because each person touched by our love is given the opportunity to magnify it through their own thoughts, words, and works. What starts out as one act of charity can light the hearts of many others through the enkindling fire of the Holy Spirit. This is why we should never look at what we lack and get stuck on what we can’t do, but rather we should focus on what we have and do what we can with it. The rest is up to God and He always provides for His children.

Do we wonder what good our gifts and talents can do in the world? Are we willing to trust God and share our time, talents, and treasures with others in order to multiply God’s graces? What can we do to know, love, and serve God and others?

O Lord, help us to remember that with you all things are possible and nothing done out of love is wasted.

Amen.

The First Thursday of Lent

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”

God offers us good things throughout our lives and it is up to us to accept them and imitate His generosity through our own thoughts, words, and works. He will not force us to take His gifts. If we want them, then all we have to do is have open hearts and a willingness to pass along our gifts to others just as God has done for us. This is why it is so important for us to follow Jesus’ example and do onto others as he did onto the people he met. When we do this, we manifest God’s Divine Grace to others and if their hearts are open, then they too will become more Christ-like. In this way, we weave a web of grace and support that can catch us when we fall and help us rise again.

What good things has God given us? Do we treat others as Jesus would? How do we follow Jesus’ example of giving of ourselves for the betterment of others?

O Lord, thank you for all the good things you have given us and help us to offer the goods of our lives to others in need.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Advent

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

After receiving the news that she was to bear the Son of God, Mary travels to visit with her cousin Elizabeth and help her with the final months of her pregnancy. This act of compassion is one which we would do well to imitate throughout our lives. No matter what is going on with us, great or small, we should always make time for others who are in need. We should never let an opportunity to do good pass us by because we are too busy being concerned about our own lives. Mary could have easily focused on her own pregnancy, but instead she chose to help her cousin in her time of need. Mary is blessed not just because she believed God and accepted His Will, but also because she acts with love, mercy, and grace toward others in a spirit of selfless humility.

How do our lives imitate the selfless compassion of Jesus and Mary? Do we make time to know, love, and serve others who are in need? Are we always on the lookout for opportunities to give of ourselves?

O Lord, let us travel to where you need us and do what you will for those in most need of your love, mercy, and grace.

Amen.

First Saturday of Advent

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Then he summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.  Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Jesus reminds us that without cost we have received his love, mercy, and grace and in order to be his disciples, we are to give these to others without cost. God’s love for us is unconditional. His mercy is inexhaustible. His grace is ever present. In the same way, we should be loving, merciful, and full of grace toward all whom we meet. We are all called to be laborers for the harvest of souls and although we might not have miraculous powers, we can be instruments of God’s Will in everything we do. We can go into the world and proclaim the kingdom through our humble words and self-sacrificing works. God has given each of us the powers we need to be Godbearers in this world. We have only to accept the mantle and do everything within our power to be good and faithful servants to God and all His children.

Are we willing to labor for the kingdom of God? Do our thoughts, words, and works proclaim the Good News? Do we give ourselves to others without counting the cost?

O Lord, you have given us everything. Let us give everything to others in the same spirit of generosity.

Amen.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t mean we should seek honor for ourselves or exult ourselves above others. Instead, we are asked to be more like the poor widow and give everything we have to God. We are not supposed to make our charitable and merciful acts for the specific purpose of having them seen, but rather because it is the right thing to do. Sure someone may see us doing good and honor us for it, but that shouldn’t be the point of our deeds. Like Mary and the poor widow, we should do God’s Will without counting the cost and without expectation of honor. We are not to become puffed up peacocks like the Pharisees, but rather to be little ones of God thinking, speaking, and doing what our Heavenly Father asks us to do through the Holy Spirit.

Do we seek honor and exultation or do we seek God’s Will? When we commit acts of charity and mercy, do we expect others to recognize or thank us? How can we learn to be little ones of God, always doing what is right without counting the cost or expecting anything in return?

O Lord, we give you all we possess. Do with it what you will.

Amen.