Twenty-First Monday in Ordinary Time

The Lord takes delight in his people. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; Let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!

Our glory is determined not by our worldly fame or fortune, it is determined by how well we fulfill God’s Divine Plan for our lives. God delights in us when we manifest Him and do everything in our power to know, love, and serve Him and His children. He wants us to exult Him and His marvelous deeds and to encourage our fellow Christians to bear good fruits. We do this through the way we live our daily lives and the way we treat others, especially those most difficult for us to love. We sing His praises best when our voices are ones full of charity and compassion. We amplify God’s greatness most powerfully when we imitate the life of Christ, who is the most perfect example of holy goodness.

How can we give glory to God in all we think, say, and do? How can we sing His praises more meaningfully? In what ways can we grow in the glory of all God’s faithful?

O Lord, we exult you in glory and praise.

Amen.

Eleventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth. Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever. He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the LORD.

God is justice and truth. He is majestic and glorious. He is wondrous in His deeds. He is gracious and merciful. As His children, we are called to be just in our actions and truthful in our speech. We are called to recognize God’s majesty and glorify God through our words and works. We are asked to proclaim His marvelous deeds to all the world. We are inspired to be gracious to all whom we meet and merciful to those who trespass against us. Our vocation in this life is to be the best reflections of God’s Divine Image that we can be so others can see God at work in the world and know we are Christians.

Are we just and truthful in our dealings with others? In what ways do we make known God’s Goodness to the world? How can we become more gracious and merciful?

O Lord, make us into instruments of your justice and truth.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Thursday in Ordinary Time

"Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

Our entire lives should be one unending Alleluia, “Praise God!” For it was He who created the universe we live in, the sun that warms us, and the earth that holds us. He is the one who gave us our lives and freedom. He has provided everything to us we could grow in faith, hope, and love. He has been with us from the beginning. He is constantly with us. And He will always be with us as long as we allow Him to do so. He is the Just and Merciful Judge of all and will give each of us exactly what we deserve. This is why He deserves to be praised from the moment we wake to the moment we sleep... every day of our lives.

Do we praise God as we should? Do we thank Him for all the gifts He has given us? How can we praise Him through our every thought, word, and work?

O Lord, salvation, glory and might belong to you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

In Christ we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

We were chosen to be Christians. God, through His Infinite Mercy, brought us into the faith for a reason. He brought some by birth and others by conversion. He brought us together to do His Will so we might fulfill His Work. We exist for His praise and glory and for the good of all His children. We, who have heard and accepted Christ’s word, believe and hope in him and the promises he made to us throughout his life. His promise of salvation is one we have all been given, but it is up to us to strive toward it with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We do this best when we are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who is constantly leading us toward redemption through His aid and inspirations. Yes, we are chosen and if we accept our calling, then we shall one day be welcomed into Heaven and spend the rest of eternity with our Beloved God.

Are we living our lives in accordance with God’s purpose and plan? What are we doing to praise and glorify God through our thoughts, words, and works? How can we be more open to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

O Lord, we thank you for the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life with you.

Amen.

Thanksgiving Day

And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.

We should all praise and bless our Lord and God. He has given us so many good things throughout our lives from life itself to His Divine Mercy. He has helped us in many ways, seen and unseen. We will only truly know how much after we die and behold everything He has done for us. He has given us guardian angels to watch over and protect us. He has given us every opportunity to live our lives in accordance with His Will. He offers us life everlasting as long as we are humble and contrite and do penance with the hope of sinning no more. He grants us joy of heart and peace of mind and spirit if we trust in Him. His Goodness towards us knows no bounds and will deliver us from every evil if we allow Him to lift us up in our times of need.

Do we give God the glory, honor, and praise that He deserves? What can we do in thanksgiving for all God has given us? How can we learn to treat others as God treats us... with love, mercy, and enduring kindness?

O Lord, thank you for all you have done for us.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday of Easter

And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.

We are all called to be one with God and each other. Our baptismal promises unite us not only with the Holy Trinity, but with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should make every effort to show our unity with God and His children. We should unite ourselves with the Mystical Body of Christ through the Mass, the sacraments, and our prayers for and with each other. The Mass is a wondrous gift to us and through it we are united in the Word of God and His Body and Blood. We share the good news and then we partake in our Lord and Savior’s greatest gift to us—the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The Mass is one prayer we share with the each other and it unites us not only with the Church on Earth, but also the Church in Purgatory and Heaven. We are one with all those who have come before us, who are with us now, and who will come in the fullness of time.

Do we fully participate in the community of believers through the Mass? In what manner do we unite ourselves to God and His children through the Blessed Sacrament? How do we express our oneness with God and each other in prayer?

O Lord, we are one with you and each other.

Amen.