Third Sunday of Advent

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks without ceasing... this is the will of God for all of us. God wants us to be filled with joy and happiness. He wants us to be cheerful even in the midst of our daily trials. He wants us to pray to Him constantly and be in dialogue with Him through the Holy Spirit so our relationship with Him can bear much fruit. He wants us to give thanks to Him for all the good He has done for us. He wants us to accept His Love, Mercy, and Grace with adoring, contrite, and humble hearts. He wants us to be on fire with the Holy Spirit and listen to the voice of our consciences. He wants us to be open to His inspirations sent to us through our thoughts and the thoughts, words, and works of others. He wants us to test everything in order to make sure our days are filled with people, places, and things which lead to good and avoid all evil. In short, He wants us to be alive in Jesus Christ so we might live with Him forever in heaven.

Do we have joyful hearts, even in the midst of trials? Do we pray without ceasing and give thanks to God all the days of our lives? Are we letting the Holy Spirit think, speak, and work through us for the good of all?

O Lord, we rejoice in you. We pray to you. We give thanks to you.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Advent

On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"

In the end, God will destroy death for all those who choose to follow Him. He will release us from the bonds of sin and its fruit of death. He will wipe away our tears of suffering and save us from all the pains and ills of this world. His Saving Grace, will bring joy and happiness to all of us who walked the path of salvation with Him. This freeing and wondrous future is offered to us all. We have only to accept it from God’s open hands and choose the good over the evil, the right over the wrong, justice over injustice… virtue over vice.

Are we allowing God to unveil our eyes so we can see right and wrong clearly?  Do we believe God will save even us, who are sinful? When are we going to accept God’s Grace and Mercy and amend our lives so He can invite us to Heaven with Him?

O Lord, save us!

Amen.

Thirty-First Tuesday in Ordinary Time

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me.

Pride is a vice none of us can afford to have. Wherever we find it in our lives, we need to uproot it, cast it away, and burn it to ashes. The temptation to pride is one that can bring low even the most holy of people. It can corrupt our good works by turning them into acts weighed down with self-righteousness and disdainful judgments of others. We can prize our own time, talents, and treasures above others. We hear the music of the Church and instead of focusing on the glory of God, we are lost in criticizing others for being poorer singers than we. We see someone act with charity or mercy and we say, “I could do better!” The prideful taint all they touch turning gold to lead and bountiful harvests into wilted crops. Instead of building up the body of Christ, they build themselves up like a tower of Babel, until they collapse under the weight of their own sins and selfishness. So, let us be humble people, busy not with self-important “great things,” but with selfless good things.

Have we found peace in our lives? How can we uproot pride from our lives? What can we do to be happy with being humble?

O Lord, make our hearts not proud, but good.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

The Lord has done marvels for us. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed.

Gladness should be a core trait for us all. We have much to be happy about. God formed us in His Divine Image and gave us free will. He created us and gave us all our gifts and talents. He has provided us with graces and blessings beyond what we deserve. He has protected us from the wickedness and snares of the Devil and all those who would lead us away from Him. He has done marvelous deeds for us in great and little ways. He has adopted us as a Father. He has loved us as a brother. He has been with us in Spirit and in Truth, showing us the Way and the Life that will lead to salvation and eternal life. Yes, we have many things to be glad and grateful for and we should proclaim this to all who will hear us.

What are we glad about? How can we be happier people, even in our moments of difficulty? What can we do to spread the Good News of God’s marvelous deeds to all the world?

O Lord, you have done marvels for us and we are glad.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Lent

Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people.

God is preparing a new world for us after our lives in this one. This is why it is so important to remember that our time on earth is only a prologue to our eternity. It lays the groundwork for what comes in the next life. We either build up a strong foundation that allows us to build a bridge to Heaven or we fail to do so and find ourselves lost to Hell. These are the two destinations that await us after our lives on earth end. There is no middle, lukewarm path. We are either destroyed because of our selfishness and sin or we are renewed in the spirit of love and truth and unite with God forever. The choice is ours.

How are we preparing for the afterlife? Are we building a bridge to Heaven? What can we do to make better choices so we can be united with God for all eternity?

O Lord, let us be filled with joy and happiness with you forever and ever.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Advent

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks without ceasing... this is the will of God for all of us. God wants us to be filled with joy and happiness. He wants us to be cheerful even in the midst of our daily trials. He wants us to pray to Him constantly and be in dialogue with Him through the Holy Spirit so our relationship with Him can bear much fruit. He wants us to give thanks to Him for all the good He has done for us. He wants us to accept His Love, Mercy, and Grace with adoring, contrite, and humble hearts. He wants us to be on fire with the Holy Spirit and listen to the voice of our consciences. He wants us to be open to His inspirations sent to us through our thoughts and the thoughts, words, and works of others. He wants us to test everything in order to make sure our days are filled with people, places, and things which lead to good and avoid all evil. In short, He wants us to be alive in Jesus Christ so we might live with Him forever in heaven.

Do we have joyful hearts, even in the midst of trials? Do we pray without ceasing and give thanks to God all the days of our lives? Are we letting the Holy Spirit think, speak, and work through us for the good of all?

O Lord, we rejoice in you. We pray to you. We give thanks to you.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Advent

On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, The web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"

In the end, God will destroy death for all those who choose to follow Him. He will release us from the bonds of sin and its fruit of death. He will wipe away our tears of suffering and save us from all the pains and ills of this world. His Saving Grace, will bring joy and happiness to all of us who walked the path of salvation with Him. This freeing and wondrous future is offered to us all. We have only to accept it from God’s open hands and choose the good over the evil, the right over the wrong, the just over the injustice… virtue over vice.

Are we allowing God to unveil our eyes so we can see right and wrong clearly?  Do we believe God will save even us, who are sinful? When are we going to accept God’s Grace and Mercy and amend our lives so He can invite us to Heaven with Him?

O Lord, save us!

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king: "May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?" The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it."

God wants us to be happy. He wants to give us what we need to succeed in our spiritual lives. He is constantly asking us, “What is it, then that you wish?” Not for us to answer in worldly terms or to make selfish requests, but rather to prayerfully ask for the thoughts, words, and works that will help us to build up the temples within our souls. He wants us to discern with Him what are the most important aspects of our lives so we know where we wants us to go and what He wants us to do. We can’t do that if we are paralyzed with fears, doubts, and distractions. However, if we answer His call and pray for guidance, He will lead us where we need to be and inspire us to say and do what is in accord with His Will.

How can we overcome our fears and answer God’s call to follow Him? What is it that God wishes for us? What can we do to discern God’s Will in our lives?

O Lord, help us to wish for what is right and good.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

Religion with contentment is something we all should strive for and while doing so we should keep in mind the “religion” part. Contentment without religion is a false happiness based on worldly pleasures and gratifications. It is temporary and full of temptations, traps, and harmful desires, which eventually strangle us and pierce us with many pains. Although many people believe money can buy happiness, it never lasts and only leads us farther and farther away from the true contentment that comes from living out our faith. When we choose to let go and let God think, speak, and work through us, then we shall discover a joy and a peace which cannot be bought or sold. It is the calm that comes from being united with God in our every action and leads us toward the everlasting happiness of the Beatific Vision, which was purchased for us by the Body and Blood of Christ.

Are we living lives of false contentment based on worldly pleasures? Or are our lives founded first and foremost on being spiritually content? How can we grow in the joy and peace that comes from turning everything over to God and letting Him use it how He wills?

O Lord, lead us to a place of religious contentment.

Amen.

The Epiphany of the Lord

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

No matter who we are, we all choose to follow something in our lives. It can be a person, an idea, a vice, or any number of worldly things. However, it is only when we follow God that we can truly find our way to eternal life. It is in Him that we will find never-ending joy and fulfillment. Everything else is nothing compared to what awaits us in heaven. Sometimes, like the Magi, we might lose our way, but as long as we continue to seek God, He will lead us to where we need to be. And when we arrive, we shall find a peace and happiness which cannot be lost as long as we trust in God and give Him the gold of our acts of charity, the frankincense of our prayers, and the myrrh of our fasting.

Are we lost spiritually? How can we regain our bearings? When we do discover what we are called to do, do we pay homage to God and offer Him the fruits of our labors?

O Lord, lead us by your light to where we need to be.

Amen.

Seventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Why do the disciples try to prevent someone from driving out demons in Jesus' name? Maybe it is because they were jealous of the person. After all, a few short paragraphs before, they had failed to exorcise a mute demon because of their lack of prayer. Maybe they thought this new exorcist was seeking to take their place among the disciples. After all, they had just debated about who was the greatest among them and been rebuked about how the first must be a servant of all. Here is a new exorcist who is driving out demons and serving others… an ideal disciple and yet not one of them. And so once again Jesus rebukes his own followers, reminding them that jealousy has no place in his Kingdom. We would do well to remember that the next time we feel envious of others. We should be happy at the success of others and spurred on to do better ourselves. After all, it is a far better use of our time and energy than stewing in the sin of jealousy.

Who are we jealous of? How can we let go of these feelings of envy? How can we use the success of others as inspiration to do better?

O Lord, rid us of all our jealousy.

Amen.