Thanksgiving

I will praise your name forever, Lord. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. 

There is much we should be thankful for as Christians. We should be thankful for having a Heavenly Father, who created us in His Divine Image. We should be thankful for His Beloved Son, who proclaimed the Good News for us and gave up his life so we might be saved from sin and death. We should be thankful for the Holy Spirit, who is always with us, granting us inspiration and guidance so we might lead holy lives. The Holy Trinity is someone we can all praise forever because He has done so many works for us, great and small. He has united us with himself, revealing His Love, Mercy, and Grace. Yes, indeed, we have much to be thankful for because our God is full of glorious majesty and wondrous works.

What are we thankful for this year? In what ways do we show our thankfulness to God for all He has given us? What can we do to help make others thankful?

O Lord, we will praise your works and proclaim your might forever and ever.

Amen.

Thirty-Second Friday in Ordinary Time

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God and so should we. Our voices should lift up with the angels and saints and declare our thanks to God for all He has done. We should also proclaim and appreciate His handiwork, both great and small. He has truly done many things for us from the moment of our conception to this moment in time. And He will continue to do so through the rest of our lives and forever. What a wonderful Father we have, who loves and cares for us beyond anything we could hope for. What an amazing Brother we have in Jesus Christ, who showed us how to live holy lives. What a great Holy Spirit we have, an Advocate for us in our darkest hours and a light to lead us where we are called to be. Yes, indeed, let us proclaim the glory of God, for He is Good and Merciful, even to us poor sinners.

In what ways do we proclaim the glory of God? How do we join our voices with those of the angels and saints? What can we do to celebrate having such a wonderful Holy Trinity watching out for us in all things?

O Lord, we declare the glory of God and proclaim His handiwork.

Amen.

Christmas Weekday

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.

As Christians we should foster a spirit of joy throughout the year. We should constantly rejoice in our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior, our Holy Advocate. Each of these three persons in the Holy Trinity should be praised and thanked with happy hearts. We should delight in the love our Heavenly Father shows us each and every day. We should enjoy the presence of Jesus in the Word and in the Blessed Sacrament. We should be glad for all the inspirations and guidance we receive from the Holy Spirit. We are all marvelously blessed by our God and there should be no hesitation to sing praise to our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

How do we celebrate the joys the Heavenly Father has give us? What about the joys of the Son? What about the joys of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we sing joyfully to you.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

Though we might not write Jesus' name or our Heavenly Father's name or the name of the Holy Spirit upon our foreheads, it should be clear to all whom we meet that we are Christians. Our every thought should be guided by the commandments of our Father, the teachings of His Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The words we speak to others should find their source in God. The works we do should proclaim we are followers of Christ and bear good fruits. Just as God is always with us, so we must always be with Him in spirit and truth. We should be beacons on a hill, leading all of God's children to the Promised Land and singing God's praises all the days of our lives.

Is it clear to others that we are Christians? How can we act more Christ-like in thought, word, and work? In what ways can we lead others to holier lives founded upon our relationships with the Holy Trinity?

O Lord, write your name upon our hearts and foreheads.

Amen.

Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop & doctor of the Church

Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist. But not all have this knowledge.

Our lives should be founded upon our relationship with God. It is because of Him that we exist and it is in Him and through Him that we find our fulfillment. This is why it is so important to understand our connections to God and to strive to live in accordance with God’s Will. He is our Heavenly Father and we are His children. As such we should constantly seek God’s protection, do all we can to follow His commandments, and fear disappointing Him in any way. We should also recognize God as our Spiritual Brother, who teaches us how to know, love, and serve Him and our siblings in Christ. Last but not least, we must allow the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide us as an Advocate who wants only the best for us. By doing these things, we become more perfectly united to the Holy Trinity and are prepared more fully for a life everlasting with Him.

How can we become better children to Our Heavenly Father? In what ways can we better follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life of our Heavenly Brother, Jesus Christ? Are we willing to let the Holy Spirit enkindle us with the fires of true love and mercy?

O Lord, it is for you that we all exist and we shall only rest peacefully when we have made ourselves right with you.

Amen.

Eighth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.

If we want to be able to help God save others from the fires of Hell, then we have to do everything we can to build up our own faith. We have to pray to the Holy Spirit and trust that He will inspire and guide us in our decisions. We have to pray to God the Father to wrap us in the warmth of His love and protect us from the wickedness and snares of the Devil. We have to pray to Jesus Christ to pour out his mercy upon us and show us how to be merciful and forgiving. We have to pray to the Holy Trinity to lead us to eternal life. Once we have done this, then we can help those who are wavering in the faith by showing them our faith, hope, love, and mercy.

Do we pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for His help in building up our faith? Do we seek out the Father’s love and protection and put our hope in Him? Do we ask Jesus Christ to have mercy on us so we might have mercy on others?

O Lord, build up our faith, hope, and love.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The Holy Trinity is the source, center, and summit of our faith. The Father is our loving God, the Creator of all things, and the Source of all that is good. Jesus is our Merciful Lord, the Prophet of the Good News, and Source of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, the Fountain of our inspirations, and the Source of our holiness. Each person of the Holy Trinity is at the center of what it means to be Christians and we should strive to live in accordance with their commandments, teachings, and guidance. So, too, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the summit of our faith, hope, and love. When we face the judgment, we shall have to answer to the Holy Trinity for what we have done and failed to do... for how we glorified them or how we denied them. Hopefully, we shall allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God. Then, and only then, will we be worthy of our adoption as the children of God and heirs to the kingdom

Do we give glory to God, our Heavenly Father? Do we heed the words of Jesus and follow his Way, Truth, and Life? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the Good News through our every thought, word, and work?

O Lord, led us by your spirit so we might become worthy sons and daughters.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Monday of Ordinary Time

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are all called to be slaves of Christ. It is only by turning our lives over completely to God the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we can experience true freedom. Giving our total obedience to the Holy Trinity and trusting in God’s Divine Providence is something we all must do if we want to live out the Gospel message and give witness to the Christ-like life. Just as Jesus was obedient to the point of death on a cross, so too must we be obedient even to the point of being persecuted for our faith. We might not die as the Son of God did, but we might experience many smaller deaths... to selfishness, to opportunities for worldly advancement, to our relationships with those who might lead us away from God, to earthly riches and success. However, these deaths when united with Christ’s Passion and Death can bring about great good in our lives and lead us to eternal life with our loving God.

Are we willing to become slaves of Christ? How can we live our lives in total obedience and trust in God? Are we willing to die in great and small ways in order to live forever with the Holy Trinity in Heaven?

O Lord, we place our obedience and trust in you, our Divine Master.

Amen.

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The questions Jesus poses to his disciples are questions we need to ask ourselves. Who do we say that Jesus is? If we think he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, then that requires us to live our lives accordingly. He is our Lord and Savior and we need to recognize him as such. Our confession of faith in him is only as sincere as the thoughts, words, and works we think, speak, and do in his name. Our relationship with God also changes depending upon what we say He is... if God is our Heavenly Father, then we need to treat Him with the respect that is due to Him. If God is our Holy Spirit, then we need to cultivate our hearts so that they are fertile fields for the seeds of His inspirations. If God is our spiritual brother, then we are co-heirs to the kingdom and should act accordingly.

Who do we say Jesus is to us? What about God the Father and the Holy Spirit? How can we grow in our relationship with all three persons of the Holy Trinity?

O Lord, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The Holy Trinity loves us. The Father loves us enough to create us in His Divine Image and give us His only Beloved Son so that we might be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life. The Beloved Son loves us enough to create the Church as his bride and give us the Good News and the Holy Spirit so that we might follow his Way, Truth, and Life. The Holy Spirit creates the traditions of the Church and gives us every grace and inspiration we need to know, love, and serve God and His children. God did not create us, provide for us, or send us forth into the world to be sinners or to be condemned. He created us, provided for us, and sent us forth to be saints and to have eternal life.

How do we respond to the love the Holy Trinity has shown us? What can we do with the gifts He has given us? How can we live our lives in imitation of the love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have for each other and for us?

O Lord, we believe in you and the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Every good we have is the Most Holy Trinity’s. We owe our very existence to the Holy Trinity and our every thought, word, and work should have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as its source, center, and summit. It is in the Father’s commandments that we discover His paternal love for us. It is in Jesus’ teachings that we witness the way we are called to live our lives. It is in the Holy Spirit’s inspirations that we encounter the truth, which will guide us and set us free. And just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we should seek to think, speak, and do all things not on our own, but as channels of God’s Will. When we do this, our actions glorify God and in turn we are glorified by Him.

Do we give thanks and glory to the Holy Trinity for all they have given us? Do we allow God to think, speak, and work through us? Do we declare ourselves His and only His?

O Lord, we declare ourselves to you. Do with us what you will.

Amen.

The Fifth Thursday of Easter

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.

Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit love us. The Holy Trinity loves us. It is a love that enlivens, sustains, and fulfills us. And although we can never repay God's Love, we can respect it by keeping the commandments to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and to love others as God loves us. When we love, we participate in the essential action of God who is Love and unite ourselves to His Divine Will. As lovers of God and His children, we welcome the joy of God into our hearts and complete ourselves by becoming bearers of His Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Have we welcomed the love of God into our hearts? How has His Love transformed our relationship with Him and our family, friends, and neighbors? Have we kept God’s commandments to love?

O Lord, loving you and your children fills us with joy and completes us.

Amen.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

Jesus’ Father is our Father and our God. It is from Him that we received Jesus, His Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus’ Resurrection, the Holy Trinity has shown us a merciful love greater than anything else on earth. It reminds us of our personal and communal relationships with God and each other. After all, if God is our Father, Brother, and Advocate, then we are all part of a holy and eternal family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and co-heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. All we have to do is profess our faith, live in hope, and act out of love for God and our spiritual siblings.

Do we spend time each day nurturing our relationship with the Holy Trinity? How can we come to know, love, and serve God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? In what way do our lives proclaim the Good News to our fellow children of God?

O Lord, you are our Father and our God.

Amen.

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

We have life because of the gracious gift of the Holy Trinity. The Father gave us breath of life, the Son gave us the light of truth, and the Holy Spirit gives us inspirations that lead to holiness. When the Word of God became flesh, he sanctified our lives through his own life and redeemed us from death through his own death. He came down from heaven to dwell with us and show us the way, the truth, and the life we are all called to follow. Moreover, he gave us the light of his gospel and the sacraments of the Church to guide us along the narrow path to salvation. He has not abandoned us to darkness, but rather given us a bright light to lead us where we are called to go.

Do we thank God every day for the gift of our lives? Do we give him honor and glory for the graces he has offered us as we walk His Way, seek His Truth, and live His Life? Do we trust that the light of faith, hope, and love will guide us where we need to be?

O Lord, your light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

Jesus commands his followers to go make disciples of all nations in the name of the Holy Trinity and to teach them to observe the commandment to love God and our neighbors as Jesus loves us. But he does not send us on this mission alone. Our Father is with us, protecting us from evil. His Son, Jesus, is with us, loving us unconditionally. The Holy Spirit is with us, inspiring us to do what’s right. With the Holy Trinity for, with, and within us, we can do all good things.

Are we going forth and making disciples of the nations through our thoughts, words, and works? How often do we reflect on the role of the Holy Trinity in our lives? Do we thank the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for being with us always?

O Lord, help us make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of your Holy Trinity, and to teach them to observe all you have commanded.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

“But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.”

The Spirit of Truth is with us, just as Jesus is with us, and the Father who sent them. Together they are the Holy Trinity, three persons with their own distinct divine missions, but one God forever and ever. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide us to the truth along our faith journeys and help prepare us for the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Judgment. He gives us all the knowledge and understanding we need to do the Father’s Will and to live our lives in accord with the model of Jesus. We should take heed of the Holy Spirit’s inspirations and find ways to constantly manifest the truth He reveals to us to our fellow man.

Are we actively seeking the truth? Are we preparing ourselves for the things that will come? How do we acknowledge the Holy Spirit in our lives?

O Lord, guide us to the truth through your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Lent

You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.

Jesus belongs to His Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Together they form the Holy Trinity and it is to these three persons in one God that we should belong, not the world. It is easy for us to be caught up in worldly things. They are right in front of us. We can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch them. God, however, is seemingly invisible to us. We only believe He is there through our faith, hope, and love. We do not know for certain, but we trust He is there. To belong to what is above requires a leap of faith, a hopeful persistence, and an enduring love that is willing and able to dedicate itself to the unseen.

What are the worldly things in our lives that we belong to? What are the heavenly ones we need to attach ourselves to? How do we remind ourselves that God is with us?

O Lord, we want to belong to what is above. We want to belong to you.

Amen.