Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

God will always give us the blessings, graces, and gifts that will strengthen us so we can do good and avoid evil. He encourages us through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, the guidance of holy people, and the teachings of the Church to know, love, and serve Him and all His children. He gives us hope in His Goodness and Mercy and shows us how to be compassionate people. It is through Him and in Him and with Him that we can become manifestations of His Divine Will. In a similar way, we are called to encourage others in the faith and help them to grow into the saints they are called to be.

How are we using the strength God gives us? What are we doing with the inspiration and guidance He provides? How are we helping others to grow in goodness, grace, and hope?

O Lord, strengthen us in every good deed and word.

Amen.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Do not forget the works of the Lord! Hearken, my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter mysteries from of old.

God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through our consciences, letting us know the difference between right and wrong. He listens to us through our prayers and gives us inspiration and solace through the Holy Spirit. He teaches us through the thoughts, words, and works of Christ and shows us what it means to be His children and heirs to His Kingdom. He offers us words of love and mercy and asks only that we listen to Him when He speaks to us and to put into practice what He tells us. He gives us the Scriptures and reveals to us eternal truths and mysteries through the parables and stories we find within. If we truly care about God, then it is impossible to forget His works. They are all around us as constant reminders that we are not alone in this world. We have a Heavenly Father, who cares for us and was willing to sacrifice His Beloved Son so we might have a chance to share in the bountiful harvest that awaits us all in Heaven.

Are we listening and living God’s teachings? Are our hearts open to the Scriptures and the teachings they offer us? How can we become more faithful followers of the wisdom of God?

O Lord, we will not forget your works.

Amen.

Nineteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my baggage as though it were that of an exile, and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden.

We can only hope that when we stand before God at the Judgment we will be able to say, "I did as I was told." We might not always understand why God is asking us to think, say, or do something, but we must trust in Him. His Divine Plan is one that will lead to our betterment and our good if we allow it... if we follow it. We must be prepared for anything... to be exiled, to be persecuted, to lose everything... and to do it with humble and trusting hearts. We might have to leave our homes and set out into the dark unknown, but with God as our lamp and guide, we shall not go astray. We shall be able to shoulder our burdens patiently and without complaint.

Do we do as we are told by the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? Are we prepared to suffer and even die for God's Will? How can we grow in our trust of God's Goodness and Grace?

O Lord, we wish only to do as we are told by you.

Amen.

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

God is calling each of us to become good and faithful servants to Him through our baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He desires humble and contrite hearts, willing to confess our sins, do penance, and sin no more. He wants to forgive us and to pour out His Divine Mercy upon us. He wants us to be confident in Him as our Heavenly Father. He wants us to live our lives in accordance with the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ. He wants us to make use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to become a holy people guided by our consciences and righteousness. He wants us to accept and renew our baptismal promises and become heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Most of all He wants to save us so we might feast with Him forever and ever.

Are we faithfully living out our baptismal promises? Are we living in accordance with the Father’s commandments, the Son’s teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s inspirations? How can we make better use of all the graces God has give us through our baptism?

O Lord, we repent of our sins and seek only to live out our baptismal promises more perfectly.

Amen.

Easter Sunday

Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Easter is the perfect time of year to reevaluate our priorities and renew our spiritual lives. It is a time for cleansing ourselves of our sins, indifference, and distractions and starting over with a clean slate. Over the course of each year, we can find ourselves falling into bad habits and today is a good day to put an end to them and begin a new life of good habits. Easter is a day of resurrection, of breaking free from the chains of sin and death and choosing to seek out the risen Lord. It is a time to cast off our worldly worries and weaknesses and put on the white garment of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is a day to rid ourselves of malice and wickedness and celebrate the Way, Truth, and Life of the Risen Lord with sincerity.

Are we living our lives in accordance with the Father’s commandments, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s inspirations? What sins, weaknesses, and imperfections do we need to clear out of our hearts and minds? How can we renew ourselves in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, we celebrate your Resurrection with the bread of sincerity and truth.

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.

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also, says the LORD of hosts?

Nothing is impossible for God. If He has plans for us and we accept them, then He will give us every grace we need to overcome the trials, sufferings, and obstacles in our way. If He wishes us to leave everything behind and follow Him, then we will have all we need awaiting us at our destination. If He needs us to say or do something for Him, then He will give us the words or the actions we need to accomplish His Will. If He asks us to leave behind what we know, then He will give us everything we need to embrace the unknown and thrive. We might not always understand why God is asking us to do something or how we are to accomplish it, but as long as we have child-like confidence in Him, then we shall always be given exactly what we need when we need it.

Are we open to the impossible? Are we willing to let God lead us to places, people, and works we have never dreamed of? How can we trust Him as we should?

O Lord, with you all things are possible.

Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Jesus will not let us drown. He will always stretch out his hand and catch us if we are willing to let him. He is always with us in our times of plenty and our times of need. This is why he tells us to take courage and be not afraid. This is why he asks us to come to him. We might falter along the way, frightened, and sink into doubts or sins, but as long as we cry out for help, Jesus will be there for us. He does not force his aid upon us, but offers it to us and lets us decide. He is willing to ask us to do great and small things for him... and equally willing to let us fail... in order to teach us about learning to trust in him, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Are we willing to take courage and follow the inspirations God sends us? How can we overcome our doubts and fears in order to take those great and small leaps of faith God asks of us each day? When we fail, are we humble and faithful enough to cry out, “Lord, save me?”

O Lord, give us the courage to come to you wherever you are.

Amen.

Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Mass during the Day

Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

There are times in our lives when we feel trapped or are tempted to despair, but if we place our trust in God, then no matter what happens we will be able to remain hopeful. However, hope also depends upon us answering God’s call when it comes and doing what God is asking of us without delay. God’s requests come through other people or from the inner voice of our conscience. It is important for us to listen to God in these moments and to respond quickly. When God asks us to follow Him, we should go willingly and without hesitation. This can be done best by building up the habit of acting upon the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and allowing God to lead us where we need to be when we need to be there.

Are there any areas of our lives where we feel trapped or tempted to despair? How can we cultivate the habit of trusting in God? What can we do to better listen to and act upon the inspirations of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, give us a spirit of hope and trust in you.

Amen.

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

When we follow our Father’s commandments, we are blessed. When we listen to what Jesus teaches us through his life, we are blessed. When we believe what God tells us through the Holy Spirit, we become blessed. We are surrounded by opportunities for blessing every day of our lives and the more we are open to these opportunities, the more we grow in faith, hope, and love. Mary is a great model of how to live a blessed life, a life that proclaims the greatness of the Lord and rejoices in God, our Savior. She shows us through her words and works what it truly means to humbly trust in God and to know, love, and serve Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. This is why we call Mary blessed and if we wish to be blessed too, then we ought to surrender ourselves to the Lord, recognize the great things He has done for us, and always keep holy His Name.

Do we believe in the commandments of the Father and the teachings of Christ? Do we keep ourselves open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the opportunities God presents us? How can our lives better proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in our Savior?

O Lord, we believe in you and want only to be your lowly servant.

Amen.

Eighth Saturday of Ordinary Time

“I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus’ authority comes from his divinity and his relationship with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Together, the Holy Trinity can do all things. We, like Jesus and John, also have heavenly origins. God gave each of us the breath of life through the Holy Spirit. This breath enlivens and inspires us, allowing us to become kings of service, priests of sacrifice, and prophets of the truth. Of course, if we choose to follow the commandments of the Father, the way of Jesus, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, then we should expect to be questioned, opposed, and even persecuted by the world. However, as long as we listen to God and trust in His authority over our lives, then we shall be able to overcome these obstacles and do what is right and good.

Do we believe in Jesus’ authority over our lives? Are we willing to follow the Father’s commandments, Jesus’ way of life, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? What can we do to fulfill our calling to be prophets of the truth?

O Lord, we believe in you and your authority over us.

Amen.

Friday in the Octave of Easter

When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.

When the disciples arrive on shore with their fish, they find Jesus with fish and bread already cooking on a charcoal fire. Jesus has prepared them a meal for his disciples after their long night of catching nothing. And so he has not only helped them catch their haul of fish, but also prepared a meal for them as well. What is even more interesting is that Jesus then has his disciples bring some of their own fish and add it to the fire, and then when all is prepared he shares the bread and fish with everyone. These symbolic acts help us to understand what it means to be Disciples of Christ. First, although we might feel abandoned and powerless, Jesus is always near and ready to help us. He will send us inspirations through the Holy Spirit that will help us to know where to cast the nets of our lives. He will give us all the graces we need to reap the rewards he has prepared for us. He will give us nourishment through his sacraments, especially through the Eucharist feast. He will share himself with us so we can share our faith with others and become fishers of men. With the help of these graces, we shall be able to add to the heavenly banquet through our thoughts, words, and works and partake in its bounty.

What graces has Jesus prepared for us as his disciples? In what ways do our lives fulfill our calling to be fishers of men? What are our contributions to the heavenly banquet?

O Lord, give us the guidance we need to be able to bring you the hearts and minds of others by weaving our lives into a net of faith, hope, and love.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Mary is blessed because she believed what God spoke to her would be fulfilled. We might not receive such direct revelations in our lives, but we should prepare ourselves to accept the messages we receive from God through the people in our lives. Elizabeth’s message to Mary is inspired by the Holy Spirit and in our own lives sometimes we say or hear things inspired by God. We might not always be able to understand or appreciate to these moments when God speaks to us through others, but we should try to keep our ears and hearts open to them. And if we do listen to these moments, then our souls will also proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in the graces that God, our Savior gives us each day.

Are we listening for the words and inspirations of God in our lives? What will we do if we hear them? Do our souls proclaim the greatness of God and our spirits rejoice in His saving graces?

O Lord, let our hearts leap for joy as we meet with Mary in prayer.

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.