Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; Your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, Their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence.

All of God’s commandments and teachings are for our own good. We might find them difficult to follow, but that doesn’t mean we should disobey them. We might not understand them, but that doesn’t mean we should turn a deaf ear to them. Instead, we should strive to do good and avoid evil because even though it might be hard, it is the right thing to do. Similarly, we should place our faith in God’s teachings in the hopes we shall one day come to an understanding of those teachings we have trouble understanding. By doing these things, we place our trust in God above ourselves. We say, “As you wish, Lord.” And He, in turn, will give us all the graces we need to prosper in our spiritual journey and have our names written in the book of life.

Do we trust all of God’s commandments and teachings are for our own good, even when they are most difficult to follow? Are we willing to follow God’s Will wherever it will take us? Are we willing to make the leaps of faith we need to in order to go where God is leading us?

O Lord, teach us what is good and lead us to the Promised Land.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Friday in Ordinary Time

Lord, teach me your statutes. Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust.

God has given us commandments for a reason. He has provided the Scriptures for a purpose. He has provided us a Church and its Traditions for an end. They are there to teach us wisdom and knowledge. They are there to show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They give us an example to follow as Christians so we might bear God into the world around us and produce good fruits. If we ignore or deny any of these, we do great harm to ourselves. We uproot our lives and leave them to wither from apathy and rot from sin. It is only by keeping the commandments, living the Scriptural teachings of Christ, and accepting the Traditions of the Church that we can achieve our full potential as servants of God and become the saints we are called to be. So, let us do so willingly and faithfully and live up to our baptismal vocation to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and others as God loves them.

Do we follow God’s statutes? Are we cultivating lives of holy wisdom and knowledge? How can we become more faithful to God’s commandments, Scriptures, and Church?

O Lord, teach us wisdom and knowledge.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Thursday in Ordinary Time

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; Sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

The commandments of our Heavenly Father should give joy to our hearts. The teachings of Jesus should be treasured more than gold. They inspirations of the Holy Spirit should be sweeter than syrup to our souls. There is not a moment of our lives when we are in a state of grace that we shouldn’t be joyful. No matter what our foes might do, no matter how difficult our lives might get, if we trust in God, keep His commandments, and live our lives according to them, then we will have nothing to fear. We shall win the race and enter triumphantly into Heaven.

Do the commandments give us joy? How can we lead lives founded on the golden rule of loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and loving others as He loves us? Are we willing to give up the empty promises of the world for the satisfying inspirations of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, your precepts give joy to our hearts.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

I will walk with blameless heart. Of mercy and judgment I will sing; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. I will persevere in the way of integrity; when will you come to me?

In order for us to have integrity, our every word and work must be aligned with the commandments of God the Father, the teachings of Jesus, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Before we speak or act, we must ask ourselves, “Is what we are about to do good or holy?” If we can’t answer yes to this question, then we should try to figure out what we could say or do instead that would give glory to God or help others. We should seize every opportunity to know, love, and serve to the best of our abilities. We should strive to preserve our states of grace whenever we are in them and if we are in need of cleansing, then we should seek out confession and make ourselves right with God. We cannot be blameless of heart if we do not seek to be holy in all things great and small. Even our leisure should be a living prayer to our Creator who gave us the chance to not only work in this world, but also rest in it. But our rest should not be meaningless or without thanksgiving. So, let us take time before everything we do and sing praise to the God who has made us and given us the chance to be good and faithful servants.

Is our faith integrated into our daily lives? How can we live in a more perfect union with God? What can we do to make our every word and work into a prayer to the glory or God?

O Lord, help us to live lives of integrity, united with you.

Amen.

Eighteenth Friday in Ordinary Time

I remember the deeds of the Lord. I remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I remember your wonders of old. And I meditate on your works; your exploits I ponder.

Every day we should take time to ponder the words and works of the Lord. We can do this through reading the Scriptures and going to Church and receiving the sacraments. We can also do it through quiet times of spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, and even contemplation of the mysteries of Christ. We can also remember God’s deeds when we act charitably and mercifully and treat others with dignity. It is a remarkable blessing to make Him present in our lives through imitation of Jesus, which is the best way to know, love, and serve God.

Do we take time to meditate on God’s works, not only in Scripture, but also in our lives? Do we remember everything He has done for us and try to imitate Him in the way we treat others? How can we put into action the commandments of our Holy Father, the teachings of His Beloved Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we shall always remember your deeds.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

God gave us the ten commandments and the Golden Rule to help us grow in holiness and prepare us for everlasting life. He did not give them to us to burden us nor did He force them on us. It is up to us to accept them and live them out to the best of our abilities. Fear of breaking these commandments or losing our way is good for us. It keeps us away from evils and temptations and leads us toward the light. All of these commandments are true and just and will help us to become better people. They are rules we should be happy are engraved in our hearts and ones we should carry with shouts of joy and thanksgiving because if we follow them faithfully, then we will find our way to the Heavenly Banquet.

Do we actively listen to and act according to the Word of God? Do we have a proper fear of disappointing God by breaking one of His commandments? How can we lead lives that are holy, true, and just?

O Lord, help us to live your words and attain everlasting life with you.

Amen.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.

The world teaches us to boast of what we have and what we have done. It tells us we should trumpet our own horns and let everyone else know how great we are. This is not what God wants. He wants us to boast of Him. He wants us to boast of His Goodness and Mercy. He wants us to boast of the cross He bore for us and the crosses we bear for Him. He wants us to humble ourselves through lives of sacrifice and love. He wants us to bring peace and mercy to all whom we meet, just as Jesus did in his own life.

Do we boast more of worldly things or Godly ones? What can we do to rid ourselves of our dependence upon the opinions of others and instead focus our lives on doing our Heavenly Father’s business? How can we humble ourselves so we can follow God’s commandments without feeling holier than others?

O Lord, we boast only of you and your cross.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Ordinary Time

Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes.

God has taught us everything we need to know to be holy people. He gave us the Scriptures to teach us. He gave us His Beloved Son to show us. He gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us. He gave us His Church to shelter us. We know His Commandments from keeping holy the Sabbath day to not coveting your neighbors’ goods. We know the Golden Rule to love God and one another as God loves us. If we keep His Commandments and love with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, then we will be blessed and enter into eternal life with God, Our Heavenly Father.

Do we ask for and seek guidance in how best to live the Christ-like life? What can we do to better learn and practice the statutes of our God? How can we lead others to follow God’s commandments?

O Lord, guide us in the way of your commands.

Amen.

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back. The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a man, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."

The lion, calf, man, and eagle symbolize the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest creatures created by God. They are covered with eyes and so are able to see all the good God does for His Creation. In response to what they witness, they give constant glory and praise to God. They call Him Holy and proclaim Him as their Lord God Almighty. In a similar way, we as Christians are called to be the noblest of people by following the commandments of God and living holy lives. We are called to be the strongest of people by bearing our crosses without complaint while resisting all evil. We are called to be the wisest of people by knowing the Truth and proclaiming it. We are called to be the swiftest of people by doing God’s Will without hesitation. These aren’t always easy to do, but thankfully God has given us the graces we need to proclaim day and night, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."

How can we be nobler, stronger, wiser, and swifter in our faith? Are our eyes ever open to the wonders, graces, and glory of our Lord and God? In what ways can we proclaim the Good News and praise God, who was, who is, and who is to come?

O Lord, you are holy. Grant us the grace to be holy, too.

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.

Eighteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

God’s Divine and Natural Laws are written upon our hearts. His Holy Spirit reminds us constantly of what is good and evil through our consciences. We have an innate understanding that God is our loving and protective Father. He will not abandon us. He is our God and we are his people. He is a gracious God, who forgives us and helps us to grow in faith, hope, and love. If we live our lives according to the commandments and the golden rule to love God and our neighbors, then we shall find ourselves welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven as good and faithful servants.

Do we live our lives in accordance with God’s Commandments? Do we listen to our consciences and the Holy Spirit? How can we be as forgiving of others as God is to us?

O Lord, you are our God and we are your people.

Amen.

Seventeenth Friday in Ordinary Time

If you disobey me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another.

When we fail to live according to God’s Commandments, choose sin over virtue, act with indifference to the needs of others, and turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit, then we become accursed. When we allow our hearts to swell with pride or believe ourselves to be holier than others, then we will be humbled by God and shown just how imperfect we are in His eyes. We are constantly faced with a choice to either listen to God, believe, and live the Way, the Truth, and the Life... or to ignore Him and suffer the consequences. There is no middle ground, not choosing is a choice that leads to destruction just as much as sinning does because lukewarm souls have no place at the table of the Lord. The only souls who do have a place are those who allow themselves to be lit on fire with the Holy Spirit and bear the light of Christ into the world with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Are we failing to live according to God’s Commandments? How can we be more faithful to listening to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? What can we do to bring blessing to others and ourselves?

O Lord, make us a blessing, not a curse.

Amen.

Sixteenth Monday in Ordinary Time

With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

God requires only three things from us: to do what is right by following His commandments, to love goodness by becoming Christ-like in thought, word, and work, and to walk humbly with Him in faith. The world tries to distract us from doing these things. Our own pride can cause us to disregard these pillars of our spiritual lives. However, there is no replacement for these. No offerings can make up for our sins if we do not do what is right, love goodness, and walk humbly with our God. Our penances, mortification, alms, sacrifices, prayers, and good works will gain us nothing if they are done for the wrong reasons or in the wrong spirit. So, let us make sure our souls are properly aligned with the commandments of our Heavenly Father, the teachings of Christ, and the inspirations Holy Spirit.

Are we doing what is right and avoiding evil? How can we cultivate a deeper and more fruitful love of goodness? What actions can we take to ensure we are walking humbly with God and not away from Him?

O Lord, give us the minds to know what is right, the hearts to love goodness, and the wills to walk humbly with you, now and forever.

Amen.

Twelfth Monday in Ordinary Time

And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, "Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets," they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed in the LORD, their God. They rejected his statutes, the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and the warnings which he had given them, till, in his great anger against Israel, the LORD put them away out of his sight.

God calls upon all of us to give up our evil ways and keep His commandments. He has told us this through the prophets of the Old Testament, through His Son in the New Testament, and even through His Church. We have been given ample warning in this life to steer clear of the temptations of the world, the Devil, and indifference. If we fail to remain good and choose instead to do evil, we have no one to blame but ourselves. It is our own stiff necks, hardened by pride, that keep us from living as we should. However, if we are willing to bend our necks to the yoke of Christ and accept the sacrifices God asks of us, then we shall be able to leave behind our old lives of sin and wickedness and take up the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ.

What are the people, places, and things in our lives that God is warning us against? How can we rid ourselves of those influences and place our faith in God alone? What can we do to get rid of our evil ways and keep God's commandments?

O Lord, pour out your grace upon us and help us to keep your commandments.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter

He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, "I know him," but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.

It isn’t always easy to keep God’s commandments. The world constantly bombards us with temptations, distractions, and all many of earthly goods that can lead us astray. We have to be constantly on guard against all that would lead us away from God and to ruin. Thankfully, God has given us many graces from the Church to the sacraments to our fellow believers. All of these things can give us the support we need to withstand the assaults of the Devil and his minions. And if we are weakened and do fall, we thankfully have the sacrament of reconciliation to flee to... and seek forgiveness for our sins. Then, we can start anew and strive to keep God’s commandments more faithfully so we might be perfected in, through, by, and with Jesus.

Are we keeping God’s commandments? How can we strengthen our resolve to remain firmly committed to our faith? What can we do to ensure the truth is with and in us?

O Lord, perfect us in you.

Amen.

Second Thursday of Easter

But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

We must obey God rather than men... these words are ones the Apostles lived by and they are ones we should live by, too. God should come first and foremost in our lives. His commandments should be kept, His teachings followed, and His inspirations put into practice. Everything else should come second to what God wants from us. We are also called to be witnesses to these things and proclaim the good news to all who will listen. If we do these things, then we, like Christ, will be exulted.

Does God come first in our lives? Do we keep His commandments, follow his teachings, and enact His inspirations? Are we being the best witnesses to the faith we can be?

O Lord, help us to give witness to you in all things.

Amen.

Divine Mercy Sunday

For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.

If we love God, then we will do everything we can to keep His commandments. This means knowing, loving, and serving Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and loving our neighbors as God loves them. These are not burdensome commandments. In truth, if everyone lived according to these commandments we would find our lives a lot less burdensome. It is by living these commandments faithfully that we can conquer the world, resisting its temptations, distractions, and indifferences. Equally important to remember is that following these commandments isn’t a bloodless affair. There will be times when doing the right and holy thing will require a sacrifice from us and even leave us wounded in some way. But just like Christ, we must be willing to pay the cost of living out faith.

What do we do to ensure we are living out God’s Commandments? How can we resist those temptations, distractions, and indifferences that lead us away from our faith? Are we willing to come through the grace of water and the sacrifice of blood just as Jesus did?

O Lord, we love you and want only to keep your commandments.

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.

Fifth Thursday of Lent

“I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

We are all part of a covenant with the Heavenly Father. He is our God and we called to be His good and faithful servants. Some of us might rebel against this through sin and indifference, but it is true nonetheless. God wants to be ours and wants us to be His. Wholly. Completely. He wants us to live out His commandments, follow His teachings, and enact His inspirations. He gives us everything and all He wants in return is our faith, hope, and love. It isn’t always easy to live in accordance with the New Covenant, but it is the only way we will be saved from the fires of Hell and enter fully into eternal life with God in Heaven.

Are we living out our covenantal calling to be good and faithful servants to God and all His children? Do we make clear that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is at the heart of our lives? What can we do to live out the New Covenant more faithfully?

O Lord, help us to keep your covenant, now and forever.

Amen.