Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. 

Sometimes we are like John. We hear some news and run off. We race ahead. When we arrive at where we are going, we can be tempted to jump right in, but John takes a moment to look before he leaps. Why does he do this? We do not know. Perhaps he is afraid of what he sees. Or maybe he knows Peter should be the first disciple to cross the threshold. Fear or humility... or both... or neither. It is hard to say because we cannot ask him. Perhaps John wonders if his eyes are tricking him... as if all he sees is just wishful thinking and he needs confirmation from Peter before he can fully embrace what his heart is telling him. Sometimes we are like that. We need some sort of confirmation that what we believe is true, where we are going is the right way, what we are doing is for the best. This confirmation can come from many people, places, or things, but all of them have one source... God. It is He who reaffirms our beliefs and helps us take the next step in our lives... to cross the threshold to holiness.

Are we running toward God or away from Him? How can we reaffirm the faith of others as well as our own? Are we willing to cross the threshold to holiness?

O Lord, we believe.

Amen.

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 

God has made us worthy of our callings in this life. He has given us the graces we need. He has provided us with gifts and talents and treasures sufficient to accomplish the works He wants us to do. He has blessed us in ways seen and unseen all so we might fulfill His Will on earth. If we fail to do good or avoid evil, it is not because He did not help us enough. It is because we ignored our calling, settled for something less, or choose a sinful life over a holy one. It is our fault and ours alone when we fall short because we are weighed down by doubts, fears, apathy, or selfishness. However, if we are willing to shrug off these things and place our trust in God, then there is no limit to how far we can go. We will be able to make the leaps of faith we need in order to achieve God’s Will and the world, including ourselves, will be better off for it.

Do we bring to fulfillment every good purpose and effort of faith? Do our thoughts, words, and works glorify God? What can we do to live up to the calling God has given us?

O Lord, make us worthy of your calling.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Blessed be God, who lives forever. Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them, he has shown you his greatness even there.

Even when we are in the midst of trials and difficulties, we should find it in our hearts to praise God. The world might look at our challenges and sufferings and mock us, saying, “Where is your God now?” But we know that even in the darkest of nights, our God is with us. Even when we are scattered and defeated, He is there to pick up the pieces and put us back together even better than before. We might not understand why we suffer or appreciate how our failures and defeats can lead us to better things, but they do if we allow them. Sometimes in order to make a jump, we have to step back from the edge and get a running start. These leaps of faith require great trust in God, but as long as we do believe, we will make it to the other side and once again to see the greatness of God and be able to show it to others.

Do we praise God even in the middle of our trials? How can we learn to trust God enough to go through periods of darkness and suffering without losing faith? How can we help others do the same?

O Lord, you show your greatness to us each and every day.

Amen.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age and Sarah herself was sterile for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.

Sometimes in our lives we have to take leaps of faith. We have to trust God will provide for us and give us what we need to overcome the obstacles in our path and achieve the goals we are being asked to accomplish. We might not know how we will fulfill God’s Will, or when, or where, or what will happen as a result of our actions, but if we trust in the Lord, then we shall receive the power and support we need to succeed.

Are we willing to obey God even when we are uncertain of where we are going or how we will accomplish His Will? Are we willing to allow God to lead us where He wants us to go? Do we trust God enough to put everything we have in His Hands to do with as He wishes?

O Lord, we believe you are trustworthy.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Monday of Ordinary Time

"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD.

Sometimes we are afraid of what God is asking us to do and we run away from our calling. We might do so out of fear or selfishness or any number of reasons, but in the end we flee. However, God doesn’t ask us to do anything without giving us every opportunity and grace we need to succeed. Often, when we run away, God gives us another chance to make things right. He asks us to take that leap of faith and trust we won’t drown. He will send us the help we need to arrive where we need to be in order to do what God wants to be done. We can try running away as much as we want, but in the end we will find our way back before our Lord and God... the only difference is whether we embrace our vocation to know, love, and serve Him and His children or if we flee from it in selfishness. Hopefully, in the end, we run to God and chose to do His Will.

Are we running away from God’s Will for us? How can we learn to trust in Him and make the leap of faith He is asking us to take? Are we willing to embrace our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children?

O Lord, give us the grace to trust in you, now and forever.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.

Faith, hope, and love. These virtues are at the heart of what it means to be Christians. We are called to the work of faith because it brings about the fruits of obedience, respect of God and others, and the desire to live holy lives. We are called to the labor of love because it is only by giving of ourselves through charity and mercy that we fulfill the golden rule. We are called to hope because it is only when we trust God completely that we are able to endure all trials, overcome all obstacles, and make the leaps of faith God asks us to make. God chose us to each grow in faith, hope, and love in our own unique ways and to express them through our own personalities.

How can we become better workers in the faith? What can we do to be more fruitful laborers of love? How can we cultivate a spirit of enduring hope?

O Lord, grant us the virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Amen.

Nineteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.

The Israelites left Egypt by the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and they enter the Promised Land by another miraculous crossing. These two miracles bookend the long road from slavery in Egypt to the reception of the commandments and the Law to wandering in the desert to freedom in the Land of Milk and Honey. This passage mimics our own spiritual journey. First, we must trust in God enough to accept His call to rise up and follow Him out of our slavery to sin. Then, we must learn our faith and manifest the commandment to know, love, and serve God and His children. We must also purify ourselves of our fears, doubts, and imperfections. Lastly, we must take the leap and march forth into the world secure in our faith, hope, and love. By following this Way, we prepare ourselves for a Promised Land not in this life, but in the next... the Heavenly Kingdom where we will spend eternity with God and the community of saints.

Do we trust in God enough to let Him lead us away from out temptations and out of our sins? How can we manifest the commandments and purify ourselves of all that holds us back from being good and faithful servants? Are we ready to confidently walk the Way God has prepared for us?

O Lord, you are ever in our midst no matter where we are in our journey.

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.

Eighteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me. Tell them: By my life, says the LORD, I will do to you just what I have heard you say. Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall. Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me. I, the LORD, have sworn to do this to all this wicked assembly that conspired against me: here in the desert they shall die to the last man.

After everything God had done for the Israelites, from freeing them from Egypt to dwelling with them in the ark, they still did not trust God. This lack of faith spurred by fears and doubts overcame their confidence in God. How easily we can fall into the same pattern in our own lives. We are faithful followers of Christ while things are easy, but the moment He asks us to risk something for our spiritual growth, we grumble and complain. He offers use a life overflowing with graces and good fruits, but we recoil from it because we are afraid of the obstacles in our way. We come up with excuses not to take the leap of faith and deny God our trust. And then, we wonder why our lives seem to be wondering aimlessly through the desert from suffering to suffering with no relief. It is because we turned our backs on the way forward and have chosen to oppose God’s Will. The only remedy for this is to purge ourselves of our doubts and fears and put our faith in God’s Providence.

What are the things we grumble about in our lives? Are our doubts and fears holding us back from where God is calling us? How can we learn to take the leap of faith when God provides us with an opportunity to follow Him into the Promised Land?

O Lord, we are sorry for our grumbling and ask you to lead us where we need to be.

Amen.

Third Sunday in Lent

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I have done.” When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

No matter how many times we see the faith alive in someone else. No matter how often we hear someone proclaim the Good News through word or work. No matter how much we are exposed to the conviction of other Christians. In the end, we have to choose to believe in Christ for ourselves. We have to accept the truth he has given us through the scriptures and the traditions of the Church he founded. We have to trust that the Holy Spirit has kept his Gospel message alive in the members of His Spiritual Body, the Church. This personal choice leads us to the community of saints. The two are inseparable. And once we come into the community of believers, then just like the Samaritan woman, we are asked to spread the Good News to others and help them come to their own choice to join the Body of Christ and recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior, too.

Who were the people in our lives who helped introduce us to the Good News? Do we pray for them and thank them for giving us the opportunity to discover our faith? How do we proclaim the Gospels to others in our lives?

O Lord, help us to lead others to faith in you.

Amen.

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

As soon as God speaks to Joseph in his dream, he immediately does what he is commanded. This is how we all supposed to act when we are inspired by the Holy Spirit or asked to do a good work. This is what it means to be a truly righteous person and not just self-righteous one. God's instructions to Joseph are also relevant to all of us. Like Joseph, we are to be fearless in our pursuit of doing God's Will. We are supposed to take Mary into our hearts because she will bring us closer to Jesus, who will save us from our sins. Sometimes doing the right thing and listening to God's Will is difficult and requires a leap of faith on our part, but as long as we make that leap with hopeful hearts, and loving vigor, then we shall overcome all obstacles and make it to the Gates of Paradise and to our Heavenly King.

Do we do what God inspires us to do? What are the actions, people, or things in our lives that keep us from being righteous people? Are we willing to make a leap of faith when God asks us to?

O Lord, we are not afraid to do your Will.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

Sometimes people tell us things and we just don’t understand what they are trying to say. However, if we don’t seek to clarify, then we remain in the dark. We should never be afraid to question and to seek to understand our faith. This is not to say that we should not believe something because we do not understand, far from it! Rather we should choose to believe while we seek to understand. We need this fidelity to Christ’s message even more when we are faced with trials and tribulations that tempt us to doubt our faith. We will never have a full and faultless knowledge of the Gospels, but what we can do is try to live out the spirit of the good news God has given us through the Scriptures and His Holy Church. There are times when the truth requires us to make a leap of faith in the face of our personal doubts.

Do we constantly seek to understand our faith? What questions do we have about our faith? Have we done everything possible to reconcile our doubts with the Scriptures and the traditions of the Church?

O Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.

Amen.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?”

It is ironic that the crowds following Jesus ask him to give them a sign so that they will believe. They had just witnessed a miracle that feed them and here they are asking for another one, just to be sure. Isn’t that the temptation we all have in life? We want certainty. We want everything handed to us on a silver platter. We avoid risks and leaps of faith. We avoid those things which might require us to sacrifice or suffer. We are blind to the Will of God and timid in carrying it out when we are faced with it. No matter how many signs God sends us we always have the final choice about whether we will follow Him or not. We can always come up with excuses as to why we can’t accomplish His Will. In the end, these excuses lead us nowhere just as the excuses and complaints of the Jews resulted in their wandering in the desert for forty years. We are faced with the same choice as the Jews and if we are obstinate and only seek certainty and comfort, then we will never reach the Promised Land because to know, love, and serve God and His children is to risk everything for them without excuse or complaint.

What signs are we asking for from God? Do we really need them or do we already know in our hearts what He is asking of us? How can we open our eyes and ears to the daily miracles that surround us and show us how to live Christ-like lives?

O Lord, we believe in you and want only to accomplish your will.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time

Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.

Sometimes in our lives we ask God for signs to show us what to do, to bargain with him, or worst yet to test Him. However, signs are not what God wants us to be asking for in our lives. Even if He did answer us we would still have to interpret what a particular sign meant and might misunderstand it. Instead, we should focus on doing the right thing at all times and loving others as best as we can. If we do this then it should not matter whether we receive signs or not, we will know we are doing God’s Will and that is enough.

Do we look for signs in our lives or try to bargain with God through those signs? Are we willing to make blind leaps of faith without depending upon some false sign which might point us in the wrong direction? Can we set aside our prideful desire to interpret signs and simply love and do what God wills?

O Lord, give us no sign except for the cross.

Amen.