Tenth Friday in Ordinary Time

Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"

God’s Voice is very rarely above a whispering wind. He Speaks to us softly, subtly, and sometimes He speaks to us through silence. He is not a dictator handing down edicts that we must follow or else. He wants us to make good choices on our own. It is more meaningful if we choose right over wrong out of our own choices. Sometimes we can’t hear God in our lives. We are too busy or pay attention to the wrong things, but God is always with us, whispering His Love, Inspiration, and Teachings into our ears. We have only to listen to Him carefully and earnestly and He will reveal to us what we are called to do.

Are we listening to God’s whispers? Are we allowing them to guide us to become better people? How can we learn to tune out the noise of the world and focus more on God’s Love, Inspiration, and Teachings?

O Lord, let us hear your whisperings.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Becoming fruitful followers of Christ requires us to do three things: know, love, and serve God and His children. In order to know God, we have to be open to the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In order to know God’s children, we have to listen to them and empathize with them. In order to love and serve God and others properly, we need to understand the Word of God and what it is asking of us as followers of Christ. Our knowledge and understanding of the Good News shows us the Way to live Christ-like lives and helps us to bear good fruits through our thoughts, words, and works.

Are we open to listening to the Word of God, even in the midst of our busy lives? What can we do to help ourselves to understand the Word of God? How can we know, love, and serve God and His children in fruitful ways?

O Lord, grant us the graces we need to be fertile soil for your Divine Word.

Amen.

Thirteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

Rebekah had been listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. So, when Esau went out into the country to hunt some game for his father, Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of his neck. Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the bread she had prepared.

Mary does for us what Rebekah did for Jacob. She listens to God and knows what He wants and if we treat her with honor and love, then she will do everything she can to put us into position to receive God’s blessing. If we listen to her and do whatever she tells us, then God will find us pleasing. She tells us to dress in the virtues of faith, hope, and love because she knows our Heavenly Father favors them. She tells us to cover up our flaws and imperfections by putting on the sacrificial life of Christ because she knows that the only way to our heavenly reward is through becoming children of God. She prepares for us a feast of faithful acts and good works that she knows God will enjoy. Mary is our most perfect Mother, giving us every advantage... for who knows God better than His Daughter, His Mother, and His Holy Spouse?

Do we honor and love Mary as we should? Do we follow the example she sets for us? How can we make Mary a more important and influential model for our lives?

O Lord, thank you for our immaculate mother.

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.

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

Sometimes God prevents us from doing something He knows won’t lead us in the right direction. We might have our hearts set on something, but be unable to achieve it. This failure can be disheartening, but we need to remember that failures can lead to greater opportunities. When a door closes... a window opens. We can’t be so focused on one life path that we close our hearts and minds to the possibility that God is calling us elsewhere. By leaving ourselves open to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we allow God to work through us in a way that both fulfills us and is in accordance with God’s Will. Sometimes a setback is just what we need to give us a new perspective on life, to give us a nudge in the right direction, and ultimately to become the best disciples of Christ we can be.

Do we get frustrated with our failures or see them as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve? Are we open to allowing God to lead us in unexpected directions? How can we prepare ourselves to listen to the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, lead us in the right direction.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

There is only one way into heaven and that is through the Divine Gateway of Jesus Christ. It is through his shepherding teachings that he shows us the true way to eternal life. There are no other paths to paradise, except those which go through Christ. The road to ruin is wide and full of thieves, stealing, slaughtering, and destroying poor souls. However, God will protect us from the dangers of the world if we are willing to listen to His Voice and follow Jesus along the narrow and righteous trail to heaven. He shall feed us with his Body and pour out his Blood for us so we might be sustained through our trials and have more abundant lives with him.

Have we accepted Jesus as our Shepherd? Do we listen to his voice? Do we follow him to where we need to be?

O Lord, help us to live our lives more abundantly in, through, and with you.

Amen.

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

"Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them.  When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.

When Peter is asked to come to Tabitha, he does so without delay. He heads upstairs and after seeing what Tabitha has been doing to help support the other faithful, he kneels, prays, and calls on her to rise. When she does return to life, it's a moment of great joy for everyone. There will be times when we are doing something like Peter and suddenly be asked to help someone else. We can respond like Peter and go immediately or we might delay or refuse. The first response we should have as Christians is to help those in need to the best of our abilities. So let us keep a watchful eye and a listening ear so we can respond how we should, quickly and without complaint.

Do we delay our help of others? How can we be more responsive to those in need? What can we do to help others to the best of our abilities?

O Lord, give us the spirit to come to the aid of others without delay.

Amen.

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”

Although we might not realize it, we persecute Jesus just as Saul did. We might not hunt down Christians like he did or stand by as innocent people are stoned to death, but we do it in little ways. We do it when we chose our own interests over what God is calling us to do. We do it when we put our selfish desires ahead of the good of others. We do it when we choose to be lazy or to let an opportunity to do good pass us by. We do it when we let our passions rule our wisdom and our conscience. We do it when we don’t listen to someone’s cry for help. We do it when we seek revenge or deny forgiveness to those who ask for it. We do it in many great and small ways whenever we sin. However, thanks to the Resurrection and the hope it gives to us, we like Saul, can be transformed into good and faithful servants if we are willing to listen to His Word and do what He tells us in our heart of hearts.

How are we persecuting God? How can we overcome our sins and make amends to our Lord and God? Are we ready and willing to listen to the plan that He has for us and embrace it?

O Lord, transform us from sinful Sauls into faithful Pauls so we might become more Christ-like in all that we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Lent

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

We are all called to be a people of transfiguration. We are asked by God to transform our lives by becoming more and more like Christ. We are asked to be more deeply converted by his Good News. We are asked to change our attitudes from fear of what the world will think of us if we reject it to the courage that is necessary to rise up and be not afraid to proclaim the Gospels through our thoughts, words, and works. We are asked to alter our view of the world from a selfish one to a selfless one... to see God and others through Jesus-colored glasses. When we look at creation, we need to see the Lord behind it. When we look at others, we need to see the Christ within them. When we look at ourselves, we need to see the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us to where we are called to be.

Are we listening to Jesus through the scriptures and traditions of the Church? Are we listening to him when he speaks to us through others? How can we learn to rise up and be courageous in Christ?

O Lord, give us the spiritual strength to allow you to transfigure us into yourself.

Amen.

First Tuesday of Lent

Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there
till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

God has given us his Divine Word through many people. The prophets gave it to us through the Old Testament. Jesus gave it to us by becoming the Word made Flesh and expressing it through his Good News. The Church gives it to us through its scriptures and traditions. Every day, God’s Word is with us. It is in the people we meet. Family, friends, and neighbors who think, speak, and act in accord with God’s Divine Plan. It is also within each of us and it is up to us to proclaim it with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. It is up to us to bring about the good ends that God wants for us and others through making ourselves into living words of His Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Are we listening for God’s Word in our lives? How can we become prophets of the Good News to others? How can we cultivate the Word through everything we think, say, and do?

O Lord, help us to achieve the end for which you sent us.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

In a world where we are surrounded by distractions and diversions, it can be difficult to keep holy the Sabbath let alone any other day of the week. We are constantly bombarded by computers, TVs, and radios with images and sounds that lure our thoughts away from heavenly things and to earthly ones. In a world full of sights and sounds, it can be hard to hear God calling us and to see the opportunities for good that we are presented with each day. This is why it is so important to make our Sabbath days holy, restful, and renewing in spirit. If Sunday is just another day to surf the web, watch TV, or listen to music, then we lose out on the richness of our faith. Sunday needs to be the pivotal point in our week, replenishing our spirits and giving us the word to live by and the body and blood to sustain us throughout the week. And if we have a chance, we should seek to bring a little bit of the Sabbath into the rest of our days. We could all do with a little less action in our lives and a little more conversation with God.

Do we keep holy the Sabbath day? How is our celebration of Sunday stand out in regards to all the other days of the week? How can we bring the peace and quiet of the Sabbath into the rest of our lives?

O Lord, bless our every Sabbath and help us to keep them holy.

Amen.

Second Friday of Ordinary Time

I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The laws of the Lord are written in our hearts. They are ever-present within us and we are constantly reminded of them by our conscience. As long as we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, which informs our sense of right and wrong, we shall be God’s people. We shall do good and avoid evil. We will not be afraid to live out our faith. Our thoughts will be guided by the Truth. Our words will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Our works will be achieved through the gifts God has given us as heirs to His Kingdom.

Do we listen to our consciences? In what ways do we make the law of the Lord central to our lives? How can we show God that He is in our hearts?

O Lord, put your laws in our minds.

Amen.

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.

The Word made flesh. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. God’s gift of His Beloved Son to us for the revelation of the Truth, the teaching of the Way, and the granting of Life everlasting. From Jesus's birth to his crucifixion and resurrection has one goal in mind: to save us from sin and death. We all came into the world through the Word and we shall all pass out of it through Jesus. He shall judge us before His father for all we have done and failed to do. Under His enlightening gaze all will be revealed to us and we shall know what we did right and wrong and we shall be convicted to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell based on our words and deeds. We can only hope that we keep the light of Jesus alive in our hearts because alone we are nothing, but with Him we are made worthy to play in Paradise.

Do we listen to the Word of God? Do we thank God for our own beginnings, our own lives? What can we do to keep our eyes open to the light of Jesus?

O Lord, help us keep you always in our sight so that we might pass through the darkness and into your light.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Jesus’ words will not pass away. His Truth will triumph over ignorance and deception. His commandments to know, love, and serve God and His children will always remain. His promise of life after death for those who follow him will never go unfulfilled. His words of forgiveness and mercy will echo throughout eternity. Everything Jesus said was to enlighten us and lead us to a never-ending life with him in heaven. We would do well in this life to remember his Good News and live it out to our fullest.

Have we listened to and learned from God’s words in scripture? Are we listening to God’s inspirations through the Holy Spirit? How can we make the gospel message of Christ into the source, center, and summit of our lives?

O Lord, may we be incarnations of your divine word.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions

That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

God asks us to follow His Will in everything we say and do. Sometimes this means that we have to sacrifice our own ambitions, desires, and plans and instead focus on what He is calling us to do. Some of us may be intimidated by what we think God is calling us to do. Others may think they are unworthy. Still more may ask God to postpone their vocation so that they can do something they would rather do. And more than a few don't really know what God is inviting them to do because they are too busy and too distracted to hear His call. No matter the reason, we must make every attempt to listen for God's appeal to us and keep our hearts open to His Will above all. If we do this, then not only will we grow in faith, hope, and love, but God will entrust us with more responsibilities and the graces to fulfill them and we shall become more and more like Christ.

Do we know what God is calling us to do but are too afraid or selfish to do it? Do we take time out of each day to listen to God with open minds and hearts? Are we willing to be entrusted with fulfilling the demands of God's Will?

O Lord, we want to be your entrusted servants.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

We are blessed by God in many ways. Firstly, we are blessed with our lives, which God gave to us as a gift. However, we are also blessed in that we have the ability to freely choose to listen to the Word of God and observe it. It is this gift of a loving heart that we should be most thankful for. It is one of the things that sets us apart from other creatures. True love requires there to be a choice to love. Love cannot be forced, it must be freely given just as God gave us our lives without expectation of return of His Love. So too, our love must be without strings attached. Love is a freeing act, not a binding one. The union between two true loves is liberating in that both choose to give themselves completely to the other. They become one with another and thereby free themselves from the constraints of selfishness and instead bind themselves together in a common purpose: to love each other as they want to be loved. When we add our faith to this, then we take it a step further, we love each other as Jesus loves us and love God without reservation because we realize that it is only in uniting ourselves with God's Love that we can fulfill our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children.

Do we thank God for giving us the gift of life? Do we listen to the Word of God and observe it? Do we love God and others as we are called to love them, freely and unselfishly?

O Lord, teach us how to love you and your children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

We can all understand where Martha is coming from. We constantly see people around us who aren't pulling their weight. We feel like we have to do everything and it feels unfair. At the same time, we are anxious and worried about certain things in our lives to the point where it can drive us to forget what is important. However, no matter how busy we might be or how unappreciated we feel, we should constantly remind ourselves that this life is passing away. Its only worth is that it gives us the opportunity to express our love for God and His children. Everything else is just a distraction that keeps us from choosing the better part. So the next time we feel overwhelmed by life, perhaps we should take a moment and place ourselves at the feet of Jesus and listen to him speak to us. Then, renewed in the Holy Spirit, we shall be able to return to our responsibilities with the vigor of Martha, but the faith of Mary.

Are we anxious about many things? Do we spend more time keeping ourselves busy or listening at Jesus' feet? How can we replace our worldly worries with the joys of hearing the Word of God and then doing His Will?

O Lord, we are anxious and worried, but with your help we will choose the better part.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus is constantly calling us to follow him. No matter what we are doing in life, we should never be too busy to do God's Will. There is nothing in this world that should make us hesitate to drop what we are doing when an opportunity to do good presents itself. Not money, not fame, not any person or thing should keep us from hearing the Divine Truth, responding to it, and walking with Jesus to where we need to be. This is what it means to walk the Way of Jesus and live the Christ-like Life. It demands sacrifices from us, but in the end although we might be ridiculed, persecuted, and misunderstood, if we stand up for what we believe and practice what we preach, then we shall be healed of our iniquities and cleansed of our sins.

Are we listening for God's call? Are we willing to give up everything and follow Christ? Are we as welcoming of sinners as Jesus is of us?

O Lord, we shall come at your calling.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Jesus makes clear who he considers as his family. It is those who hear the Word of God and act on it. It is actually easy to hear the Word of God. It is in the Bible we read. It is in the readings and sermons we hear during mass. Sometimes it is whispered to us by other people in our lives. Other times it is shouted at us. However, it is much more difficult to act on the Word of God. Actions as the saying goes, speak louder than words. Even the most subtle, loving action proclaims the Good News more convincingly than some of the greatest preachers in the world. God wants our actions to reflect Him and His Loving Light into the world. This requires us to first listen, but then make the choice to do what is right and good even if it might cause us problems. So let us be open to the Word of God and make it the source, center, and summit of our everyday words and works so that when we see Jesus face-to-face he will call out to us as his beloved spiritual family.

Do we listen to the Word of God? After we listen, do we act on it? If we don't act, then how can we become better fulfillers of the teachings of Jesus Christ?

O Lord, make us doers of your will and worthy members of your spiritual family.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

Jesus outlines what we all must do in order to bear good fruit in our lives. We must not only hear the word, but also embrace it with generous and good hearts. This means that we listen not only to the commandments of God the Father, but also the teachings of the Son and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Then, having listened to these things we should put them into practice generously and in a spirit of charity toward all. When we do this, we may discover that we are opposed, persecuted, and mocked by others and the world, but this should not discourage us. Instead, we should bear our fruit through perseverance. If we do this, then we shall be rewarded with a treasure house of merits in heaven and an eternal life to enjoy them with our Beloved God, the Holy Trinity.

Are we listening to the word of God? Have we embraced the Good News with generous and good hearts? What can we do to prepare ourselves to persevere in this life and bear good fruit?

O Lord, help our hearts to find rich soil of your graces and thrive in the light of your love and the waters of your mercy.

Amen.