Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation, but as it is written: Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.

We should all aspire to proclaim the Gospel to everyone we meet, whether they know the Good News or not. Unlike in Paul’s time most people have at least heard of Jesus, but hearing about him and knowing his teachings are two different things. The best way to spread the Gospel is to live it out through our thoughts, words, and works. By becoming living signs of God’s Goodness, Love, and Truth, we give witness to our faith so even non-believers take notice of. We might not be perfect, but what matters to trying to be the best we can be so others around us see our attempt to be holy and are inspired by it.

In what ways have we proclaimed the Gospel? What have we done to make ourselves into faithful witnesses to the Good News? How can we help others to know, love, and serve God?

O Lord, help us to proclaim the Gospels through our every thought, word, and work.

Amen.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.

The two images of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Satan, Prince of the World are polar opposites of each other. Mary is clothed in the lights of the sun, moon, and stars. She the model of what it means to be a God-bearing person. She gives birth to our Lord and Savior, bringing new life into the world. Her entire being brings glory to God. Satan, on the other hand, is clothed in bloody red scales and his horns are meant not for trumpeting God’s glory, but to do violence to the children of God. His tail sweeps away the light of God’s Divine Truth and brings darkness. Unlike Mary, who brings love and life to all creation, he knows only how to bring about sin and death. There could not be a clearer picture painted of the choice that faces us all. We can be like Mary and bear God into the world with pain and labor, but with the promise of everlasting life or we can be like Satan devouring the world in passion and violence, but leave ourselves empty inside and with no hope of eternal life.

How can we clothe ourselves in the light of God’s Goodness and bring love and life to the world? Are we willing to bear the pain and suffering that come with doing God’s Will? What can we do to prepare ourselves to flee from the temptations and wickedness of the Devil and all his empty promises?

O Lord, make us into signs of your love and mercy for all those we meet.

Amen.

Sixth Thursday of Ordinary Time

This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

God has entered into many covenants with us. Through each one He has given us many graces. With the New Covenant of Jesus, he has offered us a new sign of His promises... the cross. It is in the cross that we see the bridge between the death of sin and the life of love. It is in this symbol that we see the triumph of God through the sacrifice of the cross. But a covenant is a two-way promise and in return for the saving graces of His Beloved Son, God asks us to know, love, and serve Him as Jesus did by following the Way of the Cross. It is only by accepting the sufferings of this life and bearing them with hopeful and compassionate hearts that we will become living signs of God’s New Covenant. It is not enough for us to accept God’s Love and Mercy. We must also imitate Christ in our thoughts, words, and works. When people look upon us they should know we are Christians by our love and how we carry ourselves under the weight of our own crosses.

Are we living our lives according to the New Covenant? How can we make ourselves into living signs of the New Covenant? Do we ever take time to truly contemplate what God did for us through His Son’s passion, death, and resurrection?

O Lord, make us into living signs of the triumph of your cross.

Amen.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter."

We are called to be stepping stones toward God, not stumbling blocks to faith. Our every thought, word, and work should have the increase of faith in God, hope in salvation, and charity toward others as their main goals. Our lives should lead others to God, not away from Him. The Pharisees burdened others, we should unburden them. We should be living signs of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace constantly calling all His children into a deeper conversion of heart, soul, and mind. We ought to be welcoming of others, not condemning them. This does not mean we should condone their sins, but rather, we should focus our energies on helping others overcome their vices because we want them to be with us in heaven.

Are we stepping stones or stumbling blocks to the faith of others? Are our actions rooted in the desire to know, love, and serve God and His children? How can we make our lives signs of God's Love?

O Lord, convert our hearts, souls, and minds so that we can give a deeper witness of your Unfathomable Love and Divine Mercy.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Jesus does not send his disciples into the world alone. He gives them the Holy Spirit to work with them and confirm their works through signs. Today we might not have the great signs they did, but we are still not alone. The Lord works through and with us to accomplish God’s Will. He gives us every grace to fulfill our role in his Divine Plan. All we have to do is accept the graces he gives us and the task he sets before us and then we will become living signs of God’s love for His children. Every time we preach the gospel through word and especially through deed, we manifest God’s saving grace to those whom we help.

What tasks have God set before us? If we don’t yet know what they are, then how can we discern them? What signs, great and small, confirm our works as good and Christ-like?

O Lord, work with us and confirm your word through us.

Amen.