Third Friday of Advent

Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

We are all temples to the Lord. We are all made to be His dwelling place. Our hearts are meant to be tabernacles to our Lord, allowing Him to rest in and work through us. We should strive to be open to our Heavenly Father. We should accept the teachings and wisdom of the Son. We should seek to fulfill the Will of the Holy Spirit and become saintly people. This is the only way we can become who we are meant to be... children of God, who reflect the face of God in our own faces and pass on His blessings through our own thoughts, words, and works. So, let us manifest the Lord to the best of our abilities and allow Him to live and speak and work through us in all things.

Do we let God enter into the temples of our souls? Are we accepting of the blessings and graces He gives us? Do we seek for Him in all things?

O Lord, we seek your face.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

Glory and praise forever! “Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”

The temple of God’s Glory resides within each of our hearts. How we tend our bodies, minds, and spirits reflects how we treat God. If we ignore our physical, mental, and spiritual growth, then we weaken our living temples. The only way for the walls of our faith to stand up to earthly trials is if we build them on the solid ground of hope and construct them with the best resources of love, mercy, and goodness. Our temples are only as strong as our reliance on God, who supports us in our times of need and weakness. He makes us strong and for that we should be very thankful.

Are we tending to the good and holy needs of our bodies, minds, and spirits? How can we found ourselves more firmly upon the strength of our Heavenly Father? What can we do to help shore up the faiths of others and help them grow as Christians?

O Lord, blessed are you and the temple you have built within our hearts.

Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.

We are God’s building. We are His Church and Temple. We are all parts of one dwelling. We all serve a purpose. We are all founded in one faith, one baptism, for one God. We are united in the Body of Christ which is manifested through us. We are builders, too, of faith, hope, and love. We add onto the Church through our thoughts, words, and works and as such we must take our responsibilities seriously. We must be careful to build upon the foundation of Christ and not upon anything else. We must add onto the Church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must not damage or distort what God has constructed for us. We must be vigilant in the defense of the Scriptures and the Traditions of the Church, while still being open to growing His Temple in new and sanctifying directions.

Do we take care of God’s Temple within our souls? In what ways do we build up the Church? Are our spiritual foundations rooted in Jesus Christ?

O Lord, we are your building, do with us what you will.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory. The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, When the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer.

Whenever we are damaged, knocked down, or ruined by something, God is there to help us. He offers to mend our wounds. He reaches out to lift us up. He is ready to rebuild us, better than before. He does not want to see us destitute or despised or destroyed. The world may do this to us, but He does not. He will do everything in His power to raise us out of our poverty, whether it is physical or spiritual. He will grant graces and blessings to those who are mocked and persecuted by the worldly. Even if our enemies destroy us in some way, He will resurrect us and bring us to a better life.

What areas of our lives need to be rebuilt? How can we make ourselves more open to God’s constructive work in our lives? What can we do to help others who are in need of building up their bodies, minds, and spirits?

O Lord, build us up into living churches.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Jesus Christ holds us together as Christians and human beings. He is what binds us to be loving and respectful to one another no matter the differences between us. He showed us time after time how he has called all men and women to become his disciples. He reminds us again and again that each of us has a role to play in God’s Divine Plan. We are not all the same, but we do fit together when we choose to be a part of His Spiritual Body, the Church. It is through the teachings and traditions of the Church that we are bound together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, each in his or her own unique way. So, let us each allow ourselves to be placed where we are needed in the Church so it might be a strong, holy, and united family.

What role is God calling me to take up in His Holy Church? How can we fulfill this vocation with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? How can we help others to fit into the Body of Christ, too?

O Lord, build us into a living and united temple sacred to you.

Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

"This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Our lives are meant to proclaim the life, passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord until he comes again. If we want to be good and faithful God-bearers, then we need to remember Him in every moment of our lives. We need to make Him present in our thoughts, words, and works. We do this best when we go to mass and receive the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This spiritual food nourishes our souls and grants us the graces we need to do God’s Will. We should do everything in our power to prepare our hearts to receive God through the Eucharist. We should make our bodies into living temples dedicated to housing the Holy Spirit and bringing people closer to our Heavenly Father.

How can we prepare ourselves for the reception of the Blessed Sacrament? What can we do to receive God into our hearts as His humble servants? What can we do to remember and make present God in our everyday lives?

O Lord, help us to do all things in remembrance of you.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”

God’s dwelling is within us. Our hearts are supposed to be His Holy Temples. Our minds are called to be home to His Word. Our spirits are meant to be resting places for our Lord and God. He entrusted His Divine Image within each and every one of us. He has given us the Body and Blood of His Beloved Son to become a part of us. He wants us to be living tabernacles, bearing Him into the world through our thoughts, words, and works. However, in order to do this, we must prepare ourselves. We must be holy, loving, merciful. We must imitate the Holy Trinity in all things. We must be protective of the weak like the Father. We must be kind and compassionate like Jesus. We must be on fire with charitable love like the Holy Spirit. Only then will every tear be wiped away and the old order of sin pass away into the new order of salvation.

Have we prepared our hearts, minds, and spirits to be dwelling places for the Lord? What can we do to make ourselves more welcoming to God’s Divine Presence in our lives? How can we help others do the same?

O Lord, behold, our hearts are yours! Dwell within them always.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday in Ordinary Time

O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple. Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth.

If we know, love, and serve God, then our souls become temples to God. He dwells within us and pours His Love and Mercy out upon us. It isn't always easy to upkeep our inner temples, but they need constant tending through prayer, charity, mortification, and acts of mercy. Without these actions, our temples would fall into disrepair and collapse. However, God gives us all the building blocks we need to build Him a great temple within our hearts. So, let us make use of all those graces, goods, and blessings He has given us and make a place of refuge for ourselves and all those whom we meet each day.

Do we treat ourselves, body, minds, and spirits, as living temples of the Lord? How can we build up our inner temples? What can we do to keep them from being weakened and destroyed?

O Lord, we ponder your mercy and hope to build up a temple for you within our hearts.

Amen.

First Wednesday of Advent

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

The house of the Lord can reside in our hearts as well as the Church. Our hearts, which may be unworthy mangers, can be made worthy to receive Jesus through the sacrament of reconciliation. We can clean out all our old ways and give Christ a place to lay his head when he comes to us in the sacrament of communion. By making our hearts into his home, we open ourselves to all the graces God has prepared for us. He grants us his protection. He gives us repose and inner peace. He leads us to the life-giving waters of love and mercy. He refreshes our souls through His Divine Presence. He makes us into living temples, shining His Light upon the world around us and leading others to rest in Him.

Are we willing to clean out all those things that prevent God from living within us? How can we cleanse ourselves, like Joseph and Mary cleansed and made ready the manger before Christ's birth? What can we do to prepare ourselves to be dwelling places of our Savior and our God?

O Lord, dwell within us and make us holy.

Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

We are all called to be temples of God. We are all asked to be sacred spaces wherein God can dwell. We are given the grace to build our lives upon the foundations of the rock of Christ. Whenever we worthily receive the Word of God or the Blessed Sacrament, we are transformed into living temples to the glory of God for the good of all. We strive to keep ourselves holy and help others to do the same for we are all called to build up the Church and be united as One Body of Christ. Woe to us if we fail in our calling to be good and faithful servants or if we destroy the foundations of faith in others, but blessed are we if we strive to uphold the faith in ourselves and all of God’s children.

Are we treating ourselves and others as temples of God? How can we build up our faith, hope, and love? What can we do to remain holy dwelling places for our Lord and God?

O Lord, build us into living temples to you.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

We, as Christians, have been brought together by Jesus. We have been built into a living temple so we might give glory to God and be a place of repose for Him. Jesus showed us how to unite ourselves with God by knowing, loving, and serving Him and His children. He also reminded us we all have the image of God within us and as such we all deserve to be treated with dignity, charity, and mercy. He wants us to become friends in the faith and co-workers in his vineyard. He holds us all together through the Way, the Truth, and the Life he has given us and the Church he left behind. He did all these things so we all might become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit and, hopefully, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves, making every effort to uphold the temple of God within us.

How can we be more united with Christ and his Holy Church? What sacrifices and acts of charity and mercy can we make to build up the Living Temple of Our Lord? Do we treat everyone we meet with the same dignity, mercy, and love as Jesus did in his most holy life?

O Lord, built us into a united dwelling place for you.

Amen.

Twentieth Saturday in Ordinary Time

I fell prone as the glory of the LORD entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east, but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD. Then I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man stood beside me. The voice said to me: Son of man, this is where my throne shall be, this is where I will set the soles of my feet; here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

If we want to spend eternity with God, then we have to do everything within our power to transform our hearts into temples for the Lord. We need to place the foundations of our lives upon his commandments, build the walls of our faith around the teachings of Jesus, and shelter ourselves beneath the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We have to cleanse and keep clean our consciences and keep watch against those things that would defile the sacred space we’ve created for God. We cannot let temptation or indifference ruin our spiritual temples. We must give glory to God for all He has done for us and thank Him for providing all we need to build our hearts into living temples to Him. We must welcome God’s Presence in our lives through constant prayer, frequent communion, and acts of charity and mercy toward others.

How can we make our hearts into temples to the Lord? What can we do to give glory to God with our every thought, word, and work? In what ways have we made our hearts into shelters for those who are in need or suffering?

O Lord, dwell without our hearts.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As Christians, our belief in Jesus brings us together. It forges us into one, united people of God. It transforms us into living temples built upon the foundations of love for the Holy Trinity and all of God's children. There are no strangers among us, but rather fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are built together by our Heavenly Father in order to do His Will and bring about His Kingdom. Our time, talents, and treasures are given to us for this purpose. We are meant to use them to build up His Church and woe to us if we waste or bury them.

Is God the Father the foundation of our lives? Is Jesus Christ the capstone of our faith? Are our hearts sacred temples adorned with the inspirations and graces of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, make us into dwelling places for you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

"LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command. Answer me, LORD! Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses." The LORD's fire came down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench. Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"

Sometimes we can get so caught up in our daily jobs, sufferings, and struggles that we lose sight of God. We start to give our time, talents, and treasures to things that lead us astray... away from God. We make false idols out of all manner of things from money to TVs to computers to everything else. However, we must resist this temptation with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We must make our lives into an offering to God and not to evil. We must fall to our knees in prayer and renew our baptismal promises. We must be confident that "The Lord is God!" and will never abandon us... even when we fail to follow Him as we should. We must trust that God will bring us back our senses after we sin and help us to confess, do penance, and sin no more.

Do we need to be brought back to our spiritual senses? What false idols do we need to reject from our lives? How can we prepare ourselves to be a living altar dedicated to our Lord and our God?

O Lord, prepare our hearts with your grace so that they will be completely dedicated to you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD. Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud; I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever."

Just as Solomon built a holy place for the Lord to dwell, so are we all called to create a sacred space in our hearts. We need to build our lives around our God so He can dwell within our thoughts, words, and works. We need to consecrate our lives to Him through daily sacrifices, mortifications, and offerings of good works. By doing so, we make room in our lives for God and become princely houses for our Lord. It isn’t always easy to open our hearts to God and clean out all those sins and imperfections that clutter up our inmost thoughts. However, if we want God to abide with us forever, then we must cleanse ourselves and do everything in our power to prepare a place for God to live within us.

What are we doing to prepare our hearts to be a resting place for God? How can we make our hearts into thrones for our Lord? What sacrifices, good works, and penances do we need to make in order to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist?

O Lord, help us to build hearts where you may abide forever.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

Our bodies are not our own. This is something many of us have trouble accepting, especially in a world that encourages us to do whatever we want... whenever we want... however we want. However, if we believe God is with us... If we believe we are members of the One Body of Christ... If we believe we are temples of the Holy Spirit, then we can’t simply think of ourselves when it comes to our bodies. We must consider how our actions effect the dwelling place of the Lord that rests in our hearts. We must realize we should act as if we are living tabernacles of the Body of Christ... because we are. And as such, we must do everything in our power to lead holy lives because our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies are sacred ground meant to glorify God... always and in every way.

Are we willing to accept our bodies are not our own? How can we make our hearts into more perfect temples of the Holy Spirit? In what ways can our bodies glorify God?

O Lord, dwell within us like living temples.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance and praise. They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests' chambers and furnished them with doors. There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.

Here we have a description of the aftermath of the purification and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, but what does this have to do with us? More than we might think if we consider ourselves... bodies, minds, and souls to be temples to God. If that is the case, then we can recognize the need to purify and rededicate ourselves after we fall into sin. And when we do so through the sacrament of reconciliation, we should celebrate like the Israelites did. We should come to the altar of sacrifice, offer our prayers, alms, and mortifications to God as burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance and praise. We should adorn ourselves with thoughts, words, and works of charity and mercy, giving glory to God who is the source, center, and summit of all goodness. We should be overjoyed that we have swept clean our hearts and made them ready to be temples to our Lord and God.

How do we purify ourselves after we sin and rededicate ourselves after receiving reconciliation? Do we celebrate and give thanksgiving to God for all He has forgiven us? How can we adorn ourselves with good words and works?

O Lord, we offer ourselves as living temples to you.

Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

Many of us who read this passage might think of the water flowing from the Temple as the love, mercy, and grace of God, but on another level this passage speaks about us as well. We are all called to be living temples to God, allowing His Goodness to pour out of us through our thoughts, words, and works. We are asked to empty ourselves so we might be filled with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are responsible for bringing God into the world through our actions. We are tasked with magnifying God by refreshing the world with our purity and holiness. God gives us every opportunity to grow in the faith, to bear good fruits, and to give life to others. We might not always think of ourselves as fonts of God’s grace, but that is what we are called to be as Christians and we should do all we can to build up the temple within us through virtuous lives.

Do we act like living temples to God? In what ways are we bringing God’s love, mercy, and grace to others? How can we bear more good fruits in our lives?

O Lord, build us into temples to your Goodness.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king: "May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?" The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it."

God wants us to be happy. He wants to give us what we need to succeed in our spiritual lives. He is constantly asking us, “What is it, then that you wish?” Not for us to answer in worldly terms or to make selfish requests, but rather to prayerfully ask for the thoughts, words, and works that will help us to build up the temples within our souls. He wants us to discern with Him what are the most important aspects of our lives so we know where we wants us to go and what He wants us to do. We can’t do that if we are paralyzed with fears, doubts, and distractions. However, if we answer His call and pray for guidance, He will lead us where we need to be and inspire us to say and do what is in accord with His Will.

How can we overcome our fears and answer God’s call to follow Him? What is it that God wishes for us? What can we do to discern God’s Will in our lives?

O Lord, help us to wish for what is right and good.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Monday of Ordinary Time

All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him! Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, together with free-will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.

We are all charged with building temples to God within ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do this in various ways through our virtues, our gifts, and our generosity toward others. Our every thought, word, and work should have building up the Kingdom of God as its aim or at the very least be offered up for this purpose through prayer. We build temples to our Lord and God through our acts of charity and mercy, through our choice to do what is right rather than what is wrong, and through following the teachings of Jesus in spite of what the world tells us to do. We build up the faith in others through spending our time, talents, and treasures ministering to them through great and small acts of evangelization and kindness.

Have we made our hearts into temples to God? What can we do to build up the faith in others? How can we become builders of the faith?

O Lord, help us to build a house to you within our hearts.

Amen.