The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

As Christians, we shouldn’t be afraid to sacrifice and suffer. Jesus showed us that being willing to suffer for the good of others is not only good, but necessary to salvation. Yes, we can be good and do good without too much difficulty when it requires little or no sacrifice, but what happens when doing the right thing will cost us greatly? Will we have the same courage and fortitude to do good in the face of great sacrifice? Hopefully, we will be able to let go and give everything we have to God for His Glory and His children’s good. As today’s scripture says, affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, proven character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. So, let us pour ourselves out in selfless sacrifices so we might be a sign to the world that proclaims... sacrifice is good and should not be run away from.

Are we providing a good and faithful example of what it means to sacrifice and suffer for God? How can we become more enduring, hopeful, and loving in all our endeavors? In what ways can we allow God to pour Himself out into the world through us?

O Lord, hope in you never disappoints.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire. 

The enemies of God will never truly triumph. They might win battles here and there, but they are doomed. One day, they will be scattered and flee before Him. They will be driven away to the abyss and melt before the fire of His Divine Power. Whenever we are tempted to despair or worry or lose hope, we should recall this truth. We should arm ourselves with trust in God and shield ourselves with hope in Him for He will never abandon us to our enemies. He will always free us if we ask Him to release us. He will always drive away darkness and raise up the hopeful banner of the cross.

Who are the enemies of God in our lives? How can we trust God will overcome them? What can we do to show them the love of God and offer them a chance to enter into God’s good graces?

O Lord, we trust in your protection.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Easter

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might.

God asks all of us to be His friends. Think about that for a moment. Our Creator, our Redeemer, our Advocate wants to be our friend. He wants to know, love, and serve us as friends do. He wants us to be with Him as much as He is with us. He constantly builds our relationship up through grace and compassion. He does small and great things for us and our good just as a good friend would. It is only right and good that we respond in kind to Him and do what He calls us to do... to love Him and all His children as He loves us.

Are we living up to our calling to be friends of our Lord? How do we make God known to others? What can we do to become better prophets of the Word?

O Lord, make us into good and faithful friends to you and all your children.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Lent

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

God is always listening for our voice, in good times and in our distress. He waits patiently for us to turn to Him in our triumphs and our hours of need. He hears our prayers of thanksgiving as well as those of petition. He is our Rock in Whom we trust. He is our fortress against fear, doubt, and worries. He is our deliverer from sin, death, and evil. If we come to Him with humble and contrite hearts, He will welcome us into His Grace and lead us to eternal life.

Do we believe God is listening? Then, why do we hesitate or forget to praise His Holy Name, ask Him for help, or plead for His Mercy? How can we show our love for God, Who shows us love and compassion every moment of our lives?

O Lord, we call upon you, hear our voices.

Amen.

Fourth Thursday of Lent

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image; They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock.

If we are not careful, we too can make false idols in our lives. We can allow someone or something to become more important than our faith. We can allow the world to lead us astray and cause us to place our trust and energies into empty pursuits. We can convince ourselves that wrong is right and walk the wide road to spiritual ruin. There are many ways we can exchange the glory of God for the meaningless pleasures of the world. This is why it is so important to take time each day to pray and meditate... to ponder our lives and where we are going, and to examine our consciences.

Are we doing God’s Will or our own? What false idols have crept into our hearts? How can we destroy them and replace them with complete trust in and love of God?

O Lord, remember us and lead us out of bondage to sin and false idols.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.

Each and every day we need to find time to praise God. It can be in little ways or great ways. It can be through how we treat others or how we treat ourselves. It can be through prayer, mortification, or almsgiving. It can be through acts of charity, mercy, or penance. Praising God can be done in many ways and at any time. A simple glance toward heaven in thanksgiving is sometimes all that is necessary to show our faith. A quick prayer of petition is all that we need to show our hope. A humble act of self-sacrifice can express our great love.

How often do we praise the Lord? What little or great ways can we show God that we are His loving children? What can we do to spread a love of God to others?

O Lord, we praise you for all you’ve done for us.

Amen.

Thirty-First Monday in Ordinary Time

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.

It can be very difficult to look out for other people's interests above our own. We are constantly tempted to think that our time, talents, and treasures are worth more than others. The sin of pride makes it hard to humble ourselves and regard others as more important than ourselves. However, if we want to be followers of Christ, then we have to be willing to sacrifice our own wants and needs for the glory of God and the good of others. We must be filled with love, compassion, and mercy. We must be of the same mind, love, and heart as Jesus. We must look out for others to the best of our ability even if it means giving up our time, our talents, and our treasures. In spite of what the world might think, we will never be impoverished by doing God's Will. Instead, we will be enriched by our Heavenly Father for all the good we did for Him and His children.

Are we willing to put God's Will and the good of others above our own? How can we learn to be humbler and more united to Christ in all we think, say, and do? How can we keep a better eye out for the interests and needs of others?

O Lord, we humble regard you and your children as more important than our own selfish desires.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Two things I ask of you, deny them not to me before I die: Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, "Who is the LORD?" Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.

Falsehood and lying can start out small, but they are the types of sins that multiply, weighing us down with unnecessary anxieties and worries. Often when we lie, we become fearful of being found out and so we create bigger and bigger lies that eventually strangle our relationships with God and others. Our falsehoods bury us and make us unable to be ourselves anymore. Our pride and insecurities can also cause us to sin, too. Pride can convince us we are right and good when in reality we are wrong and evil. We can be convinced of our own righteousness and superiority, but that is the Devil leading us astray. Our confidence should not be in ourselves, but in God, who provides all graces and good things for us. Our doubts, fears, worries, and anxieties can also lead us astray. They can erode our confidence in God’s Goodness and in our worth as His children. They can make us feel abandoned and tempt us to abandon God. However, nothing should make us feel totally unworthy of God’s Love. Yes, we are sinners and unworthy for Jesus to enter under the roofs of our souls, but Christ has given us the Divine Word and if we accept it and live it out, then our souls shall be healed.

How can we resist all temptations to falsehood and lying? What can we do to cultivate humble hearts rooted in the love of God and neighbor? How can we guard against the doubts that try to creep into our lives and tempt us to abandon God?

O Lord, give us truthful and trusting hearts.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is the greatest of spiritual gifts and the pinnacle of virtue. With faith we can move mountains, with love we can move the world. Love of God and neighbor must be at the heart of our every thought, word, and work. Without love, our faith rings hollow, our knowledge is made foolish, and our sacrifices are worthless. God so loved the world He gave us His Beloved Son to show us how to love more perfectly. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to guide our love. If we do not have love, then we are nothing. But with true and holy love, we shall become everything God desires us to be.

Are our lives guided by the example of God's Love as shown to us through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? What can we do to cultivate the virtue of love and grow in the spiritual graces that blossom from it? How can we better know, love, and serve God and all His children?

O Lord, show us the more excellent way of love and give us the graces we need to follow it forever.

Amen.

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.

Our faith isn't always easy to follow. Our Heavenly Father asks a lot of us. He asks us to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. He asks us to be sincere in our love of others, even those who persecute us. He asks us to endure afflictions and face our trials and tribulations with hope and prayer. He asks us to be sympathetic to others and treat them with dignity. He asks us to be humble in our own estimation. All of these requests can be difficult to fulfill each and every day, but if we do our best and do penance when we fail, then we shall one day find ourselves before God and He will say, "Well, done, my good and faithful servants."

What ways of our faith do we find most difficult to follow? How can we allow God into these areas of weakness so He can help us overcome them? In what ways can we become more fervent in the Holy Spirit like Mary?

O Lord, we wish only to do what you ask of us like Mary did.

Amen.

Eighth Monday of Ordinary Time

In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.

Our faith in the promises of Christ should see us through every trial and difficulty. Knowing that God loves and forgives us should grant us an inner strength to strive to do God’s Will no matter the cost. Our belief in Jesus will not shield us from suffering, but it can provide us with an inner peace that gives us the strength to suffer what we must in order to be good and faithful servants to God and His children. Our goal in life should not be to live without suffering, but rather to live for the praise, glory, and honor of God, which sometimes means being tested with fire so we might be purified and made worthy of salvation.

Have we put our trust in God? Are we willing to do His Will no matter the cost? In what ways can we prove ourselves as good and faithful servants?

O Lord, may our faith always be genuine.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

For 'In him we live and move and have our being,' as even some of your poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.' Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world with justice' through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.

It is in God that we live and move and have our being. He is the source, the center, and the summit of our existence and we should make Him the firm foundation of our faith. We should make Him the solid shelter of our hopes and dreams. We should make him the bell tower of our hearts and minds... resounding with love, mercy, and grace… calling all of God's children to a better life in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. For we are the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, made so through His Beloved Son and the gift of His Holy Spirit. And if we want to be true to our spiritual adoption, then we must repent of our sins and allow God to manifest Himself through our every thought, word, and work.

Have we made loving God and His children the beginning, middle, and end of our lives? Have we entrusted our faith, hope, and love to Him and His guidance? Are we repentant for our sins and making amends for our faults and failings?

O Lord, in you we live, move, and have our being.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

God loves us. This is a truth that should be at the foundation of our lives. No matter the difficulties or obstacles we face as long as we remember God so loved us He died for us through Jesus Christ... then we have nothing to fear. No trial or tribulation can compare to the sufferings of our Lord and Savior. If he can die for us, who have sinned against him, then we can die to ourselves and do God’s Will above our own. And isn’t true love the desire to give of ourselves for the good of others? And so, if we know, love, and serve God and His children as they deserve, then we shall find peace in this world and everlasting life in the next.

What can we do to remind ourselves that God loves us? How can we share His Love with others? How can we give thanks for His Love all the days of our lives?

O Lord, open our hearts so they might be filled with your love.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

We are all children of God. We are all loved by our Heavenly Father from the moment we were conceived by Him through all of eternity. And as children of God, we are called to be His first and foremost. Everything in and of the world needs to come second. Jesus taught us how to be good and faithful servants by loving God with all our hearts, minds, and strengths and others as He loves them. The world doesn’t understand us because we are willing to walk in the sacrificial footsteps of Christ, giving up all we have in order to do God’s Will. We might not be asked to sacrifice everything, but we must be willing to do so. If we have this attitude, then we shall be like Christ, full of the Spirit, and we shall see God as He is when we are called to heaven to be with Him, forever.

Are we acting like children of God or children of the world? How can we know, love, and serve God with our whole being? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to be good and faithful servants to Him?

O Lord, thank you for adopting us as your children.

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.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

During his life, passion, and death, Jesus offered constant prayers and supplications to His Heavenly Father and learned obedience. In a similar way, all of us are called to make our lives into living prayers to God. Our every thought, word, and work should honor and glorify God. We are asked to learn obedience from our sufferings and become more perfect in our love of God and His children. In addition, we are asked to be a source of grace for others, just as Jesus is the source of eternal salvation. We are called to bring others closer to God through our actions and thereby imitate Jesus in every way possible.

Are our lives ones of constant prayer? Have we learned obedience from our sufferings? How can we become sources of God’s Grace for all whom we meet?

O Lord, make us perfect through prayer, obedience, and patient suffering.

Amen.

Third Friday of Lent

I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

God wants to be our eternal shade. He wants to be the place where all of us rest. He knows we are imperfect, but His Love can make us perfect. He knows we have sinned against Him, but He loves us still. He wants to take root in our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. He wants to grow within us, to bear good fruits through us, and to be a shelter for us for all time. He wants us to flourish and prosper and rest. He loves us freely, without restriction or hesitation and He wants us to love Him in the same way. He wants us to love others as He does. And if we do, then we shall rest with Him forever and ever.

How often do we take time to rest in God? Do we allow God to take root in our lives as we should? What can we do to grow in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, you love us freely, help us to love you freely, too.

Amen.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Love stands at the center of all the commandments from the Old to the New Testament. This single virtue gives life to our faith and expression to our hope. It also reminds us of how interdependent we all are on God and each other. Love finds its fulfillment in others. Sure we can and should love ourselves (after all God loves us!), but we can’t experience the fullness of what it means to love without feeling affection for someone else. Our love of God comes from our hearts, souls, and minds and because God is infinite we must love Him with everything we are. Our love of neighbors, on the other hand, mirrors our love of self and comes second to our love of God and flows out from this love. The greatest thing about this virtue is the more we give love to God and others, the more we receive for ourselves.

Do we love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds? Do we love others as we love ourselves? How can we grow in love and live out these commandments more perfectly?

O Lord, help us to love you and others with everything we are and ever will be.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves–I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves.

Love makes us go out to others. It makes us get up in the middle of the night and seek our beloved. It disturbs us in a good way. It does not let us rest or focus all our energies on ourselves. It requires us to go forth and seek what is best for God and others. If we only care about ourselves than the thought of others would be the furthest thing from our minds. We would have no need for them and become self-involved to the point we would ignore everything else. Selfishness would consume us. But when we love someone else, we can cast aside our selfishness and become selfless for them. Hopefully we do that for God and His children because it is the only way we will ever have eternal life.

What disturbs us from our selfish thoughts? Who do we love more ourselves or God and His children? How can we become more selfless and loving?

O Lord, may our hearts seek you every day and night.

Amen.

Thirteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”

We have to be willing to give up what we love for God. God might not ask us to sacrifice in the same way as He did Abraham, but every day He does ask us to sacrifice the things we like and love to do what is right and good. We might have to give up TV or computer time to help a neighbor or listen to someone in need of a friendly ear. We might be asked to pull up our roots and move to a new place in order to follow where we know God is calling us. We might have to fast from fatty or sugary foods to become healthier people. We might have to give up our time, talents, and treasures to the Church or charities in order to make a difference in other people’s lives. Whatever it might be, we must be willing to sacrifice everything we hold dear to do God’s Will. Then and only then, will we prove that we are truly devoted to God.

Are we willing to give up what we love for God? How can we develop the habit of putting God’s Will before our own? What sacrifices is God asking us to make today?

O Lord, give us the devotion to withhold nothing from you.

Amen.