First Friday of Advent

The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; All who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim.

The world around us may offer us many pleasures and momentary distractions, but no person, place, or thing can ever give us the joy that God offers us. When we humbly converse with Him in prayer, feast with Him in mass, and seek His Divine Mercy in reconciliation, we are filled with an unmatchable happiness. When we are poor in spirit, renouncing earthly goods, mortifying ourselves, and placing our trust in our Heavenly Father, we are rewarded with spiritual consolations. When we know, love, and serve God and His children with our whole hearts, we grow in faith, hope, charity, and God’s favor. In this life, there may be those who lord it over us and do evil to us, but as long as we are patient and turn the other cheek, then we shall be given the grace we need to find joy even in the midst of our trials. God will act justly for us. We do not need to retaliate. We need only to love others, even our enemies, as Jesus did and let God take care of the rest.

How can we become humbler in our thoughts, words, and works? What can we do embody being poor in spirit? Are we willing to be patient and let God defend us against our persecutors?

O Lord, you are the source of our joy and our matchless defender.

Amen.

Thursday After Epiphany

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. From fraud and violence he shall redeem them, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. May they be prayed for continually; day by day shall they bless him.

God sent His Beloved Son into the world to redeem us from sin, hatred, violence, selfishness, and all other evils. He purchased our lives with the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He made His Son into a living sacrifice through Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We should all be humbled to think that God came down from Heaven, became man, and sacrificed Himself for a people who constantly sin against Him. How many of us would be willing to sacrifice ourselves for those who ignore, abandon, persecute, and abuse us on a daily basis? And yet, this is what God calls us all to do... to love others as He loves them, which means being willing to suffer and even die for those who would do neither for us.

Do we thank God for all He has redeemed us from in this life? How can we act more Christ-like in our treatment of others, especially those whom we find most difficult to love? What can we do to prepare ourselves to become living sacrifices to God for others?

O Lord, bless us and make us into holy sacrifices to you for others.

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-Fifth Monday in Ordinary Time

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once. Plot no evil against your neighbor, against one who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways: To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship.

We must be free with our time, talents, and treasures. Willing to give them to others at a moment’s notice and without hesitation. This isn’t always easy to do, especially if the one asking for help is a stranger, someone we dislike, or even an enemy. We also must be willing to be charitable and merciful when it’s not convenient for us. We must be willing to give our gifts to others no matter what else we’d rather be doing. At the same time, we should not plot evil against others or quarrel with them. No matter what wrongs we have suffered, we are never entitled to vengeance. God is the only Judge and it is for Him and only Him to punish wrongdoers. Last but not least, we are told to envy not the lawless man or his ways. There is a temptation to see the success and pleasures of evil people and wonder why we suffer while they enjoy themselves, but theirs is an empty victory. If we remain true, then we shall enjoy the afterlife and be God’s friends forever and ever.

Are we willing to give to others without counting the cost? Are we willing to be at peace with those whom have harmed us? Are we willing to deny ourselves the ways of the lawless man?

O Lord, we shall stand with you in uprightness.

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.

Twenty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "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. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

There is always the temptation to exclude people or to join with one faction or another. However, this is not what Jesus did in his life. He was welcoming and open to others, sinners, saints, and even his enemies. He handed down the Eucharist to us so we might be united as one in His Body, the Church. He sought to bring us together, male and female, rich and poor, through the sharing of His Body and Blood. Yes, there are people we don't like or don't connect with, but this doesn't mean we can look down on them or exclude them from our faith lives. This isn't what Jesus would have done and so it isn't what we should do, either. Instead, we should be understanding, charitable, and merciful, not judging others, but rather loving them as best we can.

Are there people we are excluding from our lives unfairly? How can we reconcile ourselves with them and welcome them into our lives? In what ways can we bring those around us together?

O Lord, help us to be united in you.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here, please, " while you say to the poor one, "Stand there, " or "Sit at my feet, " have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

The world will try to impress us in many ways. It will try to convince us we can treat people differently depending on their status. It will tell us we should show preference for one type of person over another. However, this is not what Jesus did in his life. He treated everyone the same, sinners and holy people, good and evil, rich and poor, male and female. He judged them not by their outward appearances, but by their inner spirit. He even went so far as to tell his disciples they needed to humble themselves and become servants if they wanted to follow in his footsteps. Jesus loved everyone he met completely and totally and we are all called to the same love, even of our enemies.

Have we let the world convince us some people are more or less worthy of our love? How can we become more Christ-like in how we treat others? What can we do to avoid becoming judgmental?

O Lord, you are the one and only judge.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety; break up for yourselves a new field for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain down justice upon you.

If we want to bear good fruits and be worthy of entering the gates of Heaven, then we need to sow justice in our lives. We need to make sure we give God what is rightfully His and treat others as we would want to be treated. Living piously is the only way to prepare our souls for the harvest. It is only by uprooting the weeds or sin and clearing the stones of stubbornness that we can make ourselves ready to live life abundantly and produce a thousand-fold the graces God has given us.

Do we seek to be just with all people, even those who are strangers and enemies? Do we treat others as Jesus would treat them? Are we willing to make the sacrifices that are necessary in order to bear good fruits?

O Lord, sow in us your justice so we might reap the fruit of piety.

Amen.

Eleventh Monday in Ordinary Time

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, "Why are you so angry that you will not eat?" He answered her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.' But he refused to let me have his vineyard." His wife Jezebel said to him, "A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed! Get up. Eat and be cheerful. I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you."

The sin of jealousy or envy is a devious one. It worms its way into a person's heart slowly eating away at them from inside. It may lead to depression, but also may lead to evil deeds. Ahab may not have asked Jezebel to get rid of Naboth, but he probably could have guessed what she had planned when she told him that she would obtain the vineyard. However, he let his envy silence his conscience and is just as guilty as his wife. In a similar manner, we can sometimes let others come to harm because of our jealousy or our inaction. We might guess trouble is coming to someone, but keep quiet about it instead of warning them. There are times in our lives when we are tempted to ignore an evil done to someone else, especially someone whom we don't like. However, this does not excuse us. After all, God asked us to love others as He loves them... which means loving even our enemies. This means casting off our jealousy and protecting them as Jesus would protect them... from whatever it is that threatens them. This of course isn't easy, but the road to heaven isn't an easy on to walk. It is narrow and only those willing to die to themselves have a chance to make it to the end.

Are we jealous of someone else? How can we turn that jealousy into love? Are we willing to know, love, and serve even those whom we dislike?

O Lord, rid us of all jealousy and give us hearts full of love for all people, even our enemies.

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.

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.

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.

First Monday of Lent

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves is one of the keys to being good and faithful servants of God and followers of Christ. This calling means not only loving our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers when they are easy to love, but also when they are difficult to love. It means not condemning others for their faults, but also not condoning their actions when they are evil. It means casting aside all hatred and instead showing compassion… even to those who show none for us. It means turning the other cheek and holding no grudges. It means loving without hesitation or reservation… with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths for the simple reason that each of our neighbors was created in the image and likeness of God.

Who are the people in our lives we have the most difficulty loving as ourselves? How can we grow in love for these people and others? How can we put aside our own selfish responses to those who mistreat us and simply love them in spite of our feelings?

O Lord, help us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

David grew very angry with that man and said to him: "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death! He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this and has had no pity." Then Nathan said to David: "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.'

Often, when we sin, we are blinded to what we are doing. We don’t necessarily realize how bad our sins are. It takes an outside influence, a person, an event, or something along those lines to rip away our blinders and show us how bad our lives have become. More times than not, we notice the sins and imperfections in others more readily than we do our own. We point out how unfair another person is or shake our heads at their wickedness, but fail to see our own failings, which can be just as unfair and wrong-headed. This is why it is so important for us to remember we are sinners and as such it is not our place to judge others. In addition, our failures should remind us that we ought to be looking out for the good of others, not to take advantage of them or criticize them unjustly.

What can we do to see more clearly our own sins? In what ways can we treat others more mercifully? How can we train ourselves to avoid sin and do what is right even when we are tempted to use a situation for our own selfish gain?

O Lord, free us from our blindness to our own sins.

Amen.

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

David grew steadily more powerful, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

The Lord of hosts is with us. And if we let Him fully into our lives, then He will make us more powerful, too. Perhaps not in worldly terms of fame, success, and fortune, but in the spiritual terms of faith, hope, and love. Just as David was the king of the Israelites, so are we called to be servant leaders for all whom we meet each day. We may not have a golden crown or temporal powers, but we do have crown of virtues and spiritual blessings. We may not have been anointed to kingship, but we are all anointed to discipleship and the best way to fulfill that calling is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and love our neighbors as Jesus loves them. If we do these things, then we shall be models of excellence for all whom we meet, leading them closer to God and the ultimate victory of eternal life with the Holy Trinity.

Are we aware of God’s presence in our lives? Are we welcoming and inviting to Him? How can we become better servant leaders?

O Lord, remain with us and give us your strength to overcome evil and power to do good.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.

Jesus Christ laid his life down for us and our salvation. In the same way, we are called to lay down our lives for others. Just as Jesus loved each of us enough to sacrifice himself upon the cross, so we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. We might not have to suffer in the same way as Christ, but we are each called to take up our crosses, carry them with perseverance, and show compassion to all those whom we meet along the way. Loving others even in the midst of our trials is exactly what Jesus did for his mother and those women who wept for him. Even weakened, beaten, and condemned... Christ had love and mercy in his heart for those who suffered with him and ever for those who persecuted him. So let us love not only in word and speech, but also most importantly in deed and truth.

Are we willing to lay down our lives for God and His children? How do we respond when we see one of our brothers and sisters in Christ in need? What can we do to live out the Gospel call to love others in word and deed?

O Lord, we are willing to lay down our lives for you and your children.

Amen.

Thirty-First Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

We owe everyone we meet unconditional and selfless love. Whether they are family, friends, neighbors, strangers, or even enemies… we must always love others as we love ourselves. Everything in our faith revolves around the virtue of love. This is why it is important for us to not only say we believe in God, but actually put that belief into action. Faith and works. It is by loving others as ourselves that we can fulfill the commandments most faithfully in spirit and truth.

Are we giving others our love without reservation? Are we allowing the Spirit of Love to inspire and guide us in our thoughts, words, and works? Have we made love the foundation upon which we build our public and private lives?

O Lord, help us to love others as ourselves.

Amen.