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.

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth. Defend the lowly and the fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the lowly and the poor; from the hand of the wicked deliver them.

God will bring judgment to the earth and we would do well to remember that. Each of us is given a role to play in the building up of the Body of Christ. Some will be called to be parents and guardians, others to be care-takers and educations, still others will be asked to be protectors and leaders. All of us are asked to bear God’s Love and Mercy into the world and to proclaim the Good News with our every action. We, like Him, are tasked with defending the lowly and fatherless, rendering justice to the afflicted and destitute, and rescuing the lowly and poor from the hands of the wicked. We are all meant to be manifestations of our Heavenly Father’s Will, the Son’s Word, and the Holy Spirit’s Heart. And if we wish to be found worthy of Paradise, then we must magnify our Lord by being His eyes, ears, lips, and hands.

Do we defend the lowly and fatherless? Are we just toward the afflicted and destitute? What can we do to rescue the lowly and poor from wickedness and evil?

O Lord, help us to bring your just judgment to the earth.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

If we are friends to God, then we will make know the glorious splendor of His Kingdom. We will proclaim the Good News and strive to manifest His Love and Mercy in all our thoughts, words, and works. We will be just in all our ways and holy in our actions. We will not be afraid to stand for the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. We will call upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and in petition for His help in our times of need. This is what we are all called to do as His beloved children and it should be our goal in life to meet the high standards God has set for us through the example of Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and Heavenly Brother.

How do we make God know in our lives? In what ways do we proclaim the Good News and manifest God’s Goodness to the world? Do we call upon Him with complete trust in His Will?

O Lord, help us to make you known to all the world.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Monday in Ordinary Time

The Lord comes to judge the earth. For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens.

Everything in this world is nothing compared to God. We are nothing. The earth is nothing. The universe is nothing. And yet, God has given us His all though the sacrifice of His Beloved Son. He died for us because He loves us in spite of our nothingness. He gave each of us His Divine Image to bear into the world. Not to hide it, but to reveal it through our thoughts, words, and works. He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire us so that we could magnify Him and rejoice in His Goodness. And in the end, we will be judged by how well we manifested God to others because we are all called to be God bearers and without Him we are empty vessels, devoid of substance and meaning. But with Him, we are His children, and worthy of spending the rest of eternity with Him in Heaven.

Do we recognize our nothingness without God? How can we allow God to fill us with His Divine Image? What can we do to magnify and manifest Him to all the world?

O Lord, all is naught before you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Our faith isn’t a passive one. It requires us to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News. It asks us to move out of our comfort zones and do what is right even though it might cost us greatly to do so. It calls us to be the best versions of ourselves by imitating Christ, even to the point of dying on a cross. It is through us that God manifests himself to most people. Our thoughts, words, and works reveal Him to others and we will be held accountable for how well or poorly we bear God into the world around us. So, let us lift high the cross and proclaim we are Christians by our love.

Do we make known the splendor of God’s Kingdom? What can we do to show others the glory of God? How can we help God’s Kingdom to endure through all generations?

O Lord, we are your friends and will make you known wherever we go and in whatever we do.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.

We were all created through and for Jesus. We were created through Him because He is the Word of God made flesh and it was from his mouth that we came into being as a race and as individuals. Each and every one of us is a member of His Spiritual Body. And we all have an important role to play in salvation. Some of us are called to be the mind of the Church, others its heart, still others its hands. Some are called to be eyes, others ears, and a few of us are called to be the mouths of God. We are also created for Jesus because all of us are asked by God to think, speak, and do all things for Him. Our time, talents, and treasures are supposed to be put to His Good Use, not ours. When we are united to God in this way, we become manifestations of Him, reflecting His Divine Image for all the world to see and glorify.

How do we embody the image of God? What can we do to be better images of Jesus Christ? What is God calling us to be as part of His Spiritual Body?

O Lord, may your image always be reflected in us.

Amen.

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

The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land. I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.

The glory of the Lord dwells everywhere around us. We see it in creation. We see it in the mirror when we look into our own eyes. We see it in our family and our friends. We see it in our neighbors and strangers. We see it in those who do good and avoid evil. We hear it in the Gospels. We hear it in those who proclaim the Good News. We hear it in the songs we sing to God. We hear it in words of kindness and compassion. We feel God’s glory at Church. We feel it when we exchange the sign of peace. We feel it in the Body and Blood of Jesus. We feel it in the good deeds we do and those done for us. Near indeed is God’s salvation because it is all around us.

Are our eyes open to the glory of the Lord? Are our ears open to what God proclaims? How can we manifest God’s glory through our own thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, dwell within the land of our hearts.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Easter

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. “Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

The works of God are constantly on display for us. We see His works in the good deeds of others. We see them in the graces He gives us. We see them in the holy people we come into contact with. We see them through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We see them in the acts of heroism that spring up in times of trial. We see them in the charity of others. We see them in the acts of sacrifice that people make in order to help one another. These acts, both great and small, are worth singing about. They are worth praising and encouraging and ultimately imitating.

 Do we sing God’s praises? How do we embody and manifest the goodness of God for others? How can we encourage others to do the same?

O Lord, we praise you for all your tremendous deeds and hope to imitate them in our own lives.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Think about what it means to be an ambassador for Christ. Just like a worldly ambassador, we have many responsibilities to our God and King. We act on His behalf through our thoughts, words, and works. We are His representatives to those around us... to our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. If we fail to live up to our duties, then we fail not only God but all those whom we were supposed to aid through our position. If we are corrupted or selfish, we give the world yet another reason to reject God. However, if we are true to our faith by spreading hope and love to all the nations, then we will become powerful testaments to God’s Goodness. We shall help others to be reconciled with God and guide them to salvation. We are all called to magnify the Lord in all things and help others to know God is With Us. It was for this that we were put on earth and hopefully we fulfill that purpose each and every day of our lives.

Are we good and faithful ambassadors for Christ? What are we doing to lead others to reconciliation and salvation? How can we manifest God’s Love for all and do all things with righteous hearts?

O Lord, we are your ambassadors send us where you will.

Amen.

First Sunday of Lent

For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

There are many ways to confess Jesus is Lord. We can choose to use our free time to meditate upon the Scriptures and contemplate the life of Christ. We can proclaim the Good News through words and works. We can be charitable toward those who need charity and merciful toward those who need mercy. We can manifest God’s Love through loving our neighbors as God loves them. If we do all these things, then we will be justified and saved. If we do all these things, we will not be put to shame.

In what ways are we confessing Jesus Christ is Lord? Do we truly believe God will not allow us to be put to shame? How do we show this faith in our lives?

O Lord, we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that you are our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

We all manifest the Spirit in different ways. This is because we all have a unique role to play in God’s Divine Plan. He has given us gifts and talents that make us perfect instruments of His Divine Grace. However, we must accept these gifts and use them to the best of our abilities. The world will try to distract us from using our God-given gifts. The Devil will try to twist our talents for his own ends. It is up to us to use our consciences to guide our thoughts, words, and works so they lead to God’s greater glory and the good of all His children.

What gifts and talents do we have from God? How can we use them to proclaim the Good News and help others? How can we encourage others to do the same?

O Lord, help us to manifest your Spirit through our every word and work.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Our faith has been passed down from generation to generation for two thousand years. It was given to Jesus’ disciples and they passed it on to others... all the way to us. Now, it is our responsibility to pass on the faith to the next generations. Our children and their children. We would indeed do well to be attentive to our faith so we might shine with hope and bring warmth to others through our love. We are all given the great and humbling task of passing the flame of faith to others and it is up to us to do it with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

What are we doing to pass on the faith to others? Are we manifesting Jesus through our every thought, word, and work? How can we become better preachers of the Good News?

O Lord, make us into lamps shining in the darkness.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

We all exist for the praise of God’s Glory and to fulfill God’s Will in all things. We are called to become manifestations of His Goodness, Love, and Mercy to everyone we meet. We are asked to be His hands, doing His Work. We are asked to be His feet, walking His Way. We are asked to be His ears, listening to others so we might be of service to them. We are asked to be His tongues, proclaiming the Good News, consoling others, and giving good and holy advice. If we do all of this faithfully, then we shall be sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit and become more perfectly God’s possession... a true slave of Christ.

What do we do each day to give God the glory and praise He deserves? How can we become good and faithful manifestations of God’s Will? How can we align our lives more perfectly with God’s Divine Plan?

O Lord, seal us with the promise of your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Pentecost Sunday

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

Each of us has different gifts, talents, and resources, but we are all called to use them for the same Lord. We are asked to put our thoughts, words, and works to good use and for the glory of God. None of us will perform our God-given tasks in the same way, but all of us will do them with, and through, and in the Holy Spirit. He will protect us, guide us, and inspire us in everything we do for Him and His children. We were all conceived by God for some purpose and for the benefit of others. We simply have to choose right over wrong and do God’s Will to the best of our abilities. We might not always succeed in our tasks, but we should strive to manifest the Holy Spirit every moment of our lives. If we do this, then God will give us the grace to succeed and produce good fruits for Him and all His people.

What gifts, talents, and resources has God given us? How can we put them to good and faithful use? How can we manifest the Spirit in our daily lives in every task, great and small?

O Lord, give us the grace to manifest you in all our thoughts, words, and works.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Easter

"I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"  Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water.  What is to prevent my being baptized?"  Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.  When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.

During our lives, we will have many opportunities to spread the word and works of God. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will come across those in need of help and be given the chance to make a difference in their lives. And just like Philip, if we put our trust in God, we will lead someone closer to our Heavenly Father. We shall become living reflections of Christ, bearing his light into the world and guiding others to holiness and salvation. We might not go out and baptize others with water like Philip or be whisked away by the Holy Spirit, but our thoughts, words, and works will manifest God’s Grace and lead to good fruits and rejoicing.

Are we open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to be a bearer of God’s Grace and Mercy, even to strangers? How can we manifest God’s Grace for all whom we meet each day?

O Lord, we wish to proclaim Jesus in all that we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Christmas Weekday

Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

Jesus Christ needs to be in our thoughts, words, and works. We need to see the world through his eyes. We need to hear with his ears. We need to reach out with his hands. We need to contemplate with his mind. We need to love with his heart. The only way to possess him is to allow him to think, speak, and work through us. We are all called to be channels of his love, mercy, and grace. We are all asked to be fonts of his peace. Our lives should be founded upon Jesus and give testimony to him from the moment we arise in the morning to the moment we drift off to sleep at night. Just as the Word was made flesh through Christ, so we are asked to incarnate the Word through our own actions.

Do our lives give testimony to the Way, Truth, and Life of Jesus? How can our lives become more deeply rooted in the life of Christ? Are we willing to let God possess our lives so we might possess eternal life?

O Lord, give us eternal life in you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Word of Life became flesh for us and just as he came into the world to bear the Good News, so too should we give witness to him and his teachings. Jesus’ incarnation is a reminder to us all that we are the sons and daughters of God and we are all called to manifest Him in our daily lives. We are asked to think His thoughts, speak His words, and perform His good works. We have the responsibility to make visible God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace for all. We do this when we proclaim the Gospels, live according to God’s commandments, and enter into fellowship with those around us. When we share our faith with others, we give them an opportunity to grow in their own faith and come to a deeper understanding and conversion of their souls. We are constantly giving witness to our faith in God because the people around us are watching... hopefully they see a God-bearing person, who leads them closer to their Lord.

How can we become incarnations of the Word of Life?  In what ways can we give witness to our faith? Are our thoughts, words, and works bringing others closer to God?

O Lord, make yourself visible through us.

Amen.

Thirty-First Tuesday of Ordinary Time

We, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

We all have roles to play in life. We each have gifts and talents that we’ve been given by God in order to accomplish His Divine Will on earth. We reflect different aspects of the Body of Christ through our thoughts, words, and works. We make manifest God through our actions, great and small. Whether it is proclaiming the Good News, ministering to the needs of others, teaching, or acting with charity and mercy towards others… we all are called to be God-bearers and do our best to make Him known, loved, and served.

Are we acting in accordance with our belief that we are all part of the one body in Christ? Are we putting our gifts and talents to good and holy use? What can we do to manifest God into every situation, great or small?

O Lord, make us into good and fruitful members of your one, Body.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Just as the Heavens are constantly declaring the glory of God, so we on earth should be doing the same. We can do this in many different ways… through prayers, acts of charity and mercy, and mortification and sacrifice. We can proclaim God’s handiwork through our own good works. There is much we can do to glorify God in our daily lives. We just have to be open imitating the angels and saints in heaven and making God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace known to all whom we meet each day.

How can we better declare the glory of God to others? What can we do to make God’s Glory manifest in the world? Are we doing what we can to spread the Good News to all the earth?

O Lord, make use good and faithful messengers of your glory.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

We are all called to dedicate our lives to God. And each of us are asked to live out that dedication in unique ways according to our own gifts and talents. Some of us give God honor through our thoughts, passing on ideas that add to the collected wisdom of the Church and lead others closer to God. Others give God honor through our words, spoken in evangelization and encouragement, fortifying the faith, hope, and love of others. All of us give God honor through our works of charity and mercy. The wonderful thing is that each of us have something unique which we and only we can offer to God and it is up to us to allow Him lead us to the times, places, people, and actions which will fulfill His Divine Will.

Are we dedicated to God or to worldly things? What can we do to give testimony to God’s Goodness through our own thoughts, words, and works? How can we make manifest the Light of Christ when, where, and how God wants us to?

O Lord, we dedicate our lives to you and offer to you all that makes us who we are.

Amen.