Thursday in the Octave of Easter

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?

It can be humbling to think about how much God cares for us. He created us out of pure love. He gave us His Beloved Son as a teacher and as a sacrifice for our sins. He sent his Holy Spirit into the world to be our constant guide and inspirer. He treats each and every one of us as if we are the center of His Universe. He is always with us no matter what and provides for our every spiritual need. He is a devoted Father to us all. We can only hope to imitate Him to the best of our abilities and be good and faithful servants to His Will.

How can we become more mindful of God? What can we do to help ourselves and others to appreciate Him for all He has done for us? How can we care for God’s children as much as He does?

O Lord, give us the grace to be as caring as you are.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

God is our Heavenly Father and like Joseph we should rejoice in Him. We should show Him respect, give Him homage, and offer Him everything we have. We should not rest until we are in His Divine Presence and should do all things in hopes of one day entering into His Kingdom. We should fling ourselves upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and weep in His Arms for the love and mercy He has shown us. We should go to Him wherever we can find Him, in our families, friends, and strangers who bear the image of God within them. We should prepare our hearts and homes to receive Him when He comes... through the presence of others, the sacraments, and our own prayer lives. God is our Father and it is in Him that we shall find our fulfillment.

What can we do to prepare ourselves to receive our Father? How can we be mindful of His Presence in our lives? How do we give thanks to Him, who has do so much for us?

O Lord, we fling ourselves upon you and weep for joy in your arms.

Amen.