The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Death no longer has power over us. God has conquered it and sin through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He has show us that death has no power over us if we know, love, and serve Him as faithfully as we can. As Christians, we have been crucified with Christ, we have accepted our crosses and willingly bear them toward our own Calvary. We proclaim our readiness to suffer and die for the glory of God and the good of others. And so, we do not fear death because we believe it is only a gateway to a more perfect union with God in Heaven. We see it as merely a threshold to cross so we can be with our Lord and nothing more.

Are we afraid of death? Do we fear what God might ask us to sacrifice in order to have eternal life with Him? How can we overcome these fears and place our trust in God?

O Lord, crucify our selfish selves and sinful bodies so we might be made anew in and through you.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Monday in Ordinary Time

This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus is all the sign we should need in order to repent. Through Christ’s Life, we are shown the Way and the Truth that will lead us to the Promised Land. Through His Passion, we are shown what it means to mortify ourselves, accept our crosses, show compassion to others, and love our enemies. Through His Death, we are given an example of what it means to be willing to die for what we believe in. Finally, through His Resurrection, we are shown the promise of to everlasting life for all who proclaim the Good News until their final breath. Indeed, we have a great tome of wisdom set before us in the New Testament, which reveals what God is calling us to be as Christians. So, let us heed the Word of God Made Flesh and live as good and faithful servants to God and all His children.

In what ways do we imitate the compassionate Life of Christ? How do we deal with the sufferings and sacrifices that come with our own passions? How have we prepared ourselves for our death and eventual resurrection? 

O Lord, we seek and follow only the sign of your Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

We are at constant war with ourselves. The sins of pride, jealousy, wrath, lust, avarice, sloth, and gluttony do battle with us every day. They seek to tempt us into wrongdoing and lead us into destruction. When we fall into their traps, our virtue fails and we become selfish sinners performing every foul practice. Worse yet, these vices try to take our good motives and passions and twist them to their own ends. Faith, they try to turn into self-righteousness. Hope they try to turn into impudence. Love, they try to turn into obsession. They encourage us to ask for the wrong things or ask for the right things, but in the wrong way. They lead us astray by offering us falsehoods instead of truths and empty pleasures instead of fulfilling responsibilities. It is only when we listen to the Wisdom of God that we will know the peace that comes from being pure, merciful, and charitable.

What vices are at war within us? How can we protect ourselves from them? How can we align our passions with the Will and Wisdom of God and not our own?

O Lord, help us to ask for what is right and be at peace with you and your children.

Amen.

Seventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Our passions are not necessarily evil, but they can lead us to evil if they are bound to worldly things. Instead, our passions should be based upon knowing, loving, and serving God and His children. However, if we don’t ask for what is good for us or ask for the wrong things, we can be led astray. We can confuse a worldly want for a need and misalign our lives with things that can led to temptation, sin, and vice. If we love worldly things more than God, then we turn our backs on the one who loves us most and make ourselves into His enemies. Thankfully, we can avoid this fate by asking for spiritual goods to fulfill our spiritual passions. As long as we choose to be a lover of God, then we shall receive the grace we need to overcome all the obstacles the world puts in our way.

Are our passions leading us astray or toward God? How can we place our spiritual passions above our worldly ones? How can we become more faithful lovers of God at all times and in all ways?

O Lord, we ask for you to make us faithful lovers of you above all.

Amen.

Palm Sunday

“My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

How true Jesus’ words are of many of us. Our spirits may be willing to keep watch with Christ and do God’s Will, but our flesh is weak and we fall into indifference and sin. It is so easy for us to forget how much sorrow Jesus suffered for us and how much he sacrificed for our sins. We were not there at the agony in the garden, the trial of Jesus, his scourging, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion, his slow death upon the cross, and his final breath. Because of this, we are more likely to focus our attention on the triumphs rather than the tribulations of our Lord and Savior. It is easier to celebrate Easter, then sacrifice for Lent. However, without the fasting, almsgiving, and prayer of Lent, we would not appreciate the glorious resurrection of Easter and the enkindling spirit of Pentecost.

Do we acknowledge the Passion and Death of Christ in our daily lives? How can we teach ourselves to remain with God, even in the midst of trials and sufferings? What can we do to make our spirit stronger than our flesh?

O Lord, wake us from our weaknesses and give us the strength to accept the cup of suffering you have prepared for us.

Amen.

Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus appointed the Twelve to preach and drive out demons. In a similar manner, Jesus calls us to preach his gospel message and help his children, including ourselves, to drive out the sins that possess our lives. We are not asked to be perfect, none of Jesus’ Apostles were, but what we are asked to be is passionate about bearing God into the world through our thoughts, words, and works. So like the Apostles, we have to answer the summons of our Lord and to come to him through prayer, the sacraments, and our good works. Some of us will be asked to be rocks for our friends, family, and Church, just as Simon was in his life. Others will be called to love unconditionally like John. Or perhaps we will be asked to be like the other devoted Apostles, such as Matthew or James. No matter what our calling is, we should remember that God will always give us the graces we need to do His Will. Hopefully, we will answer Jesus’ call with hearts full of faith, hope, and love and never betray him.

What is Jesus calling us to do? Have we cultivated a passion for preaching the truths of the gospel, not only through our speech, but also our deeds? How can we answer God's summons more faithfully?

O Lord, let our lives proclaim your gospel all the days of our lives.

Amen.

Eleventh Friday of Ordinary Time

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

Throughout our lives, we pick and choose what is important to us. Our choices determine what type of treasure-house we become. We can either spend our lives storing up worldly treasures, which will eventually decay or be stolen by time and death. Or we store up heavenly ones, which will never tarnish and be with us always. Our hearts are either weighed down with worldly desires and concerns, or they are lifted up by heavenly riches that find their source, center, and summit in God.

Where is our treasure? Are we passionate about worldly or heavenly things? How can we store up treasures that will not drag us down and chain us to this world, but rather set us free to live and love in Heaven?

O Lord, help us to treasure you above all.

Amen.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Truly this man was the Son of God!

The centurion’s words have echoed the Divine Truth throughout the ages and today we reaffirm our belief that Jesus Christ was, is, and ever will be the Son of God. He is the model for all of us to base our lives on because like him we too are called to be sons and daughters of God. As we meditate upon Jesus’ Passion we are faced with how our own sinfulness has caused so much suffering to the Body of Christ, not just Jesus himself, but also his spiritual body—our fellow baptized and the Church. We also witness his love for us as expressed by his willingness to accept the sufferings rightfully belonging to us. We should keep this in mind the next time something happens to us and we wonder, "Why me?" or "Where are you Father?" Perhaps we should rather ask ourselves, "Why not me?" and "Why am I tempted to abandon you Father?" God has done more than we deserve by sacrificing his Son for us. We should not complain when we too are called to sacrifice something for Him.

What have we sacrificed for God? What have we sacrificed for his children? Are we willing to accept the sufferings we must endure in order to do God’s Will?

O Lord, you are truly the Son of God!

Amen.