Thirty-Third Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word.

The pathways to Heaven may be narrow and fraught with peril, but they lead to glory and joy. This is why we must strive to be steadfast in the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Together they lead us to where we need to be as Christians and servants of God. They keep us from straying from the path and falling into the pits and traps that lay just off the edge of the trail. Our enemies wait for us to misstep and sin so they might attack us and drag us away to our own destruction. However, God is always listening and His Word will guide and protect us if we let it. Then, we shall know true happiness, which only comes from imitating God and magnifying His Holy Spirit within us.

Are we willing to turn our back on the wide road of destruction and instead follow the narrower road to salvation? How can we live in accordance with God’s Will? What can we do to imitate and magnify our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, help us to be steadfast in your paths.

Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

The road to Heaven isn’t always easy to follow, but God is very clear as to what He expects from us as we travel towards His Kingdom. He wants us to get rid of all the things that distract us from our goal or that might push others away from Him. That means removing bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, and all malice from our lives. In their stead, we are called to be kind to one another, even our enemies. We are asked to be compassionate and as forgiving as God is with us. We are given Jesus as our guide in all things. If we follow him and imitate his Way of Love, then we shall become God’s beloved children. This may require many sacrifices on our part, just as it did for Christ, but if we face our crosses with trust and carry them without complaint or anger, then we shall find ourselves well on our way to the Kingdom of God.

In what ways have we grieved the Holy Spirit? How can we rid ourselves of all those things that keep us from being Christ-like? What can we do to become faithful imitators of Jesus?

O Lord, rid us of our evil inclinations and make us more and more like you.

Amen.

Ninth Thursday of Ordinary Time

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

When we love God with all our hearts, understandings, and strengths and love our neighbors as Jesus loves them, we transform our lives into a living embodiment of God’s Love and glorify Him through our every action and sacrifice. Understanding and enacting God's teachings are central to our faith. It is in love that we find meaning in our lives and it is through love that we fulfill our calling as Christians. Love is our true and universal vocation, the one that leads us along the narrow path to heaven and eventually to life everlasting. Without love, we are nothing and to nothing we will return. But with love, we are united with God and our neighbors. We are made whole and shall never die.

Do we love God with all our hearts, understandings, and strengths? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? How can we cultivate the sacrificial, but fulfilling, virtue of love in our lives?

O Lord, we love you and all your children.

Amen.