Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness.

No matter how kind or good or loving we might be, we all have enemies and persecutors. They might be family members. They might be old friends or loves whom we have broken up with for one reason or another. They might be strangers who we hardly know or who hardly know us. They might be good people who have bad information. They might mean well, but oppose us because they have a different vision of the way things are or should be. We might never know why they are our foes, but one thing we can be certain of is that if we are striving to do God’s Will and do it with love, then He will rescue us from their clutches. His Divine Face will shine on us and we will be saved by His Kindness. Perhaps not always in the time or way we would prefer... perhaps not even in this life, but if we persevere, then we shall find ourselves with the only person whose opinion matters: God.

Do we commend our spirits to the Lord on a daily basis? Do we ask Him to rescue us from our foes? How can we be the shining face of God for those who are being persecuted?

O Lord, let your face shine upon us, your servants.

Amen.

Seventh Friday in Ordinary Time

Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Perseverance is a virtue every Christian needs. We all will face hardship in our lives. Sometimes from pursuing our goals and other times when following our faith. If we let our failures and difficulties dishearten or dismayed us, then we can lose sight of what is important in our lives... namely doing God's Will to the best of our abilities. Our times of trial are when we must imitate the perseverance of Job and Jesus and Mary. They all suffered greatly in the pursuit of their goals and the living of their faith. However, God is compassionate and merciful and if we trust in Him, then we will be able to overcome every obstacle in the way of living out our greater calling.

How can we cultivate the virtue of perseverance in our lives? Are we accepting of God's compassion and mercy? Do we trust in God enough to pursue our goals and faith without reservation?

O Lord, give us greater perseverance in living our lives and following our faith.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Easter

They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.

The words Barnabas and Paul spoke to the early Christians have just as much validity today. We, like our predecessors, have to persevere in faith. We have to be willing and able to undergo many hardships for the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Just as Jesus underwent a Passion for us, so, too, we must undergo one for him. We must be willing to make our lives into living sacrifices for the glory of God and the good of others. This is no easy task, but it is one that we all must perform if we want to be disciples of Christ. Thankfully, with prayer, fasting, and a firm trust in God's Divine Plan, we can become good and faithful servants and worthy successors the Apostles.

Are we persevering in our faith in the face of the temptations, distractions, and indifference of the world? Are we willing to undergo hardships for our faith? How can we make our lives into living sacrifices for God's Glory and the good of all?

O Lord, we commend ourselves to you and seek only to do your will.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

When temptations come, it can be difficult to resist them, especially ones we are addicted to. However, God does not send us temptations. They are of our own making. Our own misguided desires lead us into temptation and if we are not strong enough to resist... we fall into sin, and may even cut ourselves off from God through mortal sin. Thankfully, God gives us the love, mercy, and grace we need to persevere against our temptation. All we need to do is remember to call on Him in our trials and use our moments of temptation as jumping off points for prayer. If we succeed in resisting our temptations, then we shall grow in our faith and be crowned with lives of holiness.

What are the temptations we are facing? How can we persevere against these temptations? Do we pray to God for the strength we need to resist our own weaknesses?

O Lord, help us to persevere against all temptations.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.

It’s hard to be joyful while we are suffering, but that is exactly what each of us are called to do as Christians. We are all called to cultivate a spirit of perseverance that will suffer every trial with calm, humility, and love. If we are able to accept the trials and tribulations that come from choosing right over wrong, then we can perfect our suffering and make it into a holy sacrifice to God for all. In addition to being joyful in all things, we are also called to live wisely and well, doing all things for God and His children. It’s not always easy to know what to do in our lives, but as long as we pray to God for His guidance He will give us every opportunity to choose the right path.

Do we suffer joyfully or let our sufferings anger us or wear us down? How can we cultivate the virtue of perseverance in the face of suffering? Do we seek God’s wisdom whenever we are faced with a decision in our lives?

O Lord, grant us a spirit of joy and the virtues of perseverance and wisdom.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

We have all been reconciled with God through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus and the best way to remain so is to look to the Life of Christ, the Way he lived, and the Truth he taught. When we model our lives upon his and persevere in our faith, we grow in holiness and become unblemished and irreproachable before our Heavenly Father. Our bodies, minds, and hearts become firmly grounded in God’s Will and able to withstand worldly temptations. When we lead the Christ-like life hope protects us against fears, doubts, sorrows, and other feelings that might weaken our resolve and instead of eroding our faith, it becomes tempered through trial and more resilient.

How are our lives modeled on Christ’s life? How can we become more grounded in God’s Will? What can we do to build up and strengthen our faith and hope in Jesus?

O Lord, help us to persevere in faith.

Amen.

Tenth Friday of Ordinary Time

We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Dying to ourselves isn’t easy, but it is necessary if we want to be good and faithful followers of Christ. This doesn’t mean we sacrifice our individuality, but rather than our individuality is practiced in a way that mimics Christ’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of all. God wants each of us to worship Him in the unique way that only we as individuals can know, love, and serve Him. We do this best by both dying to those things that are not of God and living for those things that are from God. When we persevere through afflictions, perplexing problems, persecutions, harm, and all the other trials, we make manifest the life of Christ in our flesh. We become an incarnation of our Lord and Savior, giving ourselves over to our Heavenly Father just as Jesus did in His Most Holy Life... as a living sacrifice for the salvation of souls.

What things in our lives do we need to die to? What are the things in our lives we should be living for? How can we manifest Jesus more perfectly in our thoughts, words, and deed?

O Lord, make us incarnations of your Way, Truth, and Life.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

No one who trusts in God will truly fail in life. We might suffer setbacks and be seen as failures in the eyes of the world, but God looks beyond the outcomes of our words and actions and to the effort and spirit within them. As long as we think, say, and do things for the right reasons, we shall not falter, nor grow weary, nor faint even if everything seems to be going against us. Every setback is an opportunity to show God what we are made of. Our faith and perseverance will be rewarded, if not in this life, then in the next, which lasts forever.

Do we face our failures with hopeful hearts? Are we unbowed by our setbacks? How can we turn our troubles into opportunities to show God our faith and perseverance?

O Lord, grant us wings to soar over all the obstacles in our way.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Not a hair on our heads will be destroyed if we persevere in our faith. We might lose our livelihoods, possessions, and our earthly lives, but if we are true to God, then we shall gain eternal life. We might be betrayed by our parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, but if we are good and faithful servants, then we shall become a part of a heavenly family. We might be hated, persecuted, and mocked, but if we remain true to our beliefs, then we shall be loved by Love itself.

Are we willing to persevere in our faith through the loss of all our worldly possessions?  Are we willing to persevere through betrayal? Are we willing to persevere through persecution?

O Lord, give us a spirit of perseverance.

Amen.

The Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Perseverance is the key to following in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus’ entire life is one constant act of perseverance. From the persecutions of Herod and his family’s flight to Egypt to the trial of Pilate and his crucifixion, Jesus has shown us what it means to overcome all obstacles to our faith, to keep hope alive, and love without waiver. We might not be understood or loved by others because of our beliefs, but that should not matter to us. We should believe because it is God’s Will, not because it will make us popular. If we accept this truth, then God will protect us with His mighty hand. He will guide us where we need to be and help us to triumph over evil and enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Are we willing to do the right thing even if it means we will be hated for it? Do we trust that God will protect us if we persevere? What can we do to ensure that our faith endures?

O Lord, give us the grace of perseverance.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

Very few of us will ever outright deny Jesus, but all of us deny him in some shape, form, or fashion. We deny him when we sin. We deny him when we fail to do good. We deny him to our families, friends, and neighbors who challenge our way of Christian living. We deny him especially in those whom we have the most difficulty in loving. However, God understands that we will turn our backs on Him and fall and that is why He gave us His Beloved Son as an example of what it means to triumph over our human frailties. He shows us how to carry our crosses with confidence. He shows us how to show compassion even in the midst of our own trials. He shows us how to forgive those who trespass against us. He shows us what it means to give hope to the hopeless. He shows us how to persevere even when we feel abandoned by God. He shows us that he loves us like brothers and sisters by giving us his Mother to watch over and intercede for us. He shows us how to thirst for righteousness. He shows us how to accomplish God's Will. He shows us how to commend our spirits to God. And most importantly, he shows us how to pour out God's Love and Mercy to a world in need of them both.

In what ways do we deny Jesus? How can we transform our hearts so we can turn our denials of God's Will into whole-hearted acceptance of it? How can our lives show God's Love and Mercy to others?

O Lord, we acknowledge you as our Lord, our Savior, and our perfect Model.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Saturday of Ordinary Time

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

Jesus outlines what we all must do in order to bear good fruit in our lives. We must not only hear the word, but also embrace it with generous and good hearts. This means that we listen not only to the commandments of God the Father, but also the teachings of the Son and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Then, having listened to these things we should put them into practice generously and in a spirit of charity toward all. When we do this, we may discover that we are opposed, persecuted, and mocked by others and the world, but this should not discourage us. Instead, we should bear our fruit through perseverance. If we do this, then we shall be rewarded with a treasure house of merits in heaven and an eternal life to enjoy them with our Beloved God, the Holy Trinity.

Are we listening to the word of God? Have we embraced the Good News with generous and good hearts? What can we do to prepare ourselves to persevere in this life and bear good fruit?

O Lord, help our hearts to find rich soil of your graces and thrive in the light of your love and the waters of your mercy.

Amen.

Twentieth Friday of Ordinary Time

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

When Jesus is asked to give the greatest commandment, he starts with loving God and ends with loving our neighbors. We can never love too much as long as our love is based on selfless charity, rather than selfishness. This is why it is so important for us to nurture the virtue of love on a steady diet of humility and perseverance. Not everyone we meet will love us. Some of them may come to hate us. However, as Christians, we can never allow their lack of love or hatred to sway us away from loving them as God loves us. If God, is willing to love and forgive them, then we must do the same. We might not like them, but thankfully love is a choice that we can make in spite of how we feel about someone else and how they treat us. Love is an act of free will that frees us from the chains of bitterness. It is our key to a happy life, no matter what we might suffer along the way.

Do we love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? How can we overcome our dislike for certain people and come to love them as God does?

O Lord, we love you and all your children.
Amen.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God…

Just like Simeon, we are called by God to be righteous, devout, filled with the Holy Spirit, and willing to wait for consolation. In order to be righteous, we need to reorder our lives so that knowing, loving, and serving God and His children come first. We also are asked to be devout in our faith, not letting anything discourage us from doing God’s Will. Additionally, we are challenged to invite the Holy Spirit into our every thought, word, and work so that we can better manifest Christ in the world. Last but not least, we need to cultivate a spirit of patient perseverance in our lives. Not everything will turn out how we imagined or hoped for, but if we remain faithful to God, then He will console us when we need it most and throughout eternity.

Are we righteous and devout like Simeon? Have we emptied ourselves of worldly things so that the Holy Spirit can fill us with grace? Are we willing to wait for our consolations no matter how much we might suffer along the way to Heaven?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to be righteous, devout, holy, and patient.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Ordinary Time

Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Sometimes when we answer one of God’s calls, people think we are out of our minds. They see us praying, almsgiving, fasting, volunteering, or giving up something else for God and they think we’re crazy. Why would we want to give up our time, talents, and treasures to pursue something intangible? But just like Jesus, we need to be willing to stand up for what we believe in and be willing to put up with the ridicule and bewilderment of those who do not believe as we do. We are meant to be signs of contradiction to the world and sometimes that means that certain people will misunderstand and even oppose us. However, we must not be afraid to suffer the persecution of others. Instead, we should focus on doing God’s Will to the best of our abilities.

What is God calling us to do? What will we need to sacrifice in order to do it? Are we willing to be persecuted in order to accomplish God’s Will?

O Lord, grant us the strength to persevere in the midst of our trials.

Amen.

Thirty-Forth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

“They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

We will be hated because of Jesus’ name. It’s a hard message to understand, but as we go throughout life, we experience various persecutions because of our faith. We might not be led off to prison or put to death for our beliefs, but we shall see the face of persecution in others. They might be our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or strangers, but we will know them by the hatred behind their words and works. We will be tempted to respond in kind, but when faced with these temptations, we should remember Jesus’ example and choose perseverance over revenge. Just as he forgave those who trespassed against him and put him to death, so too we must forgive those who trespass against us. One way we can do this is by following the advice of today’s gospel: to let God respond through us. We can do this by not being reactionary in our speech and actions. It is easy to be caught up in the heat of the moment and say or do something in defense of ourselves that we will regret later. Instead, we should prepare no defense, offer up our thoughts to God and seek His inspiration as to how we should respond. Sometimes taking those extra few moments to bring God into our response will be enough to keep us from seeking revenge on those who persecute us and instead transform the negative experience of maltreatment into a positive one of merciful forgiveness.

Who are the people who mistreat or persecute us? Do we respond to them out of love or hatred? How can we foster a spirit of mercy in the face of our persecutors?

O Lord, grant us your wisdom and perseverance.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

We belong to Jesus. It’s as simple as that and yet we have such a hard time letting go of our independence. We try to do everything by ourselves. We only come to God when things get too heavy to bear on our own. However, we are never by ourselves. When we triumph, it is because God is with us and not because of our own efforts. When we persevere in times of trial, we do so because God is holding us up. We might not know God as we ought to or as we would like to, but one thing is certain: Jesus is with us in good times and in bad because we have been handed over to him and he never leaves his flock.

Do we try to do everything ourselves first? Wouldn’t it be better for us if we went to God first? How can we remind ourselves of Jesus’ presence in our lives in good times and bad?

O Lord, we have been handed over to you. We are yours now and forever.

Amen.

Sixth Friday of Easter

When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Loving God and our neighbors requires sacrifice and suffering if we want to do it right. Love asks us to labor with patience, mildness, and perseverance so that one day we can give birth to good works that will ripple out into the world. Like children whom we care for and nurture, these acts of charity and mercy go out into the world and show our neighbors that we are Christians by our love. When we see these good works bear fruit, we forget all of the sacrifices they required from us and are thankful for the graces which flowed from our actions.

What are our current labors of love? What are we willing to suffer and sacrifice for? How can we reflect on the sufferings and good works in our lives in such a way as to grow in our capability to love God, ourselves, and others?

O Lord, help us to give birth to good in the world.

Amen.