Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Just as Jesus poured out his Blood for us, so too, each of us are called to pour out our own lives for him. As his brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility to do everything within our power to bear God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace into the lives of others. Peter and Paul did this in their lives and paid the ultimate price to keep the faith. They finished the race with the crown of martyrdom and we must be willing to do the same. We might not be called to die physically, but we must all die to our own selfishness so we might live in the Holy Spirit. The crown of righteousness awaits us if we are true to God and willing to accept the thorns that come with it. And the most amazing thing is God doesn’t care how successful we are in the world, He only cares whether we competed faithfully and well.

Are we willing to pour out our blood for God and His children? Are we willing to accept the crown of righteousness and all the sacrifices it requires from us? How can we compete more faithfully in the race to our salvation?

O Lord, we pour ourselves out to you like a libation, holding nothing back.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

When we seek to do God’s Will, we will have both moments of triumph and defeat. One moment we will be walking on water, unable to do anything wrong and then a strong wind will blow against us. This resistance may come from family, friends, neighbors, or other causes, but whatever the source we will doubt, sink, and become frightened of God’s plan for us. During these times of weakness, we must join Peter in crying out, “Lord, save me!” And Jesus will stretch out his hand, help us to rise again, and remind us that we needn’t have worried at all because with faith in him all things are possible.

Are we afraid of what God is calling us to do? When have we failed to follow His Will, have we asked for Jesus’ help? Do we accept the hand of Jesus when he offers to lift us up again?

O Lord, save us!

Amen.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

The words that Peter proclaimed in today’s gospel need to be constantly on our lips, too. It is important that we recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the Christ, our savior and redeemer, the one who offers to wash away our sins and cleanse us of our iniquities. He is also the Son of the living God, who offers us life everlasting with himself in the Heavenly Kingdom. He is the cornerstone of the Church, which we are called to be part of as living stones. We can only be shaped to fit into the structure of the Church if we are humble enough to allow God to work us into the shape He needs. So let us be willingly hammered and chiseled until we are truly formed in the image of God.

Do we constantly recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God? Do we appreciate the sacrifice he made for us as Christ and the life he offers us as the Son of God? Are we willing to allow God to shape us into His Divine Image?

O Lord, make us into living rocks of your Church.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Easter

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

This rebuke of Peter is also a reminder to us to take care of our own business first when it comes to faith. Each of us is given a set of tasks to fulfill in our lives by God and it is our responsibility to concern ourselves with them and not with others. We follow Christ, not our family, friends, or neighbors. We might come to know, love, and serve everyone around us—as Jesus would—but we should not be so concerned with them that we ignore our own tasks. We need to focus on feeding and tending God’s children in the way He asks us to and sometimes that means doing things without or even against our family, friends, and neighbors. This does not mean that we do them without regard to these people or to spite them, but rather we do it because God calls us to do it. He should take precedence over everything and everyone in our lives.

What are the tasks God has set before us? How do we put aside our concern for others and focus on God’s Will? Is our faith in God our top priority?

O Lord, we follow you. Let our concerns be your concerns and not our own.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Easter

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.

These words are spoken by the risen Christ after he asks Peter if he loves him three times. These three yes’s make up for Peter’s three denials of Jesus during his trial. They make clear that Peter has accepted Jesus’ message completely and that he is ready to feed and tend the spiritual flock of Christ’s followers. We too deny Christ in great and small ways throughout our lives and as we mature in our faith there comes many moments in our lives when God asks us “Do you love me?” Hopefully, we answer with an emphatic “Yes!” as many times as He asks us! However, when we do give our assent to His Will, we must be willing to allow God to dress us as he wishes and lead us where He wills, even to those places where we do not wish to go.

Do we love God more than all worldly things? What do we do to feed and tend God’s flock? Are we willing to allow Jesus to lead us to where we do not want to go?

O Lord, we love you, lead us where your will.

Amen.