Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees our deepest secrets. He knows our greatest potential. He believes we can all become saints and gives us everything we need to become holy. He guides us in great and small ways towards eternal life, but He will not force His Way, Truth, or Life on us. He wants us to choose them ourselves. He knows what we will think, say, and do before we know and provides us with guidance so we might think, speak, and act as Jesus would. There is no escaping from God. He sees everything in our minds and hearts, understands the inner struggles we have, and wants to help us overcome everything so we can be His good and faithful servants.

What does God see within us? What do we see within ourselves? Are we the person we are called to be as Christians?

O Lord, guide us along the everlasting way to life with you.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Lent

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

God will never forget us. Although we might suffer trials and tribulations, afflictions of body, mind, and heart, He shall never abandon us. He is the perfect Father for us. He knows what we want and gives us exactly what we need. He knows what we can handle and gives us the grace to succeed. He knows what is best for us and He will do everything He can to lead us to our greatest potential as both human beings and Christians. He shall not forsake us, even though we might forsake Him for sins and distractions. He will always treat us with tenderness, even when we are heartless and pay Him little to no heed. He will always be waiting for us to return to Him, not to tell us "I told you so," but to welcome us back home and say, "let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found."

Do we trust God will always be there for us? How can we be there for those whom are in need around us? What can we do to become as tender and loving as God is to us?

O Lord, we will never forget you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint James, Apostle

Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we too believe and therefore speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

As Christians, we all have the same Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We all have the full potential to become saints rather than sinners. We all have the same mission to proclaim the gospel and the same responsibilities to know, love, and serve God and His children. We also share in the same promise of one day meeting God face-to-face and entering into His Presence for all eternity. This is what it means to be part of the New Covenant and we should do everything in our power to ensure we do not take for granted the gift of the Holy Spirit and all God has given us through Him.

Are we speaking out about our faith? What are we doing to keep ourselves good and pure so we are worthy of remaining in God’s Presence for all eternity? How can we multiply God’s Grace in the world?

O Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, “The old is good.”

Some of us have a tendency to be satisfied with what we have. We have gotten used to the taste of our lives. We know it and it is comfortable to us. However, sometimes Jesus asks us to try something new and we must be willing to renew ourselves completely by taking a chance and doing something new with our time, talents, or treasures. We cannot have comfort in this life and serve God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We cannot rest on our laurels or we will be left behind and fail to follow God to where He is leading us… to our greatest potential as His children. We are constantly tempted to settle for less, but if we do, then we will be less for it.

How much time, talent, and treasure have we squandered over our lives? How can we put these things to better use? Are we open to being renewed in Christ?

O Lord, pour your spirit into us.

Amen.