First Sunday of Advent

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has bestowed on us many graces throughout our lives. We might not notice them. We may take them for granted. Or we may even turn our backs on them, but they are always within our reach. All we have to do is accept them, use them wisely and well, and give God thanks for all His help. If we welcome God’s Grace into our hearts, then He will enrich us in every way with virtues, holiness, works of charity and mercy, and spiritual rewards. He will make us into saints fashioned in the likeness of Jesus, our Lord and King.

What graces has God given us? Do we give Him glory, praise, and thanksgiving for all He has done for us? How can we more perfectly put to use the physical, mental, and spiritual graces God has provided us?

O Lord, keep us firm in our faith to the end.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Friday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him! “Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

All of creation was made by God and finds its source, center, and summit in Him. He is the only thing that can fulfill us and transform us into what we are called to be. He made us in His Divine Image and offered us every spiritual blessing so we might be holy as He is Good. What a wonderful God we have in Him for He has shown us what it means to be charitable, merciful, and good. He made us to be manifestations of Himself and we find true peace only when we exult Him through our thoughts, words, and works.

In what ways do we give glory to God? How can we exult Him in everything we do? What can we do to live up to the Divine Image within us?

O Lord, we give you glory and eternal praise.

Amen.

Thanksgiving

I will praise your name forever, Lord. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. 

There is much we should be thankful for as Christians. We should be thankful for having a Heavenly Father, who created us in His Divine Image. We should be thankful for His Beloved Son, who proclaimed the Good News for us and gave up his life so we might be saved from sin and death. We should be thankful for the Holy Spirit, who is always with us, granting us inspiration and guidance so we might lead holy lives. The Holy Trinity is someone we can all praise forever because He has done so many works for us, great and small. He has united us with himself, revealing His Love, Mercy, and Grace. Yes, indeed, we have much to be thankful for because our God is full of glorious majesty and wondrous works.

What are we thankful for this year? In what ways do we show our thankfulness to God for all He has given us? What can we do to help make others thankful?

O Lord, we will praise your works and proclaim your might forever and ever.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him. “Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

Every moment of our lives should be spent praising God and exulting Him above all else in this world. There is nothing in the waters, on the earth, or in the heavens that could ever compare to God. There is nothing we can think that would be more fruitful than to think of God and how to imitate Him. There is nothing we can say that would be more edifying and effective than to speak the Word of God and proclaim the gospels. There is nothing we can do that will bear better fruit than to do God’s Will in all things. Everything has its good beginning in God and will only find its best end in and through Him. There is no other path to salvation than the ones laid before us by God, who prepares the way for each of us according to our own personalities, talents, and needs.

Do we spend as much time praising and exalting God as we should? How can we find even more time? What can we do to bring His thoughts, words, and works into the world for His glory and the good of others?

O Lord, we praise and exult you above all forever.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him. “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.”

These words were sung by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the midst of a burning furnace. Imagine that for a moment... being surrounded by flames and yet finding the inner calm to sing in praise and glory of God. Trusting God will deliver you from evil no matter the trial you might be facing. What a marvelous faith these men showed. A faith all of us are called to imitate in our own lives, especially when our foes put us to the test or our circumstances seem hopeless. To bless God, even in the middle of our suffering is something that is not easy to do, but it is the best thing for us. It shows God we believe in Him and accept His Will in our lives even if His Divine Plan requires us to face difficult trials and make great sacrifices. So, let us join our voices with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and sing, “Blessed the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever.”

Are we at peace with the difficulties we face in our lives? Do we trust our sufferings will lead to a greater good? Do we praise and glorify God even in the midst of our trials and tribulations?

O Lord, we bless and exalt you above all forever.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

Glory and praise forever! “Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”

The temple of God’s Glory resides within each of our hearts. How we tend our bodies, minds, and spirits reflects how we treat God. If we ignore our physical, mental, and spiritual growth, then we weaken our living temples. The only way for the walls of our faith to stand up to earthly trials is if we build them on the solid ground of hope and construct them with the best resources of love, mercy, and goodness. Our temples are only as strong as our reliance on God, who supports us in our times of need and weakness. He makes us strong and for that we should be very thankful.

Are we tending to the good and holy needs of our bodies, minds, and spirits? How can we found ourselves more firmly upon the strength of our Heavenly Father? What can we do to help shore up the faiths of others and help them grow as Christians?

O Lord, blessed are you and the temple you have built within our hearts.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment.

Complacent is something none of us should ever be in this world. There is nothing in this world that can be truly satisfying. Only God can fulfill us and only spending eternity with Him in Heaven can make us happy. Earthly pleasures and goods might give us a false sense of enjoyment, but ultimately these moments fade and we are left empty. We might be wealth, famous, or full of pride but none of this will matter in the end. We can’t take these things with us and God will not look at them when He makes His Final Judgment. Instead, of resting on our laurels, gorging ourselves on pleasures, and devising our own entertainment, we should seek to do God’s Will and sing His praises for all He’s done for us.

Are we complacent? Are we misusing the time, talents, and treasure God has bestowed on us? How can we do a better job of nurturing and growing our relationship with God, who is the ultimate source of all satisfaction?

O Lord, grant us the grace to recognize when we are being complacent in weakness or sin and the strength to resist all temptations to be satisfied with the world.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Thursday in Ordinary Time

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty.

Every moment of every day, we could sing the praises of the Lord. He has does so much for us from the moment we wake in the morning to the instant we fall asleep. He protects us through the night and sees us through each day. He pours His blessings and graces upon us and give us every chance to grow in faith, hope, and love and bear good fruits. He wants us to succeed in what is important in life and provides us every gift and talent we need to fulfill His Divine Plan for us. He is with us always, waiting for us to recognize His presence and allow Him to work through us for the salvation of souls. He does great and small things for us and for all of these things, we should be more than willing to praise Him.

In what ways do we praise God? How can we do so more meaningfully? What can we do to help others to praise Him, too?

O Lord, we praise you for your loving majesty.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Thursday in Ordinary Time

The Lord has made known his salvation. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

God makes known His salvation in various ways. Sometimes He does so through great signs. Other times He does so in a whisper. He brings salvation to us through people, places, and things. He leads us to holiness through the guidance and inspirations of the Holy Spirit. He gives us perfect examples to base our lives on in Jesus and His Mother, Mary. He protects us from evil and calls us to good in numerous ways that we are free to accept or ignore. However, one thing cannot be ignored, His Love for us, because it is clear, constant, and never waivers, even when we take it for granted or deny it. So, let us be thankful for the Lord, for He is merciful, kind, and always offering to save us.

In what ways do we sing the praise of the Lord? How often do we raise our hearts up to Him in joy? How can we make our lives into a living song of glory and praise?

O Lord, we praise you with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Amen.

Twenty-First Monday in Ordinary Time

The Lord takes delight in his people. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; Let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!

Our glory is determined not by our worldly fame or fortune, it is determined by how well we fulfill God’s Divine Plan for our lives. God delights in us when we manifest Him and do everything in our power to know, love, and serve Him and His children. He wants us to exult Him and His marvelous deeds and to encourage our fellow Christians to bear good fruits. We do this through the way we live our daily lives and the way we treat others, especially those most difficult for us to love. We sing His praises best when our voices are ones full of charity and compassion. We amplify God’s greatness most powerfully when we imitate the life of Christ, who is the most perfect example of holy goodness.

How can we give glory to God in all we think, say, and do? How can we sing His praises more meaningfully? In what ways can we grow in the glory of all God’s faithful?

O Lord, we exult you in glory and praise.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire! Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God: "How tremendous are your deeds!"

God is constantly trying to fill us with the fires of his faith, hope, love, goodness, truth, mercy, and grace. He wants us to be ablaze with Him from the moment we wake in the morning to the moment we close our eyes at night. When people see us, they should know we are Christians by the light of our lives shining in the darkness of the world. We should be beacons of faith, hope, and love. We are meant to be lights for all the world to see and constantly lead others to Him. So, let our lives burn bright in the night, praising, glorifying, and magnifying God in all we think, say, and do.

Are we keeping the fires of our faith alive even in the midst of the darkness of the world? How can we make ourselves into beacons of grace for all who see us? What can we do to enkindle the light of Christ in ourselves and others?

O Lord, fill our souls with your fire.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. He is my God, I praise him; the God of my father, I extol him.

God doesn’t need us to give Him glory. He already is glorious beyond anything we can add. However, the glory we give to God is entirely for our benefit as it reminds us who our lives should be dedicated to. We sing God’s praises, not because He needs them, but because they put us in the right state of mind to know, love, and serve Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. God is and always will be triumphant over evil. He doesn’t need us to win the day, but when our virtues triumph over our vices, He is glad for us. He is our strength and courage when we ask for them. He is our salvation when we need it most. He is our God and Father and will always be with us and that is why we extol Him.

In what ways can we give glory to God and praise Him? Do we depend upon Him for our strength and courage? How can we thank Him for being such a good and loving savior?

O Lord, we sing to you and pray that you will help us to be triumphant over all evil.

Amen.

Twelfth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD, or proclaim all his praises?

There are many ways we can give thanks to God. We can give Him thanks through our prayers. We can give Him thanks through our acts of almsgiving. We can give Him thanks through our moments of mercy. We can give Him thanks through our mortifications and sacrifices. We can give Him thanks through our daily chores. We can give Him thanks with a glance toward Heaven. We can give Him thanks through our work for and with others. We can give Him thanks by proclaiming the Good News through our every word and work.

How do we give God thanks? How can we tell of God’s mighty deeds and proclaim and praise Him to others? How can we be good as God is good to us?

O Lord, we give thanks for you are good.

Amen.

Eleventh Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Praise the Lord, my soul! Praise the LORD, my soul! I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.

There are many reasons for us to sing God’s praises. From the moment we wake up in the morning to the moment we fall asleep at night, God is blessing us in one way or another. He may do so in small or great, hidden or obvious ways. He is constantly showing us how much He loves us through these acts of charity. He also reveals His Divine Mercy to each of us, offering forgiveness for our sins and helping us to resist temptations. It is only through His Strength that we can be strong. It is only through His Love that we can be loving. It is only through His Compassion that we can be merciful. And because of these things we ought to sing praise to God while we live so one day, we might join the choir of angels in Heaven and sing to our Beloved God forever and ever.

Do we take notice of all the good things God has done for us? How can we respond to God’s Grace in more meaningful and fruitful ways? What can we do to sing His praises to others?

O Lord, our souls will praise you all of our lives and beyond.

Amen.

Tenth Friday of Ordinary Time

To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my alarm, “No man is dependable.” 

When we are going through tough times, we can be tempted to lose hope and despair. However, as long as we remember God is with us in all things, we will be able to fight off this temptation to doubt and worry and instead choose to trust in God no matter what is happening to us. Yes, even when we are greatly afflicted, we can be calm and at peace with the knowledge that God is always by our side. He is there as a comforter, guide, and protector and as long as we let go and let Him work within our lives we will be rewarded, if not in this life, then in the next.

Do we offer up all our trials and tribulations as sacrifices of praise to God? How can we keep hope even in our darkest hours? What can we do to help others through their difficulties?

O Lord, we will always hope in you no matter what afflicts us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

In the end God will be victorious. Good will overcome evil. Holiness will defeat sin. Life will destroy death. And knowing these things should give us a lot to sing about. We should sing a song of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for all the amazing graces He has given us. We should sing God’s praises to the mountains and seas. We should march throughout the world as saints, proclaiming God’s Mercy and the promise of Heaven. We should sing joyfully to the world and bear the Good News with all our thoughts, words, and works.

How can we join our voices to those of the heavenly choir? What can we do to bring the music of mercy and love into our world? What joyful notes are we being called to sing for God and His children?

O Lord, we sing your praises on the harps of our hearts.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all you his hosts.

Praise is an important part of our faith. How could we not praise God for all He has done for us? We should praise Him for all of creation. We should praise Him for making us in His Divine Image. We should praise Him for the Old Covenant. We should praise Him for the New Covenant. We should praise Him for giving us a Blessed Virgin Mother. We should praise Him for His Beloved Son. We should praise Him for Jesus’ life, passion, death, and resurrection. We should praise Him for the resurrection of the dead and for the sending of the Holy Spirit. We should praise Him for enkindling goodness, mercy, and love within our hearts. And this is only a drop of what God has done for us... how greatly loved we are!

Do we praise God as often as we should? How can we praise Him more perfectly? What can we do to lead others to praise Him?

O Lord, help us to praise you now and forever.

Amen.

Fifth Friday of Easter

I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord. I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD, I will chant your praise among the nations. For your mercy towers to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory!

Each and every day we should give thanks to our Lord and God. We should chant praises of Him for His Love and Mercy. We should be inspired by how faithful He is to us, who can be so unfaithful. We should exult our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We should give them glory for being such a Good and Holy Trinity to us in all things.

How often do we give thanks to our Lord? Do we praise and exult God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What can we do to glorify Him?

O Lord, we give you thanks, praise, and glory.

Amen.

Fourth Wednesday of Easter

O God, let all the nations praise you! May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide.

God guides us as much as possible while allowing us to have free will. He gives us every inspiration, gift, and grace to see us succeed. He has not set us up for failure, but rather for success. He wants what is best for us and does everything in His power to help us. His aid might not come at the time and place we want or in the manner we desire, but it come exactly at the right time and place and in the manner that will bring the most good upon us and to the world. So, let us praise and be glad in Him for He is good and equitable guide.

Do we allow God to guide us where we need to go? How can we be more open to His direction? In what ways do we exult Him for all the graces He has given us?

O Lord, we praise you and are glad for you are fair and loving to us, even when we sin against you.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Easter

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. “Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

The works of God are constantly on display for us. We see His works in the good deeds of others. We see them in the graces He gives us. We see them in the holy people we come into contact with. We see them through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We see them in the acts of heroism that spring up in times of trial. We see them in the charity of others. We see them in the acts of sacrifice that people make in order to help one another. These acts, both great and small, are worth singing about. They are worth praising and encouraging and ultimately imitating.

 Do we sing God’s praises? How do we embody and manifest the goodness of God for others? How can we encourage others to do the same?

O Lord, we praise you for all your tremendous deeds and hope to imitate them in our own lives.

Amen.