Third Sunday of Advent

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks without ceasing... this is the will of God for all of us. God wants us to be filled with joy and happiness. He wants us to be cheerful even in the midst of our daily trials. He wants us to pray to Him constantly and be in dialogue with Him through the Holy Spirit so our relationship with Him can bear much fruit. He wants us to give thanks to Him for all the good He has done for us. He wants us to accept His Love, Mercy, and Grace with adoring, contrite, and humble hearts. He wants us to be on fire with the Holy Spirit and listen to the voice of our consciences. He wants us to be open to His inspirations sent to us through our thoughts and the thoughts, words, and works of others. He wants us to test everything in order to make sure our days are filled with people, places, and things which lead to good and avoid all evil. In short, He wants us to be alive in Jesus Christ so we might live with Him forever in heaven.

Do we have joyful hearts, even in the midst of trials? Do we pray without ceasing and give thanks to God all the days of our lives? Are we letting the Holy Spirit think, speak, and work through us for the good of all?

O Lord, we rejoice in you. We pray to you. We give thanks to you.

Amen.

First Saturday of Lent

Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.

It is easy to love those who love us, but much harder to love those who persecute us. These enemies may attack us physically, intellectually, emotionally, or spiritually. In the face of such assaults it is difficult to recognize our foes as fellow children of God and co-bearers of the Divine Image. However, these are the people in our lives most in need of charity. They are the ones who test the mettle of our love. Is our charity weak and brittle and unable to withstand the resistance of others? Or is it strong and durable? It is up to us to decide. That being said, we must recognize that we cannot win over the hearts of all our enemies with love. Sometimes it is best for us to retreat from someone who is mistreating us and pray for them from a distance. Prudence should guide our love so that we recognize when a relationship is too toxic for our own good. But that is the wonderful thing about prayer and love, they can be offered even from afar.

Who are the people in our lives whom we have the most difficulty loving? What can we do to love them in spite of our antagonistic relationships? Are we willing to sacrifice our pride in order to love our enemies?

O Lord, help us to love our enemies and pray for them for even they are your beloved children.

Amen.