Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

We are Christians by the grace of God. Some of us were born into the faith, others came to the faith later in life. However, all of us are in need of deeper conversion. Just like Paul, we all are called to proclaim the Gospel in our own unique ways. It is up to each of us to accept our vocation and to toil harder than we ever imagined to bring the Way, the Truth, and the Life into the world. So, let us all preach in our own way, by thoughts, words, and works and show those around us we are worthy of the name Christians and true heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Do we think, speak, and act like Christians in all things? How can we live out our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? How can we toil harder to bring the Good News to others?

O Lord, by your grace we can become good and faithful servants to you forever and ever.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Our faith has been passed down from generation to generation for two thousand years. It was given to Jesus’ disciples and they passed it on to others... all the way to us. Now, it is our responsibility to pass on the faith to the next generations. Our children and their children. We would indeed do well to be attentive to our faith so we might shine with hope and bring warmth to others through our love. We are all given the great and humbling task of passing the flame of faith to others and it is up to us to do it with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

What are we doing to pass on the faith to others? Are we manifesting Jesus through our every thought, word, and work? How can we become better preachers of the Good News?

O Lord, make us into lamps shining in the darkness.

Amen.

Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

In life we will be beset upon by all manner of trials, difficulties, and obstacles. We shall be tempted to sin. We shall be mocked and persecuted for being Christians. We will be misunderstood, ignored, and abandoned. We will suffer. However, if we repent of our sins, seek to do good, and try to be a mouthpiece for God, then He will protect and strengthen us. He shall make us His dwelling place and we shall bear Him to all people.

Are we bringing forth the precious Word of God without tainting it with worldliness and sin? How can we strengthen our faith so we might become strongholds for God? What can we do to fulfill our calling to be mouthpieces of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace?

O Lord, free us from the hands of the wicked and rescue us.

Amen.

Sixth Thursday of Easter

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

There is only so much we can do to spread the Word of God. We cannot force people to believe. Sometimes they are not ready to hear and forcing our faith on others could push them away from God. Instead, we should simply know, love, and serve God and others to the best of our abilities and trust that the graces from doing so will help bring others closer to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If we have done our best and failed, then we will have done God's Will and do not have to worry about letting God or others down. Our attempts will not go in vain... although we might not see the fruits until after our death.

What can we do to spread the Word of God? Are we willing to trust God and let Him work in the hearts of others through us... even if we feel like failures? Are we willing to suffer the opposition of others in order to bring the Good News to those who need it?

O Lord, help us to occupy our days with preaching the word.

Amen.

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

We preach the Good News in many ways. Through our thoughtful prayers, through our righteous words, and through our charitable and merciful works. We preach the same Gospel the first Christians preached... we are modern day apostles, great and small. If we hold fast to our faith in God, hope in His Plan, and love of Him and His children, then our belief will not be in vain. Jesus died for us, once and for all, and this is a message we are called to give witness to throughout our lives in whatever way we can with the gifts God has given us.

In what ways are we preaching the Good News? Are our lives a witness to the Way, the Truth, and the Life Jesus has handed onto us? How can we use our gifts and talents to spread the Word of God to all we meet?

O Lord, help us to preach what we have received from you and your Holy Church.

Amen.

Fourth Friday of Easter

But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

Just like the first disciples, we are also called to be witnesses before the people, proclaiming the Good News to everyone we meet. Jesus died for us so that we might live in accordance with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He wants us to be his eyes, ears, lips, hands, and feet... bearing God into the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors. And if we are faithful to God and put our trust in His Divine Plan, then we shall be like Christ and worthy of being called the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

How are we witnessing to the Way, the Truth, and the Life? What can we do to be better preachers of the Good News? Do we thank God for treating us as His children?

O Lord, make us good and faithful witnesses to the truth.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

We are all called to preach the gospel through our thoughts, words, and works. Sometimes preaching the gospel comes naturally to us through acts of charity and mercy. Other times we may not want to proclaim the gospel, especially to those whom we dislike. We might not want to do the right thing for the person or persons who always hurt us... and yet, they are exactly the people we are called to preach the gospel to. It may not be easy to put aside our personal feelings, but that is why God gave us the example of Jesus showing compassion even for those who were persecuting him. If we follow his example, like Paul, then we will have a recompense... graces and consolations that will help us. If we still find it difficult, then we must remember we have been entrusted with the stewardship of the Word of God. We have an obligation to do what we don’t want to do because it is what God wants. But hopefully, we shall accept the sacrifice that comes with proclaiming the Good News... otherwise, woe to us!

Are we preaching the gospel with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and strengths? Do we do so even for those whom we find it most difficult to love? How can we become better preachers of the Good News in thought, word, and work?

O Lord, give us the grace to proclaim your gospel faithfully.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Thursday of Ordinary Time

"Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep"–for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!" And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened." Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

We might not weep when the Word of God is read to us during mass or when we delve into the Bible at home, but the Scriptures should affect us in some way. They should inspire us to become better people. They should give us strength to carry our burdens. They should bring us happiness and joy. They should give us the light of hope in our hours of darkness. They should remind us of how much we are loved by God and how much He has to say to us every day… if only we would listen.

Are we listening to the Word of God? How can we be more faithful messengers of the Good News? What can we do to carry forth the love of God as expressed within the Scriptures?

O Lord, make us living fonts of your word.

Amen.

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed--God is witness--nor did we seek praise from men, either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.

When we bring the Gospel to others, the best way to do so is not through trying to please or flatter them or to force or demean them, but rather to be truthful, gentle, and loving. This is why the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Spiritual Mother, is such an important role model for us to emulate. She shows us throughout the Gospel through word and deed how to magnify the Lord and proclaim His Greatness in all things. She does this through sharing herself with others. First, with her fiat to our Heavenly Father and her openness to the Holy Spirit with whom she conceived Jesus. Second, through the visitation of Elizabeth, whom she cares for. Third, with Joseph, whom she shares a life full of blessings and sorrows. Fourth, with Jesus, her Son and out Lord with whom she shared everything from conception to Passion to death to Resurrection. Last but not least, she shares herself with all God’s children by accepting God’s call to be our Spiritual Mother, who knows, loves, and serves us most perfectly in Heaven and desires nothing more than for us to fulfill God’s Will and join her in Heaven. So let us all be givers of our selves just as Jesus, Paul, and Mary gave themselves for us.

How can we become more effective preachers of the Gospel of God? In what ways can we share ourselves with our fellow children of God? Are we gentle in our approach to bringing the Good News into the lives of others?

O Lord, help us to share not only your Gospel, but also ourselves with all those we are asked to evangelize.

Amen.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

We should be more welcoming to God and others. We should welcome God into our minds, hearts, and spirits. We should welcome others into our homes and lives. We would all be better off if the world with a more hospitable place where everyone loved each other to the best of their abilities. We can love others best by knowing, loving, and serving God and His children with humble and caring attitudes. Preaching, praying, acting righteously, and being compassionate and merciful are all ways we can receive God and others into our lives and bear good fruit in our relationships with them.

Are we receptive to having God in our lives? Are we welcoming of others? How can we show our hospitality to everyone so they can in turn see how welcoming God is to all peoples?

O Lord, let us receive you into our hearts so we can better give you to others through our preaching, praying, and acts of charity and mercy.

Amen.

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

We all have a responsibility to spread the Good News. However, we should not force our faith on others. Some people will be turned off if we push too hard. We simply have to pray for guidance in these matters and be aware of when we might be pushing our beliefs onto others. Every person’s faith journey is different. Some people need constant support to grow in the faith. Others are better off coming to the faith more independently. Once we have introduced the faith to someone, we should let them take the next step. Only they know if they are ready to receive the Word of God. There may be times in our lives when we come across people who do not want to be evangelized and might be turned off by the way we think, speak, or act as Christians. If this is the case, then we, like Paul, are clear of our responsibility and can move on to more fertile souls. We shouldn’t see such moments as failure either... because we have succeeded in spreading the word and who knows... perhaps one day the seed we planted will grow into faith.

In what ways are we preaching the word? Are we willing to be rejected? How can we spread the Good News without forcing it on others?

O Lord, may our lives be a testimony to the truth that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Just as Jesus sent out his disciples and apostles, so he sends us into the world. He gives each of us gifts and talents we can use to spread the Good News to the ends of the world. Some of us are given vocations to know, love, and serve God in the priesthood or religious life. Others are called to proclaim the Gospels through our lay lives. No matter the tasks before us we should take comfort in the fact that Jesus is constantly working with us through the Holy Spirit. We are not alone on this journey or in our mission to love God and our neighbors. God is truly with us, giving us aid to overcome all our fears, doubts, and obstacles so we might do His Will more faithfully.

How are we preaching the Good News? What gifts and talents has God given us to use for His Glory? What are the things keeping us from following God's Will more perfectly?

O Lord, work with us to spread your Good News to all the world.

Amen.

Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus appointed the Twelve to preach and drive out demons. In a similar manner, Jesus calls us to preach his gospel message and help his children, including ourselves, to drive out the sins that possess our lives. We are not asked to be perfect, none of Jesus’ Apostles were, but what we are asked to be is passionate about bearing God into the world through our thoughts, words, and works. So like the Apostles, we have to answer the summons of our Lord and to come to him through prayer, the sacraments, and our good works. Some of us will be asked to be rocks for our friends, family, and Church, just as Simon was in his life. Others will be called to love unconditionally like John. Or perhaps we will be asked to be like the other devoted Apostles, such as Matthew or James. No matter what our calling is, we should remember that God will always give us the graces we need to do His Will. Hopefully, we will answer Jesus’ call with hearts full of faith, hope, and love and never betray him.

What is Jesus calling us to do? Have we cultivated a passion for preaching the truths of the gospel, not only through our speech, but also our deeds? How can we answer God's summons more faithfully?

O Lord, let our lives proclaim your gospel all the days of our lives.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Easter

But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Lord works with us. He gives us every grace we need to think, say, and do the right and good thing. Wherever we are lacking, he takes up the slack. We need to remember this the next time we face a seemingly impossible or very difficult task. We grow in our faith by risking ourselves for Christ, by being willing to go forth and preach the Gospel through our words and works. Let us be not afraid to be a sign of God’s love for His children. We may not cast out demons, speak in tongues, or anything else overtly special, but whenever we commit an act of charity or mercy, we perform a miracle. We should make sure we perform these miracles in the name of the Lord. When we do that we make ourselves and our actions into sacramental signs of God’s Love.

Do we go forth and preach the Gospels in our lives? In what ways do we recognize all the help God has given us? How can we be better signs of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace?

O Lord, work with us to go forth and preach your Most Holy Word.

Amen.

Second Friday of Ordinary Time

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.

Jesus summons the Twelve to join him in as co-bearers of the Gospel. He sends them forth to preach the Good News and grants them the authority to drive out demons. They are made missionaries of Christ’s message of love. He does not call perfect people to serve him, but rather sinners like Peter (who denies him) and Judas (who betrays him). We too are imperfect followers of Christ, but we must not let our sins keep us from fulfilling our mission to know, love, and serve God and his children. We should preach the Gospel through our words and works, and although we might not drive out demons we can however cast out those things which keep us from being good and faithful servants.

How do our actions proclaim the Good News? What are the sins we commit that deny or betray our mission of love? When we do fail, how can we let God pick us off the ground and get us back on track?

O Lord, we have been summoned to serve you and your children. Grant us the grace to come follow you.

Amen.