Fourth Monday of Advent

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand. Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way.

Humility is a virtue we have to constantly work at. Pride has a way of slipping into our lives in various ways. It tries to convince us we are better than others. It proclaims we are holier, morally superior, and better than those around us. It wants us to believe we know best and our way is the only one. It tells us our time, talents, and treasures are more important than anyone else’s. It tempts us to be impatient with those who ask us for something. It tempts us to grumble and complain about others. It tempts us to make ourselves into God by encouraging us to be judges. Humility is the only cure for such temptations to pride and it must be swallowed every day. If we want to be truly upright and not like the Pharisees and Sadducees, then we must be humble and just in all things. Following not our way, but the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ, who humbly built other people up in faith, hope, and love.

Are we cultivating a sense of humility or pride? How can we become humbler in thought, word, and work? What can we do to foster humility not only in ourselves, but others, too?

O Lord, teach us to be humble.

Amen.

Thirty-First Tuesday in Ordinary Time

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me.

Pride is a vice none of us can afford to have. Wherever we find it in our lives, we need to uproot it, cast it away, and burn it to ashes. The temptation to pride is one that can bring low even the most holy of people. It can corrupt our good works by turning them into acts weighed down with self-righteousness and disdainful judgments of others. We can prize our own time, talents, and treasures above others. We hear the music of the Church and instead of focusing on the glory of God, we are lost in criticizing others for being poorer singers than we. We see someone act with charity or mercy and we say, “I could do better!” The prideful taint all they touch turning gold to lead and bountiful harvests into wilted crops. Instead of building up the body of Christ, they build themselves up like a tower of Babel, until they collapse under the weight of their own sins and selfishness. So, let us be humble people, busy not with self-important “great things,” but with selfless good things.

Have we found peace in our lives? How can we uproot pride from our lives? What can we do to be happy with being humble?

O Lord, make our hearts not proud, but good.

Amen.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.

The world teaches us to boast of what we have and what we have done. It tells us we should trumpet our own horns and let everyone else know how great we are. This is not what God wants. He wants us to boast of Him. He wants us to boast of His Goodness and Mercy. He wants us to boast of the cross He bore for us and the crosses we bear for Him. He wants us to humble ourselves through lives of sacrifice and love. He wants us to bring peace and mercy to all whom we meet, just as Jesus did in his own life.

Do we boast more of worldly things or Godly ones? What can we do to rid ourselves of our dependence upon the opinions of others and instead focus our lives on doing our Heavenly Father’s business? How can we humble ourselves so we can follow God’s commandments without feeling holier than others?

O Lord, we boast only of you and your cross.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Lent

Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

The desire for evil things can seep into our lives and ruin the foundations of our faith. It can wear away the solid rock beneath us and cause us to fall. Sin, grumbling, indifference... all of these things tear down our spiritual lives. And we cannot say God did not warn us against these worldly vices. He has shown us again and again how wickedness leads to destruction. None of us should be so prideful as to feel secure in our salvation. It is only by the Grace and Mercy of God that we have any hope of eternal life despite how often we displease Him with acts of selfishness and sin.

How can we rid ourselves of the desire for evil? What can we do to amend our lives so we might avoid sin, grumbling, and other temptations? How can we do a better job of seeking our salvation rather than our self-satisfaction?

O Lord, help us to be more pleasing to you.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Our faith expresses itself through our acts of love and mercy. If we are not charitable and merciful, then where is our faith? If we follow all the rules of our faith, but don't love, then our actions ring hollow. Our only hope to become humbly righteous and not self-righteously prideful is to remember we must become Christ-like in our every thought, word, and work. Jesus did not do what was good to prove he was holier than us, but because he truly wanted to know, love, and serve his Heavenly Father and all his brothers and sisters. In the same way, we are called to live our lives through the Holy Spirit Christ left behind for us, full of love and mercy.

In what ways are we expressing our faith through acts of love and mercy? How can we become more righteous without becoming prideful? What can we do to live out the spirit of faith working through love?

O Lord, grant us your Spirit so we might become more righteous, loving, and merciful.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Friday in Ordinary Time

Then Job answered the LORD and said: Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more.

There is always the temptation to complain about our lot in life. When things aren’t going as we planned, we try to find someone or something to blame. We might even be tempted to blame God for our sufferings. However, the sin of pride is the root of complaining, “Why me?” This self-centeredness tries to convince us we know better than God. If only we had the power, we’d make everything right. This is what Adam and Eve thought when they reached for the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to be the judges of right and wrong, but their pride led them into sin and exile from the Garden of Eden. Instead of complaining or thinking we know best, we should make ourselves humble before God. We, like Job, should recognize our littleness and put a hand over our mouths so we can stifle our complaints before they are spoken. Then, perhaps we shall hear the truth God is speaking to us through the Gospels and the traditions of the Church.

Do we think we know better than God what is good for us? How can we become humbler in spirit and accepting of the sacrifices being asked of us? How can we avoid complaining and instead give God glory, honor, and praise?

O Lord, strip us of our petty complaints and clothe us in humility.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

It requires a great deal of faith, hope, and love to remain united to God and to His children. There are so many things in the world that seek to divide us... gender, race, ideology, income, health, and lifestyles... just to name a few. Sometimes we are drawn away from each other by these various differences. We come to see our point of view as the best and are tempted to act holier than thou. However, this sort of attitude comes from the vice of pride and can lead us to destruction just as easily as the other extreme, which is to think we are the worst of people with no hope for a better life. This is why it is so important to cultivate a spirit of humility. So, we trust in God’s Plan no matter how good or bad our current lives might seem. We also must strive to be gentle and patient with one another through love so no matter how we might feel we will always be united together through the Holy Spirit. The goal of our lives is not worldly success, but rather unity in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism so one day we will be blessed to spend the rest of eternity with our one Heavenly Father.

Are we united with God as we ought to be? How can we become better united with others, especially those whom are most difficult for us to love? What can we do to bring people together in our faith?

O Lord, we wish to be united in you now and forevermore.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Monday in Ordinary Time

Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Pride can corrupt us from the inside out. It can spoil our good works and lead us deeper and deeper into sin. It can convince us we are better than others when in fact we are sinners just as much as anyone. This is why it’s so important to examine our consciences, make a good confession, and cleanse ourselves of our sins. The only way to be pure and holy is to rid ourselves of all our bad habits and imperfections and make ourselves more and more Christ-like. Then and only then, will we be ready to share in the Eucharistic feast in truth and sincerity.

Has pride wormed its way into our hearts? If so, then how can we rid ourselves of it? What do we need to do to cleanse ourselves of malice and wickedness and become sincerer and more truthful in our spiritual lives?

O Lord, clear our hearts of all that is evil and refresh our spirits.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Because you have thought yourself to have the mind of a god, Therefore I will bring against you foreigners, the most barbarous of nations. They shall draw their swords against your beauteous wisdom, they shall run them through your splendid apparel. They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die a bloodied corpse, in the heart of the sea.

Pride can undo all our good works. It can make us think we know better than God. It can convince us that we deserve all the honor, glory, and praise for what we do. However, the spirit of pride only leads to our destruction. While it may lift us up in the world, it tears down our relationship with God. We become new Adams and Eves, deciding we can discern right and wrong for ourselves without thought to God’s commandments, teachings, or inspirations. The only protection from this deadly sin is the virtue of humility. We must be willing to humble ourselves even in our successes. We cannot let our selfish inclinations lead us astray. Instead, we must put aside our self interests and be willing to make ourselves into living sacrifices to God and for the good of others. Only then will we be like God... because we will have put on His Will.

Are there areas of our lives where pride has crept in? Do we give all glory, honor, and praise to God for all the goods we have? How can we become humbler people?

O Lord, drive all pride out of us and replace it with humble trust in you.

Amen.

Nineteenth Friday in Ordinary Time

You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was, because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you, says the Lord GOD. But you were captivated by your own beauty, you used your renown to make yourself a harlot, and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by, whose own you became. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl, and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you, that you may remember and be covered with confusion, and that you may be utterly silenced for shame when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.

We must always be on guard against ourselves. Selfishness and pride can lead us astray. They can cause us to misuse our time, talents, and treasures. The can take the beautiful image of God within us and disfigure it with sin and indifference. They can lead to bad habits and worse. Thankfully, God will never give up on us. He will try to bring us back into His good graces whenever we leave the narrow path to Heaven. This is why it is so important to learn to be selfless and humble. These virtues protect us against our darker inclinations and make it possible to resist temptation and be good and faithful children of God.

Are we on guard against our selfish and prideful inclinations? What can we do to protect the image of God within ourselves and live up to the New Covenant? How can we increase in virtue and decrease in vice?

O Lord, we thank you for pardoning all that we have done and failed to do.

Amen.

Seventeenth Monday in Ordinary Time

Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth from the place where I had hid it. But it was rotted, good for nothing! Then the message came to me from the LORD: Thus says the LORD: So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.

If we don't obey God's Divine Word and follow His Way, Truth, and Life, then we are good for nothing. If false idols rule our lives and sins chain us, then we shall rot away. If our hearts are stubborn and our minds prideful, we shall be empty of all good. Nothing we think, say, or do will amount to anything. We shall be hollow vessels, clanging cymbals, rotten fruits. It is only when we put God first and foremost in our lives that we bear good fruits, sing God's praise worthily, and fill ourselves with God's Love, Mercy, and Goodness. Once we do that, then, and only then, will we be good for something.

Are there areas of our lives which are good for nothing? How can we rid ourselves of these weaknesses and put our time, talents, and treasures to greater use? What can we do to avoid rotting away from sin and indifference?

O Lord, make us good for something.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water.

We are constantly tempted to forsake God and try to build lives for ourselves. This spirit of selfishness and pride is one that leads to brokenness, emptiness, and death. Without the living waters of God, we dry up spiritually, mentally, and physically. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper into sin and are buried in fears, doubts, and worldly anxieties. However, it doesn't have to be this way. Instead of selfishness and pride, we can build our lives on selflessness and faith in God just like saints Joachim and Anne. They trusted in God, they placed their lives at His service and did everything He asked of them. They loved God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and passed on this devotion to their daughter, Mary, Our Heavenly Queen and Mother.

Are there areas in our lives where we are trying to be the builders and not letting God build for us? What sins, fears, doubts, and worldly anxieties are we allowing to bury us in guilt and worry? How can we become more faithful to God in all things, like the parents of Mary?

O Lord, we thank you for such great spiritual grandparents as saints Joachim and Anne.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Lent

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

If we are not careful our piety can disappear like the morning dew. If our faith is founded on pride or selfishness, we can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons. Our religious observations can be done not for the glory of God, but out of an empty self-righteousness. We can think we are pious and good, but in truth we are acting like self-righteous hypocrites, who believe they are better than everyone else. Our prayers can be self-serving and our actions can bear no good fruits. However, if our lives are founded on knowing, loving, and serving God with all our being, then we shall be truly faithful to our calling to be disciples of Christ in all things.

What is our faith life founded on? How can we resist the temptations to misuse our faith? How can we become good, faithful, and loving servants to God and all His children?

O Lord, we want only to know and love you more perfectly in all things.

Amen.

Thirty-Fourth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

But the God in whose hand is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down. "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES. These words mean: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

We should all hope we don’t suffer the same fate as King Belshazzar. However, there are times in our lives when we are tempted to act like him. We fall into deadly sins and instead of our thoughts, words, and works giving glory to God, we take the glory for ourselves. We let our pride and selfishness blind us from giving God the credit for our successes. He is the source of all Good and deserves all glory, praise, and thanksgiving. If we fail to amend our lives, then like King Belshazzar, we shall find our days numbered, our souls found wanting, and our possessions divided. However, if we give our lives over to God completely, then He shall find us worthy to stay with Him in Heaven, give us spiritual treasures beyond counting, and provide us endless days.

Are we allowing our pride and selfishness to keep us from living in accordance with God’s commandments, teachings, and inspirations? In what ways are we giving glory to God? Do we recognize God as the source of all Good, the center of our lives, and the summit of our faith?

O Lord, we give you all glory, praise, and thanksgiving.

Amen.

Ninth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

I called to my wife and said: “Where did this goat come from? Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners; we have no right to eat stolen food!” She said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.” Yet I would not believe her, and told her to give it back to its owners. I became very angry with her over this.  So she retorted: “Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

How quickly we can fall from grace! Tobit, who does so much good for others goes blind and spends years being taken care of by others. Just as he was charitable, so others are treating him with charity. And yet, he becomes suspicious of his wife and instead of dwelling on all the good she has done him, he casts doubt upon her character. He has become like those who mocked him, but worse. He has moved past indifference to envy and self-righteousness. How many of us fall into the same traps and temptations. We see evils in other’s charitable deeds. We see what others have and think they have no right to it. We can build up a treasure house of good works, but spoil them all by casting dispersions on others or not trusting them when they have give us reason to trust.

Have we ever blamed someone for something or thought ill of them and been proven wrong? Have we blinded ourselves with envy and pride? How can we cure our blindness and see others through loving eyes?

O Lord, open our eyes so that we might be charitable in thought, word, and deed.

Amen.

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this?  We are of the same nature as you, human beings.  We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.”

It is important for us to remember that all the good we do is from God. We are not the source, center, or summit of Goodness, God is. As people of faith, we can be tempted to feel like we are better than others and lord it over those whom we see as unfaithful. However, God does not call us to become modern day Pharisees. Instead, He calls us to do His Will with humble hearts, without expectation of return or seeking worldly glory or consolations. There may be some whom we help who might want to treat us like saviors, but there is only One Savior and he is Jesus Christ. Every good we do is an imitation of God and a fulfillment of the vocation to love that God has given all of us. Though we are called to be saints, we should remember that we are all human. We all have strengths and weaknesses and should not seek to make ourselves into false idols. We are called to sanctity, not to proclaim ourselves as good, but to proclaim God’s Good News... that all of us have a chance to be holy if we will confess our sins, amend our lives, and love God and neighbor with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Have we made ourselves into false idols through the sins of pride and self-righteousness? Do we give all the glory for our good deeds and successes to God or claim it for ourselves? How can we become more humble servants of God, magnifying Him and not ourselves?

O Lord, remind us that part of becoming saints is learning to be humble of heart.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Lent

“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”

When things don’t go our way, we are tempted to complain. Why couldn’t God help me? Why didn’t He give me what I wanted when I wanted it? Why do I have to suffer this or that? However, these questions are poisonous to our hearts, minds, and souls. They turn us against God through unrealistic and unfair demands. God is not with us to cater to our every want and desire. He knows far better than us what will do us good and what will harm us. What we want and what we truly need can be complete opposites. Some of us require reminders of our place in the world. Our pride can blind us and God sends trials to us to open our eyes. Others suffer not because of something they’ve done wrong, but because God knows their response will be Christ-like and deepen their faith in ways that could not happen if their lives were all sunshine and happiness. God knows what each of us can beat. He never gives us more than we can handle. We might not like what He is asking of us, but it doesn’t mean His Divine Plan is unfair. His Will is just, loving, and merciful and will forge us into good and faithful servants if we will allow it to do so.

Have we ever felt disgusted with our lot in life and complained to God? How can we learn to embrace what we are going through, even the sufferings, and do God’s Will? What can we do to build up the virtue of fortitude in our faith even during times of trial?

O Lord, take away the poisonous complaints that find their way onto our lips and make us into a persevering people.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

Rely not on your wealth; say not: “I have the power.” Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart. Say not: “Who can prevail against me?” or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?” for God will surely exact the punishment. Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?” for the Most High bides his time. Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not: “Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.” For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath.

There are many ways we can convince ourselves we do not need God in our lives. We can assume ourselves to be self-sufficient because of money or power. We can believe we have the ability to overcome every obstacle and enemy by ourselves. We can have a false sense of security and hubris. We can be disrespectful of God’s Love and Mercy by taking it for granted. The truth is that we all need God in our lives. He is the source, center, and summit of all power. He is the one who can give us the healthy desires of our hearts. He is the one who can help us prevail and give us success in our good deeds. He is the one who will punish us for our selfish pride and our presumptions upon His Love and Mercy. He will set us straight when we go astray. All these things together remind us that we should not waste our time, talents, and treasures on selfish pursuits, but rather we should seek to be more deeply converted and willing to depend upon God for all that is good.

Are we prideful, presumptuous, falsely secure in our salvation, or disrespectful of God’s Love and Mercy? If we are, then how can we overcome these sins and depend upon God more firmly? How can we cultivate the virtues of humility, modesty, hopefulness, and respectfulness of God?

O Lord, cleanse us of our false sense of self-sufficiency and give us a childlike trust in you and you alone.

Amen.

Sixth Friday of Ordinary Time

“If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city.

The problem with the Tower of Babel wasn’t that people were building it, but rather the reason why they were building it. They were constructing the tower so they could make a name for themselves and not to give glory to God. This glorification of self is founded in the deadliest of sins, pride. They, like Adam and Eve, wanted to make themselves like gods. Because of this, God scattered them and stopped them from building the tower. There are times when we choose to build our lives upon selfish foundations and sooner or later these reasons fail us and we are scattered. There is only one firm foundation to build our lives upon and it is God as our Heavenly Father, our Brotherly Master, and our Holy Spirit. It is in Him that we shall find a name for ourselves which will last forever... Christian!

What have we founded our lives upon? How can we avoid the temptation to glorify ourselves? What can we do to give glory to God?

O Lord, help us to found ourselves on you and nothing else.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”

The world tells us to strive to be on top, to be number one. But that is not the point of life. John realized this. His whole life was devoted to one thing: preparing the way of the Lord. His disciples would have made him into a false Messiah if he’d let them. He could have turned his back on his mission and choose to make himself number one. However, he didn’t because he realized the only way his life would be fulfilled was if he decreased so Jesus could increase. He recognized something greater than himself and placed his own pride aside and welcomed the coming of the Lord. In the same way, we are called to recognize the first place God should hold in our own lives. He should be the source, center, and summit of our lives. We should be willing to give up anything for Him. And like John, our lives should be a constant preparation for the Lord leading others and ourselves closer to God.

Have we given God first place in our lives? If not, then how can we put Him above all else? How do our lives make God known to others?

O Lord, you will always come first.

Amen.