Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

The levitical priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but Jesus, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens.

Jesus is our high priest, our source of grace and love, our center of hope, and the summit of our faith. He showed us through his life, passion, death, and resurrection what it means to live out our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. He has given us an example of what it means to be holy, innocent, and undefiled. He has spoken the Truth to us so we might walk his Way and live his Life. Most importantly, he will not give up on us in this life. He will do everything in his power to lead us to the Promised Land of Heaven. He is our high priest and savoir and in him we can trust and hope and be brought to perfection.

Do we give thanks to God for giving us His Beloved Son as our High Priest? How can we become a more priestly people? How can we make ourselves into living sacrifices for the glory of God and the good of all?

O Lord, make intercession for us and save us.

Amen.

First Monday of Ordinary Time

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are all called to become fishers of men in our own way. Some of us are called to be fishers of our families to our parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Some of us are called to be fishers to our fellow children of God through priesthood or religious orders. Some of us are called to be fishers of the lost, lonely, sorrowful, and needy through volunteering and ministry. Whatever our calling might be, we all have the option to respond to it with a yes or a no. God never forces us to do good, He wants us to choose what's right because we desire to do good in imitation of Him. The disciples said yes to Jesus when he called them and left behind their old lives. Others said no for various reasons from selfishness to disbelief. We, too, face this choice every day of our lives and hopefully we choose to cast our nets into the ocean of God’s Love and Mercy and not into the sea of worldliness.

Are we following Jesus where he wants us to go? Are we willing to walk away from the world and become fishers of men? Who are we being called to fish for in our lives?

O Lord, make us fishers of men.

Amen.