Monday After Epiphany

I will give you all the nations for an inheritance. The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.”

God has given us all a great inheritance. He has provided us life for a reason. He has not given us the gifts and goods we have to squander them on worldly things. He wants us to use them to proclaim His Good News in great and small ways. Not all of us are called to be prophets, priests, or kings, but we all have duties that reflect these roles. We are asked to speak the Truth like the Prophet of Prophets. We are called to make our lives into sacrifices like the Priest of Priests. We are called to know, love, and serve God and others like the King of Kings. We can't do these things if we prefer the lies of the world, allow our possessions to possess us, avoid suffering at all costs, or choose to be selfish. No, the only way to be found worthy of our spiritual inheritance is to accept it and then live our lives in accordance with God's Will.

Are we using our inheritance wisely and well? How can we become better stewards of God's gifts and blessings? How can we avoid the temptations and traps of the world?

O Lord, we are your children and accept your will.

Amen.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is our King, but not in the way the world sees kings. He is a servant king, who puts the welfare of his people above his own. He is willing to sacrifice himself for our good in hopes that we might grow in faith, hope, and love. He has given us a faithful witness of what it means to be a good and faithful servant. It means a willingness to suffer and to forgive. It means loving our enemies as well as our family and friends. It means making ourselves into living sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. It means acting like kings and queens called to know, love, and serve God and all His children. It means becoming priestly people, keeping holy the Sabbath and partaking in the sacraments. It means being prophets of the Good News and bearing the Word of God to all whom we meet each day in whatever ways God calls us.

Are we allowing Jesus and his teachings to rule our lives? How can we let the Holy Spirit work through us and become more faithful servants to God and His children? In what ways can we transform ourselves into priests for our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, make us into faithful witnesses to you, just as Jesus was, is, and ever will be the perfect witness to your goodness and glory.

Amen.

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.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my son: this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Although we might not all be called to be priests or religious or missionaries, we are all called to be Christ. In that way, we are all called to be the sons and daughters of God and to proclaim the Good News and participate in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Our every thought, word, and work should have the Gospels behind them so we might be living reflections of Jesus Christ, our high priest and savior. So too, we should place ourselves in the right mind before, during, and after Mass by offering ourselves as sacrifices upon the altar and giving God all our good works. In this way, we live up to our calling to be a priestly people and true sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

What honors has God given us? How can we make them holy? In what ways can we live out our calling to be a priestly people?

O Lord, thank you for making us your sons and daughters through Christ.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Jesus is our high priest. He is the one who has given us our faith, proclaimed the Gospel, and shown us the Way, the Truth, and the Life and we are forever in debt to him. He is also the perfect example of holiness, providing us with a model of living righteous and loving lives. At first, we might be intimidated by Jesus’ way of life, but because he was one of us and knows what it means to be human, we should not be afraid to come to him in our times of need. He knows what it is like to be tempted, to suffer, and to be mocked. The only difference is he remained without sin. However, he doesn’t hold our weaknesses against us, not if we come to him in humility, seek his mercy, and allow him to bestow his grace on us. He is our high priest and as such he strives to lead us to eternal life with him, His Father, and the Holy Spirit. So, let us go confidently to the throne of the Holy Trinity and trust God will sympathize with and forgive us our trespasses.

Do we trust that God is merciful? Have we sought out Jesus through our prayers and asked for his Divine Mercy? How can we imitate Jesus and become priestly preachers and doers of God’s Will?

O Lord, we confidently approach your throne, asking for your mercy and grace.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Although we might not be ordained like Timothy or Titus, we all should seek to stir into flame the gift of faith that God has given us and fulfill our vocation to be a priestly people. We are asked to be courageous in our faith and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, the love of Christ to pour out of us, and the self-control demanded by the Father to make us into good and faithful servants. We should not be ashamed of the testimony we give to our Lord through our every thought, word, and work. Instead, we should bear every burden with the strength that comes from following God’s Will. Then, and only then, will we proclaim the gospel of the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths and become a truly priestly people.

How can we stir the flame of our faith? What can we do to become courageous in our spiritual lives? How can we live out our calling to become a priestly people?

O Lord, give us the spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Amen.

Second Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

We are all called to be a priestly people. This means living holy and righteous lives oriented toward God and bringing others to Him through our thoughts, words, and works. This means not only participating in the sacraments, but internalizing them, embodying their significance, and bearing fruits through them. In order to be raised in the order of Melchizedek, we are asked to make our lives a living sacrifice to God and to imitate Christ, who was the perfect High Priest. It is Jesus' example that shows us what it means to be filled with the power of life that cannot be destroyed and to testify to it with our whole being.

How can we answer the call for us to be a priestly people? Is celebrating the sacraments a central action of our faith lives? Are we full of the power of life and willing to testify to its importance?

O Lord, make us a priestly people.

Amen.