Thirteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Now hear the word of the LORD!"

Amos didn't set out to be a prophet. He was a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees before he received his calling. In a similar way, none of us daydreamed of being prophets when we grew up. However, as Christians, we are all called to be prophets, leading people deeper into the faith by thoughts, words, and deeds. We might not wake up each morning and receive a vision or hear the voice of God as the prophets of old did, but we all see the Truth and hear the voice of our conscience. We all know when others are in need of a good listener and a word of spiritual advice. Our prophesies might not be as profound as the prophets who came before us, but they can have a great effect on those who hear us and are willing to listen to what God is saying through us.

Are we answering our calling to be prophets of the Good News? Are we listening for the inspirations and guidance of the Holy Spirit? How can we manifest God's Divine Word to others?

O Lord, give us the words we need in order to bring your Divine Word to all those whom we meet each day.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, “I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building.”

Jesus reminds his audience that their ancestors persecuted the prophets, believing what they were doing was the right thing. Just like their forefathers, the scholars and Pharisees think they know right from wrong. They see Jesus as a threat rather than as a savior and so they put all of their energies into interrogating and plotting against him. They have made themselves judges of good and evil just as Adam and Eve did and this is why Jesus tells them that they will be charged with the blood of all the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. They have condemned themselves by making themselves into judges, a right only God has. Just like the scholars and the Pharisees, we too are constantly tempted to make judgments against others. Of course, the judgments we make against others will also be made against us on the Day of Judgment. So let us not make ourselves into judges, but rather let us be like the prophets, proclaiming the gospel through our words and works.

Do we make judgments against others or persecute them for their faults? Do we do confront others’ sins in a spirit of love or do we do so in a judgmental manner? Are we willing to be sent out into the world like the prophets to proclaim the gospel?

O Lord, send us into the world as your prophets.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Jesus fulfills the law and prophets through his Gospel and sacrifice. The law and prophets were necessary before Jesus, because mankind needed them. However, Christ completes them through his priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission to the world. His words build upon the law and transfigure it into the Gospel message we have today. His actions complete the foreseen future of the prophets. This is why we as Christians do not depend merely upon the law or prophets of the Jewish people. We give them due acknowledgement, but there is something more than the law and the prophets in Christ. He calls us to follow his Way, Truth, and Life and in order to do that we must look past the letter of the law and the signs of the prophets to the spirit of the law and the sign of our salvation.

Do we live our lives according to the spirit of the Gospels? Do we focus our every thought, word, and work on the goal of saving souls, including our own? What are the sacrifices we are willing to make to follow God’s commandments?

O Lord, we want to fulfill your Gospel message and become prophets of your love.

Amen.