The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

"This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Our lives are meant to proclaim the life, passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord until he comes again. If we want to be good and faithful God-bearers, then we need to remember Him in every moment of our lives. We need to make Him present in our thoughts, words, and works. We do this best when we go to mass and receive the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This spiritual food nourishes our souls and grants us the graces we need to do God’s Will. We should do everything in our power to prepare our hearts to receive God through the Eucharist. We should make our bodies into living temples dedicated to housing the Holy Spirit and bringing people closer to our Heavenly Father.

How can we prepare ourselves for the reception of the Blessed Sacrament? What can we do to receive God into our hearts as His humble servants? What can we do to remember and make present God in our everyday lives?

O Lord, help us to do all things in remembrance of you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

God is our Heavenly Father and like Joseph we should rejoice in Him. We should show Him respect, give Him homage, and offer Him everything we have. We should not rest until we are in His Divine Presence and should do all things in hopes of one day entering into His Kingdom. We should fling ourselves upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and weep in His Arms for the love and mercy He has shown us. We should go to Him wherever we can find Him, in our families, friends, and strangers who bear the image of God within them. We should prepare our hearts and homes to receive Him when He comes... through the presence of others, the sacraments, and our own prayer lives. God is our Father and it is in Him that we shall find our fulfillment.

What can we do to prepare ourselves to receive our Father? How can we be mindful of His Presence in our lives? How do we give thanks to Him, who has do so much for us?

O Lord, we fling ourselves upon you and weep for joy in your arms.

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.

Eleventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

As we go through life, we should strive to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. We should do everything we can to avoid being a burden on anyone. Will there be times when we are in need of help? Yes, and when those times comes we shouldn’t deny others acts of charity toward us, but once our needs are met and our challenges overcome than we should seek to be givers, not receivers. In this way, we imitate Christ who was the ultimate giver, sacrificing himself for our good and salvation. Let us remember, we become the most Christ-like when we perform acts of love and mercy.

Are we striving to be givers, while being open to help when we need it? In what ways do we take care of others? How can we become more self-sacrificial and less of a burden on others?

O Lord, make us into givers of your love, mercy, and grace.

Amen.