Sixteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. At the breath of your anger the waters piled up, the flowing waters stood like a mound, the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea. The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them; I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them; I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!” 

God does not do what He does just to cover Himself in glory. He performs miracles like the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery and the parting of the Red Sea because He is compassionate. He doesn’t strike down His enemies out of malice, but because they leave Him no choice. He does what is best for us as individuals and as His Chosen People. He shows us His power and might, not to impress us, but to impress upon us His Love and Mercy. Everything He does is to give us a model of thinking, speaking, and acting that will allow us to be the best reflections of His Divine Image that we can be. And if we trust in His Plan, then our enemies will never overtake us. Instead, they will be divided from us by a great chasm that cannot be crossed and despoiled in the abyss of Hell. So, let us have faith in God no matter what trials face us and allow Him to lead us to the Promised Land.

Do we recognize how compassionate God is toward us? Are we as compassionate with others? How can we model our lives on the example of our Heavenly Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, your compassion for us shall never be forgotten.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.

We were all created through and for Jesus. We were created through Him because He is the Word of God made flesh and it was from his mouth that we came into being as a race and as individuals. Each and every one of us is a member of His Spiritual Body. And we all have an important role to play in salvation. Some of us are called to be the mind of the Church, others its heart, still others its hands. Some are called to be eyes, others ears, and a few of us are called to be the mouths of God. We are also created for Jesus because all of us are asked by God to think, speak, and do all things for Him. Our time, talents, and treasures are supposed to be put to His Good Use, not ours. When we are united to God in this way, we become manifestations of Him, reflecting His Divine Image for all the world to see and glorify.

How do we embody the image of God? What can we do to be better images of Jesus Christ? What is God calling us to be as part of His Spiritual Body?

O Lord, may your image always be reflected in us.

Amen.

Second Wednesday of Easter

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.

We are all called to be poor in spirit, which means to be humble before God and accepting of all the trials and sufferings we must bear in this world. It also means not lording it over others, but rather loving them as fellow children of our Heavenly Father. If we do these things, then we will be blessed and be able to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is in God that we gain glory, not in worldly successes. It is in God that we are lifted from our lowly places and given a place of honor at the Eternal Banquet. It is in God that we are made glad forever and ever.

Do we listen to the cries of the poor? How do we reflect God’s Glory to others? How can we cultivate humble and gracious hearts?

O Lord, hear our cries and help us to listen to the needs of others.

Amen.

Holy Saturday – Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all—the earth is full of your creatures. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.

God created the world to be good. He made us to be good. He provides everything we need to live in this world. He gives us love and the light of faith. His works are indeed manifold! His Divine Wisdom is woven into the very fabric of reality itself. Every creature on the earth, in the water, under the soil, or in the sky bears the gift of creation inside them. And one day, all of these things will be renewed by the Holy Spirit and made new so we call enjoy them all in the afterlife.

Are we calling out for and accepting the Holy Spirit into our lives? How are we reflecting the manifold works of the Lord? What can we do to be as good as God is?

O Lord, grant us the wisdom to see all you have wrought in the light of faith, hope, and love.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Think about what it means to be an ambassador for Christ. Just like a worldly ambassador, we have many responsibilities to our God and King. We act on His behalf through our thoughts, words, and works. We are His representatives to those around us... to our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. If we fail to live up to our duties, then we fail not only God but all those whom we were supposed to aid through our position. If we are corrupted or selfish, we give the world yet another reason to reject God. However, if we are true to our faith by spreading hope and love to all the nations, then we will become powerful testaments to God’s Goodness. We shall help others to be reconciled with God and guide them to salvation. We are all called to magnify the Lord in all things and help others to know God is With Us. It was for this that we were put on earth and hopefully we fulfill that purpose each and every day of our lives.

Are we good and faithful ambassadors for Christ? What are we doing to lead others to reconciliation and salvation? How can we manifest God’s Love for all and do all things with righteous hearts?

O Lord, we are your ambassadors send us where you will.

Amen.

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The son of David will live forever. The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness, For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

God’s kindness has been established forever. He expressed it through the creation of the heavens and the earth and all living things, especially man and woman. He showed it through His Mercy on the people of the Old Testament. He revealed it through His Beloved Son’s life, passion, death, and resurrection. He continues to prove it through the Holy Spirit, who guides His Church. O, how faithful God has been to us! We can only hope we can return a fraction of His faithfulness and sing His praises forever.

Have we been faithful to God? How can we become more faithful? In what ways can we reflect God’s kindness to the rest of the world?

O Lord, may your kindness be established in us.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Advent

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, "My kindness is established forever"; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

God has been very good to us. He has given us life. He has made us in His Divine Image. He has provided us with free will so we can truly love Him and others as He loves us. He has poured out His blessings and favors upon us. He has been a faithful Father to us. He has been a loving brother and teacher. He has been a guiding Spirit. He has shown us His Kindness. We cannot imagine how much God has done for us throughout our lives from the moment of our conception to the moment of our death and beyond. All we can do is accept His gifts and use them to the best of our abilities for the good of all whom we meet.

Do we thank God for all He has done for us? How can we reflect God’s Goodness in our own lives? What can we do to be better children of our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, we sing of your goodness.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Advent

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. O shepherd of Israel, hearken, From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power.

Sometimes we can become lost in the world and need God’s help to find our way back to Him. We need His Light to show us the way. We need to see His Face in family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers so we might be reminded He is always with us. We need His guidance and protection to lead us where we are called to go. We need Him to shine forth and rouse His Divine Power to save us from the temptations of the world and even from ourselves. All these things should lead us to turn to God in our lives and help others do the same.

Are we allowing God to be our spiritual shepherd? How can we be more faithful followers of Christ? How can we reflect the face of God to all whom we meet each day?

O Lord, let us see your face and be saved.

Amen.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Every now and then, we need to reevaluate our lives and examine our conscience. We need to look at what we’ve done and failed to do. We need to ask ourselves what bad habits need to be replaced with good ones. We need to know what areas of our lives we need to improve. We need to root out those things that lead us to temptation and sin. We need to put away our old selves and their deceitful desires and instead put on Christ. We need to renew our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies. We need to recreate ourselves in the holy image of God and the Way, Truth, and Life of Jesus.

What deceitful desires and sins do we need to get rid of? What holy yearnings and virtues do we need to put in their place? How can we be transformed more perfectly into Jesus Christ?

O Lord, help us to cast aside our old selves and put on you.

Amen.

Sixteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

God is a forgiving Father, willing to always take us back into His good graces. He is a merciful Son, willing to show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is a compassionate Spirit, willing to inspire and guide us along the path to holiness. If we turn to Him and ask His forgiveness, He will remove our guilt, pardon us, and cleanse us of our sins. He will always be faithful to us, if we are willing to be faithful to Him.

Do we seek God's Forgiveness for our failings, faults, and sins? Are we as forgiving of others as God is of us? How can we model our lives upon the compassion of God?

O Lord, help us to reflect your compassion to the whole world.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Lent

Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?

God has given us commandments not to restrict us, but to free us from sin. He has given us statutes and decrees to bless us and lead us to eternal life. He has taught us His Way, Truth, and Life so we might grow in wisdom. He has given us His Divine and Natural Laws because we are made in His Image and He wants us to be as close to Him as possible. He wants us to be the best reflections of Him through lives of holiness, justice, and virtue.

How can we live out God’s Law more perfectly? What can we do to become living reflections of His Divine Image? How can we grow closer to God through our thoughts, words, and works of each day?

O Lord, grant us the wisdom to know your laws and put them into practice every day of our lives.

Amen.

Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

"The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true," she told the king. "Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, I have discovered that they were not telling me the half. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard. Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD, your God, whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel. In his enduring love for Israel, the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice."

Wisdom and deeds can go a long way toward showing others what it means to be Christian. Just as Solomon showed the Queen of Sheba the goodness of the Lord, so we can be reflections of God’s Goodness to others. We do this best when we listen to our consciences, order our lives prudently, do good and avoid evil. When others see our spiritual prosperity, they will be attracted to our faith, hope, and charity. As the song says, they will know we are Christians by our love, which mirrors the love God has given us. By living wise and good lives, we become lights to the world and salt to the earth. We show our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers there is another way to live... a holy way that leads to heaven and eternal life with our Lord and God.

Do we listen to our consciences and do with is right? How do our thoughts, words, and works reflect the goodness of God? How can we align our lives more perfectly with God’s Will?

O Lord, bless us with your wisdom and goodness.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them. For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.

Everything beautiful and majestic in this world and beyond was created by God and reflects His beauty, might, and power. The earth, the sea, and the sky are ruled over by the Lord of Lords. The animals that walk, swim, and fly have their source in the mind of their Creator. All living things are rooted in the Divine. We, as men and women, find our origin, purpose, and end in Him, who is the source, center, and summit of our lives. So too, He gives us might and energy through the graces He offers us each day. All that is good reflects and magnifies the splendor of our Heavenly Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit. With all of these beautiful things around us, we have no excuse not to see God’s Hand in our lives... in the daily miracles, great and small, that surround us from the moment we wake to the moment we fall asleep again. In light of this, we should give constant thanks for all we have been given and for the gifts and talents God has provided us.

Do we recognize God’s beauty, might, and power in the people, places, and things that surround us? Do we give thanks for all God has given us? How can we magnify God’s beauty, might, and power through our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, you are the source of all that is good and praise-worthy.

Amen.

Nineteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The LORD then said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over." So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the place of his burial. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses.

In this scene, God gives Moses a glimpse of the Promised Land. He shows Moses what lies ahead for the Israelites, but because of Moses’ sin, he makes clear once again that Moses shall not cross over before his death. This might seem very harsh to many of us, but God’s punishment is just. Moses did anger God with his lack of trust in Him when he struck the rock at Meribah twice out of anger with the people of Israel. He let his own emotions override his ability to show others God’s holiness. As God’s representative, he needed to keep his feelings out of the message God wanted to send, but he let them interfere. Sometimes we do the same, we let our emotions and passions lead us astray. We fail to be good representative of God’s holiness to others when we let our negative emotions get in the way of doing God’s Will.

What emotions are getting in the way of our ability to be good and faithful servants to God? How can we rid ourselves of these destructive emotions? What can we do to make sure we are reflecting God’s holiness to all the world?

O Lord, give us the strength we need to avoid letting our emotions override our ability to show your love and mercy to the world.

Amen.