Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

You are my inheritance, O Lord. Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot.

God is our inheritance. He is both the promise and the gift. It is in Him that we will find the rewards of everlasting life and it is through Him that we will find our true callings in life. He is our refuge and our rest. He is our Lord and Savior. It is Him who allots our portion and fills our cups to overflowing. He holds nothing back from us and gives us exactly what we need to grow in faith, hope, and love. He is life giving, granting us the graces and blessings that will help us to live life abundantly. It is to Him and Him alone that we should hold onto in our times of need for He will give us all He can to help us to get to a place of plenty.

Do we take our role as heirs to God’s Kingdom seriously? How can we fulfill our callings to be His holy and good children? What can we do to help others to find their inheritance, too?

O Lord, be our inheritance and the cup of our salvation.

Amen.

Second Monday of Easter

Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord. Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: "Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!"

Many nations rage against Christian values. Their people utter every folly against the followers of Christ. Mockery and persecution are not things of the distant past. They are constantly circling every Christian looking for any weakness. Some of these are subtle attacks. Others are blatant and violent. Many leaders and politicians conspire against our faith, its teachings, and ultimately our God. All we can do as Christians is defend ourselves with good words and works that speak to the heart of others and make clear we are a people of truth, conviction, and love that will never bow or bend to the pressures of the world.

Are we taking refuge in the Lord in the midst of our trials? Have we prepared ourselves to be persecuted? How can we resist the mockery of the world with our good words and works?

O Lord, help us overcome all our worldly persecutors.

Amen.

Good Friday

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.

We would be wise to echo the words of Christ and commend our spirits to our Heavenly Father. Entrusting our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies into His hands is not always easy. It requires a great deal of courage to let go and let God. However, if we want to have a share in His Kingdom, then we must be willing to commit ourselves to God’s care and protection and allow Him to rescue us from all evil. If we do this, then He will pay whatever price is necessary to redeem us. He showed us this eternal truth through the Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His Body and Blood are our refuge and each time we receive Him in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, we renew our desire to remain in the shelter of His Hands.

Do we commend ourselves into the hands of our Heavenly Father on a daily basis? In what ways do we show our trust in God and His Divine Plan? How can we imitate our Good God and become refuges to others?

O Lord, into your hands we commend our spirits.

Amen.

Tuesday of Holy Week

 I will sing of your salvation. In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me.

We will never be put to shame for our faith. The world might try to shame us in various ways for our beliefs, but if we remain faithful and true, then we will triumph in the end. God will rescue us from injustice and deliver us from evil. He is always listening to us through our prayers and watching us in action. And if we are thinking, speaking, and doing His Will, then He will save us. He is a refuge for all whom are good and faithful, which is certainly something to sing about.

Who has tried to shame us for our faith? How can we respond to them with love and in such a way as to build up the faith of others? Are we as faithful to listening to God as He is to listening to us?

O Lord, we sing of your salvation.

Amen.

Fourth Saturday of Lent

O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge. O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, Lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.

God is our refuge, protecting from evil and sheltering us from the storms of life. Through His compassion, He shows us how to be a refuge for others. He shows us how to love all His children, even those who are most difficult to love. He shows us how to provide for the needy. He shows us how to comfort the suffering. He shows us how to be good as He is Good. He shows us how to rescue those in danger. He shows us how to be holy in all things. He does all of this because He wants us all to grow into living tabernacles, bearing Him into the world through our thoughts, words, and words... through our almsgiving, prayers, and mortifications.

Do we turn to God when we are in need of shelter? Are we a refuge for others? How can we follow God’s example and become living tabernacles of God’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity?

O Lord, help us to become living refuges for all those in need.

Amen.

Fourth Tuesday of Lent

The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.

With God on our side, we have no reason to fear. There is nothing in this world that can harm our souls if we trust in God and follow in His ways. Yes, our bodies might suffer, our beliefs might be attacked, and our ideas shot down, but our enemies cannot touch our inner being if we do not let them in. God stands at the core of our spirits. He made us in His Divine Image and that foundation cannot be shaken or taken away from us. Yes, we might tarnish and disfigure it with sin, but God’s Image is still there... all we have to do is confess our sins, do penance, and amend our lives. Once this is done, we will rediscover God’s Presence in our lives and live more perfectly in His Holy Name.

Do we flee to God when we are in need of refuge? Do we pray for God’s help when we are undergoing trials? How can we remind ourselves to be not afraid and instead trust in our Savior?

O Lord, you are our stronghold and always with us.

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Advent

My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

God is our rock of refuge. He will always provide us shelter from the storms of our lives and give us rest when we are wary. The stronghold of His Love and Grace gives us safety from the moment of our conception to the moment of death and beyond. He is a Fortress against the wickedness and snares of the Devil and if we trust in Him, then nothing can overcome us. He is our rescuer from sin and death. He is our Savior and our mouths should be filled with praise for Him. Our hearts should sing His glory. For He will never abandon us to the wicked.

Do we take refuge in God when our lives are difficult and stormy? Do we give thanks to God for all the graces He gives us and the spiritual shelter He provides us? What can we do to repay His Infinite Kindness?

O Lord, you are our rock and we praise and glorify you for the refuge you constantly provide us in our lives.

Amen.

First Thursday of Advent

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

The Lord is our refuge. He is there for us always. In good times and in bad times, in sickness and in health, He is with us. His Mercy and Grace protect us and guide us from the moment we are conceived to the moment of our rebirth in the afterlife. His Goodness leads to our good. If we trust in Him above all else, then we will not be disappointed. Instead, we will be blessed with life everlasting.

Have we given thanks to God for all He has done for us? Do we seek shelter in Him when we are in need or sorrow? Do we trust in Him more than ourselves or others?

O Lord, we give thanks for all the blessings you have given us.

Amen.

Third Friday of Lent

I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

God wants to be our eternal shade. He wants to be the place where all of us rest. He knows we are imperfect, but His Love can make us perfect. He knows we have sinned against Him, but He loves us still. He wants to take root in our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. He wants to grow within us, to bear good fruits through us, and to be a shelter for us for all time. He wants us to flourish and prosper and rest. He loves us freely, without restriction or hesitation and He wants us to love Him in the same way. He wants us to love others as He does. And if we do, then we shall rest with Him forever and ever.

How often do we take time to rest in God? Do we allow God to take root in our lives as we should? What can we do to grow in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, you love us freely, help us to love you freely, too.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

For near is the day of the LORD in the valley of decision. Sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their brightness. The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem raises his voice; The heavens and the earth quake, but the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the children of Israel.

It is important for us to live our lives as if the day of the Lord is near. We never know when our time on this earth will end. Some live long lives, others short ones. There are no guarantees we will have a tomorrow to make amends for our sins or to do the good we are called to do. However, if we take refuge in the Lord each and every day, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, through acts of charity and mercy, and through the resistance of temptation, then we shall be able to stand against evil and choose good above all.

Do we live our lives as if we might die or Christ might return at any moment? How can we live in anticipation of the second coming? In what ways do we seek refuge in God?

O Lord, help us make the right decisions. The ones that will lead us closer to you.

Amen.

Twentieth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, 'Come; you reign over us!' But the buckthorn replied to the trees, 'If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

It is easy to ask God to watch over us and protect us... to be our King. It is much more difficult to uproot ourselves from worldly things and plant ourselves in the shade of God’s Sovereignty. We can only do this if we are serious about becoming His good and faithful servants. We can only do this if we are willing to humble ourselves in good faith and take refuge under the branches of the commandments of God, the teachings of the Scriptures, and the traditions of the Church. If we are not able or willing to pull up our ties to worldly things and plant ourselves firmly in the Kingdom of God, then we shall be burned away in the fires of Hell. It is only those who are willing to live under God’s Love and Mercy that shall find eternal life.

Are we willing to give up our will and allow God’s Will to rule over us? When we call God our Lord and King do we do so in good faith and full humility? What can we do to uproot ourselves from the world and plant ourselves in the good ground of heavenly virtues?

O Lord, come reign over us.

Amen.

Thirteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

"Flee for your life! Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain. Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away." "Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied, "You have already thought enough of your servant to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life. But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me, and so I shall die. Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to. It's only a small place. Let me flee there–it's a small place, is it not?–that my life may be saved." "Well, then," he replied, "I will also grant you the favor you now ask. I will not overthrow the town you speak of.  Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything until you arrive there."

Lot’s request to flee to a small town instead of the hills might seem odd at first. After all, the angels are telling him to flee for the hills before Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire and brimstone. Lot thanks the Lord for his kindness, but flatly states that he can’t make it to the hills. We can only guess as to why Lot couldn’t flee all the way to the hills. Perhaps he had a bad knee or hip or some other malady that made the journey impossible for him. Or maybe the hills were dangerous and he feared them. Whatever the reason, the angels consent to this change in plans. Lot is allowed to flee to the small place and be safe from destruction. Although we might not be faced with such dire situations ourselves, sometimes we do face what might seem like overwhelming trials. It is comforting to know that God is willing to listen to our pleas, take into account our abilities, and grant us little favors and small places of respite in the midst of our trials.

What pleas do we need to make to the Lord? Are there trials we are facing which are in dire need of God’s help? Do we truly appreciate how much God listens to our prayers and petitions?

O Lord, listen to our pleas and give us small places to rest in times of trouble.

Amen.

First Monday of Advent

Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, a smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

If we lead holy lives, then God will protect and shelter us. He will give us rest and keep us from harm. He will overshadow us with His Love and guide us with the light of His Truth. With God, all things will be possible for us. Our words and works will honor and glorify God. And at the end of time, our world will be remade into a paradise. And if we have been good and faithful servants, then we shall be given the greatest gift of all: eternal life with our Beloved God.

Are we leading holy lives? Do we trust that God will protect us? Are we willing to make Him our refuge not only in this world, but in the next, too?

O Lord, you are our shelter and the light of our lives.

Amen.