The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

All of creation should rejoice in its Creator. That is after all one of the reasons the whole world was created... to know, love, and serve our Heavenly Father. It is in knowing Him that we become wise and hopeful. It is in loving Him that we learn to become charitable and merciful. It is in serving Him that we fulfill our vocation as His children and co-heirs. He is the Alpha and the Omega of the universe and should be the beginning and the end of our lives. It is in, by, through, and with Him that we accomplish the greatest good. So, let our hearts and voices resound with hymns of thanksgiving, joy, and exultant praise for our Good and Faithful Lord.

Do we take time to appreciate all God has Created? What can we do this year, and in all our future years, to soak in the joy and gladness of creation? How can we be better children to our Father, who created us to know, love, and serve Him and all His creation?

O Lord, let us join the heavens and earth in rejoicing before you, our King and Father.

Amen.

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!

There are many things for us to rejoice in during this season and throughout our lives. First, we should rejoice in having a God who is a Father to us. A Lord who Shepherds us. A Holy Spirit to guide us. We should be joyful for our lives, families, friends, neighbors, and even the strangers we meet each day. We should be jubilant at the thought of the graces, gifts, talents, and blessings God has given, is giving, and will give to us. And in return, we should honor Him, glorify Him, and praise Him for being so overwhelmingly loving of us, who are at times so terrible at loving Him.

Do we rejoice at everything God has given us? Do we give God the glory and praise He deserves? What can we do to honor God as He should be?

O Lord, let us always give you the glory due to your name.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Advent

Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song. Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. 

God is our help and our shield. He is always there for us when we need Him. Even when we feel most abandoned by Him, He is there, lending us His Strength. He is the Source, Center, and Summit of our joy. He is the beginning and the end of our hope. He is the most perfect love we will ever experience. He will never do anything to drag us down. Indeed, He will do everything He can to lift us up in our times of need and raise us to Heaven.

Do we rejoice in the Lord? Do we trust in His Plan? How are we a help and shield to others?

O Lord, in you our hearts trust and rejoice.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Advent

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks without ceasing... this is the will of God for all of us. God wants us to be filled with joy and happiness. He wants us to be cheerful even in the midst of our daily trials. He wants us to pray to Him constantly and be in dialogue with Him through the Holy Spirit so our relationship with Him can bear much fruit. He wants us to give thanks to Him for all the good He has done for us. He wants us to accept His Love, Mercy, and Grace with adoring, contrite, and humble hearts. He wants us to be on fire with the Holy Spirit and listen to the voice of our consciences. He wants us to be open to His inspirations sent to us through our thoughts and the thoughts, words, and works of others. He wants us to test everything in order to make sure our days are filled with people, places, and things which lead to good and avoid all evil. In short, He wants us to be alive in Jesus Christ so we might live with Him forever in heaven.

Do we have joyful hearts, even in the midst of trials? Do we pray without ceasing and give thanks to God all the days of our lives? Are we letting the Holy Spirit think, speak, and work through us for the good of all?

O Lord, we rejoice in you. We pray to you. We give thanks to you.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Saturday in Ordinary Time

I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord. Because my enemies are turned back, overthrown and destroyed before you. You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever.

There is nothing in this world that we should fear more than God. There is nothing on this earth we should be in awe of more than God. There is nothing in existence that can compare to God, Who is the Alpha and the Omega. Our enemies are as nothing. They shall be turned back, overthrown, and destroyed. Our difficulties are dust. They will blow away in the wind. No nation is above God. No person immune to judgment. We will all face Him some day and have to answer for what we have done and failed to do. We can only hope God will find us in awe of Him and respectful of His commandments, teachings, and inspirations. We can only pray He will find us acceptable and grant us the great grace of salvation.

Do we have a healthy fear and awe of God? Do we pray to God to deliver us from all evil, especially those evils most tempting to us? What in our lives is God asking us to rebuke so we might become holier people?

O Lord, there is nothing in this world that can compare to you and your salvation.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.

We should all go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. We should seek out our parishes and spend time in our churches not merely out of obligation, but because we want to be there. Although we might commune with God in many ways, such as prayer, meditation, and spiritual readings, we can only experience the true and full presence of God in the Eucharistic feast and in Adoration. When we partake in the Body and Blood of Jesus, we unite ourselves body and soul to God in a way we cannot achieve on our own. When we dwell in the presence of the monstrance that holds the Body of Christ, we make ourselves present to God in a way we cannot do anywhere else in this world. So, let us go to Mass and to our parishes and take advantage of the presence of God who waits for us there in a special and sanctifying way.

Do we go to church on Sundays? Do we go joyfully? Can we make time to go to church during the week for daily mass and times of Adoration?

O Lord, we give you thanks for your presence in our lives.

Amen.

Third Tuesday of Easter

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. My trust is in the LORD; I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.

Trust is an important part of any relationship. We cannot be united with others without trust… be they God, family members, or friends. God wants us to trust in Him. The Devil wants us to doubt God. The world will tell us to trust in ourselves, but if we do that then we will fail to trust in God’s Will. Pride can creep into our lives and make us feel like we are masters of our destiny, but we are masters of nothing. Everything we are and all we have comes from God. He is the Source, the Center, and the Summit of our lives. It is in Him that we find true fulfillment. This is why we are called to commend our spirits to Him and trust He will lead us not where we wish to go, but where we need to be.

How do we show our trust in God? In what ways have we commended our spirits to His Will? What can we do to build up trust in God in others?

O Lord, into your hands we commend our spirits.

Amen.

Third Monday of Easter

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Though princes meet and talk against me, your servant meditates on your statutes. Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.

We should delight in the laws of the Lord. We should rejoice in fulfilling God’s commandments. We should be happy to walk in the way of our Redeemer and proclaim His Good News. Our faith should be founded on joy. Our hope secured by gladness. Our love should flow from cheerful spirits. We should be at peace in any storm. The world may try to shake our confidence in God, but if we remain true to Him, then nothing will harm what matters most: the inner image of God that dwells within each of our souls.

Do we strive to follow the laws of the Lord? Do we meditate on God’s statutes? How can we be more joyful in our way of living the Christ-like life?

O Lord, your decrees are our delight.

Amen.

First Monday in Ordinary Time

Let all his angels worship him. The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. 

The Lord is our King and like the angels we were made to worship him. We were made to know Him through the Scriptures and through the traditions of the Church. We were made to love Him through prayer, alms, and mortification. We were made to serve Him and all His children through acts of charity and mercy. We were made to rejoice in Him and be glad. We were made to be founded on justice and wise judgment so we might be instruments of His grace to the world around us and proclaim the Good News to all whom we meet each day.

How do we worship God? What do we do to bring joy and gladness to the world and good tidings to all? Are our lives founded on justice and wisdom?

O Lord, we worship you as our King and Savior.

Amen.

Christmas Weekday

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.

As Christians we should foster a spirit of joy throughout the year. We should constantly rejoice in our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior, our Holy Advocate. Each of these three persons in the Holy Trinity should be praised and thanked with happy hearts. We should delight in the love our Heavenly Father shows us each and every day. We should enjoy the presence of Jesus in the Word and in the Blessed Sacrament. We should be glad for all the inspirations and guidance we receive from the Holy Spirit. We are all marvelously blessed by our God and there should be no hesitation to sing praise to our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

How do we celebrate the joys the Heavenly Father has give us? What about the joys of the Son? What about the joys of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we sing joyfully to you.

Amen.

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

We have much to be glad and rejoice about in our lives. As such, our thoughts, words, and works should sing to the Lord and bless His name. After all, it is because of God that we have the time, talents, and treasures present in our lives. We would be nothing and have nothing, if it wasn’t for the generosity of our Heavenly Father, who gave us not only His Beloved Son as a sacrifice for our sins, but His Holy Spirit as a guide to holiness.

Are we glad for all we have? Do we rejoice in God’s Goodness and Graces? How can we make our lives sing God’s praises?

O Lord, we bless your name and sing with joy to you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

Rejoice in the Lord, you just! The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are around him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

Sometimes God comes into our lives like a storm. He thunders and lightnings. and lets us know He is powerful, but He can also come in gentle and unseen ways. In whatever form He comes, He arrives to do one thing... to love us. He is just and good and wants what is best for us, even if we don't know what that is. Sometimes he comes as a storm to shake us and rouse us from a spiritual sleep. Other times He comes as a whisper of inspiration that guides us to a better life. No matter what, we should rejoice in His coming and in His staying with us always and everywhere we go.

Do our lives seem to be stormy lately? If so, then what might God be trying to show us through the lightning? Are we as equally open to the gentle whispers He sends us through the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, we are glad and rejoice at your coming into our lives.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Advent

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory."

Our hearts and minds should exult in the Lord, our Savior. We should find solace in our God. We should be uplifted by the knowledge that God is with us and will never abandon us. We should give glory, honor, and praise to our Heavenly Father for He is good and loving and protective. He will not let any harm come to our souls if we allow Him to guard us from wickedness. He will defeat our enemies, especially sin and death, and bring us joyful triumph and eternal life. We should exalt Him for all He has done for us, is doing for us, and will do for us. He is our Savior and in Him we should trust, always and in every way.

Do our hearts and minds exult in the Lord? Do we give Him the glory, honor, and praise He deserves? How can we become more perfect in our thanksgiving to Him?

O Lord, we rejoice in you and the victories you bring us in this life.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.

On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blesses Virgin Mary, it is only right that we sing to the Lord a new song and proclaim the marvelous deeds God has done for us. These are words that echo those Mary spoke to Elizabeth in the Magnificat where she proclaims the greatness of the Lord, rejoices in the Savior, and recognizes the great things God has done for her. In a similar way, we are also called to follow in Mary’s footsteps by proclaiming God’s greatness, rejoicing in His saving grace, and giving thanks for all He has done for us. If we do these things and live our lives in accordance with the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church, then we shall be a part of God’s victory and share in His Triumph over sin and death.

Do we sing God’s praises? In what ways can we rejoice in God, our Savior? How can we express the depths of our thanksgiving for all God has done for us?

O Lord, we praise and thank you for all the marvelous deeds you have done for us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.

When we go to mass or to any gathering of the faithful, we should go rejoicing. We should put aside all our worldly doubts, fears, and anxieties and focus on being with God. Often, we are beset by distractions in our lives and may be tempted to give them our attention, but we should offer all these up to God and use them as stepping stones to mediation and contemplation of God. This transforms what could lead us astray into something that leads us closer to God. So, when we step through the doors of our church, let us leave behind the world and all its empty worries and instead dedicate ourselves to a deeper participation in the mass and all our church's gatherings.

How can we prepare ourselves to go to church? What can we do to transform our worldly worries into spiritual opportunities for deepening our faith? How can we participate more fully in the mass and in the various spiritual gatherings at our church?

O Lord, let us go rejoicing to your house.

Amen.

Thirty-First Thursday in Ordinary Time

But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Everything in this world is a loss, except those things that lead us closer to God. We might be surrounded by worldly treasures and pleasures, but all of them are empty when compared to the spiritual treasures and pleasures we can gain through a holy, loving, and faithful life. The supreme good of our lives is coming to know, love, and serve our Heavenly Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is this good that we should constantly strive for in this life so we might magnify the Lord and rejoice in our Savior just as his most faithful servants did in their lives.

How can we detach ourselves from worldly things and see them all as a loss? What can we do to live our lives in accord with the supreme good of knowing, loving, and serving God? Are we willing to sacrifice the world so we might gain heaven?

O Lord, you are the source of all spiritual gain. Grant us the supreme good of knowing, loving, and serving you.

Amen.

Thirtieth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Indeed I shall continue to rejoice, for I know that this will result in deliverance for me through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two.

Paul rejoices at the prospect of life or death. He sees both paths as ways to fulfill his calling. In the same way, we are called to be detached enough from life to be not afraid of death. Death is just a doorway to Christ and a new life. We have nothing to fear from it. If God sees fit to take our lives today, then our response should be, "Amen. So be it!" If He lets us live for many years to come, then we should response, "Amen. So be it!" Both options should spark a fire of hope within us. Life should spark within us an eagerness to do fruitful labor and magnify Christ in thought, word, and work. Death should spark within us the joyful expectation of spending the rest of eternity with our Beloved God. There is no loss for us in death as long as we live the Christ-like life and strive to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and the commandments of our Heavenly Father.

Do we rejoice in God no matter what He is asking of us? Are we bold in our faith, always seeking ways to magnify the Lord? How can we cultivate the attitude of detachment we need to be willing to live or die for our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, we shall rejoice in life or death as long as both lead us ever closer to you.

Amen.

Second Friday of Easter

“For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

If our endeavors are of human origin, they will destroy themselves. Nothing worldly lasts forever. However, if our actions come from God, then they will succeed. They will magnify the Lord and bear good fruits. Even if we suffer greatly to do God’s Will, our blood, sweat, and tears will be worth it to see God’s Divine Plan put into action. This is why we should always seek to do God’s Will in all things. It is through Him, with Him, and in Him that we are fulfilled in this life. It is through Him, with, Him, and in Him that we find our joy. And so, we proclaim the Good News to all whom will listen because the Good News has saved us and we want it to save others and bring glory to God.

Do we place our every thought, word, and work into the hands of God? Are we willing to suffer greatly in order to do God’s Will in all things? How can we teach and proclaim Jesus Christ through our daily lives?

O Lord, we rejoice in doing your Divine Will.

Amen.

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

Suffering. We spend a lot of time avoiding it and yet there are some types of suffering we should gladly endure. We should be willing to suffer in order to know, love, and serve God and His children. We should be willing to suffer in order to do what is right and to resist temptation and sin. We should be willing to suffer in order to proclaim the Good News and give witness to our faith. We should be willing to suffer in order to defend life. We should be willing to suffer for the sake of being Christians. Yes, there is pain in suffering, but when we are wounded in the pursuit of God’s Will there is also joy.

Are we willing to suffer for God? What about suffering for our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers? How can we learn to rejoice in the suffering that comes with doing what is right?

O Lord, we rejoice that you have found us worthy to suffer for the sake of your name.

Amen.

Thirtieth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

The best way to keep holy the Sabbath is not only going to Mass, but also doing good works. We should do good whenever the opportunity arises. This spirit of compassionate charity should be at the heart of our faith. Our religious observances shouldn't be the end of our faith, but only the starting point. Both faith and works are necessary for our salvation. Faith in God is founded on our trust that our Heavenly Father will provide us the graces we need to do good, avoid evil, and be saved. Acts of charity and mercy give God proof that our faith isn't just words or empty promises, but beliefs at the very core of our existence. In truth, every day should be a Sabbath day for us where we can rejoice in the Lord, proclaim our faith, and perform acts of almsgiving and prayer.

How do we celebrate the Sabbath? How do we express our faith beyond religious observances? How can we make charity the very heart of our Christian identity?

O Lord, may our lives be filled with acts of faith and love so that we can bring hope to all your children.

Amen.