Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

We should live our life on Earth with the goal of joining God in Heaven. Our hearts should pine to be with God for all eternity. We should yearn to see His Holy Face. We should cry out for the living God to live within us and to help us become good and faithful servants. We should desire to become a dwelling place for the Lord in preparation of entering into His Heavenly Abode when we pass from this earth. To gain eternal life with God we must be willing to lose our worldly one without hesitation or counting the cost.

Do we live our lives with the ultimate goal of reaching God’s Kingdom? Do we yearn to be with God always and forever? How can we welcome God into the dwelling places of our hearts?

O Lord, our souls yearn for you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

Through Baptism and Confirmation, we have been anointed as followers of the Holy Trinity... Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because of these sacraments, we have been given the graces we need to do good and avoid evil. Our consciences have been formed by the teachings of the Gospel and the Church and trained by our good works and prudent choices. God has given us the tools we need to remain with Him by choosing right over wrong and growing in faith, hope, and love. And so, we should have confidence in God, knowing that He will remain with us if we let Him and that if we are faithful to Him we will not be put to shame.

Are we living out our baptismal and confirmation promises? What can we do to remain in God at all times? How can we more perfectly place our confidence in God?

O Lord, help us to remain with you forever.

Amen.

Fourteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed, “Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!” In solemn wonder he cried out: “How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.

After receiving his vision of the stairway to Heaven, Jacob gives glory to God, sets up a memorial stone, anoints it with oil, and vows to become a follower of God if the Lord protects him. These actions can teach us a lot about how to respond to God’s inspirations in our lives. When we receive guidance from God through insights, the voice of our consciences, graces, or other means, we should first give glory to God. Then, we should remember what God has given us and honor the gift as best we can. Lastly, if the inspiration comes from God, then it will have its good fruits and it will be by these fruits that we shall know God’s Will has been done.

Do we give glory to God whenever he does something for us? How can we honor his gifts? What can we do to remain with God as He remains with us?

O Lord, truly you are with us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. In this way, the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.

When it comes down to it, we are either children of God or the Devil. We can't be both. They are completely incompatible. We either love virtue or sin. We either love God or ourselves more than anything else. We might fall and falter at times or waver between one and the other, but in the end we will be in one camp or the other. We will be loving and virtuous or selfish and sinful. It is important to remember why Jesus came into the world. It was to destroy the works of the Devil. If we end up doing the Devil's work, then we will be destroyed, too. However, if we do God's Work, we will be saved from our sinful selves and remain in God's loving embrace, always.

Are we children of God or the Devil? Are we doing everything in our power to remain in and with God? How can we make plain that we are God's children?

O Lord, we belong to you and you alone.
Amen.

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.  Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.  If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.

There are many ways in which we can deny Jesus. We can do it through our sinful words and works. We can be dismissive of those in need. We can choose ourselves over others. We can become so prideful that we see ourselves as better than others. We can fall into despair and falsely believe we are not worthy of God's Love or Mercy. It is important as followers of Christ to remain in and with God in our everyday actions so that we can come to share in the eternal life God offers us. We might be tempted to listen to the world that denies Christ and tells us to do the same, but we must resist and instead confess our belief in Jesus all the more strongly.

What are the ways we are tempted to deny Jesus? How can we solidify Jesus' teachings so they remain in our hearts? How can we more faithfully confess the Good News in spite of what the world tells us?

O Lord, help us to remain in you.

Amen.