Eighteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. We have sinned, we and our fathers; we have committed crimes; we have done wrong. Our fathers in Egypt considered not your wonders.

God favors us in many ways and yet sometimes we forget how much He does for us. When something doesn’t quite go our way or when we are asked to take a leap of faith or make a sacrifice, we can sometimes rebel against Him. We choose selfishness and sin over self-sacrifice and virtue. We grumble and complain against God rather than glorify and praise Him. We have a worldly attitude toward God, asking, “What have you done for us?” Instead, we should be asking, “What are you, O Lord, asking of us?” And when He responds, we should take that leap of faith and say, “Yes!” This is what Mary did in her most holy life. It is what the saints and martyrs did. It is the only way for us to share in God’s promise of salvation and enter into the Promised Land.

Do we spend time each day thinking about all the blessings, graces, gifts, talents, and other marvelous deeds God has done for us? How can we repay God for all the goods He has given us? What can we do to bring blessings and graces into the lives of those around us?

O Lord, help us to remember your presence in our lives and be ever thankful for it.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Easter

How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

It is impossible for us to truly repay God for all He has done for us. He gave us the world we live in. He gave us His Divine Image. He gave us our lives. He has offered us His Love, His Grace, and His Mercy. He has given us more than we could ever return to Him. All He asks for in return is our faith, hope, and love so we might know, love, and serve Him and all His children to the best of our abilities.

Are we making a good-faith effort to repay God for all He has done for us? What can we do to build up the Kingdom of God on earth? How can we fulfill our baptismal vows?

O Lord, help us to be counted among your faithful ones.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations. Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.

God treats all of us with equity. He doesn't show bias towards anyone. He gives to all of us exactly what we need when we need it. He gives us gifts and talents in accord with our natural abilities so we can glorify Him in our own unique ways. He does marvelous deeds for us each and every day in little and big ways. We can barely imagine the depths of His Love and Mercy. We can hardly guess at all that He has done for us. We should be ever grateful for the gift of His Divine Image and the freedom to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

What marvelous deeds has God done for us? How can we repay Him for all He's done for us great and small? Do we treat others with the equity and generosity that God treats us?

O Lord, make us firm in faith and equitable in love.

Amen.