Third Tuesday of Advent

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor.

We all have the responsibilities of kings. We are called to protect the innocent and the weak. We are asked to defend the afflicted and save the poor, young and old alike. We are tasked with lifting people out of despair and giving them hope. We are to be an example of holiness to all those around us. We are to be just and merciful in our dealings with others. We are to bring peace and prosperity to all mankind, starting with our families, friends, and neighbors and then out to the rest of the world. We flourish and grow and produce good fruits when we act like kings should.

Are we living up to our responsibilities to be kingly servants to all? In what ways are we bringing justice and peace into our world? What can we do to defend the afflicted and save the poor?

O Lord, may our words and works yield peace and justice to others.

Amen.

Solemnity of All Saints

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

We are all called to be saints. We are all made in the image of God and He loves us as Himself. He calls us His children and like any Father, He wants what is best for us. He wants to protect us from harm, show us the way to live holy and good lives, and offer us a seat at His Heavenly banquet table. No wonder the world does not know us! No wonder the world mocks and persecutes us! We are beloved by God and that love shines through us and stands in stark contrast to the dark places the world’s adherents cling to. We are made for loftier things than fame or fortune or pleasures or selfishness. We are made to go out from ourselves, to share our faith, hope, and love with all whom we meet so we will be revealed to be like our God. Caring compassionate, and welcoming of all who wish to be united with Christ and see the face of God as saints.

Do we accept our place as children of God and all the responsibilities that entails? Are we willing to be mocked and persecuted in order to spread the Good News that our heavenly Father has given us? How can we become more like Him in all we think, say, and do?

O Lord, we are your children now and forever.

Amen.

Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin/Doctor of the Church

God is with us. I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those that know the LORD; Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia: “This man was born there.” And of Zion they shall say: “One and all were born in her; And he who has established her is the Most High LORD.”

We are all born to become citizens of the City of God. We are all given rights and responsibilities by the mere fact of our conception. God is with us from the moment of creation and remains with us even through death to the final judgment and beyond. He wants us all to be good and faithful servants, willing to do our duty to Him and to all His children. So, let us come together as one and live out our calling to be God’s representatives on earth in hopes of one day enjoying the Heavenly banquet with our Lord and King.

Have we accepted our citizenship within the City of God? How are we respecting the rights of others and fulfilling our responsibilities as Christians? What can we do to build up the Kingdom of God?

O Lord, we will strive to be good and faithful citizens of your Kingdom.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Easter

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

God is our King and as such deserves our respect. We should fear disappointing Him, not because He will punish us for our faults, but because He is a Good Father and we don’t want to disappoint Him. He is robed in majesty and so we bow before His Will and sing His glory and praises. He is robed in splendor and so we allow Him to lead us. He is girted with strength and so we seek His help through the teachings of Jesus and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. As His children and heirs, all His Kingdom is promised to us if we will accept it and all the rights and responsibilities that come with living out our baptismal promises.

Do we show respect to God in our thoughts, words, and works? How can we live our lives as worthy heirs to our Father? What can we do to build up the Heavenly Kingdom on earth?

O Lord, you are robed in majesty, splendor, and strength.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Lent

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and as such we have rights and responsibilities to our Lord and God. We have the right to God's Love Mercy and Grace. We have the right to life, to liberty from sin, and the pursuit of spiritual happiness. However, these rights do not come without cost or responsibilities. The cost of being saved is being willing to conform our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies to the commandments of the Father, the teachings of the Son, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In order to live, we must be willing to die to ourselves. In order to be free, we must be willing to become humble servants of God. In order to have happiness, we must be willing to face trials and sufferings for God's Glory and the good of others. If we want to be saved, then we must be willing to lose ourselves in the Love of God and stand firm with our Beloved, now and forevermore.

Do we act like citizens of the world or citizens of Heaven? Are we using or abusing our God-given rights? How can we conform ourselves more perfectly to God's Will so we can joyfully fulfill our spiritual responsibilities?

O Lord, change us so we conform more perfectly with your glorified body.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Friday in Ordinary Time

Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus freed us from sin and death and the Mosaic Law. However, this freedom comes with its own responsibilities. His Way, Truth, and Life requires great sacrifices from us. Yes, we have been liberated from the wickedness and snares of the Devil, but our liberty also requires us to make a choice. We can live our lives by faith, hope, and love. Or we can live our lives in pride, envy, and selfishness. We can either become slaves to Christ or slaves of Satan. There is no middle ground... if we are indifferent or lukewarm, then we shall fall into Hell just as easily as those who chose evil outright. We had best keep these things in mind whenever we are tempted to sin or indifference so we might remind ourselves that if we want to receive the promise of Christ, then we must life out our faith without reservation.

Do we thank God for freeing us from slavery to sin and death? How can we know, love, and serve Him and His children more faithfully? What can we do to fight off the temptation to sin or be indifferent?

O Lord, ransom us from evil and make us into good and faithful servants.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Monica

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

God makes us worthy of our calling through His graces. He gives us the virtues, goodness, and strength to be good and faithful Christians. He is the one who brings to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of our faith. We are His instruments, His living vessels and our primary purpose on this earth is to do His Will, to glorify Him, and love Him and His children. It is by doing these things with a humble and self-sacrificing heart that we are saved and eventually glorified. Moreover, we are not only responsible for ourselves, but also the faith lives of those around us. We are called to do everything we can in order to help our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even our enemies to become instruments of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Are we putting our time, talents, and treasures to good use? Are we making every effort to fulfill the purposes God has given us? What are we doing to help others fulfill their purposes?

O Lord, make us worthy of our callings.

Amen.

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

St. Paul gives us an evocative comparison between the relationship of Christ and the Church and a husband and wife. It is an image we all would do well to keep in mind. We are all members of the Body of Christ, of the Church, with Jesus as our Head. He gives us direction and purpose, while we do God’s Will through our thoughts, words, and works. We are Jesus’ hands and feet… his way to interact with the world. This is why we are called to be submissive to him. Not because he wants to rob us of our free will, but because he wants to show us how to fulfill our free will through acts of goodness. He is devoted to us and wants what is best for us and this is why he asks for us to listen to him and follow his lead. He only asks us to do what is right and avoid what is wrong because he loves us and doesn’t want us to distance ourselves from him via sin and selfishness. He wants to be one flesh with us all... united forever.

Are we acting like the spouses of Christ? Are we living up to our responsibilities as members of Christ’s Body? How can we become better followers of Jesus?

O Lord, we wish only to be one flesh, one heart, and one spirit with you.

Amen.

Twelfth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them. Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD that they would follow him and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this book. And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.

We are all part of the New Covenant. We all know what our responsibilities are. We are asked by God to know, love, and serve Him with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We are called to know, love, and serve our neighbors as He loves them. Every day of our lives we either choose to renew our baptismal promises or reject them. We either follow God and His teachings or we turn our backs on them and worship false gods.  There is no middle ground. We either choose to live for God or for ourselves. If we choose ourselves, then we shouldn’t be surprised if we are unhappy and empty of consolations. If we choose God, then we shall have an inner happiness and peace that cannot be upset by any suffering.

Have we taken the time to read Scriptures? What can we do to make the scriptures into a daily part of our faith lives? How can we renew our baptismal promises to know, love, and serve God and all His children?

O Lord, we will follow you and all your teachings.

Amen.

Eleventh Friday in Ordinary Time

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party and the king and the people as the other, by which they would be the LORD's people; and another covenant, between the king and the people. Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and demolished it. They shattered its altars and images completely, and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

The two covenants in this Scriptural passage remind us of our relationships with God and all His children. We have responsibilities to God and to each other, which we must uphold if we wish to have any share in the Kingdom of God. God should have the first and foremost claim upon our time, talents, and treasures. He should be the beginning and the end of our days. The source, center, and summit of our lives. We should shatter all the things that keep us from being completely God’s children. In addition, we should seek to be good and faithful servants to our Lord and His people. We should be protectors of the innocent, teachers of the ignorant, and consolers of the suffering... imitating God, who is our one, true, King.

Are we fulfilling our covenant with God? Are we fulfilling our covenant with His children? How can we be more faithful and fruitful in our relationships with God and His people?

O Lord, help us to live up to our responsibilities to you and your children.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr

The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life." When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.

God might not free us from a physical prison, but each and every time we go to confession He frees us from the bonds of our sins and tells us to go and spread the Good News. Our faith is not only one of forgiveness, but also responsibility, too. We seek forgiveness and do penance so we might be more faithful, hopeful, and loving. Our entire lives should proclaim the Divine Word and teach others about what it means to be Christian. Our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers should all be able to tell we are Christians by our loving words and works.

How do we respond to the freedom God has given us? What can we do to bear the Gospels into the world around us? What are our lives teaching others about the Christian faith?

O Lord, give us the grace to proclaim you always and everywhere.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.  But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.

God never gives us more than we can handle. He always gives us responsibilities that are suited to our talents and the grace to use those talents to fulfill our duties. It is up to us to use our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual abilities to magnify God and bear good fruits. We are asked by God to invest our time, talents, and treasures into what will bring glory to Him and the greatest good to others. We might be intimidated by what God is asking us to do, but that doesn’t give us an excuse not to try. We should be afraid of letting God down far more than we are that He will fail us. He asks us to simply give the tasks before us our best shots. If we succeed, great, if we fail that is fine... the important thing from God’s point of view is we overcame our fears and tried.

What talents has God given us? Where are we investing our time, talents, and treasures? How can we do a better job of doing what He is asking us to do?

O Lord, give us the grace and courage to use our talents to magnify you in all things.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

We have both worldly and heavenly responsibilities in our lives. We have responsibilities to our families, our friends, our neighborhoods, our states, our country, and our world. These include doing things we might not want to do, but ought to do out of respect for others. It also consists of repaying others for the goods they’ve done for us. Similarly, we have a responsibility to repay to God what belongs to Him, namely our faith and good works. Through baptism God has placed an indelible mark upon our souls that reinforces the Image of God that is imprinted in all our souls at the moment of creation. It reminds us all that we belong to God. We are His and to Him we must return to be judged and hopefully to be called His good and faithful servants.

Are we meeting both our worldly and heavenly responsibilities? How can we repay God for all the goods He has done for us? What can we do to deepen and ingrain the Divine Image of God within us so that we are more perfect signs of God’s Goodness?

O Lord, help us to meet our responsibilities to you first and then to the world around us.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As Christians, we are all part of a community of saints. We are members of God’s household and as such we have certain responsibilities to God and to others. We are asked to think, speak, and act in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to us through the Scriptures. We are also called to follow the traditions of the Church as handed down to us through the Apostles. The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus stand at the heart of what it means to be part of the community of saints. It is Christ who holds us together and supports us as we build ourselves and each other into living temples to God’s Glory. It is when we imitate this Beloved Son, our Lord, that we become the holiest of holies and make our hearts into homes for the Holy Spirit.

How are we living out our calling to be a part of the community of saints? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities to God and to others? What can we do to build up the temple of God both in the Church and others?

O Lord, build us into dwelling places for your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

We all have a responsibility to spread the Good News. However, we should not force our faith on others. Some people will be turned off if we push too hard. We simply have to pray for guidance in these matters and be aware of when we might be pushing our beliefs onto others. Every person’s faith journey is different. Some people need constant support to grow in the faith. Others are better off coming to the faith more independently. Once we have introduced the faith to someone, we should let them take the next step. Only they know if they are ready to receive the Word of God. There may be times in our lives when we come across people who do not want to be evangelized and might be turned off by the way we think, speak, or act as Christians. If this is the case, then we, like Paul, are clear of our responsibility and can move on to more fertile souls. We shouldn’t see such moments as failure either... because we have succeeded in spreading the word and who knows... perhaps one day the seed we planted will grow into faith.

In what ways are we preaching the word? Are we willing to be rejected? How can we spread the Good News without forcing it on others?

O Lord, may our lives be a testimony to the truth that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time

The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

After we sin, we have a tendency to blame others for our actions or make up excuses. However, God sees past our attempts to pass the buck or explain the reason for our misdeeds. And when we stand before Him at the Last Judgment, He will strip away all the pretexts and show us the truth. We are responsible for our own actions. We choose to do right or wrong. No one else chooses for us. Yes, people can lead us into situations that can tempt us to sin or put pressure on us to do wrong, but in the end we have the ability to reject these temptations. It might cost us greatly to do the right thing. It might require us to suffer persecution or sacrifice a friendship or possessions, but these are nothings compared to the eternal life we will receive when we do God’s Will over our own.

Do we make excuses or blame others when we sin? Or do we take responsibility for our actions and make amends for what we have done? Are we willing to sacrifice everything we have to do God’s Will?

O Lord, we are sorry for our sins. Give us the grace to avoid repeating them.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

When we do something wrong, we have a tendency to look for excuses or blame others. This is exactly what Adam and Eve do. Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. This temptation to fault everything and everyone but ourselves is one we have to struggle with throughout our lives, especially when we feel unfairly treated by people or wonder why things aren’t going our way. Instead, we should accept responsibility for the consequences of our sins, confess them with contrite hearts, and do penance with the joy that should come from being freed from our burdens.

Who do we blame for our problems? What are our excuses for sinning? How can we train ourselves to own up to our failings and strive to be better?

O Lord, we are naked before you. Clothe us in your mercy and grace.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.

As Jesus discusses marriage with his disciples, he makes it clear that marriage is not to be entered into lightly and leaving a marriage can only be done if it was unlawful to begin with. Marriage for Jesus is not a contract that can be broke, but rather a covenant between the husband, his wife, and God who joins them together. The man and woman are made one flesh in the eyes of God and so it cannot be reversed. This covenant places a responsibility upon both husband and wife to live their lives in harmony with each other and with God. In a world that has come to see marriage as a secular contract rather than a spiritual covenant, it can be hard for us to understand the permanency of marriage, but those who enter into a lawful marriage are permanently changed by it and connected to each other in the eyes of God. The standards that God holds us to are high, but they are the ones worth living up to no matter what.

Do we believe in the covenantal nature of marriage? Are we prepared to recognize the permanent responsibilities of being married? Do we fully respect those who are married and give them the support they need to stay together?

O Lord, let us always remember that what you have joined, we should not separate.

Amen.

Ninth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

We have responsibilities to the world, but we also have them to God, too. Whenever these do not conflict, then we are obliged to perform both duties. It is a good thing to act as a responsible citizen and we should not shirk our worldly tasks. However, when they conflict with doing God’s Will, then we have the obligation to put God first and our country second. This does not mean that we should look for loopholes and try to rationalize our own selfishness or laziness. It means that we should be discerning about how our government acts and if it is acting contrary to our Christian morality, then we should attempt to work within the system to bring it back into compliance with God’s message of love, mercy, and grace. As Jesus says, render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, then we shall be acting not only rightly, but for the good as well.

What are our obligations to our family, friends, neighbors, country? What are our obligations to God? When they are in conflict with each other how do we resolve the crisis?

O Lord, help us to remember to repay you first and the world with what is left over.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Easter

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

This rebuke of Peter is also a reminder to us to take care of our own business first when it comes to faith. Each of us is given a set of tasks to fulfill in our lives by God and it is our responsibility to concern ourselves with them and not with others. We follow Christ, not our family, friends, or neighbors. We might come to know, love, and serve everyone around us—as Jesus would—but we should not be so concerned with them that we ignore our own tasks. We need to focus on feeding and tending God’s children in the way He asks us to and sometimes that means doing things without or even against our family, friends, and neighbors. This does not mean that we do them without regard to these people or to spite them, but rather we do it because God calls us to do it. He should take precedence over everything and everyone in our lives.

What are the tasks God has set before us? How do we put aside our concern for others and focus on God’s Will? Is our faith in God our top priority?

O Lord, we follow you. Let our concerns be your concerns and not our own.

Amen.