The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Death no longer has power over us. God has conquered it and sin through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He has show us that death has no power over us if we know, love, and serve Him as faithfully as we can. As Christians, we have been crucified with Christ, we have accepted our crosses and willingly bear them toward our own Calvary. We proclaim our readiness to suffer and die for the glory of God and the good of others. And so, we do not fear death because we believe it is only a gateway to a more perfect union with God in Heaven. We see it as merely a threshold to cross so we can be with our Lord and nothing more.

Are we afraid of death? Do we fear what God might ask us to sacrifice in order to have eternal life with Him? How can we overcome these fears and place our trust in God?

O Lord, crucify our selfish selves and sinful bodies so we might be made anew in and through you.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Monday in Ordinary Time

This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus is all the sign we should need in order to repent. Through Christ’s Life, we are shown the Way and the Truth that will lead us to the Promised Land. Through His Passion, we are shown what it means to mortify ourselves, accept our crosses, show compassion to others, and love our enemies. Through His Death, we are given an example of what it means to be willing to die for what we believe in. Finally, through His Resurrection, we are shown the promise of to everlasting life for all who proclaim the Good News until their final breath. Indeed, we have a great tome of wisdom set before us in the New Testament, which reveals what God is calling us to be as Christians. So, let us heed the Word of God Made Flesh and live as good and faithful servants to God and all His children.

In what ways do we imitate the compassionate Life of Christ? How do we deal with the sufferings and sacrifices that come with our own passions? How have we prepared ourselves for our death and eventual resurrection? 

O Lord, we seek and follow only the sign of your Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory. The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, When the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer.

Whenever we are damaged, knocked down, or ruined by something, God is there to help us. He offers to mend our wounds. He reaches out to lift us up. He is ready to rebuild us, better than before. He does not want to see us destitute or despised or destroyed. The world may do this to us, but He does not. He will do everything in His power to raise us out of our poverty, whether it is physical or spiritual. He will grant graces and blessings to those who are mocked and persecuted by the worldly. Even if our enemies destroy us in some way, He will resurrect us and bring us to a better life.

What areas of our lives need to be rebuilt? How can we make ourselves more open to God’s constructive work in our lives? What can we do to help others who are in need of building up their bodies, minds, and spirits?

O Lord, build us up into living churches.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.”

Jesus was sacrificed for us. This is something we should ponder and take to heart. Imagine for a moment what Jesus gave up for us. How he who was without sin died for us who are sinners. He died to give us the power of the Holy Spirit and the riches of grace. He died to grant us wisdom and strength. He died to bless us who are in need of blessing. We should marvel at what Jesus did for us through his passion and death all so we might share in his resurrection and join the choir of angels in singing, “Worthy is the Lamb.”

Do we meditate and ponder the sacrifice God made for us? Are we as forgiving as Jesus was for us? How can we give God the glory, honor, and praise He deserves?

O Lord, you are the worthy lamb who died for us.

Amen.

Holy Thursday: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

As Christians, we are called to a deep communion with God through the Body and Blood of Christ. This sacrifice speaks to the boundless love and mercy our Heavenly Father has for us and by receiving the Eucharist, we proclaim our own love for Him and our willingness to suffer whatever is necessary for the salvation of souls. When we eat the Body of Christ and drink His Blood, we proclaim not only our faith in the Lord, but also our intention to listen to His Truth, walk His Way, and live His Life. We accept the cup of salvation and all the sacrifices it holds for us. To be in communion with Christ, is to be in union with His Passion, Death, and ultimately His Resurrection.

Do we seek out communion as often as we can? In what ways do we show our unity with God and other Christians? Are we willing to take up the cup of salvation and all the trials and graces it contains?

O Lord, help us to make a return to you for all the good you’ve done for us through the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish,  that I may gain Christ and be found in him,  not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Jesus lived, suffered, died, and resurrected for us. He sacrificed everything to bring us salvation. In the eyes of the world, He lost all that he had. And yet, in the eyes of his faithful, He lost nothing. Instead, he gained everything. Should it be any different for us? No, we must also be willing to lose everything in order to do God’s Will. We must consider the world and all it offers us to be so much rubbish. We must strive to be faithful and righteous in a land that is neither. In the end, the only way for us to attain resurrection from the dead is to be willing to die to our passions, our desires, and ourselves.

Are we willing to accept the loss of all things in order to do God’s Will? How can we nourish our faith in Christ so we might grow in righteousness? What can we do to know, love, and serve God and all His children more faithfully?

O Lord, conform us to your death so we might attain the resurrection.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

We believe in the resurrection of the dead. There is an afterlife and we will live it out according to how we lived this life on earth. We will go to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. There isn’t an end when we die. It is a beginning of eternity. Whether we suffer for that eternity or enjoy it is up to our actions and inactions while here on earth. This is a part of our faith that isn’t up for debate. It is both a comforting and uncomforting idea because it speaks to ramification for everything we think, say, and do.

Do we believe in the resurrection? If we do, then why to we forget this truth so often when we sin? How can we bring this truth to mind more faithfully so it can affect our decisions in this life?

O Lord, we believe you will raise us from the dead and lead us to life everlasting.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.

Death will not prevail against us if we are true disciples of Christ. If we allow our thoughts, words, and works to be guided by the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, then we shall overcome sin and death. Just as Christ raised from the dead after his crucifixion, so too, we will rise if we put our trust in Him. God will bring us back to life if we if we belong to Him. And the only way to belong to Him is if we follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ, our Lord and Exemplar.

How can we lead life-giving lives that bring others and ourselves closer to God? What can we do to prepare ourselves for our death and the life that comes afterward? Do we pray for the souls of those whom have gone before us?

O Lord, give us your life-giving Spirit today so we might enjoy your presence forever and ever.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday of Easter

"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.

We all hope in the resurrection of the dead, it is one of our core beliefs. After all, if we do not believe in the resurrection, then our faith is dead. Our faith in the resurrection is a founding principle of our Christian traditions and the source of our hope in an everlasting life. We believe if we are good as our Heavenly Father is good, if we are merciful as Jesus is merciful, and if we are holy as the Holy Spirit is holy, then we shall one day join them in Heaven for all eternity. Not just as spirits, but in our resurrected and perfected bodies. This is the promise Jesus made to us through his life, death, and resurrection and if we follow in his footsteps, then we too will join him in Paradise.

What role has the belief in the resurrection played in our lives? How can we make it more meaningful to us? What are we doing to prepare ourselves for it?

O Lord, you are our hope in the resurrection of the dead.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Easter

When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.

If we lead a good and faithful life, then we shall be raised from the dead when Jesus comes again. We shall have a share in his saving grace and share in his resurrection. Like Tabitha, our lives should be full of good deeds and almsgiving. Like Peter we should pray and trust in God’s Goodness. We don’t have to do great things to be good Christians. We only have to do the right things with love and put our faith and hope in the Lord. If we do this, then we shall be alive in the Holy Spirit and everything we do shall lead others closer to the Lord.

How can we make our lives full of good deeds and almsgiving? Do we take time out of our days to kneel and pray for God’ intercession in our lives and the lives of those around us? What can we do to make Jesus known to those whom we meet each day?

O Lord, raise us up from our sins and help us to be full of good deeds, almsgiving, and prayers.

Amen.

Saturday within the Octave of Easter

Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply.

It is amazing to think that in less than three days, Peter has gone from denying and fleeing from the trial of Christ to proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. So, too, John has gone from fleeing from the guards in the garden to standing before the people who put Jesus to death. The Sanhedrin might perceive Peter and John as uneducated and perhaps even weak, but they get caught up in their own superiority and fail to see the truth before them. These men have been changed. Their hearts have been deeply converted and this in combination with the gifts of the Holy Spirit gives them a power the elders and scribes can’t anticipate. They think that just like Jesus, this upstart faith will die, but they don’t understand what the Resurrection means to the disciples of Christ. It means hope and hope can’t be told to be quiet. No. Hope shouts the truth that sets us all free. That Jesus is arisen.

How has the Resurrection of Jesus changed our lives? How can we proclaim the Good News like Peter and John? How can we make ourselves into embodiments of hope for all whom we meet?

O Lord, make us bold in proclaiming your holy word.

Amen.

Monday within the Octave of Easter

You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

Sometimes we are disciples of Christ, but other times we are lawless men, who crucify Christ. We are the latter when we give into temptation and sin or turn our backs in indifference on those in need. Thankfully, we know even Jesus’ closest companions, the Apostles, fled from him during his Passion and Death and only returned to him after the Resurrection. We know that just because we say we believe it doesn’t make us immune to our failings, faults, and weaknesses. Even knowing all of Jesus’ mighty deeds, wonders, and signs... all his words, teachings, and prayers... we still fail, but God knows us and this is why he sent His Beloved Son to die for us. He wanted us to see how much He loved us and give us an example of how we can rise again from our sins and do God’s Will. If Jesus’ disciples could recover from turning their backs on Jesus, so too we can recover from our sins and become good and faithful servants to the Lord and all His children.

How can we become more like the disciples after Jesus’ Resurrection? How can we put aside our lawless and sinful ways? Do we seek out God’s forgiveness for our sins?

O Lord, help us to follow the laws you have written on our hearts.

Amen.

Easter Sunday

Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Easter is the perfect time of year to reevaluate our priorities and renew our spiritual lives. It is a time for cleansing ourselves of our sins, indifference, and distractions and starting over with a clean slate. Over the course of each year, we can find ourselves falling into bad habits and today is a good day to put an end to them and begin a new life of good habits. Easter is a day of resurrection, of breaking free from the chains of sin and death and choosing to seek out the risen Lord. It is a time to cast off our worldly worries and weaknesses and put on the white garment of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is a day to rid ourselves of malice and wickedness and celebrate the Way, Truth, and Life of the Risen Lord with sincerity.

Are we living our lives in accordance with the Father’s commandments, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s inspirations? What sins, weaknesses, and imperfections do we need to clear out of our hearts and minds? How can we renew ourselves in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, we celebrate your Resurrection with the bread of sincerity and truth.

Amen.

Holy Saturday

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Being a Christian means dying to ourselves in order to live for God. It means uprooting our vices and indifference so we can be wholeheartedly God’s people. It means being willing to sacrifice everything we have in order to love God without distraction. It means casting off our slavery to sin, seeking absolution for the wrongs we have done, and dying with Christ. If we do all these things, then we shall be raised from the death of sin, we shall share in the Resurrection of Christ, and death shall lose its power over us.

In what ways do we need to die to sin and selfishness? What sins do we need to seek absolution for? How can we more faithfully live for God in Christ Jesus?

O Lord, we choose to die to ourselves so we will live for you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

As Christians, we are called to profess our faith through our words and works. The people who hear and see us should know without a doubt we are Christians by our expressions and acts of love and mercy. And if we do these things, we will never be put to shame. No persecution, mocking, failure, disrespect, or other suffering will be able to touch us because our hearts will be protected as long as they remain true to God and believe in the promise of eternal life. It is this belief in the resurrection that sparks us to action and to sacrifice for God and for others.

Do we confess Jesus is Lord through word and deed? Do we believe in our hearts God raised him from the dead? Do we trust no matter what might happen to us God will never allow us to be put to shame?

O Lord, we believe in you with our whole hearts.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Monday of Ordinary Time

Abraham did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to do. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness. But it was not for him alone that it was written that it was credited to him; it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

We should never doubt God’s promises, nor His Love for us. He will give us everything we need and empower us by faith so we can do good and avoid evil. Every day, He offers us the materials to build up our confidence in Him and make ourselves into temples of righteousness. God handed His Beloved Son over to death for our transgressions not to condemn us, but to raise us from the death of sin to the eternal life of justification through Christ. We might not always understand what God is asking of us, nor how we might accomplish His Will, but our Heavenly Father will never abandon us. And hopefully, we shall not abandon Him, but rather give glory to Him and trust He will provide all we need.

Do we truly believe in what God has promised us through baptism, namely salvation? How can we use what God has given us to build up our confidence in Him? In what ways can we give thanks to God for the justification He has offered us through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of His Son?

O Lord, empower us by faith.

Amen.

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

"Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them.  When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.

When Peter is asked to come to Tabitha, he does so without delay. He heads upstairs and after seeing what Tabitha has been doing to help support the other faithful, he kneels, prays, and calls on her to rise. When she does return to life, it's a moment of great joy for everyone. There will be times when we are doing something like Peter and suddenly be asked to help someone else. We can respond like Peter and go immediately or we might delay or refuse. The first response we should have as Christians is to help those in need to the best of our abilities. So let us keep a watchful eye and a listening ear so we can respond how we should, quickly and without complaint.

Do we delay our help of others? How can we be more responsive to those in need? What can we do to help others to the best of our abilities?

O Lord, give us the spirit to come to the aid of others without delay.

Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

In Jewish tradition, the soul departed from the body after three days. No one expected Jesus to raise Lazarus at this point. He was in essence too far gone. Perhaps if Jesus arrived earlier he could have made a difference. We have a tendency to limit God. He can’t possibly help us with this or that difficulty. He wouldn’t be interested in our problems when there are so many more pressing matters in the world. However, we need to remember that God is always listening. If we trust in Him, then He will protect, guide, and strengthen us through ever trial. But most importantly, we must be open to doing whatever He asks us to do no matter how impossible it might seem. With God on our side all things are possible... even life after death.

Are we willing to trust God even when we feel like nothing can help us? Do we believe in God enough to be patient with the timeline of His Divine Plan rather than our own? How do we thank God for hearing our prayers and answering them in ways more wonderful than we could ever imagine.

O Lord, take away the stones that block our hearts from hearing your call to trust in you and your will.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

As Christians, we are called to profess our faith through our words and works. The people who hear and see us should know without a doubt we are Christians by our expressions and acts of love and mercy. And if we do these things, we will never be put to shame. No persecution, mocking, failure, disrespect, or other suffering will be able to touch us because our hearts will be protected as long as they remain true to God and believe in the promise of eternal life. It is this belief in the resurrection that sparks us to action and to sacrifice for God and for others.

Do we confess that Jesus is Lord through word and deed? Do we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead? Do we trust that no matter what might happen to us God will never allow us to be put to shame?

O Lord, we believe in you with our whole hearts.

Amen.

The Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

We are all sons and daughters of the resurrection. Besides the cross, the resurrection is the foundational symbol of our faith. We believe that we suffer and die in this life so that we might rise and celebrate in the next. Our lives can seem barren and unfruitful in terms of money, fame, pleasure, and other worldly things, but if we have faith, act in hope, and love God and His children to the best of our ability, then our lives have been a success. God has not put us on this earth to exult ourselves and prosper materially. These things might happen to us, but they are not the goal of our lives. Instead, we are called by God to live sacrificial lives in imitation of Christ and accept our role as children of God. When we do this, our hearts are made happy, our minds are given clarity, and our wills choose what is right because our entire being is pointed not toward this life, but toward the resurrection and life everlasting.

Is the way we are living worthy of attaining the resurrection? If not, then what can we do to make the resurrection a central part of our lives? How can we embody the spirit of the resurrection in our thoughts, words, and works?

O Lord, we want to be worthy of the resurrection.

Amen.