First Thursday of Advent

Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

God is our Rock and if our lives are founded on Him, we shall not lose them. No storm of suffering will topple us. No quake of fear will bring us down. No flood of woes shall wash us away. With God as our cornerstone, we can withstand any trial and stand firm against all temptations. We shall survive all difficulties if we trust in God and let Him lead us to a saintly life. It may not be easy to keep the faith in the midst of sufferings, but reaching the Gates of Heaven is worth every test we must undertake.

Are our lives founded on Our Lord and God? Do we trust Him to support us through every trial? How can we make God the foundation of our every thought, word, and work?

O Lord, we trust in you, Our Rock and Savior.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Tuesday in Ordinary Time

The Lord upholds me. O LORD, how many are my adversaries! Many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

The Lord upholds us against our adversaries, no matter how many there might be. He is our fortress, our protector, our rock. There is nothing in this world that can overthrow Him and the strength He lends us in our times of need. If we will but trust in Him and accept His blessings, gifts, and graces, then we shall not be put to shame. No matter how many rise against us we will triumph. No matter how much our foes claim we are fools, we will be proven to be wise at the Last Judgment when we gain salvation from Him.

Do we allow God to uphold us in our times of trial and weakness? Do we seek His help against our adversaries? Do we trust that with His aid, we will overcome all obstacles?

O Lord, uphold us.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works. Only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.

We will be judged by our works in this world. We will be weighed by our words, too. How we treat others will reflect on us and reveal to God how He should treat us. If our souls are in God and of Him, then we will do good and avoid evil and our souls will be at rest. However, if we are in and of the world, seeking earthly pleasures and acting out of vice, then our hearts will be greatly distressed when the time of Final Judgment comes. It is only in God that we will find salvation and eternal life. It is only by founding our lives upon Him that we can have any hope of withstanding the wickedness and snares of the Devil. God is our stronghold against the Evil One and when we think, speak, and act like Him, we are protected from spiritual attacks and our hearts remain calm because we know God is always there for us.

Do our souls rest in God or the world? How can we found our lives more perfectly upon the Rock of our Salvation? Do we give ourselves to others as we would want them to give themselves to us?

O Lord, in you our souls find rest.

Amen.