Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple.

We should strive to see the good things of the Lord in this life as well as the next. We should see the world through the lens of faith. We see should see the good in others, in creation, and do our best to bring out the good in our every thought, word, and work. This is how Jesus approached the word, knowing that we are sinners, but being willing to look past that to the holy people beneath. He tried to free everyone of the shackles of sin and we should do the same to the best of our abilities and according to our talents. And if we do these things, then we will join the Holy Trinity in the house of the Lord and spend the rest of eternity with God, contemplating Him and the good things He has done for us.

Are our eyes open to the good things of this world? How can we magnify those things that lead us closer to God? What can we do to diminish those things that lead us away from Him?

O Lord, we seek to dwell with and contemplate you always.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Lent

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

We are all called to be a people of transfiguration. We are asked by God to transform our lives by becoming more and more like Christ. We are asked to be more deeply converted by his Good News. We are asked to change our attitudes from fear of what the world will think of us if we reject it to the courage that is necessary to rise up and be not afraid to proclaim the Gospels through our thoughts, words, and works. We are asked to alter our view of the world from a selfish one to a selfless one... to see God and others through Jesus-colored glasses. When we look at creation, we need to see the Lord behind it. When we look at others, we need to see the Christ within them. When we look at ourselves, we need to see the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us to where we are called to be.

Are we listening to Jesus through the scriptures and traditions of the Church? Are we listening to him when he speaks to us through others? How can we learn to rise up and be courageous in Christ?

O Lord, give us the spiritual strength to allow you to transfigure us into yourself.

Amen.