First Friday of Lent

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.

Sometimes we experience sorrow and misery in this life. We lose something that is precious to us. A loved one. Our health. Our wealth. Our occupation. Or any of a myriad of things. In these dark nights we can lose our way and feel completely helpless. In times such as these, we should not be afraid to call out from the depths and ask God to hear us. He will listen and in His Infinite Mercy, He will come to us in a way, a place, and a time that will be best for us and lead us closer to our salvation. We just have to trust in Him and allow Him to work His wonders in our lives.

When we are sorrowful or despairing, do we turn to God for consolation, comfort, and help? Do we mimic God’s Compassion in our own lives? If not, then how can we become as merciful to others as God is to us?

O Lord, we cry to you from the depths, hear our voices!

Amen.

Thirty-Third Friday in Ordinary Time

"Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."

Proclaiming the word of God promises to be both a sweet and sour experience. It is sweet because it brings with it the hope of victory over sin and death, but it is sour because it also promises suffering. Just as Jesus’ life was sweet and sour, so ours will be, too. The sweetness comes from being good and faithful servants, filled with God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is a sweetness that can only be achieved by doing God’s Will without reservation. However, doing what is right can require a great deal of sacrifice from us. We might have to die for what we believe it. Proclaiming the Good News doesn’t always win us friends. It can cause us to be misunderstood and hated. It can turn friends and family into enemies. It can lead to others betraying us, just as Jesus was betrayed. The task God gives to us can bring much sorrow to our lives, but if we trust in Him, then we will discover the sacrifices we are asked to make will be worth it in the end.

Are we willing to do what must be done to proclaim the Good News in our lives? Are we willing to suffer the sourness that can come from choosing to follow God? How can we grow in spiritual sweetness and become good and faithful people?

O Lord, let us eat of the same bread and drink of the same cup as you did in your life.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

"Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, when suddenly a great wind came across the desert and smote the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you." Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair. He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said, "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!" In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.

We all will suffer losses in our lives. Some of our losses will be in terms of wealth. Others in terms of health. Still more will be of our loved ones. We can react to these sufferings in many ways. We can become bitter and complain about how unfair life is, we can become lost in despair and sorrow, or we can accept our losses and trust God’s Grace will see us back to prosperity. We will be tempted to be angry toward God or to believe He has abandoned us, but all we need to remember is He is always with us. He sent His Beloved Son to suffer and die for us so we might never be alone in our darkest hours. Even if it is difficult for us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we must remember it is there. All we have to do is put one step in front of the other and continue to follow the path Jesus Christ prepared for us.

Are we bitter or despairing of any losses we have suffered? How can we learn to trust God even in the midst of our dark nights? How can we cultivate the spirit of detachment needed to be able to let go of our goods, our health, and our loved ones so we do not fall into sin when we lose them?

O Lord, blessed be your name in our good times and in our bad.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep; He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left.

We are faced with many challenges in our lives. Moments of doubt, fear, and sorrow. Moments of hunger and thirst. Moments of decision for good or evil. Our character is determined by the choices we make during these times. Our spirit is strengthened or weakened by whether we listen to Jesus’ teachings and follow his commandments. We would do well if we listened to the conscience within us and walk in the Way of the Lord. If we let His Truth guide us, then we shall be made worthy of His Life and never weep again.

Are we thankful for the answers God gives us? Are we grateful for the food and drink He gives us? Will we listen to His guidance and follow in His way?

O Lord, lead us where we need to be.

Amen.

Eighteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

After John the Baptist’s death, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray. Sometimes when something sorrowful happens to our loved ones or to ourselves, we need to take time to spend with God and work through our suffering. In order to do this, we need to find a place of solitude and rest there, listening to God. Then, once we are ready, we should return to our mission renewed in the Spirit with eyes filled with compassion for others who might be going through their own trials. It is in this way that prayer and works move us forward in life toward our own Jerusalem and our own passions where we shall be faced with the same choice Jesus was given in the garden: to do our will or God’s Will.

How can we overcome our sorrows through prayer and works? What can we do to show our compassion for others even in the midst of our own trials? Are we doing our will or God’s Will?

O Lord, may our lives be filled with renewing prayer and fulfilling works.

Amen.

The Sixth Thursday of Easter

“Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

While we are on earth, we can’t see Jesus directly and this can cause us to have questions about our faith in him. However, we can see him indirectly through our interactions with others and through the participation in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. These glimpses of Christ help to sustain us through each day and if we live in faith, hope, and love, then one day these glimpses will become the full Beatific Vision. We will see Jesus, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit together in all their glory and in all their love for each other and us. Then our weeping will turn into laughing. Our mourning will turn into dancing. And our grief will turn to joy.

Are there times when we question God and do not understand what He his telling us in our hearts? Do we trust God enough to let go of our doubts and trust in His Divine Providence? Do we see the presence of Jesus in those around us, in the sacraments we receive, and in the beauty of nature?

O Lord, turn our questions into answers and our grief into joy.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’”

In today’s gospel, Jesus compares the people of his generation with squabbling children, some of whom want to dance and some of whom want to weep. He goes on to say that John came fasting and they rejected him and now Jesus comes feasting and they reject him. The people are making excuses not to listen to John and Jesus. They really aren’t interested in understanding their message, instead they simply want to tear it down because it threatens them. However, in the end, Jesus makes it clear that the wisdom of John and Jesus’ lives will be revealed. We cannot be all joy or all sorrow, all dancing, but no weeping, all pleasure and no pain. Both feasting and fasting are needed in order to live our lives in accord with God’s Will. We should be thankful for the goods in our lives, but equally we should be grateful for the opportunities to share in the sacrifices God made for us.

Do we feast with God and fast for him? Are we willing to sacrifice what we have to know, love, and serve Him? Are will thankful for all that He has given us?

O Lord, let us dance and weep with you according to your will.

Amen.

The Resurrection of the Lord

“Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large.

The women who come to anoint Jesus’ body are so intent upon their task that they have not thought about the obstacles in their way and are amazed when they discover that the Lord has risen. They came to the tomb in sorrow and uncertainty, but when they left it they are amazed. The folly of the cross has become the boon of the resurrection. Jesus has rolled back the stone of death and opened the entire human race to the rising sun of eternal life. The next time we fail or when we are uncertain, we should remember the glory of Easter. It is always darkest before the dawn.

What are we uncertain about? What expectations keep us from fully appreciating God’s work in our lives? Has God ever failed us or have we failed to see his saving hand even behind the trials of our lives?

O Lord, roll back the stones that block our hearts from you so that we might be open to the rising sun of your love.

Amen.