Thirty-Fourth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Give glory and eternal praise to him. “Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

Every moment of our lives should be spent praising God and exulting Him above all else in this world. There is nothing in the waters, on the earth, or in the heavens that could ever compare to God. There is nothing we can think that would be more fruitful than to think of God and how to imitate Him. There is nothing we can say that would be more edifying and effective than to speak the Word of God and proclaim the gospels. There is nothing we can do that will bear better fruit than to do God’s Will in all things. Everything has its good beginning in God and will only find its best end in and through Him. There is no other path to salvation than the ones laid before us by God, who prepares the way for each of us according to our own personalities, talents, and needs.

Do we spend as much time praising and exalting God as we should? How can we find even more time? What can we do to bring His thoughts, words, and works into the world for His glory and the good of others?

O Lord, we praise and exult you above all forever.

Amen.

Twelfth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord. He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue... shall never be disturbed.

If we do justice, we will live in the presence of the Lord, but if we do not, then we reject God and all that He calls us to be. If we are truthful, then God is in our thoughts and words and works, but if we do not, then we deny the Word of God in favor of a worldly life. If we are good as our Heavenly Father is Good, we will bear abundant fruits, but if we choose evil, then we will reap destruction. If we are faithful then we will become more Christ-like in all things, but if we are indifferent, then we will become lukewarm and God will spit us out. If we hope in the Holy Spirit, we will be at peace no matter what happens to us, but if we doubt and fear, then we shall become lost. If we love, God will return our love a thousand-fold, but if we hate, then we will be judged according to how we judged others.

Do we act justly toward God and His children? How can we be better bearers of the virtues and Good News God calls us to embody? What can we do to walk blameless before our God? 

O Lord, help us to be just and truthful in all things.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Wednesday in Ordinary Time

And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcised. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not on the right road in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all, "If you, though a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

When we see someone else doing something wrong, we have an obligation to correct them. This isn't always easy. Sometimes they are loved ones and we don't want to start a fight and cause strife in our homes and families. Sometimes they are strangers and we fear their reaction to our rebuke. However, wrong is wrong and right is right and we should not be afraid to speak the truth and correct others as long as we do it out of love and not a feeling of superiority... after all we are sinners, too. This is what Paul did when he rebuked Cephas and it is what we must be willing to do when we see others are not on right road.

Are there people in our lives whom we need to talk to in regards to wrongdoing? How can we bring up the subject without antagonizing them or nagging them? Are we willing to suffer in order to spread the Good News, even to those whom might not want to hear it?

O Lord, grant us the grace to speak your truth even when it might cost us dearly to do so.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

"Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. As for me, I am in your hands; do with me what you think good and right. But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens. For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear."

There are times in our lives when someone speaks the word of God to us. They might tell us to reform our ways, give us words of encouragement to continue on our path, or offer us advice that will help us grow in faith, hope, or love. It is important that we open our minds and hearts to these people, listen, and then do what God is calling us to do. There are other times when we are asked to speak the Word of God to others, to warn others against sin, to help lead them to a better life, to support them in their spiritual journeys. At these times, we are asked to be like the prophets of old and must be willing to act as such even if doing so means risking the mockery and anger of others.

Are we listening for the Word of God when others speak to us, especially those whom we know are good and faithful servants to the Lord? How might we become better prophets of the Good News to others? In what ways can we be more open to communicating with God and speaking his truth to others?

O Lord, give us ears to hear you and lips to speak you.

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.

Thirtieth Friday of Ordinary Time

I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are children of Israel; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

We should always be concerned for others. Because of this we should always speak the truth in Christ. Our consciences should ever be joined with the Holy Spirit so we can be better bearers of witness to the world. We should be more than willing to sacrifice ourselves in the pursuit of saving souls just as Jesus Christ did in his most holy life. In the end, we might not be able to convince others to believe, but we can at least show them what it means to truly believe by being good, faithful, hopeful, and loving people.

Do we show concern for others or are we self-absorbed? How can we become better witnesses to the Good News and God’s Divine Love and Mercy towards all? In what ways can we sacrifice ourselves for the good of others?

O Lord, help us to lead others to you.

Amen.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

There is nothing in heaven or on earth that we should fear more than God. As such, the proclamation of the Good News and of God’s Love for the world is more important than anything else. We should speak the truth everywhere we go. We should not be afraid to be confronted by others for our beliefs. We should only be afraid of being led astray by the Evil One and brought to destruction in Hell.

Are we truly afraid of disappointing God? How can we do a better job of proclaiming God’s Good News? What can we do to protect ourselves from the temptations and destructive sins which are born from the Evil One?

O Lord, let us fear nothing more than disappointing you.

Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.

Becoming a good and faithful servant to God and His children requires us to train our tongues to speak the truth, to inspire others, and to be charitable in our speech. To train our ears to listen to our consciences and the needs of others. To train our wills to be obedient to God, to avoid temptation, and to sin no more. To train our spirits to be humble, patient, and forgiving. All of these things require constant work on our part. They ask us to sacrifice our selfish desires and learn to put God and others before ourselves.

How can we train our tongues to speak with God’s love? How can we train our ears to listen with God’s Mercy? How can we train our wills and spirits to bear any burden for God?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to become good and faithful servants.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

“Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue.

There will be times in our lives when we will be challenged to either stand up for the truth and be punished for doing so or remain silent and save our skins. This is the choice the blind man and his parents were faced with and it is the same one we must confront in various ways in our lives. The parents chose to pass the buck onto their son. They were afraid of acknowledging Jesus ever after he healed their son. They should have been happy for the miracle of their son’s cure, but they let worldly concerns strangle their joy and muzzle their praise. The formerly blind man on the other hand is not afraid of speaking the truth. He does so several times and because of this he is tossed out of the synagogue. However, this apparent loss is really a gain. Jesus finds him and reveals himself to be the Son of Man. The man’s faith has saved him. He has chosen the light of Christ over the darkness of the world.

Are we willing to suffer in order to proclaim the truth? Are we willing to be persecuted for our faith? How can we conquer our fears and live in the light of the Good News?

O Lord, cure our blindness so we might see your guiding light.

Amen.