Twenty-Seventh Saturday in Ordinary Time

Rejoice in the Lord, you just! Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name.

When we think, speak, and act justly, our actions are enlightened by God. The Light of the Holy Spirit guides us along the right way and leads us to where we need to be. The upright of heart are given a spirit of gladness when they follow God and walk the Way of Jesus Christ. They go forth into the world secure in the knowledge that they are bearing the Good News to the world through their very presence. They make known God through their acts of charity, mercy, and justice. They produce good fruits by being firmly grounded in faith and nourished by hope. And for all these graces and blessings, we should be very thankful for without them we would be lost in the dark night of sin and death.

Do we rejoice in the justice of God? How do we uphold the tenants of our faith and show compassion to others? What can we do to be upright in heart and always thankful to God?

O Lord, light our way with justice and gladness.

Amen.

Sunday of Divine Mercy

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

God’s Mercy endures forever. When He forgives us, it isn’t like how we forgive. Sometimes we are tempted to bring up old wounds to those who have harmed us. We do this especially when we are annoyed with another person such as a sibling, friend, and co-worker. We snap and say things that could be hurtful. This is why it’s so important to keep in mind the example of Christ on the cross. He was arrested, beaten, mocked, and scourged. He was forced to carry his cross and was treated like a criminal. And yet, he bore these terrible burdens without complaint and forgave his persecutors. He does this for us, too. If only our mercy and forgiveness could mirror his!

How do we give thanks to God for His Goodness and Love? How do we show others God’s Mercy? What can we do to keep ourselves from giving into the temptation to point out past harms done to us?

O Lord, we are thankful for your goodness.

Amen.

First Thursday of Lent

Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.

The Lord our God is listening. He is watching. He is with us now and if we are holy, He will be with us forever. There is no prayer that goes unheard or unanswered. There is no word that passes our lips that He does not hear. There is no work we do that He does not witness. He knows our good deeds. He knows our sins. He knows all. And yet, He loves us in spite of our flaws and our sins and chooses to come to our help whenever we call upon Him. This is why we ought to sing His praises and give thanks to Him.

What do we need help with? How can we make God more of a part of that area of our lives? How can we love God and His children as He loves us?

O Lord, we give thanks to you for you have heard us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.”

Jesus became a priest and victim for us. He became man so he might know and sympathize with us. He became a living sacrament of God’s Love to the world. He became our teacher. He became our brother. He became our servant and king. He did all these things to love us more perfectly. He did it to unite himself with us through His Body and Blood. He did it to triumph over sin and death. He did it to lead us to eternal life with him forever.

How can we imitate the selflessness of Jesus? What is God asking us to become for Him? What can we do to love God more perfectly?

O Lord, thank you for all you’ve done for us.

Amen.

Saturday After Epiphany

The Lord takes delight in his people. Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

We should all be glad in our maker for He has done marvelous things for us. He created us and saw that it was very good. He delights in us. He loves us and gives us ever spiritual blessing. He will never abandon us. He will always treat us as His beloved children. How wonderful that we should have such a compassionate and caring Heavenly Father to protect us. He is constantly helping us in little and great ways. He does everything in His power to lead us to become holy people and share eternal life with Him.

Do we thank God for making us? How can we learn to delight in God as much as He delights in us? What can we do to rejoice in our Father and our King?

O Lord, we are glad in you.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Advent

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, "My kindness is established forever"; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

God has been very good to us. He has given us life. He has made us in His Divine Image. He has provided us with free will so we can truly love Him and others as He loves us. He has poured out His blessings and favors upon us. He has been a faithful Father to us. He has been a loving brother and teacher. He has been a guiding Spirit. He has shown us His Kindness. We cannot imagine how much God has done for us throughout our lives from the moment of our conception to the moment of our death and beyond. All we can do is accept His gifts and use them to the best of our abilities for the good of all whom we meet.

Do we thank God for all He has done for us? How can we reflect God’s Goodness in our own lives? What can we do to be better children of our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, we sing of your goodness.

Amen.

Third Friday of Advent

Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. Sing to him a new song; pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

We have much to be thankful for as the children of God. We could ask for no better Father than our God. He gave us our lives. He gives us His constant love. He will give us salvation and eternal life, if we accept His guidance and graces. This is why we should exult in God and sing to Him a new song. We should praise Him for everything He has done for us and shout for gladness for all His kindnesses. Our hearts should have but one response to God for all He has done for us... to glorify and love Him.

What are the things in our lives we should be grateful for? What can we do to give thanks to God for what He has given us? How can we nurture glad and thankful hearts in ourselves and others?

O Lord, we shout for gladness for all that you’ve done for us.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Advent

Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

All of creation is God’s and we would do well to remember that. Nothing we have is our own. Everything is a gift from God. Our lives, our food, our drink, our clothing, our homes, our goods... all of them come from our Heavenly Father, who knows what is best for His children. All the good fruits we produce in thought, word, or work find their source, center, and summit in God. He established everything in the universe for our own good and the good of all His children and this is why we should let Him enter into our hearts and minds. He is the Lord of our lives and the King of our spirits. He is the life-giving water that sustains us in the dryness of the world. He is the warming light that nourishes our souls. In Him, we find both Creator and Savior and a King of Kings.

Do we remember that nothing good comes from us alone, but from our participation in God’s Will? Do we give thanks to God for all He has done for us? Are we willing to let Him into our lives when the rest of the world tells us to shut Him out and be “self-sufficient”?

O Lord, enter into our hearts and be glorified.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

We are truly blessed to have a loving and compassionate God. He is infinitely patient with us through our periods of sin, doubt, indifference, and selfishness. He is constantly helping us to overcome our weaknesses and to strengthen us in faith, hope, and love. He kindly extends His hand to us offering graces, blessings, and salvation to all whom will accept Him into their hearts. He is good to us all, even when we feel most abandoned and lost. Though we do not always see Him in our lives, He is always with us, waiting for us to open our eyes again and see Him next to us through thick and thin.

Do we recognize how blessed we are to have such a good God on our side? What can we do to express our thankfulness for His Graces, Love, and Mercy? How can we become more like Him, good and compassionate to all whom we meet each day?

O Lord, we extol you and bless your name forever.

Amen.

Second Monday of Advent

Our God will come to save us! I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD --for he proclaims peace to his people. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.

Our God has come to save us. He came in the form of a little baby named Jesus Christ. He came into this world in a lowly manger. He came to a mother, who gave herself completely to God’s Will when she said, “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” He came to an adoptive father who did not question God’s Will when told to flee to Egypt. He came to be lost and then found in the temple. He came to be a minister of the truth, showing others the way to live their lives. He came to cure the sick, feed the hungry, cast out demons. He came to give hope to the hopeless and free the imprisoned. He came to save us from sin and death. He came to die for us from the moment he cried out as a babe to the moment he offered up his spirit on the cross. He came to rise for us and show us a new path to Heaven and eternal life. He came to give us the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate and Guide. He came to mend our relationship with our Heavenly Father and transform us into worthy co-heirs to the Kingdom of God.

How often do we thank God for coming into our lives and saving us? Are we even aware of His coming? How can we become more aware of His Presence with us and His saving graces?

O Lord, come to save us.

Amen.

Thanksgiving

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have a lot to be thankful for each and every day of our lives. We ought to be thankful for God’s gift of life for us and our loved ones. We ought to be thankful for the faith and hope He has sustained in us. We ought to be thankful for the love He has shown us. We ought to be thankful for the knowledge He has passed onto us and the ways He has enriched us through the Scriptures and the traditions of the Church. We ought to be thankful for the graces and spiritual gifts He has given us. Most of all, we should be thankful for His Divine Mercy and the compassion He has shown us by sacrificing His Beloved Son for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of our souls.

What else should we be thankful for? How can we show our thanks to God and to others? What can we do to live in a constant spirit of thankfulness?

O Lord, we give thanks to you for all you have done, are doing, and will do for us.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Saturday in Ordinary Time

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.

We all should pray that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened by God. There are many areas in our lives where we are blind to what is right and good. Sometimes these blind spots are people, other times they are worldly things, and still more are evil inclinations. However, when our hearts are open to the hope that belongs to our calling to know, love, and serve God and His children, then we free ourselves from these blindfolds. Once enlightened, we can accept our inheritance as Christians and give glory to God for all He has done for us through the greatness of his power. What a wonderful gift God gave us through the Word Made Flesh! He united Himself to our lives through the life of His Beloved Son and raised us from dust and ashes to be heirs to the Kingdom. All we have to do is accept our roles as good and faithful children, who trust in their Heavenly Father and do His Will.

Do we pray to God for enlightenment? What can we do to become better heirs to the Kingdom of God? How can we thank God for all He has given us through His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, may the eyes of our hearts be enlightened.

Amen.

Twentieth Saturday in Ordinary Time

I fell prone as the glory of the LORD entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east, but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD. Then I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man stood beside me. The voice said to me: Son of man, this is where my throne shall be, this is where I will set the soles of my feet; here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

If we want to spend eternity with God, then we have to do everything within our power to transform our hearts into temples for the Lord. We need to place the foundations of our lives upon his commandments, build the walls of our faith around the teachings of Jesus, and shelter ourselves beneath the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. We have to cleanse and keep clean our consciences and keep watch against those things that would defile the sacred space we’ve created for God. We cannot let temptation or indifference ruin our spiritual temples. We must give glory to God for all He has done for us and thank Him for providing all we need to build our hearts into living temples to Him. We must welcome God’s Presence in our lives through constant prayer, frequent communion, and acts of charity and mercy toward others.

How can we make our hearts into temples to the Lord? What can we do to give glory to God with our every thought, word, and work? In what ways have we made our hearts into shelters for those who are in need or suffering?

O Lord, dwell without our hearts.

Amen.

Fifteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.

We are but servants of God. We are tools and vessels created by God to do His Will. If there is any goodness that comes from our thoughts, words, and works, it is God's Goodness, not our own. If we succeed at a task given to us, the laurels aren't ours to claim. We must guard against the temptation to become proud of our accomplishments. After all, they aren't really ours. They are God's first and foremost. We merely manifested His Goodness, Love, and Mercy. Our good fruits do not belong to us, but to God. He has the first right to them and we should be thankful to Him for whatever He might give us from His bounty. If we fail to do so, then like Assyria, we will have everything taken away from us. We will be left with nothing. But, if we boast rather of God and exalt Him above ourselves, then we shall be rewarded beyond our wildest dreams.

Do we boast of ourselves or of God? How can we make it a habit to give God thanks for every good thought, word, and work we have been given? What can we do to exalt God in our lives and humble ourselves?

O Lord, may our lips ever boast of you and your Goodness and not our own.

Amen.

Fourth Friday of Easter

But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

Just like the first disciples, we are also called to be witnesses before the people, proclaiming the Good News to everyone we meet. Jesus died for us so that we might live in accordance with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He wants us to be his eyes, ears, lips, hands, and feet... bearing God into the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors. And if we are faithful to God and put our trust in His Divine Plan, then we shall be like Christ and worthy of being called the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

How are we witnessing to the Way, the Truth, and the Life? What can we do to be better preachers of the Good News? Do we thank God for treating us as His children?

O Lord, make us good and faithful witnesses to the truth.

Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

All that we had in the past, have now, and will have in the future is a gift from God. Our lives are a gift. Our families, friends, neighbors, and even the strangers we meet are a gift. Our time, talents, and treasures are a gift. Our consciences, virtues, and faith are a gift. There is nothing we think, say, or do that is good that hasn’t been given to us as a gift. God even has given Himself to us as a gift through Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh. He gave us His Body and Blood as a gift and the source of our Eucharistic feast. He offers us eternal life with Him as the ultimate gift. But as with all gifts, they have to be accepted. And that is where we come in... we have to say, “Yes” to all the gifts God is offering us. If we do this, then we will become gifts to the world, pouring out God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace wherever we go.

Do we thank God for the gifts He has given us? How can we put those gifts to good use? How can we become living gifts to God and all His children?

O Lord, we accept your gifts with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Amen.

Second Saturday of Lent

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

Thank goodness we have a God who is willing to forgive our sins and delights in clemency. To our great benefit, our Heavenly Father is loving and merciful. His compassion is unfathomable when we look at all the sins committed throughout all of human history. Imagine every instance of our pride, envy, wrath, greed, lust, gluttony, and sloth... and all our missed opportunities to do good and avoid evil. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself to wash away all these sins. To give us all a chance to know, love, and serve God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Without the cross and the outpouring of blood and water, mercy and grace, we would be left with nothing but the burden of our sins, weighing us down. But thankfully, God’s Divine Mercy is deeper than our sins and as long as we seek His Forgiveness with contrite hearts and are willing to make amends, then He will show faithfulness to us and lead us to life everlasting.

Do we seek God’s Forgiveness as often as we should? Do we give thanks to God for all the mercy and grace He has shown us? In what ways can we should mercy to others who have sinned against us?

O Lord, have compassion on us.

Amen.

Nineteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

“Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power. And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow. I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

God does so much for us every single day and all of it for our own good. He wants us to prosper and succeed, especially in our spiritual endeavors. He wants us to follow Him into the Promised Land and will do everything in His power to guide and protect us. However, we need to remember our accomplishments are not our own, they are God’s victories… triumphs He has won for us. Without Him we would be utter failures in all we think, say, and do. It is not our brains, tongues, or arms that lead to our good fruits, but rather the Wisdom, Word, and Strength of God made manifest through us.

How do we thank God for all He has, is, and will do for us? What can we do to keep ourselves humble when we do have success be it worldly or spiritual? In what ways can we prepare our bodies, minds, and hearts to be vessels for God’s Goodness?

O Lord, it is when we allow you to work in and through us that we are most successful.

Amen.

Eighteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

"When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat your fill, take care not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. The LORD, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear."

What we have in life isn’t ours. It is God’s. He has given us our life, health, goods, family, friends, and homes. He has instilled within each of us gifts, talents, and graces, which find their source, center, and summit in Him. We should never forget that we are merely borrowing all these things for a time. We should always be grateful for the goods God has given us. He has indeed delivered us from the slavery of sin and offered us a Promised Land filled with good things. We should fear disappointing Him and do everything we can to repay His unfathomable kindness by knowing, loving, and serving Him to the best of our abilities.

What goods, gifts, talents, and graces has God given us? Do we thank Him for all the goods we have? How can we know, love, and serve Him better?

O Lord, let us thank you through humble and faithful service.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

God is our Heavenly Father and like Joseph we should rejoice in Him. We should show Him respect, give Him homage, and offer Him everything we have. We should not rest until we are in His Divine Presence and should do all things in hopes of one day entering into His Kingdom. We should fling ourselves upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and weep in His Arms for the love and mercy He has shown us. We should go to Him wherever we can find Him, in our families, friends, and strangers who bear the image of God within them. We should prepare our hearts and homes to receive Him when He comes... through the presence of others, the sacraments, and our own prayer lives. God is our Father and it is in Him that we shall find our fulfillment.

What can we do to prepare ourselves to receive our Father? How can we be mindful of His Presence in our lives? How do we give thanks to Him, who has do so much for us?

O Lord, we fling ourselves upon you and weep for joy in your arms.

Amen.