Second Sunday of Advent

Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

We should be eager to live virtuous lives... to do good and avoid evil. We should be eager to rid ourselves of our imperfections and resist all temptations. We should be eager to be at peace with God and ourselves and not caught up in the chaos of the world around us. Throughout each day we will be tested by distractions, doubts, sufferings, obstacles, and all manner of trials, but as long as we choose what is right over what is wrong and put our trust in God, then we shall find inner tranquility. The world might race around us and people might run here or there, but we shall remain where we need to be... centered in Christ. Earthly things may try to divert our attention from God and from good deeds, but we shall remain focused on the Way, Truth, and Life Jesus has shown us. It is not easy to live spotless lives and to be at peace, but as long as we seek reconciliation with God, we shall be given both... and much more: eternal life.

Are we eager to live out our faith? Are we willing to deny ourselves worldly things in order to remain unblemished? How can we better base our lives on the calm and steady rock that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

O Lord, purify us in the fires of your love and mercy and grant us your peace.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.

As Christians we long to see God’s face. We strive to be good and faithful so one day we might be found worthy to join God in Heaven and spend eternity in the presence of the Beatific Vision. We want to join with all the angels and saints and sing our God’s praises forever and ever. We hope to ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in the holy place of Heaven. This dream is only possible because of Jesus, who although sinless died for our sins and cleansed us all of our imperfections and iniquities. So, let us thank God for granting us such a compassionate brother in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Do we long to see God’s face more than anything else in this world? Do we strive to ascend to Heaven by following the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ? How can we more perfectly imitate our sinless brother, Jesus?

O Lord, we long to ascend to Heaven and see your face.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

If we are friends to God, then we will make know the glorious splendor of His Kingdom. We will proclaim the Good News and strive to manifest His Love and Mercy in all our thoughts, words, and works. We will be just in all our ways and holy in our actions. We will not be afraid to stand for the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. We will call upon Him in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and in petition for His help in our times of need. This is what we are all called to do as His beloved children and it should be our goal in life to meet the high standards God has set for us through the example of Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and Heavenly Brother.

How do we make God know in our lives? In what ways do we proclaim the Good News and manifest God’s Goodness to the world? Do we call upon Him with complete trust in His Will?

O Lord, help us to make you known to all the world.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Monday in Ordinary Time

This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus is all the sign we should need in order to repent. Through Christ’s Life, we are shown the Way and the Truth that will lead us to the Promised Land. Through His Passion, we are shown what it means to mortify ourselves, accept our crosses, show compassion to others, and love our enemies. Through His Death, we are given an example of what it means to be willing to die for what we believe in. Finally, through His Resurrection, we are shown the promise of to everlasting life for all who proclaim the Good News until their final breath. Indeed, we have a great tome of wisdom set before us in the New Testament, which reveals what God is calling us to be as Christians. So, let us heed the Word of God Made Flesh and live as good and faithful servants to God and all His children.

In what ways do we imitate the compassionate Life of Christ? How do we deal with the sufferings and sacrifices that come with our own passions? How have we prepared ourselves for our death and eventual resurrection? 

O Lord, we seek and follow only the sign of your Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Amen.

Nineteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

You are my inheritance, O Lord. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

God is everything we should be striving for in our lives. He should be the source, center, and summit of our thoughts, words, and works. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and if we want to find ourselves, then we must seek Him. If we want to know who we truly are, we must strive to be more like Him. If we want to be at peace, we have to do whatever the Holy Spirit guides us to do. The only way we can ever have joy in this life is to know, love, and serve God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. However, this path is not an easy one. It leads to the cross, which we must carry without hesitation or complaint, sacrificing ourselves of the glory of God and the good of others. Then, and only then will we be made worth of the promises of Christ and the delights of Heaven.

Do we strive to follow the path of life God has shown us? How can we walk His Way more joyfully and trustingly? What can we do to prepare ourselves for the Heavenly Feast that awaits those who know, love, and serve God and His children?

O Lord, show us the path that leads to you.

Amen.

Fifteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The Lord is kind and merciful. The LORD secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed. He has made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the children of Israel.

God has made known His Ways to us. He has shown us His Divine Love and Mercy through His deeds. The Incarnation united Him with us in body and blood. His hidden life with Mary illustrated how to be humble and obedient. His ministry revealed what it means to be forgiving, compassionate, and charitable to all, even our enemies. His Passion and Death were choices Jesus made to reveal what it truly means to give your life for others. His Resurrection and the Gift of the Holy Spirit reminds us to hold onto hope no matter what and gives us the strength to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News.

Do we follow the ways of God? Do we imitate his good deeds? How can we be as kind and merciful as He is to us?

O Lord, help us to follow your ways.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

No one who is true to the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ will ever be put to shame. Even if we suffer for our faith, lose all our worldly goods, or lose our health, we will never be abandoned by God. If we confess Him with our mouths and believe in Him in our hearts, then we will be saved and prosper in the next life. God will justify and save us if we do His Will without complaint or hesitation. He will enrich us with virtues and grace whenever we call upon Him. He will lead us to eternal life if we know, love, and serve Him and all His children to the best of our abilities.

Do we confess God through our thoughts, words, and works? Do we trust God will not allow us to be put to shame? Do we call on the name of God whenever we are in need?

O Lord, we confess and believe in you and your saving graces.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

God doesn’t lie. Every word expressed in the Bible and through the Doctrines of the Church is Truth with a capital T. The words spoken by Christ should be the bedrock of our every thought, word, and work. They are meant to lead us along the Way of Jesus and to a eternal Life with the Holy Trinity in Heaven. The Scriptures and the Church should give us constant hope that one day we will overcome all the obstacles in the way of our faith and become good and faithful servants.

Do we accept the Bible as Truth? What about the doctrines of the Church? How can we allow ourselves to be more fully immersed in the Truth so that we can walk the Way and live the Life of Christ, too?

O Lord, help us to trust in you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.

If we want to have a place in the Kingdom of God, then we cannot be stingy with our time, talents, or treasures. We have to use them all to sow the Way, the Truth, and the Life in the lives of others. We cannot shrink from the sacrifices that are asked of us or worry about the cost of doing what is right. If we do God’s Will, then He will give us everything we need to accomplish His Divine Plan. Whatever we lose in time, talent, or treasures, God will return to us through grace... and a thousand-fold. We cannot let our fears, doubts, and anxieties about life keep us from living as God wants us to live. We cannot put off till tomorrow what God has given us to do today. We have to embrace the challenges and do as God has determined, without sadness or compulsion... but as cheerful givers of body, mind, and heart.

What is God asking us to sow? How can we become better reapers of good works? What can we do to become more cheerful givers?

O Lord, grant us the grace we need to sow and reap bountifully.

Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was meant to unite all people by offering forgiveness to all. For Jesus, it didn’t matter who they were, where they were born, or what religion they believed in before he preached to them. What mattered was they followed the Way, listened to the Truth, and lived the Life of a Christian. By doing so, all his disciples were united to each other in One Body through the sacraments and the one, holy, and apostolic Church. He wished by his death on the cross to bring all people into peace and harmony with each other... a wish we all should share and strive toward as best we can in a flawed and divisive world. Thankfully, with God on our side, we can cast down the walls of prejudice, anger, and selfishness that rise up to keep us apart from one another. For it is when these walls are broken down that we are freed from the prisons of our egos and hatreds.

What are we doing to bring people together in Christ? How can we unite people in our faith? In what ways can we become peace-makers?

O Lord, break down the walls that separate us from you and each other.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Easter

"This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains." He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul proclaimed the Good News to the ends of the world by announcing it in the heart of the pagan empire of Rome. In a similar way, we, too are called to give witness to the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. We are called to bring God’s Word into the world. At the end of every Mass, we are sent forth to bear the message of the Gospels to those around us. We are asked to be missionaries to our families, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. This isn’t an easy mission, but it is one we must perform if we wish to be a part of the Heavenly Kingdom.

In what ways are we bearing the Good News to others? How can we become better witnesses to the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Are we willing to allow God to send us forth into the world to proclaim His Divine Word?

O Lord, help us to proclaim the Kingdom of God and teach others about you.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Easter

His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected. Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges. And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.

The world doesn't quite know what to do with Christians. Some worldly people ignore us, others persecute us... and a still others see our good works and wonder if our lives reveal there is something better than the world. We cause confusion, discord, and all manner of problems for those who are part of the world. But that's what Jesus did, too. He was and still is a sign of contradiction. He died so that hearts of others might be known. He died so that we all might have a chance to live in accordance with the commandments to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths... and to love our neighbors as He loves them. Our faith isn't of the world, but it does send us forth into the world to be lights to the earth and bring people closer to God and to the promise of life everlasting.

Are we being good and faithful examples of what it means to be Christians? How can we bear the light of Jesus into the world with even more fidelity? What can we do to help others to follow the Way, to hear the Truth, and the live the Life of Christ?

O Lord, help us to bear the Good News into the world with all our strength.

Amen.

Sixth Saturday of Easter

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.

We should always be seeking to build up the understanding of others in whatever way we can. We can offer our thoughts, words, and works to help cultivate their faith. Sometimes those around us need a little bit of clarification about the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ and we must do our best to explain them more fully. When we see another growing in the faith, we should do everything in our power to encourage, empower, and engage them as Jesus did with his disciples. In this way, we build up the kingdom of God through supporting those who are digging deeper into the foundations of what it means to be Christians.

How can we nurture and cultivate the faith of others? What can we do to teach the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ? Who are the people in our lives we can help grow in the faith?

O Lord, give us the grace to help others to follow your Way.

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.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

Sometimes we can see our sacrifices and offerings to God as the end, but they really are only a means to the ultimate end of building up our relationship with God. We do this best when we prepare our bodies to be pure and chaste for Him. When we prepare our minds to be wise and prudent for Him. When we prepare our hearts to be hopeful and wise. When we do God’s Will and allow Him to lead us along His Way to the Truth and the Life He is calling us to live. When we prepare ourselves to become a delight to the Lord in our every thought, word, and work.

Are our bodies prepared for the Lord as they should be? Are we doing God’s Will? How can we become a delight to God?

O Lord, prepare us to be a delight to you, now and forever.

Amen.

First Tuesday of Advent

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

The Holy Spirit has many gifts to offer us and He does so with generosity and compassion. He desires for us to be wise, understanding, full of good counsel, strong in faith, knowledgeable, and fearful of letting the Lord down. He offers us eyes to see the Way, ears to hear the Truth, and hearts to live the Life of Christ. He gives us the guidance of our consciences to help us lead just lives and choose right over wrong. He wants us to be sealed to Him through righteousness and faithfulness and never leave His side. He wants only the best for us, but He will not force His Will on us. Instead, He lets us make our own choices to accept or deny His gifts of our own free will.

How can we strengthen the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us? How can we conform our lives to justice toward all and fidelity to God? Are we willing to bind ourselves to God, giving up earthly goods, in order to become good and faithful servants?

O Lord, send down your Holy Spirit and His gifts.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Jesus is our bridge from earth to heaven. It is through him that we are all redeemed from our sins and given a chance to live with God in heaven. Christ is righteousness made manifest and if we want to live holy and good lives, then we must do everything in our power to imitate him in thought, word, and work. His Truth gives us a guide to being authentic people. His Life gives us a blueprint on how to live our lives. His Way gives us a roadmap to heaven. We are justified by the saving graces Jesus purchased for us through his Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It is through our witness to our faith and our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ that we participate in the righteousness, love, and mercy that flows from Jesus’ wounds.

Do we recognize ourselves as sinner? Do we come before God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and seek to make amends for our failings by imitating Jesus? In what ways can we follow in Christ’s footsteps and manifest righteousness?

O Lord, you are the source of all righteousness.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Now thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; And whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it.

It is not enough to spend our lives sowing, but never reaping. Or eating, but never being satisfied. Or drinking, but never being exhilarated. Or clothed, but never warmed. Or to earn wages, but just as quickly lose them. What God is telling us is we need to sow the seeds of faith in our lives so we can bear good fruits to offer God and feed others, spiritually. He wants us to eat His Body and drink His Blood because it is only through sharing in the Eucharistic Feast that we can be truly satisfied and exhilarated. He wants us to be clothed in him because it is only by putting on Christ that our hearts can be warmed by the fires of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to earn our wage as co-workers in His vineyard, cultivating consciences and souls, and not wasting our time, talents, and treasures on worldly endeavors. When our lives are built on temporary earthly successes they fall apart and fail. However, if we build an everlasting temple to God within ourselves and give God honor and glory in everything we think, say, and do, then our lives will last forever with Him in Heaven.

Have we taken time to consider our ways and how they match or deviate from the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ? What can we do to more firmly found our lives upon God? Are we spending our lives wisely and well?

O Lord, help us to consider our ways and amend them so they build up the faith within ourselves and others.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

We have all been reconciled with God through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus and the best way to remain so is to look to the Life of Christ, the Way he lived, and the Truth he taught. When we model our lives upon his and persevere in our faith, we grow in holiness and become unblemished and irreproachable before our Heavenly Father. Our bodies, minds, and hearts become firmly grounded in God’s Will and able to withstand worldly temptations. When we lead the Christ-like life hope protects us against fears, doubts, sorrows, and other feelings that might weaken our resolve and instead of eroding our faith, it becomes tempered through trial and more resilient.

How are our lives modeled on Christ’s life? How can we become more grounded in God’s Will? What can we do to build up and strengthen our faith and hope in Jesus?

O Lord, help us to persevere in faith.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him.

Jesus is a perplexing figure to the world. He contradicts it opinions with the Truth. He challenges its selfishness with a call to the Way of Love. He disturbs the self-satisfied by showing them a more fulfilling Life. He came into the world to transform us, to raise us up, and to redeem us. However, we cannot do that if we are merely curious about it, but not sincere in our desires to amend our lives and live according to God's Will. Many of Jesus' enemies were curious about him, but it is not enough to be inquisitive. We have to be willing to listen to Jesus' answers, internalize them, and then live them out with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Are we perplexed by the teachings of Christ? If so, then how can we come to trust in them and live lives grounded in Eternal Truth and Love? Are we merely curious about Christ or are we open to transforming our lives and bring our entire being into alignment with his Way?

O Lord, open us to your teachings so that we can become prophets of your Good News.

Amen.