The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Jesus Christ is our King. This is something we as Christians need to accept. We need to recognize him as our Lord, who has the right to ask us to do whatever is needed to fulfill his will. If he asks for our gifts and talents, then we must give them to him to the best of our abilities. If he asks for our treasures and goods, we must offer them up for his purpose. If he asks for us to suffer mockery and persecution for him, then we must stand at his side ready to receive the blows. If he asks us to die for his glory or the good of others, then we must be able to let go of our lives and give them over to him as a sacrifice. In all things, we must we willing to accept our crosses, whatever they might be... great or small, easy or hard. This is what Jesus did for us, and we should be willing and able to do the same for His Kingdom.

Do we recognize that we were created through and for God and not ourselves? Do we recognize Jesus as the Head of the Church and the master of our lives? What are we doing to seek out our spiritual fulfillment in and with Him?

O Lord, in you we were created and for the magnification of you we were made.

Amen.

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 

God has made us worthy of our callings in this life. He has given us the graces we need. He has provided us with gifts and talents and treasures sufficient to accomplish the works He wants us to do. He has blessed us in ways seen and unseen all so we might fulfill His Will on earth. If we fail to do good or avoid evil, it is not because He did not help us enough. It is because we ignored our calling, settled for something less, or choose a sinful life over a holy one. It is our fault and ours alone when we fall short because we are weighed down by doubts, fears, apathy, or selfishness. However, if we are willing to shrug off these things and place our trust in God, then there is no limit to how far we can go. We will be able to make the leaps of faith we need in order to achieve God’s Will and the world, including ourselves, will be better off for it.

Do we bring to fulfillment every good purpose and effort of faith? Do our thoughts, words, and works glorify God? What can we do to live up to the calling God has given us?

O Lord, make us worthy of your calling.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

We all have something we can give to others. We have an abundance of time, talents, and treasures at our disposal, which we can use to give glory to God and for the good of others. We might not be able to say, “Yes” to every request, but when we can, we should make time for those in need. Just as God is gracious with us, so we should be gracious to others, conducting our lives with justice, mercy, and charity for all whom we meet.

What do we have to give to God and others? How can we use our time, talents, and treasures to bear good fruits? In what ways can we be more generous with ourselves?

O Lord, give us the grace to be generous and just in all our thoughts, words, and works.

Amen.

Eighth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

To the upright I will show the saving power of God. “Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge.

God makes clear that if we want to make a covenant with Him, it must be through sacrifice. We can’t go through our lives without being willing to surrender our time, talents, and treasures to God. We must put God first and foremost in our lives and give Him priority over all else. We have to be willing to give up whatever He asks us to leave behind. We cannot live a Christ-like life if we aren’t willing to make every moment of our days into a sacrifice for His glory and the good of His children. If we want to be faithful and upright, then we must be prepared to suffer and do so joyfully and calmly. We must give of ourselves without complaint or counting the cost because Jesus never hesitated to offer himself up as an oblation to God for the cleansing of our sins and the salvation of our souls.

What sacrifices are we being asked to make? What can we do to make our lives into offerings for the reparation of sins and the salvation of souls? How can we become upright and just in our dealings with God and His children?

O Lord, we are willing to sacrifice everything we are and have to be a part of your new covenant.

Amen.

Fifth Monday in Ordinary Time

May the Lord be glad in his works. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.

We are the works of the Lord and He is glad in us when we do His Will. He created us to be co-heirs to the Kingdom with His Beloved Son and instruments of His Grace, Mercy, and Love. We are constantly blessed by Him with time, talents, and treasures that He means for us to share with all His children. He is a great Father indeed, clothed in majesty and glory. He is our Light and our Savior. He has done marvelous deeds for us all. It is only fitting that we know, love, and serve Him more perfectly by doing good and avoiding evil.

Are we allowing God to work through us? How can we be more open to allowing Him to use us as instruments of His Goodness? What can we think, say, and do to show others how great our Heavenly Father is?

O Lord, may we do your works and bring gladness to your Divine Heart.

Amen.

The Baptism of the Lord

The Lord will bless his people with peace. Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire.

We have much to give to the Lord. He has done so much for us that we can never repay Him, but we can do what is right and give Him everything we can... our time, our talents, our treasures. We can give Him our love, our hope, our faith. We can give Him glory, honor, and praise. We can give Him all that is due to Him by knowing, loving, and serving Him and all his children. He has given us peace and blessing, the least we can do is to become instruments of His peace and blessing to the world.

What are we giving to God? Are we giving enough? How can we give more of ourselves to God and all His children?

O Lord, we want to give you the glory due to your Holy Name.

Amen.

The Epiphany of the Lord

It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:  that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

We are all coheirs in the promise of Christ Jesus. We are all members of the same body. The Three Wise Men came to the Christ child, led by a star and in hope of meeting the Messiah. They brought him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the same way, we come to Christ, too, and give him our time, talents, and treasures. We know all our thoughts, words, and works find their source, center, and summit in God, who is our Father and our King. He has adopted us as His own children through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son and the love of the Holy Spirit.

Do we act like coheirs to the promise of Christ? What are we doing to be co-partners in God's Divine Plan of salvation? What gifts do we have to give to the King of Kings and our fellow children of God?

O Lord, make us co-partners in spreading the Good News.

Amen.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.

The rich described here are not only those who have wealth, but also those who have time and talents to spare, too. When we withhold the gifts and goods God has given us and hoard them for ourselves or keep them locked away, we store up the chains that will bind us to Hell. Letting our time slip by us, our talents rot, and our treasures sit idle will lead to misery and destruction. If we fail to use what God has given us for His glory or the goodness of others, then we will have no chance to go to Heaven and receive the gift of everlasting life. We will instead by cast into the fires of Hell. It is only by being generous with what we have that we will build a storehouse of good which will be evidence of our choosing God above all else.

Are we generous or miserly? What are we doing with our time, talents, and treasures? How can we build up goodness in our lives instead of evil?

O Lord, help us to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and well.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

We are not perfect and because of this sometimes we mistake evil for good. We may indeed be righteous in our own eyes and yet evil in the eyes of God. We might do the right things for the wrong reasons. We might allow the distractions and anxieties of the world keep us from doing the good works God is calling us to do. We might believe our hearts are in the right place, but they are not. Thankfully, God does not demand perfection from us. Instead, He demands we strive to do what is right and just. He asks us to sacrifice our time, talents, and treasures in order to do His Will to the best of our abilities. He wants us to prove our hearts are His and only His, which requires a willingness to be humble and sacrifice ourselves for Him and His children.

Have we examined our lives and asked if we are living rightly and well? How can we align our minds and hearts with the Will of God? What can we do to make our lives into an acceptable sacrifice for the love of God and the good of others?

O Lord, prove our hearts are true to you.

Amen.

Twenty-Fifth Monday in Ordinary Time

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once. Plot no evil against your neighbor, against one who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways: To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship.

We must be free with our time, talents, and treasures. Willing to give them to others at a moment’s notice and without hesitation. This isn’t always easy to do, especially if the one asking for help is a stranger, someone we dislike, or even an enemy. We also must be willing to be charitable and merciful when it’s not convenient for us. We must be willing to give our gifts to others no matter what else we’d rather be doing. At the same time, we should not plot evil against others or quarrel with them. No matter what wrongs we have suffered, we are never entitled to vengeance. God is the only Judge and it is for Him and only Him to punish wrongdoers. Last but not least, we are told to envy not the lawless man or his ways. There is a temptation to see the success and pleasures of evil people and wonder why we suffer while they enjoy themselves, but theirs is an empty victory. If we remain true, then we shall enjoy the afterlife and be God’s friends forever and ever.

Are we willing to give to others without counting the cost? Are we willing to be at peace with those whom have harmed us? Are we willing to deny ourselves the ways of the lawless man?

O Lord, we shall stand with you in uprightness.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Monica

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

God makes us worthy of our calling through His graces. He gives us the virtues, goodness, and strength to be good and faithful Christians. He is the one who brings to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of our faith. We are His instruments, His living vessels and our primary purpose on this earth is to do His Will, to glorify Him, and love Him and His children. It is by doing these things with a humble and self-sacrificing heart that we are saved and eventually glorified. Moreover, we are not only responsible for ourselves, but also the faith lives of those around us. We are called to do everything we can in order to help our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even our enemies to become instruments of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Are we putting our time, talents, and treasures to good use? Are we making every effort to fulfill the purposes God has given us? What are we doing to help others fulfill their purposes?

O Lord, make us worthy of our callings.

Amen.

Seventeenth Monday in Ordinary Time

Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth from the place where I had hid it. But it was rotted, good for nothing! Then the message came to me from the LORD: Thus says the LORD: So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.

If we don't obey God's Divine Word and follow His Way, Truth, and Life, then we are good for nothing. If false idols rule our lives and sins chain us, then we shall rot away. If our hearts are stubborn and our minds prideful, we shall be empty of all good. Nothing we think, say, or do will amount to anything. We shall be hollow vessels, clanging cymbals, rotten fruits. It is only when we put God first and foremost in our lives that we bear good fruits, sing God's praise worthily, and fill ourselves with God's Love, Mercy, and Goodness. Once we do that, then, and only then, will we be good for something.

Are there areas of our lives which are good for nothing? How can we rid ourselves of these weaknesses and put our time, talents, and treasures to greater use? What can we do to avoid rotting away from sin and indifference?

O Lord, make us good for something.

Amen.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of what it means to be detached from our goods and our very lives. He was willing to give up everything in order to pay the price for our sins. In a similar manner, we should be willing to sacrifice all that we have... our goods, our consolations, our merits, our lives... for the good of others. This is not because Jesus wants us to feel burdened, but rather because He wants us to do onto others as he has done for us. He has never asked us to do something he didn’t do in his own holy life. Yes, our sacrifices might cause us some difficulties and sufferings, but if they are done for the glory of God and the good of others, then God will give us the graces we need to thrive in our faith. Furthermore, if ever we are in need of the goods of others, then God will supply our needs from their abundance just as He asked us to do when we were able to provide. At one point or another in our lives, we are all poor and if we want to be taken care of, then we ought to make our own riches available to God and others.

Are we detached from our goods? Are we willing to share everything we have with God and His children? How can we make our time, talents, and treasures more available to God?

O Lord, we offer you our abundance for your glory and the good of all souls.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday in Ordinary Time

Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.

Being rich in and of itself isn’t going to condemn anyone. It is rather what we do with the riches we have that will determine our fate. And riches here don’t just apply to our wealth, but also our talents and time as well. If we waste what God has given to us in any of these areas, we will have to explain ourselves to Him at the Day of Judgment. If we misuse or abuse our time, talents, and treasures, then we shall be called to account for it. Any wages we withhold from God or His children will be known and we will pay for it... in acts of penance in this life, Purgatory, or Hell.

Are we withholding our time, talents, and treasures from God or His children? How can we put our lives to better use? What can we do to help those in need and be free with what we have?

O Lord, make us into more generous people.

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.

Third Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. When he finished making these offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. He then distributed among all the people, to each man and each woman in the entire multitude of Israel, a loaf of bread, a cut of roast meat, and a raisin cake. With this, all the people left for their homes.

As Christians, our lives are full of sacrifices and blessings. We are all asked to offer our thoughts, words, and works to God for his praise and glory. We are all asked to be blessings to those whom we meet each day. We are all asked to share our time, talents, and treasures with those in need of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. Together, we partake of one, unifying meal made of the Body and Blood of Christ. Through this feast we are united into one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. Sacrifice and blessing go hand-in-hand in our faith. Jesus died on the cross to bless us and we should be willing to die to ourselves in order to be a blessing for others.

What offerings do we have to give to the Lord? How can we become a blessing to others? In what ways can we unite with others in our faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, we offer you everything.

Amen.

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.  But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.

God never gives us more than we can handle. He always gives us responsibilities that are suited to our talents and the grace to use those talents to fulfill our duties. It is up to us to use our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual abilities to magnify God and bear good fruits. We are asked by God to invest our time, talents, and treasures into what will bring glory to Him and the greatest good to others. We might be intimidated by what God is asking us to do, but that doesn’t give us an excuse not to try. We should be afraid of letting God down far more than we are that He will fail us. He asks us to simply give the tasks before us our best shots. If we succeed, great, if we fail that is fine... the important thing from God’s point of view is we overcame our fears and tried.

What talents has God given us? Where are we investing our time, talents, and treasures? How can we do a better job of doing what He is asking us to do?

O Lord, give us the grace and courage to use our talents to magnify you in all things.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap your harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD that it may be acceptable for you.

We are all called to give the first fruits of our labors to God. We do this because all our goods and works come from God. He is the Alpha and the Omega of everything and it is from Him that we receive the gifts which sustain our lives and help us to grow and thrive as Christians. As such, it makes sense we should return some of what He has graced us with to Him. We do so when we give our time to God in prayer, spiritual reading, ministry, and other works of charity and mercy. We do so when we give Him our talents, by offering up our physical, mental, and spiritual works to Him and using our gifts to do good and glorify God. Last but not least, we do this when we give our treasures to God through tithing, almsgiving, and fasting.

Do we give our first fruits to God? If not, then how can we learn to trust that giving up our time, talents, and treasure will not impoverish us, but enrich us? What can we do to recognize God as the beginning and end of all our goods and works?

O Lord, we bring you our first fruits in hopes that they will be acceptable to you.

Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest treasure God can give to us. It is a place of rest, a place of joy, a place of love where we will be fulfilled. It is in heaven that we will experience God firsthand. We shall see His Divine Face and bask in the Beatific Vision. We shall see the Divine Image that is within each of us, but perfected beyond our wildest dreams. And this is why we should be willing to sell everything we have to buy Heaven. We must sell our attachments to worldly things, to other people, to everything that is holding us back from obtaining Paradise. We must be willing to sacrifice, to pray, to fast, to give alms, to give our entire lives over to God in hopes that He will open the Gates of Heaven for us.

Are we willing to sell everything we have to obtain Heaven? What are the worldly possessions, unhealthy attachments, and other things keeping us from being completely God’s children? How can we learn to let them go?

O Lord, help us to invest ourselves completely in you.

Amen.

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Although these words are directed at the leaders of the Christian community, they have meaning for all Christians. We should do everything in our power to help our Church leaders to tend to the flock of God. If we have time to give in volunteer work, then we should give it. If we have talents we can share, then we should share them. If we have treasures we can offer up for the good of others, then we should offer them. And we should do these things eagerly out of love for God and His children. We should be examples to others of what it means to be Christians and share our faith, hope, and love with all our strength. If we do these things, then we shall receive a crown of glory crafted out of good and merciful deeds.

What are we doing to support our Church leaders? How can we share our time, talents, and treasures with the Church? What can we think, say, and do to forge a life worthy of the crown of glory?

O Lord, help us to be examples to your flock.

Amen.