Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

The levitical priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but Jesus, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens.

Jesus is our high priest, our source of grace and love, our center of hope, and the summit of our faith. He showed us through his life, passion, death, and resurrection what it means to live out our vocation to know, love, and serve God and His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. He has given us an example of what it means to be holy, innocent, and undefiled. He has spoken the Truth to us so we might walk his Way and live his Life. Most importantly, he will not give up on us in this life. He will do everything in his power to lead us to the Promised Land of Heaven. He is our high priest and savoir and in him we can trust and hope and be brought to perfection.

Do we give thanks to God for giving us His Beloved Son as our High Priest? How can we become a more priestly people? How can we make ourselves into living sacrifices for the glory of God and the good of all?

O Lord, make intercession for us and save us.

Amen.

Seventh Saturday of Ordinary Time

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Jesus makes it very clear that the Kingdom of God belongs to the child-like. He rebukes his disciples to make this point because they are acting like Jesus is their possession, instead of them being Jesus' disciples. Their possessiveness over Jesus isn't what Jesus wants from them. He wants them to be more like the children, who seek to touch him. It might not seem like much, but a child's touch shows trust and acceptance. Children don't touch things they don't like. Jesus knows this and he uses the children's actions to remind his disciples that they, too need to be child-like in their trust and acceptance of not only him, but other people. They should let everyone who wishes to take that leap of faith and believe come to Jesus. Lastly, Jesus embraces and blesses the children who come to him. It is the same for us, too. He wants to hold us in his arms and give us every spiritual blessing. All we have to do is approach him with child-like trust, reach out with acceptance, and receive his blessing in our lives.

Do we act like the disciples, deciding who is worthy to approach God and who isn't? How can we be more child-like? What can we do to show God our trust and acceptance of Him?

O Lord, may we be child-like in our love and dependence upon you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”

We are all faced with moments where we must choose between our personal doubts and our trust in God. Hopefully, we choose to trust in God just as Simon did. We might not understand what God is asking us to do, but we should be willing to put out into the deep and cast our nets to see what happens. We might be surprised by what happens and even if we fail as long as we tried, then we shall be rewarded with a spiritual bounty we would not receive without trusting in God to lead us where we need to be. We should not be surprised at how difficult things are for us when we attempt to do them on our own and how easy those same tasks become when we let go and let God.

Are we willing to put ourselves out into the deep waters of faith? Do we truly trust God enough to cast our nets where He wants us to? Are we willing to set aside our personal doubts to believe in God’s Providence?

O Lord, we trust in you and your commandments.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

When we seek to do God’s Will, we will have both moments of triumph and defeat. One moment we will be walking on water, unable to do anything wrong and then a strong wind will blow against us. This resistance may come from family, friends, neighbors, or other causes, but whatever the source we will doubt, sink, and become frightened of God’s plan for us. During these times of weakness, we must join Peter in crying out, “Lord, save me!” And Jesus will stretch out his hand, help us to rise again, and remind us that we needn’t have worried at all because with faith in him all things are possible.

Are we afraid of what God is calling us to do? When have we failed to follow His Will, have we asked for Jesus’ help? Do we accept the hand of Jesus when he offers to lift us up again?

O Lord, save us!

Amen.

Thirteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

When our souls are beset by storms of doubt, Jesus is always at the ready to remind us of our need to have faith in him and to trust that he will calm the winds and seas of worry. No matter how hopeless things appear, we cannot let our anxieties overcome our faith. No matter how bruised and battered we are by life, we cannot let the winds of uncertainty terrify us. God is with us and that should be enough for us to withstand all our sufferings. The next time we are afraid of something, we ought to remember what sort of God-man Jesus is and we should obey him and let our hearts be calmed.

What anxieties, worries, and doubts are currently on our minds? How can we offer these up to the Lord in the spirit of trust? How do we remind ourselves that God is with us?

O Lord, calm the stormy winds and seas of our hearts.

Amen.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

The synagogue official comes to Jesus asking for Christ to heal his daughter. Along the way Jesus’ cloak is touched by a woman in need of healing. When Jesus senses the power go out from him he stops and asks, “Who has touched my clothes?” The woman tells him the whole truth. All the while, the synagogue official keeps silent. He could have complained to Jesus for stopping and “forgetting” his daughter for something as silly as someone touching Jesus in the crowd. When the news arrives that his daughter is dead, the official could have blamed the woman for making a scene and delaying Jesus. He could have let his loss cause him to cry out to Jesus, “Why couldn’t you have come without delay to my daughter?” However, he doesn’t do any of these things and instead when Jesus tells him to be not afraid and to have faith that is exactly what he does and he is rewarded for his patience and trust. His daughter is raised from the dead and his suffering has turned into joy.

Do we get upset at God when He seems to delay His answers to our prayers? Do we ask Him why He has forgotten us or delayed His help? How can we cultivate a spirit of patience and trust in God’s Providence?

O Lord, help us to be not afraid and to have faith in you.

Amen.

Twelfth Saturday of Ordinary Time

“For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go.’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

The centurion recognizes Jesus’ authority over all of God’s children and in this series of examples he illustrates for all of us what it means to have dominion over all creation. We, like the centurion, should trust that when we ask something of God that He can use His authority to help us. Perhaps it might not be in such a dramatic way as the healing of the servant, but God listens to our prayers and answers us in His own way and at the time of His own choosing. Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or God the Father have authority over our lives, we should respect that power as the centurion does. We should recognize how unworthy we are of God's help, while at the same time being bold enough to ask Him to aid us in spite of our failure to love Him and His children as we ought to do.

Do we recognize God’s authority in our lives? Do we give thanks for all the great and small things God does for us? Are we like little children, willing to ask our Heavenly Father for His graces even though we haven’t been the best of heirs to His Kingdom?

O Lord, let us be subject to your authority.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”

Jesus chose us and appointed us to bear fruit in the vineyard of souls. Thankfully, he also gave us the grace to ask the Father for what we really need (not necessarily what we want). When we do God's Will, we receive every grace and strength we need to go where He is leading us, do what He is asking us, and succeed no matter the odds against us. We have only to trust the path God has chosen for us is for our own good and the mission He has appointed us to perform is obtainable with perseverance.

What path is God asking us to follow? What task has been appointed to us? Do we trust God enough to pray for those graces we need to go and do His Will?

O Lord, you have chosen us. Give us the graces we need to do your Will.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Easter

“I am going away and I will come back to you.”

We might not see Jesus, but we should always trust he is here with us. We are not alone. We are his beloved brothers and sisters and in the midst of our troubles he will give us peace. This is why he tells us to let not our hearts be troubled and be not afraid, because he has come back to us through the Holy Spirit, our Advocate. He makes ready our paths and prepares us to walk along his Way of Salvation. We should be ever thankful for this gift of self and remember we are not alone.

Do we feel alone? How can we remind ourselves of God’s Divine Presence in the midst of our trials? How do we welcome the Holy Spirit and allow Him to grow and thrive within us?

O Lord, come to us.

Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter

"Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?”

Sometimes we are troubled by and doubtful of God's Divine Plan for us. We only get a glimpse of what He intends for us and it frightens us. We wonder how we could ever do this thing or that thing He is asking of us. However, this is where trust in the Lord is necessary. We have to cultivate our faith in the Lord, so that when He does ask us to follow Him where we do not want to go we will have the fidelity to say, “Yes.” God does not promise an easy road for His followers. His path is a narrow one with many trials and tribulations along the way. If we stray, even if only by a little, we can get lost. Thankfully, when we do get lost God sends us the graces we need to return to Him just like He sent his Resurrected Son to the disciples when they were lost after his Passion and Death. We are given a new opportunity to live Christ-like lives and we ought to do everything we can to accept these graces and allow God to bring us back into His fold.

What troubles us in our lives? What questions frequently arise in our hearts? How can we address these troubles and questions in such a way as to build up our relationship with God?

O Lord, we are troubled. Help us to become more trusting in you.

Amen.

Fourth Monday of Lent

Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe… You may go; your son will live.

Persistence pays off when it comes to swaying God to help us. The royal official could have heard the first words of Jesus and become timid or frightened to ask him for help. However, his love for his son and his faith in Jesus prompts him to ask again and he is rewarded with his heart’s desire. Sometimes when we ask for things they don’t come to us right away and we start wondering if God is listening to us. We work and pray in worldly time, while God works in his own. He knows when, where, and how to answer our prayers so that we have the best chance at the salvation of our soul. We can learn a lot about how to be a faithful follower of God by looking at the reaction of the royal official. When Jesus says your son will live, he believes him and immediately starts back home. He is persistent, but he also knows how to trust the Word of God. Other people might have insisted Jesus come with them, not trusting him. We should make sure that in our persistence we do not become so set on what we think God should do for us that we forget to trust Him and let Him do it His Way.

Do we really need signs and wonders to believe in God? What are the simple everyday things in our lives which remind us that God is always listening to us? Do we have the trusting persistence we need to ask God for what we need and then let Him provide it to us according to His Providence?

O Lord, help us to believe your word and live.

Amen.

Third Thursday of Lent

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

There are some people in this world who always look for the dark lining in the clouds or are never satisfied. We can perform all manner of good deeds and they will find some fault with us. We can speak the truth and they will ask for some sign that we are right. This is what Jesus faced in his opponents. They would always find some reason to complain or to ask for more. They are not satisfied with what Jesus is offering them and so they belittle and misuse him. We should always be on guard against falling into the traps of finding fault with others or asking God to prove Himself to us through signs. Instead, we should be thankful for the good works we see others do and accept that God has a plan that will see us to heaven if we are willing to follow the only sign we will ever need… Jesus on the Cross!

Are we like the people who celebrate and are amazed at Jesus' good works? Or are we like those who complain or seek more signs? How can we resist these temptations and fully trust in God?

Amen.

Fifth Monday of Ordinary Time

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

Those who came to Jesus to be healed believed in his power because they saw it or heard of it. On the other hand, we do not have firsthand knowledge of Jesus and so our belief in him is founded upon our faith in Christ and a trust in the message of the His Gospels. We seek out Jesus just like those first petitioners for not just physical healing, but also for our spiritual health. We beg him to heal us and others through our prayers and our acts of mercy and trust that his love will renew us. We reach out to him as the crowds of old did, but we understand that his touch will not just save our bodies, but also our souls. In addition, we realize Jesus’ Good News is not just a passive transmission, but an active transaction which demands that we bear the Word of God to others.

What are the sins and imperfections we need healed? Are we not only willing to reach out to God for His Mercy, but willing to do the same for those around us? Do our works speak of our belief in the Gospels or do we speak of our belief without the good works to back them up?

O Lord, we reach out to touch you. May your healing power flow into and through us to others.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

“Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Sometimes we will be faced by trials and tribulations beyond our ability to control and we will feel helpless like the disciples. It is during these moments that we must draw upon our faith in God and trust that he will calm and still the storms around us. When we do this our souls will be calmed and we will be saved.

What are the storms in our lives at this moment and on the horizon? Do we trust God enough to lead us out of our troubles? How can we overcome our fears and quite our souls in the midst of trials?

O Lord, give our souls the faith we need in order to be calm during the storms of our lives.

Amen.