Fifth Wednesday of Easter

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD.

Like the city of Jerusalem, we are built with compact unity. We are united with God through His Scriptures and the Traditions of the Church He left for us. We are united with His children through the brotherhood of Jesus Christ. We are walled around with the protection of God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace. It is with Him that we are fulfilled and in Him that we find our source, center, and summit. With Him on our side, all things are possible. We should rejoice at this thought and be thankful for all God has done to keep us united with Him in body, mind, and spirit. Hopefully, we do the same for those whom we meet.

Are we united with God as we should be? Are we united with our brothers and sisters in Christ? How can we fulfill our calling to be one with our Lord and God?

O Lord, build up the unity of your Church through us.

Amen.

Holy Thursday: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

As Christians, we are called to a deep communion with God through the Body and Blood of Christ. This sacrifice speaks to the boundless love and mercy our Heavenly Father has for us and by receiving the Eucharist, we proclaim our own love for Him and our willingness to suffer whatever is necessary for the salvation of souls. When we eat the Body of Christ and drink His Blood, we proclaim not only our faith in the Lord, but also our intention to listen to His Truth, walk His Way, and live His Life. We accept the cup of salvation and all the sacrifices it holds for us. To be in communion with Christ, is to be in union with His Passion, Death, and ultimately His Resurrection.

Do we seek out communion as often as we can? In what ways do we show our unity with God and other Christians? Are we willing to take up the cup of salvation and all the trials and graces it contains?

O Lord, help us to make a return to you for all the good you’ve done for us through the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

We are all called to be temples of God. We are all asked to be sacred spaces wherein God can dwell. We are given the grace to build our lives upon the foundations of the rock of Christ. Whenever we worthily receive the Word of God or the Blessed Sacrament, we are transformed into living temples to the glory of God for the good of all. We strive to keep ourselves holy and help others to do the same for we are all called to build up the Church and be united as One Body of Christ. Woe to us if we fail in our calling to be good and faithful servants or if we destroy the foundations of faith in others, but blessed are we if we strive to uphold the faith in ourselves and all of God’s children.

Are we treating ourselves and others as temples of God? How can we build up our faith, hope, and love? What can we do to remain holy dwelling places for our Lord and God?

O Lord, build us into living temples to you.

Amen.

Thirty-First Monday in Ordinary Time

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.

It can be very difficult to look out for other people's interests above our own. We are constantly tempted to think that our time, talents, and treasures are worth more than others. The sin of pride makes it hard to humble ourselves and regard others as more important than ourselves. However, if we want to be followers of Christ, then we have to be willing to sacrifice our own wants and needs for the glory of God and the good of others. We must be filled with love, compassion, and mercy. We must be of the same mind, love, and heart as Jesus. We must look out for others to the best of our ability even if it means giving up our time, our talents, and our treasures. In spite of what the world might think, we will never be impoverished by doing God's Will. Instead, we will be enriched by our Heavenly Father for all the good we did for Him and His children.

Are we willing to put God's Will and the good of others above our own? How can we learn to be humbler and more united to Christ in all we think, say, and do? How can we keep a better eye out for the interests and needs of others?

O Lord, we humble regard you and your children as more important than our own selfish desires.

Amen.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

Through baptism, we have been united to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We have been given the vocation to walk the Way, speak the Truth, and live the Life of Christ. We have been asked to be willing to mortify ourselves and suffer for the glory of God and the good of others. We have been given the love, mercy, and grace we need to free ourselves from sin and death. All these things lead us into a deeper union with God and if we are willing to crucify our old selves for God, then we shall be made worth of a life with Him in Heaven.

How can we grow in union with God? Are we truly willing to crucify ourselves in meaningful and life transforming ways? How can we become more Christ-like in our lives so that we might overcome death and share in the resurrection?

O Lord, we choose to die for you so we might live with you forever.

Amen.

Twenty-Ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

We, as Christians, have been brought together by Jesus. We have been built into a living temple so we might give glory to God and be a place of repose for Him. Jesus showed us how to unite ourselves with God by knowing, loving, and serving Him and His children. He also reminded us we all have the image of God within us and as such we all deserve to be treated with dignity, charity, and mercy. He wants us to become friends in the faith and co-workers in his vineyard. He holds us all together through the Way, the Truth, and the Life he has given us and the Church he left behind. He did all these things so we all might become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit and, hopefully, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves, making every effort to uphold the temple of God within us.

How can we be more united with Christ and his Holy Church? What sacrifices and acts of charity and mercy can we make to build up the Living Temple of Our Lord? Do we treat everyone we meet with the same dignity, mercy, and love as Jesus did in his most holy life?

O Lord, built us into a united dwelling place for you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

It requires a great deal of faith, hope, and love to remain united to God and to His children. There are so many things in the world that seek to divide us... gender, race, ideology, income, health, and lifestyles... just to name a few. Sometimes we are drawn away from each other by these various differences. We come to see our point of view as the best and are tempted to act holier than thou. However, this sort of attitude comes from the vice of pride and can lead us to destruction just as easily as the other extreme, which is to think we are the worst of people with no hope for a better life. This is why it is so important to cultivate a spirit of humility. So, we trust in God’s Plan no matter how good or bad our current lives might seem. We also must strive to be gentle and patient with one another through love so no matter how we might feel we will always be united together through the Holy Spirit. The goal of our lives is not worldly success, but rather unity in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism so one day we will be blessed to spend the rest of eternity with our one Heavenly Father.

Are we united with God as we ought to be? How can we become better united with others, especially those whom are most difficult for us to love? What can we do to bring people together in our faith?

O Lord, we wish to be united in you now and forevermore.

Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Monday in Ordinary Time

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

There is always the temptation to exclude people or to join with one faction or another. However, this is not what Jesus did in his life. He was welcoming and open to others, sinners, saints, and even his enemies. He handed down the Eucharist to us so we might be united as one in His Body, the Church. He sought to bring us together, male and female, rich and poor, through the sharing of His Body and Blood. Yes, there are people we don't like or don't connect with, but this doesn't mean we can look down on them or exclude them from our faith lives. This isn't what Jesus would have done and so it isn't what we should do, either. Instead, we should be understanding, charitable, and merciful, not judging others, but rather loving them as best we can.

Are there people we are excluding from our lives unfairly? How can we reconcile ourselves with them and welcome them into our lives? In what ways can we bring those around us together?

O Lord, help us to be united in you.

Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

We are all called to live in Christian unity with each other. This is what Jesus wanted for his people. He wanted us to be one in body and spirit, sharing in one hope... the second coming of himself and the salvation of our souls. He wanted to be our one and only Lord, leading us in one faith and one baptism. He wanted his Heavenly Father to be ours so we might be one holy family. The key to unity with God is to humbly accept God as our Father, our Brother, and our Spiritual Spouse.

Are we living in a manner worthy of the call we have received? How can we cultivate the humility, gentleness, and patience to bear with one another through love? What can we do to keep our unity with God and others?

O Lord, give us the grace to live out our baptismal calling.

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.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As Christians, our belief in Jesus brings us together. It forges us into one, united people of God. It transforms us into living temples built upon the foundations of love for the Holy Trinity and all of God's children. There are no strangers among us, but rather fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are built together by our Heavenly Father in order to do His Will and bring about His Kingdom. Our time, talents, and treasures are given to us for this purpose. We are meant to use them to build up His Church and woe to us if we waste or bury them.

Is God the Father the foundation of our lives? Is Jesus Christ the capstone of our faith? Are our hearts sacred temples adorned with the inspirations and graces of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, make us into dwelling places for you.

Amen.

Second Tuesday of Easter

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.

The early Christian community was a model of unity and charity. They shared their goods with each other and helped each other out to the best of their abilities. They bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord by proclaiming the Good News and helping the needy among them. They were more than willing to give up worldly goods in order to feed, clothe, and shelter the least of God’s children. We can learn a lot from this early community of believers and should imitate them as best we can. We might not have church houses anymore, but we can certainly make each of our homes into spiritual churches that nourish body, mind, and spirit.

How can we cultivate a spirit of detachment from our worldly things so that we can share them when needed? How can we bear witness to the resurrection as the early disciples did? What can we do to make our houses into domestic churches?

O Lord, make us one in heart and mind with you and all your holy ones.

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.

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.

At the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of various Gentiles and Jews who have helped him or the Church in some way. By doing so, he reminds us of the universality of the Christian faith. Afterward, he gives us a hymn of praise to God for all He has revealed to the people of His newborn Church. He speaks of the strength God gives His followers through grace and the truth He has given through Jesus’ life and the prophetic writings of the Scriptures. He points out all God has done for us is meant to bring about the obedience of faith. It is this faith that unites and binds us together as Christians and leads us to lives guided by love and mercy. Lives which proclaim the Gospel to all the world.

Who are the people in our lives who have helped us live our faith? How have we helped them and others to grow in holiness? What can we do to build up the Church and our love of God?

O Lord, glory be to you forever and ever.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

God wants us to be one with Him and all His children. He wants us to be united in our one faith through one baptism, living in a manner worthy of the call to be Christ-like. He wants us to be united in our humility before Him and gentleness with each other. He wants us to be united in patience and love and strive to live in peace with one another. It is through the One Body of Christ and the One Holy Spirit that we are united with our One Heavenly Father and our spiritual brothers and sisters. It is through our confession of one faith, our experience of one baptism, and our shared communion with God and each other that we are united in one Holy Family. And it is in this unity we find our fulfillment not only as unique individuals, but as one living Body of Christ.

Are we united to God and others in our faith lives? How can we become more unified with our faith community? What can we do in our lives to bring people together in the one Body and Spirit of our God?

O Lord, unite us.

Amen.

Seventh Thursday of Easter

And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.

We are all called to be one with God and each other. Our baptismal promises unite us not only with the Holy Trinity, but with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should make every effort to show our unity with God and His children. We should unite ourselves with the Mystical Body of Christ through the Mass, the sacraments, and our prayers for and with each other. The Mass is a wondrous gift to us and through it we are united in the Word of God and His Body and Blood. We share the good news and then we partake in our Lord and Savior’s greatest gift to us—the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The Mass is one prayer we share with the each other and it unites us not only with the Church on Earth, but also the Church in Purgatory and Heaven. We are one with all those who have come before us, who are with us now, and who will come in the fullness of time.

Do we fully participate in the community of believers through the Mass? In what manner do we unite ourselves to God and His children through the Blessed Sacrament? How do we express our oneness with God and each other in prayer?

O Lord, we are one with you and each other.

Amen.