Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!

God is constantly at work within us. He is always trying to use our bodies, minds, and spirits to bring forth good and do away with evil. His inspirations are whispered into our thoughts. His strength pours out into our veins. His teachings echo in our hearts. His influence is ever present in us. We have only to be open to it and allow Him to work through us. When we do this, our words will bring joy and peace… our works happiness and good. So, let us be open to the Lord our God and shout for joy at His Presence in our lives. If we do this, then our works will bear fruit and prosper.

Do we allow God to fill us with His Love? Are we allowing God to work through us? How can we be more open to allowing God to work through us?

O Lord, prosper the works of our hands.

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.

First Saturday of Advent

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.

Jesus says these words to his disciples right before giving them authority over unclean spirits and the ability to cure every disease and illness. They were called by the Divine Master to be the harvesters of souls, just as we today are asked to be co-workers in His vineyard. If we will but accept His commission of us we too will be able to go out to the lost sheep of this world and proclaim along side the disciples of old, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Are we willing to go out into the world and labor beside our Lord? Do we not only pray for our own deliverance into the Heavenly Harvest, but also seek to cultivate the souls of others to join us there? How do we proclaim the kingdom of heaven in our daily lives?

O Lord, help us to be laborers in your vineyard of souls and to work tirelessly for you and the sakes of those whom you have sent us to harvest into your Kingdom.

Amen.