Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name; announce his salvation, day after day.

Part of being Christian is announcing God’s salvation, day after day. We do this through our thoughts by constantly trying to keep them on what is right and good. We do this with our words by disciplining our tongues so they speak the Good News and the truth in ways that bring people closer to God. We do this through our works by offering them all up to God as sacrifices. Our entire lives should proclaim the goodness of the Lord by reflecting the life of Christ in all things. We should be welcoming gates through which others can glimpse the promises of God and be attracted to the Christian faith.

How can we align our thoughts, words, and works with the Lord’s? What can we do to proclaim the Good News wherever we go? Are our lives attracting people to God or pushing them away?

O Lord, we shall announce your salvation, day after day.

Amen.

Twenty-Seventh Thursday in Ordinary Time

I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard? Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain?-- if indeed it was in vain. Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?

There is a vast difference between faith and works. We can have faith, but without works to back it up, we are like a clashing cymbal. We can have works, but without faith, we gain no spiritual growth. We need both in order to live as true Christians. Now, this may seem at odds with what Paul tells the Galatians, but we need to keep in mind Paul is talking about the works of the Mosaic law, not the works of Christian service. The Pharisees followed the obligations of the law, but lacked in understanding that the law was not the end of their relationship with God, but the means to it. Just because we fulfill our obligations to go to Mass, abstain from meat during Lent, help others, etc. doesn’t mean we have grown in faith. We can do seemingly good things without good intent. We might just be going through the motions, but without any emotional or spiritual investment. Faith needs to be at the heart of our works so we might grow in hope and love. This is how we must live as Christians if we want to embody the Holy Spirit and gain a place in the Heavenly Kingdom.

Is our faith the driving force behind our acts of hope and love? How can we grow spiritually through our works, great and small? How can we guard against becoming children of the flesh as opposed to children of the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, send us the faith we desire so we might work good deeds for you and all your children.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Easter

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

The question posed by the jailer is one that we all should seek an answer to in our lives. What must we do to be saved? Yes, believe in the Lord Jesus, but what does that mean? We can see for the jailer it means letting the prisoners free, bringing those in need to his house, and bathing their wounds. Yes, faith inspires him to do this, but he also had to choose to act on his faith. Sometimes we can have very noble and good ideas, but if we never act on them then how much good did those thoughts do us? This is why we believe faith and works go hand in hand with each other. You can't have one without the other and so we should strive to live our faith to the best of our abilities.

Do we ask God what we must do to be saved? Are we putting our faith into our works? How can we live out our beliefs more perfectly?

O Lord, help us to know what we must do to be saved.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.

Jesus constantly prays for us before our Heavenly Father and we glorify him by accepting God’s Mercy and living out our lives as an example of His Love for His children. By leaving us to do God’s Will, Jesus gives us a chance to become like him and think, speak, and do the right and good thing no matter the cost or suffering. And like him, if we act in faith, hope, and charity, we will one day be able to come to the Father. Till that day, we are called to be in the world, but not of it. Our actions should be focused on God and His children and then we shall know the peace that comes with acting rightly and well.

Do we reflect upon the fact that we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters? How do we glorify our Brother, our Father, and our Advocate? How can we be of God and not of the world?

O Lord, pray for us that we might glorify you through our every thought, word, and work.

Amen.