Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.

Sometimes we take God for granted. When we pray for something and we receive it, we might thank God with a little prayer (or not), but fail to contemplate what He has done for us. When we are inspired by God, we sometimes forget to recognize where our good ideas come from. We are surrounded by daily miracles, great and small, and yet sometimes we continue on with life as if the world is what matters when in reality it is God and His Kingdom that we should be concerned about. Let us put our concerns in the right place from this day forward.

How do we remind ourselves to be thankful for God’s gifts and inspirations? What do we do to cultivate a spirit of repentance in light of all that God has done for us? How are we preparing ourselves for the day of judgment?

O Lord, you have done might deeds for us. Help us to respond with repentant hearts.

Amen.

Fifteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Today’s gospel is full of hard teachings. Jesus tells us we need to love him more than our family, to take up our cross, and to lose our lives for his sake. The first teaching is not about rejecting our families because they are bad for us, but rather that we should not cling to them so tightly that we miss opportunities to do God’s Will. Sometimes when we are with family we have a harder time acting Christ-like toward them. However this is what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to be able to leave our family behind and come follow him. He also asks us to take up our crosses. This is also a difficult thing to do. We might be comfortable with our lives or feel like we are suffering enough. However, we should never fear bearing the cross with Christ. He will always give us the strength we need to carry our burdens. The worst thing we can do is reject our cross because by doing so we reject the sacrifices of Christ. Lastly, Jesus asks us to lose our lives for him and seek him, rather than the pleasures of the world. Life isn’t bad, it’s good, but if we don’t orient our lives toward God, then we can corrupt the inherent goodness of life by focusing on living for our own sakes, instead of living for God.

Do we love our family and friends more than God? Have we picked up our crosses or denied them? Do we live our lives for God or for ourselves?

O Lord, grant us the grace to pick up our crosses and love you more than our families and ourselves.

Amen.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them."

When people reject our kind words or good actions, we can become offended and angry with them, but this is not what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to leave behind the hurt feelings caused by our trials. By doing this we shake off the “dust” of resentment that can cling to our soul after we experience persecution for our beliefs. We leave behind all those things that could keep us from being Christ-like toward those who reject our gospel message. In this way, we do not take out our frustrations or waste energy on those who oppose us, but rather leave everything in God’s hands. It can be difficult to let go and let God, to release our anger or annoyance with someone else and let God do the judging and the punishing, but it is necessary. We don’t need to carry extra baggage of resentment around with us. Instead, we should use these moments of strife to practice trusting in God’s Mercy and Justice.

How do we handle rejection and persecution? What can we do to be more Christ-like to those who hurt us? Are we willing and able to shake off the dust of our past encounters so we can focus on those we are with now and will meet in the future?

O Lord, give us the strength and wisdom to shake the dust off our feet and let you be the judge, not us.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

We can acknowledge Jesus in many ways. We can meditate upon his life, death, and resurrection. We can proclaim him with our words, not just those offered up in prayer, but also in those kind or comforting words we speak to others. We can give glory to him also through our every work, great or small. When we act with faith, hope, and love, we acknowledge Jesus by living out his gospel message. However, we can also deny Jesus in our thoughts, speech, and deeds. When we dwell on evil things, complain about or put down another person, or commit a sin or fail to do good works, we reject Jesus in our selfishness.

In what ways do we acknowledge Jesus through our thoughts, words, and works? On the flip side, how do we deny him through these things? What can we do better in light of these questions?

O Lord, help us to acknowledge you in all things.

Amen.

Fourteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Every day of our lives we are “handed over” in little ways. We might not suffer the threat of physical harm or death, but there are other types of persecution that attack our minds and our hearts. When we are undergoing these attacks from modern culture, family, friends, or neighbors, we must remember to keep silent and not to worry about what they say. Instead we should suffer patiently and wait for God to inspire our words so that they might have the greatest effect. When we feel unfairly (and sometimes fairly) criticized or persecuted, there is the temptation to respond without placing ourselves into God's presence and letting Him craft our response. We can rush into speaking, and before we can stop ourselves, we say something we wish we hadn’t. We lie, berate, belittle, and say so many foolish things when we don’t take the time to center our responses on God.

How do we react to being fairly or unfairly criticized? Do we really trust God to speak through us? How can we cultivate the patience we need to be able to allow God to craft our response to the criticisms of others?

O Lord, speak through us.

Amen.

Fourteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

Jesus reminds his disciples that they have been given their gifts of casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead without cost and so they should share these gifts without cost. Similarly, we are given gifts, which God wishes us to share without cost. When we commit acts of love or mercy for others, we can sometimes fall into the trap of expecting them to return our good works when we ask them. Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that we should not give to others in hope of receiving a return, but rather we should give because it is the right thing to do. It is what Jesus did for all of us on the cross. There is nothing we could ever do that could repay him for his sacrifice on the cross, but one thing we can do is act like him and desire nothing in return for our good works except the glory of God.

What gifts has God given us? How do we use them to help others and to glorify God? Do we give them without counting the cost or expecting anything in return?

O Lord, help us to give without counting the cost.

Amen.

Fourteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

 As you go, make this proclamation: "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

After Jesus gives the Twelve authority over demons and illness, he sends them out to proclaim: “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Twelve become heralds of not only God’s Mercy, but also of His promise of everlasting life with Him in heaven. We, too, are called to proclaim these things and to do good in imitation of Christ. We might not be able to cast out demons or cure the sick, but we can forgive and help those who are tormented by their sins. We can care for and tend to the needs of those who are ill. In this way, we go out into the world as the Twelve did, bearing the authority and love of God.

What are the gifts and talents we can use to proclaim the Kingdom? In what way do we proclaim the Kingdom through our everyday duties and chores? How do we reveal God’s Love to those in most need of His Mercy?

O Lord, let our every thought, word, and work proclaim your Kingdom.

Amen.