Fourteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.

Every good work we do has its source in God and we should remember this when we are tempted to take credit for the goods we do. All our acts of charity and mercy come from God, it is He who gives them to us. The only thing we do is open ourselves to these gifts and graces and pass them onto those we meet. We receive every good we have from God and this is why we should give to others without counting the cost. When we give to others, we should depend upon God for everything and accept whatever He offers us as reward, however great or small it might seem compared to what we must sacrifice.

What good works is God calling us to do? Do we give of the time, talents, and treasures God has given us to others without counting the cost? Are we willing to do the right thing without expecting a return?

O Lord, inspire us to give without counting the cost or expecting a return.

Amen.

Fourteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Jesus calls us all to seek out his lost sheep and proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand. The lost sheep in our lives can be family, friends, neighbors, and strangers who have lost their way in life and need someone to guide them back to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To lead someone back to the faith is one of the most important acts of love and mercy we can perform in our lives. We might not always succeed and may even suffer because of our attempts, but no matter what happens as long as we do our best to bring people home to God, then that is all that matters.

Who are the lost sheep in our lives? What can we do to lead them back to God? How do our thoughts, words, and works proclaim the kingdom to all we meet?

O Lord, help us to lead your lost sheep home.

Amen.

Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

We are all called to be laborers in the vineyard of souls. We do this best when we imitate Jesus by teaching the faith to others, proclaiming the Gospel with our words and works, and taking pity on those in most need of God’s Love and Mercy. Doing all of these things means being willing to sacrifice our time, talents, and treasures to know, love, and serve God and His children. If we are willing to do this, then we will be able to cultivate and nourish the souls of others on the Work of God and our acts of charity and mercy. We should do everything we can to improve the harvest of souls and help others bear good fruit. This is what Jesus did in his life, and it is what we are called to do in ours.

In what ways do our lives teach others about the faith, proclaim the Good News, and cure people of what troubles them? What can we do to become better laborers in the vineyard of souls? How can we help others to bear good fruits?

O Lord, we have heard your call for laborers and will help you with the harvest of souls.

Amen.

Fourteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Sometimes our faith will get us ridiculed and persecuted, but if we persist in hope and love, we can overcome any trials. In addition, by placing our trust in God, we give witness to our belief in a loving and merciful God, especially to those who doubt. Our witness, given through our words and works, may lead others to take a leap of faith in their own lives and help them to discover their own path to God. We never know who might be looking at our actions and taking them to heart and it is far better for us if our deeds lead people toward God, rather than away from Him.

Do we stand up for our faith when it is ridiculed or persecuted? Do we trust enough in God to allow Him to work through us? Are our actions leading others toward or away from God?

O Lord, help us to arise and spread your Good News to all the world through our words and works.

Amen.

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.  Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.  Do not move about from one house to another.

Even when serving God, we will be tempted to misuse our talents and authority for personal gain or become prideful. This is why Jesus warns his disciples to carry nothing with them. He wants them to depend upon God, not themselves. He wants them to realize that God is the source of their good works. He also warns them to stay in the same house, to eat whatever is offered, and not to move around. This is because they should trust in Jesus’ words and that God will provide what they need. They should not seek out a more comfortable place. Instead, they should follow the guidance Jesus has given them and they shall receive the payment they deserve. In the same way, we are called to depend upon the Holy Spirit, listen to His inspirations, and do our good deeds not for selfish reasons, but because God wants us to do them.

Are we willing to trust in God completely? Are we willing to give up our personal interests and accept what God offers us? How can we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us more perfectly?

O Lord, we trust in you and will carry your peace wherever you call us to go.

Amen.

Thirteenth Saturday of Ordinary Time

No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

Jesus' teachings were new and as such, they required a fresh start on the part of his disciples. Their old lives couldn't just be patched up. The new commandments Jesus proclaimed required them to cast aside their old lives and put on the life of Christ. Their lives before meeting Christ and after are too incompatible to coexist. Anyone who tries to live the Christ-like life while still clinging to their old passions, desires, and pride will eventually burst and be ruined. The lives Jesus is calling us to live require us to remake ourselves in his image by becoming proper vessels of his love, mercy, and grace. It is only when we do so that we can carry his Good News and truly preserve ourselves and others.

Have we taken Jesus' teachings to heart and transformed our lives? Have we truly remade ourselves in his image? Are we living new and fresh lives in faith and casting aside our old selfish selves?

O Lord, make us new in your love.

Amen.

Thirteenth Friday of Ordinary Time

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

God desires mercy, not sacrifice. It’s much easier to give things up out of our surplus of time, talents, or treasures than to forgive those who trespass against and persecute us. However, being merciful toward all is exactly what God expects from us. After all, it is what he offers to all His children and we should not pretend that our pride is more important than God’s Justice. If anyone has a reason to condemn us, it is God because of how we treat Him and His children. We choose sin over virtue, pleasures over righteousness, and our fears over trust in Him. Thankfully, He does not condemn us without giving us every chance to answer His call to reconciliation. All we have to do is accept His Mercy and then pour it out upon those in most need of it.

Are we merciful? Are we willing to forgive those who trespass against us? How can we become physicians of souls and not judges of sinners?

O Lord, we will follow in your footsteps and be merciful to all your children.

Amen.