Twenty-Third Monday of Ordinary Time

I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his Body, which is the Church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.

Whenever we are suffering, we have the opportunity to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of the Church. This is not to say that Christ’s afflictions in his Life, Passion, and Death were incomplete, far from it! But rather that our sufferings can be united to his and bring salvation to others if we are willing to offer them up. Jesus died on the cross once and for all, but the manifestation of his saving grace is often brought to fruition through His Body, which is the Church. And we are members of that Church and therefore share in the call to make visible God’s Love and Divine Mercy. As Christians, we all have the vocation to offer ourselves up as a living sacrifice for the glory of God and the good of our fellow man.

Do we unite our sufferings with those of Christ? What do we think, say, and do in order to turn our afflictions into opportunities to accomplish God’s Will? How can we manifest the Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus in our daily lives?

O Lord, help us to turn our sufferings into gifts for you and graces for others.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

When Jesus says to treat a person who sins against us as a Gentile or a tax collector, we should remember how he treated such people... with love. He didn’t ignore them. He didn’t mistreat them. He ate, drank, and stayed with them. He listened to their cries for help and aided them. He forgave them and was merciful toward them. He even converted a few of them, including most notably Matthew. He gave them every opportunity to repent and even if they didn’t... he loved them, saying “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” It is this kind of treatment that Jesus speaks of here and we would do well to remember the need to love even those who sin against us.

Do we treat those who sin against us with love? How can we become more charitable and merciful to those who are unkind to us? When someone sins against us do we follow the suggestions Jesus has given to us?

O Lord, give us the grace to treat those who sin against us with love.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

We have all been reconciled with God through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus and the best way to remain so is to look to the Life of Christ, the Way he lived, and the Truth he taught. When we model our lives upon his and persevere in our faith, we grow in holiness and become unblemished and irreproachable before our Heavenly Father. Our bodies, minds, and hearts become firmly grounded in God’s Will and able to withstand worldly temptations. When we lead the Christ-like life hope protects us against fears, doubts, sorrows, and other feelings that might weaken our resolve and instead of eroding our faith, it becomes tempered through trial and more resilient.

How are our lives modeled on Christ’s life? How can we become more grounded in God’s Will? What can we do to build up and strengthen our faith and hope in Jesus?

O Lord, help us to persevere in faith.

Amen.

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

We are all called to be sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father by conforming our lives to the image of His Son through the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of time we were created in God’s Divine Image. Our own image may have been marred by Adam and Eve, but it can also be restored by the New Adam and Eve, namely Jesus and Mary. Both Jesus and Mary offer us perfect models of holiness, showing us how to think, speak, and work in the world, but remain virtuous. Their lives reveal to us how to know, love, and serve God and His children so we might be worthy coheirs to the Heavenly Kingdom. Jesus and Mary manifest and magnify God’s Will just as we all are asked to in our own lives. And if we do so by answering the call to love and mercy, then we shall be justified by our bonds to Christ, and ultimately glorified with him and his Most Holy Mother.

Are we acting like true sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father? How can we become more Christ and Mary-like in our bodies, minds, and hearts? In what ways is God calling us to manifest the His Divine Image?

O Lord, conform us to the image of Jesus as you did with regards to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Thursday of Ordinary Time

From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.

The knowledge of God’s Will can be gained through many things. It can be gained through prayerful discernment. It can be gained through the support and encouragement of others. It can be gained through doing good works or seeing others do good works. It can be gained through inspirations from the Holy Spirit. It can be gained through reading the Scriptures. It can be gained through the traditions and sacraments of the Church. This knowledge brings with it wisdom, understanding, good works, strength, endurance, patience, joy, thanksgiving and many other blessings and graces. Most of all, it helps us to become God-bearing people, who manifest God’s Will in all we think, say, and do... making us into true holy ones and lights for the whole world.

How can we open our minds to the knowledge of God’s Will? How can we manifest our knowledge through our words and works? What can we do to become the best God-bearers we can be?

O Lord, make us fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Wednesday of Ordinary Time

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.

When we witness someone living out the faith, we should not be shy about it. We should let them know they are doing good and we are praying for them. It might not be something we think about, but just as we pray for those in need, so too should we pray for those who are doing God’s Will. Those who minister to people also need spiritual support to sustain them in their good works. Our words of encouragement can make a world of difference in the lives of those who spend themselves in knowing, loving, and serving others because it lets them know they are making a difference and are appreciated for manifesting the faith for all to see.

Do we actively support those who are doing God’s Will? What can we do to encourage them and help them to grow in holiness? How can we help others to know, love, and serve God and His children?

O Lord, thank you for those who live holy and loving lives.

Amen.

Twenty-Second Tuesday of Ordinary Time

For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.

Our faith is one built upon vigilance. Vigilance in awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Vigilance in mastering our bodies and passions. Vigilance in doing good and avoiding evil. We can never let down our guard against temptation, sin, or selfishness. Our vigilance requires a great deal of self-disciple and grace from God. We gain these best through prayer, seeking guidance from trusted people, mortification, almsgiving, and all those spiritual practices that help us to be holy people and true followers of Christ.

Are we being vigilant in our faith lives? How can we improve our self-discipline? What can we do to encourage others to be vigilant in their lives, too?

O Lord, help us to stay alert and sober in our faith.

Amen.