First Monday in Ordinary Time

Let all his angels worship him. The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. 

The Lord is our King and like the angels we were made to worship him. We were made to know Him through the Scriptures and through the traditions of the Church. We were made to love Him through prayer, alms, and mortification. We were made to serve Him and all His children through acts of charity and mercy. We were made to rejoice in Him and be glad. We were made to be founded on justice and wise judgment so we might be instruments of His grace to the world around us and proclaim the Good News to all whom we meet each day.

How do we worship God? What do we do to bring joy and gladness to the world and good tidings to all? Are our lives founded on justice and wisdom?

O Lord, we worship you as our King and Savior.

Amen.

The Baptism of the Lord

The Lord will bless his people with peace. Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire.

We have much to give to the Lord. He has done so much for us that we can never repay Him, but we can do what is right and give Him everything we can... our time, our talents, our treasures. We can give Him our love, our hope, our faith. We can give Him glory, honor, and praise. We can give Him all that is due to Him by knowing, loving, and serving Him and all his children. He has given us peace and blessing, the least we can do is to become instruments of His peace and blessing to the world.

What are we giving to God? Are we giving enough? How can we give more of ourselves to God and all His children?

O Lord, we want to give you the glory due to your Holy Name.

Amen.

Saturday After Epiphany

The Lord takes delight in his people. Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

We should all be glad in our maker for He has done marvelous things for us. He created us and saw that it was very good. He delights in us. He loves us and gives us ever spiritual blessing. He will never abandon us. He will always treat us as His beloved children. How wonderful that we should have such a compassionate and caring Heavenly Father to protect us. He is constantly helping us in little and great ways. He does everything in His power to lead us to become holy people and share eternal life with Him.

Do we thank God for making us? How can we learn to delight in God as much as He delights in us? What can we do to rejoice in our Father and our King?

O Lord, we are glad in you.

Amen.

Friday After Epiphany

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.

We have much to praise God for in our lives. He has given us everything from our own lives to the life of His Beloved Son. He has created and protected us. He has loved and blessed us. He has forgiven us our trespasses against Him and others. Whenever we turn to Him for help, He aids us... perhaps not always in the way we envisioned, but always in the way we need. He has strengthened us through grace and will never leave our side. He is our rock, our shelter, our foundation. As long as we trust in Him, we will never be overcome by the wickedness and snares of the Devil. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and this is why we praise and glorify Him, because He is a Good and Loving Father.

Do we realize how much God has done for us? How can we imitate His Generosity in our own lives? How can we become blessings in the lives of others?

O Lord, we praise you.

Amen.

Thursday After Epiphany

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. From fraud and violence he shall redeem them, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. May they be prayed for continually; day by day shall they bless him.

God sent His Beloved Son into the world to redeem us from sin, hatred, violence, selfishness, and all other evils. He purchased our lives with the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He made His Son into a living sacrifice through Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We should all be humbled to think that God came down from Heaven, became man, and sacrificed Himself for a people who constantly sin against Him. How many of us would be willing to sacrifice ourselves for those who ignore, abandon, persecute, and abuse us on a daily basis? And yet, this is what God calls us all to do... to love others as He loves them, which means being willing to suffer and even die for those who would do neither for us.

Do we thank God for all He has redeemed us from in this life? How can we act more Christ-like in our treatment of others, especially those whom we find most difficult to love? What can we do to prepare ourselves to become living sacrifices to God for others?

O Lord, bless us and make us into holy sacrifices to you for others.

Amen.

Wednesday After Epiphany

 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.

Just as God rescues the poor and afflicted, so must we. We must be on a constant lookout for those who are in need or suffering and offer them whatever we can to help. We must be willing to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, house the homeless, free the captives, care for the sick and dying, bury and pray for the dead. Our every thought, word, and work should be guided by love and mercy. We should show others pity even when we dislike them or uncomfortable around them. God didn’t give us lives to be free from hardship and sacrifice. He gave us lives so that we might imitate His Son’s compassion toward others.

What is God calling us to do for the poor and afflicted? How can we use our time, talents, and treasures to help those in need? How can we cultivate a spirit of compassion within us even for our enemies?

O Lord, make us into a compassionate people.

Amen.

Tuesday After Epiphany

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.

We are all called to be instruments of God’s Justice. Thankfully, God has given us many graces that help us to be just. He has endowed us compassion and mercy, prudence and wisdom. He wants us to be just to our family, to our friends, to our neighbors, and to all those whom we meet each day. He wants us to govern ourselves with justice, too. Not allowing our failings to discourage us or our gifts to make us proud. He wants us to make good judgments by being prayerful in our discernment of His Will. And when we don’t have time to pray, He wants us to trust our good conscience and let it guide our actions.

How can we become better instruments of God’s Justice? How can we grow in wisdom, prudence, mercy, and compassion? What can we do to govern our lives justly in the eyes of God?

O Lord, endow us with your judgment.

Amen.