Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.

There are many ways we can sing God's praises. We can do so through prayerful thoughts and calm meditation. We can do so through contemplation of the Life of Christ and the Mysteries of our faith. We can do so through proclaiming the Good News. We can do so by speaking kindly to others or offering them words of encouragement in difficult times. We can do so through acts of charity poured out for God's children. We can do so through acts of forgiveness and mercy. Every good fruit we bear in this world is a song sung in praise of God and all He has done for us.

How can we sing God's praises through our thoughts? What about our words? What good works can we do to express our joy in being the children of God?

O Lord, we desire to sing your praises in everything we think, say, and do.

Amen.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

God’s words to us through the Scriptures and the Church are spirit and life-giving. They refresh our souls with their grace. They nourish our lives with their wisdom. If we trust in them, we will never be disappointed or misled. The Word Made Flesh came to help us to become living words of God, to prefect us in spirit, and to enlighten us in the Way, the Truth, and the Life we are all called to follow. As Christians, we are given the responsibility to become the Word of God for others and so let us proclaim the Good News in all things, at all times, to all peoples.

Do we listen to the word of God? Are we willing to let His Wisdom guide us? How do we bring God’s word into the world in our own lives?

O Lord, refresh our souls with your Divine Word.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations. Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.

God treats all of us with equity. He doesn't show bias towards anyone. He gives to all of us exactly what we need when we need it. He gives us gifts and talents in accord with our natural abilities so we can glorify Him in our own unique ways. He does marvelous deeds for us each and every day in little and big ways. We can barely imagine the depths of His Love and Mercy. We can hardly guess at all that He has done for us. We should be ever grateful for the gift of His Divine Image and the freedom to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

What marvelous deeds has God done for us? How can we repay Him for all He's done for us great and small? Do we treat others with the equity and generosity that God treats us?

O Lord, make us firm in faith and equitable in love.

Amen.

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples!

Going out to all the world and telling the Good News can be a bit intimidating, but it isn’t impossible. We can go out to the world in all sorts of ways. Through the way we treat our family, our friends, our neighbors, and the strangers we meet each day. Perhaps the best way to proclaim the Good News is to simply embody it for others in our thoughts, words, and works. When we imitate Jesus Christ, we spread the faith, glorify God, and bring others closer to Him.

Are our lives giving glory to God? In what ways is God calling us to go out into the world and tell the Good News? How can we praise God to all whom we meet?

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

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.”

The only sacrifice and oblation God wants from us is to do His Will in all things. This means being faithful to His commandments, Christ’s teachings, and the inspirations of the Spirit. This means placing our hope in God and trusting in His Grace and His Mercy. This means knowing, loving, and serving God and all His children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. This means being obedient even to the point of sacrifice and death. This is the offering God wants from us... to imitate His Son, Jesus Christ, in all things and come to Him when He calls.

How can we make our lives into living sacrifices? What can we do to be better followers of the commandment, teachings, and inspirations of God? How can we more perfectly imitate Jesus in our lives?

O Lord, behold we come.

Amen.

Second Wednesday in Ordinary Time

You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.”

No matter what challenges, worries, fears, disappointments, and enemies we face in life, we should be confident in the Lord. We should feel an unwavering hope in Him, trusting He will help us get through whatever difficulties we face. He will never abandon us, whether we are in times of plenty or times of need. He is our High Priest and is always watching out for us, sacrificing Himself for us, guiding us spiritually, and giving us every opportunity to do good, avoid evil, and repent.

Are we confident in God’s Divine Plan for us? How can we be more open to His guidance? What can we do to become a more hopeful people?

O Lord, thank you for being such a perfect priest to us.

Amen.

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

The Lord will remember his covenant forever. I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.

It can be tough to remember God’s covenant with us, especially in a world full of temptations and distraction. We can lose sight of God’s Goodness and the debts we owe Him for all the gifts He has given us over the years. We can take for granted God’s Love and Mercy and lose our way. Thankfully, God sends us daily reminders, great and small. Instances of His Presence in our lives. The greatest of these reminders is the Blessed Sacrament, which we can receive on a daily basis if we seek it out. And even when we can’t make it to Mass, God pours out His graces on us and makes us part of His company, His children. So, let us be thankful and delight in the works of the Lord.

Do we remember our covenant with God on a daily basis? Do we give thanks to Him for all He has done for us? How can we overcome everything that stands in the way of us being part of God’s company?

O Lord, great are your works.

Amen.