The Ascension of the Lord

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

It is important to wash clean our consciences on a regular basis. We all need healing from sins. We all need to come to God with humble and contrite hearts. We all need to make good confessions to free ourselves from the wickedness and snares of the Devil. The sacrament of reconciliation is a great source of hope for all of us. There should be no fear of such a wonderfully freeing experience. Instead, we should go confidently into the confessional and speak to God from the depths of our souls and allow Him to wash away our sins and cleanse us of our iniquities. It was for this purpose that Jesus Christ came into the world and we would do well to make use of God’s Divine Mercy.

Do we seek God’s cleansing sacrament as frequently as we should? Do we allow God to work His Divine Mercy within us? How can we lead others to the sacrament of reconciliation?

O Lord, thank you for the cleansing waters that flowed from your wounds.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.

We should constantly pray to be open to the wisdom of God. It is through His precepts that we are brought to joy and holiness. It is through God’s Divine Laws that we are freed from the blindness of sin and allowed to see the world as it truly is. And once we see things clearly, we come to see how empty worldly pleasures are. It is only in God that we can find true fulfillment and everlasting joy.

Do we follow the precepts of the Lord? How can we do so more joyfully? What can we do to open the eyes of others to the joy of knowing, loving, and serving God, our Father?

O Lord, enlighten our eyes so they might see the joys of following your commandments.

Amen.

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.

The water of salvation is meant to be shared. We cannot receive the sacraments or go to Mass and refuse to spread the Good News to the rest of the world. As Christians, we cannot turn our back on the world. Instead, we must bear the Light of Christ into it to the best of our ability and bring as many people into the wedding feast as we can gather. We cannot do that if we are locked away from the world. We should be confident and unafraid to do whatever Jesus tells us to do. We should be willing to empty ourselves of all those things that keep us from being filled with the Holy Spirit so we might become living fonts of God’s Grace. We should strive to pour out the good wine of salvation to all whom we meet and give it to all who are thirsty for salvation.

Are we confident and unafraid to bear the Good News into the world? Are we willing to empty ourselves of our own desires and wants so we can become better bearers of God’s Divine Grace and Mercy? What can we do to bear the light of Christ into the lives of those around us?

O Lord, you are the fountain of our strength and courage.

Amen.

Sixth Thursday of Easter

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.

God constantly reveals His saving power to the world. Throughout the ages, He has proved again and again how compassionate He is. He forgave Israel over and over. He sacrificed His Beloved Son for our salvation. He sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us. He is with us through every trial and tribulation from birth to death to the afterlife. He is a just and merciful God, who remembers each of us with kindness and faithfulness. And all He asks from us in return are humble and contrite hearts that love Him and His children as much as He loves us.

Do we appreciate God’s saving grace and its role in our lives? How do we reveal the saving power of God? How can we be as merciful and loving as our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, make us into instruments of your saving power.

Amen.

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all you his hosts.

Praise is an important part of our faith. How could we not praise God for all He has done for us? We should praise Him for all of creation. We should praise Him for making us in His Divine Image. We should praise Him for the Old Covenant. We should praise Him for the New Covenant. We should praise Him for giving us a Blessed Virgin Mother. We should praise Him for His Beloved Son. We should praise Him for Jesus’ life, passion, death, and resurrection. We should praise Him for the resurrection of the dead and for the sending of the Holy Spirit. We should praise Him for enkindling goodness, mercy, and love within our hearts. And this is only a drop of what God has done for us... how greatly loved we are!

Do we praise God as often as we should? How can we praise Him more perfectly? What can we do to lead others to praise Him?

O Lord, help us to praise you now and forever.

Amen.

Sixth Tuesday of Easter

Your right hand saves me, O Lord.  I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple, and give thanks to your name.

God is constantly trying to save us. He saves us from temptations. He saves us from evil influences. He saves us from sin. He saves us from immorality. He saves us form the wickedness and snares of the Devil. He saves us from eternal darkness and death. He saves us from our enemies. He saves us from ourselves. He saves us in great and small ways each and every day and for this we should give thanks with all our hearts and sing His praises.

Are our eyes open to the moments of saving grace that surround us? How can we make God’s mission to save us easier for Him? What can we do to amend our lives today?

O Lord, save us.

Amen.

Sixth Monday of Easter

The Lord takes delight in his people. Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory.

We are imperfect, but God loves us perfectly. We sometimes disappoint God and others in our lives, but God still delights in us. We are sinners, but God sees the potential for saints. We aren’t always good or faithful, but God believes we can be good and faithful servants. We worry, but God believes our hope in Him is stronger than our doubts. We fail to love as we should, but God loves us anyway. We are weak, but God trusts the graces He gives us will make us strong. Our Lord adorns us with every blessing so we might overcome our failings and become victorious and holy.

Are we willing to let God heal us of our sins and weaknesses? What can we do to prepare ourselves so we are open to God’s blessings and graces? How do we show our delight in God, who is so good to us?

O Lord, adorn us with victory over all our imperfections.

Amen.