Third Sunday of Easter

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.

In moments of crisis, we can be tempted to despair of or run away from our problems. We flee from suffering and disappointment just as the disciples did. We become blind to God’s presence in our lives and believe He has abandoned us. However, God will never abandon us. He is always with us, ready to open the Scriptures and reveal the wondrous graces of the Eucharistic Feast. He offers us comfort, wisdom, and love in order to give us everything we need to follow in Jesus Christ’s footsteps and travel the narrow path to Paradise. By remembering these things we will discover the Way to God to be able to point our feet in the right direction.

What can we do to gain the courage we need to stand with God during times of trial? Are we open to receiving the truths of the Scriptures and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist? Are we willing to let God lead us where we need to be and not necessarily where I want to be?

O Lord, place our feet on the path to salvation.

Amen.

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

We can’t do everything. This is something we need to remember when we are trying to do God’s Will. Although it is good to do as much as we can, we also have to realize the limitations we have on our time, talents, and treasures. Some of us may be best suited to preaching, evangelizing, and proclaiming the Good News through words. Others may be better at serving others through acts of charity and mercy, ministering to the sick, the needy, and the imprisoned, and expressing the Gospels through good deeds. No matter which of these callings is for us, we need to be devoted to the tasks before us and live lives worthy of our vocation.

Are we being called to minister to others through word, deed, or both? How do our lives proclaim the Good News? How do we manifest the Word of God through our actions?

O Lord, lead us to the ministries that will fulfill your Divine Plan.

Amen.

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

Suffering. We spend a lot of time avoiding it and yet there are some types of suffering we should gladly endure. We should be willing to suffer in order to know, love, and serve God and His children. We should be willing to suffer in order to do what is right and to resist temptation and sin. We should be willing to suffer in order to proclaim the Good News and give witness to our faith. We should be willing to suffer in order to defend life. We should be willing to suffer for the sake of being Christians. Yes, there is pain in suffering, but when we are wounded in the pursuit of God’s Will there is also joy.

Are we willing to suffer for God? What about suffering for our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers? How can we learn to rejoice in the suffering that comes with doing what is right?

O Lord, we rejoice that you have found us worthy to suffer for the sake of your name.

Amen.

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

God is our master. Of that there should be no doubt. If the choice is between God and anything or anyone else, we must choose God. It is to Him that we owe our existence and it is to Him that we should give our obedience. Sometimes doing God’s Will means suffering for and dying to something. We might suffer for proclaiming the faith as the disciples did, doing good works, and giving witness to the Word of God. We might be called to die to our worldly possessions, our bodily passions, and our selfish inclinations. We might even be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice... laying down our lives for our family, friends, and neighbors. Thankfully, we do not have to do all these things alone. God has given us His Holy Spirit to enlighten, guide, and protect us so that we choose to obey Him above all.

Do we obey God to the best of our ability? If not, then how can we become better witnesses to the faith? What can we do to allow the Holy Spirit to think, speak, and work through us?

O Lord, we promise to obey you above all else.

Amen.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”

We will be opposed in this life. Whether it is opposition to the way we live, our personal convictions, or the creed we profess as Christians, there will always be those who will stand against us. Some might do so out of ignorance. Others out of malice or jealousy. No matter the reason, we must be willing to suffer their slings and arrows of our enemies and bear the standard of our Christian responsibilities and duties. We cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated into silence or inaction. Instead, as the opposition in our lives grows, so must our faith in God’s Divine Plan, our hope in His Justice and Mercy, and our love of God and neighbor. Our rightful place is to go to where the people are and proclaim everything about the Good News of Christ’s life, passion, death, and resurrection.

Who are the people standing in the way of our faith? How can we come to love them enough to overcome their ignorance, malice, and jealousy? What are we doing to proclaim the Word of God right now?

O Lord, open the doors of our hearts that we might give witness to you.

Amen.

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

Our opponent is the Devil. He is always on the lookout for our weaknesses and constantly tempting us to sin. This is why it's so important to be sober and vigilant and resist him. At the same time, we should understand that everyone in the world is undergoing the same trials and as such we should have compassion and patience toward our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. We need to imitate Jesus and be loving of all, even our enemies and pray that those around us do not fall prey to the Devil. We might indeed suffer for our faith and undergo many trials of our purity, hopefulness, and mercy, but we must make every effort to trust in God and allow Him to have dominion over us body, mind, and soul.

Are we resisting the Devil with all we have? How can we do a better job of allowing God's graces to support and sustain us through our trials? Are we allowing God to have dominion over us or are we seeking dominion over ourselves?

O Lord, make us sober, vigilant, and better able to resist temptations and imitate you.

Amen.

Monday of the Second Week of Easter

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

Paul writes these words to the Corinthians because some of them have started to doubt and deny the resurrection of the dead. They did not understand the need for a resurrected body. They preferred a purely spiritual afterlife to one that would mix perfect spirit and imperfect flesh. However, as Christians we do not see our bodies as evil. They were created good by God when He made Adam and Eve. Our corruption comes from original sin and the wounding of our ability to control our spiritual faculties, our intellect and our will. This injury opens us to temptation and inclines us to evil. But thankfully, this is not the end of the story. Jesus died not only to redeem us from death, but also grant us the saving grace that can heal the wounds of original and personal sin. He came into this world to sanctify the whole person, body and soul. It is not enough to control our lower passions, but give into our selfish intellectual or willful desires. We have to become like Christ in mind, body, and spirit or we shall discover that we are not wholly Christ’s disciples. This is why his resurrection and the revelation of his glorified body are so important. They remind us that we are called to tame both our body and our soul so that we might share in the glory of the resurrection.

What are we doing to sanctify our bodies’ senses and passions? How can we discipline our intellect and will so that they will be more Christ-like? Do we thank God each and every day for the saving graces He has granted us through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ?

O Lord, through your resurrection you have saved us.

Amen.