Second Tuesday of Easter

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

God is our King and as such deserves our respect. We should fear disappointing Him, not because He will punish us for our faults, but because He is a Good Father and we don’t want to disappoint Him. He is robed in majesty and so we bow before His Will and sing His glory and praises. He is robed in splendor and so we allow Him to lead us. He is girted with strength and so we seek His help through the teachings of Jesus and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. As His children and heirs, all His Kingdom is promised to us if we will accept it and all the rights and responsibilities that come with living out our baptismal promises.

Do we show respect to God in our thoughts, words, and works? How can we live our lives as worthy heirs to our Father? What can we do to build up the Heavenly Kingdom on earth?

O Lord, you are robed in majesty, splendor, and strength.

Amen.

Second Monday of Easter

Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord. Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: "Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!"

Many nations rage against Christian values. Their people utter every folly against the followers of Christ. Mockery and persecution are not things of the distant past. They are constantly circling every Christian looking for any weakness. Some of these are subtle attacks. Others are blatant and violent. Many leaders and politicians conspire against our faith, its teachings, and ultimately our God. All we can do as Christians is defend ourselves with good words and works that speak to the heart of others and make clear we are a people of truth, conviction, and love that will never bow or bend to the pressures of the world.

Are we taking refuge in the Lord in the midst of our trials? Have we prepared ourselves to be persecuted? How can we resist the mockery of the world with our good words and works?

O Lord, help us overcome all our worldly persecutors.

Amen.

Sunday of Divine Mercy

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

God’s Mercy endures forever. When He forgives us, it isn’t like how we forgive. Sometimes we are tempted to bring up old wounds to those who have harmed us. We do this especially when we are annoyed with another person such as a sibling, friend, and co-worker. We snap and say things that could be hurtful. This is why it’s so important to keep in mind the example of Christ on the cross. He was arrested, beaten, mocked, and scourged. He was forced to carry his cross and was treated like a criminal. And yet, he bore these terrible burdens without complaint and forgave his persecutors. He does this for us, too. If only our mercy and forgiveness could mirror his!

How do we give thanks to God for His Goodness and Love? How do we show others God’s Mercy? What can we do to keep ourselves from giving into the temptation to point out past harms done to us?

O Lord, we are thankful for your goodness.

Amen.

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just.

When we are in need of strength and courage, all we have to do is ask for them and God will provide. If we need joy or justice, all we have to do is seek them out in the Lord and He will grant them to us. If we desire mercy and love, then all we have to do is knock at the door of Jesus’ Sacred Heart and he will let us in. God is good and He will never ignore us. If our prayers are seemingly unanswered, then perhaps God is answering us in an unexpected and better way. Because He loves us, He does not always give us what we want. He knows better than us what we would do with our requests and sometimes we aren’t ready for our prayers to be answered.

Do we give thanks to God for not only when He answers our prayers, but also when He answers them in ways we don’t expect or might not even like? Do we ask Him for the graces to be strong and courageous in the faith? How can we be as just and merciful as God?

O Lord, we shout for joy for you have answered us with love and mercy.

Amen.

Friday in the Octave of Easter

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

It is probably difficult for us as Christians to understand how the people of Jesus’ time could reject, scourge, and crucify such a loving and good person. However, when we think about our own lives it becomes much clearer just how people can turn their backs on Jesus. We reject him every time we choose selfishness over selflessness. We reject him every time we take the easy road of sin instead of the hard path of holiness. We reject him when we judge others rather than love and forgive them. We reject him when we feel superior to others instead of being humble and merciful. Those who rejected and crucified Jesus weren’t very different from us and some of them even became Christians after he rose from the dead. Thankfully, just because we turn our backs on Jesus from time to time doesn’t doom us to destruction. It simply means that like Paul we have to cast aside our old sinful ways and embrace God’s Divine Mercy, which endures forever.

In what ways have we rejected God in our lives? What part of ourselves is built upon the unstable sands of the world and which are built on God? How is God’s Mercy at work in our lives?

O Lord, we fear disappointing you, but if we do, then please be merciful to us.

Amen.

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?

It can be humbling to think about how much God cares for us. He created us out of pure love. He gave us His Beloved Son as a teacher and as a sacrifice for our sins. He sent his Holy Spirit into the world to be our constant guide and inspirer. He treats each and every one of us as if we are the center of His Universe. He is always with us no matter what and provides for our every spiritual need. He is a devoted Father to us all. We can only hope to imitate Him to the best of our abilities and be good and faithful servants to His Will.

How can we become more mindful of God? What can we do to help ourselves and others to appreciate Him for all He has done for us? How can we care for God’s children as much as He does?

O Lord, give us the grace to be as caring as you are.

Amen.

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

There are many things in this world that can distract us from seeking the Lord. Pride can keep us from doing God’s Will above our own. Envy can poison our relationships with others. Anger can cause us to seek revenge instead of mercy and forgiveness. Greed can distract us from spiritual goods in favor of material ones. Lust can lead us to abuse and use ourselves and others for pleasure. Gluttony can cause us to gorge ourselves on things that are not of God. Sloth can lure us into a spiritual sleep where indifference and apathy overcome our call to service to others. With all these vices constantly calling out to us, it can be hard to hear the voice of the Lord. However, if we seek Him out each day in prayer and meditation upon the mysteries of our faith, then we will know God and be able to proclaim His wondrous deeds to all the nations.

Do we spend our days seeking the Lord or worldly things? Are we living our lives in such a way as to give thanks to God? How do we proclaim His wondrous deeds among the nations?

O Lord, help our hearts to always seek you.

Amen.