Reflection for Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052312.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus prays his high priestly prayer, the essence of which is that God the Father would protect us from sin and Satan, so we can become saints.  Our Lord says the basis of our being made holy is that he made himself holy by being perfectly obedient to the Father, an obedience that went all the way to his death on the Cross: "And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth".  

It is this same prayer that Jesus prays for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven and at every Mass; for at every Mass, our Lord offers himself to the Father under the sacramental signs of bread and wine, so that we might receive the grace of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the words and actions of the Sacred Liturgy, but above all, in the Blessed Sacrament.  This grace is given to us, so we might offer ourselves to the Father "through him, with him, and in him". 

May the Lord always dispose our hearts to receive his grace every moment of our lives, but above all when we participate in the Divine Liturgy.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052212.cfm

"Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course...." - Acts 20:24

St. Paul was headed to Jerusalem knowing that severe persecution awaited him there.  Yet, it did not bother him one bit; for as he said in the above passage, his life did not matter to him.  All that mattered to St. Paul was being faithful to Christ who had been patient with him who was a persecutor of the Church.

How was St. Paul able to love our Lord so much that he did not care for his own life?  How was he able to lose himself in Christ?  He knew that Christ unconditionally loved him by dying for him on the cross; and to Paul, possessing this love was the greatest thing in all the world.  Nothing else mattered, not even his own life; for Christ's life did not matter to him for love of Paul, so Paul's life did not matter to him for love of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit open the eyes of our hearts to see the unfathomable love of Christ for us, so that we might love him above all things, even our own lives.

Reflection on God's Faithfulness and Our Disappointment with Him

Lord, those who hope in you shall not be disappointed, but only those who wantonly break faith. - Psalm 25:3

Promises like the one contained in the above verse should strengthen our faith. When we hope or trust in God, we will not be disappointed. However, some do trust God for specific things; and they do become disappointed with God, because he does not grant them their requests. Do these instances make the promise a lie? Of course not.  


When we ask God for something that we know is his will for us because he has revealed it in Scripture and Tradition, then we can have full confidence that God will give us what we ask. An example would be when we ask God for the strength to resist temptation and become saints.


When we ask God for something that may or may not be his will, then we can have full confidence that God will give us what we ask if it is good for us. An example would be getting a job for which we have interviewed.


Let us always depend on God's faithfulness, whether it is in giving us what he has promised to give us in his word, or whether it is in giving us only what will bring us closer to him.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052012-ascension-of-the-lord.cfm

Left to its own natural powers humanity does not have access to the "Father's house," to God's life and happiness.  Only Christ can open to man such access that we, his members, might have confidence that we too shall go where he, our Head and Source, has preceded us. - CCC, no. 661

Christ's return to the Father in the Ascension reveals the depths of his love for us who could never have access to God; for now, within the Trinity, is Christ's glorified humanity; and what is true of him who is our forerunner will be true of us who are united to him by faith and love: we will have access to the Father's life and happiness in glorified humanity. 

However, the benefits of Christ's Ascension are not only in the future; for even now, as our high priest, our Lord constantly obtains for us the grace of the Holy Spirit through his intercession, so that the love of his Kingdom might reign in us.  In other words, our Lord, through the Holy Spirit, is changing us from sinners to saints, so that we might merit the glory of the Father's house and obtain eternal redemption.

Because Christ is such a wonderful Savior, let us keep our hearts fixed on him who is our strength and support.

Reflection on the Sun's Glory and God's

One of the greatest objects God has made is the sun.  Its light can blind the human eye and is a contributing factor in the change of seasons.  Its heat is unfathomable; in no time, it can burn human skin.  Yet, to God, the sun is nothing.  Its light does not bother him, nor does its heat.  It is not a mystery to him, for he understands it fully.  The sun's glory is nothing compared to the glory of the One who created it.


If we are in awe of the sun, let us pass beyond it to the God whose majesty and glory are infinitely greater.  Let us bring the gift of ourselves in worship of Almighty God.

Reflection on Praising God Always

"Why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me?  Hope in God; I will praise him still, my savior and my God." - Psalm 42:5-6

It is easy to praise God when we are feeling good and in a good mood.  It can be difficult, though, to give him thanks when we are sad and in a bad mood.  In the above passage, the psalmist was depressed, yet he still praised God for being his savior and God.  The truth is, God's goodness to us is not conditioned on how we feel; so that, if we feel good, then his goodness is upon us; but if we do not feel good, then his goodness is not upon us.  God's goodness to us is a fact whether we feel it or not.  The psalmist understood this.


Let us, by God's grace, force ourselves, as it were, to worship God when our souls are not cast down and when they are.

Reflection for Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051712-mass-during-the-day.cfm

Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. - John 16:20

There is a peace and joy that comes from being at the center of God's will.  However, this does not mean that grief and sorrow are not part of the Christian life; they are, not only because they are an ordinary part of life, but also because there is some pain involved in becoming a disciple of Christ.  Overcoming the effects of original sin and becoming saints involve focus, discipline, and sacrifice.  

It is these latter difficulties that those who do not love God, but who live for the world, do not experience.  In that sense, their lives are easier; however, the end of this manner of life is eternal separation from God.  The end for us who are committed to God's will is eternal joy and peace in God's presence.

Let us keep in mind our Lord's words above: the world might rejoice now while we "suffer" to be conformed to Christ; but if we persevere to the end, we will forever rejoice as we see Christ face to face.

Reflection on Two Kinds of Laughter

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream.  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. - Psalm 126:1-2

There are two kinds of laughter.  The first is the laughter of the world, which is refreshing for a while but doesn't ultimately satisfy.  The second is the laughter of God, which comes from God's saving love and sets us free to be authentic human beings.  This laughter satisfies us at the deepest part of our being and is permanent.  


The laughter that comes from God comes from the amazement that we have finally found the One for whom our hearts were searching all along.  We had become disillusioned from the laughter of the world, and maybe we had even given up hope that there was anything out there that would make us truly happy.  But now, God has set us free from this bondage; so our hearts are joyful.  


In light of God's saving love, let us offer ourselves to him today.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051512.cfm

How were Paul and Silas able to sing joyfully songs of praise to God after they had been severely whipped and thrown into a dark prison?  If these things happened to us, I think many of us would be discouraged and maybe a little disappointed in God for allowing them to happen while we were doing his work.

The joy and hope Paul and Silas experienced could only come about through the Holy Spirit making them confident in God's love.  The same is true for us; therefore, let us ask the Holy Spirit to stir up the courage he gave us in the sacrament of Confirmation.

Reflection on Ceaseless Prayer

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, St. Paul commands us to "pray constantly".  This does not mean we have to live like hermits who say vocal prayers all day long.  It does mean we have to have an awareness of God's presence and a readiness to respond to him at all times.  One way we can cultivate this "God consciousness" is by praying the Morning Offering below and by renewing it several times throughout the day.  (We can renew the Morning Offering by simply reminding ourselves of the commitment we made through it.  We do not need to pray the entire prayer after we have prayed it in the morning, although it would not hurt if we did.)

O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father.Amen.

Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051312.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us to remain in his love by keeping his commandments, so that his joy might be in us and our joy might be complete.  Joy is a perfect and permanent contentment, and as Jesus says, is found in being in the center of God's love and will.  Joy cannot be found anywhere else in the world.  Joy can be present even when we suffer.


May Christ keep us close to himself, so we can experience the joy he has for us.

Reflection on Happiness and God's Commandments

"In the way of your testimonies, I was made happy as with all riches." - Psalm 119:13 (LXX)

There are two fundamental aspects of our hearts of which we are aware every moment of our lives: we want to be happy, and we know right from wrong.  As we grow closer to the Lord, we come to realize that these two aspects are related: our desire for happiness is satiated when we follow our consciences by doing the loving thing and avoiding the unloving thing.  The psalmist, in the verse above, experienced this; he received much happiness as he walked in the way of God's commandments.  He had the same happiness from doing God's will that he would have received if he had won the lottery!  Actually, he had a better form of happiness, because only God can satisfy the human heart; riches cannot.


May God strengthen us to do his will, so we might experience the lasting joy that comes from obeying our consciences.

Reflection for Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051112.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus calls himself our friend, and says that he has shown that he is a true friend by laying down his life for us on the cross.  It is pretty amazing that the Lord of the universe would make himself the friend of us sinful mortals.

Jesus is the best friend we will ever have.  The question is, what kind of friends are we?  Do we show we are good friends by doing what Jesus commands, which is to love one another by laying our lives down for each other?  I am sure we are doing this to some degree, but we could excel still more.

In addition, close friends are transparent with each other; they wear no masks.  Jesus has been transparent with us by revealing all he learned from the Father.  Are we transparent with him?  True, he knows all about us; nevertheless, do we allow ourselves to be vulnerable before him?

May our Lord open our hearts to see what a good friend he is to us, so we can be good friends to him and our neighbor.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050812.cfm

As Paul and Barnabas visited the churches, they exhorted the believers to persevere in the faith by telling them that it was necessary for them to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

The same exhortation to persevere in the faith is given to us, for we too must endure many trials and temptations if we want to enter heaven.  Because God loves us, he wants us to be in heaven with him.  Everything he allows in our lives is meant to purify our souls so that we will possess the love that will merit heaven.  He always has this glorious end in view.

With the strength provided by the Spirit of the risen Christ, let us follow the exhortation of Ss. Paul and Barnabas to persevere in the faith.

Reflection for Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050712.cfm

In the first reading, St. Paul talks about how God showed his goodness to the Gentiles (non-Jews) by providing rain and crops, which filled them with nourishment and gladness.

In the same way, God provides us with every good thing to show us a Father's love and fill our hearts with joy.  This is why we should refer every good thing and event to God with grateful prayer.  For example, the other day, my wife and I sat on the couch and watched a few innings of the Yankees' game on my iPad while our children played in the playroom.  Moments like this are gifts from God; and if we use them with gratitude to God, they can help us grow in our relationship with him.



May God open our eyes to see his goodness present in every moment.

Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050612.cfm

In the second reading, St. John the Apostle lets us know how we follow Christ's command in the Gospel to "remain" in him: "And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.  Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them...."  So, we remain or stay connected to Christ by faith and love.


The thing that can separate us from Christ, and that we need to avoid at all costs, is grave sin. A grave sin, for the most part, is a violation of the Ten Commandments.  If it is committed with full knowledge of its seriousness and with full consent of the will, then its consequence is mortal, that is, it kills the virtue of love in the heart, and thus, separates us from Christ and his Church.  One cannot commit a grave sin and love God and neighbor at the same time.  If, however, a grave sin is committed without either full knowledge or full consent, then its consequence is venial, that is, it weakens the virtue of love but does not rupture our connection to Christ and his Church.  Grave sins are normally forgiven in the sacrament of Reconciliation, provided we sincerely repent of them.


May Christ help us to stay connected to him through faith and love, and to avoid all sins, especially those that are grave.

St. Faustina on Temptation and Suffering

After going through what St. John of the Cross called "The Dark Night of the Soul", St. Faustina offers some wisdom on God's presence in suffering and temptation, and our soul's inability to see it:

"After such sufferings the soul finds itself in a state of great purity of spirit and very close to God. But I should add that during these spiritual torments it is close to God, but it is blind. The soul's vision is plunged into darkness, and though God is nearer than ever to the soul which is suffering, the whole secret consists in the fact that it knows nothing of this. The soul in fact declares that, not only has God abandoned it, but it is the object of His hatred. With how great a malady are they eyes of the soul afflicted! When struck by divine light, the soul affirms that this light does not exist, although it is precisely because this divine light is so bright that it is blinded. Yet despite all, I learned later that God is closer to a soul at such moments than at others, because it would not be able to endure these trials with the help of ordinary grace alone. God's omnipotence and an extraordinary grace must be active here, for otherwise the soul would succumb at the first blow (Divine Mercy in My Soul, no. 109)."

So, according to St. Faustina, during times of temptation and suffering, God is nearer to the soul than ever; but the soul does not know this; rather, it incorrectly thinks God hates it and has abandoned it.  The only thing the soul can feel is the desire to sin or the pain from the suffering.  In addition, God allows the soul to experience temptation and suffering to purify it and bring it closer to himself.


May we take St. Faustina's wisdom with us today as we deal with temptation and various forms of suffering and self-denial.

Reflection for Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050412.cfm

"Let not your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me".

When the Lord allows suffering in our lives, it can be very tempting to lose our faith in his goodness and presence in our lives.  We may stop believing that he knows what he is doing with us.

In today's Gospel, the Lord encourages us to trust in him when our hearts are troubled.  He lets us know that he goes to heaven to prepare a place for us, and that he permits suffering to prepare us for that place.  As Christ's suffering was for his glorification, so our suffering is for our glorification; everything must serve this end.

May God help us never to lose our faith in him.

Reflection on Trusting God in Temptation

"Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear." - Isaiah 65:24

We are surrounded, both within and without, with many temptations every day.  The saints of old experienced God's faithfulness in times of temptation, and they constantly call us to trust him.  However, trusting God when we are being tempted can be difficult, especially when the desire to give in to the temptation is so strong.

The promise from God in Isaiah above should give us hope and increase our trust.  Even before we call on God to help us resist temptation, we can be sure that he has already come to our aid.

The holy men and women of old experienced God's faithfulness in their fight against sin.  Let us be inspired by their example, so that we can trust God and experience his fidelity to us.

Reflection for the Memorial of St. Athanasius

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050212.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus says he does not condemn the person who does not observe his word; because he came to save the world, not condemn it.  Of course, on judgment day, that word will condemn those who did not repent; but in this life, God's mercy rules the day.  Thanks be to God!

There are times when our consciences condemn us.  If this guilt leads us to flee to Christ in hope and repentance, then it is of God.  If, however, it leads us to shrink away from him in despair, then it is not of God; for Christ says in today's Gospel that he does not condemn.  He desires to show us mercy, not point the finger.  If Christ convicts us of sin, it is to lead us to his mercy, not away from it.

In light of such love, let us be among those who hear Christ's word and observe it.

Reflection on Mark 4:35-41

In this Gospel, a major squall comes up while Jesus and the disciples are on the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus is sleeping in the heart of the boat, just like he slept in the heart of the earth during the time he was in the tomb.  Jesus is awakened, as he was in the resurrection, and commands the wind and the waves to stop.  The wind and waves obey, which shows Jesus is God and has authority over these things, just like he does over sin and death.  Upon seeing this, the disciples become afraid with great fear, and they ask: "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"

Jesus is God, so the wind and sea follow his word.  Let us do the same.