The Day After

   Yesterday was Thanksgiving; for what were you thankful?  We gather each year, visit with friends and family, eat too much food and perhaps drink too much as well. But did we take time to give thanks for all we have?  Did we acknowledge God and praise Him for the many blessings in our life?

   Did we take the time to remember those who are no longer with us and give thanks for the joy they brought to our lives?  Did we perhaps mend fences with those we may find difficult, replacing estrangement with love?

   Many did not have a table full of food, some weren't able to be among friends and loved ones.  If we were among the those whose day was full of laughter, love and food we should take the time to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father.

   We celebrate this day each year and it is good to take a day to give thanks.  Hopefully we remembered to thank our Lord who makes it all possible.

Father, you bless us in so many ways.

Be with us as we gather.

Help us to recognize Your great love.

We give You thanks for our many blessings

Amen

What God Sees

   When we look at someone, whether family, friends, or strangers all we see is the exterior.  We notice many things such as height, weight, race or age.  Though we may have some insight into what is within we can’t be certain.  Regardless the outward appearance, within is a child of God, perhaps struggling or in pain.  Someone needing our prayers.

   Unfortunately we are very much a visible society.  We have ingrained biases that have been taught us by others or in childhood.  As we mature we set many of those aside, however, some remain deep within us.  We place far too much importance on physical appearance with no understanding of the person within.

   When God looks at us the exterior is not relevant, it is the soul that He sees and loves.  He sees an immortal soul given by Him that may need healing.  He sees the struggles and sorrows we experience and offers His consolation and peace.  He sees a child of God who may not only need the love of a Father, but also the chastisement appropriate for one who is loved and cherished.  He sees one who may be lost and needs a Shepherd to lead them home.

   “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  (Gal 3: 28).  These words of St. Paul show us the way we should see others; as one in Christ Jesus.  Outward appearances are just that, appearances.  What matters is the heart and soul.

Father, You created everyone in Your image.

You love each of us with an eternal love.

Help us to see others as Your children.

Help us to love.

Amen

Trust and Faith

   “So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’”  (Matt 14: 29 – 30)

   When Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on water he trusted in Jesus.  When he became concerned for his life, his trust and his faith faltered.  He began to sink.

   Peter’s example is one that comes to mind often when I consider my faith and how much trust I have.  Would I have the faith to walk on water if Jesus should call me?  Or would I, like Peter, lose faith and fear for my life?  I’m not sure what the answer is but I would hope that I would continue to trust in my Lord and have faith that He has dominion over all things, including the winds and the waves.

   I think of my life and the ups and downs I’ve experienced.  We all have our crosses to bear and they can challenge our faith in the Lord.  There have been times when I’ve questioned God and His purpose.  When trust and faith is tested by great tragedy it can be hard to persevere.  Our troubles can consume us, overcoming our trust.  It’s then that we will begin to sink just as Peter did.

   My answer is prayer.  Prayer that even though I can’t understand His purpose, God will give me the strength to continue in faith and trust in Him in all things.  If I try to explain or make sense of it I fail; if I relinquish it to God He grants peace and solace.

   I suspect there will always be times when maintaining trust and faith will be difficult.  By offering those times to Him in prayer, I can unburden myself and He will give me calm in the stormy seas.

Lord, You are always here.

You beckon me to come to You in faith.

In trust I give myself to You.

Increase my faith and trust I pray.

Amen

Christ the King

   Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday.  For Catholics this is the culmination of the liturgical year.  Next Sunday will be the first Sunday of Advent.  I find it very appropriate that we close the Church year celebrating Christ as our King, the King of heaven and earth.  The King who, unlike other kings, came to serve rather than dominate.

   Throughout most of history kings have been in total control of all aspects of the lives of their subjects.  Virtually nothing could be done without the express consent of the king.  Land was owned by the ruler, crops and all the land produced were the property of the king, meted out according to the king’s desire or whim.

   Jesus changed the definition and image of what a true King should be.  Not a domineering tyrant but a loving shepherd who cares for and even offers His life for His flock.  Nothing is demanded, all is sought out of love and mercy.  He has no use and no desire for earthly riches but cherishes the souls of those who believe.  A King whose concern is for the well-being of His people.

   There is, however, a catch to accepting Christ as King.  He will not be satisfied with being allowed limited access.  He wants all of us.  It’s as if an invited friend insisted on touring every part of your home, offering advise on improvements that could be made.  In our society we would consider that an unwelcome intrusion but in Christianity we are to willingly open ourselves totally to our King.  Our prayers are that He will enter every aspect of our life, helping us to increase our faith and love.

   The Israelites were expecting an earthly king as the Messiah.  They weren’t prepared for and refused to accept the heavenly King sent to save them from their sins.  Let us open our hearts, souls and minds to our Lord and King, offering all to Him and His will.

Jesus, You are the King of heaven and earth.

I welcome You as the King of my heart.

Dwell within me I pray.

Teach me Your ways that I may spend eternity with You.

Amen

Humility

   “Growth in humility is powered by the simple desire to become like Christ.”  (Michael Casey, “A Guide to Living in the Truth; St. Benedict’s Teaching on Humility”)

   If we want to better understand humility and how it is to affect our lives we need look no further than our Lord Jesus Christ.  His was life of humility and we would do well to do our best to follow His perfect example.

   When I consider that the Son of God humbled Himself to become one of us I am amazed and eternally grateful.  Not only did He become man, but He did so in the same manner as all men.  Born of a woman, a helpless infant, laid in a manger for His bed.

   He could have come as an adult, but He chose to experience humanity in its’ fullness.  In this way, He was like us in all things but sin.  He chose to enter the world as a baby in need of the loving care of His parents; without it He would have died like any other baby.

   Our Lord suffered the rejection of those He had come to save.  The religious leaders conspired to have Him killed.  Peter, on whom He would build His Church, denied Him three times and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss.  And yet, He never lashed out against them.  He accepted His rejection with humility while continuing in His efforts to save those who were intent on killing Him.

   He lived His life totally in the will of the Father all the way to the cross.  Even on the cross His humility remained; He forgave those who were putting Him to death and committed His spirit to the Father.

   How can I, as stained and sinful as I am, dare to aspire to the humility of my Lord?  I can and do because it is His way, the way to the Father.  My pride sometimes gets in the way, my impatience troubles me and my sins humble me in sorrow.  Still I will continue to try my best to live a life of humility to please my Lord.

Jesus, You humbled Yourself to become man.

You gave up Your glory to offer me salvation.

Help me to emulate You in all ways.

Guide me according to Your will.

Amen

God Wants Me

   I am an imperfect man.  One who sins even though I don’t want to.  Many times I have failed to live in full accord with God’s will.  And yet, He wants me.  He wants to make me holy.  He wants to make of me a saint and welcome me into His heavenly kingdom.

   I’m sometimes amazed that my Lord truly loves me and wants me despite my shortcomings.  Certainly there are many holier than me, those who sin less than me.  But God is more interested in what I will allow Him to do with my life rather than with past mistakes and failures.

   I enjoy reading about the saints because it’s proof that saints aren’t born, God makes them when they allow Him to fully enter their life.  Many were great sinners in their earlier lives.  For years St. Augustine practiced heresy and lived a life of sexual immorality.  When He finally gave His life to God he became one of the greatest saints of the Church.  There are numerous stories of sinful men and women who became saints once they gave God permission to change their life.

   Nothing in this world can make me holy or a saint.  Only God has the power to raise me above my imperfections and sinfulness to live in His presence throughout eternity.  I can’t earn holiness; I can only aspire to it and give God my consent to make me holy.  He will not force me, but if I will let Him, He will change my life as He has so many others.  If I sincerely seek holiness He will grant it.  He wants each of us to be holy and live with Him forever in heaven.  What a loving, forgiving God we have.

Lord, make me holy.

Make me a saint.

I give You my life.

Use it to Your holy will.

Amen

Thinking of God

   Is He the burning bush Moses saw?  Is He the whisper Elijah heard on the mountain?  Who is God; what is God?  We spend a lot of time thinking of God and trying to figure Him out.  We want to know how and why He does the things He does.  There are so many questions we would like to have answered.

   I’ve come to believe that spending too much time trying to understand God is not only futile but, in some ways, detrimental to my faith.  I’m much better off to simply accept that God is, as He told Moses, “I AM”.  I don’t know for sure what that means, but maybe it’s God’s way of telling me not to concern myself with His identity but to submit myself to His will.

   I think it’s far more important to know what God thinks of me that what I think of Him.  When He considers me and my life is He pleased or disappointed.  I suspect that it is a bit of both.  I try to please Him in the way I live, hoping that I am successful at least some of the time.  However, I’m also well aware that I am far from perfect so I’m sure I also disappoint Him at times.  I pray that I please Him more often than I disappoint Him.

   I believe that God sees me as His son even though I sometimes sin against Him.  He is a loving Father who continues to love me even in my failures.  I hope that He sometimes smiles when He considers me; that I have somehow made Him happy.  In humility and sorrow I seek forgiveness and mercy for the times I may have brought tears to Him.

   Most of all I hope God thinks of me as a son who will accept His will in my life in all things.  I know that life is never perfect; there will always be good times and bad.  In the good times I offer praise and thanksgiving for all He does.  When bad times arise I reach out to Him for comfort and solace.  In all times, in all ways He is there, thinking of me.

Father, You exceed all understanding.

Your ways are far beyond me.

Let me simply love you and serve You.

Let me be a son you can be proud of.

Amen

Sunrise

   Sunrise is my favorite time of day.  It speaks so beautifully of God.  It overcomes the darkness of night, giving light to see the majesty of His creation.  It signifies a new beginning, one in which God will be with us as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.  Regardless our state in life the rising sun brings hope for the new day.

   Walking or sitting outside as the sun begins to make its’ appearance is such a wonderful way to start the day.  At the first signs of light the birds can be heard praising the beginning of a new day.  There is joy in their song and we can share in that joy.  Soon they will be going about the business of gathering the food provided them by God.

   The squirrels venture from their homes seeking the nourishment needed for the new day.  They too are fed from the bounty God provides.  They almost seem to be playing with each other at times; chasing about as if they are playing a game of tag.  Watching them can take away the blues and bring a smile.

   The sun brings to life a new day.  The Son of God brought forth a new way of life.  Dawn dispels the dark as Jesus dispelled the darkness of sin by His life, death and resurrection.  He is the rising Son of salvation; His resurrection overcomes death and brings life anew; it changes all things.  Arise from sleep and awaken to the joys of sunrise and the risen Son of God.

You bring such beauty and majesty to my life.

May I always see You in Your creation.

You have placed in my heart the desire to seek You.

Help me in my searching, fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

Amen

Work for God

   “He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands.” (St. Benedict)

   Opus Dei, work of God, is the practice of offering everything we do to God as a form of praying.  It recognizes that we can do nothing without Him and therefore need to honor Him in our daily lives.  In this way we can better follow the advice of St. Paul to pray always; we can make all we do a prayer.  We can never work our way to heaven but by offering our work to Him we can live a life that will help put us on that path.

   Working for God is not a career that ends with a retirement of rest and ease.  It is a lifetime job in which there may be very little rest and more difficulty than ease.  And yet the rewards for doing the job well are far greater than anything this world has to offer.

   There are any number of professions or jobs and they are vital to our own well-being.  But the job of sharing whatever we have is the work of God.  It sometimes seems that those who have the least are the most likely to share with others who have less.  Pride, selfishness and greed keep many who have resources to share from doing so.  Satan would have us believe earthly wealth is only for those who have it rather than sharing with those who need it.

   Whether washing dishes, mowing the lawn or working in a factory we can offer our efforts to God.  Whether a surgeon, lawyer, politician or Priest, we can praise God in our daily duties.  We can pray always and give God our labors in whatever we do.  When coupled with faith, hope and charity we are walking God’s path, the path to retirement with Him in our heavenly home.

God, You bless us in so many ways.

May we offer all we do to You.

Let our labors give You praise and glory.

May we follow the path that leads to You.

Amen

On Loan From God

   Everything I have is on loan from God.  My very life is not my own, but His.  My family and my friends are all gifts from God.  The love of my life was on loan from God.  I had to recognize that when He called her from me.  I called her mine, but she was a gift on loan from God for me to love and be loved.  Our love will continue throughout eternity.

   Each day I arise is a gift from God.  Some days are better and some not so good, but each is given me by my Lord.  He has a purpose for me in each one.  Though I may not know what it is I must simply trust that God knows though He may not always share that knowledge with me.  Perhaps in the next life I will be able to look back and recognize why God gave me each day.

   With this in mind I try to live my life each day as if it were my last, which it may very well be.  So many times we forget that we don’t control our destiny; our lives are not really our own.  Sadly, far too many ignore their own mortality, living as if they have all the time in the world.  Perhaps they may, but only God knows.  If I thank God for each day and live it as if it is to be my last I find a peace that helps me through the bad days and better appreciate the good.

   God has loaned me so many great things; friends, family, faith, love and hope.  He holds the note and He will call for payment when He chooses.  With confidence in His love and mercy, I thankfully accept all He has given and offer it back to Him according to His will.

Father, You have given me so much.

Help me always recognize that I am Yours.

Call me when You will.

Lead me home to You.

Amen

Inner Struggles

   “Be sober, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8)

   There was a great battle in heaven.  The Archangel Lucifer, bearer of light, grew prideful and angry with God.  He sought to be like God.  God’s warrior, Michael the Archangel fought the battle, defeated Lucifer and his followers, banishing them from the presence of God.  They have forever since been at war with God in this world.  My soul and yours is the prize to be won.

   And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen 1: 31).  All that God created was good, but Satan tempts us to turn it to evil in the way it is used.  Money and wealth are good when used to help others and serve God.  Satan, however, tempts us to use them only for our own benefit and greed.  The heavenly rewards we may have gained by their proper use become steppingstones to hell by their misuse.

   Satan tempts us to pervert the blessings of God.  Lust turns love and respect for others into selfish sexual desire.  Gluttony turns pleasure in God’s gifts to excessiveness.  Pride destroys humility, meekness and love of God and others.  Envy takes enjoyment at others success and makes it resentment.  Wrath ignores love and compassion, seeking only revenge.  Greed belittles the blessings of God, always demanding more.  Sloth kills diligence and perseverance in faith and life, creating apathy instead.

   The battle rages within and will continue until this life is at its’ end.  We have an army of angels to help us in our fight.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are on our side and will carry us through the battle.  With heavenly support we can defeat Satan and win the battle within.

Father, the evil one tempts us in all things.

Give us the strength to reject him.

Send Your angels to guard us.

Help us in our fight against evil.

Amen

Psalm 139

   I love reading and meditating on the Psalms.  I especially enjoy Psalm 139; it gives me such comfort. When I’m down and don’t understand why things are as they are I turn to this Psalm with its’ assurance that all is in God’s hands.  His plan is perfect, far beyond my understanding.

   Everything that has happened and all that is to happen is known to Him.  He knows all there is to know about me, He created me and devised a blueprint for my life.  If I submit myself to His will, that blueprint is a map to eternal life in His presence.

   No matter where I go or what I do, He is there.  In happiness and in sorrow; in joy and in pain, He is there.  Nothing I can do will change His love for me and His desire that I love Him in this life and join Him in the next.

   He gave me freedom of choice so if Satan can somehow convince me to change God’s plan for me that is possible.  However, the cost of that decision is loss of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life.  A choice that leads to self-inflicted damnation.  God will never send me to hell, but He will not stop me from choosing to go.

   I take consolation in the fact that God is in control of all I do if I allow it.  I can choose the Father that created me for holiness and sainthood, or I can choose to turn the other way and join Satan.  I have the choice of heaven or hell.  I choose heaven.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting!

(Psalm 139: 23 – 24)

What is Prayer?

   When asked what prayer was for her, St. Teresa of Calcutta replied, “God speaks to me and I speak to Him.  It’s that simple.  That is prayer.”  St. Therese of Lisieux said, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

   These two great saints are an inspiration to me.  Both suffered long periods of darkness in their prayer life, almost as if God had quit listening.  Yet they both maintained a devoted prayer life confident of God’s presence even when it seemed He had left them.  Such faith and devotion is rare and something we all should emulate.

   Prayer is many things to me.  It is a conversation with God; it is enjoying the beauty of God’s creation; it is quietly meditating upon scripture; it is simply contemplating God and His glory.  A simple walk, enjoying the day can be a prayer experience.  At times I seek quiet and solitude, contemplating God in the depths of my heart.  Scripture is prayer; loving others is prayer; giving myself over to God’s will is prayer.

   Prayer helps me appreciate the many blessings God has given and comforts me in the sorrow that life sometimes brings.  It gives me the strength to carry whatever cross I am to bear and gives me hope and faith in the life to come where there is only happiness and joy.

Father, in prayer I turn to You.

I listen for Your word.

I seek Your guidance.

I pray for Your peace and comfort.

Praying Well

   “If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of external things.”  (St. Anthony of Padua)

   I find it very difficult to transition from activity to prayer.  Unless I take some time to clear my mind and settle myself, whatever I had been doing before interferes with proper prayer.  My mind is still concerned with other things rather than on communing with God.

   It’s hard enough to keep distractions out of my prayers so anything I can do to help that situation is a blessing.  If I’ve been watching television I need to turn it off, stop the noise and just relax for a few minutes before entering prayer.  It’s the same with anything else, reading, yard work or whatever.  I need that few minutes of quiet to gain the inner peace necessary to prayer life.

   My desire is meaningful communication with the Lord, so taking the time to put myself truly in His presence by shutting out all distractions and focusing solely on Him is vital.  Though it’s sometimes difficult to find the silence, the benefits to my prayer time are worth any effort it may require.

Lord, the world is so busy.

We seem to always be occupied.

In prayer You are to be all we see and hear.

Help us to quiet our world and be alone with You.

Amen

Stormy Seas

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace!  Be still!’  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  (Mark 4: 39)

   Just as Jesus calmed the sea when the apostles were in fear of perishing, He calms the seas of my life.

   I sometimes think of my life as a voyage at sea.  A small vessel in the seas of a world damaged and disfigured by sin and immorality.  Sailing on the waters of this fallen world I sometimes experience great storms and violent winds.

   There are times when I, like the apostles, fear that this little ship of mine will be swamped and overturned in the storms of evil brought about by Satan.  I fear that my ship is in great danger and about to sink.

   I turn to Jesus in my distress and He calms the seas of my life.  Regardless the trials I face or the crosses I must bear my Lord is always there to see me through.  He gives me comfort and peace and calms the storms of life.

   There is nothing I can do to deserve such love and mercy from my Lord and yet He wills to give it.  The only thing I can offer in return is the life He has given and the many blessings He has bestowed upon me.  I turn to Him and offer everything to Him to be used according to His will.

Lord, the seas of life can be rough at times.

There is turmoil and despair.

It is then You calm the stormy seas.

You restore me and I will praise you forever.

Amen

Past Sins

   “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”  (Psalm 103: 11 – 12)

   Sometimes while sitting quietly in prayer or perhaps even at Mass there comes to mind a sin committed many years ago.  One that has been confessed and forgiven by my Lord.  Where does it come from?  Why am I reminded again of something done years ago?

   It’s usually not just any sin, but one of those that I regret most for having committed.  I’m sure that we all have a few sins that we feel are more terrible that most others; ones that we regret above all the rest.  These are the ones I am reminded of most often.

   I believe it is Satan once again trying to pull me from God.  He’s trying to tell me that this sin was so grievous that it could not be forgiven, even by God.  He sometimes even puts the question in my mind, “Are you sure you confessed this one?  Are you sure it’s forgiven?”  Even though I know it’s another lie from the father of all lies it can be disturbing.

   Over the years I’ve learned that the surest way of handling these events is to immediately turn to the Blessed Mother and ask that she defend me against the evil one.  A heartfelt Hail Mary always does the trick.  I thank Jesus for giving me such an incredible spiritual mother to help me.

   Satan may try as he will and I’m sure he will continue but I rest assured in the promise of Jesus that my sins are forgiven.  It is His strength, His promise that provides certainty to me.  I know, as does Jesus, that I have sinned grievously in the past and I am just as certain that He has forgiven me, and that those sins are removed as far as the east is from the west.

Thank You Lord!

Father, I have sinned against You.

You have forgiven me.

I sin against You still.

And again You forgive me.

Help me to sin no more!

Amen

Be Merciful

   “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt 5: 7)

   The beatitudes reflect the life of Jesus and how He lived.  They are guidelines for us to follow in our effort to model our life after His in as many ways as possible.

   Mercy is something that we all need.  Without mercy Jesus would have never become man to save us from eternal damnation; we would have remained lost in sin.  Because of God’s great love Jesus was born, lived, and died to pay the price for our sins, opening the doors to heaven.

   As He had mercy for us we are to show mercy to others.  Not only those we love but those we would rather not love.  Even those who do evil to us.  Christ didn’t just love those who followed Him, He loved and offered His mercy even to those who nailed Him to the cross.

   In the Lord’s Prayer we ask that He “forgive our transgressions as we forgive those who transgress against us.”  This implies that if we refuse forgiveness we will not be forgiven.  This beatitude is very similar; if we refuse mercy to others, we cannot expect mercy to be shown to us.

   Regardless the offense or hurt caused to us by others, we are to plead that the Father will have mercy on them.  For those who refuse to accept God and reject His ways, we must pray for mercy.  Though we are not worthy the Lord loves and has mercy on us.  As Christians we are to pray for God’s mercy toward others.  We must have mercy; it is the Christian thing to do.

My God, I thank You for Your great mercy.

You have loved me though I am unworthy.

As You have loved and had mercy on me.

May I have love and mercy for all Your children.

Amen

Here I Am

   “And the Lord came and stood forth, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’  And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’” (1 Samuel 3: 10)

   “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’  Then I said, ‘Here am I!  Send me.’”  (Isaiah 6: 8)

   “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’”  (Luke 1: 38)

   God calls each of us.  It may be to do great works; it may be to do small works with great love.  Some are called to the Priesthood or other ordained, consecrated lives.  Though most of us are not called to such a life, we have a calling and it’s crucial that we seek to know it.

   Some are called to sacramental marriage; a relationship that is to mirror as closely as possible God’s loving relationship with His people.  Marriage is one of the most frequent analogies used to reveal the relationship God has with His people.  In a truly sacramental marriage we put forth our best effort to emulate that relationship, committing ourselves totally to the other.

   Many are called to various ministries of the Church; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless.  There are many ways in which we may be called by God, but they are all of importance because they are what God desires of us.

   Few of us are called as clearly as were Samuel, Isaiah and the Blessed Mother.  Sometimes His call is in a whisper that we will never hear unless we prepare ourselves in pray to hear Him in the silence of our heart and soul.  Prayer, patience and devotion are essential to hearing the call of God.

   God calls, He waits for your answer.

Lord, I am Yours, call me.

Use me as You will.

Strengthen me to serve You in all things.

Amen

Belief

   “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” (C.S. Lewis)

   The world provides indisputable evidence of God if we will only look.  The problem is we take it all for granted.  The proofs been there all our lives, so we tend to ignore the incredible miracles that abound each and every day.

   Just as the sun enables us to clearly see all else each day, God helps us to see what lies behind all else; His love, His majesty, His power.  None of what we see and accept as unfailing exists without His will.  He designed and created it and He is the One who keeps it in existence.

   We are no different.  I exist for only one reason, because God wills it.  Should He forget me for even an instance I would cease to exist.  The old Baltimore Catechism says that I was created to “know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.”  A pretty simple answer to the question of why we are here.

   We, however, are rarely satisfied with the simple answer, we want all the details; the how’s, when’s and why's.  When it comes to God, His will and His ways, the simple answer is the best.  In this life we will never truly know God or His purpose.  It is not for us to know, but to accept.

   There are two choices before us; belief or non-belief.  I choose to believe.  I will do all in my power to know, love and serve God in this life so that I can be happy with Him in Heaven.

Father, You want us to come to You in faith.

To trust in things we cannot see.

I ask that You open my heart and soul

I pray dear Lord, strengthen my belief.

Amen

Peace of the Soul

   “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14: 27)

   Jesus gives peace to those who follow Him.  Not the peace of the world but peace of heart and soul.  Peace that overcomes the hardships, pains and sorrows we may face in this world.  He is the source of all true peace.

   The world sees peace as the absence of war or conflict.  The peace of Christ is an inner peace that is there regardless the pains and suffering we may experience.  A peace that cannot be lessened by the trials and tribulations of this world.

   The apostles suffered insults, persecutions and beatings as they spread the word of the gospel.  Most died a martyr’s death.  In the centuries immediately following the life of Christ to be a practicing Christian almost always brought persecution.  Failure to deny Christ often resulted in the most gruesome torture and death.  And yet the martyr’s died in peace, proclaiming the word for which they were happily giving their life.

   Today there are few who would joyfully accept death rather than deny Christ.  Many won’t even speak of their faith for fear they might offend someone.  Jesus foresaw this and even spoke of it in His ministry, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18: 8).

   He gave all for us and our salvation.  He knew the wrath of the Romans, the religious leaders and even that of the people He came to save.  And yet He gave His life on the cross for them and for us.  He offers us His peace, a peace that endures all things.

Lord, You died for Me.

You paid the price of my sins.

Strengthen me I pray.

That I may die to self and live for You.

Amen

Priest, Prophet and King

   Through Baptism we become priests, prophets and kings in God’s Kingdom.  We are no longer a slave to sin but a member of the family of God.  This is not only a tremendous blessing but a responsibility as well.  To be a member of His family carries with it the obligation to live our life according to His will.

   As priest we join with the celebrant in offering the sacrifice of the Mass.  It is offered not only from him but from us as well.  We are participants, not just observers.  Our hearts, minds and souls are to be joined with the Priest in the celebration of the Mass.  We are to be one with each other in love and praise to our Lord.

   People sometimes think of a prophet as one who predicts the future.  In fact a prophet is one who speaks the word of God.  In some instances God gave the prophets foreknowledge of what was to come in order to help save the people from their own sins.  But the prophets were still only speaking the word of God.  They had no knowledge of future events other than what God had given them to share with the people.

   We too are prophets if we speak the word of God.  We are also prophets if we live the word of God in our lives.  Others may hear the voice of God in their own heart by observing our love for one another and for God.  We may not be preaching verbally but our actions can speak volumes about the word of God.

   I’ve always struggled with the concept of being a king in God’s kingdom.  I can’t imagine that I am worthy of such a title.  However, in a sense I can relate being a king, not to any royalty of my own but because I am member of God’s holy family.  A family established by Jesus Christ, the Son of David.  Jesus is the true king of Israel and has adopted me into His family.  As such I am a member of the royal family of God.

   Truly miraculous blessings are bestowed on us in baptism.  We are to take our place in God’s family as priest, prophet, and king.  Let us pray that we may be made worthy.

Father, I deserve none of Your blessings.

I am a sinful man unworthy of Your love.

Still, You love me and shower Your blessings upon on.

Change me Lord, make me worthy.

Amen