Taking Us By The Hand

"Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him and the boy stood up." - Mark 9:27

I've been going through a dry spell with God lately. I just keep feeling like I don't do enough for Him, I'm not good enough and don't deserve Him. I'm too much of a sinner. I told a friend of mine yesterday that when I feel like this, I usually try harder to pray more and more and end up getting angry with myself because I become distracted and lose interest in praying altogether. But this morning, I read this verse from the gospel according to Mark and it really spoke to me. I realized that I am trying to do too much - doing too much for God is good, but I was missing something very important… God. I was depending on myself rather than on God to do the work, as if I was so powerful and didn't need Him. Jesus lifted this boy up with His hands and that's the only way I can get out of this dry spell, by praying with patience and waiting for Jesus to pick me up. I can fuss about this all day, but until He picks me up, I'm not going anywhere.

The big idea here is that we really need to learn to become solely dependent on God and learn to get rid of our self-reliance. Every time God wills it, He gives us the grace to accomplish something new, and no matter how hard we try, unless Jesus gives us His hand, we just aren't capable of doing it on our own. As of today, I am at peace about myself because I'll just rely on Him instead of beating myself up about things, and I'll rely on Him to bring me forward when I'm ready.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, please give me Your hand. I am a small little thing before You, a horrible sinner that would fade away if You ever left me. I recognize that You are the Lord of my life and I count on Your Divine Providence for everything. In Your Name we pray, amen.

God Does Not Tempt

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'This temptation comes from God.' God is never tempted and He can never tempt anyone. Instead, each of us is lured and enticed by his own evil desire. Once this desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death." - James 1:13-15

I know people who get angry at God for their own sins. They think that it's God's fault that they're an alcoholic, for example, or that God put them in a sinful situation to test them. As Saint James wrote in this epistle, God does not tempt anyone. On the contrary, it is our own desires that lead us to sin. You are fully aware of what is right and wrong, and when you have the option to sin and you take it, it is nobody's fault but your own.

Don't blame God for your weakness. We are all susceptible to certain evil desires and it is our job to rely on God and ask for help in combating them. God doesn't get you into sin, but He's the only way out of it.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord, help me identify those areas in my life in which I am weak and sin. Help me to realize that it is nobody's fault but my own. I ask for the strength and conviction to do Your will everyday of my life. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Healing The Wounds

"I have loved you everlastingly, so I have kept for you my mercy. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt." - Jeremiah 30:3-4

Around my junior year of college, I was on vacation in the Dominican Republic visiting my family. My parents were playing a video of my 5th birthday party and I seemed so happy. I actually remember some of it. The next day I was flying back to New York and my dad asked to speak to me privately before I left. He told me he was filled with sadness as he watched the video because he wasn't with me in any of the scenes. During that time my father wasn't a follower of Jesus and was more concerned with his own life and lifestyle than he was with his family. He told me he was sorry because he realized instantly that I grew up with an emptiness in my heart since he wasn't really there for me when I was little. I've had him always with me since he was called by Christ when I was about 11 years old, but until he said that to me that day, I never realized I had that pain and loneliness inside of me. As he spoke to me, so tenderly, asking for my forgiveness, I broke down in tears uncontrollably. It was like someone opened a faucet and my heart hurt so badly. I never knew I carried all of that so deeply inside since I was a little girl. We cried together and prayed together asking God to heal all those wounds, all the results of the sins people carry and pass on to someone else.

We all suffer from so many wounds. You have those you know about that are fresh, you have those older ones that have left scars, but you might even have those that you suffered so long ago that your mind has suppressed them. So many people even carry around the sorrows their mothers endured while they were in the womb and don't understand why they find themselves sad and lonely at times. This is why we need so much of Jesus, because He is the cure for all wounds, no matter the cause and no matter how deep. The Lord loves us and wants to see us healed. He has promised to not only heal, but to restore and rebuild us in His Word, and we need to seek that healing. And in His great mercy, He is even capable of taking us back to the beginning to undo those things that have scarred us so deeply. For King Hezekiah, God actually put back the hands of time to restore his life… so what can't your God, who loves you so much, do for you if you ask?

Today's Prayer:
My God, like a loving father, You pick us up when we're hurt and cure our wounds. I feel like a child in Your arms who is vulnerable and needs so much of You to make me better. Please see my pain and be my only joy and consolation. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Stains

"He guides me through the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." - Psalm 23:3

For the past week this verse has been resonating with me. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like a treasure. I know I've found that treasure inside of me, but it was dirty and I've been trying to polish and clean it. The reason this verse has been resonating with me is because sometimes I feel I'm really close to having it clean, and then God reveals even more dirt and grime, and all sorts of gunk stuck to it, the results of my selfishness and pride, and the hardest things to clean. The surface stains are easy, it's the deeper stains that are really tough to see and remove. It's painful.

Last Wednesday, God showed me something about myself that I didn't know I had in me. I guess I knew, but I didn't pay it any mind and I never thought it was bad until that night. Another deep stain to remove and even more reason to give thanks to God because, truly, the only good in me is Him. Everything else in me seeks my own comfort and my own reward.

We all have this treasure inside of us. The Lord leads us through paths of righteousness because I think that this treasure is a mirror that needs to reflect His image, His love, and His mercy… if only we can work on getting it spotless.

Today's Prayer:
Oh Lord, You are so good in showing me all the things inside of me that are soiled. I am so grateful that You, in Your mercy, have taken me to mold me into a reflection of Yourself, despite how slow and difficult the process is. I am so very far from perfect, but I can do all things in You who strengthen me. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Help The Call To Sinners

"When Jesus heard this He said, 'Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.'" - Matthew 9:12

One of the ugliest things people can do is refuse to go to church or a religious event because of who else is attending. I have heard people say they don't go to church because there are worse sinners inside than outside. They feel holier than the people in the church because they perceive their own sins to be nothing in comparison. People that think like this are so wrong! If we see "bad people" in the church, let's give thanks to God that they are at least trying to change, even if we see them sinning the moment they walk out! Afterall, how many times haven't we fallen? As Jesus told the Pharisees when they complained about Him visiting a tax collector, He came to call the sick. It is not our business who God calls or who God forgives. He sets each of us on our own paths to salvation. For our part, we need to support sinners on the road to salvation. Glory to God who is on the verge of receiving a new soul! We should never criticize who is looking for God because what is in their hearts is only known by God and no one else. Worry only about yourself and making sure you are right with the Lord.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, show me how to be merciful as You are merciful. Blind me to the sins of others and give me only admiration for the souls that decideto seek You, despite their weaknesses and shortcomings. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Cleanse Me of Guilt

"In your great compassion, blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil. For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sins ever in mind." - Psalm 51:3-5

Have you ever caused someone pain and the fault is entirely yours? It's one of the worst feelings ever. It really eats away at you and you wonder how you could ever make it better. This is a tough situation and if you're lucky, the person will forgive you, but how can you forgive yourself? King David sinned greatly against God when he committed adultery and had the woman's husband killed. When his eyes were open to what he had done, in his remorse, he wrote this psalm. This is what we need sometimes, right? For God to help us forgive ourselves, for God to just come in and completely cleanse us of the pain, the shame, and the self-hate. No matter what you've done, God wants to help you forgive yourself. With a truly repented heart, David went to God, bowed down before Him because he knew God was the only one who could help. Trust in God like David trusted in God. Ask God to cleanse you… ask God to create a new heart in you like He did for David. We are called to repentance, but God doesn't want us to punish ourselves by holding on to guilt.

Today's Prayer:
My Jesus, search my heart and see that I am repented. I know I have sinned and the weight of that sin is pressing down too heavily upon my heart. Please help me release it. As You did for David, create in me a new heart and I will be white as snow. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Be On Your Watch

"Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." - 1st Peter 5:8

It's funny that Saint Peter describes the devil as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour when we usually fall into temptation left and right without noticing. If we actually saw the devil as a roaring lion, we would run away, wouldn't we? But so many of us run toward him and away from God without giving it a second thought. Peter was right in telling us we need to be sober and alert because the smallest slip on our part sets us on the road to keep on falling. The devil is a very real threat to our souls and he's anxious to make us turn away from God in very subtle ways. Being in the wrong company or even missing our night time prayer just once is enough to give him an edge on us. He takes any opportunity to start telling us that it's ok not to pray, ok to miss church, ok to treat someone with disrespect because they did it to us. He's a liar and in order to keep him far away, we need to be awake to reject all of his lies. Pray whenever you get the inspiration to so that he can't get in the way of your faith and what God is doing in your life. Don't ever let him deceive you, but be on your watch.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that my soul is strong but my flesh is weak. Help me to remain strong in You so that I never let my defenses down against the devil. In Your Name we pray, amen.

What ARE You Doing?

"Brothers, what good is it to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you." - James 2:14

Being a good person is often viewed in terms of what we don't do. Someone could say, "I'm a good person; I don't cheat, I don't kill, I don't steal." Great! Good for you! But now tell me… what ARE you doing?

A sin of omission, holding back on a good we could have done for someone, is just as bad as actively committing a sin. When an opportunity comes for you to help someone, you better believe that's God putting that in your way for you to lend a hand. It could be the time someone asked to borrow 20 bucks, although you knew they wouldn't pay you back. It could be the time that annoying person called you because they needed to talk to someone. It could be that woman you saw carrying all the bags to her car by herself. The bible says that even the demons believe in God and tremble, so if you say you believe in God and pass up these opportunities to actually do good for people God has put in your way, how is your faith any different than that of the demons? In the end, God will decide we're good people based on the work we did for Him, not from just believing. How do we show God we believe if not by the actions we take?

And don't stop at just helping out when a situation arises… look for these situations! Talk to someone who is depressed about the love of God! Be inspired to be a blessing for others. It's not all about you and what you need from God! There are people going through serious hardships, and if you want God to bless you, you better be willing to be a blessing to other people. Saying you believe in God can't save you, but living a life dedicated to the service of others will.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in the same way You spent Your life serving others, I want to spend mine doing Your work. Help me see those that need my assistance. I am here to do Your will, My Lord. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Jesus Freak!

"Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?" Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!" - Matthew 7:21-23

Why is it that I am met with so much resistance when I want to pray with someone or talk about God? It seems to me that I would have more friends and people wanting to talk to me if I spoke about wild nights and getting wasted as opposed to the fact that God wants to be everything for us… He wants to make up for the friend that betrayed you, give you love for the partner that doesn't show you affection, be a crutch when you need support. Yet the people that don't want to hear about God now become expert knee-benders, church goers, and bible-holders when an accident leaves a loved one in a coma, when a serious illness hits, when someone goes to jail, or someone is about to lose their house because they can't pay their bills. Where are they when life is good? The fact is, that soon or in a couple of years, I, like each and every single one of you, am going to die, and on that day, I will have to face my God, and on that day, I WILL NOT care about who calls me a "Jesus freak" today, who avoids talking to me because I want to talk about the love of God, or who tries telling me that I should take things easy. The only thing I care about, that matters to me, is that when I die, Jesus will know who I am. Therefore, I am NOT compromising on my faith and I WILL continue to try to do the will of God, because as far as I am concerned, when I call out "Lord! Lord!" I'm getting through those doors and joining all the other Jesus freaks!

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, it is so hard to live with Your joy and do Your will when most of the people around me only seek their own needs and desires. Help us to remember that this life is short and in order to live it righteously we need to put ourselves aside and do as You have taught us. Give us the strength to persevere. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Your Sin Remains

"Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'we see,' your sin remains.'" - John 9:41

From the time we learn to walk and talk, our parents teach us what is right and wrong. We're not supposed to lie, cheat, steal, hurt others, etc. It's really not as simple, though, as we get older, is it? Suddenly, those things that we learned we're not supposed to do, become things that aren't that big of a deal to do. Things we tell our friends about, but would never tell our parents. Because all of our friends do it, and the people we watch on tv, it becomes the norm and then it's not necessarily bad.

Well, wrong is wrong, no matter how many people commit the sin. Think about certain things in your life where you are committing a sin, but don't feel it's so bad, although you are very well aware it is a sin. I feel this is part of Jesus' message to the Pharisees. As teachers of the law, they had very clear definitions of what everything meant. They knew the law from A to Z, and yet, they were the worst sinners Jesus ever encountered! The Lord's mercy knows no end, but it will not get you off the hook for doing something you know for a fact you're not supposed to be doing! The Pharisees said they could see, meaning they understood and since they understood, they could not be forgiven. Those who do not know the law could never be held accountable for the sins they commit, since they do not see. In the same way, you, if you know what is wrong, and you do it anyway, your sin remains. This is the type of sin that ruins your relationship with God. It separates you from God's grace, making it hard for your soul to find its way back. That's why those deep in sin keep falling and have a tough time recovering. Never carry this type of burden around. It's a dead, needless weight and only leads to more sin and death.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I see but am actually blind to many sins I carry. Give me the strength to do away with what disappoints You, what my conscience tells me that is clearly wrong, but I find myself doing anyway. I know all things are possible with You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Mercy

"For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17

All of my life, I have followed the correct path. I hardly ever gave my parents any trouble. I was the teacher's pet and have always been called the goody goody by those who know me. Because of this, I painfully confess, I have often judged others because they weren't like me. I wouldn't admit it then, but now I realize I thought myself better. All this time I have been really good at following the law, doing what's right and staying away from bad. But my heart had been in being proud of myself for being right, while true goodness from the heart was lacking.

God has given us His law, but each of us knows the difference between right and wrong. What about mercy? Mercy is an undeserved gift from God. That is what Jesus brought to us with His life, death, and resurrection. True love and kindness have been given to us by Jesus. That means that because He loves us, not because we have been good, and even when we've been bad, Jesus forgives us without merit. He washes away sin. He washes away guilt. He washes away any pain we carry in the heart. It really doesn't matter what we've done in the past. God doesn't look at us like I would have in the past. If you weren't "good' like me, I would have thought less of you. But not God. The further you feel from Him, the more He wants to hold you, embrace you, keep you safe in His arms. He doesn't seek our righteousness but our mercy… that we love others in this way. That we see that we all come from the same Father. This way, no one can ever feel better than anyone else since all we have is because God has been loving and merciful, and has blessed us.

Please, don't make the same mistake I've made if you feel this speaks to you as well. Ask Jesus to bless you with His mercy. We are all flawed and have all sinned, yet the Lord loves us despite of all these things. Abandon yourself in His mercy and share it with others.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as imperfect as I am, with all my bad thoughts, deeds, and attitude, you still choose to love me and walk with me. I could never deserve you, but please change my heart. Humble me and make me pliable. Work through me and show me Your perfection. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Crucifixion

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery:
The Crucifixion of Our Lord

"There they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what each should take. People passing by shook their heads and insulted him, saying, "Aha! So you will destroy the Temple and build it up again in three days. Now save yourself and come down from the cross, if you are Son of God." In the same way the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law mocked him. They said, "The man who saved others cannot save himself. He trusted in God; let God rescue him if God wants to, since he himself said: I am the son of God." From midday darkness fell over the whole land until mid-afternoon. At about three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabbacthani?" which means: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? As soon as they heard this, some of the bystanders said, "He is calling for Elijah." And one of them went quickly, took a sponge and soaked it in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave him to drink. Others said, "Leave him alone, let us see whether Elijah comes to his rescue." Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up his spirit." - Matthew 27:35,39-43,45-50

A friend of mine asked me why I have to make these messages so bloody. And yesterday, when I asked my 17 year old twin brothers to pray the rosary with me and meditate on how Jesus was beaten, they complained and said, "ugh! We don't want to think about that!" But we do have to think about it. We have to imagine each wound, each blister, each drop of blood and each tear Jesus shed because He shed them because of our sins. When the prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming of Jesus, he wrote: He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins… but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all (Isaiah 53:5,6). As bloody, horrible, and gruesome as it is, you must know that if our sins weren't that serious, such a violent death would not have been necessary! Because we constantly sin, do horrible things, and turn away from God, all that Jesus went through in His passion, all the blood shed, all the injuries sustained, was 100% necessary. That's how serious our sins are!

Upon the cross, Jesus cried out "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Do you think He said that because He felt God didn't care? No, the reason He said that was because even when He was being crucified, there were people who wouldn't acknowledge or have respect for what He has done for us. Still, while dying on the cross, after all the good that He did, people wanted signs in order to believe. What other signs could you possibly want at this point? Don't be like these people and demand more proof from God in order for you to believe and give your life to Him. The proof is the cross and the blood shed for you is enough reason!

Today's Prayer:
Mary, mother of our Lord, I know you watched in immense pain as they killed your son. I also know you watched Him die, praying that the price He paid would be enough for all to believe in Him. It hasn't been enough, Mary. Pray for us sinners so that we may never take the cross for granted and live our lives following Him.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls into Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Holy Week

"He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend." - Philippians 2:8-10

When we were younger, we attended Mass during Holy Week and it was an obligation. The dressing up, the sitting and standing, and the long readings were tedious. This week, as we begin to observe Holy Week, we must recognize that we are no longer children, and approach the upcoming days with reverence and adult faith. This week, we meditate on the fact that being God, Christ chose to lay down His life for our sins. This isn't just a story or something that happened a very long time ago, but it's the very core of our lives and our salvation. If as an adult, you have decided that you believe in Jesus Christ, then observe this week in respect and reverence. God always extends an invitation to follow Him, but use this week to meditate on our own lives, our own sinfulness and the way Jesus came to Earth to serve us. Don't go through this week following the routine, but ask the Lord to let this week come alive for you. Think about the way the Human Jesus must have felt entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, knowing He would be put to death. His peers were about to condemn Him and His friends about to betray Him. And at the end of all this, He would resurrect, breaking the hold death had on us for so long. For the price Jesus paid, we no longer need to fear dying because He gained for us a much bigger reward with the Father in Heaven.

As adults, I ask all of you to please let your faith come alive this week. Attend the Masses, go to confession and reconcile with God, read the bible, meditate on Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection. We are no longer children, but adults that should know that our salvation is a very personal matter. It is our duty to make the time to show respect to the Lord who has given us life.

Today's Prayer:
My God, in the Name of Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, I ask You to reveal Yourself to us during this Holy Week. Let those most in need of Your mercy come to reverence the passion, death, and resurrection of Your son, so that we may never die. In Your Name we pray, amen.

While In The World

"For everything in the world - the craving of the flesh, the greed of the eyes and people boasting of their superiority - all this belongs to the world, not to the Father. The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain forever." - 1st John 2:16-17

Being young, it is so easy to get carried away by the things around us. We always admire those with status, those who drive nice cars and can buy expensive things. There's certainly nothing wrong with these things, but never let them define who you are. The person you are should have nothing to do with wealth or how fly your kicks are… one day you will leave all these things behind. Instead, focus on what truly defines who you are - your faith, your values, your morals, and these all come from God. While you're young, have fun and get to know all you can, but remember these things never last long. A wise person builds up what's inside and what can be carried over when this life is over.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, in my youth, help me to appreciate and get to know the world around me, but please never let it define who I am or be central to my life. Help me build on my faith so that I can grow in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Go To Confession!

"If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness." - 1st John 1:9

At the start of Lent, I urged you all to go to confession and wash away sin and the guilt and remorse it causes. Now, just a few days before the start of Holy Week, I want to urge you again if you haven't already. During this week 2,000 years ago, Jesus gave up His life so that you and I could be cleansed of the wrong we do. More importantly, His death wasn't about making us do something to make up for our sins, but to heal us from the pain of sin. God is loving and knows the regret and the heaviness that we inflict upon ourselves when we fall into things we shouldn't have. It leads to conflicts within ourselves, with others, and with God. Through confession, you are bringing to the light those things that need to be washed away, so that in the Name of Jesus Christ you can be forgiven, healed, and brought back into full communion with the Lord… no matter what you've done or how long it's been since your last confession. God is longing to forgive you and heal you.

Since it's the weekend and the start of Holy Week, churches have confession on Saturdays and during most of this week. Please call your church, go online, or look at the bulletin to find out when the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is being held. Spend time meditating on the areas in your life where you have fallen short and bring those things to the Lord.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You died for our sins on the cross and it is only right that we take full advantage of Your sacrifice by confessing our sins. Search me Lord and show me what I need to bring before You for cleansing and healing. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Held Accountable

"If any of you should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and fall, it would be better for you to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a great millstone around your neck." - Matthew 18:6

In January I held a prayer group because I felt God telling me to organize it. I put it off for a bit but He kept insisting. It took a lot out of me to put together because I'm a shy person and didn't want to harass people into attending, although I knew God had a purpose for everyone there. Tonight, my mom told me she bumped into someone whose daughter had attended that night. I don't know the girl. Someone else had invited her. Her mother told my mom that she was transformed that night. She received such a special call from God that all she wants to do is pray, go to church, and read the bible now. Although this is really great news, it scared me. God kept insisting that I put this together and it took so much out of me to silence myself and let Him work. It took so much out of me to even stand before people to talk about my faith. What if I hadn't listened and this young girl, a stranger, would have never received the love of God that night? But more importantly, on the night, God was able to act because I prayed and let myself be guided by Him, but how about who I am 95% of the time? How about who I am when I'm not praying as much? How about the Audrey that gets cranky with my brothers and is quick to snap when things don't go my way? What kind of example do I set then? The girl is just one person who I won over for God because I was praying so much, and I wouldn't have even known about her if my mom hadn't seen her mom. But I wonder how many people I have led into sin when I'm far from God and don't listen to Him. One offense, one bad word, one bad example could have led so many to sin and I would never know, but God knows and I'm sure He's keeping count. Ninety-five percent of the time I'm not who God wants me to be and I'm ashamed of that. Ninety-five percent of the time I could be causing others to sin and that is not acceptable to me.

If there are any of you that are hurt or offended by anything I've done, I am deeply sorry. Sometimes our own ignorance and insecurities lead us to harm people and we never even know it. Please know that if I've ever done anything to any of you, it's been because of my own faults, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I'm ashamed of a lot of things I've said, done, and thought, and hope you pray for me as God continues to mold me.

My prayer for tonight is that each of you meditate on your own actions and see if you think you've led people towards God or away from God by the examples you've set. Sometimes it's not the people we live with who we influence the most, but those whose lives we affect when casually walking by. We never realize how the smallest action or gesture on our part can significantly affect the soul of another person. I've heard that in the final judgment, God will show each of us all the souls that were lost and all the souls that were won because of us. Please pray so that we can correct the mistakes and offenses we've made and can work to bring the love of God to those who need His mercy. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Hypocrisy

"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and not see the plank in your own eye? Hypocrite, take first the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clear enough to take the speck out of your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:3,5

What makes the scandal surrounding Eliot Spitzer so shocking is that he was a man that made it his career to go after people for illegal activity, yet he was involved in criminal acts himself. It's not shocking that a man would sin, after all, we are all sinners, but in his case, would the public outrage have been as severe if he hadn't made it his job to prosecute so many people? Jesus says do not judge and you will not be judged and I think that what He means is that we all need to recognize our own human weaknesses and faults so that we never condemn others for theirs. We are too quick to condemn someone for certain acts, yet we are sometimes guilty of the same things. This makes us guilty before God because He sees our sins on a daily basis, yet we put others down without mercy. Is it that we think we are beyond reproach? Is it that we think we are better than others? Lately, when I catch myself judging someone, I remind myself that I have probably committed the same act I'm judging, or that I'll probably do the same if I were in the position. God is merciful and I know that in recognizing my hypocrisy at the moment, He will forgive me. It's hard to stop judging from one day to another, but know that in realizing it's something you need to work on, God will help you through. It is much better to humble yourself and recognize you're a sinner, then to walk around with your head held high only to be found out as a hypocrite.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, search me and make known to me all the sins I have committed against You and others. Put them before my eyes always so that I become aware of what I really am and not who I think I am. Help me not to judge others for their sins, but to instead help them in returning to You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Forgive Others

"If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in Heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either." - Matthew 6:14-15

A good thing to do throughout the day and especially before you go to sleep is to examine your conscience. I like to think about everything I did, everyone I spoke to and think if I offended anyone. A sin is any action that lacks love, so if I said anything mean about someone, if I judged someone, or even if I chose not to help someone when I could have, it's all sin. Thinking about all the bad I do during the day really weighs heavily on my heart. It hurts to think of the times I offend God. I especially feel horrible when I find myself judging someone right off the bad. It's scary and sad to think that's the initial reaction that comes from my heart. But as evil as I am, I really know that God is loving and forgiving. And this is why we all need to really pray for help in forgiving others. I, like many of you, carry around wounds for things people have done to me, things that get me upset just to think about! Some people have hurt us so bad that there's no way we could ever think of even seeing them again, but who are we to hold things against others when we do worse to God and He is always, always forgiving? Forgiveness doesn't mean you have to condone what that person did to you. It only means that you have decided not to hold the grudge and live free of the weight on your shoulders. When you do this, God forgives you for all of your offenses. Then you would be free to have a more open relationship with God and get to know Him better, instead of carrying around pain for the grudges you are harboring. We all want to be better people and this is one of the most important steps in achieving that. We can't be in peace with God unless we're in peace with those around us.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I think of people who have hurt me and I get angry, but then I am humbled when I think of how You have forgiven me time after time. You call me to be perfect, like our Father is perfect… although that is so hard for me to attain, help me to get one step closer each day. In Your Name we pray, amen.

God's Mercy

"I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live." - Ezekiel 33:11

Today's Old Testament reading was about a beautiful woman who was falsely accused of adultery by two elders and almost put to death if God had not helped her. Paralleling this story in the New Testament, we hear the account of the adulterous woman brought before Jesus to be stoned. Here is where Jesus says those famous words - let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Susanna, the woman in the first story, was innocent and God spared her life because of His faithfulness. The adulterous woman brought before Jesus was indeed guilt, and God spared her life because of His faithfulness. This should teach each of us a very valuable lesson: God does not want to see any of us die or be humiliated; He wants us to convert and live prosperously. Jesus said to the adulterous woman, go and sin no more… therefore, before the eyes of God, we are as valuable as Susanna if we resolve to turn from our sin and follow God.

Another lesson in these stories is that we need to be as merciful to others as God is with us. How many of us would rush to convict the adulterous woman because she committed a sin? Forgetting anything we ourselves have done, we bring judgement upon others as if we were completely blameless. God, who is all good and wise, does not treat His people with vengeance, although we might very well deserve it, so we should learn to treat others, in all respects, as children of the Lord.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am so evil at times and judge harshly those around me. Forgive me Lord and give me a generous, compassionate heart so that I can treat all others with the love you have for me. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Compromising On What's Right

"Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" - Genesis 3:1

That serpent really is the craftiest of all the creatures! Eve knew exactly what God had said. She heard perfectly clear what He said and what she should do. And what happened to Eve happens to all of us. We know what's good for us. We know the difference between right and wrong, and we are also smart enough to know what to do in the gray areas. We have enough experience to foresee the repercussions of our actions. But what happens when sin comes before our eyes? At least in my case, things start to get fuzzy. Knowing myself, in Eve's position, once the devil comes to tempt me, I would definitely question myself. For example, if the question would have been, "is this apple red?" and I was being tempted to answer that it wasn't, I would start thinking, "well, it's not technically red… it looks a little yellowish in some areas and a bit burgundy on this side." The point is that we know what the right answer is but if we're weak, and faced with temptation, we find ourselves compromising and rationalizing on what we want the answer to be compared to what we actually know it is. As smart as we think we are, the devil totally blind sides us into believing the opposite, although most times, in our hearts we feel we did wrong.

Think about the areas in your life where you do this. Do you have a problem with alcohol, or do you tell yourself you can control it? Do you need to ask forgiveness over a grudge you're holding, or do you tell yourself that person deserves it? Are you questioning your immoral sexual behavior, or do you tell yourself that everyone is doing it and it's not a big deal? Do you have a real excuse for not attending mass every Sunday, or do you tell yourself you don't need to go to church to worship God? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. I'm sure you already have the answers in your heart. The right answer should leave you at peace with no guilty feelings at all. If you consistently choose to sin, what you need to do is realize that you are compromising on the answer. You're sinning like Eve in the garden. Be strong about what you know God wants from you and act on it!

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, I hear Your voice, I know what is right, but it is so hard for me to actually go through with what is good. Cut through the temptation, make me stronger, and help me to consistently choose the path which leads to You. In Your Name we pray, amen.