Ordinary Time

God is the author of all our hobbies; the director of our recreation and guide on our vacations; the maker of your loved ones; the giver of love, joy, and peace. God wants you to delight in these things and know they are His gift to you. But we don't always recognize His sacramental presence in them, whether due to pride, contempt, or fear. To admit to these weaknesses in our lives and surrender them to God, taking them to confession to be healed, leads to a renewed sense of awe and joy.
 
Readings at this Mass: Ez 2:2–5 | 2 Cor 12:7–10 | Mk 6:1–6a

God wants so much to save us from those moments of death and sin. "Do not be afraid," He says, "just have faith." He wants us to rely on Him and His Most Sacred Heart. He is here for you and me, so ask Him to carry you, to restore and renew you, to strengthen you and remind you that you are wholesome, you are imperishable, and you are created in God's image.
 
Readings at this Mass: Wis 1:13–15; 2:23–24 | 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13–15 | Mk 5:21–43

If 99% of our time is spent living for ourselves, focused on our agenda, relying on our own powers, it'll be hard to turn to the Lord or sense His presence when we need Him. So start training now, so you'll be ready. If you've gotten lazy, recommit to daily prayer. If it's been awhile, go to Confession. When you get out of bed in the morning, offer your day to God before doing anything else. Let the Lord into those broken places and allow Him to become your strength and still point.
 
Readings at this Mass: Jb 38:1, 8–11 | 2 Cor 5:14–17 | Mk 4:35–41

Our lives are a day-to-day movement toward or away from God. Like a child learning, it's a function of baby steps. Consider this your homework for the summer. Take measure of where you are in your faith today and again at the end of the summer. Try not to be in a hurry; instead, be patient, open to God's grace, and attentive to His still, small voice every day.

We ought to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to carry out the will of God for each one of us as brothers and sisters of Christ. How do we do that? In the moments of our daily life which we seem to be pulling away with temptations and discouragement, while asking whose voice it is that we are hearing, we can call upon the Holy Spirit by saying: “Come, Holy Spirit, Come!”

God calls each one of us to love and to care for one another. Human beings are made to be in communion with each other in physical and embodied ways. When we bring care, love, and support to others, we help them to experience Christ’s compassion and healing touch.

Jesus knows suffering. He knows doubt. He knows abandonment. In fact, by his suffering, he expresses in the most profound way that he is I AM. He is with us. Let his name reverberate in your mind. May it help remind you that God does indeed care, and that, in both your darkest moments and your greatest triumphs, I AM is with you always.

We don’t need to go searching in all these other-worldly places – or even in the more usual worldly places – for meaning and purpose and empowerment. God has a plan for each of us, a purpose he’s held for us since before the world began. You begin discerning your life’s purpose by being faithful to the duty of the present moment.
The great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote, “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” So, why not live for God?