Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 71:1-4a, 5-6, 15 & 17, John 13:21-33, 36-38

Daily Holy Mass Readings:  Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 71:1-4a, 5-6, 15 & 17, 

                                                        John 13:21-33, 36-38

Isaiah 49:1-6

My Beloved, God before whom all lies open and bare, desired from all ages to set You over and above all.  When He created man out of love, He knew that we would choose to rebel and disobey Him, that is why, He called You, His most Beloved Son, to be the perfect Model for us all.  A Model of humility and obedience.

The mission entrusted to You by Your Father on earth seemed like a total and hopeless failure.  There You hung on the Cross battered, bruised, crushed, forsaken, naked, mocked and abused as You died a slow, horrific death by asphyxiation and total dehydration.  It seemed that God took a mighty gamble and lost. And then after three days of waiting, exactly like the grain of wheat that You spoke about that must fall into the ground and die in order to bear fruit, so also You rose again in glory and triumph and You and Mama crushed the head of Satan and ground it in the earth with Your heel.  Then we have Your Ascension into Heaven and the Pentecost and as they say, the rest is history.

There is no triumph like the thunderous, awesome, glorious triumph of the Cross and all that goes with it by way of suffering, self-abnegation, sacrifice and even the seemingly ultimate outrage of life and death and yet You rose again in glory and You reign in majesty at the Father's right hand.  From there You will come again to take Your own with You so that where You are we too may be.  Maranatha Lord Jesus, Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 71:1-4a, 5-6, 15 & 17

Verse 3

 

3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress.

John 13:21-33, 36-38

My Beloved, during those last hours You gave Judas every opportunity to repent and to turn away from the terrible evil he was plotting to betray You into the hands of Your enemies.  Every loving, merciful gesture only served to strengthen his resolve and harden his already hardened heart. He sat there brazenly beside You breaking bread with You as he had done so many times before. Shamelessly he ate and drank Your Precious Body and Blood and he ate and drank damnation to himself and Satan entered into him.

Was I any different my Beloved before my conversion, before sorrow and the pain of loss of a well beloved first born child brought me to my knees in repentance, contrition and shame for the evil that I was guilty of having done repeatedly in my sinful past?   Have I too not been guilty of denying You over and over again and breaking Your commandments?

But You are a God of love - You stooped from heaven to cradle me in Your arms and forgive me.  You wiped away my tears and strengthened me.  You accepted my tears of repentance and my humbled and contrite spirit of remorse.  You restored me to full fellowship with You.

Thank You Father for all that You have accomplished for us through Your Eternal, Incarnate Word who became Flesh and dwelt among us.  Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who inspires us, leads and guides us in the way of Truth.