Titus 1:1-9, Psalm 24:1-6, Luke 17:1-7

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shine like lights in the world

as you hold on to the word of life. Phil 2:15D, 16A

Titus 1:1-9, Psalm 24:1-6, Luke 17:1-7

Titus 1:1-9

My soul's beloved, Paul journey of faith is one that must be reflected in our lives as well. Humility is realizing that he is after all but a slave of God first and Your Apostle called from darkness into Your marvelous light in order to show the world that You choose anyone and often Your choice falls on the one least likely to be chosen for You do not judge as men and women do. Paul reveals that even before time began the Father intended that His perfect Love for His children would be made perfectly visible in You. Faith in You binds us one to the other as one family with the Father, with You our Brother, the Holy Spirit our Paraclete and with the saints in heaven. We are Your Body made visible and tangible in Your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are saved by You, purified by the Blood of the Lamb, and grafted to You by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Just as Paul appointed Titus to continue the work he had begun, so too each of us in our own vocation in life have been entrusted with shining Your light in the world. We are called to live blameless lives so we do not give scandal to those who believe and those who do not. We are called to live in the world but not to be of it. We are called to embrace and practice all the teachings of the Church and not pick and choose what we will believe and what we will cast aside. As Your witness in the world Paul tells me very clearly the kind of witness I am called NOT to be, "........as God’s steward I must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents." This means that I must be constantly vigilant and hold myself in check exercising discipline and self-control always. Thank You for grace and the Holy Spirit to help me for I could never be pleasing to You without His constant help.

Psalm 24:1-6

My soul's beloved, I thank You for the hope of seeing You someday face to face. Until that time I do see You with the eyes of faith in the Adoration Chapel hidden in the Host. In the tabernacle where I know You are present behind the closed door. When I receive You in the Holy Eucharist when we truly become one in spirit and one in flesh. I worship, love, and adore the Father and I am so grateful that He deigned that You give Yourself to us so completely. You whom the heavens cannot contain and for whom the earth is a footstool comes into my heart and for a while my souls holds infinity. Help me to keep my hands sinless and my heart clean. Take away from me all those desires that keep me from living a life of fullness and grace in the Holy Spirit. Continue to keep me hungry and thirsty for Your love and continue to bless me and all whom I love so that someday we may all come into Your Presence and there praise, worship, adore and give You thanks together with Mother Mary, the angels and the saints.

Luke 17:1-7

My soul's beloved, You are aware that we are constantly faced with temptation. We are bombarded from all sides and there will be occasions when through moments of weakness we will succumb and fall into sin. However, You are compassionate, full of mercy and loving kindness, and when we are truly contrite and repent You will forgive us all our transgressions. But here You warn those who deliberately lead others into sin. Those who entice Your little ones, those who rob them of their innocence, those who unashamedly for profit sell terrible sins in attractive packages just as the Satan enticed Adam and Eve with the forbidden fruit. Woe to these You say for a terrible punishment awaits them. However, we too are called to be on guard always, to be vigilant so we do not fall into the trap set for us by the Enemy who knows all our weaknesses only too well and does not rest until we slip and fall headlong into the miry depths of sin. We are called to help each other along the way to the Kingdom. We are called to forgive as we we have been forgiven. It should be enough for us should someone say, "I am sorry." We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. The Apostles on hearing all that You had to say realized that they could not make it on their own, they needed help  and so they asked for an increase in  faith. But You said to them as You say to us today, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree,‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”  Thank You my soul's beloved for the free gift of faith granted to us at Baptism and continues to be given to us as we receive the Sacraments.