Thursday, December 22, 2016

1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8, Luke 1:46-56

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!



1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8, Luke 1:46-56


1 Samuel 1:24-28

My soul's beloved, in an age where most people permit their feelings to dictate their course of action they will not understand Hannah's decision to return to the Lord the son that she so ardently prayed for. During the many years that she was barren she was inconsolable and when God answered her prayers and granted her a child one would imagine that she would be ready to give him up. 

My soul's beloved, every relationship like every tree must be fruitful if not, You warn us that it will be destroyed. Hannah was satisfied that God had removed her shame and she was prepared to honor God by giving back to Him that which she cherished so dearly. How many of us who have been blessed with children offer them back to God to serve Him alone in the sure knowledge that He will protect, watch over and bless them? 

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8

My soul's beloved, every prophecy in Scripture reveals the pure joy of living in faith and trusting God to meet every one of our needs. Mary knew this perfectly well when she echoed Hannah's hymn of thanksgiving and praise in her glorious Magnificat to the Lord when she visited Elizabeth. When we take You at Your Word we will know that even when we are poor we are rich, even when we are hungry we are satisfied, when we suffer persecution we are joyful, when we have nothing the world considers necessary to be happy we are exultant because we have You who alone can satisfy our deepest needs.

Thank You my soul's beloved for teaching me more and more every day the value of detachment for all created things in order to be truly in union with You. It is not easy and I make very little progress but thank You for Your patience with me and for not giving up.

Luke 1:46-56

My soul's beloved, it is a shame that our Christian brothers and sisters who love You so much and allow their lives to be directed by Your Holy Spirit refuse to honor Your Mother as You desire her to be honored and cherished. The Church did not understand the immensity of the gift that You gave us from the Cross with Your dying breath but in the two thousand years that have followed she unwraps the gift that keeps on giving. 

How blessed we are to call her Mother, to know that she loves us because we are Your sisters and brothers. She who was one like us understands our weaknesses and she desires nothing more than to draw each of us into a closer union with You for in this alone is our lasting joy. She prophesied that all generations will call her blessed and some day every one in the coming generations will give her the honor that is due to her as the Mother of God and as our Mother.

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