Isaiah 2:22, Jeremiah 18:18-20, matthew 20:17-28, Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16

Daily Mass Readings:  Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28, Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isaiah 2:22

Rely not on man who has but a breath in his nostrils.  What is his worth"

My Beloved, if man has any worth it is only in relationship with You.  In You, through You and grafted into You, we have infinite worth for we claim the merits You have won for us. Apart from You we are useless and all the good we do are mere filthy rags.  We rely on You for every breath we draw.  At any given moment, we can only draw one breath in and out before we can draw the next one that You breathe into our nostrils.  May I always rely on You alone, for all things are possible in and through You. Apart from You I am only fit to be thrown into the fire to be burned.

Jeremiah 18:20

How often in the world we find that evil is repaid for good.  There are few grateful hearts.  When the people whom you have lent a hand to climb up and become more successful than you, they do not wish to acknowledge the help you once gave them lest they will be expected to return the favor or because they do not want to feel beholden to you.  They prefer to ignore you or even worse, they plot your downfall. Such is the world.  A truly grateful heart is one that is also humble.

Matthew 20:17-28

Beloved, if we follow You we can be certain that You will take us to the Father but we have to walk the way of the Cross - there is no other way, no shortcuts, no detours, no easy way.  You gave Yourself over in total surrender to the plan of God even though You were fully aware what that would involve.  The very chief priests and Pharisees who were supposed to uphold and honor the truth, plotted Your destruction because they wanted to safeguard an earthly kingdom where they ruled as despots.

You knew what awaited You -a most brutal passion at the hands of the Roman soldiers and the blood thirsty mob who, instigated by the chief priests, would bay for Your life.  But You also knew the end of the story, You would be raised to life on the third day.

Sometimes as parents, we come before You humbly kneeling before You and make petitions for our children that are not in line with God's will.  Whatever sacrifices they make, these cannot be used as a bargaining chip with You.  What we give up in surrender we do because we love and for no other reason.  When we lobby for important positions, we can be sure to stir up the envy and suspicion of others because each one is eyeing the important places and each thinks they alone are fit to occupy them.  That's the way of the world.  To jostle, nudge, push, trample, and kill in order to take the first place.  

In the Kingdom of God there are very different principles in place.  The first are last and the last are first.  The Humble are exalted and the proud are despised.  The poor in spirit are raised and the rich find it difficult to detach themselves from their possessions and so fall by the wayside.  The Master must make himself a servant and must serve those less fortunate.  Our whole life must reflect You as we strive to imitate You always.

Psalm 31:6, 14-15

6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

14 I hear whispering among the crowd, rumors that frighten me from every side – their conspiracies, their schemes, their plot to take my life.

15 But I put my trust in you, O Lord, I said: “You are my God;”