John 14:21, Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11, Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14

Daily Inspiration:  John 14:21

21 Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father; I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.”

Beloved, merely saying Lord, I love You is meaningless unless I do all that You ask of me. Your  commandment is a commandment of love to both God and neighbor and it manifests itself in service.  I love You with all the fervor of my soul and You assure me that I can be certain that Your Father loves me too.  You also make the most wonderful promise that You will reveal Yourself clearly to those whom You love.

Help me to see You not only in myself but also in my neighbor because You reside in us both. Teach me to love, serve and respect everyone I encounter because You are in them.  As for me Beloved, all I need do is close my eyes and in the stillness of my soul find You there.

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Daily Mass Readings:   Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11, Psalm 27:1-3, 13-

Isaiah 42:1-7

Here again the prophet Isaiah speaks of You as God's Chosen One who reveals His mercy to us.  You are empowered by God's Spirit to proclaim the Good News of our salvation.  You do it with love and compassion and being mindful of how weak we are You take us by the hand and You strengthen us with the Sacraments.  You feed us with Your Body and Blood.  You cleanse us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and You pour out Your own Holy Spirit on us to be our Helper, Consoler, Comforter, Paraclete and Guide.  Your Covenant of Love binds us irrevocably to Yourself and if we cry out to You, You will lead us from blindness to sight.   You can set us free from the slavery of sin no matter how deep we may may have fallen into its clutches.  You can and will set us free if only we have the humility and confidence to ask.

John 12:1-11

Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus has given us for all time, a demonstration of the nature of love.  Mary, Your Mother, the sinless one loved You totally.  Mary, the one time public sinner, who never forgot that You saw her as a person to be loved and not as an object to be used, also loved You totally.  Her life was split way down in the middle - the first half was her life before her encounter with You and the latter half, her life after You had touched it with grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness.  Night and day, darkness and light, the despair of sin and the deep seated joy of knowing that the past is as if it had never been.  She is aware all the time that she is one who has been forgiven much and therefore she loves much.  The burden of her sins was lifted off her soul and consigned into the ocean of God's love where it  disappeared without a trace.  

The beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is that one has the chance to wipe the slate absolutely clean and start over.  There are no, more encouraging words, than these, "Go in peace, your sins are forgiven."  Make no mistake of the fact that it is Christ Himself who speaks through the priest who in Persona Christi, says those comforting words.  I have experienced the joy of stepping out of the confessional feeling myself light as air and filled with unfathomable peace and joy.  Only Mary would know what she owed Christ as she broke that expensive alabaster jar of perfume and anointed the feet of the Lord. The most wonderful, heavenly fragrance of God's unmatched forgiveness flooded the room and the very heavens.

 Psalm 27:1 3, 14

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation

– whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the rampart of my life;

I will not be afraid.

3 Though an army encamp against me,

my heart will not fail;

though war break out against me,

 I will still be confident.

14 Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous

–        yes, put your hope in the Lord!