Numbers 21:9, Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, John 15:9-17, Psalm 113:1-8

Daily Meditation:  Numbers 21:9

Numbers 21:9

9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

 My Beloved, You continue to plead for us at the right hand of the Father.  He sees You covered with the wounds You bore for our sake and He is moved to forgive, for He can refuse You nothing.  The righteous indignation and justice of the Father is tempered by the mercy that You have won for us.   All we need to do when we are stung by the poison of sin that leads to death, is to raise our eyes to You in contrition and repentance and You heal and restore us to life with the beautiful words of absolution, "Go in peace, your sins are forgiven."

Thank You my Beloved for the remedy to sin in the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation. When I fall, may I never hesitate to come running back to You for forgiveness.

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Daily Mass Readings:  Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, John 15:9-17, Psalm 113:1-8

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

Verse 17 says about Judas, ...  17 He was one of our number and had been called to share our common ministry.

Beloved St. Peter says that one of them who had been called to be a prince in the Church and shared the same ministerial priesthood betrayed You and then hanged himself.   Why then Beloved are the faithful within the Church and Christians outside it scandalized at the terrible perfidy of some of her Bishops and priests?  Does  it offer them an easy excuse to leave the Church and live sinful lives themselves?  Like Adam and Eve is this the inadequate fig leaf they use to cover their own nakedness of which they are fully conscious?  Do they believe that this is a justifiable excuse to turn their back on Absolute Truth and take refuge in relative truth?

The Church will always have those in authority who will err and sin because all her members are sinners.  The merits won for her by You adorn her and make her holy and beautiful, despite the unholy behavior of a few.  Let us not be so easily scandalized, for temptation is all around us.  Let us pray instead for our shepherds.  Let us fast and make reparation for them to remain faithful and holy, for we are all members of the One Body of Christ and our prayers will serve to strengthen her and one another.  You my Beloved, will always draw in new shepherds to serve Your flock faithfully as You did when You called Matthias to join the Twelve.

John 15:9-17

Verse 17 "This is my command that you love one another."

Beloved, this commandment to love is not qualified or conditioned by whether the other is deserving of love or not.  Irrespective of who or what our brother or sister may be, we are called to love just as You have loved.  Our love must always move us to feel compassion for those, who through human frailty, sin.  Love alone can heal the wrong done to wound You.  

You have given us a model on how to love in verses 9-10 and in verse 13 You continue to tell us what perfect love is prepared to do.

All that we need to know for our salvation, You have revealed to us.  Sinners though we are, You call us friends.  It was You who chose us before the foundation of the world was laid and we who are privileged to be cradle Catholics, will stand before You at our personal judgement to give an account of how we have multiplied this priceless talent that we have been given at our baptism.  Did we hide it or did Your light, burning bright in us serve to bring more souls to know and love You?

Psalm 113:5-8

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

who sits enthroned on high,

6 but also bends down to see

on earth as in heaven?

7 He lifts up the poor from the dust

and the needy from the ash heap.

8 He makes them sit with princes,

with rulers of his people.