DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS: Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19
My Beloved, the images described in these verses are images of Your Church, the daughter of the New Jerusalem. The lives of some of her anointed have given rise to great scandal and they have brought the Church to her knees in shame and the shame of her members. Their actions have weakened the Church to such a degree that she seems incapable of rising up again without great difficulty. Her Vicar and her faithful are struck dumb, for there is no defense when the most innocent and vulnerable of her little ones have become victims of evil. The entire Church is now called to make reparation not only for those in the hierachy who have sinned but also for the majority of her members who have long since departed from the path of Life commanded by the Master of the Gospel of Love. The remnant who are faithful offer repentance by fasting, they moan with tears in order that You may once again bring new life to Your Body. No longer are the young fed on the truths of the Church and they fall by the wayside because they are unable to withstand the weakness that comes from a terrible famine and drought of holy things and a lack of the Holy Spirit. Those on whom they rely and who are entrusted with the obligation of raising their children in the faith have themselves been unfaithful. They have long since chosen to walk in the paths of unrighteousness and deceit. They have allowed their morals to be shaped and formed by the false gospel preached by the world and now their children too are dying spiritually and morally.
Within the Church have been found false prophets who for decades have preached a false doctrine on matters of faith and morals. They have twisted the truth to make it more palatable to themselves and to those who choose to be cafeteria Catholics.
There is a slow awakening to the realization of the depths to which we have sunk as well as to the depth of our need to return back to You. Already there are cries rising up to the Mercy Seat to have pity and hear Your faithful who cry out to You night and day to relent from Your fierce anger and to bring us Your saving help.
My Beloved Jesus, if the Father had not tied His own hands by sending You to die for us sinners and thus save us, He would have destroyed the world several times over by now. It is Your Blood, the Blood of the Sacrificial Lamb without spot or blemish, the acceptable Saving Victim for our sins that holds back the wrath of God.
God of mercy bring us back and we shall be saved.
In today's Gospel reading we hear of two healings - one was performed upon the request of the army captain for his paralyzed servant and the second healing was that of Peter's mother-in-law whom You healed without being asked. You visited Peter's home, saw his mother-in-law was ill, You stretched out Your hand and at Your touch the fever simply vanished.
Beloved, there are many people who are paralysed by sin and although they wish to be healed they are unable to help themselves? Do we approach You and intercede on their behalf? Is our faith strong enough to make the prayer of the captain our own? Do we believe that God is powerful and His Word is capable of setting free those we pray for from all bondages of sin? And after we have prayed do we believe with complete confidence that what we have asked in faith will in fact be granted to us even if the answer is not one we expected?
When You come into our homes do You feel so welcome, so at home, so at ease that You can approach us without an invitation? Can You reach out with the ease of a familiar friend and touch us and pour out Your healing grace and power into our souls, hearts, minds, bodies and spirits so that we can experience perfect healing in all the areas of our life? And what is our response to this gift? Do we get up at once and begin to serve You?
