DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS: Amos 7:10-17
My Beloved, here we find the priest Amaziah upset becaus Amos is doing the job he was appointed to do but neglected to do so instead he is tickling the ears of the King Jeroboam and instigating him to get rid of this man of God.
The truth is often unpalatable, we prefer to close our eyes to things we know are not right and need to be corrected. We would rather lead ordinary lives devoid of challenge, we would rather muck in shallow waters and drag our souls in the mud than soar on the wings of the eagle and ascend Mount Zion where we can touch the Divine and be transformed. We prefer to shut our ears to the truth and and get rid of the messenger rather than heed the message of life and be converted.
Amos prefigures You Beloved, like You he too has been sent by God. He leaves behind his livestock and orchard to obey God's call and preach a very unwelcome message to the people of his day. In the same way You too, in obedience to Your Father, left Your glory behind and obeyed Your Father's will to become one like us in order to establish the Kingdom here on earth. You came to call sinners to repentance. Amos did what God commanded. He was unafraid and he gave the message without watering it down to make it more pleasing to the people of his time.
If we do not repent, if we do not turn away from our wickedness, if we do not turn back to God, if we defile all that is divine and divinely ordained, we too can expect distaster, destruction, and damnation which will be followed by death. Your message is clear and You say to each of us, "Let those who have ears hear."
The law of the Lord is the law of love and when the Spirit of this Law dwells in our souls, He animates us and gives us life. The Eternal Word of God, made Incarnate of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. He makes simple souls wise with the wisdom of God.
The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is Your Bride and our Mother. She administers the Sacraments to her children. She teaches us through the Magisterium which is the teaching authority of the Holy Mother Church and her teaching is free from error as guaranteed by her Bridegroom. In being faithful and obedient to her teachings and instructions we live joyful, happy, fruitful lives and draw others too into knowing, loving and serving You.
God is love, my Beloved and though He is always stopping over me in tender humility may I never forget what an unworthy sinner I am. May my all consuming love Him small though it is for I am little, make me tremble lest I sin against His love and turn away from Him. Your holy Word tells us that the fear God is the beginning of wisdom and His ways are the ways of righteousness, justice and truth. Such knowledge is more precious than any that the world can offer. Your Word my Beloved, is a light to the eyes, a lamp to the feet. Its goodness and sweetness fill the mouth and delight those who hunger and thirst for Truth.
My Beloved God, grave sin paralyses the entire being and leads to the death of the soul and the spirit. The dead weight of sin renders us powerless to rise up and stand. Sin is a refusal to love and it causes deep wounds that can never be healed by the power of men. As long as we choose to lie down in the bed of sin we will remain bound to it. Only the love of God and the power of His Word can release us, cleanse us and help us to begin anew.
There will always be those with tunnel vision, like the religious leaders, Pharisees and Scribes of Your day. They have a dark and narrow view of everything and are ever ready to criticise, carp and quibble about everything. All they bring with them is dissension, division and gloom. There was so much to admire and praise in this healing that You performed. There was the affection of the friends for this paralyzed man. There was their lively faith in carrying him and bringing him to You for healing. Your perception in seeing the problem and recognizing the cause of the man's illness. When they heard You forgive the man's sins they should have wisely concluded that You had the power to do so since they had heard You preach, teach and were witness to the miracles You performed. The physical healing of the man's body carried more weight with them that the supernatural healing of the soul. So You satisfied their mundane desire of the flesh by revealing that You indeed had power to heal both body and soul - and both are the prerogative of God alone.
Thank You for permitting us to hear the same beautiful words You spoke to the paralytic in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, "Courage my child, Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace." Once again we stand free in the freedom that comes from being children of God and once again we return home to our Father's house.
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