Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9, Psalm 8-:2-3, 15-16, Matthew 10:7-15

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS:  


Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9, Psalm 8-:2-3, 15-16, Matthew 10:7-15

FOR HOW LONG MUST I PUT UP WITH YOUR FOLLY - LION OF JUDAH

Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9

My Beloved, time and time again we read in Your Holy Word how tender and compassionate You are.  While we were yet sinners, You came to save us.  The Father has called His children tenderly ever since we first went astray.  He has a special name for each of us and He calls us untiringly.  He follows us when we stray and He has no rest until we return to Him.  He takes us under His wing, He lets us rest close to His heart, He stoops down from heaven and He feeds us with Himself.  He yokes Himself to us so He can share our burdens whatever they may be - sorrow, fear, anxiety, trials, distress, anything.  He wants to be there beside us and He is prepared to carry us when we have no strength of our own.

You my Beloved became man so You can understand completely how we feel - You weep with us, laugh with us, love with us and hurt when we hurt.  You came to bandage our wounds and to wipe away our tears.  You are so tender and compassionate and there are times we deliberately move away from You; choosing instead to sin willfully and place barriers between us.  At times like these when we act like stubborn, spoiled children You still follow us and with a mighty and powerful roar the Lion of Judah will bring us quietly and obediently into the shelter of His love and protection.  Thank You my Love for being my haven and harbor.

These verses are not part of today's Gospel reading but I love the imagery.

Verse 10-11  10 You will follow Yahweh when he roars like a lion. When he roars his sons will come trembling from the west; 11 they will come with fear like sparrows from Egypt, like doves from As­syria. For I will bring them to their homes again.

Psalm 8-:2-3, 15-16

Good Shepherd, come and tend the flock that belong to You.  There are ravenous wolves and roaring beasts who seek to devour and kill us. We are too silly, too weak and too stupid to help ourselves.  God of love come and save us.  Come down Beloved, leave Your throne beside Your Father and save Your people whom You have redeemed with Your Blood and Your Life.  We are now Your possession.  You paid our ransom.  Come and claim Your Own, place Your seal of ownership upon us.  Keep us always under Your watchful gaze so we will never wander from Your side again.

Matthew 10:7-15

My Beloved, this is the mission that You have entrusted to Your Church and since I am a member of this Church it is my mission as well.  The mandate is clear.  I am to imitate You.  All I have seen You do I too must do as well.  I have to spend myself as You did, relying on God's power alone for all my needs.  No hoarding, no accumulating, no worry, no anxiety.  All I need is to step out in faith and with Your assurance that You will meet all my needs.  I must always carry Your peace with me.  No division, no strife, no disturbance of any kind only the peace granted by the Prince of Peace, only serenity always, trusting that my God will care for me.  May I always remember that judgment belongs to God alone.  If I am rejected I must trust You to render justice on my behalf as You alone know best how to do so.  My mission is to know Christ first and in turn to  make Him known.  To possess Christ first in order to be able to give Him to others.