FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6, Psalm 85:9-14, Matthew 5:20-26
2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6
My Beloved, You are the Glory of the Father, the Eternal Word from Whom all things come, in Whom all things have their being and to Whom all things return. If we have not encountered You my Lord as the Son of God who came into the world to reconcile all things to the Father, then Scripture remains veiled and hidden in mystery to us.
Through Baptism and the Gift of Faith the veil is removed and we receive wisdom to understand. Unless we receive Your Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, we will never comprehend what God has accomplished for us through You. The Father went a step further. Everything You did was in keeping with His divine will from the Incarnation to the Passion, to Your death, through the Institution of the Holy Eucharist for our spiritual nourishment, through Your glorious Resurrection and Ascension and finally the Pentecost at which You sent Your own Holy Spirit to make His dwelling in us. All was in accord with the Father's plan which You carried out most faithfully, obediently and joyfully.
If Your Bride, the One, Catholic and Apostolic Church possesses the fullness of life and truth my Beloved it is because the TRIUNE GOD makes it possible.
You have conquered and overcome the tinpot gods of this world. They are vanquished and although they are in the final death throes they still have enough power to do considerable damage in spreading lies and half-truths. But in You we are more than conquerors as St. Paul reminds us. We have You, we image You, we reflect You as we preach You by the witness and testimony of lives, conformed to Your Spirit. Your Light is in our hearts and we reflect and make known the Glory of God by reflecting You.
Psalm 85:9-14
Peace is the symbol and the hall mark of God's people. It is the imprint on our souls. It is His promise to all who believe and who are baptized into His Body, for He Himself is the Prince of Peace. We possess peace when we remain true to God's promises and we lose it when we sin and disobey God's law of love.
Thank You my Beloved for the Gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation through which Your salvation is restored to us as we confess our sins and receive Your forgiveness.
My Beloved, Love and Faithfulness, righteousness and peace are all found in You in fullness. The Cross is the sign of Your faithfulness in carrying out the will of the Father. Planted on God's Holy Mountain it touches the heavens from earth and at every Eucharist the justice of God is satisfied as the Father bends down, stooping low from heaven to embrace us who are now reconciled to Him through You.
He gives us every good and perfect gift in order that we become fruitful. The God of Justice walks ahead of the Prince of Peace bearing in His Body, the Church of which we the baptized are members.
Matthew 5:20-26
My Beloved, You call us to go beyond the letter of the law to its heart. We become Your Living Love Letter in the world as St. Paul has said. If we fail to love we will not enter the Kingdom of God. We do not just stop short and do the absolute minimum but we have to become an oblation like You. Pouring ourselves out for the good of the other. We must resist the things that dulls the soul lest we become a stumbling block to our brother. We are instruments of peace not instruments of division. Peace is your Gift to us and we must share this peace with everyone we encounter.
God is a just judge and if we fail in love then we will have to render a strict account and make restitution.
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