Joel 4:12-21, Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12, Luke 11:27-28

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Joel 4:12-21, Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12, Luke 11:27-28

Joel 4:12-21

My Beloved, the prophet Joel speaks of a time when God will walk once again among His people.  He will make His home with them, He will make hallowed the place where only symbols of His Presence are made manifest in the Temple of Jerusalem in the cloud and the Arc of the Covenant.

But in time, You who are the Son of God will become incarnate of a virgin and will reveal the God of love to us as Father and through Your Holy Spirit You will pour upon us every good and perfect gift.  From Your holy mountain, the City of God  the place where You dwell in fullness in Your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, You will drip wine upon Your people. Milk will flow to nourish them and streams of living water which has its source in the heart of God will overflow to cleanse and empower them.  Through Your Bride the Church all who are thirsty may come and drink and be revived, refreshed and renewed.

Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12

My Beloved, You not only dwell among us but You have established Your reign and the reign of God's kingdom in our hearts.  To see You all we need to do is to recognize You through the work of Your hand in the world around us and the heavens above.

We walk in the pure radiance of Your light and love and You fill us with such gladness and joy that our full hearts can hardly contain itself and sings songs of praise and glory to You for You my Beloved are worthy of our love, adoration and worship.

Luke 11:27-28

My Beloved, it is not surprising that a woman in the crowd was so taken up by Your Presence,Your words and deeds that she simply could not contain herself.  She had never encountered anyone like You and neither did the crowds who thronged around You that day.  She knew that the apple does not fall far from the tree and she credited Your upbringing and Your mother in particular, for raising such a fine young man as Yourself and she was right up to a point. You have never been known to waste a good teaching moment when it presented itself, and while some see these verses as belittling Your Mama, nothing is further from the truth.  The words You spoke in Verse 28 “Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well,” sum up succinctly and confirms what Elizabeth had said some 30 years before at the visitation, "Blessed are you among women."  For no human creature has ever received the Word and conformed to it so well as Mama Mary did.