Romans 10:9-18, Psalm 19:8-11, Matthew 4:18-22

FEAST OF ST. ANDREW - APOSTLE & MARTYR

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Romans 10:9-18, Psalm 19:8-11, Matthew 4:18-22

Romans 10:9-18

My Beloved, heart and mind must be in sync when we confess that You came into the world, was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, suffered, died and rose again according to Scripture and that You will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.  It is a place where the Son of Justice reigns triumphantly.

All who call upon Your Name are saved but the sad truth is that there are many who do not know Your Name so how can they be saved?  The is where we who are baptized and confirmed in the faith come in.  We are called to be Your witnesses.  We are commissioned and sent to go to the farthest ends of the earth to bring the Good News to all so everyone whom You have ransomed by Your Precious Blood can be saved.  This is our mission and goal.  Help us Lord!

Psalm 19:8-11

The Law of the Lord is perfect because it is the law of love.  The command to love God and neighbor is life giving and His Word is the Word of God made Flesh.  He is worthy of our trust.  To know Him whom the Father has sent and to be filled with His Holy Spirit is all we need to be filled with His wisdom. If we are guided by His Spirit we will always be pleasing to Him.

God's judgment is based on love it is on these scales that we are seen as His children.  His law is a light and easy burden, sweet as honey is sweet and more precious that God.  Our God is a God who saves.

Matthew 4:18-22

My Beloved, You seek us out and You call us.  Each is given an opportunity to respond to Your invitation.  When You stop beside us and say, "Come, follow Me I will make you fishers of men."  Not only do you take the initiative in welcoming us, You equip us to be witnesses and missionaries all You need is willing hear responsive to Your call. In willing, total and joyful surrender You can do anything through Your instruments this is why You assure us that we will do even greater things than You have done.  

Andrew, Peter, James and John obeyed You promptly.  They heard You call and at once, leaving everything behind they followed You.

Grant my Beloved, that my response may always be like theirs prompt, total and committed to my last breath.

Daniel 7:2-14, Daniel 3:75-81, Luke 21:29-33

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Daniel 7:2-14, Daniel 3:75-81, Luke 21:29-33

Daniel 7:2-14

My Beloved, no matter what terror may come upon the earth we know that we are safe in You.  All power, authority, kingship and  dominion are given to You.  Your rule is everlasting and no power can gain victory over You.

We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock.  We bear Your Name, we have been ransomed and You have won the victory for us from the jaws of death.  No plan against us will succeed for we are victorious in You.

Daniel 3:75-81

My Beloved, may every breath I take and in all the circumstances of my life, in good times and bad, in joy and in distress may I praise and exalt You forever and ever.  Let this be food and drink to me.

Luke 21:29-33

My Beloved, everything You said would happen took place exactly as You said it would.  In verse 33 You assure us saying, " Heav­en and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."  We need not be worried about the future or be despondent about our past - You hold all things secure within Yourself.  The breath of Your Holy Spirit sustains all things and those who belong to You have God on their side who battles on their behalf and has won the victory for them.  

Praise the Lord!!!

Daniel 6:12-28, Daniel 3:68:74, Luke 21:20-28

Feast of St. Catherine Laboure

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Daniel 6:12-28, Daniel 3:68:74, Luke 21:20-28

Daniel 6:12-28

My Beloved, no plan against Your chosen will succeed for they have who Go battles mightily on their behalf.  Man made laws and decrees will change only the Word of the Lord stands firm forever.  Kings and governments stand for  while but in the end all earthly rule and power comes to an end but Your rule Lord is eternal as Daniel's enemies found out.  

Daniel's faith in You was rewarded.  When we do what we know is right, as long as we offer praise and worship to God alone and refuse to bow before men or idols, we need not be afraid.  Even the king recognized that You O Lord are faithful.  The witness of Daniel's life was sufficient for the king to believe that You had power to save whereas he could do nothing to save Daniel from the malice of his enemies.

Just as Pilate tried his best to save You from the malice and hatred of Your enemies so did the king try to save Daniel but in the end both were powerless in the face of evil.  You saved Daniel's life and everyone knew that You are the true God just as the pagan king Darius acknowledged in his decree to all nations and to people of all languages.  Similarly, Pilate also wrote on the sign placed on the Cross above Your head in the 3 major languages of the world Hebrew, Latin and Greek - Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.

You came to die and in dying, You gave us eternal life.

Daniel 3:68:74

 My Beloved if nature and the elements in nature praise and exalt You forever, how much more must we by our lives praise and exalt You as well.

Luke 21:20-28

My Beloved, everything You prophesied would happen to Jerusalem and the temple in Jerusalem too place exactly as You said it would.  Life as the Jews knew it was systematically destroyed by the Romans.  They rejected You  and they paid the price for their rejection.  There were condemned to wander the face of the earth as exiles because they refused to believe in the time of Your visitation.  However God has not and will never forget His Covenant with them they are after all His chosen people and it was through them that He would send You into the world.

Once all those whom You desire to be saved are saved, You will come to Your own and this time at Your 2nd coming they will accept You as their Messiah.  The Son of Man came once before as a Baby - helpless, small, poor, weak, vulnerable, dependent.  When You come again You will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to claim Your inheritance - the world You saved, redeemed and sanctified with Your life.  Alleluia! Amen!

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:12-19

DAILY LECTIONARY

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:12-19

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

My Beloved, we cannot, we dare not use holy, sacred things for unholy purposes.  We cannot mock God and hope it will go unobserved.  God will not overlook acts  done deliberately to profane what is consecrated and set aside for use in worship and for His glory.

King Belshazzar had heard that Daniel was a man of wisdom and could interpret dreams but he had no use for him.  We are the same, we too have been given all we need for our sanctification and spiritual growth but we ignore them, preferring to live life on our terms.  It was only when the king was shaken out of his drunken stupor by the vision they had all seen and after trying every other remedy which failed him; did he turn in terror to ask for Daniel the man of God whom he finally remembered. 

We too forget that God is always with us and we only turn to Him when we experience distress and difficulty and we realize that everything we once counted on has no power to help us.  The king thought he could tempt Daniel with promises of honor and wealth in exchange for his help but Daniel refused knowing that it was God who had blessed him with the gifts of wisdom and the ability to interpret dreams and visions.  

We too often think we can bribe God in exchange for the favors we ask of Him but God's gifts are not for sale.  We must guard against profaning the sacred, worshipping creatures instead of  the Creator and worshiping the gifts rather than the Giver.  In God alone must our soul make its boast.

 

Daniel 3:62-67

Everything in nature points to the Creator and all creation gives praise to God alone from whom we receive every good and perfect gift.  It is He who controls nature and all its elements.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord who holds all things in perfect balance and orders all things well and for the good of all.

Luke 21:12-19

My Beloved, persecution has almost always been the lot of Your followers.  You have said clearly that if they persecuted You then we can expect to be persecuted too.  You suffered rejection, hostility, hatred, calumny, unimaginable suffering and ultimately death.  Your accusers knew You were innocent.  We can expect no less as Your followers but You assure us that we need not be afraid.  We can remain in perfect peace confident in the knowledge that You will give us strength and wisdom through Your Holy Spirit and in the end, even though we may have to lay down our lives in imitation of You, we will take it up again and live in glory with You eternally in heaven.

DANIEL 2:31-45, DANIEL 3:57-61, LUKE 21:5-11

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

DANIEL 2:31-45, DANIEL 3:57-61, LUKE 21:5-11

DANIEL 2:31-45

My Beloved, just as it is You gives power to the heads of nations so also can they be toppled and smashed into smithereens, we have seen this happen through the course of history.  Kingdoms have come and gone.  Rulers, dictators, presidents, emperors and other heads of state have all had their moment  for good or ill.  Each ultimately  stands before the just Judge to give an account of their rule and power.  In the end it is Your rule over all the earth that is constant and will overcome and prevail.  Your Kingdom is being formed on earth in the hearts of all who believe.  It is an everlasting Kingdom.  You have established it and You are bringing it to fullness and completion.  You will come again to take Your place as King of kings and Lord of lords before whom all will bow and pay homage as our only Ruler and Judge.

 
DANIEL 3:57-61

All that is was and ever shall be will praise You, bless You and exalt You forever.  All that lives, moves,breathes and is will bless, praise and exalt You forever.  All who know You are the only begotten Son of the most High God praise, bless and exalt You forever my Beloved!!
 

LUKE 21:5-11

My Beloved, You remind us today that nothing made by human hands will last.  All will perish.  The greatest edifice will crumble eventually into dust or stand in ruins or will vanish into memory or history like the magnificent temple in Jerusalem built by Herod.You predicted that no trace of the temple would be left.  Others have now occupied the place where the temple once stood and claim it.  Wars are fought and blood is shed  and though false prophecies abound that it will be rebuilt You say that will not happen.

Every man made structure no matter how strong and well guarded will be destroyed only the works of God will remain.  The power of God is mighty and no plan against Him or His will  can prevail.  All that You have prophesied my Beloved is true.  Peace without You will always be an elusive dream.  You are the Author of Life and the Prince of Peace as long for as we deny You a place in human affairs we will remain doomed to snarl at each other and tear each others throats.  No lasting peace is possible without You.

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Luke 21:1-4

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Luke 21:1-4

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20

My Beloved, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah represent all those who are friends of God.  They remain faithful no matter where they may be and no matter what the circumstances.  They are people of unshakable faith and no amount of earthly allurements can tempt them from deviating from the way of the Lord.

To those who love You, honor You and worship You, those who will not bow down to strange gods and make idols of works made by human hands You will reward richly.  You pour Your gifts of the Spirit upon them.  By the fruit they produce all can see that they are indeed blessed by God.  Both the Old and New Testament are filled with people worthy of emulation. 

Daniel 3:52-56

My Beloved, grant that songs of praise, glory and honor of God may fill my heart and spill from my lips no matter what my circumstances.  In all things and in every situation may praise and thanksgiving for Your goodness and greatness fill my soul.  Praise is fitting for loyal and grateful hearts.  You alone O Lord are worthy of praise and worship.  Let our praises unite with all creation in heaven and on earth unceasingly to You who alone are worthy of our praise. 

Luke 21:1-4

 http://bridegroomofmysoul.blogspot.com/2009/04/true-giving.html

My Beloved, nothing escapes You. Your watchful gaze is always on us and You are aware of all we do, say or think.  You observed the rich who came in with their offerings for the temple treasury and You saw the poor widow as well.  She dropped in two little copper coins of the least value.  

Only God knows the true worth of our offerings, the motives which prompt us to give and whether or not they come from our surplus and cost us little or no difficulty or hardship.  He knows whether the giving is one of true self donation like the widow who in giving all in perfect faith was confident that God would supply all her needs. She had faith that the One who cared for the lilies in the field and the sparrows in the air would not forget her.

2 Samuel 5:1-3, Colossians 1:12-20, Psalm 122:1-5, Luke 23:35-43

FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

2 Samuel 5:1-3, Colossians 1:12-20, Psalm 122:1-5, Luke 23:35-43

2 Samuel 5:1-3

My Beloved, like King David who was anointed to rule Israel, You too were anointed to rule the world.  Samuel anointed David with oil and the people promised allegiance to him, recognizing that he was one of them and they of him, - one people and one nation.

You were sent by the Father as Ruler over all the nations and over all people everywhere and in every age  You suffered rejection from Your own.  They refused to acknowledge You as their Messiah.  They plotted against You and when Your hour had come, they arrested You, scourged You crowned You with thorns and nailed You to a Cross and raised You on it above the earth.  in doing so they enthroned You and to this day and until the end of time You will rule the world from the Cross drawing everyone to Yourself. 

Colossians 1:12-20

Abouna, from the first moment when You created us in love, You intended us for heaven but we lost our inheritance through disobedience.  You did not give up on us although we deserved it instead You sent Your Son, Your only Son to restore to us what we had lost through sin.  You would not permit the powers of darkness to have the last word instead You sent the Eternal Word to redeem us grant us forgiveness and remission from all sin.

My Beloved, if we want to know God we can look at You for what was once Unseen, Unheard and Untouched became visible to us in Human Flesh.  As St. John testifies in 1 John 1:1 "What we have heard and have seen with our own eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, I mean the Word who is Life…"

All of creation is held in You and all creation rightly gives You praise and recognizes You as Ruler and King.  You are Head of the Body of Christ, Your Church.  it pleased the Father to ask the greatest of all sacrifices from You - the laying down of Your life in order that we could know beyond the shadow of a doubt to what lengths His immense love for us was  prepared to go to win us back to Himself.  He permitted You to be raised on the tree of the Cross so that through You all men could be drawn once again ti Him.  he established You forever at the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as whose Name all that ever was, is or shall be will fall prostrate before You and worship You who is worthy of all praise. 

Psalm 122:1-5

The House of the Lord is the place where God's Holy people assemble. It was born from His side pierced open by a lance and from which Blood and Water gushed forth.  In the Name of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church we offer sacrifice of praise, worship and thanksgiving.  We break and eat His Body and share in the Saving Cup of His Blood.  We are made one with Him, with God with with each other.  he the head, we the members of His Body.  he our King, we His people. he our Lord and our God to whom we offer adoration and worship always.

Luke 23:35-43

My Beloved, how easily You could have unloosed Yourself from the Cross and come down as the crowd mocked and challenged You to do.  But never worked a miracle on Your behalf You came to bring life to others.

You chose to stay on the Cross, scourged, crowned with thorns, flayed to the bone, laboring to breathe with each tortured breath as You struggled to get air into Your lungs.  Why?  To show us once and forever the extent to which Love was prepared to go in order to redeem us.  No one would dare to question Your love.  Like the good thief we too claim Your promise that we wills hare paradise with You as co-heirs and children of the Father through adoption.  Thank You Lord!

1 Maccabees 6:1-13, Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16 & 19, Luke 20:27-40

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

1 Maccabees 6:1-13, Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16 & 19, Luke 20:27-40

1 Maccabees 6:1-13

My Beloved, we see that eventually even though the enemies of the Church might flourish for a while and their reign of terror seems endless, the truth is that evil doers will have to pay. The innocent will receive justice and the wicked will be punished according to their deeds. No good ever comes from the persecution of God's anointed. To raise a hand against God's people is to raise a hand against God Himself. Although He is a God who forgives, retribution is certain for the unrepentant sinner.

Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16 & 19


No evil done against the people of God will succeed. You Yourself my Beloved will exact justice on behalf of those who have been downtrodden and persecuted for generations. The cry of the innocent will be heard and punishment will be swift and thorough against those who deliberately turn their backs on You. 

Luke 20:27-40

My Beloved, if we did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead, our lives would be meaningless. This idiotic question posed to You by the Sadduccees would have been one they would have thrown at the Pharisees and everyone else who believed in the resurrection of the dead. They would have thought themselves extremely clever in sneeringly posing what they believed was a tricky question. Unfortunately, most people who are unable to look beyond the merely physical and material aspect to the spiritual dimension, will always find themselves stuck in the mire of the flesh. We must move from the physical to the spiritual, from the vocal to the silence of awe and wonder, from the physical senses to divine realities revealed by You through the Holy Spirit.

Heaven is a union of the Church, the people of God, to their Bridegroom in an ecstatic and sublime union that is everlasting. You, our Lord and God will come to claim Your Bride and You will present her to the Father who from all time lovingly planned that all who come to Him must come through You His Son who saved and redeemed us all. To You be the glory and honor and power forever and and ever Amen!!

1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59, 1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11d-12, Luke 19:45-48

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS:

1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59, 1 Chronicles 29:10bcd,  11d-12, Luke 19:45-48

1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59

Everything we receive comes from the hand of God our Father and we must never cease to praise and thank Him for His gifts. The gift of life,  hope, faith but above all for His Son who saves us.  Our whole life must be one of thanksgiving, worship and praise for You are God and we are Your people - redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb forgiven from all our sins and sanctified by the Holy Spirit through grace received in the worthy reception of the Sacraments.

1 Chronicles 29:10bcd,  11d-12

Abouna, to praise, glorify, thank adore, love and worship You add nothing to Your glory - You need neither us nor our praise yet, it pleases You to give us life on earth and in eternity joy eternally.  When we sinned You did not abandon us to a living death but sent Your only Son to be the means by which all are saved.  By His passion, death and glorious resurrection into heaven You have made us co-heirs.  

Thank You my Beloved for granting us Your Spirit which makes living a life pleasing to You possible.  

Thank You Holy Spirit for the life of grace given with each worthy reception of the Sacraments.

Luke 19:45-48

My Beloved, my body You deign to make Your temple where Your Holy Spirit lives, moves and has His Being.  He is my Guide, my Paraclete, my Comforter.  He is the Spirit of the Father and the Son.  He is my Teacher he helps me to remain vigilant lest I turn the temple of my soul into a den of robbers.  He helps me through a life of prayer, of intimate fellowship with God and  through the strengthening of my spirit through grace flowing abundantly through the Sacraments.

Keep me spell bound to Your teaching O Eternal Word of God.  Help me to listen and obey.

1 Maccabees 2:15-29, Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15, Luke 19:41-44

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


1 Maccabees 2:15-29, Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15, Luke 19:41-44

1 Maccabees 2:15-29

My Beloved, today many Christians who profess to believe are wishy washy in their faith.  They have allowed the culture to swamp them, they have hidden their light under a basket and have permitted the darkness to cast to cast is shadow on the world.  They have permitted the godless to propagate lies.  They have begun to call truth relative, relative to what they desire to be true.  The good have allowed, through sheer weakness and or apathy, to allow lies to dominate every aspect of life until the truth is barely recognizable.  We have been fed a steady diet of half-truths and we are no longer able to make our voices heard.  If from the first we had been vigilant we would not have found ourselves in the position that we are in.  The moral law has been effectively twisted and distorted and is now being touted as a new truth that will set us free yet we have never been in greater bondage to the world, the flesh and the devil.

Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

My Beloved, we can say God's laws are irrelevant to our lives until we become blue in the face and explode but like all lies it will not prevail against the Truth. God who called and caused everything to be out of nothing, is full of pity, mercy and compassion, sees how we have been made pawns by those who seek to destroy, plunder, devour and kill all that is noble, good, beautiful, wise and true.  But the wicked can never win the victory is won and God lives with His faithful.  He empowers them, feeds them, strengthens them, holds them in the palm of His hands.  God will never forsake His own.

Luke 19:41-44

My Beloved, do You continue to weep over the wicked ways of the world?  will what You prophesied would happen in Jerusalem happen to us?  Will the wicked prevail?  Will we become enslaved by evil men and women who have taken control and appear to rule the world and impose their evil laws on a hapless world?  How long my Beloved before You roar in anger and shake us up from or slumber?  How long before we realize that we have lost the moral high ground because we were too lazy to do something when we could but now are outnumbered by our enemies.

O Lord have pity and save us!!!

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31, Psalm 1, 5-6, 8, 15, Luke 19:11-28

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31, Psalm 1, 5-6, 8, 15, Luke 19:11-28

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

My Beloved, this mother represents brave mothers all over the world and in every age who have brought up their sons to be men of honor; preferring death rather than disobedience to God's law.  Today most women raise boys who remain boys, selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed and self-indulgent.  If men are not taught to be noble, to have lofty ideals and a sense of honor and loyalty how can they grow up to be dependable, self-sacrificing, honorable, truthful?

This mother was right to be proud of her seven sons whom she raised to be godly, God-fearing men.  She is a foreshadow of that perfect Mother chosen by God to incarnate His Son.  She co-operated perfectly in God's divine plan and from His earliest years she prepared Him to become the Lamb of Sacrifice who takes away the sins of the world.

Psalm 1, 5-6, 8, 15

My Beloved, this could well have been Your constant prayer to the Father.  It is also the prayer of all who seek to do God's will in a sinful world.

I can come to You as boldly and confidently as the psalmist certain that every prayer I pray You answer.  You are our Father, Abouna, who stoops low over His own constantly guarding them and providing all that is necessary to keep them safe from the Enemy.

Thank You for the faith and hope I have in Your love which will lead me in this life and carry me safely home to the next.

Luke 19:11-28

My Beloved, no one knows when You will return again to establish Your reign on earth but this we do know, You have equipped us with every grace and gift.  You did not leave us to battle on our own with the world, the flesh and the Devil.  

While it is true that You have been rejected by Your own, we are the blessed ones who have benefited from their rejection because You called the rest of us from darkness into Your Own glorious light.

How are we using the talents that You have given us?  A day of reckoning will surely come as You assure us it will and when it does my Lord may we not be found neglectful in keeping Your commandment to Love God and neighbor.  It is on these that we will be judged.

1 Maccabees 1:10, 15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63, Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158, Luke 18:35-43

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

1 Maccabees 1:10, 15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63, Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158, Luke 18:35-43

1 Maccabees 1:10, 15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

My Beloved, in every age the wicked have profaned all that is good, sacred and true.  They have turned their backs on God and live godless lives.  Denying their baptismal promises, they have ceased to worship God and have begun to worship themselves and the material world.  They laugh at holy things and belittle those who seek to remain faithful, mocking them, persecuting them, denying them their rights and making laws that seek to take away their dignity and freedom.  But those who remain faithful You will  reward with grace and strength to endure to the end.  The light will not go out.  The godless will cease to be for their spirit is dead.  The faithful will live with You forever.

Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

My Beloved, the number of those counted among the wicked are so vast that they are able to deny the faithful their rights.,  Having forsaken the commandments of Love of God and neighbor they sin with impunity.  They are enraged by those who remain true to You and watch them night and day setting traps to snare and destroy them. Grant strength to Your faithful ones to they can withstand the onslaught of the enemy and remain faithful to You.  

The days of the wicked does seem to go on forever. There is no end to their hatred and cruelty.  Hasten to help us Lord lest we perish.  Our numbers are too few and we are helpless, do not let Your remnant be destroyed.  Do not let evil rule the world that You have redeemed at the cost of Your life.

Luke 18:35-43

My Beloved, the blind man sitting beside the road is symbol of those who have not heard of You but  are favorably disposed to receiving the Good News.  The man was attuned to what was happening around him and having been informed what the commotion was about, and having heard of You, he seized his opportunity.  You were passing by he had faith in Your power.  He had faith based on the testimony of others. He believed.

He represents all those who are weak whose voices are silenced by a selfish crowd who refuse to see the need of the man and seek to shut him up considering him a nuisance. But a persistent faith will always be rewarded as is once again demonstrated in the Gospel. You hear the cries of distress and hope. You response is immediate, You ask the crowd who at first refused to acknowledge him, to bring him to You.  You asked the man what it was he wanted although it was obvious that he desired to have his sight restored.  You desire that we articulate our need, certain of what we desire and You want us to ask in humility. The man made his need known to You and You rewarded him with much more than he asked for, physical and spiritual healing.  He followed You praising God and those who saw his unbridled joy began to praise You as well.  

Just as love beget love, faith begets faith.

2 Maccabees 6:18-31, Psalm 3:2-7, Luke 19:1-10

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

2 Maccabees 6:18-31, Psalm 3:2-7, Luke 19:1-10

2 Maccabees 6:18-31

My Beloved, it is no wonder that the Church adorns her altars with Saints. Her liturgical calendar honors those who have lived holy lives, gave witness to their faith in all they said and many died heroically with joy, peace, dignity, calm with Your Name on their lips. Their hope was in You and their faith was rewarded and their legacy is eternal and incorruptible.

This beautiful incident of the old, venerable, holy man Eleazar who would rather die than set a bad example to the young who were watching him is truly commendable.  A life of pretense although perhaps seen and known by none of the Jewish people was reprehensible to him.  He was aware that one may fool men but no one can fool God.  

Grant me my Beloved as well as Your Church men and women who will witness to our faith as Eleazar did with boldness and courage. May we die rather than compromise on the teachings of the Church as so many men and women in the annals of the history of our Church, Your Bride have done.

Psalm 3:2-7

My Beloved, You uphold those who cleave to You.  Those who put their trust in You will never be dismayed or disappointed.  You give wisdom to those who seek it with childlike hearts.  You give hope where no reason for hope is evident.  You are true to Your promises and those who honor You, obey You and are directed by Your commandments to love God and neighbor will find a home in You forever.

Luke 19:1-10

My Beloved, Zacchaeus was a man whose heart was in the right place but who mate several compromises with his conscience.  He did not quite succeed though.  He was considered a public sinner because of his obvious wealth which he amassed through very questionable means.  He was rejected by all respectable Jews.  He was scorned by men for both his spiritual and physical handicap since he was small man in stature. 

His heart did not know peace despite his wealth because his conscience was not completely dead.  He admired goodness when and where he saw it even though he believed he was too weak or it was too late for him to be honest himself.

He heard of You and was anxious to see You because he had heard of You and what he had heard stirred his imagination.  He was full of admiration for You and to him, You were the epitome of all that he believed he could never be.

He set out to see You and by the end of that memorable day his life had changed forever.  It changed so radically that it is recorded in the Gospels and we still speak of him to this day and will continue to do so until You come again.

Eleazar and Zacchaeus, two people so different in character are presented to us in the Liturgy today and we admire both. The venerable saint and the repentant sinner both found their reward, eternal life in You. 

Malachi 3:19-20a, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12, Psalm 98:5-9, Luke 21:5-19

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Malachi 3:19-20a, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12, Psalm 98:5-9, Luke 21:5-19

Malachi 3:19-20a

My Beloved, the Day of the Lord is already here.  The Son of Justice has triumphed and His rule and reign are established.  The flaming furnace is the love You bear for us all.  You lay down Your life in order that the Gates of Heaven be opened again.  All who believe in Your Name shall live, all those who reject You condemn themselves to an eternal death.  To those who believe You bring healing and health in heart, mind, soul, body and spirit.

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

My Beloved, could I dare to say to anyone as You did and as St. Paul too, "You ought to follow my example?" Is my life worth emulating? Can anyone looking at me at any time during the 24 hours allotted to me daily say, "I will imitate her and I shall be the better for it?"  

Work is a divine calling. As long as the day lasts we are called to offer God work that is worship.  We labor diligently, honestly and we carry along with us those that are not as strong and we help them too to reach the goal You have marked for us.  You are the Way to the Kingdom.  You are the Truth that illumines the Way.  You give Life in order that we may not perish by the wayside.  Thank You!! 

Psalm 98:5-9

My Beloved, the rulers of the world are often corrupt.  Justice towards the poor and the weak are more often than not denied.  The cries of the feeble are silenced, crushed or ignored.  The powerful exercise their influence in order to make friends with people in high places.  But with You O Lord on our side no harm can come to us.  No plot against Your chosen ones will succeed.  Even if 10,000 stand against us in battle we will  triumph for You have won the victory for the poor and justice and mercy will be given fairly to all. We rejoice O Lord for You have come into the world to turn our mourning to rejoicing and our tears to laughter.  In You alone O Lord is our peace!

Luke 21:5-19

Here my Beloved is the key to living a life that is trustful and filled with peace and calm.  When things around us are cause for terror and the wicked seem to triumph over the good, You ask us to use these times as opportunities to bear witness to the faith we confess in the Creed.  You assure us not to lose sleep over what to say in our defense, for Your Holy Spirit Himself who is the Paraclete, will give us words of wisdom with which to confound our enemies and which they will find hard to refute..

We must rejoice if we are betrayed, persecuted, harassed, made to suffer and even put to death.  If our life and death is patterned on Yours my Beloved it means that we too will be victorious in You through the way of suffering and the cross.

Wisdom 18:14-16, 19:6-9, Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43, Luke 18:1-8

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Wisdom 18:14-16, 19:6-9, Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43, Luke 18:1-8

Wisdom 18:14-16, 19:6-9

My Beloved, so many passages in the Book of Wisdom are a reference to You who were to come.  In the still of the night while the mantle of darkness was still wrapped around the earth, You were sent by God to do His will.  God redeemed the world through Your obedience to His Will.  Your Word is a doubled edged sword that cuts easily through the bone and marrow of our spirit. Creation was renewed at Pentecost when You sent Your Holy Spirit upon the early Church.  We enter Your pierced side and we come into the presence of God after being cleansed by Your saving Blood and we receive safe passage into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

We are called to open our mouths and witness to Your love and deeds in our lives. Your people are those who belong to You through baptism possessing treasure exceeding in value than silver and gold.  Abouna, You never forget the Covenant You made with Abraham and ratified with the Blood of the Lamb.  It is a Covenant of Love and those who belong to this Covenant sing and dance for joy praising You all the days of their lives.

Luke 18:1-8

My Beloved, Your Father will gladly give all that His children ask for in prayer because He is love and it delights Him to give good gifts to those who acknowledge and know Him as Abouna.  Every good and perfect Gift comes from God through You in the Holy Spirit.  My prayer is to receive the Holy Spirit who will lead me into the full knowledge of the Truth as revealed by You.  Ask, You said and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.  I knock, I seek and I ask that my prayer for a fresh infilling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit be granted me today.  Thank You Lord!

Wisdom 13:1-9, Psalm 19:2-5, Luke 17:26-37

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Wisdom 13:1-9, Psalm 19:2-5, Luke 17:26-37

Wisdom 13:1-9

My Beloved, it is indeed a terrible sorrow and shame that the world is full of people who worship the works but overlook the Author and Creator of all things. They are empty and dissatisfied for one cannot substitute the gifts for the Giver for no created thing can satisfy.

We look at the beauty of the night sky, the dawn the dusk, the sunset, rivers, seas, birds and we are almost drunk by the heady fragrance and sound of the beauty of creation.  The power and fury of the elements.  We mistake the beauty and the power for God and never stop for a moment there is One greater who created all out of nothing.  He spoke a Word and He breathed a Breath, His Ruah and so all things came to be.

Yet my Beloved, You make allowances for them and yet not completely for in contemplating the beauty of the created we must be led into discovering the Creator.

Psalm 19:2-5

The Psalmist knows and exults in the knowledge that all things in the created world testify and witness to the hand of God who is, who was and ever shall be.  The beauty of nature constantly draws our senses, our hearts  and minds to wonder and awe of the God who created all things.  We fall on our knees in adoration and worship as nature delivers a wordless homily on the power and might of God in the works of His hand.

Luke 17:26-37

My Beloved, the world today is drawn inward upon itself.  It is is minutely self-absorbed in all the trivialities of their personal lives forgetting completely the larger picture, the divine canvas, the call, the mission, the purpose of their existence on earth.  They are so wrapped up in what will fade, wither, die, rot and become dust and they spend not a moment on contemplating the eternal, the immortal soul is gasping for the Breath of the Spirit while the flesh is raised on a pedestal and daily worship is being offered to a body that will soon become a rotting carcass.  It will be to our benefit to remember verse 33 Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again.

Wisdom 7:22b-8:1, Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135 & 175, Luke 17:20-25

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Wisdom 7:22b-8:1, Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135 & 175, Luke 17:20-25

Wisdom 7:22b-8:1

Wisdom is a Gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is through Wisdom which comes from God that we are able to understand the Word who came down from heaven and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became Man.  The Man that all of us are called to emulate in every way always.  Having Wisdom we can not only desire with passionate fervor but also with her help, strive daily to become a reflection of Him who made us His brothers  and sisters, adopted children of His Father and co-heirs with Him to the Kingdom of God.  

Mary is the embodiment of Wisdom.  She is God's mirror and she reflects God to perfection because she was undefiled by sin, death and corruption from the moment of her conception and until the sleep of peace came upon her and lifted her body and soul into the bosom of God, there to be crowned Queen of all that is visible and invisible.

Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135 & 175

The Eternal Word of God made Flesh is the Image of the invisible God made visible.  Although we are unfaithful despite all he has done for us, He remains faithful.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God created all things in heaven on earth and under the earth through Him and all are subject to His rule and dominion.  

Wisdom is given to those who with childlike hearts free from guile, the innocent who are incapable of deceit, they do not understand evil and are perplexed by it.  The command of God is love.  It is Love that makes the Father and Son One in the Love of the Holy Spirit.  One God yet each a separate Person but so perfectly and completely united that there is no other union as perfect as the union of the Three Persons in One God. 

Luke 17:20-25

 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people

My Beloved, to experience rejection especially by those who knew You must have been one of the hardest sorrows to bear.  

The Kingdom of God is already among us.  Her lamp is lit and is set high on the hill top so all who see it can walk by the light she sheds and they will neither stumble nor fall. No one who is led by her will be left to perish by the wayside.  No false prophets or false teaching and doctrine will veer her from the course set for her by her Bridegroom.  Her compass is true and points to the Kingdom of God.  All those who trust in her, obey her and follow her teachings are guaranteed to come home to You in the Kingdom of the Father, for You have promised that the gates of hell shall never prevail against her.

Thank You!!!