Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 1:1-5, 6, Luke 9:22-25

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 1:1-5, 6, Luke 9:22-25

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

My Beloved, I choose life when I love You with all my heart, all my mind and all my strength, when I listen to Your voice  and obey and when I cling to You as a limpet to a rock. This is never easy and You know it this is why You so graciously and tenderly have instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation so I can return to You no matter how many times or how gravely I sin. I always have a choice and I am called to freely choose either life or death. Often I choose death because it is the easier thing to do and it appears more appealing to my flesh. It is easier to give in to sin than to give up temptation and it is easier to give up without a fight than to give in to Wisdom. In choosing life I choose to be blessed and not only me but my family and my descendants as well.

Psalm 1:1-5, 6

I thank You my Beloved for being so gracious to me and reaffirming what You have spoken to me in Your word of life for this day. http://abuddingcatechist.blogspot.com/2016/02/gods-word-today_11.html You assure me that my hope in You is never in vain for You will bless all who choose the path of righteousness and make friends with those who delight in Your Word and whose lives are formed by it. 

To live in truth is to live beside a stream of running water and bearing fruit in all seasons for the one who is planted in You and is rooted in You has the life of the Spirit flowing in them and warmth of God’s love as a benediction over them and all that they do. They bud, bear flower and fruit for others and the aroma that emanates from them is the fragrance that comes from the Holy Spirit abiding in them.

The wicked are everywhere but so also are the good and You have shown us that good will always triumph over evil. Thank You my Lord for the hope I have in You.

Luke 9:22-25

My Beloved, the opening verse of today’s Gospel is a reminder to Your disciples that if the Master suffered, was rejected and put to death then we can expect to experience nothing less. Christians have always been persecuted and they will continue to be persecuted until You come again in glory. The sinner who refuses to acknowledge sin hates those whose lives are in contradiction to their own. The world preaches a life of selfishness and self-indulgence. A life of wanton waste where it is not considered a scandal to sacrifice those that are vulnerable and helpless on the altar of excess.    This is why You make it very clear that those who desire to follow You must be prepared for self-denial and to pick up the daily crosses that come our way. Life with You is a challenge but You promise to provide all the grace and strength necessary to meet every challenge head on and persevere till the end. The world and all in it is passing – here we have no lasting home and there is not profit in investing our precious lives in it. But those who lose their lives for Your Sake and the sake of the Kingdom will find eternal life with You. Help me my Beloved to always choose life.