DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 71:1-6, 15 &17, John 13:21-33, 36-38
Isaiah 49:1-6
My Beloved, as we read and contemplate the prophecies of Isaiah during these last days of Lent, as we enter Passion week, the more we understand that God ordained all through salvation history to prepare the way for Your coming. You who were with the Father eternally, One with Him and the Holy Spirit, in obedience to His will descended into the womb of Your Mother becoming the Son of Man in order to become the means by which all who believe in You will be saved. He gave You the Name by which You were to be known, “Jesus.” For thirty years He hid You in the palm of His hands. He watched over You as You grew in age and wisdom until the time He had chosen had arrived when You would make the Father known to us. You would labor for three years tirelessly making known to all who would listen that with Your coming into the world the Kingdom of God was among us. You showed us the way to enter the Kingdom. It was not an easy way, it was a rough and narrow way and many would fall by the wayside. You would spend Yourself for us and Your reward at the hands of men would be rejection and death by crucifixion. You showed us that in dying we are born to eternal life. You taught us that unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot yield fruit and then You showed us how to die to self, to the flesh and to the world. God has raised You up as a light to the nations and through You my Beloved salvation has indeed reached to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 71:1-6, 15 &17
My Beloved You showed us how to place all our hope and trust in God. When You came into the world as our Savior in obedience to the will of the Father You set aside Your glory and You took upon Yourself the human condition. Only as the Lamb of God, offered as the Perfect Victim for the sins of all humankind from the first Adam to the last could we ever hope to regain what Adam lost – hope of eternal bliss with God. Filled with grace and wisdom You lived a hidden life for 30 years under the watchful gaze of Your Father and the Holy Spirit until the revelation of God at Your Baptism that You are the Son of God in whom the Father was well pleased. From then on You did not rest until Your mission was complete in Your death – a perfect Sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God in expiation for the sins of all. In Your death we received life, a future and a hope. Thank You.
John 13:21-33, 36-38
My Beloved, yesterday we read that Lazarus was reclining at table with You. Today we read of the disciple whom You loved reclining near You. It implies an intimacy, a confidence and deep friendship. You were aware of all that was about to happen. The end was drawing near You set the plan in motion and You knew its conclusion. For this You had come into the world and the hour was fast approaching when You would deliver Yourself into the hands of sinful men. For those who choose to separate themselves from You as Judas did, it is always night, for the darkness seeps into their soul.
Turning to Your faithful disciples You tell that that the hour is approaching for the final showdown between good and evil. God is going to glorify You through the very means that was supposed to bring You down and crush You. Concern for Your friends is uppermost in Your mind. Already evil has set its course and soon its agents will come to arrest You and the Apostles are going to be bewildered and afraid. You now seek to assure them that You will only be gone for a little while and they will not be able to follow.
Peter speaks up saying that he will follow You even if it means laying down his life for you. My Beloved, it is easy to make promises but when the time comes to make good on them in adverse situations that is when we turn tail and run as Peter did. Poor Peter; You not only predicted that he would deny You but that before the cock crew he would deny You not once but three times. We are no better than Peter when our faith is tested many of us fail because we are so weak.
Isaiah 49:1-6
My Beloved, as we read and contemplate the prophecies of Isaiah during these last days of Lent, as we enter Passion week, the more we understand that God ordained all through salvation history to prepare the way for Your coming. You who were with the Father eternally, One with Him and the Holy Spirit, in obedience to His will descended into the womb of Your Mother becoming the Son of Man in order to become the means by which all who believe in You will be saved. He gave You the Name by which You were to be known, “Jesus.” For thirty years He hid You in the palm of His hands. He watched over You as You grew in age and wisdom until the time He had chosen had arrived when You would make the Father known to us. You would labor for three years tirelessly making known to all who would listen that with Your coming into the world the Kingdom of God was among us. You showed us the way to enter the Kingdom. It was not an easy way, it was a rough and narrow way and many would fall by the wayside. You would spend Yourself for us and Your reward at the hands of men would be rejection and death by crucifixion. You showed us that in dying we are born to eternal life. You taught us that unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot yield fruit and then You showed us how to die to self, to the flesh and to the world. God has raised You up as a light to the nations and through You my Beloved salvation has indeed reached to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 71:1-6, 15 &17
My Beloved You showed us how to place all our hope and trust in God. When You came into the world as our Savior in obedience to the will of the Father You set aside Your glory and You took upon Yourself the human condition. Only as the Lamb of God, offered as the Perfect Victim for the sins of all humankind from the first Adam to the last could we ever hope to regain what Adam lost – hope of eternal bliss with God. Filled with grace and wisdom You lived a hidden life for 30 years under the watchful gaze of Your Father and the Holy Spirit until the revelation of God at Your Baptism that You are the Son of God in whom the Father was well pleased. From then on You did not rest until Your mission was complete in Your death – a perfect Sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God in expiation for the sins of all. In Your death we received life, a future and a hope. Thank You.
John 13:21-33, 36-38
My Beloved, yesterday we read that Lazarus was reclining at table with You. Today we read of the disciple whom You loved reclining near You. It implies an intimacy, a confidence and deep friendship. You were aware of all that was about to happen. The end was drawing near You set the plan in motion and You knew its conclusion. For this You had come into the world and the hour was fast approaching when You would deliver Yourself into the hands of sinful men. For those who choose to separate themselves from You as Judas did, it is always night, for the darkness seeps into their soul.
Turning to Your faithful disciples You tell that that the hour is approaching for the final showdown between good and evil. God is going to glorify You through the very means that was supposed to bring You down and crush You. Concern for Your friends is uppermost in Your mind. Already evil has set its course and soon its agents will come to arrest You and the Apostles are going to be bewildered and afraid. You now seek to assure them that You will only be gone for a little while and they will not be able to follow.
Peter speaks up saying that he will follow You even if it means laying down his life for you. My Beloved, it is easy to make promises but when the time comes to make good on them in adverse situations that is when we turn tail and run as Peter did. Poor Peter; You not only predicted that he would deny You but that before the cock crew he would deny You not once but three times. We are no better than Peter when our faith is tested many of us fail because we are so weak.
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