Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalm 18:2-7, John 10:31-42

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalm 18:2-7, John 10:31-42

Jeremiah 20:10-13

My Beloved, beginning with the prophets and all men of God in the Old Testament, and culminating in the ignominious death by Crucifixion of the only Son of the Most High God, – terror seems to be the lot of those who walk in the Light of Truth because those who walk in the dark hate the light. Today my Beloved, those who bear Your Name are persecuted – they lose their livelihood, they are terrorized, bullied, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and some are even called to lay down their lives and shed their blood because they would rather die than renounce You, their God and Lord. You have warned us that if Your enemies did what they did to the Master, than the faithful servants can expect no less, for the servant is not greater than the Master. But we also have Your assurance that evil will not prevail for it has been vanquished by the one whom they nailed to the Cross on Calvary and whose side was pierced. The torrents of grace that now flow from You to us washes, cleanses and saves us. Love has vanquished evil and conquered and we are saved by the power of Your Blood.

Psalm 18:2-7

My Beloved, these verses in the psalm confirms everything that those who love You and are saved by You experience every day. You are the strength of those who love You.  They take refuge in You who is their Rock, their Fortress and their Deliverer. When the enemy pursues them You rush to their aid and shelter them for You are their shield, more powerful than the enemy. Evil can never prevail over those who place their hope in You. You guarantee salvation to all who call on Your Name.

Your heart is moved with compassion when we are sorrowful, sick, weak, and when we stumble and fall. You hear every sigh, You gather every teardrop and You draw us in Your arms as tenderly as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings. 

Thank You for the love You have for me even though I am unworthy and undeserving of Your love.

John 10:31-42

My Beloved, despite the best efforts of evil it has no power to put out the Light of Truth or overcome the Love of God which is made manifest in You. Your enemies wanted to arrest You and kill You despite all the miracles You performed. Time and time again You demonstrated the power of God by curing, healing and restoring to health. You even demonstrated Your power over nature yet they hated You and justified their hatred by saying that You made Yourself equal to God. 

Deliberate spiritual blindness is worse than physical blindness. This time they even picked up stones to throw at You – they could not see the light because of their prejudice. You did not conform to their ideas of the Messiah. They refused to acknowledge that only God could perform such wonderful miracles. You did not fit their preconceived mold and they could not make You in their image and likeness; so they hated You with a hatred so vicious that they would not stop at framing false accusations against You and killing You.  

Today, those who live by the Light of Your Word are anathema to the people of this world. Those who live by the flesh and who find their gods in money, wealth, power, and possessions are prepared to annihilate those who refuse to conform to the values of the world. The wicked are powerless against those who walk by faith and who show them up constantly for what they are; thieving liars and perverters of the Truth; so they seek to destroy them. 

All those who walk on the side of Truth share in Your victory and no harm will come to them unless God permits it for a greater good. In any case You have said that we ought not to be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do nothing else rather we ought to beware of the One who can kill both body and soul.