Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Acts 8:1-8, Psalm 66:1-7, John 6:35-40

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Acts 8:1-8, Psalm 66:1-7, John 6:35-40
 
Acts 8:1-8
My soul’s beloved, from these verses we can see that we need not give into fear and doubt when terror reigns. There will always be those who like Saul approve of evil and may even instrumental in terrorizing the people of God, imprisoning and killing them and not even sparing women and children. When Christians testify to the faith and are prepared to die for it like Stephen and others did and even as they are being prepared for death they continue to witness to the Truth that is You, then conversion will come to the most hard-hearted sinner. Like Saul, they too will encounter You and they will be baptized in the Truth which will set them free and make of them a new creation in You just as Saul became Paul and a staunch defender of the Way, the Truth and the Life and an Apostle appointed by You to preach to the Good News to the Gentiles.

We ought not to be discouraged when persecution causes us to flee to new territory it only means that You are providing us with new mission grounds to spread the Good News like Philip who went to Samaria and preached and proclaimed the Gospel with many signs and wonders of healing of body, mind and spirit and bringing many to the knowledge of Truth. For a Christian there is no defeat no matter how things might appear for even in prison we walk in the freedom of the children of God.

Psalm 66:1-7

My soul’s beloved, this is how You rule and show Your power – You rule through love and You show Your power by doing awesome deeds, through miraculous signs of healings in every area of our lives so we rejoice and sign Your praise giving You glory always and everywhere.

It is not by might, nor by the power of the sword that we win over the enemy but by the Spirit of the Lord. The Word of God is mightier than a multitude of armies whom God can crush in an instant without the use of weapons of destruction. Through the spilling of innocent blood new Christians are born. The wicked slay with vicious violence in an attempt to wipe out the Name – it is done in many different ways in the world today. Some do it with the swords, others do it through laws enacted and enforced to strangle the Truth persecuting and imprisoning those who refuse to give in. Whether publicly on a large scale or insidiously and deviously making a pretense of defending the law, and the rights and dignity of individuals who desire to make a parody of truth and love, the followers of defenders of Truth find themselves discriminated against by those very institutions that are supposed to protect them. However, their strength comes from You and Your Spirit and the enemy will never prevail for it has already been defeated and crushed under Your heel.

John 6:35-40

My soul’s beloved, it is so easy to get caught up with the bread that the world offers and to be obsessed with ensuring that we always have a large supply of it. However, You came into the world to shift our attention from grubbing in the earth lifting our gaze to You and to the eternal. You make it very clear that You did nothing on Your own and said nothing on Your own but always said and did those things that the Father desired You to say and do. You came to do the Father’s will in every way ensuring You did it to the smallest detail.

It is always the Father who sends people to You and You turn no one away for all who believe in You are saved. It is truly heartening to know that the Father desires that all who come to You will receive the joy of Heaven through Your merits. We are saved through the One whom the Father sent into the world to save this is why there is salvation in no other Name but in the Name of the Son and all who believe receive eternal life. 

If I believe this my Lord then it is incumbent upon me to be a messenger of this Good News and like Paul I must be zealous in living my faith publicly even in difficult circumstances. Thank You for making grace available always.

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