James 3:13-18, Psalm 19:8-10, 15, Mark 9:14-29

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

James 3:13-18, Psalm 19:8-10, 15, Mark 9:14-29

James 3:13-18

My soul’s beloved, You came to show us what it means to be truly human, to be as God intended us to be when He created us. We are created in His image and likeness and You came to demonstrate to us how we can always mirror this divine image. To lead a good life one must first of all be humble especially before God who chose to create us in order that we may know You, love You, serve You and be happy with You in this life and eternally with You in heaven. There is no place for envy, jealousy or worldly ambition in those who choose to follow You closely and who live only to please You in all things. We imitate You who are worthy of emulation, we are called to be meek and humble of heart like You, to seek to sow peace in order to reap a harvest of justice and to ensure that all our actions are prompted by love and tender compassion just like You.

Psalm 19:8-10, 15

The law of the Lord is perfect:

it gives life to the soul.

The word of the Lord is trustworthy:

it gives wisdom to the simple.

 The precepts of the Lord are right:

they give joy to the heart.

The commandments of the Lord are clear:

they enlighten the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

it endures forever;

the judgments of the Lord are true,

all of them just and right.

May the words of my mouth

and the meditations of my heart

find favor in your sight,

O Lord – my redeemer, my rock!

Mark 9:14-29

My soul’s beloved, we ought not to have doubts. We ought not to punctuate our prayers with, “If You can.”  Rather we must trust that whatever we ask for in faith You will grant us. Here we see how the poor father begged You to rid his son of the evil spirit that had plagued him since childhood. The poor child was often in danger of death because of the power of the evil forces in him. The father of the boy came seeking for You but found the disciples instead and asked for their help, but they were not able to get rid of the evil spirit.  Am I as ineffectual as they my Lord? You said that only prayer and nothing else can drive out certain types of evil. What is prayer? It is nothing but a conversation between friends, between Father and child, between lover and Beloved. If my prayer is not based on faith, hope and love, If I am not confident that You will grant what I ask for, it will be ineffective. When I pray for others I must pray as You did. I must be moved with compassion and I must ensure that my pray is in accordance with the will of the Father who desires all His children be whole then I can expect that it will surely be answered.