Genesis 18:1-10a, Psalm 15:2-5, Colossians 1:24-28, Luke 10:38-42

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Genesis 18:1-10a, Psalm 15:2-5,  Colossians 1:24-28, Luke 10:38-42

Genesis 18:1-10a

My soul's beloved, You come to  me every time I participate in the Holy Eucharist; I invite You my Triune God just as Abraham did to come to me and make your home in me. I offer You all that I have to give, You accept my invitation and in exchange for the poor gift of myself You give me all of Yourself as food for my soul and on leaving You grant me immeasurable graces and blessings.

Psalm 15:2-5

My soul's beloved, You assure us today that if we show justice and mercy we will live in Your Presence.  Today You invite us to treat one another as we would like to be treated ourselves.  Not to slander, to live by the truth that You have revealed, not to harm anyone, to live in peace with my neighbor, not to lend with interest. If I do these things You promise me peace and that nothing will rob me it for it is Your gift to me.

Colossians 1:24-28

My soul's beloved, what St. Paul is saying is that through our sufferings we can identify just as You did when You took upon Yourself the sin and suffering of the world. Because we live in a fallen world, although redeemed by You, there is still terrible suffering and injustice meted out against the weak, the powerless and the marginalized. There are grave illnesses of mind, body and spirit that ails so many and unless we accept whatever suffering comes our way in a spirit of solidarity with our brothers and sisters we cannot be part of Your Body, the Church. 

Suffering has a mysterious element to it, if accepted in the right spirit it can help us become more like You. It gives us a deeper appreciation of what You accomplished for us through Your incarnation, Your life, Your suffering and Your death culminating in Your glorious resurrection. It is because You identified so fully with us that we can share in Your life. Keep us faithful to the mission given to us at our baptism to make You known and loved.


 Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and bring a harvest through perseverance. Luke 9:15

Luke 10:38-42

My soul's beloved, through the course of our life we will read this passage in the Gospel often, we will hear it being read during our Liturgies, we will hear some inspired homilies on it and we ourselves will receive inspiration from it. This narration of Your visit to home of Your good friends Lazarus and his sister Martha and Mary show us a different side of You. It reveals to us the importance of having friends we can count on, whom we love, with whom we gladly share what we have as we offer them our hospitality. Their company brings us joy and we are pleased to be in their presence.

There is more than one way to welcome a friend who is not only important but one whom we care about greatly. We want to offer the best we have. We can react either by making the guest comfortable and then leaving him or her alone while we busy ourselves putting together an excellent meal or we can decide that it is better to be present to our friend by sitting with him, talking to him, and above all by listening to what he or she has to say. This is more intimate, this is more satisfying - long after the guest has gone the memories of the time we shared will remain.

We have to have find that perfect blend of Martha and Mary in our life in order to experience its fullness. There has to be time for work but there also must be time for quiet, for time alone with God, for reflection on His Word, His creation, in speaking to Him and listening to Him speak to us. May the Lord never have to rebuke us as He did ever to gently when He said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” May we never forget that setting aside time each day to just be with You the better part and if we are faithful to our quiet time with You it will surely be the better part of the whole day.