DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. John 8-12
whoever follows me will have the light of life. John 8-12
Jeremiah 26:1-9
My soul's beloved, it has always been so, those of the world who prefer to wallow in self-indulgence and cater to their own personal and selfish desires, do not wish to hear the voice of truth or of reason. They are able to twist truth into what they would like to hear, they use words to muddy the waters of reason making whatever lie they wish to promote sound like good. It is couched in phrases that are misleading and more often than not the gullible are deceived.
Jeremiah like so may prophets in the Old Testament was hated because he was not afraid of confronting the people and stripping the veil of deceit behind which they sinned with impunity. The people of the Law, the priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees hated You because You showed them up to the people for what and who they were, whited sepulchers who washed the outside of the cup while the insides were filled with all kinds of iniquity.
We are no different today my Lord. Every sin, every depravity is said to be genetic making us believe we have no control over who we are or our sinful tendencies. The world buys into the lie because the world wants to believe the lies, this is why the agents of death desire to kill the Church and all who are on the side of Truth. They ridicule her, they mock her, they deny her and her children their legitimate rights in order to get her on her knees and surrender the Truth. They can try and they will fail for we have Your assurance that You are with her always, till the end of time. She is triumphant because You have won the victory and have triumphed.
Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14
My soul's beloved, how beautifully the psalmist sums up what Your faithful have to undergo in the world. It is exactly as You assured Your Apostles. All that the world did to the Master will also be visited on His followers. So let us not be afraid, let not be troubled and let us above all not think that we are undergoing anything that You did not first suffer - this undeniable truth will make us victorious in the face of defeat. We will count ourselves blessed if we are called to suffer for Your Name.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
John 11:19-27
My soul's beloved, today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Martha. She and her sister Mary are perfect examples of the active and the contemplative. Both are necessary and we must seek the right balance between the two in order to be effective disciples.
Both sisters were grieving the death of a beloved brother, Lazarus but when news came that You whom all three loved dearly had arrived Mary remained seated, confident and calm in her faith in You. Martha on the other hand got up and went to meet You. As always she spoke up, she voiced her thoughts, she prayed aloud and made her requests known to You.
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
You responded saying,
“Your brother will rise.”
She continued to dialogue with You,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
in the resurrection on the last day.”
She thought she had the answer but You gently corrected her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She believed and said,
“Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
“Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
This is prayer - and this is how prayer is answered both in the way Martha prayed and in the way her sister Mary did, in silence and perfect confidence that God knows the desires of our heart and will in His great love hear and answer both the pray that we cry out in our distress and when the heart is too heavy to speak. You my soul's beloved know all and answer.
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