Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60 & 62, Psalm 122:2-5, Matthew 19:3-12

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Receive the Word of God, not as the word of men,

But as it truly is, the Word of God. 1 Th 2:13

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 62, Psalm 12:2-5, Matthew 19:3-12

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 62

My soul’s beloved, every now and then in the Old Testament we come across the wonder of God’s love for the poorest, the most sinful, the weakest, the abandons and how He raises them up cleanses them, feeds them, nourishes and strengthens them grant them wisdom and understanding and sets them above those who are proud  and mighty . He raises the sinful nation once considered the least and  having looked upon her with kindness and generosity You crown her and give her a place of dignity. You make everlasting Covenants and with the most loving and tender words You bind Yourself to the ones who  were once considered worthless. You love as no one can love. You can as no one can. You have the power to take what is rejected by others and make something beautiful and precious.

 Here the prophet makes reference to Jerusalem. In the New Testament this analogy can be used to describe the Church You founded on Peter the chief of the  Apostles. And I who can be counted among the most frail, sinful, and weakest of creatures can claim these verses to describe myself and my relationship with God who seeing me wallow helplessly and sinking  in the mire of sin deigned in Your great love filled with the most tender compassion and pity for my nothingness lifted me up washed me in the waters of baptism, robed me the most beautiful  robes of purity confirmed me in His Spirit claimed me as a sister and bride, fed me with Your Own Body and Blood and adorned e with grace. I keep forgetting all that you have done for me how you saved me how you have made me your own uniting me to yourself and sharing your inheritance with me and I go back to by sinful ways forgetting that I am now a member of the household of God the Most High You come looking for me as a shepherd comes looking for his most wayward foolish stupid sheep and finding me you gently lead me back home. Thank You for your great faithfully and your great love.

 Psalm 12:2-5

My soul’s beloved, you always turn from your righteous anger which ought to damn us and consign us to deepest darkest hell because we are created by the Father and we have been redeemed by You. You sanctify us in Your Holy Spirit thus ensuring that even though we fall by the wayside we can find our way back through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You then restore to us all we had lost and you rejoice that we have returned to you once more. Thank You for the infinite graces you make available to us at each worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist where we eat Your Body and drink Your Blood and are granted infinity grace to help us war against sin. Stay with me Lord and do not permit me to ever lose sight of you so completely that I am unable to find my way back to you.

Matthew 19:3-12

My soul’s beloved, from the very beginning when God created man and woman He entered into a covenantal relationship with them and in the same way the man and the woman enter into a covenantal relationship when they become husband and wife This is how God always intended marriage to be between one man and one woman until death should part them. When one enters into a covenant it is binding. We make vows to each other with both God and people as witnesses and when we dishonor those vows there are terrible consequences. God who is all wise, all good and all-knowing is aware that we need the stability and continuity of the strength that comes from knowing that there is one person in all the world on whom we can always rely on to love us in sickness and health for richer or poorer to honor and cherish until death separates. Our marriage bonds are but a reflection of the eternal and covenantal bonds of God’s love for us. God is faithful and God desires that His children be faithful as well.

My soul’s beloved, we have the power to reject God’s love and when we do we are responsible for its terrible and eternal consequences and so it is in marriage. Thank You for the infinite graces you make available to us by raising marriage to a Sacrament whereby You grant us rich graces that enable us to remain true the vows we made. Thank You for Your covenantal love with us and for the certainly we have that You will remain faithful always.