Ezekiel 28:1-19, Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36, Matthew 19:23-24

Daily Holy Mass Readings

Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich
so that by his poverty you might become rich. 2 COR 8:9

Ezekiel 28:1-10, Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36, Matthew 19:23-30


Ezekiel 28:1-10

My soul's beloved, Ezekiel warns us of the dire consequence of becoming so enamored of the glitter and tinsel of the world that we spend all our time striving to possess more of all that the world offers to the detriment of our immortal soul. The more we spend our lives and every waking moment to getting and getting more of material things, of money, power and influence the more we believe that we are powerful, invincible ad we do not need You who are the Author and source of Life. This is the world that we live in today - the world is so caught up in hedonism and is so drunk and so addicted to the passing things of the world that it is in a constant state of stupor, insensate to the delicate nudge of the Spirit and to the Voice of Wisdom and Truth.

Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36

My soul's beloved, those who boast of great wealth, power and influence soon come to forget that God is the sole arbiter of our lives. Because the world is impressed with their material wealth or status and scurries about to do their bidding they have the false notion that they are indeed the masters of their own fate and the fate of those they believe are under them. They are deaf and blind to Your Voice because the sound of their own pomposity makes them so. To these You say, that it is You who deal life and death. We are mortal and the day of reckoning will and must come to us all no matter how many years you may grant us. Then we will stand before You the righteous Judge and we will have to render an account of how we used all the gifts and blessing You gave us. To those who were give much, much is expected for what we receive from Your bounty is given to us in order to share with those  to whom less was given. It is in the giving and in the sharing that we become the wise stewards of Your generosity towards us.

Matthew 19:23-30

My soul's beloved, to the world and the many who are constantly jostling for first place, who pull people down and trample on them in order that they may greedily grasp everything for themselves and lord it over those who have little, You give us a dose of reality. Life must come to an end and all that the world offers will eventually decay on that which is eternal will last. We have here on earth no lasting kingdom yet we spend our entire lives on uselessly accumulating for ourselves and striving to possess more of everything. We sacrifice the things that matter in order to lead selfish, self absorbed lives. The more we acquire the less satisfied we become. The more our senses become insensate the more depraved are our desires. We lose sight of the eternal because we are too busy mucking about in the grime and slime of the world.

We could not save ourselves and so the Father sent You to save us. We deserved death but the Father could not see His children condemned even though they deserved that condemnation for deliberately turning away from His Love. Thank You for revealing to us that we can enter heaven if like You were are prepared to humble ourselves, to stoop low, to see ourselves as we are,  to acknowledge our helplessness and trust in Your mercy. Thank You my soul's beloved for all those who give up everything for the sake of the Gospel and for souls. Thank You for those who imitate Your generosity in giving up all in order to bring many into the sheepfold. Bless them abundantly and may we not take them for granted and not hold back our affection for them, our praise, and our prayers that they may be strengthened each day to follow You in humility of heart and singleness of purpose.