Daniel 13:41-62, Psalm 23:1-6, John 8:1-11

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Ez 33:11

Daniel 13:41-62, Psalm 23:1-6, John 8:1-11


Daniel 13:41-62

My soul's beloved, You will always spare the life of the innocent, those who put their hope and trust in You as we see in the account of Susanna and Daniel. The powerful of the world, those who are called to the honorable task of meting out justice fail miserably and they pervert justice by allowing themselves to bought. A wicked judge deserves the most severe punishment for instead of ensuring that the evil doer is punished he lets them go free while condemning the innocent. In our own world we see how the posts of reason and common sense keep shifting and the lines of morality keep getting more blurred with time. We are living in the age of immoral profligacy, and complete stupidity and idiocy while plain, common good sense is totally extinguished. I pray my Beloved, that You will raise up people like Daniel before it is too late and the ways of the world will be guided by wisdom and reason.

Psalm 23:1-6

My soul's beloved, it would seem that the world is walking on a tight rope in the dark valley of death where evil is rampant on every side. Yet, the psalmist reminds us that no matter how gloomy the world is in our time filled with violence, war, hatred, discrimination, immorality, and depravity You are still the Good Shepherd. Those who choose to walk with You walk in the Light and the darkness will never overcome it. You walk beside us. You keep our hand in You own and gently lead us to ways that give us eternal hope and refreshment to our weary spirits. Those who belong to Your sheepfold will be led safely into the Kingdom of Heaven.

John 8:1-11

My soul's beloved, I am no better than the Scribes and Pharisees who dragged the woman caught in adultery through the town and before You. I can be a self-righteous, judgmental prig and all the while You who know me so well know that I who am too busy casting stones at all and sundry have hands, heart and soul stained with sin. It is so extraordinarily easy to pick at the splinters in everyone else's eyes and forgetting how completely blind I am to my own sins and failures. Today You say very sternly to me,  as You said to those who condemned that poor woman, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

You know all my sins, all my weaknesses, if You cataloged all my transgressions it would be very lengthy indeed. But You have always shown me mercy, compassion and tender love whereas I have often failed in withholding rash judgment. I set myself up as judge, jury and executioner forgetting all the while how absolutely weak I am and how very much I have been forgiven.

Forgive me beloved and from henceforth let me reserve all judgment to You whom God has appointed as the only righteous judge. All I am required to do is show mercy and compassion as I have been shown mercy and compassion. Thank You beloved, that in You there is no condemnation only the command to sin no more.