DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life. Phil 2:15, 16
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10,
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
You choose who you will to accomplish Your will. Here we see how God chooses a pagan king Cyrus and used him to send the people of God back home after years of exile. Our God is God of the unexpected, He does what He wills and who will say to Him, 'No.' This is why I must be docile in spirit knowing that God often chooses those who we might reject so there can be no dispute that it is Your work, Your power that brings about the impossible through the most unexpected people. All You need is a humble heart and a willing spirit.
Cyrus was successful because God was with him. God used him. God inspired him to do what He wished to accomplish through his office as king. It is good for us to always remember that if we are alive, it is because God wills it. It is You who choose, You who call, You who raise us up, You who prepare, You who equip, You who send - we are only Your instruments. The work is Yours, the victory is Yours, the glory is Yours. Thank You Beloved for calling me and using me if only in very small to shine my little light which though small is really Your light and not my own.
Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
One of the best ways, a way most pleasing to You, is when we come together as God's family on the Lord's Day, and offer You, as one body, the glory, the praise, the worship, that is Your due as our Lord and our God. The most fitting praise that can be offered is the Liturgy, in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in the Holy Eucharist where we offer to the Father the Gift of His Son whom He sent into the world in expiation for our sins.
Here we offer God a Sacrifice of Praise, Adoration, Worship, and we receive in turn the Flesh of the Son of Man to eat and the Blood of the Son of Man to drink so we can become what You are and receive strength on our journey to the Father's house. Let us not forget to wear the wedding garment when we come before You, the garment of righteousness, the garment received at our baptism, unstained and unwrinkled because they have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
We did not receive the Gospel cheaply. It came at a terrible price beginning with the price paid at Calvary and subsequently the price paid by all who in imitation of You laid down their lives for You and for the Gospel.
There is no such thing as cheap grace. Our salvation was bought on the Cross and in exchange for our death You have given us the hope of eternal life. We thank You Beloved for the long line of witnesses beginning with the Apostles who have endured much suffering even to the laying down of their lives so that the Good News could be preached to the ends of the earth. Thank You Beloved for each one of them and grant that I too may do my part faithfully, no matter how small it may be to carry on this wonderful mission given to me at my baptism to make You known and loved wherever I may be.
Matthew 22:15-21
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
There are many in the world who are wolves in sheep clothing. They want to devour, to plunder, to destroy, and are prepared to use guile and deceit in order to trap and ensnare just like the Pharisees who sent their disciples and the Herodians to do their dirty work.
What they said was true, You are the embodiment of Truth and it is also true that You were not concerned with the opinion of men but of God, Your Father alone. They thought they were being very clever when they asked You a question that would damn You either in the eyes of the authorities or the people. Filled with malicious glee one can almost see them rejoicing that they had got You. Fools. You saw through them instantly and called them hypocrites to their face letting them know that You were not fooled by them for an instant. They had no way of responding to Your response for there was no response to the Wisdom of the Word.
"Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
We are called to obey civil authorities, and civil laws no matter how unpleasant we find them for it is You who have given us those in the world who will govern us, just so long as they do not ask us to do what is evil, what is wrong, what goes against God's law. And we must be vigilant in rendering to You, our Lord and our God what belongs to God. Our love, our worship, our obedience always and everywhere.
Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life. Phil 2:15, 16
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10,
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
You choose who you will to accomplish Your will. Here we see how God chooses a pagan king Cyrus and used him to send the people of God back home after years of exile. Our God is God of the unexpected, He does what He wills and who will say to Him, 'No.' This is why I must be docile in spirit knowing that God often chooses those who we might reject so there can be no dispute that it is Your work, Your power that brings about the impossible through the most unexpected people. All You need is a humble heart and a willing spirit.
Cyrus was successful because God was with him. God used him. God inspired him to do what He wished to accomplish through his office as king. It is good for us to always remember that if we are alive, it is because God wills it. It is You who choose, You who call, You who raise us up, You who prepare, You who equip, You who send - we are only Your instruments. The work is Yours, the victory is Yours, the glory is Yours. Thank You Beloved for calling me and using me if only in very small to shine my little light which though small is really Your light and not my own.
Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
One of the best ways, a way most pleasing to You, is when we come together as God's family on the Lord's Day, and offer You, as one body, the glory, the praise, the worship, that is Your due as our Lord and our God. The most fitting praise that can be offered is the Liturgy, in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in the Holy Eucharist where we offer to the Father the Gift of His Son whom He sent into the world in expiation for our sins.
Here we offer God a Sacrifice of Praise, Adoration, Worship, and we receive in turn the Flesh of the Son of Man to eat and the Blood of the Son of Man to drink so we can become what You are and receive strength on our journey to the Father's house. Let us not forget to wear the wedding garment when we come before You, the garment of righteousness, the garment received at our baptism, unstained and unwrinkled because they have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
We did not receive the Gospel cheaply. It came at a terrible price beginning with the price paid at Calvary and subsequently the price paid by all who in imitation of You laid down their lives for You and for the Gospel.
There is no such thing as cheap grace. Our salvation was bought on the Cross and in exchange for our death You have given us the hope of eternal life. We thank You Beloved for the long line of witnesses beginning with the Apostles who have endured much suffering even to the laying down of their lives so that the Good News could be preached to the ends of the earth. Thank You Beloved for each one of them and grant that I too may do my part faithfully, no matter how small it may be to carry on this wonderful mission given to me at my baptism to make You known and loved wherever I may be.
Matthew 22:15-21
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
There are many in the world who are wolves in sheep clothing. They want to devour, to plunder, to destroy, and are prepared to use guile and deceit in order to trap and ensnare just like the Pharisees who sent their disciples and the Herodians to do their dirty work.
What they said was true, You are the embodiment of Truth and it is also true that You were not concerned with the opinion of men but of God, Your Father alone. They thought they were being very clever when they asked You a question that would damn You either in the eyes of the authorities or the people. Filled with malicious glee one can almost see them rejoicing that they had got You. Fools. You saw through them instantly and called them hypocrites to their face letting them know that You were not fooled by them for an instant. They had no way of responding to Your response for there was no response to the Wisdom of the Word.
"Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
We are called to obey civil authorities, and civil laws no matter how unpleasant we find them for it is You who have given us those in the world who will govern us, just so long as they do not ask us to do what is evil, what is wrong, what goes against God's law. And we must be vigilant in rendering to You, our Lord and our God what belongs to God. Our love, our worship, our obedience always and everywhere.
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