Jeremiah 18:18-20, Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16, Matthew 20:17-28

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. Jn 8:12


Jeremiah 18:18-20, Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16, 
Matthew 20:17-28


Jeremiah 18:18-20

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Hear are some more prophecies about You that were fulfilled. The Chief Priests, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted against You and one of the ways in which they sought to find a fault in You was by paying close attention to what You said to trap You with Your own words.

You reminded the Jews that they had a history of persecuting and killing the prophets and they would continue their infamous history by plotting to kill You and eventually succeeding in their heinous plan. Thank You Beloved for standing in the breech, for extending Your alms twixt heaven and earth for for turning away the wrath of God from us and bridging the gap between God and us. Thank You for becoming the doorway through which we may enter the Kingdom.

Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is fearsome what our sins did to You and how those who gave You up to death and to the Cross were the visible instruments who acted in the place of every sinner who ever rejected God.  You were the willing Victim, the Lamb of God who offered Himself in obedience to the Father's will in order that all His sinful children beginning with Adam and Eve could be saved.

You broke the snare of sin that trapped us by permitting Yourself to be ensnared with the traps of the Enemy. You trusted in the Father love completely and so must we. Beloved, I entrust my whole life, my whole being, my whole spirit to You just as You did. You have redeemed me and I am free. Grant that I may use the freedom won at so great a price to remain faithful always.

Matthew 20:17-28

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You told the twelve exactly what awaited You in Jerusalem. Your heart would have been heavy knowing that history was going to repeat itself but this time it would be the Messiah, the Prophet of prophets, not just a man of God but the Son of God who would be destroyed by those with vested interests. You knew the manner of Your death until its bitter end. Your heart would have been stricken and You tried to share Your thoughts with those closest to You and instead of receiving comfort they were bickering among themselves about places of honor beside You.

It wounds us when those who are closest to us are indifferent to our pain and suffering but are absorbed in themselves. You were describing to them the horrors that awaited You but it fell on deaf ears. How patiently You must have looked at them and how tenderly You explained the Way to the Kingdom once again. It is only through the cross that one can win a crown - there is no other way. If there was You would have revealed it to us.  Humble service here on earth is the way to obtain a place of honor in heaven. You gave us an example of true humility and You invite us to imitate You by laying down our life for one another.

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 20 & 23, Matthew 23:1-12

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. 
-Ez 18:31



Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 20 & 23, Matthew 23:1-12


Isaiah 1:10, 16-20

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Planted beside the Living Streams that pour out from You I desire to wash myself clean of all the iniquity that is in me. Enable me with Your grace, Your help, and Your Spirit to live a life that is always pleasing to You. Give me courage to speak when I ought and to hold my tongue when I ought. Today You assure me that I can begin anew. The past will be forgotten. No longer will You remember the sins I have committed but will cast them behind You forever and they will be lost in the ocean of Your mercy. You invite me today to walk in the Light of Your Love and You will remain with me always.

Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 20 & 23

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

If I walk in the Way that leads to Life and Truth You assure me that I will experience the saving power of God. You hate hypocrites those who say one thing with their mouth but in their hates are stubborn, and lazy. 

Lent is a time of discipline. It is a word that is not very attractive to many especially since we prefer hedonism to austerity. But it is only when we bridle our senses and our desires that You can lead us on the paths of holiness.

Thank You for correcting me when I have strayed and for pointing out that I am a sinner and can so easily be cast aside because I have not been able to take up my cross each day without grumbling, and follow You.

Matthew 23:1-12

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is so easy to get carried away with our own puffed up idea about ourselves when in truth, in Your sight, we are lying hypocrites. You warn us today not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees who love their positions and guard them zealously. Instead of being true teachers they lorded it over the people, despised them, and condemned them when they were weak or found all the added details to the law difficult to keep.

I can be like that Beloved, I can nit pick and it does no one any good. Rather, today You remind me to practice the virtue of humility always and to remember that the Lord God is my Father and that You the Anointed of God are my Master. There is always the ever present danger of letting my passions rule my life and gain mastery over me. Thank You for the Sacraments that give me nourishment and that heal and cleanse me. Thank You for grace that is always available to me when I draw near to You. 

Daniel 9:4B-10, Psalm 79:8-9, 11 & 14, Luke 6:36-38

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Jn 6: 63C, 68C

Daniel 9:4B-10, Psalm 79:8-9, 11 & 14, Luke 6:36-38


Daniel 9:4B-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Dear God, I have sinned, I have been mediocre in fulfilling the just demands of this season of Lent. I have not truly entered the spirit of the Season simply because I have not taken to heart  nor have I put any real effort in disciplining my flesh. But the prophet reminds us that You are compassionate and that You forgive no matter how grave the transgression. I come to You this day Beloved, confessing that I am sorry but I lack the strength to overcome by self indulgent inclinations. I lack the courage to take myself in hand and fulfill the obligations that I am called to fulfill as a member of Your Body. Send Your Spirit upon me Lord. Without His help I can do nothing and I am filled with unhappy guilt. Help me discern Your will in order that I may abide by it. Amen.

Psalm 79:8-9, 11 & 14

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Together with the psalmist I cry out to You, I pour out my soul's distress and I pray that the sound of my voice reaches Your ears. I am a sinner. I have been a sinner since I was conceived in the womb. I have gone astray often and in You goodness and mercy You have looked for me and led me back into the fold. 

Do not abandon Your little nothing Beloved, if You do then there is no hope for me for I am truly incapable of helping myself. I fall before You, prostrate and helpless and I beseech You for Your Namesake to not abandon me but to hasten to me and help me and I will offer You praise and thanksgiving all my days.

Luke 6:36-38

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today's Word in the Gospel is Your answer to my cry for help for I am counted as Your disciple.

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you;a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Send Your Spirit upon me now Beloved so He can teach me to live out the truth that I am made in the image and likeness of God. Only with His help can I be merciful, can I stop being judgmental, stop condemning my brothers and sisters. Only with His aid can I forgive as readily as I've been forgiven my many transgressions. When I do You assure me that rich blessings will be mine. But You also remind me that only in the measure that I give will I receive. Only the Holy Spirit can teach me to strive to give as the Father as given me. Send Your Holy Spirit upon me now Beloved.

Genesis 22:1-, 9-13, 15-18, Psalm 116:10, 15-19, Romans 8:31B-34, Mark 9:2-10

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him. Mt 17:5

Genesis 22:1-, 9-13, 15-18, Psalm 116:10, 15-19, Romans 8:31B-34,  Mark 9:2-10


Genesis 22:1-, 9-13, 15-18

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

In this beautiful passage in the Old Testament we see God's munificence when we obey His commands. Abraham's response to God was always yes. It was a perfect yes. He did not grumble, he did not complain. In fact He actually carried all that was needed up the hill for the sacrifice. He did not hesitate but trusted that God would find a way to fulfill the promises He had made through his son Isaac. 

From that time forth, when God stayed his hand from slaying his only son, Abraham knew for certain that he loved God more than any created thing. This is the lesson that he was to learn. God even provided the ram that Abraham could offer to Him in thanksgiving for sparing his boy. 

We can trust God our Father to provide for everyone of our needs both spiritual and temporal when we obey His laws, the greatest of which is absolute love for God, and love of neighbour as ourselves. 

Psalm 116:10, 15-19

Dear Love Beloved of my soul,

This is all I am required to do in this life. I am called to walk before the Lord with integrity. I am called to fulfill my obligations to both God and neighbor. I am called to live as a child of the Most High who has been redeemed at a price that I can never repay. I am called to keep in mind the destiny that the Father has in store for me.

God did not create me for a life of selfishness, and self-indulgence, He created me to be a light, no matter how feeble, to encourage others on way with me to heaven.

Romans 8:31B-34

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

St. Paul puts its well, if God be for me who can dare be against me? God walks with me, He fights my battles for me. He encourages me every step of the way. If I am weary He lifts me up, if I am hungry he feeds me, thirsty He gives me living water that wells up to eternal life in me. Who can bring a charge against me when the Precious Blood of the Lamb has washed away all my iniquity and taken away my guilt and shame. Truly, if God is for me who can be against me. I belong to God more completely than I belong to the parents God chose to give me life. I belong more completely to God than to my spouse for God's intimacy with me in the Holy Eucharist make me more closely one with Him than any marital union could ever aspire to be. You, my Beloved intercede for my without ceasing and I know that You will ensure that my end and my destiny is to be forever united with You eternally.

Mark 9:2-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor are a reminder to us that there is a heaven and that You are God. The fulfillment of the prophets and the Law. Of You it was said that God would send a Savior to redeem the world from their sins and restore what was lost forever. The three Peter, James, and John were to testify to what they had witnessed but only after Your Ascension into heaven. They were to tell the world that even before You ascended to Your Father, they glimpsed Your glory. 

More important than anything else though is the voice of the Father that declares to all creation unequivocally that You are His Beloved Son and that we are to listen to Him.

Thank You Beloved for Sacred Scripture, thank You for Sacred Tradition, thank You for Holy Mother Church and above all thank You for Your Holy Spirit who dwells in fullness in Your Body and enable us to live a life of grace that will eventually lead us to eternal life with You in heaven.

Death must come first as it did for You too. But because of You death no longer has the power to sting, You have transformed it into a doorway to the Kingdom and to eternal bliss. Thank You.

Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8, Matthew 5:43-48

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 6:2B


Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 
Matthew 5:43-48

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I am a member of Your Body, the Church You founded and established and in whom You are fully present. The Covenant that God has made with those who believe in You overshadows every other made in the past. This New Covenant is a Covenant of Love and is sealed in the Blood of the Lamb. It is an eternal Covenant. It makes me co-heir with You to the Kingdom of God. I for my part am called to walk in Your ways, to keep Your commandments of Love, and be guided by the teachings of Holy Mother Church in all the areas of my life. The fruit of  such living is that God will remain with me, He will raise me up, He will keep me in His Shadow and His Shade will cover me. Help me Lord to root out the sinful tendencies weaken Your Body. Thank You.

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You have said that You are the Way, the Truth and the Life and those who follow You will never walk in darkness. We are called to be committed in seeking You will in all things. But we are weak and we often fail. Thank You for providing the grace through the Sacraments which provides the grace to strengthen our resolve to walk more closely with You. May I always praise You from the moment I rise to the time I lay down at night to sleep in doing so I will always be attuned to Your power, and Your goodness that keeps me alive. Help me to avoid the near occasion of sin which is often my downfall. Guide my footstep lest I stray in those ways that in my frailty will tempt me to give way. Stay with me Lord and never abandon me. Amen.

Matthew 5:43-48

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The whole purpose of Lent is to strive to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father perfect. This is tall order Beloved and without help we would make absolutely no progress on the path of holiness and perfection. The whole year most of us live blithely with no real thought of disciplining ourselves in order to grow in virtue this is why the Church gives us this time to take stock of ourselves become aware of our shortcomings and all the weaknesses that hinder our growth in becoming like You. For most us this season like so many Lenten seasons will come and go and  we continue to remain stunted in our spiritual life. 

In today's Gospel You offer us a radical new way of living. Do we dare, do we have the courage to accept the challenge. The world offers us a standard of living that is totally opposed to the way of life that we are called to live as Your disciples. Today You say to us,  

"But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I don't have to do it on my own at all; if I attempt to do so I will not succeed. You have given me Your Holy Spirit and the Sacraments and this is all I required to fight the good fight and win the battle.

Stay with me Lord, now and always.

Ezekiel 18:21-28, Psalm 130:1-8, Matthew 5:20-26

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, And make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. 
Ez 18:31


Ezekiel 18:21-28, Psalm 130:1-8, Matthew 5:20-26


Ezekiel 18:21-28

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You remind us today not to commit the sin of presumption. We are called to be holy and perfect as the Father is holy and perfect. We are called to stay on the path that leads to life all the days of our life. You warn us that if even after decades of right living we turn away and fall into grave sin and die, then we cannot presume that our previous life of holiness will save us. Likewise a grave sinner may have spent most of his life wallowing in sin but if he truly repents and asks You to forgive him then forgiveness is granted him; his past is no longer remembered. It will do us well to keep this thought always alive in us.

Psalm 130:1-8

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered. 

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.

For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.


Matthew 5:20-26

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today You remind me not to compare myself to anyone but to strive to reach the heights of holiness and perfection that the Holy Spirit Himself will enable me to. I can only be what God has created me to be and while I do not set any limits to His ability to draw from me all that His power makes possible I must remember who I am. Within my capacity, in the place I am given, in the vocation that is mine, I am called to cooperate wholly with the will of the Father. Saying as You taught us, "Your will be done." 

Grant O my most Beloved Jesus, that I may always seek to place the will of the Father before my own. To see the good, the true, the noble, the beautiful, the divine in everyone I encounter each day. Help me overcome my weakness of hastily judging people, of getting overwrought over perceived slights. Grant me the grace always to remain humble, and silent; to ponder before I react. In this way I will save myself a lot of rash and faulty conclusions in my thinking. You remind me today that it is better to lean on the side of mercy than to seek my pound of flesh in retribution for real or imaginary wrongs.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Amen.

1 Peter 5:1-4, Psalm 23:1-3A, 4-6, Matthew 16:13-19

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 
Mt. 16:18

1 Peter 5:1-4, Psalm 23:1-3A, 4-6, Matthew 16:13-19

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

1 Peter 5:1-4

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the primacy of St. Peter, chief of the Apostles. It was he whom You chose from among the twelve, You set him apart not to lord it over the rest but because he and those who were appointed after him would be Your representative on earth. You knew that we would need one in authority but who would also know that he was to be one who served. You gave Peter the charism of binding and losing and in all matters concerning faith and morals we are to listen to him and be guided by him. You did not choose one who was sinless, for no man is but One. You chose one who had all our weaknesses and because of them he would understand that we are all saved by grace. 

Thank You for the gift of the primacy of our popes Lord because of it the Church is held in unity and is one with the Triune God. You dwell in fullness in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. You are its Head we are Your body. You are the Bridegroom of the Church, we are Your bride. It is You who will present Your bride to the Father at the end of time without spot or wrinkle.

Thank You Beloved of my soul and my Bridegroom.

Psalm 23:1-3A, 4-6

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You are my Shepherd, there is absolutely nothing I need or want for You are my Provider. You are the One who cares for me. You lead me to pasture when I am hungry, when I am thirsty You give me water to drink. When I am weary You give me rest. When I am wounded, discouraged, unable to make any progress on my own, You lift me up and place me on Your shoulder, You carry me in Your arms, You press me comfortingly and consolingly against Your Sacred Heart. 

I need nothing Beloved, I want nothing. I entrust all that I am, I entrust all the people in my life whom I love so dearly to You, I entrust all that I have into Your hands for I know that I can safely rest in You; confident that I can do all things, I can endure all things, I can strive for all things, because You are with me and Your Spirit is alive in me.

Matthew 16:13-19

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Thank you for the Church You founded with Peter at its head. Thank You for not leaving us orphaned but for sending Your Holy Spirit upon the nascent Church and for Your Mother who was present at the time in the Cenacle. Thank You for making provision for Your bride after You ascended to Your Father but ensuring Your enduring Presence among us in the Holy Eucharist. Thank You for giving us a sure assurance that the Keys to Kingdom of Heaven rest with Peter and those who come after him - and we can be certain that we will not be lead astray if we are obedient to the See of Peter in all matters pertaining to faith and morals.

Thank You for choosing Peter, one as frail as we are, it encourages us to believe that there is hope for us all. You knew that of the twelve Peter was Your Father's choice to head the Church after Your Ascension into heaven because His response to Your question, 

"Who do you say that I am?" His response was, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And You said in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 

This is why the Church celebrates this Feast that she will always keep alive in the memory of the faithful of the authority You have given to Peter.  Keep us one with him always Beloved, and give us the wisdom to know that our very unity depends on us being obedient to him.  

Jonah 3:1-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, Luke 11:29-32

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart
for I am gracious and merciful. Jl 2:12-13

Jonah 3:1-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, 
Luke 11:29-32 

Jonah 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD's bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
"Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. 
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish."
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;

he did not carry it out.

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

From the opening verse we see that God is a God of second chances. Jonah was given another opportunity to fulfill the work that God had asked him to. This time he did with with great relish as he announced God's wrath on these pagans what he did not expect was for his words to have any effect. Not only do the people repent but the king himself orders that neither man nor beast with eat or drink water in order to make reparation and perhaps avert God's anger. 

No sin is too great that it cannot be forgiven Beloved. Your love is everlasting and Your mercy is greater than the ocean. You do not wish the death of the sinner but desire that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of Truth. Thank You for redeeming us and saving us from the jaws of death and for restoring to us all that was lost.

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. 
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 Luke 11:29-32

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Truly, there is something here that is greater than Jonah and the world will be condemned because they did not recognize You who are greater than Solomon, and greater than Jonah. But the world prefers sin it prefers to live feverishly on the things that pass away and decay ignoring all the while what wells up to eternal life.  Every generation seems more evil than the last with the strides that the world is making in ensuring life is more comfortable. We are distracted constantly, we are encouraged to believe that we desperately need what the world has to offer in order to be happy and nothing satisfies. We go on from one pleasure to the next and are left emptier than we ever were. Those who believe Beloved are called to be Jonah but we ignore that call just as he did. Help us not to run away from our mission but to embrace it as he finally did and thus bring Your salvation to those who would otherwise perish.

Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 34:4-6, 16-19, Matthew 6:7-15

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Mt 4:4B


Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 34:4-6, 16-19, Matthew 6:7-15


Isaiah 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Grace upon grace  is poured into our hearts through the Sacraments, just like the rain and the snow sent down upon the earth; making the soil is fertile and fruitful for the seed to grow. A good harvest results; so those who work the field may eat. So it is with the Father who spoke at the dawn of creation. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us giving life to all who believe. You are the Eternal Word of the Father, fulfilling all that He desired and achieving salvation for the whole world in perfect obedience to His will.

Psalm 34:4-6, 16-19

R. (18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul, I thank and praise You. I glorify You and give You thanks for the joy of knowing Your Name. Thank You for delivering me from all my fears.

Thank You for the times of refreshing spent before You in adoration. You make my soul radiant with joy. You forgive my sins and take away my shame. Each time I call You heard me and comforted me.

You gaze is always on me Beloved, and this is why I need never fear the wiles and toils of the Enemy to ensnare me.

Thank You for Your comforting assurance that You are close to me especially when I am heartbroken. Thank You for saving me and claiming me for Yourself eternally.


Matthew 6:7-15

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Thank You for assuring me that the Father know what I need even before I open my mouth and speak.

Thank You for teaching me how to pray so my prayers may reach the highest heavens and move the heart of God.

Above and before all Beloved, thank You for teaching me to address the God whom the heavens cannot contain and for whom the earth is a mere footstool, as Father. It follows that I must tremble before His holiness in awe. To know that God Himself take account of all my needs and provides for all of them is truly humbling. 

Thank You Beloved for giving me a mission to bring about the Kingdom of heaven on earth. To know perfect happiness and joy my will must always be aligned to the will of the Father then I will be united with all on earth and in heaven who live to do His will.

The Father is our Provider, it is He who sustains us with His powerful Word, and gives us life through the Breath of His Spirit. Thank You for teaching us that we need both the spiritual Bread of the Eucharist and the bread that sustains our mortal bodies and that we can depend on the Father to give us both.

God tempts no one but pours grace upon grace into our soul so we may resist temptation. He has delivered us from every evil by Your Passion and Death on the Cross.

However, You remind us that the forgiveness of all our sins and all our faults and transgressions depends on the measure in which we ourselves forgive the faults and transgressions of our brothers and sister. These are Your words Beloved and may I never forget them. Help me forgive always just as I have been forgiven. Amen.

"If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Psalm 19:8-19, 15, Matthew 25:31-46

DAILY HOLY MASS READING

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. 2Cor 6:2B


Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Psalm 19:8-19, 15, 
Matthew 25:31-46


Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You repeat once again what You have just commanded me in Your Word - You call me to holiness and perfection as the heavenly Father is holy and perfect. 

I have to root out from myself all that is unbecoming and foreign to one who is privileged to be called a child of God and who is an heir to the Kingdom. There is much in me Beloved that needs pruning, trimming, and uprooting. The soil of my heart needs to be enriched, watered, and prepared to the good seed that the Holy Spirit desires to plant in me. But I need to take that first step in desiring it and than surrendering my whole being to the work of the Holy Spirit in me.

This is the acceptable time Beloved, grant that I may not squander it. Let not this holy season pass me by and my indifference to Your call goes unheard. I beg You Beloved, for the sake of Your love for me to take me in hand and accomplish what I am too weak to do for myself. Help me!

Psalm 19:8-19, 15

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

As I lift up my hands in surrender to Your Most Holy Name, I beg You to strengthen my trembling feet and lead me on the narrow path that leads to life and to Your Kingdom. Amen.



Matthew 25:31-46

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I cannot live my life blithely, selfishly and self-absorbed and expect not to have consequences for being blind and deaf to those who needed me. We are members of Your Body, we are children of God, and if one member hurts the whole body suffers. I am called to be sensitive and generous. Empathetic and patient. My mood ought not to determine how I respond to another in times of difficulty.

May the thought of final judgment not goad me into doing a life of good works, rather that You have said, As long as you have done it to one of these, or neglected to do it to one of these, you have done it to me or vice versa. 

Keep me alive to the needs of the other as long as You grant me breath in my body. Amen.

Genesis 9:8-15, Psalm 25:4-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Mt 4:4B


FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

Genesis 9:8-15, Psalm 25:4-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, 
Mark 1:12-15

Genesis 9:8-15

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

We are remnded this day that God's Covenant is an everlasting Covenant of Love. He assures us that He will keep it come what may. You do not delight in the death of the sinner and this is why The Father sent You into the world to redeem it from the jaws of death I live because You live more breathe and animate Me take away Your Holy Spirit from me and I shall perish. Weak, frail, sinful as I am You make Your dwelling place with Me. Because You are the Covenant of Love that the Father has made with me and with all His people. When the Father looks at me He sees You in me and this is why I live and will live forever.

Psalm 25:4-9

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,

and he teaches the humble his way.

Dear Love, Beloved of my Soul,

You say very clearly that You did not come for the righteous but for sinners. This is how I know that You came for me. The Father sent You in order that I might live. God our Father, is good, kind, merciful, tenderhearted, compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy. This is why He sent You to heal what was broken forever. You are meek and humble of heart and if I am to be pleasing in the Father's sight I am called to remember that I am dust and all that I have been redeemed at a price I can never repay. Love created me, Love redeemed me, Love causes me to live and to live eternally. Stay with me Lord as the days of my life come to a close and I shall behold You at last Face to Face. Amen.

 1 Peter 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once, 
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, 
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh, 
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, 
who had once been disobedient 
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah 
during the building of the ark, 
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body 
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God, 
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.


Mark 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, 
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, 
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Isaiah 58:1-9A, Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 18-19, Matthew 9:14-15

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY


Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you. Amos  5:14

Isaiah 58:1-9A, Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 18-19,
Matthew 9:14-15

Isaiah 58:1-9A




Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Forgive me for all the times that I have complained that You ave not heard me failing to recognize that I have sinned and placed a barrier between us. Unrepentant and hardhearted I was the one who distanced myself from You. You do not wish me to make an outward and meaningless show of my fasting and penance.  Today, You reveal through the words of the prophet Isaiah, the kind of fast that is pleasing to You.

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

My most Beloved, Bridegroom of my soul, help me this holy season of Lent to see myself as I am and to rely on You every step of the way for without You and Your Spirit nothing I say or do would be pleasing to You.



Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 18-19

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today, once again You reveal the key that unlocks Your merciful and compassionate heart. Only when I humbly acknowledge my sins, my faults, my weaknesses, my failure to cooperate with grace and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, can I be healed. A proud and haughty spirit You abhor. Help me never again to make excuses for my sins but to face them squarely, acknowledge them in sorrow and beg Your forgiveness.

Matthew 9:14-15

Dear Love, Most Beloved Bridegroom of my soul,

Your wedding guests mourn because You have been taken from us. We fast because You are no longer with us as You once were among Your Apostles and disciples. They too were bereft and inconsolable when You ascended to Your Father. However, Beloved, just as You promised, You sent them and us the Holy Spirit who remains with us and reveals to us all that You said. Your Word strengthens and nourishes us and Your Flesh and Blood in the Holy Eucharist provides food for our soul which wells up to eternal life in us. 

So while the Church invites us to mourn and fast on some occasions we do so only to recall the price You paid to set us free and claim us for the Father eternally. But, we rejoice always that the Bridegroom is always with her Bride, the Church and can never be separated from her for she is forever one with You in time and in eternity.