DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS -
Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our faults.
Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14, John 12:1-11
Isaiah 42:1-7
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
I adore You, I worship You and I love You.
Thank You Father for sending Your Chosen One, Your only Son, Your Beloved, into the world as our Covenant between You and Your insignificant sinful creatures.
Beloved, the Father put the Spirit of Love in You; incarnate by this same Holy Spirit in the virginal womb of Mary, You were sent into the world as a Sign through which You would draw all of us to the Father who loves His wayward children so much. You became the Lamb of Sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world. You came to show us the way and in these next few days we will make the journey with You as we relive Your last week upon earth.
Let this coming week Beloved, before we celebrate Your glorious Resurrection, be one of grace so all God's people may enter into Your Passion. With the help of the Holy Spirit may we comprehend with the eyes of faith the work of salvation that God wrought through You.
There is much You wish to teach us by Your example; give us the wisdom to learn and put into practice all that You desire us to understand of humility, obedience, patience, long-suffering, silence, surrender, and above all compassion even for Your enemies because You love.
You came as God's Sign in a world darkened by sin, evil, and death and You gave us new hope. You healed our iniquities and forgave our sins and above all You became the Gate through which we enter heaven and the Kingdom of God. Thank You.
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
You ask nothing of us that You Yourself have not experienced Yourself firsthand this is why we can trust You with our whole being. You walked the Way of Calvary, You bore the burden of Your Cross without complaint, You were cruelly scourged with whips that were designed to bite into the flesh and draw both flesh and blood; yet not a word berating Your torturers escaped Your lips. Your very silence enraged them and goaded them to heights of unimaginable cruelty. The more patient You were the more evil devised ways to break You.
The mocked, they spat, they cursed, the buffeted with blows, they kicked, they slapped, they crowned Your head with thorns that bit into Your flesh. They caused rivulets of blood to pour down Your face, blinding Your eyes so You couldn't see causing You to stumble on the rocky, narrow terrain and fall not once but many times.
The might of the Sanhedrin, the cohorts of the Chief Priests, Scribes, and the Pharisees, as well as the Roman authorities and armies were aligned against You; yet You did not cower or flinch once against their combined might and vitriolic hatred towards You.
Ours were the sufferings You bore, ours were the sins and the sorrows You carried. The punishment You endured was our punishment and through it You brought us peace and forgiveness. Your made perfect restitution for the sins of Adam and every sin that will ensue until time runs its course.
Thank You Beloved for the crown of redemption that You won for us through Your Cross.
John 12:1-11
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
There would have been a feeling of deep gratitude in the hearts of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, especially Lazarus whom You raised from the dead. They have invited You to a celebration meal. The evangelist John tells us that it is six days before the Passover which means that it is a Sunday. No one around that table would suspect what Your thoughts and feelings were. The hour was approaching quickly - that terrible hour, that saving hour for which the Father had sent You into the world.
Martha was in her usual exemplary role of service. Lazarus was the man of the hour, he had tasted death and was now seated among friends who were curious as well as awed by You and the power of God over death at work in You. John tells us that many believed in You after You performed this miracle.
But it is to Mary, the one who knows how to love, that our gaze is drawn. She sat at Your feet at an earlier meal at which You gently reproved Martha for complaining about her sister. She now takes a liter of costly, aromatic oil with which she proceeds to anoint Your feet. She is completely oblivious to everyone in the room. She is overcome with love and gratitude and this perfumed oil is a symbol of that generous heart that desires to pour itself out on You. After she has anointed Your feet she dries them with her long, lustrous, hair. I can just imagine the looks that were directed both at her and at You.
Narrow, mean-spirited, ugly, vicious, suspicious, and evil. They did not see with the eyes of wisdom and wonder but with eyes tainted by sin and their own familiarity with the sins in themselves. Judas was the spokesperson that voiced the thoughts that rose in the minds of these, for of all the evil persons in that room he was evil incarnate. John does not mince words, as writing in hindsight, he identifies Judas as the one who would betray You and in addition tags him as a thief; for they all knew well his propensity to help himself to the contents of the common purse over which he had charge.
A thief whose heart was closed despite the fact that he was one of the 12, chosen by God, loved by God, given the same opportunities as the rest to live with God, witness the miracles, hear God speak words of love, wisdom, kindness, gentleness, tenderness. He had firsthand knowledge of how Your enemies constantly sought to kill You and was quite unmoved. He actually had the temerity to show a feigned concern for the poor when he said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?"
You gently shush Judas saying, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
You were letting Your friends know that the hour was coming and that You would be taken from them. The enemies and spies in the large crowd who were present reported to the chief priests that many were coming to believe in You. The closing verses in this Gospel passage tell us that the religious authorities were not only planning to kill You but Lazarus as well because he was a living testimony to Your divine power. Yes the hour is coming and soon it will be upon us. Grant us to enter into it, experience it, and be graced by it during these coming days.
MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our faults.
Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14, John 12:1-11
Isaiah 42:1-7
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
I adore You, I worship You and I love You.
Thank You Father for sending Your Chosen One, Your only Son, Your Beloved, into the world as our Covenant between You and Your insignificant sinful creatures.
Beloved, the Father put the Spirit of Love in You; incarnate by this same Holy Spirit in the virginal womb of Mary, You were sent into the world as a Sign through which You would draw all of us to the Father who loves His wayward children so much. You became the Lamb of Sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world. You came to show us the way and in these next few days we will make the journey with You as we relive Your last week upon earth.
Let this coming week Beloved, before we celebrate Your glorious Resurrection, be one of grace so all God's people may enter into Your Passion. With the help of the Holy Spirit may we comprehend with the eyes of faith the work of salvation that God wrought through You.
There is much You wish to teach us by Your example; give us the wisdom to learn and put into practice all that You desire us to understand of humility, obedience, patience, long-suffering, silence, surrender, and above all compassion even for Your enemies because You love.
You came as God's Sign in a world darkened by sin, evil, and death and You gave us new hope. You healed our iniquities and forgave our sins and above all You became the Gate through which we enter heaven and the Kingdom of God. Thank You.
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
You ask nothing of us that You Yourself have not experienced Yourself firsthand this is why we can trust You with our whole being. You walked the Way of Calvary, You bore the burden of Your Cross without complaint, You were cruelly scourged with whips that were designed to bite into the flesh and draw both flesh and blood; yet not a word berating Your torturers escaped Your lips. Your very silence enraged them and goaded them to heights of unimaginable cruelty. The more patient You were the more evil devised ways to break You.
The mocked, they spat, they cursed, the buffeted with blows, they kicked, they slapped, they crowned Your head with thorns that bit into Your flesh. They caused rivulets of blood to pour down Your face, blinding Your eyes so You couldn't see causing You to stumble on the rocky, narrow terrain and fall not once but many times.
The might of the Sanhedrin, the cohorts of the Chief Priests, Scribes, and the Pharisees, as well as the Roman authorities and armies were aligned against You; yet You did not cower or flinch once against their combined might and vitriolic hatred towards You.
Ours were the sufferings You bore, ours were the sins and the sorrows You carried. The punishment You endured was our punishment and through it You brought us peace and forgiveness. Your made perfect restitution for the sins of Adam and every sin that will ensue until time runs its course.
Thank You Beloved for the crown of redemption that You won for us through Your Cross.
John 12:1-11
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
There would have been a feeling of deep gratitude in the hearts of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, especially Lazarus whom You raised from the dead. They have invited You to a celebration meal. The evangelist John tells us that it is six days before the Passover which means that it is a Sunday. No one around that table would suspect what Your thoughts and feelings were. The hour was approaching quickly - that terrible hour, that saving hour for which the Father had sent You into the world.
Martha was in her usual exemplary role of service. Lazarus was the man of the hour, he had tasted death and was now seated among friends who were curious as well as awed by You and the power of God over death at work in You. John tells us that many believed in You after You performed this miracle.
But it is to Mary, the one who knows how to love, that our gaze is drawn. She sat at Your feet at an earlier meal at which You gently reproved Martha for complaining about her sister. She now takes a liter of costly, aromatic oil with which she proceeds to anoint Your feet. She is completely oblivious to everyone in the room. She is overcome with love and gratitude and this perfumed oil is a symbol of that generous heart that desires to pour itself out on You. After she has anointed Your feet she dries them with her long, lustrous, hair. I can just imagine the looks that were directed both at her and at You.
Narrow, mean-spirited, ugly, vicious, suspicious, and evil. They did not see with the eyes of wisdom and wonder but with eyes tainted by sin and their own familiarity with the sins in themselves. Judas was the spokesperson that voiced the thoughts that rose in the minds of these, for of all the evil persons in that room he was evil incarnate. John does not mince words, as writing in hindsight, he identifies Judas as the one who would betray You and in addition tags him as a thief; for they all knew well his propensity to help himself to the contents of the common purse over which he had charge.
A thief whose heart was closed despite the fact that he was one of the 12, chosen by God, loved by God, given the same opportunities as the rest to live with God, witness the miracles, hear God speak words of love, wisdom, kindness, gentleness, tenderness. He had firsthand knowledge of how Your enemies constantly sought to kill You and was quite unmoved. He actually had the temerity to show a feigned concern for the poor when he said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?"
You gently shush Judas saying, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
You were letting Your friends know that the hour was coming and that You would be taken from them. The enemies and spies in the large crowd who were present reported to the chief priests that many were coming to believe in You. The closing verses in this Gospel passage tell us that the religious authorities were not only planning to kill You but Lazarus as well because he was a living testimony to Your divine power. Yes the hour is coming and soon it will be upon us. Grant us to enter into it, experience it, and be graced by it during these coming days.
No comments:
Post a Comment