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
Acts 5:34-42, Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14, John 6:1-15
Acts 5:34-42
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
Gamaliel spoke the unvarnished truth before the Sanhedrin. He was the Rabbi who taught Saul who would later become Paul. He was a Pharisee who was respected by his peers and it is obvious that he was a man who was aware of how to identify what is the work of God and what is not.
He cautioned the Sanhedrin to be careful how they dealt with the Apostles whom the authorities were prepared to kill and destroy for fear of the power of Your Name. Many were leaving the faith of their ancestors and were getting baptized. If the Sanhedrin had their way there would have been a mass slaughter of all Christians beginning with the Apostles. But they allowed better sense to prevail that day for they could not refute the wisdom of Gamaliel's words.
"Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men. .....have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
At least for a time they Apostles were spared. They were given a flogging, they were commanded not to speak about You and were permitted to go. They rejoiced for being considered worthy to suffer persecution for the sake of Your Name and they continued to teach and preach the Good News. Nothing could quench the power of the Holy Spirit that had set them on fire.
Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
My prayer today is one with that of the psalmist. One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord. Why? Because apart from You there is no life. You are my Light and my Salvation and I fear nothing for You hide me in the shadow of Your Love. You are my hiding place. You keep me safe in Your Heart and this is why I laugh at the Enemy. Because I am in You Beloved I am sure that nothing that I face in life will overwhelm me. The more the suffering that may be allotted to me in the days to come, the more will I retreat deep into You and find my comfort and consolation in You.
Thank You for remaining with us until the end of time. Thank You for Your Eucharistic Presence in our Adoration Chapels and our Tabernacles all over the world. Thank You for Your unfathomable humility in stooping low over us and coming into us in Holy Communion. Thank You for the Life of Grace we receive through the Sacraments that enable us to grow in holiness. Thank You for Your promises that in the end, I will come to You and You will take me by the hand and lead me to the place that the Father has prepared for me from all eternity. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
John 6:1-15
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
I have read this miracle in the Gospel of John often. I have heard it read at Holy Mass. I have heard many sermons and teachings on it and I too have contemplated on it and written down my own insights at the prompting of Your Holy Spirit. Before the days of my life are ended, I will continue to hear it, read it, reflect on it often and You will continue to speak to me through it. It foreshadows the Eucharist. It prepares us for the Eucharistic meal that You will institute. It also gives us an understanding of the power of God in feeding His people with the Body and Blood of His Son until time runs its course.
Before the foundations of the earth were laid, God knew everything that would happen once He created the world and man and woman. God saw this day when large crowds would follow You after they had heard You teach, preach, and perform miracles. We are told that the Jewish feast of Passover was near, what was going to occur here, was only a foretaste of what You would soon do on the actual feast of Passover.
You went up a mountain. You sat down with Your disciples. You looked at the large crowd that had followed You. You had compassion because You saw their need. You turned to Philip and asked,
"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little."
Philip was looking at the problem he was not looking at His Lord and Master and this is why he was blind to the greater power that was right before him and who was able to satisfy every human need.
Simon Peter remarked about the small lunch that a boy had carried with him, but his observation too lacked faith.
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
You already knew what You were going to do. The Father had already ensured that the people had a comfortable place to sit for the Gospel writer notes that there was a great deal of grass there and the people who were five thousand in number sat down.
Now we see You perform the miracle of the loaves and the fish which will enable us understand the greater miracle of the Holy Eucharist.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
This is exactly what happens at every Holy Mass at the time of Consecration when bread and wine are transformed into Your Body and Blood. No matter how great the crowds, no matter where or when Holy Mass is celebrated, no matter how many times it is celebrated all over the world from the rising of the sun to its setting, until the end of time, there will always be enough of the Son of God for us to eat and drink. There will always be more than enough for all and all will eat and be satisfied, filled with the Life of God and His Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Beloved.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Mt 4:4B
Acts 5:34-42, Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14, John 6:1-15
Acts 5:34-42
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
Gamaliel spoke the unvarnished truth before the Sanhedrin. He was the Rabbi who taught Saul who would later become Paul. He was a Pharisee who was respected by his peers and it is obvious that he was a man who was aware of how to identify what is the work of God and what is not.
He cautioned the Sanhedrin to be careful how they dealt with the Apostles whom the authorities were prepared to kill and destroy for fear of the power of Your Name. Many were leaving the faith of their ancestors and were getting baptized. If the Sanhedrin had their way there would have been a mass slaughter of all Christians beginning with the Apostles. But they allowed better sense to prevail that day for they could not refute the wisdom of Gamaliel's words.
"Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men. .....have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
At least for a time they Apostles were spared. They were given a flogging, they were commanded not to speak about You and were permitted to go. They rejoiced for being considered worthy to suffer persecution for the sake of Your Name and they continued to teach and preach the Good News. Nothing could quench the power of the Holy Spirit that had set them on fire.
Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
My prayer today is one with that of the psalmist. One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord. Why? Because apart from You there is no life. You are my Light and my Salvation and I fear nothing for You hide me in the shadow of Your Love. You are my hiding place. You keep me safe in Your Heart and this is why I laugh at the Enemy. Because I am in You Beloved I am sure that nothing that I face in life will overwhelm me. The more the suffering that may be allotted to me in the days to come, the more will I retreat deep into You and find my comfort and consolation in You.
Thank You for remaining with us until the end of time. Thank You for Your Eucharistic Presence in our Adoration Chapels and our Tabernacles all over the world. Thank You for Your unfathomable humility in stooping low over us and coming into us in Holy Communion. Thank You for the Life of Grace we receive through the Sacraments that enable us to grow in holiness. Thank You for Your promises that in the end, I will come to You and You will take me by the hand and lead me to the place that the Father has prepared for me from all eternity. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
John 6:1-15
Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,
I have read this miracle in the Gospel of John often. I have heard it read at Holy Mass. I have heard many sermons and teachings on it and I too have contemplated on it and written down my own insights at the prompting of Your Holy Spirit. Before the days of my life are ended, I will continue to hear it, read it, reflect on it often and You will continue to speak to me through it. It foreshadows the Eucharist. It prepares us for the Eucharistic meal that You will institute. It also gives us an understanding of the power of God in feeding His people with the Body and Blood of His Son until time runs its course.
Before the foundations of the earth were laid, God knew everything that would happen once He created the world and man and woman. God saw this day when large crowds would follow You after they had heard You teach, preach, and perform miracles. We are told that the Jewish feast of Passover was near, what was going to occur here, was only a foretaste of what You would soon do on the actual feast of Passover.
You went up a mountain. You sat down with Your disciples. You looked at the large crowd that had followed You. You had compassion because You saw their need. You turned to Philip and asked,
"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little."
Philip was looking at the problem he was not looking at His Lord and Master and this is why he was blind to the greater power that was right before him and who was able to satisfy every human need.
Simon Peter remarked about the small lunch that a boy had carried with him, but his observation too lacked faith.
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
You already knew what You were going to do. The Father had already ensured that the people had a comfortable place to sit for the Gospel writer notes that there was a great deal of grass there and the people who were five thousand in number sat down.
Now we see You perform the miracle of the loaves and the fish which will enable us understand the greater miracle of the Holy Eucharist.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
This is exactly what happens at every Holy Mass at the time of Consecration when bread and wine are transformed into Your Body and Blood. No matter how great the crowds, no matter where or when Holy Mass is celebrated, no matter how many times it is celebrated all over the world from the rising of the sun to its setting, until the end of time, there will always be enough of the Son of God for us to eat and drink. There will always be more than enough for all and all will eat and be satisfied, filled with the Life of God and His Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Beloved.
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