Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19, Psalm 74:1-6, Matthew 8:5-17

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases. Mt. 8:17


Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19, Psalm 74:1-6, 
Matthew 8:5-17



Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

When we deliberately reject You, reject Your Law of Love, reject the great Sacrifice that took away our guilt and our punishment we have no one but ourselves to blame when calamity upon calamity visits us. This has been the experience of the people of the Old Testament time and time again and it is ours in this present age we live in. 

Families are under attack, babies are dismembered in their mother's womb. Sin under every guise is rampant. Every aberration is considered normal. Lies are peddled as truth by the false prophets of the day and their falsehoods are embraced because people are ignorant of the Truth that gives Life and leads us on the Way to the Kingdom of God. 

There is a remedy Beloved for the world. You are its remedy but unless we are prepared to, 

Rise up, shrill in the night,
at the beginning of every watch;
Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your little ones
Who faint from hunger
at the corner of every street.

There is no hope for us in the coming chastisement.
Psalm 74:1-6

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Have pity on us, Lord, the majority of the people in the world are ignorant because they have been abandoned from the moment they were conceived. They have been raised by those who are blind and deaf so what chance do they have Beloved? They are being fed lies all their waking hours and they have no way of knowing the Truth that could set them free.

Beloved, unless there is a New Pentecost and the faithful remnant are re-energized in Your Holy Spirit the world is doomed to destruction and damnation. Even we who believe lack the courage to stand up boldly and proclaim the Good News that saves. Our excuses are many. And the strident voices of those who claim to speak for the world are drowning out our feeble voices.

But we are Your people Beloved. You paid the price for our redemption we now belong to You whether we know it or not and whether we acknowledge it or not.

I pray with the psalmist today Beloved,

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,
for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.
May the humble not retire in confusion;
may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

May we who know Your Name raise up humble hearts to plead for mercy for us and for the whole world. Amen.



Matthew 8:5-17

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is so easy to lose heart and hope when we look at the world today. It would appear that the world has never been as divided as it is in our time and yet, I don't think this quite true. Every age has had its share of evil and sin.

Today the Gospel speaks of two miracles both are miracles of healing yet both were done differently.

The centurion approached You to heal his servant. We too in the Church must appeal to You for our brothers and sister who are paralyzed with sin and are suffering dreadfully. When we do, Your response to us will be the same, 

 "I will come and cure him."

The response of the centurion is so pleasing to You remark on it to those around You

"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

We too are called to have such faith. Those who believe must be convinced that all we need to is ask and it will please You to grant us all we need for those who are afflicted with sin.

The Kingdom of God is open to all not just to those who are baptized. However, it is our mission to make You known and loved in order that they too may receive what You have obtained for them. 


The next miracle is that of Peter's mother-in-law. You knew her and loved her. She served You and the disciples gladly whenever You came to Peter's home but this time she was unable to get up from her bed. You would have seen her distress because she was too weak to get up and take care of You as she normally did.

You approached her, took her by the hand, and she was well. Her response was to get up immediately and to wait on You.

Beloved, once we are forgiven and healed we are strengthened and we are called to use that strength to minister to those around us.

Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

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

SOLEMNITY OF APOSTLES PETER & PAUL


Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18,
Matthew 16:13-19

Acts 12:1-11

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Those who trust in You, are called by You to serve You, and who do so faithfully despite the danger that constantly surrounds them, can rest assured that Your mighty hand of protection is always over them. No harm will come to those who belong to You unless they are privileged to lay down their lives in imitation of You for the greater glory of God whom they serve joyfully. 

Evil thrives in the world because it pleases those who are evil to see the good suffer humiliation and defeat. 

King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews

he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.

He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.

Peter's serenity in the face of imprisonment and perhaps imminent death reminds us that those who trust in You fear nothing. Those who trust in You Beloved, as Peter did, will find that God Himself fights the battle on their behalf.

I too my Beloved, surrender my life and the lives of those I love into Your holy hands. I am certain that when we yield our will to Yours we can be sure that all will be well because we can trust You in all things. Amen.

Psalm 34:2-9

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The psalmist experienced God's faithfulness in the times of distress and calamity and this is why he is able to sing this hymn of triumph and victory. You will send angels to protect those who trust You.

Grant me this grace my Lord, to praise You always. To boast of Your mighty protection. To glory in Your goodness and faithfulness that I have experienced always. May Your praise fill my heart and may its fullness overflow from my lips. May I always encourage everyone around me to praise You too attributing all the wonderful things that are given us to Your goodness, kindness, mercy, love, and generosity.

May I come before You always and lift my face to Your glorious Countenance and thus become radiant myself as I reflect You. 

You have calmed my fears. You answered me when I called. You delivered me from my anxieties. You have given me Your peace.

Thank You for commanding legions of angels to surround all of us to keep us safe. Truly You are our Rock, our Refuge, and our Hiding Place.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today, as the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul we ourselves know that what they experienced has been the experience of all those who followed in their footsteps.

All who have made a total surrender of their lives to You and to the Gospel have experienced mighty miracles in their lives and these experiences can be ours as well. Grant us the grace to labor faithfully in Your vineyard no matter what that work may be. We are all called to be missionaries even though we never leave our home or our country to go to the far corners of the world. The powerful intercession of the Church when Peter was imprisoned reveals the power of prayer. We are all called to be intercessors let us not fail those who rely on our prayers for deliverance as they work in harsh, difficult, and dangerous conditions to bring the Good News to those who have never heard it.

At the end of our life's journey let us also be confident as was St. Paul that he was faithful to the end and certain of the crown of righteousness waiting for him in the Kingdom.

Matthew 16:13-19

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The Church celebrates the primacy of Peter because it was You who gave him and his successors this prominence in the Church.

He was inspired by the Father Himself to make the proclamation that will echo until You come again in glory, 

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The words that follow are from Your own lips and not an invention of the Church You founded, 

"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."
We are safe and secure in the fullness of Truth that is safely deposited in the Church You founded. We have the Word, and we have Sacred Apostolic Tradition and together they are fully,  firmly, securely, and forever rooted and grounded in the Holy Trinity.

2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36, Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11, Matthew 7:6, 12-14

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

2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36, Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11,
Matthew 7:6, 12-14


2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The wicked, the godless, the idolaters, all are crushed and ground into dust by the Lord our God. They trust in their own power and are routed. When they are destroyed they are forgotten. They boast in themselves and they have to return whimpering and beaten from where they came.

But those who place their hope and trust in You my Lord and my God will never be ashamed. They are carried by You as on the wings of an eagle. You keep them safe and You assure us that Your eyes are upon us and Your ears are constantly inclined to the wound of our voice. How good it is Beloved to know that God, our God, walks with us, lives in us, is our Food and Drink, sustains us, saves us, and loves us beyond our wildest imagination.

Just as You answered the prayer of Hezekiah You answer us as well, 

"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:
I have listened!"

"For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant,
and from Mount Zion, survivors.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this."

"I will shield and save this city for my own sake,
and for the sake of my servant David."

All those who trust in You Beloved shall triumph over the Enemy no matter how wily the Enemy may be.

Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Those who belong to You are Yours forever for You do not change Your mind. You are always Yes and Amen to those who are called by Your Name. 

Your Name has the power to move mountains, Satan trembles and flees when we call on Your Name which is above every other name. We thank You for dwelling in fullness in the Church You founded. Thank You for coming down and making Your home in our tabernacles,  and most especially in our hearts when we receive You Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion. How can we thank You enough? How can we thank the Father enough? How can we thank the Holy Spirit enough for this awesome grace and gift?  Take my life Beloved, my poor life, my will, take all I am and have which is nothing in exchange for the infinite Treasure that is You.  

Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Without faith which is a gift given to us at Baptism, it is impossible to understand the riches and the treasures of all that You have taught us. This rich deposit of faith is guarded zealously by Your Church. She lives it, she breathes it, she is sustained by it. She shines Your Light as a beacon on the Hill of Mt. Zion so all who believe may be guided to You by that Light which is also Life.

However, those who have no faith cannot recognize its beauty, its power, its ability to save and hence they have no idea about its Sacredness or its infinite value. We must be careful not to share this Beauty with those who would desecrate it and then turn upon Your people and tear them apart because it reveals the poverty and the powerlessness of their own beliefs.

You warn us Beloved that our faith must be seen in our actions. We must walk the narrow way which leads to salvation. There is no triumph, no victory, no crown, without the Cross, without the road that leads Calvary and to Golgotha. Only when we are lifted up with You Beloved can we share in the triumph of Your glorious Resurrection and Ascension into heaven.

Grant me the grace and the dicipline to always choose the narrow way and enter through the narrow gate now matter how hard or difficult it may be. Stay with me Beloved.

2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18, Psalm 60:2-5, 12-13, Matthew 7:1-5

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Heb 4:12


2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15,  18, Psalm 60:2-5, 12-13, 
Matthew 7:1-5


2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15,  18

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

When we reject our God we are separated from You and we leave ourselves open to all kinds of dangers and attacks from the malignant Enemy. The works of Satan lead to death the works of the Spirit give us life and grace.

The people of Israel discovered the hard way time and time again how the worship of idols opened the way for foreign kinds to invade them and take them away into exile and captivity. How often history repeated itself and yet they continued to defile and desecrate their nation by constructing temples to false gods and bowing down before them.

Today too Beloved idol worship continues except that the idols we worship are the world, the flesh, and the devil. These are just as dehumanizing of the human spirit as the idolatry of the Old Testament.

Keep us faithful O Lord by the power of the Sacraments You instituted and the grace we receive through them. Amen.

Psalm 60:2-5, 12-13

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The cry of the psalmist today is the cry of Your faithful remnant in our polarized, highly toxic world of today. Hear our prayers Beloved as we make intercession for ourselves, those we love, and for the world. We seem to be hurtling away from all the is good, decent, kind, beautiful, and above all divine. More and more we wallow in the muck of sin and we are being sucked deep into its miry depths.

Be merciful O Lord, for Your Name's Sake, for the sake of the Covenant of Love that is made with us by Your Father. How much longer O Lord will we continue spiraling in the vortex of sin. Have pity Beloved, and save us. Bring us back to true worship and to the Way, the Truth, and the Life that has been revealed to us in You. Amen. 

Matthew 7:1-5

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

When You said to Your disciples do not judge so you, in turn, may not be judged yourselves You meant that we are not to judge people but we can certainly judge for ourselves whether their actions are good or evil. We are called to imitate You by loving the sinner but hating the sin.

Today, there many who refuse to call out those who embrace sinful lifestyles that damn their souls to eternal separation from You, piously and sanctimoniously they say that they are not called to judge. 

You have shown us the Way to the Kingdom of God. You have revealed the Truth that all who believe in You must accept and embrace. You give us Life through the Sacraments You instituted and which we are called to receive in order that we may have Your Life in us.  Those whose life choices are clearly against all that You have taught, lived, and died for can and must be rejected absolutely. But that does not mean that we reject the sinner. We are called to pray, intercede, and help the sinner come home. You have said that there is great rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over 99 righteous people who have no need for repentance.

Each one of us also has our fair share of weaknesses and sinful tendencies that we first need to root out before we stick out self-righteous fingers at those who have some small fault or failing.

Beloved, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours. Teach me to imitate You always and to strive after holiness in all things with the help of Your Spirit. Amen.

2 Chronicles 24:17-25, Psalm 89:4-5, 29-34, Matthew 6:24-34

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich. 2 Cor 8:9


2 Chronicles 24:17-25, Psalm 89:4-5, 29-34, 
Matthew 6:24-34


2 Chronicles 24:17-25

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

We see in today's Reading that God abandoned His people because they first abandoned Him. They turned away from Him and worshipped idols. Once we do this we create barriers so Your grace is unable to flow into us and we have no strength of our own to turn away from sin. Over and over again we see how God's people murdered the prophets who tried to warn them of the disasters that would follow if they turned away from the Lord.

It was the kings who led the people astray. Just as today it is governments that make immoral laws pandering to the will of those with influence, money, and power.  Those who are faithful and warn the culture of the consequences of sin are hated, condemned, persecuted, and imprisoned just as You warned it would be.  If we do not turn back Beloved, we too will perish. Bring us back O Lord that we may be saved.

Psalm 89:4-5, 29-34

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

God who is Your Father and our Father has made a Covenant with us through You. It is an everlasting Covenant. For Your Sake Beloved, the Father will always be gracious, forgiving, merciful, and compassionate to those who believe in His Only Son. 

He lay the punishment that was ours on You. You bore our stripes You bore the punishment that was ours and through Your wounds, we are healed.

Matthew 6:24-34

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today You tell us clearly that You want no part of a divided heart. We are to make a choice. We are either for You completely or not. You who have given us all demand all in return. There is no way to be totally loyal if we hold ourselves back. 

You also remind us that we can trust our Father to provide all that we need to live healthy, happy, holy lives. We are His children and in His providence, He will ensure that we will lack nothing that we require for our body and our soul. All that we need to do is look around us and see how He cares for all is around us and we will be assured that He who looks after the birds in the air, and the lilies in the field will surely look after us who are more precious to Him than any of these.

Every day God provides us with grace sufficient to live holy lives. We are called to live joyously in the present moment and not worry about a tomorrow that we may or may not be alive to experience. 

I have this day, this moment, to rejoice and be glad. Thank You Lord.

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20, Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18, Matthew 6:19-23

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:3

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20, Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18,
Matthew 6:19-23

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

All that we read in the Old Testament reveals that God is good, God is faithful, and God never forgets the Covenant He has made with His people.

It may seem that evil has triumphed especially when it reigns over a long period of time. People lose hope, are discouraged, wring their hands and wonder whether You really exist. But no matter how long evil has its day it will come to an end as we see in today's reading. God always has a plan and that plan can never be thwarted no matter how long and how hard evil fights against it.

Thank You Beloved for this assurance. We live in a sinful world. But the world has always been as it is. There has always been a terrible battle being fought between good and evil but we do know the Victor, we do know that You have triumphed, we do know that You have crushed the head of Satan and he is in his death throes.

Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Once again we see a prophecy in the Psalm of today that God is always triumphant even when things look bleak God is in control of the world and its people especially the people He has chosen for Himself.

We saw in the Old Testament reading of today that Athaliah believed she had destroyed all the legitimate rulers, but she was wrong. God ensured that one son was saved and at a time of His choosing the heir was crowned king.

This incident, like so many in the Old Testament, will be understood in the light of the New. You are the Son of David whom God will send into the world to become the everlasting Covenant, a visible Covenant, a life-giving Covenant between Him and those who believe in You, His Son.

You have founded Your Church, You have anointed her, You make in her Your dwelling place as You take Your abode in her tabernacles around the world. You make human hearts Your Sanctuary when we receive You in the Holy Eucharist.

In the bosom of Holy Mother Church God dwells in perfect Light, in perfect Truth, in perfect Fullness. We who believe in the Son and in the Church He founded, have chosen the best part.

The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
The LORD swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
"Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne."

"If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne."

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
"Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her."

"In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine."


Matthew 6:19-23

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You said it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The reason for this is because his heart and his life are already full and there is no room for You. The lure of his possessions makes it difficult for him to give it all up and follow You. Unless we empty ourselves of all that is not of You we cannot invite You to live in us. You desire us to offer You an undivided heart. One that is all Yours so You can do with it as You will.

So many have found that the treasures of the world only lead to sadness, sin, sorrow, destruction, and a lack of peace and joy. Yet people pursue it frantically. They spend all their time seeking to increase what they have and they die without truly living.  

If our hearts are full of the things of God we have treasures that cannot spoil, be robbed, nor can they diminish in value.

A sinner who feeds feverishly at the trough of sin is sick, bloated, ugly, dark, and continues to hunger. He is never satisfied and the more he indulges the sicker he gets. This is why there is so much evil and violence in our broken world. There are those who have made it their life's work to spread their errors and drag as many as they can from the Truth. But equally, there are those who follow You and take their mission seriously to spread the Good News that saves. 

Let us take to heart Your words in today's Gospel Beloved and be filled with the Light and Life of Truth.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.

And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be."

Sirach 48:1-14, Psalm 97:1-7, Matthew 6:7-15

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father! Romans 8:15

Sirach 48:1-14, Psalm 97:1-7, Matthew 6:7-15

Sirach 48:1-14

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The writer Sirach is praising the two great prophets Elijah and Elisha who were filled with the Holy Spirit and in the Name of God and the power of God performed amazing miracles. Elijah called down drought at the mighty Word of God. Both he and Elisha raised the dead to life because they were mighty in the might of the Lord.

We too are called to be prophets in our time Beloved. We are assured that You who performed greater miracles than Elijah and Elisha have assured us that we will do greater miracles than You because You have put Your Own Holy Spirit into us.

But ours is a weak faith. If we had the courage and the conviction of our faith Beloved we would transform the world.

We need a new Pentecost Beloved. We need the current of grace to pass once again more powerfully than it ever did in Your Church and through the Church to the world.

We believe Beloved, let us put faith into action.

Psalm 97:1-7

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

We know that You, our God, are a consuming Fire. We ask Beloved for this Fire to fall once more upon Your Church. This Church that was brought forth through the pangs of Your passion, suffering, and death and at the piercing of Your  Side and Your Mother's heart.

The Church was conceived in pain and was born in the Fire of the Holy Spirit. We are triumphant because You have triumphed. We are victorious because You won the victory for us. We are no longer children of Adam and Eve but belong to the New Adam and the New Eve and God Himself is our Abba.

All those who bow down before graven images and worship them You will also win over to Yourself through us. Let us not be afraid Beloved to proclaim the Good News that we are saved not by might, nor by power, but by the Blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

Matthew 6:7-15

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Thank You for teaching us to pray. Thank You for showing us how to bring our needs before the Father in order that our prayer may be pleasing in His sight. Thank You for the prayer that guarantees an answer for it is taught to us by the Son of the Father who knows how to make intercession on our behalf. If we pray as You have taught us if we interceded as You have shown us, then we are assured that our Father in heaven will open the treasuries of grace and flood our souls and the souls we pray for with every grace and blessing in the heavenly places.

However, it is necessary for us to forgive only then can we hope to be forgiven and heard. We are to come before the Father like children confident that our Abba who delights to give us good things will surely give us all we ask for and more when we ask rightly. Thank You.

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is how you are to pray:

'Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.'

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

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

1 Kings 21:17-29, Psalm 51:1-2, 5-6, 11 & 16, Matthew 5:43-48

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I give you a new commandment;
love one another as I have loved you. Jn 13:34


1 Kings 21:17-29, Psalm 51:1-2, 5-6, 11 & 16, 
Matthew 5:43-48


1 Kings 21:17-29

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

In today's reading from the Book of Kings, we see how You burn with anger when we take advantage of others because we have the power to do so. Ahab not only stole Naboth's inheritance but he led about him and had him murdered. Ahab's sins were many. He married a foreigner who worshipped false gods and at her instigation, he did so as well. Worse, he built altars to those gods and encouraged his people to worship them as well. He was a weak and wicked king and deserved the punishment that God had reserved for him. But when the prophet Elijah revealed to him the many ways in which he had offended God and how the Lord would destroy him, he repented, fasted, prayed, and begged for mercy. God relented. Our God is a God of mercy. 

Thank You Beloved for the awesome mercy of God our Father which He shows us sinners time and time again for He sees the price that was paid for our redemption.

Psalm 51:1-2, 5-6, 11 & 16


Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Thank You for revealing to us Your Father's love and His Fatherly heart. He desired to save us from eternal damnation and so He sent You into the world to become the means by which we could all be saved.

So great is His love and mercy that He was prepared to make the ultimate Sacrifice - a sacrifice He asked of Abraham but stayed his hand in the end from sacrificing Isaac. He, however, did not hold back His Own Son but received Your life as a pleasing and acceptable Sacrifice in atonement for the sins of the whole world. 

All we need to do is to be contrite, ask pardon, confess our sins to the priest and resolve with grace You make available, to sin no more. And we are forgiven. We are washed clean and our guilt is removed. Thank You.

Matthew 5:43-48

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I am called to holiness and perfection because I am grafted to Your Body. You are the Son of God and in You, I have received adoption and I am a daughter of the Most High. 

Your Holy Spirit who makes my body His temple makes it possible for me to strive after holiness and perfection in all the choices I make from moment to moment. This is all that is required of me Beloved, to live in the present moment as You would have me live - loving God and loving my neighbour because I love God. 
Why? 
Because He first loved me.

1 Kings 21:1-16, Psalm 5:2-7, Matthew 5:38-42

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path. Ps 119:105

1 Kings 21:1-16, Psalm 5:2-7, Matthew 5:38-42


1 Kings 21:1-16

Dear Lov, Beloved of my soul,

Those with great authority who are rich, powerful, and influential and are greedy as well are never satisfied with what they possess. King Ahab wanted a vineyard that belonged to Naboth who refused to sell it to him. Ahab's wicked wife Jezebel hatched a plot to murder Naboth, took the vineyard, and gave it to her husband the king.

This robbery goes on to this day. The poor are ground under the heels of the rich and they are powerless to do anything.  

We have received a great spiritual inheritance which we are called to guard and nurture carefully like Naboth's vineyard and we must be prepared to die rather than sell ourselves for temporary gain.

Psalm 5:2-7

Lord, listen to my groaning.

Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight. 

You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful

the LORD abhors.


Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,

and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

Ezekiel 17:22-24, Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Mark 4:26-34

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever. 


Ezekiel 17:22-24, Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16, 
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Mark 4:26-34


Ezekiel 17:22-24

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

God our Father, in His loving plan to restore what Adam and Eve had lost forever, chose to send You, His Son into the world to redeem us. You began life in the womb as all human beings do. You shared our lot. The Father desired this to be so in order that we may never say, "God does not understand my pain." If we do it would be a lie. 

You are the tender shoot taken from the mighty cedar and planted on a high and lofty mountain. It is necessary for us to climb the Mountain of the Lord in order to come to Tree of Life and make our home in it. Every man, woman, and child from every nation, every race, every culture, speaking any language who believes, and makes the journey from earthly things to heavenly things will find a place of refuge in You. 

A time will come when all that we know on earth will come to an end only that which is in You will remain.  It is the little ones with faith who will be saved.

Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is praise and thanksgiving that enables our soul to rise on the wings of an eagle, to soar high up to the mountain of the Lord and there meet Him Face to Face.

The Holy Mass is the highest form of praise given to us by God himself, it is praise most pleasing to the Father when His children come to Him and offer to Him the One, Holy, Perfect Sacrifice made on Calvary, in expiation for our sins and the sins of the world. 

It is here Beloved that the treasuries of heaven are opened and grace upon grace floods our soul. We are fed and strengthened and are able to flourish and bear good fruit, fruit that will last.

The seed that is sown in us as we listen to Your Word during Liturgy of the Word takes root and grows quietly, silently, flourishing without any effort on our part. The work belongs to God we are called to receive, to yield, to surrender. God causes the seed to grow and bear fruit as long as we live. Rooted in You Beloved, we will remain strong and sturdy for it is You who will sustain us to the end.

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

St. Paul reminds us that this world is not our home. We were born to heaven. There is a place prepared for us before time came to be. It is to this place that my spirit longs for and it would rather be there with You Beloved, than here on earth.

But first, I am called to live a life of faith that is made visible by good works. I have a mission. I was not born to go to heaven alone I must take my brothers and sisters with me. I am a member of Your Body Beloved, and we are called to help one another, encourage each other. Someday when my life is cut from the loom I shall come before You and face You as Judge and it is You will welcome me into the Kingdom of Your Father. However, it is I who decide where my home will be by my life here on earth. Thank You for the Sacraments. Thank You for grace channeled through the Sacraments that help me to choose good over evil.

Mark 4:26-34


Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,

but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.