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.
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.
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.
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