Isaiah 7:1-9, Psalm 48:2-8, Matthew 11:20-24

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts. Ps 95:8


Isaiah 7:1-9, Psalm 48:2-8, Matthew 11:20-24


Isaiah 7:1-9

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

We have Your word through the mouth of Your prophet Isaiah that no harm will come to God's people if they keep the faith. No matter how frightening and powerful the enemy may seem he is as nothing before God who crushes the devourer under His heel. Those who have placed all their hope and trust in You as a child trusts his father has nothing to fear. God stands by His people and they are invincible.

Beloved, the measure, and quality of our faith will determine how strong we will be in the face of the enemy's threats. All authority comes from God and will stand or fall at God's command. Those who trust in You will remain firm and unbowed no matter of fierce the enemy seems or how frightening his threats may be. With God we are victorious.

Let us remember Your word through the lips of the prophet: 

Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!
Psalm 48:2-8

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

In the responsorial psalm, You repeat Your promise that You will uphold those who belong to You not just today but forever.

Our lips and our hearts must always be filled with praise for God for He is great and deserves our praise always and everywhere.

One place where our God dwells in His fullness is in the Church He founded and over whom You placed Peter as its visible head.

On this Holy Mountain You dwell. It is here that Your people climb from every nation, every race, speaking every language. It is here that God meets His people, here God accepts every prayer, and it is here that God comes to us as food for our soul giving us strength for the journey from this life to the next.

Every one of her enemies, everyone who has ever sought to destroy her or has even planned her destruction have themselves been long forgotten - she alone remains, the unblemished spouse of the Son of God. On her, You shed Your radiance. She reflects Your glory. Kings, queens, princes, and heads of nations come to her, bow before her, and pay her homage for they know that she belongs to You irrevocably.

All those institutions established be men no matter how strong they seem will perish; only those who come into her arms and claim her as their Mother will be saved. This is the will of God.
Matthew 11:20-24

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

The world and its people must tremble for almost all have heard of You but they refuse to believe because of the cost. They would rather pretend that You are not who You say You are because if they did then they would have to give up their sinful ways and change their lives. They believe that such a thing is too hard. They mistakenly believe that it is impossible to turn away from evil and embrace good. They believe that they do not have the strength of will to do it. They also believe it to be impossible. So they would rather drown in their misery and in the blackness of their soul rather than take a leap of faith in You.

Many have and have found that You are always there with Your arms wide open to receive the repentant sinner. They have found joy they have never thought possible once they have turned away from their sinful lifestyle. Yet, the majority of the people in the world would rather stop their ears with raucous sounds of earthly pleasure, blind their eyes to the pure, and deaden their senses to the things of heaven because they are afraid of their own terrible propensity to drag themselves down into the miry depths of iniquity. They believe it is impossible for them to be saved and so they are defiant. Yet, Beloved, if they only looked at You they would discover that You are a God of mercy and tender compassion, slow to anger and ready to forgive.

Grant me the grace my Lord to do my part in helping the sinner find You and be saved.