DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Gal 6:14
Isaiah 50:5-9A, Psalm 116:1-9, James 2:14-18,
Mark 8:27-35
Isaiah 50:5-9A
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Gal 6:14
Isaiah 50:5-9A, Psalm 116:1-9, James 2:14-18,
Mark 8:27-35
Isaiah 50:5-9A
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
You show us how we are to bear affliction and sorrow. You show us how to accept humiliation when we are innocent. You came into the world as a Man of Sorrows to take upon Yourself the sins of the world. To make atonement for all our sins from Adam to the last living person. You made it possible for us to enter into the Kingdom of Your Father whom You have graciously taught us to know as and call our Father as well.
You have taught us to put all our hope and trust in You when we are called to suffer and to be certain that God is closest to us in our pain and our agony. If suffering did not have a redeeming power God would not have permitted You to suffer but it does. May I never fail to unite my little sufferings with Yours and thus find in it the remedy for all my sins. Amen.
Psalm 116:1-9
James 2:14-18
Mark 8:27-35
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
There will come a time in the life of all those who follow You closely to respond to the question that You put to Your disciples. Who do you people say that I am? and who do You say I am?
The response of the disciples to the first question who do people say that I am? reflects the fact that the crowds who pressed around You everywhere You went, did not truly know who were, because they did not have a close relationship with You as the disciples did. They had a perception of You based on hearsay and perhaps listening to You teach and preach on occasion and maybe witnessing a miracle or hearing of Your power to perform miracles. However, they were dead wrong in thinking You to be Elijah or John the Baptist, or one of the prophets.
Then turning to Your disciples You put the question to them personally, "But who do You say that I am?" You would have expected them to shout out in unison with Peter, "You are the Christ." However, it was not so. Peter alone was inspired by the Father to reveal this truth. God does not do things lightly or randomly. There is a meaning and a purpose to all that He does. Peter, a man of many flaws was nevertheless chosen to be chief of the apostles. We know this because You called him Satan when he discouraged You from embracing the suffering, the passion, the Cross, and the death that the Father had marked out for You. Yet, once the authority was given it was not withdrawn from him. Peter had much to learn and he was a slow learner, but You would teach him painstakingly. Once the lessons were learned he would not deviate from the Way but would remain steadfast to the end.
Addressing the crowd and the disciples You revealed the secret to receiving the Kingdom of God,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."
Psalm 116:1-9
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
You are constantly stooped tenderly over me. Before a word has escaped from my lips you already know what is in my heart. I thank You for being my ever-present help. Thank You for always answering me when I have called on Your Name.
For as long as there is breath in my body, Beloved, I will be in danger of sinning grievously and thus being cut off from You forever. Stay with me Lord and keep me from falling from grace. Without Your help, I would be lost. Thank You for paying the price of my redemption. Keep me close to You Beloved all the days of my life.
James 2:14-18
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
I thank God for St. James who spells out very clearly that both faith and good works go together. It is impossible to say that we have faith but neglect the needs of those who have less than we do. All that we have been given comes from the hand of a generous God who expects us to share that which He has given us.
Keep us sensitive to those in need Beloved. Keep us sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and let us not hesitate when it comes to giving and sharing that which we have received from Your bounty.
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
There will come a time in the life of all those who follow You closely to respond to the question that You put to Your disciples. Who do you people say that I am? and who do You say I am?
The response of the disciples to the first question who do people say that I am? reflects the fact that the crowds who pressed around You everywhere You went, did not truly know who were, because they did not have a close relationship with You as the disciples did. They had a perception of You based on hearsay and perhaps listening to You teach and preach on occasion and maybe witnessing a miracle or hearing of Your power to perform miracles. However, they were dead wrong in thinking You to be Elijah or John the Baptist, or one of the prophets.
Then turning to Your disciples You put the question to them personally, "But who do You say that I am?" You would have expected them to shout out in unison with Peter, "You are the Christ." However, it was not so. Peter alone was inspired by the Father to reveal this truth. God does not do things lightly or randomly. There is a meaning and a purpose to all that He does. Peter, a man of many flaws was nevertheless chosen to be chief of the apostles. We know this because You called him Satan when he discouraged You from embracing the suffering, the passion, the Cross, and the death that the Father had marked out for You. Yet, once the authority was given it was not withdrawn from him. Peter had much to learn and he was a slow learner, but You would teach him painstakingly. Once the lessons were learned he would not deviate from the Way but would remain steadfast to the end.
Addressing the crowd and the disciples You revealed the secret to receiving the Kingdom of God,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."
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