Friday after Ash Wednesday

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you. AM5:14


ISAIAH 58:1-9A
PSALM 51:3-6, 18-19
MATTHEW 9:14-15

ISAIAH 58:1-9A

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Every year we fast during the season of Lent, we give up certain foods and drink and that is about as far as we go. We begin to feel virtuous that we have managed to stick it out for the duration of Lent. Today, the prophet tells us that such a fast is not pleasing to You. What God asks of us is to change our ways. He requires us to look at our neighbor in need and to love as He loves. This is the time to mend wounded relationships within our families. This is the time to draw nearer to You in prayer and be drawn closer to You. It is a time to look more closely at our own sinful attitudes and weed them out. If we do this :

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!


PSALM 51:3-6, 18-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Thank You for the healing words of this psalm. Thank You, for Your infinite goodness, compassion, mercy, and love. Thank You for Your willingness to forgive all my sins and to pour upon me Your graces to enable me to overcome my faults my weaknesses, and my concupiscence to sin.

Grant me the grace to make a good confession during this season of Lent in order that I may celebrate the glory of Your Resurrection in which You will graciously allow me a share. 

May I never fail to rush to receive Your forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever I sin so I may never be separated from You.


MATTHEW 9:14-15

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

There is a time to feast and a  time to fast. There is a time to rejoice and a time to mourn. There is a time to laugh and a time to weep. During this season of Lent grant me the grace to look into my life with the help of Your Holy Spirit and weed out all that is displeasing to You. Grant me the grace to look at myself honestly and see what a miserable wretched sinner I am and but for Your grace and help, I would be damned forever.

Thank You for Your Church in whose bosom You have provided all that I need to live a life pleasing to the Father. Thank You for the hope I have that someday I will be united with You forever in the life that You won for me on the Cross.

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. GAL 6:14

JAMES 4:1-10
PSALM 55:7-10A, 10B-11A, 23
MARK 9:30-37


JAMES 4:1-10


My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Because of original sin, we are all too weak to resist temptation on our own strength. This is why You have sent Your Holy Spirit to dwell in us.  

This Lent Beloved, grant that we may heed the words of St. James:

So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep.
Let your laughter be turned into mourning
and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord
and he will exalt you.


PSALM 55:7-10A, 10B-11A, 23


My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Once again the season of Lent is upon us. Grant that I may use this time fruitfully. Grant that I may fly to You and nestle in Your bosom. Teach me, guide me, inspire me, strengthen my resolve to walk in the way of truth and love always. May I never leave this safe harbor but remain hidden in You always.


MARK 9:30-37


My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In a world where people are always jockeying for the place of prominence, influence, and power, You remind us that God loves the one who is childlike. It is the little ones that have a special place in the Kingdom of God. Grant me a childlike spirit and a willingness to stand firm in my faith in You. To accept my daily cross, and not flinch from the sufferings that I may be called to endure. Yoked to Beloved, You will ensure that the yoke will be easy and the burden light.

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel. 21TIM 1:10
JAMES 3:13-18
PSALM 19:8-10, 15
MARK 9:14-29


JAMES 3:13-18

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

St. James does not mince words, he is not concerned in dancing daintily around the truth, rather, he is not afraid to speak the truth boldly and with courage. He knew the Truth, he lived for three years with Truth, You are the Truth and this is why he would not compromise the truth.

To walk in the Truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit, to be filled with the grace that comes from living a life that is guided by truth and the wisdom of God is to live in the world but not to be tainted by it. 

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace

for those who cultivate peace.

PSALM 19:8-10, 15

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In the world that we live in today, none of us can fool ourselves by claiming ignorance. All that we desire to know is available at our fingertips. But we prefer to wallow in ignorance. We are too lazy to make the effort to read, to find the answers for ourselves, to think, meditate, contemplate using the intellect that is given to us to seek the answers for ourselves.  

Few of us are prepared to take the difficult road that will ultimately lead to opening our whole being to the truth and the freedom that comes from knowing it, proclaiming it, and living it without compromise or fear.


MARK 9:14-29

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In today's Gospel, You reveal that if we wish to do battle with the spirit of the world and win there is no better way to do it than through prayer.

We can only slay the demons that are in us and around us through praying constantly not only for ourselves and those we love but for the whole world.

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


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

1 PETER 5:1-4
PSALM 23:1-3A, 4-6
MATTHEW 13:16-19


1 PETER 5:1-4

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is not by chance that the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St Peter, the prince of the Apostles, just before the Season of Lent. It is a reminder to us that he is the one chosen by You as head of the Church You founded.

Every organization needs a hierarchy in order for it to function properly and each member has a distinct role to play. There must be one who leads, one who has the authority, one who ensures that there is order, each of its members doing their part to ensure harmony within the whole.

Every priest is called to obey Peter in his role as the visible head of the Church and Peter himself is subject to Christ alone who will be a stern judge if he has failed. As for the members of the Church, we are called to be guided by him, pray for him, and trust implicitly in Your promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against her.

PSALM 23:1-3A, 4-6

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

When life is turbulent and there is nothing but trouble on every side this psalm can calm our soul. No matter how difficult our circumstances are, if we cling to this truth, that You are our shepherd and we shall not want, we will experience supernatural peace.

We are sealed in the Holy Spirit and in Your Blood in the Sacrament of Baptism. We are marked for glory. We are only pilgrims on earth and our journey here will come to an end. Eternity in the Kingdom of God awaits all who have trusted in You and Your Word and have been faithful to the end. We, Your people, the sheep of Your flock, will share in Your crown of glory just as You have promised.


MATTHEW 13:16-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

To Simon alone, was given the revelation made by the Holy Spirit that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You attested to this truth when You said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." 

Every word, every promise in the Gospel is written by the finger of the Holy Spirit and hence it must be taken very seriously. Our final destiny depends on how faithful we have been in following Your Word.  You go on to say, "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 blessed that we do not have to muddle along on our own, You have given us the Church; within her bosom is the deposit of faith. She ensures that it is handed down without corruption, from one generation to the next until You come again in glory to claim Your Bride and present her to Your Father in heaven, without wrinkle or stain. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

JOHN 15:15B

I call you my friends, says the Lord for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

JAMES 2:14-24, 26

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

St. James tells us very clearly in today’s epistle that a life of faith devoid of good works is not faith at all. Our faith prompts us to be not just hearers of the word but doers as well. It is only by our works that our faith is made visible. Merely saying, Lord, Lord does not make us righteous in Your sight, nor does it make us holy, it just makes us hypocrites. We are one body in You and if we neglect any of its members, we put the entire body at risk.

PSALM 112:1-6

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In the verses of today’s psalm, we are reminded that God delights in those who keep His commands. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Because we are aware of Your love for Your unworthy creatures, we desire to return Your love by living a life that is always pleasing to You. When we keep Your commandments, You assure us that we will live in Your Presence all the days of our life. As long as we live in You, we will be nourished by You and You will satisfy all our needs.

MARK 8:34 --- 9:1

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is so easy to pay lip-service to You but You who see the heart cannot be deceived by our duplicity. To follow You is to follow the way of the Cross, there is no easy road to the Kingdom of Heaven. There can be no compromises with the world, the flesh, and the devil. You do not tolerate hypocrites or those who blow hot and cold. We are either for You or against You. You ask us, what profit is there to gaining the whole world and losing our soul? If we are afraid or ashamed to stand for You today then we risk being damned before Your Father in heaven.

The martyrs will not taste death for when they shed their blood testifying their faith in You, they will be granted eternal life in the Kingdom of heaven.

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. JN 6:63C, 68C

JAMES 2:1-9
PSALM 34:2-7
MARK 8:27-33



JAMES 2:1-9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

I have been guilty of showing partiality often. This is a weakness that almost every human being possesses. So often we treat people by outward appearance rarely attempting to look beyond what meets the eye.

St. James has a harsh warning to all of us who fail to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Church is called to have a preferential love of the poor and that means that each one of her members must strive to love as You love.


PSALM 34:2-7

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The psalmist reassures us that when our hearts are filled with praise for God, when we glorify Him for His goodness, mercy, faithfulness, and love, He stoops low from His throne in heaven hears our cries of supplication and saves us from distress.


MARK 8:27-33

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Our flesh and our spirit shrink from suffering whether physical, emotional or spiritual. We all desire to be comfortable, happy, and free from all sadness and distress. But life is full of care, worry, anxiety, fears, disappointments, sickness and so much more.

You came to die so we could live. Only through redemptive suffering can we hope to share in the glory of Your Resurrection and Your triumph over death.

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call. EPH 1:17-18

JAMES 1:19-27
PSALM 15:2-5
MARK 8:22-26



JAMES 1:19-27

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

If we all lived as St. James exhorts us too, we would live in a perfect world. Sadly, we are quick to anger and quick to speak and this is the cause for so much discord among us. There seems no end to the filth and excess in the world and God firmly and deliberately kept out of public and private discourse. 

Today, we are called to not only hear the word of God but to put it into practice. It is only the one who does the will of God who will be saved.

Today we are reminded that we are the keepers of those whom the world has turned a blind eye to. The poor are victims of the world's greed and are used ruthlessly as a means to an end.

I cannot say I believe and shut my ears to the cries of the poor. I am called to be a doer not just a hearer of the Word.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him and we will come to him. JN 14:23

JAMES 1:12-18
PSALM 94:12-15, 18-19
MARK 8:14-21


JAMES 1:12-18

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We live in a hedonistic age, a culture that is clueless as to what it means to discipline our appetites for our own good and the good of others. We are so like Eve who was tempted, lured, and enticed into eating the forbidden fruit which led to her ruin and to the ruin of our race.

Weakened by the taint of original sin we find ourselves caught up in our sinful desires, we readily believe in the tantalizing mantra that if we hurt no one we can live as we please and do as we please. 

Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son and for redemption through Him. Thank You, for the Holy Spirit who lives in us and directs us in the way of Truth and Life. Thank You, Beloved, for Your victory over death and granting us a share in that victory. Amen.


PSALM 94:12-15, 18-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

How easy it would have been for God to start over after the sin of our first parents. How easy it would have been for Him to give in to His righteous anger at the stupidity of the first man and woman created with such love. Thank You, Father, for not destroying us but for finding a remedy for original sin at the cost of the Life of Your only, beloved Son.

Thank You for the infinite mercy that You have for us and for 
reaching out to us every time we cry out to You for help.

Thank You for the Law of Love that is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Thank You for sealing us in love and for the hope we have of eternal life and joy with You in the Kingdom of God.


MARK 8:14-21

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Despite the fact that You performed so many marvelous miracles the disciples were still so hard of understanding. They continued to be caught up in the temporal and were blind to the deeper signs that pointed to Your divinity. Yet are we any different? 

We continue to be tainted by the leaven of the Herods and the of the Pharisees of this world. We so easily lose sight of the things that lead to eternal life. The Sacraments are given to us as channels of grace and we ignore them, we trivialize them, we take them for granted leaving ourselves open to attack on every side. 

To us, You sadly say, "Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember? Do you still not understand?"

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me. Jn 14:6

JAMES 1:1-11
PSALM 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76
MARK 8:11-13


JAMES 1:1-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The secret to living a stress-free life is to live as James exhorts us to in today's Reading.  "Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." To be joyful no matter what life throws at us is difficult when we forget that we are children of God whom He has ransomed with the life of His beloved Son. We are loved by the Father with a love that is beyond all telling and this is why we need never be anxious or afraid. And if we are, then all we need to do is cry out, "Abba" and He will send us all the help we need.

Thank You, Beloved, for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit who lives in us and is the bearer of all the gifts we need to persevere in holiness.


PSALM 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

I thank You for the psalms that have sustained and comforted the pilgrim for they are cries from the heart. Each one is a heartfelt experience of the goodness, kindness, mercy, love, and power of a God who never fails to strengthen, comfort, and console the weary and afflicted of soul.

Thank You, Holy Spirit for inspiring these beautiful prayers that express so beautifully what we experience but find no words of our own.

Thank You, Father, for the power of Your Word made flesh that came to dwell among us and is still present with us.


MARK 8:11-13

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The hypocrite, the ditherer, the coward, continues to ask for signs even though countless irrefutable signs have already been given. It is a way of procrastinating, it looks for lame excuses, it is a refusal to make a commitment while knowing the truth.

The Pharisees in every age are the self-righteous, pompous, fatuous fools who make a great pretense of compassion and inclusion but are so blinded and twisted by their own prejudices that refuse to recognize or acknowledge the truth.

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law. PS 119:36, 29B

1 KINGS 8:22-23, 27-30
PSALM 84:3, 4, 5 AND 10, 11
MARK 7:1-13



1 KINGS 8:22-23, 27-30

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The prayer that Solomon made in the presence of the people of Israel as he stood at the altar of the grand temple he built, and where God deigned to dwell, is our prayer too, today and always. We pray Beloved, that the Church You founded with Peter as its rock will love You and serve You wholeheartedly.


You choose to remain in our tabernacles in every Catholic church. You choose to make Your dwelling place among us. Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? You whom the heavens cannot contain and the world which is Your footstool deign to come into our hearts when we receive You in the Holy Eucharist. We become one with You in an intimacy that will only be surpassed in heaven.
Thank You!


PSALM 84:3, 4, 5 AND 10, 11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

All the yearning and pining of our soul for You is realized when we receive You in the Holy Eucharist. We are privileged to visit You in adoration chapels everywhere where You are truly present. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.

Thank You, Beloved, that You are only as distant from us as our breath. Thank You for the intimacy of Your beloved Presence in Holy Communion where we become united with You and with one another, truly becoming One Body with You as the Head.

Thank You for a taste of heaven and of eternity when we receive You and for all the graces You pour into our soul at every worthy reception of the Eucharist.



MARK 7:1-13

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In every religion and culture, there are rituals that very often become more important than the faith professed - a faith that demands that we treat one another as brothers and sisters.  We share a common humanity yet so often we forget that it is more important to respect one another, celebrate the good focusing on what unites us rather than that which divides.

In today's Gospel, we have the Pharisees looking down and sneering at the disciples because they did not follow the ritual of washing their hands before they sat to eat their meals. Too often we criticize one another on inconsequential things, we hurt one another, we disparage each other, ostracise people, causing division and hate because they are different. You remind us that we are hypocrites when we only pay lip service to our faith and our worship is false when we fail to love one another.