Tuesday, April 21, 2020

TUESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life. JN 3:14-15


ACTS 4:32-37

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In the early Church, the community of believers was of one heart and mind - can this be said of the Church today? Sadly, no. This is not true either of the hierarchy or the faithful. We are all so concerned about our own little interests, we have drawn in the pegs of our tent to cover only very, very few. We covet everything. We want more of everything. We have spent every waking moment in panting after the things of the world and have not cared who was trampled and crushed in the process.

Perhaps this chastisement will awaken our dead conscience. We could turn it around from chastisement to blessing. You have the power to draw good from evil, grace from suffering, life from death, beauty from the broken. This is the time to return to the way it was when there was no needy person among the early Christians. This is the time to broaden our tents so all may enter and find refreshment and hope.

Grant my Beloved that is will be so. Amen.


PSALM 93:1-2, 5

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

At a time when grief, sadness, pain, suffering, panic, anxiety, stress and death overwhelm nations the verses of this psalm are a balm to the weary soul.

The world stands firm and unshakeable because You hold it up by the power of Your Name. To You is given glory, honor, power; at Your Name demons tremble and heaven and earth bow low in adoration and worship.

We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock. You lay down Your life for us and took it up again so we could live with You forever. 

Jesus, we place all our hope and trust in You and we know that we do not hope or trust in vain.

JOHN 3:7B-15

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

One can have sympathy for Nicodemus even though You expected him to have a greater grasp of spiritual things.  But there can be no excuse for our inability to know, to understand, and believe because for over 2000 years the Church has kept everything alive in her memory. From the fount of the wisdom of the ages, she teaches us faithfully and unerringly by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

We have the exquisite grace and gift in our time to have the riches of the Old and the New available to us at the click of the mouse and every other way that print makes possible,  but this will also be to our condemnation. We have not used what is so readily available to us to grow in wisdom and grace rather we have spent countless hours that are lost forever in useless, frivolous, sinful, recreation. 

You have revealed both earthly and heavenly things but we have not paid heed. We see more clearly than Nicodemus ever did how all the prophecies find their fulfillment in You; this is why Your gentle rebuke to Nicodemus applies even more rightly to us.  

Grant us a desire to spend more time on matters of the soul and bestow on us the gift of the Emmaus experience of hearts burning within us. 

No comments:

Post a Comment