DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
SONG OF SONGS 3:1-4
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Mary Magdalene knew what it was like to be lost and found. She was aware of life before You and life after You. When our lives are cut off from grace there is a gnawing agony of soul for it is bereft of joy and peace. In our restlessness there is a feverish search to assuage that longing and fill that aching void with things other than You and the more we try the more we sink into misery.
It was only when she found You and unashamedly repented of her past sins, washing Your feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair and breaking the alabaster jar of perfume and anointing Your feet, that the beautiful fragrance of forgiveness and healing washed over her, cleansed her and made her a new creation. She had found her Beloved, the Bridegroom of her soul.
‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
PSALM 63:2-6, 8-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How good it is to know You, to love You, to belong to You but even more wonderful is the knowledge that You, who are God, desire to be known and loved by me. The great tragedy of our human existence is to live without ever knowing You or knowing You so little that we scarcely make any effort to make room for You in our life - a life that we received from You.
The psalmist knew the joy of knowing and loving You - it is a love that is unlike and beyond anything that humans have for one another. How well the imagery he uses describes this longing of the human heart for the divine Presence.
Without You life loses its meaning and savor. Without You life is arid and parched. Without You our lives are without flower or fruit. Without You there is a heavy, dull sadness that weighs down our spirit. We are joyless. But with You, Beloved, living is a delight. Nothing compares to the joy of knowing You, loving You, discovering that we can never plumb the mysterious, glorious depths of the divine who is unbelievably passionately in love with us sinful creatures. Nothing compares to being known and loved by You and in spending our whole life in getting to know You and love You more and more each day. Above all, Beloved, thank You for the wonder of perfect intimacy and union with You in the Holy Eucharist.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Mary Magdalene, she is the icon of a true disciple. Having been forgiven all her sins and encountering the divine Lover, she surrendered her whole life to loving and serving You. Her reward for faithful discipleship was the privilege of being the first person to whom You revealed Yourself after Your Resurrection.
She came while while it was still dark, heartbroken, weeping, with no clear knowledge of what she would do when she reached the tomb that was sealed shut. What she discovered was an open, empty tomb and as she stayed there weeping the Light of the world came to her and said: ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’
She did not recognize You, but when You spoke her name, 'Mary,' she did. Beloved, despite all the ways in which we distance ourselves from You, You constantly call us by name and when we finally hear Your voice we discover that it is You whom we were seeking and in finding You we find the One whom our heart loves.
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
SONG OF SONGS 3:1-4
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Mary Magdalene knew what it was like to be lost and found. She was aware of life before You and life after You. When our lives are cut off from grace there is a gnawing agony of soul for it is bereft of joy and peace. In our restlessness there is a feverish search to assuage that longing and fill that aching void with things other than You and the more we try the more we sink into misery.
It was only when she found You and unashamedly repented of her past sins, washing Your feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair and breaking the alabaster jar of perfume and anointing Your feet, that the beautiful fragrance of forgiveness and healing washed over her, cleansed her and made her a new creation. She had found her Beloved, the Bridegroom of her soul.
‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
PSALM 63:2-6, 8-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How good it is to know You, to love You, to belong to You but even more wonderful is the knowledge that You, who are God, desire to be known and loved by me. The great tragedy of our human existence is to live without ever knowing You or knowing You so little that we scarcely make any effort to make room for You in our life - a life that we received from You.
The psalmist knew the joy of knowing and loving You - it is a love that is unlike and beyond anything that humans have for one another. How well the imagery he uses describes this longing of the human heart for the divine Presence.
Without You life loses its meaning and savor. Without You life is arid and parched. Without You our lives are without flower or fruit. Without You there is a heavy, dull sadness that weighs down our spirit. We are joyless. But with You, Beloved, living is a delight. Nothing compares to the joy of knowing You, loving You, discovering that we can never plumb the mysterious, glorious depths of the divine who is unbelievably passionately in love with us sinful creatures. Nothing compares to being known and loved by You and in spending our whole life in getting to know You and love You more and more each day. Above all, Beloved, thank You for the wonder of perfect intimacy and union with You in the Holy Eucharist.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Mary Magdalene, she is the icon of a true disciple. Having been forgiven all her sins and encountering the divine Lover, she surrendered her whole life to loving and serving You. Her reward for faithful discipleship was the privilege of being the first person to whom You revealed Yourself after Your Resurrection.
She came while while it was still dark, heartbroken, weeping, with no clear knowledge of what she would do when she reached the tomb that was sealed shut. What she discovered was an open, empty tomb and as she stayed there weeping the Light of the world came to her and said: ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’
She did not recognize You, but when You spoke her name, 'Mary,' she did. Beloved, despite all the ways in which we distance ourselves from You, You constantly call us by name and when we finally hear Your voice we discover that it is You whom we were seeking and in finding You we find the One whom our heart loves.
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