DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. MT 5:10
ISAIAH 1:10-17
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The wrongdoings of the people of God listed by the prophet Isaiah could so easily apply to us. We paid You lip service but our hearts had drifted far away from You. We came for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist out of obligation not love. Many did not even make a pretense of doing that; they just stayed away. So many are afraid of loving You; mistakenly believing it will cost them more than they are willing to give.
The words spoken through the mouth of Isaiah are said to us now. When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not listen. Your hands are covered with blood, wash, make yourselves clean. ‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.’ Now is the time, Beloved, for us to repent and return to You with humble and contrite hearts before it is too late and we will find the door closed and we will hear You say when we knock, 'Go away, I do not know you.'
Today I am invited to reflect on what my salvation cost God? It was not cheap and neither is grace .
PSALM 50:8-9,16-17,21,23
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
It is never too late for the repentant sinner to come to You with a humble and contrite heart for Your mercy, tenderness, and compassion are endless, as is Your love.
Yes, we confess we have been indifferent, careless, tepid, and we deserve our present chastisement. We turned our back on God. This is Your way of getting our attention and wooing us back to Yourself, for we are stubborn, deaf and blind. You desire to have all of us or not at all. We cannot give You a divided heart, a part-time love, a love that blows hot and cold. We need to give You the place of primacy in our lives, we need to come back to You and receive the salvation freely offered to us or we will be lost forever.
Matthew 10:34-11:1
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Instructing and addressing Your Apostles exclusively in today's Gospel passage, the words seem harsh, divisive and so unlike You. Yet, when we reflect on them we know that it is true. From the moment You were conceived there was contradiction - Joseph had to be visited by an angel to take Your Mother as his wife assuring him that the baby she had conceived was begotten of God. After You were born they had to flee with You to Egypt because Your enemies sought to kill You.
Not much has changed. There has never been a time in history when Christians have not been persecuted, reviled, discriminated against, imprisoned, and killed. It began with hatred of You, followed by hatred for Your Apostles and disciples, and it continues to this day. Much of it does not make the headlines because the world is indifferent, cold, callous. In a household of unbelievers the believer faces the same hatred and persecution.
Our Holy Father, Bishops, and priests need our prayers, our support, our generosity and affection, our understanding, and our willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. If we are disrespectful, judgmental, hatefully critical, and disobedient, if we do not help them to carry the cross as they help us carry ours, we will be no better than the enemies of the Church in the world who work ceaselessly to destroy her.
But to those who uphold and support the Church, her work, and her shepherds You promise an eternal reward.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. MT 5:10
ISAIAH 1:10-17
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The wrongdoings of the people of God listed by the prophet Isaiah could so easily apply to us. We paid You lip service but our hearts had drifted far away from You. We came for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist out of obligation not love. Many did not even make a pretense of doing that; they just stayed away. So many are afraid of loving You; mistakenly believing it will cost them more than they are willing to give.
The words spoken through the mouth of Isaiah are said to us now. When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not listen. Your hands are covered with blood, wash, make yourselves clean. ‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.’ Now is the time, Beloved, for us to repent and return to You with humble and contrite hearts before it is too late and we will find the door closed and we will hear You say when we knock, 'Go away, I do not know you.'
Today I am invited to reflect on what my salvation cost God? It was not cheap and neither is grace .
PSALM 50:8-9,16-17,21,23
My Love, Beloved of my soul,
It is never too late for the repentant sinner to come to You with a humble and contrite heart for Your mercy, tenderness, and compassion are endless, as is Your love.
Yes, we confess we have been indifferent, careless, tepid, and we deserve our present chastisement. We turned our back on God. This is Your way of getting our attention and wooing us back to Yourself, for we are stubborn, deaf and blind. You desire to have all of us or not at all. We cannot give You a divided heart, a part-time love, a love that blows hot and cold. We need to give You the place of primacy in our lives, we need to come back to You and receive the salvation freely offered to us or we will be lost forever.
Matthew 10:34-11:1
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Instructing and addressing Your Apostles exclusively in today's Gospel passage, the words seem harsh, divisive and so unlike You. Yet, when we reflect on them we know that it is true. From the moment You were conceived there was contradiction - Joseph had to be visited by an angel to take Your Mother as his wife assuring him that the baby she had conceived was begotten of God. After You were born they had to flee with You to Egypt because Your enemies sought to kill You.
Not much has changed. There has never been a time in history when Christians have not been persecuted, reviled, discriminated against, imprisoned, and killed. It began with hatred of You, followed by hatred for Your Apostles and disciples, and it continues to this day. Much of it does not make the headlines because the world is indifferent, cold, callous. In a household of unbelievers the believer faces the same hatred and persecution.
Our Holy Father, Bishops, and priests need our prayers, our support, our generosity and affection, our understanding, and our willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. If we are disrespectful, judgmental, hatefully critical, and disobedient, if we do not help them to carry the cross as they help us carry ours, we will be no better than the enemies of the Church in the world who work ceaselessly to destroy her.
But to those who uphold and support the Church, her work, and her shepherds You promise an eternal reward.
No comments:
Post a Comment