Saturday, August 1, 2020

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS



Your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven. MT 5:16




ROMANS 8:1-4

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

St. Paul assures us that we who are grafted to You are freed from condemnation. The flesh is powerless to overcome temptation and the law only serves to confirm and condemn us as sinners. You, however, are Life and You have given us Your life-giving Spirit which is poured into us through the Sacraments. 

We inherited Adam's sin and this inherent weakness is unable to withstand the lure of the flesh, the world, and the devil without divine assistance. God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves, He sent You, His Son, in the flesh, just like ours yet so completely unlike us, so You could take on Yourself our condemnation and in exchange receive Your life-giving Spirit through the Sacraments. Everyone who is baptized walks in the power of the Holy Spirit through the victory won for us on the Cross.

PSALM 119:9-14

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The psalmist asks the question, 'How shall the young remain sinless?' And he answers, 'By obedience to Your word." But how will the young know Your word unless they are taught to read it, know it, pray with it and grow in holiness and truth?

Many of us failed in handing down the faith to our children because our parents failed us and their parents failed them. This vicious circle has raised generations of people who have grown up wise in the ways of the world but ignorant in the ways of God.

We thank You for this time of the pandemic and for the opportunity for families to come together, pray together, learn together, and grow together in wisdom, knowledge, and Truth.

Thank You, Abba Father, for not permitting Your children to be lost to the world but for putting a halt on our hell-bent desire to destroy ourselves through this pandemic. Thank You for the opportunity to come together several times during the day to worship You, thank You, make our needs known to You, be touched and healed by You, and be strengthened by Your love and Your abiding Presence with us.

MATTHEW 5:13-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Today we give thanks and praise to all the faithful people of God who have spent their entire lives living the Gospel, studying the Gospel, preaching and teaching Gospel principles, and for being salt and light in the world. Their powerful witness encourages us to the possibility of becoming 'alter Christus' ourselves in the world, flavoring the earth as salt and illumining the world as light with the Light of Truth that dispels all darkness.  

Today we are also reminded that the law is necessary in order to help us navigate through the dangers that constantly threaten to veer us away from the Way leading to Life. You did not come to abolish the law but to show us how to obey the law with the help of the Holy Spirit and the streams of life-giving grace poured into our souls through the Sacraments.

We are created by God for a life of good works that are only possible with Your help. The good we do can help alleviate a little of the sufferings in the world. Our faith is illumined by our actions. The more we empty ourselves in service of others the more perfectly Your image and likeness are made visible in us.

Once again, Beloved, I thank You for the Apostles and the great saints whose lives have impacted the Church by their unflinching faithfulness and love for You and Your Church.

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