DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. MT 5:3
EZEKIEL 24:15-24
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Do not leave me, do not forsake me Lord, if You do I will surely perish. You know how weak I am. You know how easily I become despondent, You know I have no strength or fortitude on my own. Thus far, Beloved, in the times of my deepest desolation You have carried me and because You have done so, I was consoled and I revived again.
Today, through the prophet Ezekiel You tell Your people how You will deal with them because of their unfaithfulness. They have brought calamity on themselves and You threaten that Your Presence will no longer remain in the Temple they love and revere. “Say to the House of Israel: The Lord says this. I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the passion of your souls."
My Beloved, You make my body Your holy temple. Grant me the grace and the help I need never to profane it by sin. Remain in me always, my Lord and my God, and with Your help, I will reach my eternal home.
DEUTERONOMY 32:18-21
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Time and time again the people God chose for His own from all the nations of the world, to whom He revealed Himself, who saved them with mighty deeds, and who provided them with manna in the desert and water from the rock, deserted Him and turned their backs on Him to worship idols.
Today when we read of their faithlessness and disobedience, their grumblings and mumblings against You, we wonder how they could be so hardhearted after all the marvelous signs and wonders they witnessed when You saved them from Pharoah and brought them out of captivity. Yet, Beloved, history continues to repeat itself for we are no better than they. We know You. We are grafted into Your Body. We eat Your Body, we drink Your Blood, we receive Your life in us. Your Holy Spirit is indwelling in us, and we are privileged to call Your Father, our Father, our Abba. This is why our guilt is greater when we forsake You, the true God, to run after false teachers, false prophets, false philosophies, and commit idolatry in our worship of self, the flesh, and the world.
Have mercy on us once again, Beloved, forgive us as You have done repeatedly in the past, turn Your Face towards us and grant that we in turn gaze on You. Wash us once more in Your Blood and make us clean again. May we never forget that we belong to You, we are the fruit of Your work of salvation.
MATTHEW 19:16-22
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
When the rich, young man approached You and said, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ You already knew how the encounter would end yet You gave him the opportunity to dialogue with You. You did not turn him away as a lost cause. You tried to open his mind, widen his vision to embrace a higher ideal.
He wanted to know what singular good deed he ought to do in order to possess eternal life and You walked him through the different stages of conversion. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He responded with, "Which?" As if one were more important than the rest and keeping just the one would obtain for him the Kingdom of heaven.
You then went on to enumerate these commandments ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honor your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbor as yourself.’ The man confirmed that he had kept all these and wanted to know what more he could do. You said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ And the gospel writer Matthew says, 'But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.'
How often Beloved, I aspire to do great things for You. I daydream and visualize wonderful things that I would do for love of You. But all these remain fantasies in my head. When the hour arrives to show true courage, heroic virtue, to discipline the desires of the senses, and to guard against the wiles of the world and temptation, I fail miserably because I cling to my creature comforts. I am unwilling, I lack the strength and the discipline, to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow You. Help me, Lord, without Your help I can do nothing.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. MT 5:3
EZEKIEL 24:15-24
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Do not leave me, do not forsake me Lord, if You do I will surely perish. You know how weak I am. You know how easily I become despondent, You know I have no strength or fortitude on my own. Thus far, Beloved, in the times of my deepest desolation You have carried me and because You have done so, I was consoled and I revived again.
Today, through the prophet Ezekiel You tell Your people how You will deal with them because of their unfaithfulness. They have brought calamity on themselves and You threaten that Your Presence will no longer remain in the Temple they love and revere. “Say to the House of Israel: The Lord says this. I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the passion of your souls."
My Beloved, You make my body Your holy temple. Grant me the grace and the help I need never to profane it by sin. Remain in me always, my Lord and my God, and with Your help, I will reach my eternal home.
DEUTERONOMY 32:18-21
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Time and time again the people God chose for His own from all the nations of the world, to whom He revealed Himself, who saved them with mighty deeds, and who provided them with manna in the desert and water from the rock, deserted Him and turned their backs on Him to worship idols.
Today when we read of their faithlessness and disobedience, their grumblings and mumblings against You, we wonder how they could be so hardhearted after all the marvelous signs and wonders they witnessed when You saved them from Pharoah and brought them out of captivity. Yet, Beloved, history continues to repeat itself for we are no better than they. We know You. We are grafted into Your Body. We eat Your Body, we drink Your Blood, we receive Your life in us. Your Holy Spirit is indwelling in us, and we are privileged to call Your Father, our Father, our Abba. This is why our guilt is greater when we forsake You, the true God, to run after false teachers, false prophets, false philosophies, and commit idolatry in our worship of self, the flesh, and the world.
Have mercy on us once again, Beloved, forgive us as You have done repeatedly in the past, turn Your Face towards us and grant that we in turn gaze on You. Wash us once more in Your Blood and make us clean again. May we never forget that we belong to You, we are the fruit of Your work of salvation.
MATTHEW 19:16-22
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
When the rich, young man approached You and said, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ You already knew how the encounter would end yet You gave him the opportunity to dialogue with You. You did not turn him away as a lost cause. You tried to open his mind, widen his vision to embrace a higher ideal.
He wanted to know what singular good deed he ought to do in order to possess eternal life and You walked him through the different stages of conversion. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He responded with, "Which?" As if one were more important than the rest and keeping just the one would obtain for him the Kingdom of heaven.
You then went on to enumerate these commandments ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honor your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbor as yourself.’ The man confirmed that he had kept all these and wanted to know what more he could do. You said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ And the gospel writer Matthew says, 'But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.'
How often Beloved, I aspire to do great things for You. I daydream and visualize wonderful things that I would do for love of You. But all these remain fantasies in my head. When the hour arrives to show true courage, heroic virtue, to discipline the desires of the senses, and to guard against the wiles of the world and temptation, I fail miserably because I cling to my creature comforts. I am unwilling, I lack the strength and the discipline, to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow You. Help me, Lord, without Your help I can do nothing.
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