DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives. LK 4:18
1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The most effective way to preach the Good News is by our love. There is no other way for the Way of God, is the Way of Love. Love is God's nature, Love alone determines the course of the stars, the planets, the seasons, the plans of God, and the will of God in our life. Love alone is the reason for our existence. We are created by the God of Love for eternal love. Love is the reason we are saved. Love is the reason why the Son of God became incarnate.
You were obedient unto death even death on the cross because it was Love that prompted Your unwavering obedience to the Will of the God of Love. Your love for Him brought You into the world; a world where the very ones You came to redeem would reject, deny, persecute, abandon, imprison and scourge You until You were one bloody, purple, open, bleeding wound from the crown of Your head to the soles of Your feet.
It is in this power of suffering and the cross with which St. Paul preaches the Gospel. He comes before the people in 'fear and trembling' for this is how we approach this God of Love who became nothing in order that we can be raised with You and possess all things in You. The wisdom of the world cannot fathom the foolishness of the Wisdom of God. The foolishness of God is His love, tenderness, and compassion. You are a merciful God who goes out into the night to save a sinful world.
This is why as St. Paul says, that our faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God which saves.
PSALM 119:97-102
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We live in a world that does not want to be governed by laws whether natural or divine, restrictions, boundaries, and conscience. It desires no barriers, no bridges, no past to learn from, no deterrent to living according to its unformed half baked conscience. The world is currently prepared to burn and be burned by the dictates of the mob that to this day cries out for the crucifixion of Wisdom because it is a hindrance to the lawlessness of the flesh.
The psalmist, however, speaks of another way of living in the verses chosen for today's liturgy.
I have more insight than all who teach me
for I ponder your will.
I keep your precepts.
I turn my feet from evil paths
to obey your word.
You yourself have taught me.
The world right now seems to be hell-bent on the destruction of all that is good, pure, holy, noble, and beautiful. But I know that we can trust You. While evil may have the present hour victory belongs to You.
LUKE 4:16-30
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We deserve nothing yet are given all things. It is our choice, to use the wonderful gift of free will to decide whether or not we align it with God's. You compel no one all You do is invite us into fellowship with God and we are free to accept or reject the invitation.
You came to Your hometown, Nazareth where the townsfolk had heard of Your miracles. You were hailed by many as a prophet. You were the local hero and they were glad to claim You as their own and share in Your reflected glory. But we can see how quickly their enthusiasm changed to distrust, suspicion, anger, rejection, and finally to expulsion from their midst.
The truth is a mirror and more often than not we hate what it reflects when we hold it up to ourselves. We prefer to hold on to our narrow vision and prejudices. We have inflated egos, we refuse to acknowledge when we are wrong. We would rather rant and rave and justify our stupidity than admit our mistakes and welcome the opportunity to widen our horizons and embrace the truth.
The last thing the people of Nazareth wanted to hear was You claiming to be something that they clearly thought You were not. Didn't they know You and Your family? Too often we judge people on our past knowledge of them. We freeze them in our time-frame and refuse to acknowledge the passage of time and the period of growth and change that has since taken place.
But the Truth was here in their midst
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
Truth spoke to them and said, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ They approved of You as long as it suited them. However, when You spoke about how God intervened through the prophets in miraculous ways to assist pagans and gentiles they were furious rather than the chosen people of God, they took it as a direct indictment against them. Instead of allowing the truth to pierce their hearts, they were filled with murderous rage.
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
Your hour had not yet come - that salvific hour when You would be delivered into the hands of a sinful world.
The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives. LK 4:18
1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The most effective way to preach the Good News is by our love. There is no other way for the Way of God, is the Way of Love. Love is God's nature, Love alone determines the course of the stars, the planets, the seasons, the plans of God, and the will of God in our life. Love alone is the reason for our existence. We are created by the God of Love for eternal love. Love is the reason we are saved. Love is the reason why the Son of God became incarnate.
You were obedient unto death even death on the cross because it was Love that prompted Your unwavering obedience to the Will of the God of Love. Your love for Him brought You into the world; a world where the very ones You came to redeem would reject, deny, persecute, abandon, imprison and scourge You until You were one bloody, purple, open, bleeding wound from the crown of Your head to the soles of Your feet.
It is in this power of suffering and the cross with which St. Paul preaches the Gospel. He comes before the people in 'fear and trembling' for this is how we approach this God of Love who became nothing in order that we can be raised with You and possess all things in You. The wisdom of the world cannot fathom the foolishness of the Wisdom of God. The foolishness of God is His love, tenderness, and compassion. You are a merciful God who goes out into the night to save a sinful world.
This is why as St. Paul says, that our faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God which saves.
PSALM 119:97-102
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We live in a world that does not want to be governed by laws whether natural or divine, restrictions, boundaries, and conscience. It desires no barriers, no bridges, no past to learn from, no deterrent to living according to its unformed half baked conscience. The world is currently prepared to burn and be burned by the dictates of the mob that to this day cries out for the crucifixion of Wisdom because it is a hindrance to the lawlessness of the flesh.
The psalmist, however, speaks of another way of living in the verses chosen for today's liturgy.
I have more insight than all who teach me
for I ponder your will.
I keep your precepts.
I turn my feet from evil paths
to obey your word.
You yourself have taught me.
The world right now seems to be hell-bent on the destruction of all that is good, pure, holy, noble, and beautiful. But I know that we can trust You. While evil may have the present hour victory belongs to You.
LUKE 4:16-30
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We deserve nothing yet are given all things. It is our choice, to use the wonderful gift of free will to decide whether or not we align it with God's. You compel no one all You do is invite us into fellowship with God and we are free to accept or reject the invitation.
You came to Your hometown, Nazareth where the townsfolk had heard of Your miracles. You were hailed by many as a prophet. You were the local hero and they were glad to claim You as their own and share in Your reflected glory. But we can see how quickly their enthusiasm changed to distrust, suspicion, anger, rejection, and finally to expulsion from their midst.
The truth is a mirror and more often than not we hate what it reflects when we hold it up to ourselves. We prefer to hold on to our narrow vision and prejudices. We have inflated egos, we refuse to acknowledge when we are wrong. We would rather rant and rave and justify our stupidity than admit our mistakes and welcome the opportunity to widen our horizons and embrace the truth.
The last thing the people of Nazareth wanted to hear was You claiming to be something that they clearly thought You were not. Didn't they know You and Your family? Too often we judge people on our past knowledge of them. We freeze them in our time-frame and refuse to acknowledge the passage of time and the period of growth and change that has since taken place.
But the Truth was here in their midst
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
Truth spoke to them and said, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ They approved of You as long as it suited them. However, when You spoke about how God intervened through the prophets in miraculous ways to assist pagans and gentiles they were furious rather than the chosen people of God, they took it as a direct indictment against them. Instead of allowing the truth to pierce their hearts, they were filled with murderous rage.
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
Your hour had not yet come - that salvific hour when You would be delivered into the hands of a sinful world.
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