DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12
1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-5
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We are too quick to judge everyone and everyone falls short of the extremely high standards we set for them. We are highly critical of the actions of others especially those who are in roles of leadership and have authority over us in the Church. They become easy targets and are blamed for everything that is wrong.
It is truly liberating to know that we are not responsible for judging anyone, You are the only righteous judge who is given the authority to judge everyone including God's stewards fairly.
When we are tempted to be critical of those in authority over us in the Church or to speak uncharitably about them let us remember what Paul tells the church in Corinth, "There must be no passing of premature judgment. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God." Let us do what we are commanded to do instead - let us love.
PSALM 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How good it is to know that we are Yours and can trust You always. We are saved by You. We receive life from You. We belong to You and it is Your Spirit that animates our spirit.
The more we know You the greater is our hunger and thirst to know more of You and as our knowledge of You grows so does our love for You. You satisfy. You fill the empty place in our hearts and we know that having You we have all we will ever need or want.
Thank You for inviting us to a personal relationship with You. Thank You for the joy of being a Catholic and for the intimacy that is possible through the Sacraments You instituted especially the Sacrament of Love, the Eucharist. Thank You for being my Rock and my hiding place. In You I take refuge. Grant that I may remain in You for as long as there is breath in my body.
LUKE 5:33-39
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How well You know human nature. We like things to remain the same. We dislike change. We prefer our old habits, the comfort of doing things as we have always done them but there can be no growth without change.
The Pharisees and the scribes were always looking for ways to fault You, to put You down, criticize Your actions. You did not shy away from them but met them head-on and silenced them with a powerful rebuttal to their criticisms.
In today's Gospel passage from Luke, they are comparing John's disciples with Yours - the former, they say, are always fasting and praying, whereas Yours are always eating and drinking. Your response takes the wind out of their sails, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast.’
Right now, Beloved, because of the pandemic, we are all forced into a Eucharistic fast. The Bridegroom is taken from us. We hunger and thirst for You. We beg You to reduce the number of days of this period of mourning if it is Your will, so we can return with great rejoicing to receive You, our Bridegroom, once again in the intimacy of the Sacrament of Love.
Thank You, Father, for sending us Your Son to save us. Thank You, for revealing Your Face to us in Your Son. Thank You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches us to appreciate the New Wine of the Gospel, the Good News that alone has the power to save. May we be like new wineskins ready to be filled with the New Wine and to share that life-giving, life-saving Wine with the world.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12
1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-5
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We are too quick to judge everyone and everyone falls short of the extremely high standards we set for them. We are highly critical of the actions of others especially those who are in roles of leadership and have authority over us in the Church. They become easy targets and are blamed for everything that is wrong.
It is truly liberating to know that we are not responsible for judging anyone, You are the only righteous judge who is given the authority to judge everyone including God's stewards fairly.
When we are tempted to be critical of those in authority over us in the Church or to speak uncharitably about them let us remember what Paul tells the church in Corinth, "There must be no passing of premature judgment. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God." Let us do what we are commanded to do instead - let us love.
PSALM 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How good it is to know that we are Yours and can trust You always. We are saved by You. We receive life from You. We belong to You and it is Your Spirit that animates our spirit.
The more we know You the greater is our hunger and thirst to know more of You and as our knowledge of You grows so does our love for You. You satisfy. You fill the empty place in our hearts and we know that having You we have all we will ever need or want.
Thank You for inviting us to a personal relationship with You. Thank You for the joy of being a Catholic and for the intimacy that is possible through the Sacraments You instituted especially the Sacrament of Love, the Eucharist. Thank You for being my Rock and my hiding place. In You I take refuge. Grant that I may remain in You for as long as there is breath in my body.
LUKE 5:33-39
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
How well You know human nature. We like things to remain the same. We dislike change. We prefer our old habits, the comfort of doing things as we have always done them but there can be no growth without change.
The Pharisees and the scribes were always looking for ways to fault You, to put You down, criticize Your actions. You did not shy away from them but met them head-on and silenced them with a powerful rebuttal to their criticisms.
In today's Gospel passage from Luke, they are comparing John's disciples with Yours - the former, they say, are always fasting and praying, whereas Yours are always eating and drinking. Your response takes the wind out of their sails, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast.’
Right now, Beloved, because of the pandemic, we are all forced into a Eucharistic fast. The Bridegroom is taken from us. We hunger and thirst for You. We beg You to reduce the number of days of this period of mourning if it is Your will, so we can return with great rejoicing to receive You, our Bridegroom, once again in the intimacy of the Sacrament of Love.
Thank You, Father, for sending us Your Son to save us. Thank You, for revealing Your Face to us in Your Son. Thank You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches us to appreciate the New Wine of the Gospel, the Good News that alone has the power to save. May we be like new wineskins ready to be filled with the New Wine and to share that life-giving, life-saving Wine with the world.
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