DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2COR 5:9
EZEKIEL 33:7-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Every sin committed either against oneself or against another is a breach of love. Sins are never committed in isolation because they cause wounds that affect the whole Church which is Your Body.
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking the word of God, reminds us that we have to warn those who are guilty of committing grave sins. The world hates the Church because she will not change her stance against intrinsically evil acts. While the world constantly changes the goalposts as to what it deems constitutes evil, the Church never will. All sins are deliberate acts that violate the commandment to love God or neighbour. When we are silent in the face of evil we become co-conspirators to sin.
PSALM 95:1-2, 6-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
During these months of the pandemic, we are unable to come together as a community to praise and thank You and to offer to the Father the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. But You never abandon Your Church. Our good shepherds are striving to ensure that Your flock are nourished, fed, watered, and cared for in innovative ways. You are able to draw good from every difficult and trying situation and we can already see the fruit of their labour of love among Your flock.
We have found more time for prayer, we are paying close attention to the Sacred Mysteries that are live-streamed into our homes. We are praying together as a family. We are learning to get along and to pay attention to the needs of others. There is so much to give thanks for as we use this time to draw closer to You and to each other.
The time of the pandemic has given us an opportunity to withdraw from the world and listen to Your Voice, so our hardened hearts may soften. Grant my Beloved, that during this time of testing and temporarily exile from the celebration of the Eucharist and other spiritual activities as a community, that we grow stronger in our faith and come to know You, love You, hunger and thirst for You and Your Word as never before.
ROMANS 13:8-10
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
It is easy to get discouraged when we think of the commandments that state unequivocally, 'You shall not.' This list of solemn and formidable rules seem restrictive and constraining to us. But when we read what St. Paul has to say today in his letter to the Romans we find there is really no hindrance at all, there is no barrier against love. There is no law against love.
You summed up all the commandments to just two great commandments and both have their foundation on love. In today's second reading Paul illustrates the second great commandment. Love your neighbour as yourself this debt of mutual love is the only acceptable debt we may owe each other. Why? Because love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
MATTHEW 18:15-20
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
In this Sunday's Gospel, You speak of three things.
The first is that we cannot individually or as a community of believers condone grave sin. ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
The second is that You instituted the Sacrament of Penance, or Confession, or Reconciliation when You gave the Apostles this authority to bind and loose. ‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. How blessed we are as Catholics to begin over again as a new creation once we have been absolved of all our sins no matter how grave, each time we approach You in this healing Sacrament. Thank You.
The third is that when we come together in Your Name, even if it is just two people, not only do You guarantee Your Presence with us but whatever we ask the Father will be given to us, ‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’
Wow! If this isn't amazing, mindblowing, awesome I do not know what is. Thank You, Beloved.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2COR 5:9
EZEKIEL 33:7-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Every sin committed either against oneself or against another is a breach of love. Sins are never committed in isolation because they cause wounds that affect the whole Church which is Your Body.
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking the word of God, reminds us that we have to warn those who are guilty of committing grave sins. The world hates the Church because she will not change her stance against intrinsically evil acts. While the world constantly changes the goalposts as to what it deems constitutes evil, the Church never will. All sins are deliberate acts that violate the commandment to love God or neighbour. When we are silent in the face of evil we become co-conspirators to sin.
PSALM 95:1-2, 6-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
During these months of the pandemic, we are unable to come together as a community to praise and thank You and to offer to the Father the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. But You never abandon Your Church. Our good shepherds are striving to ensure that Your flock are nourished, fed, watered, and cared for in innovative ways. You are able to draw good from every difficult and trying situation and we can already see the fruit of their labour of love among Your flock.
We have found more time for prayer, we are paying close attention to the Sacred Mysteries that are live-streamed into our homes. We are praying together as a family. We are learning to get along and to pay attention to the needs of others. There is so much to give thanks for as we use this time to draw closer to You and to each other.
The time of the pandemic has given us an opportunity to withdraw from the world and listen to Your Voice, so our hardened hearts may soften. Grant my Beloved, that during this time of testing and temporarily exile from the celebration of the Eucharist and other spiritual activities as a community, that we grow stronger in our faith and come to know You, love You, hunger and thirst for You and Your Word as never before.
ROMANS 13:8-10
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
It is easy to get discouraged when we think of the commandments that state unequivocally, 'You shall not.' This list of solemn and formidable rules seem restrictive and constraining to us. But when we read what St. Paul has to say today in his letter to the Romans we find there is really no hindrance at all, there is no barrier against love. There is no law against love.
You summed up all the commandments to just two great commandments and both have their foundation on love. In today's second reading Paul illustrates the second great commandment. Love your neighbour as yourself this debt of mutual love is the only acceptable debt we may owe each other. Why? Because love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
MATTHEW 18:15-20
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
In this Sunday's Gospel, You speak of three things.
The first is that we cannot individually or as a community of believers condone grave sin. ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
The second is that You instituted the Sacrament of Penance, or Confession, or Reconciliation when You gave the Apostles this authority to bind and loose. ‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. How blessed we are as Catholics to begin over again as a new creation once we have been absolved of all our sins no matter how grave, each time we approach You in this healing Sacrament. Thank You.
The third is that when we come together in Your Name, even if it is just two people, not only do You guarantee Your Presence with us but whatever we ask the Father will be given to us, ‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’
Wow! If this isn't amazing, mindblowing, awesome I do not know what is. Thank You, Beloved.
No comments:
Post a Comment