DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Now the prince of this world is to be overthrown,

says the Lord.

And when I am lifted up from the earth,

I shall draw all men to myself. JN 12:31-32

GALATIANS 3:7-14

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Unless we believe that God sent You, His only Son into the world not to condemn it but to save it, we cannot be saved. This is the Good News that we are called to proclaim by the witness and testimony of our lives. 

St. Paul, speaking to the church in Galatia, warns them that those who preach that observance of the Law is necessary in order to receive life, are in grave error for the Law is powerless to save. God blessed Abraham because of his faith and he extends that blessing to all his descendants.

All who believe in the work of salvation wrought by You on the Cross, all who believe that You took upon Yourself our punishment, our death, our sin, and our shame in order to render us blameless before God, are saved. There is salvation in no other but You on whom God, laying the curse that was ours, receives the death sentence that was ours, endures the punishment that was ours and was crucified so we could be spared. We are ransomed by Your death in order that we may receive the Holy Spirit who is the power of God working in us to form You, the Son of God, in us. 

PSALM 111:1-6

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Everything in creation ceaselessly gives You praise and I too, as part of creation, must praise You personally as well as when we gather together as God's people. Recognizing all that God has done for us in You and through You, thanksgiving and praise must continually flow from hearts filled with gratitude for having chosen us as Your people, the sheep of Your flock.

You are the Covenant of Love that is eternally before the Father pleading and making intercession for us night and day. Such is the Father's compassion for us that He desires that all who believe in You be saved. 

You are the Bread that satisfies the hunger of the world. You are the Way of Contradiction that helps us on our journey from this life to the next. When we are weak then we are strong, when we are poor, we are rich, when we are put to death for Your Sake and for the sake of the Kingdom of God, we receive eternal life. The might of God is the might of the Cross which has vanquished the devil and won for Him all the people of the world. 

LUKE 11:15-26

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The work of Satan is to sow confusion, division, and distrust. You were accused of casting out evil spirits with the power of the prince of darkness. All the miracles You performed were to heal people in mind, body, and spirit. Every miracle was prompted by compassion for the suffering. How could You be accused of working with Satan when all his works bring death whereas all Your works bring life in abundance? Yet the Pharisees refused to believe.

Through the cleansing waters of Baptism and the life-giving work of the Sacraments, we belong to the family of God. Grant that with the help of the Holy Spirit we remain faithful all the days of our lives so we may not lose what we have received through grace and thus permit evil to return to us and make its home in us.