DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
EPHESIANS 3:2-12
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Like St. Paul who was entrusted by You with the mission of imparting the mysteries of the faith to the Gentiles, so too, each member of Your Body, is given the mandate to make You known and loved, 'Whoever believes that God gave his only Son not to condemn the world but to save it through Him, will not perish but have eternal life.'
This mission, to hand on the Good News, was first entrusted to the Apostles and to St. Paul whom You empowered by a special grace to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. Pagans who now believe share the same inheritance with the Jews who came to believe that You were the fulfillment of the promises made by God.
The Apostles and their successors have proclaimed to the people of all nations the mystery that was hidden since the foundation of the world until He sent You, His only Son into the world. In and through You, God has unveiled His Face and His incomprehensible love to the world.
This revelation of God's gracious goodness is unfolding slowly but surely as more and more people come to believe in the Good News through the Church You established. This is the plan of God formed from all eternity that in You, all can approach the Mercy Throne with complete confidence because of their faith in You.
ISAIAH 12:2-6
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
My personal witness involves revealing to all I meet the wonderful things You have done for me. The mercy You have shown me even when I did not deserve it. The marvelous gifts You have heaped upon me both spiritual and temporal which others too may receive in the same or even greater measure.
I know I am saved because I believe You have saved me. I have hope and I walk unafraid through this valley of tears for I know You walk with me. I experience joy in the midst of sorrow, I laugh through my tears, I have peace in the midst of conflict for I know that You, my Lord, and my God provide all I need. You keep me safe in the shadow of Your wings. You are my protector, my refuge, my rock of salvation. I fear nothing for You my Lord abide in me.
My Beloved, grant me this grace for as long as I live, that I will not be silent but proclaim always and everywhere what God has done to save not just me but the whole world.
May every breath I breathe praise You, Lord, now and forever.
LUKE 12:39-48
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The world is in a dull, deadly stupor due to the spiritual malaise that has infected its soul. We are in danger of being unprepared when You return because we have not stayed awake and have missed every warning sign that reminded us that the things of the earth are passing.
Time and time again You have said that You will come at an hour that we will not expect. Millennia have come and gone, those who were entrusted with the mission to announce the Good News failed miserably, this is why many do not really know You, many have not even heard of You, and many more have been so poorly catechized that they never really knew You and hence never truly believed in You.
What kind of steward am I? Have I been faithful in handing down what I received without watering it down, without conforming to the culture, without giving in to the temporal powers of the world? Did I hand on what I received in its fullness, its beauty, its truth, and its power, and will it, in turn, be handed on in all its beauty and purity just as I received it?
Beloved, grant that I strive always to be like the good and faithful steward who has been alert and awake to the needs of those entrusted to my care so I may be counted among those whom You will receive into Your Kingdom.
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