FEAST OF ST. ANDREW, APOSTLE - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you into fishers of men. MT 4:19

ROMANS 10:9-18

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The very first step on the incredible journey to the kingdom of God is faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please You and faith is a gift. It is by faith that we proclaim You are Lord and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

The gift of faith is available to all who desire it - from the greatest to the least. In the kingdom of God, all are His children, all belong to His family, all have a share in Your riches for You are our Brother, the First Born. For Your sake, the Father saves all who call on Your Name - the Name that is above all other.

You have given all Your disciples the mandate, to go to the uttermost ends of the earth and to share the Good News that sets all of humanity free. St. Paul echoes the words of the prophet who said, 'How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" 

Unless we who believe preach and teach the Good News no one will hear it, and if no one hears it no one can believe in it, and if no one believes in it they cannot be saved. We thank You, Lord, for the Apostles and all who follow in their footsteps in preaching and teaching the Good News of our salvation, 'Their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.' 

PSALM 19:2-5

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The whole of creation has God's imprint on it - it speaks of His power, His wisdom, His majesty, His goodness, His immensity, and above all His providential love for the crown of His creation - His children. From the rising of the sun to its setting all creation resounds with praise to the Creator and announces to all who look on the works of His hands that He is God. 

Abba Father, do not permit anyone to deliberately close off their senses to Your supernatural presence in Your creation. Though their hearts are closed to the Gospel may the beauty of Your works awaken their spirit to Your Spirit so they may believe in You and the one whom You sent and believing they will be saved.  

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

MATTHEW 4:18-22

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is always You who come looking for us just as You walked on the Sea of Galilee looking for Simon and his brother Andrew whose feast day the Church celebrates today. You found them busy with the business of their trade, You stopped and watched them preparing their nets to cast them into the sea for a catch, they looked up and saw Your intent gaze on them, and they heard You say, 'Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ In the next verse, we are told that they left their nets at once and followed You. There was no hesitation, no discussion, they did as You bid them to. 

Walking further down the shore You extended the same invitation to James and John, sons of Zebedee. They with their father were mending their nets but on hearing Your call they like Peter and Andrew left their boat and their father at once and followed You.  

There are many who hear Your call and follow You immediately. Others hear You and find many obstacles and make many excuses but eventually, they heed Your call. Finally, there are those who hear Your invitation but categorically refuse to follow You. Which category do I fall in? O Lord, grant me a listening heart, and a willing spirit to hear Your call and do all You ask me at once, without delay, and without procrastination. 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help. PS 84:8

ISAIAH 63:16-17, 64:1, 3-8

My Beloved Soul of my soul,

The prophet's lament is our own. Why has the world strayed so far from You? We are like the prodigal son who has turned his back on a loving father beguiled by concupiscence and we have lost our way. Our hearts have grown tepid, indifferent, we lack the courage to deny ourselves the temporal pleasures of this life and to embrace the way of the cross. Suffering terrifies us. How much longer Lord, will we be condemned to live in a world that is growing increasingly ignorant of You, not knowing You it has rejected You.

Have mercy O Lord as You have done so very often in the course of salvation history. We make the prayer of the prophet our own  Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down! - at your Presence the mountains would melt, and so would our sin hardened hearts.

Your Church begins a new liturgical year today - grant that it is a new beginning for all who are called by Your Name. You alone can save us for You are our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord, and our God. We are Your children, the sheep of Your flock, do not reject us even though we have rejected You. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

PSALM 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Today the psalmist reminds us that You are our Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of Your flock. You the true vine and we, its branches. Because we are Yours, one with You, united to You, we are confident that You will not forsake us. 

Come to our aid O Lord. We deserve all that is happening in our world for we have sinned grievously in every way.  We have broken the first commandment and the second which You likened to the first. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Father, we thank You with all our hearts for sending us Jesus, Your Son, to be our Savior and to pay the price of our redemption. This Advent, we ask for His Sake, to renew the face of the earth once again and to draw all Your children back to Yourself, may we walk once more in the light of Your Face and with Your help, we shall never forsake you again; give us life that we may call upon your name. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 

1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

All the wonderful, uplifting, praiseworthy words that St. Paul says of the people in the church of Corinth is true also of a great many men and women in the Church who have lived and walked in the Way of Truth revealed by the Father in You and through You, His Son.

Were it not for the witness of the Apostles, the Church Fathers, the countless martyrs, holy men and women who spend their entire lives in spreading the Good News by their exemplary lives, the world would be a much darker place than it is. They give us hope. They continue to enkindle the fire of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the lives they touch. 

We, the members of Your Body are truly grateful for our Pope, the Vicar of Christ, holy bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, deacons, and many in the laity who continue to inspire us with their teaching, preaching, and above all by their faithfulness to the Word and to Truth. They strengthen us and help us to grow in faith. They stir up the Spirit within us and we can echo the words of St. Paul when speaking of them for so long as their witness to You is strong in the Church we will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while we wait in joyful hope for Your return. Keep us faithful to the end, My Lord. 

MARK 13:33-37

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You ascended into heaven and left those in authority, as well as all the baptized in charge of Your Church. We are given a divine mandate to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth and we are to do this even to the shedding of our blood for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel.

Too many of us live lukewarm, tepid, insipid, wishy-washy lives. There is a distinct lack of courage, of spirit, of verve, we would each rather withdraw into ourselves and wear blinkers oblivious of the truth that unless we are prepared to deny ourselves and pick up the cross daily we cannot be Your disciples.

Today, the Church warns us that the time for slumber has passed, what You said to Your disciples You say to us, ‘Be on your guard, stay awake because you never know when the time will come. Like the man traveling abroad, You will return to the world You redeemed and when You do, You will ask for a strict account of how we carried out the work assigned to us and proper to our vocation in life. Just as the world was unaware of Your First Coming, piercing time and space, so will You come again at a time when we least expect it, unexpectedly, but this time the whole world will know, For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. May we heed Your warning today, so when You come You will not find us asleep.

SATURDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man. LK 21:36

REVELATION 22:1-7

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

People of every age have tried to read grave and terrible portents in this book and have written tomes concerning their interpretation of the end times and the gullible have fallen prey to these cults, sometimes with fatal consequences.

All it means Beloved, is when time shall be no more, You will throw the gates of paradise wide open for all the children of God, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, to enter. Here we will drink deeply and forever of the living water that streams from You, the Son of God, who redeemed the world. They will know neither hunger or want again for every desire will be satisfied as they behold You, their God, face to face, eternally. 

The blissful joy of the redeemed will never end for the beatific vision is more glorious, more beautiful than anything that the human mind can imagine. The Bridegroom will receive His Bride and together forever will feast at the banquet table of love.

God will be all in all for His people - all we once knew will be replaced by things no eye has seen or heard or could describe. The Light of the World will light up the heavens there will be no need for sun, moon, or stars for Your Light will illumine all. 

Let us resolve today, before we fall into that final sleep of death, and awaken in the land of the living, to turn away from sin and to keep our hearts and souls holy and pure for You, our Bridegroom. 

PSALM 95:1-7

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Due to the pandemic, many have been denied the joy of the Sacraments, the life-giving food and drink so necessary for our souls. We have been deprived of the abundant graces that we receive to strengthen us on our pilgrim journey from this life to the next. But we also know that You do not abandon Your own. We are God's children, we are the sheep of Your flock, and You endeavor to feed us in many other ways. You keep us strong providing all the help that Your little ones need.

Holy Mother Church has been alert, awake, and has sought in every way to provide for her children. She is faithful and her ministers have spent themselves to explore new avenues to remain connected to their people. With her help, we continue to sing songs of praise and worship, of thanksgiving and joy to You, our Lord, and our God who remains our ever-present help always.  

She has united with us to celebrate all the feasts and has encouraged us to remain hopeful and patient in trying times. She has reminded us that God is with us and will never abandon us and is very closely united to us. We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock, You know us by name for we are branded with the seal of love and the Spirit.

So while we wait for our churches to open to all the faithful including and most especially the old, the vulnerable, the young who need You so much but are asked to continue to wait patiently, we will do so with hope, with joy, with faith, and You will reward us abundantly with the incomparable joy of Your Presence in the Holy Eucharist. 

We wait in joyful anticipation for that day as well as for the joy of Your second coming in glory. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!

LUKE 21:34-36

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is when we let our guard down that we are most vulnerable to sin, temptation, to death of the soul. We are to guard our senses against all evil. There can be no flirting with sin, we cannot dabble in it, experiment with it, for none of us is strong enough to withstand the power of evil that can draw us in slowly, steadily, slyly, and determinedly, that before we are aware of what has happened we are trapped and unable to free ourselves without divine intervention. This is why You warn us today to watch ourselves, to be vigilant, to never take whatever strength we imagine we may have, to lock horns with evil and think we can win.

Rather, let us always remember that it is better to take refuge in You, to cling to You, and to know with certainty that we cannot battle our concupiscence without divine aid.  

The antidote to sin is constant, uninterrupted prayer. To pray is to be connected to You, to have ongoing fellowship with God. Awake or asleep if our spirit is united with Yours we will commune with You always and we will be kept safe from the wiles of the Enemy. Grant us this grace, my Lord, to make every thought, word, and deed a prayer of thanksgiving, petition, worship, and praise so we can heed Your instruction to, 'Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS 

Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand. LK 21:28

REVELATION 20:1-4, 11-21:2

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

This is what John saw at the end of the age when time and space will be no more and what he saw he recorded for our encouragement, to give us hope, courage, and determination to walk in the way of truth and love. 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

Evil was vanquished on the Cross. Satan was rendered impotent. He had done his worst with the old Adam. You, the new Adam, had him completely and irreversibly defeated. Now he and the fallen angels prowl through the world seeking to plunder, devour, and destroy the weak but he is powerless against those who believe. 

Yes, there will be the judgment of all the living and dead for both love and justice demand it. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged. Evil men and women, evil cabals who have preyed upon the innocent, the weak, the poor, and the defenseless will render an account of their deeds. This is not makebelieve but a word of truth. We will be judged according to the way in which he had lived. 

Now, while it is still today, we have time to do the good that God has planned for us to do from our conception if not, we will be numbered among who will be separated from God eternally.

PSALM 83:3-6, 8

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The soul that surrenders to the love of God and yields to You in all things is privileged to experience the joy of union with You while still in this life. It is a special delight to be drawn deeper each day into a greater response to Your conditional, and perfect love. The longing, the yearning the straining of the soul to give itself up wholly to You consumes it more and more each day. 

The more we know You the deeper our love for You. The greater our ignorance of You the easier it is for us to get lost in the dizzying trifles that the world offers, drawing us ever deeper into the pit of loneliness, frustration, and emptiness. But the child of God asks nothing more than to nestle like a sparrow under Your wings.

Our soul is Your dwelling place, My Lord. It is Your temple, Your sanctuary, the place where You delight to make Your home. A place where You long to find a joyous welcome. Those who know You love You and strive each day to conform more closely to Your will. The soul that discovers the joy of being Your disciple lives in perfect peace for You are truly Emmanuel, God with us, to those who are Yours. 

LUKE 21:29-33

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We are forewarned. It is time to wake up the time for slumber, for procrastination, for dabbling with evil, and flirting with sin is over. Now is the time to arise and to take our stand for Truth, for Beauty, for Wisdom, for Love which is found in fullness in You, our Lord, and our God. 

We know when a healthy tree will bud, flower, bloom, and we know the season when it will bear fruit. In the same way, You ask us to read the signs of the times and to prepare ourselves for the kingdom of God.

You are Truth and Your Word is Truth and to us, You say, 'Let those who have ears listen'. Grant us the wisdom, the courage, and the grace to hear and obey before it is too late. 

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand. LK 21:28

REVELATION 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Numerous empires, kingdoms, governments, rulers, despots, dictators have come and gone since God laid the foundations of the world and many more will come and go but You, O Lord, remain forever. 

John speaks of Babylon where God's people were exiled and tyrannized, he speaks of their abominations, their cruelty, their evil, and their dominion over nations that seemed unending. But it did end, God's people were liberated and those taken into exile returned home. 

Let us never lose sight of this truth, that You are God and all who rule do so at Your good pleasure. You appoint the rulers of this world and they will be called to an exact accounting of their stewardship, judgment will be pronounced and commensurate reward or punishment will be meted out to them.  We on our part must never forget that we are under obedience to all legitimate authority for this is Your will.

As long as we live we are called to strive to be worthy of our calling as Christians and as members of Your Church. We are called to work tirelessly to build up one another and to be a light to the nations. The Church is the New Jerusalem, she is the city on the hill built on Mt. Zion, and to her will all the peoples of the world stream to give true praise, worship, honor, and glory to the triune God who made the heavens and the earth. And when the Bridegroom comes for His Bride, when time shall cease, we will feast at the wedding feast eternally. Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

PSALM 100:2-5

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We were created for service with joy for we are not greater than the Servant King who came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for all. 

We were created to know You, to love You, to worship and adore You with every breath we breathe. We were created by You for You and when we become aware of this truth we understand the reason for our being alive. We are Yours - purchased by You, redeemed by You, saved by You, and sealed in an eternal Covenant of Love with You.

If this is not reason enough to have a song in our hearts and praise on our lips every moment we are awake and even as we sleep I cannot imagine what is? We are God's children created for love and for joy. We are marked indelibly by the Holy Spirit for all eternity claiming us irretrievably for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

LUKE 21:20-28

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You continue in today's Gospel to recount with stark reality all that Jerusalem will face for having rejected the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior for You did not fit their conception, their mold of the Messiah and so missed the opportunity of fulfilling their glorious destiny. 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.' 

Nailed to the Cross You were as helpless as at Your birth when You were wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. In perfect humility and obedience to Your Father, You gave Yourself into the hands of the world to redeem it and in willful repudiation the world crucified You. 

All that took place then, when God's chosen people rejected You, will take place again for the world continues to reject You. We have been warned and we ignore the warning to our own destruction. Nations have destroyed nations before, people have slaughtered innocents before. Streets have had rivers of blood flowing through them and the dead have been piled high one over the other and so it will be again. This is Your warning to us if we continue heedlessly and recklessly on the path that we are on right now.

Great evil will be unleashed on the world and like the people in the time of Noah who deliberately shut their ears to his warning and laughed at him, the deluge will come upon us even as we are eating, drinking, and reveling in sin and when it does, it will destroy everything. 

 ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’

Those who are faithful must stay awake and pray so You will have mercy on us and on the whole world. 

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Remain faithful until death,

and I will give you the crown of life. REV 2:10

REVELATION 15:1-4

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In the final analysis, we discover that we have brought upon ourselves all our troubles and calamities. Many blame God for everything that ails our world - this beautiful world that was given to us to care for, to tend, to nurture, and to bear fruit for Your glory. The sad truth is, it is we have failed our stewardship in every way because we have been spiritually blind and deaf. Our sins have made us leprous and we are unclean. Yet, we refuse to face the truth of what we have become - the further we stray from You, from Your Word, from Your Church, the more we distance ourselves from beauty, truth, and honor.

There will always be the faithful remnant who preferring death rather than compromise with the world, will fight the good fight to the end. It is they, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who will conquer the Enemy even to the shedding of their blood. Fighting on the side of Truth they will win and through their sacrifice, many will believe in You and be saved. You are Truth and Truth is invincible. 

PSALM 98:1-3, 7-9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You have given us a new song, You have put the praises of God on our lips and worship of Him in our hearts for You have won the victory, You have wrought our salvation. You have obtained life for us by tasting our death and vanquishing it forever. 

All who are governed by Your Word You keep safe in truth and love. You will judge us in fairness and all will see the triumph of justice for all people everywhere.

When the evil presently rampant in the world weighs us down and wearies us, when we feel powerless because we are outnumbered by the wicked, let us recall that good has triumphed over evil. The Day of the Lord will arrive and the world and all its peoples will rejoice at Your coming in glory to establish Your rule and reign over all the living. Alleluia! 

LUKE 21:12-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You foretold with stark clarity what would happen to Your disciples and what You said occurred in every horrific detail. The persecution of Christians has not abated since the enemies of the faith first tortured, persecuted, and crucified You. Their bloodlust was not satisfied with killing You, they went after Your followers systematically seeking them out, persecuting, imprisoning and putting them to death. Next came the Romans with their barbaric methods of torture of Christians followed by others in every age and it goes on to this day. In some nations, the persecution is covert, in others it is overt but it is present in some form or other everywhere. 

But You assure all who are prepared to lay down their lives for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel that they are not to worry because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. 

As long as we are in the world we will have to face the enemy in one way or another but we are not alone You will be with us every step of the way. We can already see in our day how the enemies of Truth are spreading the slime of deceit in every institution hidden in innocuous words and phrases and the ignorant and gullible are taken in by their perfidy.

Thank You for Your blessed assurance that the faithful need not be afraid for Truth always triumphs, You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’ 

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you
the crown of life. REV 2:10

REVELATION 14:14-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

As the Liturgical Year draws to a close the Church reminds us ever more forcefully that time will cease and the day of reckoning and judgment will come upon us. It is given to men and women to die once and then to be judged by the Just Judge and to receive sentence - some to their reward others to their punishment.

We were created for eternity and it is we alone who decide whether we will spend it on the side of the angels and saints beholding the beatific vision or whether we prefer to reject the Lamb who was slain for our redemption. 

You have warned us saying, 'Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?' Now is the time for repentance and conversion, while today lasts we may approach You as our Lord who is compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. But time will cease and You will return to judge the living and the dead as John describes in his vision when the harvest will be reaped and the wheat separated from the chaff and the vine will be stripped of its grapes. The angel will reap the harvest and the whole vintage of the earth and put it into a huge winepress, the winepress of God’s anger.

PSALM 96:10-13

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The psalmist reminds us to praise You as our God and King who created the world and everything in it. All creation gives You praise for this is what we were created to do. We fulfill the purpose for which we were created when we render the praise and worship that is due to You. 

The heavens and the earth together join in harmony to offer to God, our Father, the highest form of praise that is possible.

There is no praise more fitting, more pleasing, or as acceptable to Him as the Sacrifice of Praise and Worship we offer Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You are the firstborn Son, the Lamb without blemish, the Lamb of Sacrifice that is offered to the Father from the rising of the sun to its setting and it is the Sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise spillover and destroy the earth and all in it. 

We wait in joyful anticipation for Your return to bring justice to the world, to judge all the nations of the world with truth, and to establish Your reign forever. 

LUKE 21:5-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Today's Gospel passage speaks of the final and complete destruction of the second Temple of which the Jews were so proud. It took 46 years to build it. We read in the first verses that, When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, You foretold what would happen to that beautiful edifice and all that it contained. ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’  And all that You foretold came to pass exactly as You said it would.

Then Your disciples asked the perennial question that has us all fascinated and absorbed, 'Master, when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’ And what You said then applies to us all, because so many of us are so easily carried away by false teachers, false prophets, and false messiahs ‘Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Before the end arrives we will face many calamities, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’ 

The truth we must bear in mind is this, anyone who willfully, deliberately, and pridefully rejects You will be destroyed as completely and permanently as the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. However, while there is time yet let us be faithful to the mission given to us to spread the Good News by the witness of our lives so many may come to believe and be saved. 

MONDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming. MT 24:42, 44

REVELATION 14:1-5

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We are called by virtue of our Baptism, by virtue of belonging to the family of God, by virtue of being redeemed and ransomed by the blood of the Lamb to strive to be holy and pure just as our Father in heaven is all holy and all pure. 

Many respond to Your invitation to dedicate their entire lives in consecration to You - to these are given a great spiritual reward in this life and a share in Your honor and glory in the life to come. 

Anyone who lives a life of heroic virtue and strives to do Your will in all things receives the privilege of union with You in this life and perfect eternal union with You in the next.

PSALM 24:1-6

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We live all our days on earth as pilgrims journeying to their heavenly home. We are aliens, foreigners, we are marked for the Kingdom of God and there can be no rest for us in anything or anyone in the world but You. 

All belongs to You and we are Yours as well for You have saved us, ransomed us, redeemed us, sealed us in Your Blood. We joyfully submit to You in all things for Your yoke is a burden that is both sweet and light. 

As children of God, we journey upwards and onwards to Mt. Zion, the New Jerusalem where we offer the Father true worship, the only worship which is acceptable and pleasing to Him. Through the Sacraments, we approach You with clean hands and pure hearts. To us is given the assurance of eternal life and a place that has been prepared for us when You laid the foundations of the earth. Keep us safe O Lord to the end.

LUKE 21:1-4

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You always notice what we do - no good thought, word, or deed is too small, too insignificant, or unworthy of Your notice. Every act of generosity, no matter how humble, is given its true value because You see it with the eyes of divinity. 

This beautiful little incident recorded by St. Luke and given to us today for reflection reveals the tenderness of the heart and mind of God who considers not the value of the gift but the disposition of the giver. Too often we give of our excess, our giving does not hurt us for it deprives us of nothing. Too often we give with strings attached, we give in order to receive. Too often our giving is polluted with self-interest. 

You noticed the poverty-stricken widow, You watched as she put her tiny, insignificant little offering of two small coins into the treasury and You drew the attention of those around You to notice her as well. Her action would have gone unobserved, no one would have known the tremendous sacrifice she made that day in giving all she had to live on, but You did and You praised her for great heart and spirit of generosity that cast a shade on all the offerings of the rich.

She gave her all - and we are called to do the same. True giving costs us something if it does not, it holds very little value in Your eyes. 

THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! MK 11:9-10

EZEKIEL 34:11-12, 15-17

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We need never fear the evil that lurks in the dark for we have You, our Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for us. Scripture describes God as a tender, watchful shepherd who looks after his sheep. He will go to any lengths to keep them safe, take them to pasture, lead them to streams of fresh water. He keeps his flock together, keeps them from going astray, and keeps them safe from danger. 

There are times beloved when a sheep, unaware or even unmindful of danger, separates from the flock and wanders away from the safe path to unfamiliar territory unaware of the terrors that hide in the shadows. But You keep all Your flock in view and should one leave the fold You will go in search of it. You Yourself look after Your sheep so not one of them is lost except the ones who will it. 

Thank You for the life-giving Sacraments that You instituted and which Your Church administers to Your sheep. We are fed by Your Body, our thirst is sated by Your Blood, we are washed clean from every stain of sin in the water that poured from Your side. We are sealed in Your Holy Spirit. The healthy and the strong as well as the weak and the sick receive the same watchful care from You. 

For as long as time lasts we will experience Your tender compassion and Your merciful love and when time will cease to be You will separate the sheep from the goats to face Your righteous judgment as the just judge.   

PSALM 23 :1-3A, 5-6

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church where the faithful have the whole, the perfect, the consummate experience of You as our Shepherd. The Church, Your Bride, formed from Your pierced side receives, preserves, and hands down all she received from You to all her children in its entirety. She is endowed with the richest of treasures that stream life and grace in the Sacraments and is the repository of the rich deposit of faith both in the Word handed to her in Scripture and oral, apostolic  Tradition.  

She permits You alone, her invisible head, to take her by the hand and lead her to green pastures through the visible head Peter and his successors who care for her and shepherd her faithfully in Your Name. 

This beautiful psalm, written by David, the shepherd king, describes to perfection the one and only Good Shepherd who loves every sheep in His flock and watches over them more tenderly and carefully than a mother watching over her children. 

Thank You, Beloved, for all the shepherds in Your Church who administer the same watchful care over Your sheep until Your coming in glory when we shall dwell in Your house forever and ever. We yearn for Your return O Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26, 28

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

After the fall of Adam, the gates to paradise were slammed shut. No child of Adam would gain admittance into God's presence for he passed the ignominious stain of his first sin to all his offspring.  Beginning with Adam all who died would remain asleep until the appointed time when God would send You,  His only Son, into the world to give Yourself over to death and be raised to life again in Your glorious resurrection.

You experienced a death like ours in order that we may enter into Your life. You are the New Adam who takes away the sins of the world. You are the Lamb of God who became the willing Victim for our sins, and now, in Your life we have life. 

When time shall be no more, You will return to lead the faithful back to paradise. There will be the final judgment of all humankind those who aligned with the Enemy will go to their eternal death and those who are sealed in Your Blood to eternal life and joy. Having reconciled all things to Yourself, and having destroyed death forever, You will present to Your Father, Your Bride along with all creation, under Your rule, dominion, authority, kingship, and power, handing it all over to Your Him after executing perfectly His plan of salvation for the whole world. You will then take Your place as God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. 

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.

MATTHEW 25:31-46

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Today all Christians in union with Your Church celebrate Your feast under the title, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. As the liturgical year comes to a close we affirm and proclaim Your authority, dominion, power, and kingship over the universe.

Even as we celebrate You as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings we also remind ourselves that time will cease to be and there will be the final judgment when all humankind will stand before You. Matthew records what You said to Your disciples about Your coming again in glory, escorted by all the angels and the saints. You will take Your seat as the just judge, appointed by the Father and You will pronounce judgment. Some will go to eternal damnation while some will accompany You to everlasting glory.

We will hear You speak and depending on which side we are on Your words we will either be invited to accompany You into the Kingdom of God or we will condemn ourselves to eternal separation from You. Every thought, word, and deed will be made plainly visible to all and we will be judged by them. 

Let us begin now if we have not done so already, to see You in every person we encounter each day and do good, be kind, be caring, and giving. Let us see You in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the homeless, the imprisoned and do all we can to alleviate their distress so when we exclaim, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” We will hear You say, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” Rather than be commanded to depart from You, cursed by our own indifference and apathy to eternal fire that was never intended for the children of God but for the devil and his angels.

Let us never ever forget that when we neglect to do good to a brother or sister we neglect to do it to You for we are all God's children and we, in particular, are members of Your Body.

MEMORIAL OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel. 2TIM 1:10

REVELATION 11:4-12

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The two witnesses that together reveal the plan of God and the perfect fulfillment of that plan is found in both the Old and the New Testament illumining the Church with its light. The Word of God in its entirety - in both its written and oral Tradition forms the rich deposit of faith in her treasury. This Truth is the Light that radiates from the Church and it is her mission to spread this Light to the whole world. 

She has Your assurance that You are with her always and the gates of hell will not prevail against her. This is why she has always spoken the truth boldly and with courage despite the persecutions she has faced ever since she was formed from Your pierced side. 

The time is upon us, the dragon is unleashing evil, wickedness, violence, destruction, murder, mayhem, and death. Never has the world been so polarized. Demonic ideologies are deeply rooted in the hearts of many. The world crucified You physically 2000 years ago, it crucifies You spiritually today. It wishes to erase You from the world, from memory, from history and all who oppose them are threatened with death.

The sins of Sodom and Egypt now have their day and for a while evil will terrorize the world and even as they believe they have triumphed as the mutilated bodies of the saints are strewn on the streets, their hour will come to an end as will their reign of satanic debauchery. In the midst of  its rejoicing the beast it will be slain. At Your Word, the dead will rise again as Your breathe into them the breath of Life. 

Judgment will come. All those who terrified and persecuted God's people will face His terrible wrath, all who were faithful will be saved and will be taken up with You to eternal bliss.  Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha! 

PSALM 144:1-2, 9-10

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The Church You founded is built on You, our Rock, our Refuge, our Stronghold. You prepare Your faithful for battle through the life-giving Sacraments instituted by You and administered by Your priests. You strengthen us with Your Word and with Your Body and Blood. 

We are under Your rule of Love and we are kept safe from the Enemy who lures and ensnares all who do not know You, do not believe in You, and who are not grafted to Your Body. 

You keep us safe in Your Name. You keep us safe in Your Word. You keep us safe by the power of Your Spirit and this is why we will praise Your Name from the rising of the sun to its setting as we offer to the Father, the one, holy, pure, and acceptable Sacrifice that keeps us safe for eternal life.

LUKE 20:27-40

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The world is filled with nonbelievers, who like the Sadducees, try to make Your Church look ridiculous by asking the wrong questions. 'Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

Atheists, people who hold other beliefs, non-Christians, and non-Catholics are constantly bludgeoning the Church with the wrong questions because she alone stands unflinchingly for Truth on matters of faith and morals despite the prevalent cultures that come and go. She is fearless in upholding the Truth despite the scathing scorn and ridicule they pour upon her. She calls sin by its name and they hate her for it with a murderous rage just as Your enemies who were consumed by their hatred of You. They found no rest until they put You to death - and not just any death but the worst form of death, Crucifixion, after they tortured You, mocked You, spat on You, ridiculed You, scourged You to the point of death, and shaming You by stripping You naked. 

Your glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven is a fitting response to all Your enemies' past, present, and future. There are children of the world who deny the Truth and there are children of heaven who embrace it fully.  We can live as children of the earth and wallow in the pigsty or we can aspire to be children of heaven and become like the angels who will never see death again, for You are the God of the living not of the dead.

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

 DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

REVELATION 10:8-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

John, the beloved disciple, Apostle and evangelist, was an old man in exile and sentenced to hard labor but the mission to preach the Good News, and to make it known to the ends of the earth was the greater labor that was laid upon him. 

The Good News is sweeter than honey in the mouth of the one who preaches it for it brings about the conversion and salvation of souls. But every disciple must be prepared for suffering, for persecution, and death for if they persecuted You they will persecute us as well for the servant is not greater than the Master. 

A time will come, however, and we pray that it comes soon when all will hear the Word of God, from the greatest to the least, and all hear, believe, and be saved.

PSALM 119:14, 24,72, 103, 111, 131

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

All who believe in You and in Your Word abide in Truth and all who abide in Truth abide in You for You are the Truth. 

You said that doing the will of Your Father was food and drink to You and so it must be for us who love You, follow You, belong to You, and are called by Your Name. There is no greater joy or peace than in aligning our will to You in all things. 

You came to fulfill the law and the prophets - You summed up the whole law in one great commandment - to love God and to love our neighbor - all who keep it will live in Your love forever. 

There is no greater joy than to know Your Word, to live by it, and to make it the rule of our life. Your Word is full of promise and all who believe in it are made sons and daughters of God.

In this land of exile, those who hear the Word of God and keep it by Your graciousness and grace are destined for adoption as God's children through You, Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

LUKE 19:45-48

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

This incident of the cleansing of the Temple illustrates Your righteous anger. Buyers and sellers had converted the courts of the Temple to a place of commerce in collusion with the chief priests and the authorities. The cleansing of the Temple also symbolizes the way we have allowed our soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, to be desecrated and polluted by sin. Our soul was made for You and You alone.

Thank You for instituting the Sacrament of Reconciliation and for the power You bestowed on Your priests to forgive every sin in Your Name no matter how grave the sin is and no matter how often, in our weakness, we commit them. 

As long as we hold Your Word in our hearts, as long as it is alive and active in us, as long as we make it the rule by which we are guided in all things, as long as Your Word is food and drink to us, evil cannot approach us. No harm will come to those, who like the Virgin Mary, conceive the Word in their hearts and bring You forth in the witness of their lives. 

May we also, like Mary, Martha's sister, sit at Your feet absorbed by You and Your words which are spirit and life all the days of our life. 

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts. PS 95:8

REVELATION 5:1-10

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You are the Lion of Judah. You are the Root of Jesse. You are the Son of David, You are the only Son of the Living God. You are the first-born Son of the Virgin who herself was immaculately conceived to worthily conceive and bear the Christ, the Anointed One of God, who takes away the sins of the world. By Your Blood, by the Blood of the Lamb without blemish or defect, poured out in oblation for the sins of the world, You take away the sins of the people of every tribe, every nation, every culture, and every language. We are redeemed by Your Blood and are now able to offer to God the most perfect, the most pleasing, and the only acceptable Sacrifice that obtains for us God's mercy and pardon. There is no other.

This is why, Beloved, heaven, and earth sing continually this hymn of praise to God and will do so until the sun, moon, and stars fade and time will be no more.

‘You are worthy to take the scroll
and break the seals of it,
because you were sacrificed, and with your blood
you bought men for God
of every race, language, people, and nation
and made them a line of kings and priests,
to serve our God and to rule the world.’

By Your stripes, we are healed. By Your stripes, we are saved. By Your stripes, You made us a line of kings and priests to serve our God and to share in Your glory for all eternity.

PSALM 149:1-6, 9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is such a terrible tragedy that we live in fear. We cower, we lack the courage to stand up boldly in the face of evil despite the fact that You have destroyed death and won victory over Satan.

We are a redeemed people but we are unaware of this Good News. Raise up a new army of believers who are unafraid to raise the banner of victory and plunge into battle with all the evil forces that are lined up against us for the war has already been won at Calvary.

You are crowned with glory. You have received the scepter to rule. All authority, dominion, and power are Yours. To all who believe is given a new song of praise in worship of our God. Heaven and earth converge as we offer to the Father, the Lamb that was slain at each Eucharist which is the source and summit of the Christian life. 

If only every Christian believed this Truth we would be a force to be reckoned with. The chains of evil would be destroyed and the Kingdom of heaven would be among us. 

Help Your faithful remnant to have greater courage and conviction in living out what we believe, with greater boldness, so our witness will change the face of the earth and hasten Your coming in glory.

LUKE 19:41-44

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

If only the Jews had received You how different our world would be today. You foresaw all that would happen even before You entered the city and wept. A few days after they hailed You as their King they would be manipulated into calling You a heretic, would bay for Your Blood, and condemn You to the worst death imaginable - crucifixion. 

How You longed for their conversion, for their insight into Scripture, and for their being able to see that You were the fulfillment of every one of the prophecies made about the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David, the Eternal King. You wept over their blindness, their hardness of heart, their closed minds, for they had given themselves over to their own vision and idea of how God should appear in their midst. 

You saw the terrible tragedy that was to come because of their rejection. The Temple would be destroyed completely, utterly, and would never be rebuilt again. Everything You foretold happened just as You said it would, for they rejected the Prince of Peace. And what was true then is true for our times as well for we continue to reject You.

Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

Once again, I pray Beloved, that in Your infinite mercy You reduce the number of our days of tribulation and the world experience a great era of peace, grace, virtue, and holiness, and may innumerable souls come to believe and be saved. 

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. JN 15:16

REVELATION 4:1-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The Old Testament is inextricably woven in the New. If we are ignorant of the Old we can make no sense of the New for it is veiled in the Old but reveals itself plainly in the New.

To understand the vision of John we have to be familiar with the visions of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, and others in the Old Testament. These men of God were granted a glimpse into heavenly things for their times and so it is with the visions granted to John. However, they have something to say to us as well, for God's Word speaks to all times and to all peoples in every nation. 

My Beloved, You assure us through this vision that there is a heaven, we have a Father in heaven, we have a Savior and Redeemer, and we have the Holy Spirit - the Triune God who holds the world and all the affairs of the world in His hand. We are under the power and dominion of the Lamb of God and nothing and no one can wrest us from the hand of God.

All times and all ages are present in the eternal now of God. There is no past and no future in heaven - all things, all peoples, all events are in the eternal present before the Almighty. There is nothing beyond the purview and the power of God.

The rainbow is the covenant God made with Noah never to destroy the earth again by water. The twenty-four thrones are the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles who are now seated on thrones circling the One enthroned as Eternal King.  The prophets too who spoke God's word before You His Eternal Word, became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, are present around the throne and together with all the living, the angels and saints, the cherubim and seraphim, they praise and worship God ceaselessly as they sing, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come.’

We are also invited to take our place in the heavenly court, to feast at the eternal banquet of the Bridegroom, the Lamb of God, who lay down His life for His Bride, His Church whom He will wed for all eternity. 

PSALM 150

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The beauty of being alive, the beauty of being Catholic/Christian is that even now we have begun to sing the praises of our awesome God, it is a song that we will continue to sing with all the heavenly beings in eternity.

Heaven and earth praise You for all You have done for us. The Father who created us, You, His Son, who redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit who is our sanctification. Praise is fitting for all who know God. Praise increases our faith, our hope, and our love for You. Praise is inevitable when we contemplate You, Beloved, and all You have done for us, how You saved us, how You bore Your sufferings, Your passion, Your crucifixion, Your poverty in the world for our sake, for our salvation.

The more we contemplate You, Beloved, the more fervent will be our praise and worship of You. This is why the Church never sleeps - from the rising of the sun to its setting she offers to the Father the most pleasing, the most fragrant Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We are truly happy, Beloved, for we are all invited to gather around the table of the Lord and feast at the Supper of the Lamb, the glorious Eucharist that sustains us and preserves us for eternal life.

LUKE 19:11-28

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Just like the people then we too can become obsessed with speculating about the time and date of the end of days and the coming of God's kingdom. This parable is in response to our need to know how future events concerning Your return to the world will unfold.

In Your first coming, You came hidden, in poverty and veiled in flesh. The Son of God made Man came in humility, in silence. The world was asleep, wrapped in night when the Light of World came quietly and simply into the world. And the people whom God chose to be His own knew You not and rejected You. In fact, You were on Your way to Jerusalem making the final journey where You would give Yourself over into the hands of a sinful world as a willing sacrifice.

The ten pounds distributed to the ten servants are each one of us who like the Apostles, are entrusted with the mission of evangelizing and making You known and loved. We are to make a good return for the gifts given to us. 

Having been taken up in glory to the Father and appointed King over all the earth, You will return in glory and we who have received a pound will have to render an account of what we did with it. Those who refused to labor to increase what was entrusted to them will lose everything. Those who labored faithfully to share the Good News and obeyed Your command to spread it to the ends of the earth will receive a great reward.

Let us take heed of Your warning while we still have time and use the gift of faith given to us to draw many more to believe and be saved. To all who believe You assure the give of eternal life in Your glorious Presence.