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.’
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