DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
PHILIPPIANS 3:3-8
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
In today's first reading St. Paul affirms what You have said, 'The flesh availeth nothing, it is the spirit that gives life.' Circumcision has zero power to save - it is Baptism that makes us children of God. The Holy Spirit given to us at Baptism remains with us as our Helper, our Paraclete, our Guide. It is He who guides us to all truth.
If salvation were possible through circumcision and strict observance of the law then we would have no need for a Savior. But there is nothing that we possess of ourselves that we can offer to God for our redemption. Salvation is not earned by my efforts. I can mutilate my body. I can say any number of pious prayers and novenas. I can fast on bread and water indefinitely, it will gain me nothing.
We are saved because the Father sent You into the world to pay the price of our redemption, a price impossible for us to pay. Adam and Eve lost the right to be called children of God when they disobeyed Him - in doing so we too were cast us out eternally from God's presence. Only You, the first born Son, begotten of the Father, not created like Adam, could pay the irredeemable debt we owed.
It is You, Beloved, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for restoring once again the inheritance lost to us by Adam by offering to the Father the supreme Sacrifice of Your life. There is no salvation apart from You.
PSALM 105:2-7
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
The Christian sings songs of joyful praise to God for all He has done for us. How can we ever run out of thanksgiving, praise, and worship to You for picking us up from the dunghill of sin and death, for washing us clean in the waters of baptism, for plunging us into Your death on Calvary in order that we may receive a share in Your glorious resurrection?
We are now children of God, and co-heirs to the Kingdom of heaven. You have put a song on our lips and joy in our hearts for You have restored to all who believe in Your Name all that was lost forever.
Even though we cannot see You with our mortal eyes, we see You with the eyes of faith. We taste You in the Holy Eucharist, You abide in us and make Your dwelling place in us.
We have no need to do anything on our own strength for we have none but rely wholly on the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. To Him we yield in total docility, to do for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. We now have God for our Father and because of You, we live.
LUKE 15:1-10
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
What a wonderful blessing it is for us sinners to know that God has a special love for us. It is for sinners that He sent You into the world for He is a God of compassion, slow to anger and full of compassion and mercy. Hypocrites fastidiously complain about having to mingle with those they consider beneath them but we rejoice that You welcome sinners gladly, sit with them at the table, and dine with them.
What a beautiful image of tender love it is for those who have lost hope; to know that the Good Shepherd risks all to find the one sheep that is lost and will not rest until he finds it. When he does, he carries it on his shoulder and rejoices with his friends after safely restoring it to the fold.
Similarly, You speak of a woman who has lost one of ten drachmas and has no rest but lights a lamp and sweeps the room and keeps looking until she finds it. She too rejoices with her friends on finding and restoring the lost coin. It is most consoling to know that there is always hope for the sinner for You never give up on us. Having paid the ultimate price to save us, even the loss of one sinner would be one too many. It is truly a terrible thing for an unrepentant sinner to die rejecting the redemption obtained at so great a price. Heaven would weep and this is why 'there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’
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