WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Here is the Lord God coming with power. Is40:9-10

ISAIAH 45:6-8,18,21-25

My Soul's Beloved,

700 years before You came into the world wrapped in flesh, a helpless little baby, one like us in all things save sin, the prophet Isaiah speaks of You and prophesies about You in words that are thrilling, compelling, awe-inspiring, and majestic. His words are full of hope and promise to a people in exile and darkness and every one of those wonderful prophecies and promises is fulfilled in You.

Because You came into the world it is no longer a place without light and hope. You are the Eternal Word that issues forth from the Father. The irrevocable Word who is God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, who is, was, and ever shall be, who has redeemed all the children of Adam. You are the Word of the Father and all that the Word proclaims is fulfilled.

You are the Savior of the world and no one can be saved apart from You. We can do nothing without You. We are lost and cast into the outer darkness without You. To You is given authority, dominion, majesty, and power, and as Isaiah prophesied:  

before You, every knee shall bend,

by You, every tongue shall swear,

saying, “From the Lord alone

come victory and strength.”

Your Word has opened the heavens. Your mercy falls down like dew on the world. The world is no longer condemned to exile for You have brought deliverance to us and You have made us children of the Father.

Truly Beloved, 'You are the Lord, unrivalled: there is no other god besides You.' 

PSALM 85:9-14 

My Soul's Beloved,

The word 'peace' which is bandied about and talked of endlessly and ad nauseam by world leaders, bears little or no resemblance to the peace that You came to give. You are the Prince of Peace and the peace You give is an abiding peace that nothing can disturb. It is a peace that the world neither knows nor recognizes. 

Peace was born in a manger, Justice was enthroned on the Cross at Calvary, and at the Resurrection, both justice and peace embraced, and God's faithfulness encompassed the whole world.

In You, we are rich in grace, grafted to You, we bear abundant fruit, and when we walk in Your footsteps justice and peace accompany us. 

Victory is ours because You are our victory, our strength, our hope, our joy, our song.

LUKE 7:19-23

My Soul's Beloved,

In today's Gospel, we are told that John who is in prison, sends two of his disciples to confirm whether it is truly You the world was waiting for or if they had to look for another. Knowing he was soon to die he wanted his disciples to hear from Your own lips that You were indeed the long-awaited Messiah. 

Responding to their question by deed not word, You provided irrefutable evidence that You are the One by healing those around You. St. Luke says, 'It was just then that he cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and gave the gift of sight to many who were blind.' This was the answer they were to take back to John, the evidence of what they had witnessed. ‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’

The poor in spirit, the childlike, the simple and humble in heart, believe in faith, and believing rejoices. All who believe in the Good News is saved.