FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The people that lived in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned. MT 4:16

DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20

My Soul's Beloved,

Despite receiving such a clear description of You from their most revered prophet, Moses, the Jews did not recognize You when the Father sent You into the world. Nothing was hidden to them for they knew the Scriptures. Every prophet after Moses also revealed more and more what the Messiah would be like, from where He would come, and how He could be identified. None was more clear than the prophet Isaiah. And yet they didn't. I believe the most tragic words in Sacred Scripture are, 'He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.'

This is true even to this day. Despite all that we know, all that is revealed to us, despite the evidence of those who lived with You, walked with You, knew You, and chose to die cruel deaths rather than deny You, the world is still coldly indifferent. Holy saintly men and women through the ages continue to testify that God did indeed become a Man, in order to show us how to become like God, and all too often their testimony and witness falls on deaf ears.

Those of the world readily run after tin gods, rather than the true God whose Face is revealed to us in You and in whose image and likeness we are created. To Moses God revealed,  

 “I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him." We have also received this warning, "The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it." Since Your coming the world has seen no dearth of false prophets and messiahs, of them God says, "The prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”

PSALM 95 :1-2,6-9

My Soul's Beloved,

As long as today lasts each of us has an opportunity to listen to Your voice and to receive and accept You as the only Way to the Father's house. Nothing is hidden to us for God has revealed all there is to know about Him through You, His only, well-beloved Son, whom He sent into the world not to condemn but to save it.

This is why each day we ought to give You exultant praise and thanks for the gift of new life in You.

True worship of God is to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, to enter through the narrow gate, divesting ourselves of all that is not of His Kingdom and not worthy of a child of God. The Father sent You into the world to take by the hand, His children, and to lead them by way of the Cross and the way suffering to eternal joy. 

Trials, sorrows, difficulties, loss, hardships come to us all, these ought not to harden our hearts against You; they are opportunities given to us to cling to You with greater faith, confident that through it all You are yoked to us. We have Your assurance that You will never leave us, You will not forsake us for we are grafted to You.

1 CORINTHIANS 7:32-35

My Soul's Beloved,

The world looks with defiance, distrust, and disdain when presented with the Catholic view of celibacy which is not invented by the Church but was Your view as well as the view of St. Paul. Your Spouse - the Church only presents them to her children and to the world as a way to be more closely united to You, a better way to offer You an undivided, totally devoted heart that is not caught up and distracted with the cares of the world. 

Neither You nor Paul have said that marriage is displeasing to God, if it were so, You would not have raised it to a Sacrament by Your Presence at the wedding feast in Cana. To each is given a singular vocation and when young people are called to live a celibate life it is a gift of grace that is bestowed on them. The world not only needs such people but it profits greatly from those not bound by ties of marriage, spouse, and children. They are better able to live the Gospel, witness to it, preach and teach it, in a far more radical way than those who are duty-bound to care for their families. It is far easier for an undivided, unfettered heart, free of worldly cares and worries to tether itself to You and love and serve You wholeheartedly.

MARK 1:21-28

My Soul's Beloved,

As the Son of God, not only did You teach with authority, but You had authority over the physical, spiritual, mental, and natural, for all power was given to You by Your Father.

Today's Gospel passage speaks of You and Your disciples entering a synagogue in Capernaum on the sabbath. You taught with conviction and all You said resonated with those who heard You because it was so unlike the teaching of the scribes.

A man with an unclean spirit entered the synagogue and shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ You did not wish evil spirits to testify to who You were. You commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man and it did as You demanded as it had no power to withstand Your authority. 

Where evil is present chaos, disarray, and commotion reign. The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry left him. The people who witnessed the power of Your Word at work were astonished never had they seen word and deed so perfectly attuned and Your reputation as a teacher and healer offering something new and powerful, spread rapidly. 

May we who are called by Your Name continue to witness to Your Word and Your saving work by our lives.

SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life. JN 3:16

 

HEBREWS 11:1-2,8-19

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

How wonderfully comforting this opening verse is, Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. Our hope is in You and in Your promise of a share in Your inheritance.

Just as Abraham was called out of the land he knew to an unknown land that was to be an inheritance to his descendants, so too must we move out the known familiarity and comfort of our lives into the unknown realm of complete faith, hope, and trust in You and Your Word which is the City of God. 

Over and over again You have proved that You are the God of the impossible, Abraham was a 100 years old and Sara was 90 when she conceived and bore the child of promise and from him came descendants of Abraham as numerous as the stars in the sky and grains of sand on the shore in fulfillment of the covenant oath He swore to him.

However, Abraham died before seeing the land God promised him, he, however, believed that all His promises would be fulfilled in the far distant future. This promised land is not to be found on earth. You came to establish God's Kingdom in our hearts and in our midst. A Kingdom of peace, love, and harmony among all people everywhere.   

Our entire lives must be lived in fear and trembling before God, striving to be pure and holy in preparation for the inheritance we are to receive through adoption into His family. It is by the Holy Spirit that You have given us that we dare to call Him, Abba. 

Abraham, believing in God's promises, was prepared to sacrifice his only son, Isaac although it was through him that God promised him descendants as countless as the stars. He believed that with God nothing is impossible and God, in turn, spared the life of Isaac and gave him back to his father. 

The Father did not spare His own, only beloved Son, for love of us. We can hold on to this truth when the storm is at its height and the night at its darkest that God always keeps His promises.

LUKE 1:69-75 

My Soul's Beloved,

Zachariah, rejoicing in the birth of his son, John, and filled with the Holy Spirit, burst into a canticle of praise, prophesying things to come and the glorious new thing that God was about to do for His people.

He recalled all the promises made through the lips of the prophets and God's faithfulness in keeping each one of them in You by sending You to be our Savior. You are the new Isaac, the sacrificial lamb that would be slain in expiation for the sins of the world. Love sent Love incarnate to free us in love so we too could be caught up in the love of God and be united with the Father, with You, and the Holy Spirit eternally.

The head of the serpent is crushed, death is overcome, and we are no longer slaves of the Enemy. In You love and faithfulness have met, justice and peace have embraced. Thank You, Lord.

MARK 4:35-41 

My Soul's Beloved,

Only those who believe in You, are grafted into Your Body through the waters of Baptism, may get into the ark, the boat, which is Your Church. The curious, clamoring, self-serving crowds are left behind. Faith in You is a prerequisite to becoming a member of Your Body. 

It is evening. It has been a long, tiring, difficult day and You are emotionally and physically exhausted, proving yet again that You were fully human and fully divine. You get into the boat with Your disciples to go to the other side - we cannot make the crossing from this side to the land of promise without You, without the community of believers, without the Church.

Mark tells us that there were other boats with You each with the same intent, to accompany You. While still on the water the wind turned to a gale and the waves crashed against the boat almost to breaking point, almost swamping it. In what is typically Mark's style, he does not just say You were asleep, instead, he gives us little details saying, But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. We can picture You sleeping serenely on a cushion. The disciples however were terrified, and fear prevented them from knowing in faith, that while the Son of Man may have been asleep the Son of God was wide awake. 

Terrified they cried out to You, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ You woke up and before rebuking them You rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then turning Your gentle gaze on the disciples You said, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ And despite all the miracles they had witnessed this particular one filled them with awe and wonder and they said to each other, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

May we always believe in faith that when life is at its most terrifying, everything seems to work against us, You seem most distant and the storm and the winds are at their peak that You are closest to us. With You in the boat of our life, with You in the Ark of the Church, You are with us and we need fear nothing no matter how terrifying and dark the night, the wind, or the storm.

SO WHAT!!!!!  Jesus is in my boat.

https://lovesongstothebeloved.blogspot.com/2009/04/so-what.html

FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children. MT11:25

HEBREWS 10:32-39

My Soul's Beloved,

Truly, Your Word in Sacred Scripture, is food and drink to all who desire it. Christians continue to suffer discrimination and persecution to this day in every nation. It is either overt or covert but it is there. Sometimes the persecution is subtle and at other times it is unashamedly blatant and bold. 

So called developed nations, and nations that were once governed by basic Christian principles are now governed by the principles of mammon. We live in a world that is in a downward spiral having lost every vestige of common sense and common decency.  

Anyone who desires to follow You is laughed at, mocked, scorned, because secretly those in authority, are afraid of the power of the One in whom we believe. So while the world is given up to folly for the present, we must remain firm in our faith. Deliverance will come. Weeping will last through the night but joy will come in the morning, and so we rejoice in hope,  are patient in suffering, and will persevere in prayer. 

Only a little while now, a very little while,
and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.
The righteous man will live by faith,
but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.

The author of this letter to the Hebrews assures us, we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.

PSALM 37:3-6,23-24,39-40 

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You are our hope, You are our joy, You are our salvation. In You, we have placed faith and we are confident that we will not be disappointed.

As long as we live we will have to make choices and as long as we strive to live righteous, holy, lives we will receive the graces we need to stand firm. True joy comes from doing Your will in all circumstances no matter the outcome. To seek Your will in all things is to abide in perfect peace. The one who delights in walking in the Way of Your Word will be given all the graces and help they need to walk in the Way of Truth leading to Life.

In a world where shady dealings, shady lives, and shady principles are the norm, those who give their lives to You will walk in justice and truth. The Holy Spirit will be their guide and they will radiate Your Light in a world growing increasingly dark with sin. 

Thank You for Your assurance, that anyone who has Truth as their guide, although they stumble will not fall, for You hold their hand to keep them from falling.

We are saved. We are sanctified. We are delivered from the hands of the Enemy. No evil can touch us for we are safe and secure in You who are our refuge, our stronghold, and our hiding place.

MARK 4:26-34

My Soul's Beloved,

The Seed of Your Word contains within it the kingdom of God. You have sown it generously. The Holy Spirit is at work constantly in the hearts of all who receive it so the Word, embedded in us will eventually take root. God provides all the help the soul needs to assist the seed to sprout, grow, and bear fruit for His glory. 

You are like the little mustard seed sown in the Church You founded and two thousand years later it has grown, spreading its large and shady branches everywhere, inviting all to come and shelter in it. The missionary work of the Apostles flourished despite great trials and persecutions. Wherever they went they made disciples throughout the world and the zeal with which the Good News was preached continues to this day as many more come to believe in You every day. 

You spoke to the crowds in parables - many who heard it did not fully grasp their deeper message. But You explained them to Your disciples so they could understand. They have handed down these truths to us not only in Sacred Scripture but also in Sacred Apostolic Tradition. This is why the fullness of Truth can only be found in the Church You founded. The work of Satan, the author of lies, is division, but You prayed for unity and that prayer for unity will someday be answered for the Father always listens to You.

MEMORIAL OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST & DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path. PS 109:105

HEBREWS 10:19-25

My Soul's Beloved,

Your pierced side and Your torn flesh threw wide open the gates of heaven. You ripped the veil from top to bottom that separated us from God, and now nothing hinders our approach to the Father. All are welcome to enter through the power of Your Blood and Your Name.

You are the supreme High Priest offering the Father the only acceptable Sacrifice for the remission of sins of the whole world. There is no other way to the Father's house except through You - the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Way that leads to God is not for the fainthearted for it is narrow and difficult but we do not walk this way alone, we are yoked to You. You bear our burdens daily as You walk every step of the way with us.

So how do we prepare ourselves each time we come into the House of God, to offer Him a fitting sacrifice of praise,  worship, and thanksgiving. The Letter to the Hebrews instructs us that must come with sincere hearts, filled with faith, free from any trace of a bad conscience, and washed clean in the pure water of baptism.

You are the reason for our hope for Your promises are eternal, they are ratified in Your Blood and sealed in Your Spirit. May our faith in You and our confidence in Your Word prompt us to live lives that are always pleasing to You and for love of You may we love each other and seek to do good always.

You desire us to have loving fellowship with God by coming together regularly as a community in Your Name. In doing so we will receive divine help to grow in faith, hope, and love, as we encourage for each day we draw closer to the Day of Your coming in glory. 

PSALM 24:1-6

My Soul's Beloved,

Today we are reminded in the beautiful verses of this psalm that we belong to You. We are the sheep of Your flock and all we have and receive comes from You. It is You who provide for us, sustain us, strengthen us, and keep us secure.

Our whole lives must be one of striving to align our will to Yours and to be pure in thought, word, and deed only then will we climb on the wings of the eagle, to the high mountain where You dwell, to offer You the worship and praise acceptable and pleasing to You. All the things of the world are tawdry, vain, and fleeting - You alone are eternal beauty.

Thank You, for the rich blessings and graces You heap upon us from Your inexhaustible treasury of graces and mercies poured upon us in every worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacraments. Thank You for these heavenly aids to help us as we make our pilgrim way from this life to the next.

MARK 4:21-25

My Soul's Beloved,

You are the Light of the World, and Your Word is the Lamp that lights our path. This Word of God that rested in the bosom of the Father was sent into the world in order to draw lost humanity back to God. You scatter the seed of Your Word generously and all who receive it are commanded to let its light radiate from us. 

Speaking to the crowd You pointed out the absurdity of hiding a lighted lamp under a tub or bed - it is meant to be put on a lamp-stand so we do not stumble and fall in the dark. The power of Your Word shines its light on our words and works and in its light we can see how shoddy, or unworthy they are. The Truth of Your Word is a beacon that guides the world but we can choose to walk in its light or in the dark. 

Today we are warned that anyone, who having heard Your Word and believing in it refuses to share it, will be brought to account. Every natural and spiritual gift we have received comes from the hands of a generous and loving God and will be multiplied only if they are shared. Those who are generous in sharing their gifts are promised even greater ones. Those who refuse to share the free gift of faith received at baptism and every other subsequent gift that follows it will be stripped of everything and in the end will find that they are left with nothing.

You love a cheerful, generous giver so let us resolve not to be niggardly in sharing what we have so bountifully received from You - the gifts of faith, hope, and charity. 

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds this seed will remain forever.

HEBREWS 10:11-18

My Soul's Beloved,

Today we are reminded of the inability of the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament to take away sins. Every day animals were slaughtered and their blood sprinkled on the altar to take away the sins of the priest offering the sacrifice, as well as the people, but these sacrifices were only symbolic, in truth they had no power to do so. They were only a foreshadowing of the one, holy, and perfect sacrifice offered by the Son of God whom the Father would send into the world to be our High Priest. 

You were sent to be the Lamb of Sacrifice, spotless, without blemish, with no stain of sin. You would give up Your life to preserve ours. You would permit Your immolation on the Wood of the Cross, You would shed Your Blood taking upon Yourself our sins, our shame, our punishment, our debt, by dying in order that we may receive Your Life. 

This once-for-all time sacrifice is wholly pleasing to the Father. The Sacrifice on Calvary is ever before Him. You are seated at His right-hand pleading for us constantly by the merits You have won for us.  

You fulfilled the covenant that God made with humankind by becoming Yourself the Covenant of Love ratified in Your Blood. You are the Eternal Word of God, You are the Law of Love that is now etched on every human heart. We are empty, and restless until we allow Your Spirit to come into our hearts filling us with Your Life and granting us rest in You.

Until You return in glory, Your Sacrifice will obtain for us mercy and pardon for all our sins. New life will be given to us every time we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and each time we will be given another opportunity to begin anew.  Thank You.

PSALM 110:1-4

My Soul's Beloved,

When Abraham returned victorious from battle, he met the mysterious King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who gave him bread and wine and blessed him. In turn, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.

You are the fulfillment of Melchizedek, whose name means righteousness. He is also King of Salem which is King of peace. You are our peace and our righteousness. Having made perfect expiation for the sins of the world, You have now taken Your place at the right hand of the Father where You may constant intercession on our behalf. You will do so until the final Enemy, Death, is routed and You will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead.

To You, the Father has given the scepter of power, dominion, and authority for You have won the victory and triumphed over Satan.

Born of the Father from all eternity You are God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, and You Beloved, are also our Brother and Friend, faithful and changeless. In You, we can safely place all our hope and trust.

MARK 4:1-20

My Soul's Beloved,

In today's Gospel passage we hear Mark's account of the Parable of the Seed, the Sower, and the Soil. We have heard sermons on it, read it ourselves, pondered and reflected on it often, and will no doubt continue to do so many times in the course of our life when we read the Gospels, attend Holy Mass, and hear God's word preached and proclaimed.

Mark's words always paint a brilliant visual of the scenes he describes. You are by the lakeside, a huge crowd is pressing all around You so You get into a boat on the lake, a little away from the crowd, so they can see and hear You better, You sit down, and begin to teach. Your parables are always about things that people around You can relate to. Today it is about seed, sowing, and soil and You invite us to use our imagination and picture the sower going out to sow, the manner in which the seed is scattered, the different kinds of soil on which the seeds fall, and the fate of the seeds.

The sower scatters the seed generously as he walks along, as it happens the soil on which they fall is not all the same. Some fall on the edge of the path only to be eaten up by birds.  Some fall on rocky ground, unable to put down roots they are scorched by the sun and wither and die. Some fell on thorns choked and died producing nothing. While some fell on rich, fertile soil, grew tall and strong, yielding a rich harvest that produced thirty, sixty, and even a mindblowing hundredfold for in actual fact no crop ever yields such a bountiful harvest. 

To the crowds, no explanation is offered except the exhortation, 'Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!' However, when Your Apostles were alone with You they asked what the parable meant. You responded that only those who are receptive to God can hear His Word, can understand it, and respond to it. Those who prefer the world, despite the Word that is sown in their heart, it is ineffective for the things of the world either crowd it out, choke it or kill it. 

Our hearts are as responsive as the different types of soil in which the Seed of the Word is sown. You are a generous sower of the Seed it is we who either reject it, or respond to it carelessly, or only momentarily so the good effects do not last, but sometimes when grace and mercy meet and we receive Your Word joyfully and act on it, You can make something truly beautiful with our lives.

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS - BISHOPS, 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children. MT 11:25

2 TIMOTHY 1:1-8

My Soul's Beloved,

Like the Apostle Paul, we must be aware of our identity and declare it boldly and with confidence. When we know who we are, children of God, and heirs to the Kingdom, only then can we testify boldly from this position of truth. Faith in You is a gift it is not earned, it cannot be bought, it is freely given by God to whomever He wills. 

Those whom God chooses, calls and appoints as bishops and priests must, like Paul, have a fatherly affection for all God's children, care for them, encourage them, and foster their faith so it continues to grow.

Paul was ever mindful of what God had done for him in You, the great privilege accorded to him to be called by You and appointed by You as an apostle to the Gentiles. So keenly did he feel the weight of this responsibility, that he spent himself tirelessly in making You known and loved and winning souls for You and for the Kingdom.

We in turn must love our bishops and priests. We must pray for them and support them rather than join the great number who readily undermine their authority, speak ill of them, thereby sowing division and discord among the faithful.  

While faith is God's gift to us we have the responsibility to keep the flame of faith alive and burning. The Spirit of God received at our Baptism affirms us in our mission in the Sacrament of Confirmation when hands were laid on us to evangelize the world. Paul reminds us that the Spirit given to us is a Spirit of boldness, power, love, and self-control. 

If we are ashamed to testify to the love of God manifested in You before the world then You will not acknowledge us before Your Father. You lay down Your life for us may we be prepared to take up our cross daily and follow You and rejoice if we are privileged to give up our lives for You and for the Gospel. 

PSALM 96:1-3,7-8,10

My Soul's Beloved,

Every day we receive new blessings, all undeserved, simply because You love us. Each new day is a gift given to us so we can praise You, bless You, and glorify You.  The whole of creation is imprinted with Your life and goodness and it is a joy to be able to look around us and recognize that all the beauty that surrounds us is but a shadow of the beauty that awaits in the life to come.

The breath of the Spirit keeps us alive and this breath is given to us to praise You who alone are worthy of all our praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship. May our whole lives be a witness and a testament to Your love for us unworthy sinners. 

We are members of Your family. To us is given a share of Your inheritance and while we are still here on earth we have the privilege of belonging to You and being one with You in the Holy Eucharist. You are our food and drink, in consuming You we are consumed by You. 

There is no King but You, no Lord but You, no God but You who lives and reigns one God -  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit now and forever. And we are Yours.

MARK 3:31-35

My Soul's Beloved,

Today, You teach us how we can truly become members of the family of God. We look at the scene that St. Mark describes for us. The room is crowded with people seated around You there is no room for anyone to enter. You receive a message that is relayed from those at the door and is passed on until it reaches You. The message is this, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ Your response gladdens the heart of every disciple, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ You looked at the faces of those around You, their gaze was fixed on You, their hearts were receptive to Your message, and they longed for more than the world could offer and revealed what is at the heart of authentic discipleship, ‘Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

There is no human creature ever born or will be born whose will was as closely entwined with the will of God as that of Mary's. No life was so sublimely one long sustained 'yes' to all that God asked of her even when she did not understand and cost her such intense suffering no human could bear it. Just as it was food and drink to You to do the will of Your Father in heaven, so it was to her. There is none either in heaven or on earth, apart from You, who did the will of God so perfectly in all things as Mary, Your Mother.

If we imitate her we can be certain she will lead us straight to You, for her advice to all her little children is this, "Do whatever He tells you to do."

FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL, APOSTLE - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I chose you from the world

to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord. JN 15:16

ACTS 22:3-16

My Beloved,

Paul gives us a powerful, personal testimony of his call to be an apostle. The Twelve were called at the beginning of Your public ministry, while Paul a persecutor of Christians, had a personal encounter with You after Your ascension into heaven. Before his conversion, he was filled with hatred and murderous rage against Your followers, honestly believing he was serving God by destroying Your followers. 

On a personal mission to Damascus to seek out and destroy Christians, this proud, hate-filled, Jew was knocked to the ground by the sound of Your voice and blinded before Your dazzling Presence with a light so great he remained blind for three days. He spent three days groping in physical and spiritual darkness taking neither food nor drink but grappling with the words You spoke to him, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me. Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” 

You sent Ananias, to restore Paul's sight and to inform him of the mission You were going to entrust to him, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptized and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’

We too, having received baptism have been given a mission to spread the Good News by our lives. How effective are we in fulfilling this mission? 

PSALM 117

My Soul's Beloved,

This is the shortest of the psalms with just two verses but they are a joyful proclamation of why God's people have this pressing mission to praise God always and proclaim the Good News by our lives.

For great is his steadfast love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

MARK 16:15-18 

My Soul's Beloved,

The great commission, given to the Eleven when You appeared to them after the resurrection, is the apostolic mission entrusted to the hierarchy in the Church - to the Vicar of Christ who is the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with Peter, who are successors of the apostles. The apostolic college of Bishops with the Pope at its head carry out the divine mandate to teach, to sanctify, and to govern in Your Name and in the power of Your Holy Spirit who subsists in the Church You founded.

We are members of Your Body, a Body that is alive, life-giving, and constantly growing. It draws life from the fountainhead of life, the Holy Spirit, and this supernatural life is channeled to all her members through the Sacraments You instituted and which are dispensed by Your anointed and consecrated ministers. Without the Sacraments, the Church would wither and die. 

Each member of Your Body has a unique task, to some a greater work is given than others but each is necessary for the whole to function effectively. The work of each is important and essential to the whole. 

Apart from You, there is no salvation, this is why we are duty-bound to make You known and loved so all can come to the knowledge of Truth, receive the free of faith in You, and be saved. 

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME ( SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD) - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe the Good News. MK 1:15

JONAH 3:1-5,10

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's passage taken from the prophet Jonah reminds us that God is always at hand to save, to show mercy, and to forgive if we have true contrition for our sins and resolve to sin no more. The people of Nineveh were pagans, yet, the God of mercy and compassion would not destroy them before giving them a chance to repent and renounce their sins before punishing them. And Jonah was chosen to preach to them the message of repentance.

This was the message, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ It was a three-day journey across the city. In just one day's journey in the city, the king and the people heard Jonah's message heard God's word, believed, and did as He asked. In fact, it was the king who instructed and led his people by example to repent and fast in sackcloth and ashes. 

What about us who know God and believe in the Good News? What about the leaders of nations who know Him? How much longer will God be patient with us? How much longer before we permit God to replace our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh? How much time do we have? The pagans repented in one day what about us? Are we ready for a real conversion of heart now before it is too late?   

The passage ends with revealing that 'God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.' Grant O Lord that we repent while there is yet time.

PSALM 25:4-6,7b-9

My Soul's Beloved,

We are so blessed to know that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and there is no salvation apart from You. However, just this knowledge will do us no good. Not only must we know the Way we must choose to walk in it every moment of every day that we are alive. 

When we do stray, Lord, when we are weak and we stumble and fall, when we are lost, please remember the price You paid for our salvation and be merciful to us, Beloved. You are our Good Shepherd who keeps the flock that belongs to You safe. Keep us safe in Your love.

The Way of the Lord is the Way of Truth grant that we may walk in it always. Only the truly humble walk in the Way leading to Life for the road is narrow and hard and few choose it. But the one who gladly submits to Your will in all things You will take by the hand and lead every step of the way.

1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31

My Soul's Beloved,

All who are born will die - some sooner than others. But the end will come to us all and that moment will arrive when we will stand before You to be judged. It is time for us to put the old ways behind us for death comes when we least expect it and we must be prepared to meet it.

Only those who live in this world without being possessed by it have hope of entering the place prepared for us from all eternity. Too many of us are so caught up with created things, with creatures. Obsessed with our own personal desires and wants, we forget that the hour will arrive when we least expect it and we will be called to give an account of the precious gift of life and the free gift of faith that was given to us. We deserve nothing and yet You give us everything.

Let us heed the advice of St. Paul today and live as strangers to the world. Let us see ourselves even now as citizens of heaven. Let us not become engrossed in the world and worldly affairs for the world and all that is in it is passing. We are as grass, here today and gone tomorrow. You alone O Lord, are eternal.

MARK 1:14-20

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Sunday Liturgy reminds us that we live in time, and time for us will cease one day. How ready are we to meet our Maker? You began Your ministry after the arrest of John, reminding those who thronged around You, that the Kingdom of God was close at hand and urged them to repent and believe in the Good News that saves. 

At the start of Your ministry, You began to choose the Twelve who would form the College of Apostles with Peter as the Rock on which You would build Your Church. You would teach them, instruct them, form them and breathe Your Holy Spirit on them before the great commission, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

You chose ordinary men, men who were familiar and unafraid of hard work. You came to them, You chose them, You called them, You set them apart from the world they toiled and labored in for their livelihood, and You appointed them as Your ambassadors. They heard the call, 'Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men,' and at once they left their nets and followed You.

James and John were with their father Zebedee mending their fishing nets along with the hired men that Zebedee had employed, but Your invitation was only directed to the sons. They heard Your voice, they accepted Your invitation, and they left everything behind father, mother, family, and friends, and followed You. 

How ready am I to give up the world up and all that is in it and follow You without a backward glance? The world as we know it is passing, are we prepared for what is to come? Is our gaze fixed on heaven or are we clinging to earth? "Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is."

SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14

HEBREWS 9:2-3,11-14

My Soul's Beloved,

Every aspect of worship, offerings of thanksgiving, as well as sacrificial offerings for the forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament, was but a dim reflection of the true worship that was to come. In the tent was the Holy Place where the lampstand, the table, and the loaves were kept and in the innermost part of the tent, was the Holy of Holies where none but the high priest could enter once a year. Until the Father sent You to be our High Priest.

You are the Living Tent and now, after entering the Holy of Holies to offer the Father, not the sacrifice of animals but Your Blood. You did what all the blood of animals could not, You washed away the sins of the world, remitting the punishment resulting from disobedience to the will of God by taking upon Yourself the death that was ours and in exchange giving us a share in Your Your resurrection. 

From the moment of Your perfect Sacrifice and until time shall cease, You offer Yourself eternally to the Father in expiation for our sins. You make present, at every celebration of Holy Mass, in every Catholic Church, from the rising of the sun to its setting, Your bloody once-for-all sacrifice that paid the wages of sin, death. Now, through Your Flesh, we all can enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary where God dwells, and we are privileged to experience perfect union with You, even in this life, in every worthy reception of Your Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist. Thank You!

PSALM 47:2-3,6-9 

My Soul's Beloved,

We have this assurance that just as You ascended triumphantly into heaven You will return. This is the reason for our hope and for our joy in our pilgrim journey in this valley of tears. The Light of Faith assures us that You will come to claim us for Yourself. 

As godless as the world appears to be, as evil and corrupt as people are, despite the injustice, malice, division, hate, violence, and the petty mindedness of shallow, unprincipled, godless, earth-bound men and women, we are redeemed by Your Blood. The world and all in it belongs to You. So let us rejoice for the victory is won. Good has triumphed over evil, and our God, who is Lord of Lord, and King of Kings, reigns. 

God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.

MARK 3:20-21

My Soul's Beloved,

How easy it is to reduce people to the labels we slap on them and dismiss them because we do not like what they have to say, or because they challenge us, or they make us fearful. This is what these two short verses in today's Gospel passage brings home to us. 

You challenged the status quo by Your teaching, preaching, and Your way of life, and the Pharisees, Scribes, and religious leaders believed that the best way to undermine You and dilute Your power with the people was to call You insane. 

When You visited Your hometown crowds thronged around You clamoring to be touched and healed by You and to listen to You. Not understanding Your immense popularity Your small-minded, ignorant, envious relatives who saw You work tirelessly and selflessly along with Your disciples, heedless of Your bodily needs, readily believed the charge of insanity and decided You needed to be removed, restricted, and confined. 

The paradox of the world is that the glutton, the sex-mad, the power-mad, the self-indulgent who give in to every craven impulse are admired and celebrated by the world; whereas the holy ones of God who choose chastity, purity, obedience, humility, poverty, gentleness, goodness, kindness, compassion, and selfless service because they love You, are misunderstood,  hated, despised, persecuted, and rejected by the world.

FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. 2COR:5-19

HEBREWS 8:6-13 

My Soul's Beloved,

You are our High Priest and the New Covenant that God makes with us through the shedding of Your Blood. It is the final and eternal Covenant bringing to an end the one God made when He led His people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. The New Covenant is far better than the old for You are now the only and most effective mediator between God and humankind. Perfected through suffering, You plead for us night and day at the right hand of the Father and obtain for us, through Your perfect Sacrifice, mercy, redemption, and pardon for the sins of the whole world.

Just as the Father took the people of Israel by the hand and led them out of slavery to freedom, You came to take us by the hand and lead us from slavery to sin, to eternal life with You in the Kingdom of God. The old Covenant was powerless to save the New Covenant sealed in Your Blood and confirmed by the Holy Spirit guarantees salvation to all who believe in You, hope in You, and place their trust in You. 

PSALM 85:8, 10-14

My Soul's Beloved,

Grant us the wisdom to hold on to this truth - that we are saved and that we no longer belong to ourselves but to You. Let us not look to the world to save us; for our help and our salvation comes from You. All who walk with You walk in peace and free from fear. 

The world appears to be spinning out of control and evil seemingly dominates every sphere of human existence. In our extremely polarized world, we have become vicious. All sense of decency seems to have vanished, the laws of nature are denied and the Laws of God are scorned and mocked. And yet, despite all evidence to the contrary, the words of the psalmist hold true - 

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

There is a faithful remnant on whom God looks with favor and whom He strengthens and blesses abundantly. They thrive and their courageous witness to the Truth will ensure that the fruits of the Holy Spirit will flourish once again. 

MARK 3:13-19

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Gospel passage reminds us how You chose from among Your many disciples twelve who were to be Your closest companions. They would live with You, be formed by You, and taught by word and by example to prepare for the great commission that You would finally entrust to them.

This passage begins with the words, 'Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted.' You withdrew from the noise, chaos, and confusion of the world taking with You those who called, You chose, and You appointed - the Twelve. They would represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel superseding the Old with the New. The Twelve would form the apostolic college of Your Church. You established the hierarchy with Peter as its head and thus it will be, just as You intended, until Your return in glory. 

The names of the Twelve are, 'Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.' Each was given the same opportunities, to each was entrusted the same mission, to each was given the same grace. Sadly, Judas Iscariot squandered it all for the sake of the world.  A timely reminder to us that there will always be those, even in the highest ranks of the Church, who will give scandal. 

Every priest receives his vocation from You. It is You who confer the dignity of the priesthood to those whom You choose, call, appoint, and send. The mission entrusted to them is the one entrusted to the Twelve 2000 years ago, it does not change, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.'

MEMORIAL OF ST. AGNES, VIRGIN & MARTYR - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.  2TIM 1:10

HEBREWS 7:25-7:6

My most beloved, Lord,

There is no salvation apart from You. How can there be when You, who are God became Man in order to make a perfect offering of Yourself to the Father through suffering, in order to save us. To You, seated at the Father's right hand, is given the power to save all who call on You, all who are grafted to You, all who receive Your Spirit, all who are called by Your Name for it is the only the Name that saves.

Every high priest had to first offer sacrifice for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. You, however, being sinless and perfect, appointed by God to be our High Priest, were able to make a once and for all Sacrifice of Yourself to the Father in expiation for the sins of the world. 

You are God's final and most perfect Covenant with us. To You alone is given the power to save since You paid the price of our salvation. This is why You will not refuse salvation to all who call on Your Name. 

PSALM 40:7-10,17

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

No sacrifice, no offering, no holocaust can take away our sins and remit the punishment resulting from sin. This is why the breach between God and humans could never be repaired except by one who was like us in every way but without sin. This is why You became the holocaust and the victim, the sacrifice and the offering when You said to the Father, 'Here I am, I come to do your will.'

You are the Eternal Word of God whose delight is to do His will. It was always God's plan to woo His sinful creatures back into His loving embrace and restore all that was lost to us through the sin of disobedience. Who can withstand love such as this that gave us so glorious a Savior? All we miserable creatures can do is fall on our faces before You with grateful hearts and with a mouth filled with praise say unendingly, 'You O Lord, are great, thank You for Your saving help.' 

MARK 3:7-12 

My Soul's Beloved,

You had to withdraw to the lakeside because Your enemies were filled with envy and fury at the large crowds that followed You. The miracles You performed clearly indicated that You were from God, and they became fearful of You undermining their authority and power over the people. Still, they came from everywhere in great numbers, many were non-Jews who had heard of all You were doing. 

The crowds that thronged around You were so great there was a real danger of You being crushed by them. You touched and healed all who pressed around You, touched You, and begged to be made whole in body, soul, and spirit. But You had the disciples keep a boat ready for You in case it was necessary for You to leave quickly and safely. 

Unclean spirits fell before You for they recognized You and shouted, 'You are the Son of God!' But this is not how You desire that we come to know You, this is why You urge them to be silent. By faith, we must come to believe in You through Your witness, Your Word, Your testimony, Your life, Your Sacrifice, Your death, and Your resurrection.

All who are in the boat with You which is Your Church, are kept safe in You from the sea of evil that surrounds it.