THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The kingdom of God is close at hand:

repent and believe the Good News. MK 1:15

HEBREWS 12:18-19,21-24

My Soul's Beloved,

We are reminded that the Kingdom of God, Mt.Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, is here, it is in our midst because You, our God, is with us. No longer do we grope in the dark for a God who is unseen and unknown. No longer are we slaves. No longer in bondage and captivity for our God, becoming like us has saved us. 

This time when Moses goes up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the Commandments of God he is afraid. The Israelites too are terrified at the sound of God's voice and His all-powerful Presence. But in the New Jerusalem, You establish in the hearts of all believers is one of righteousness, peace, and joy.  

Even as we live in the world we are given a glimpse of the heavenly Jerusalem - heaven descends to earth as we gather in Your Name to celebrate the Memorial of the Banquet of Love, instituted at the Last Supper. In the New Jerusalem, we will no longer be citizens of the world but citizens of heaven. Every believer, redeemed by Your Blood will be recognized by the Father as a 'first-born son.' 

While we wait for Your glorious return and before we can join the heavenly company of angels and saints, the New Covenant sealed in Your Blood makes powerful intercession on our behalf - and the Father is pleased to listen and to grant salvation to us all for Your sake. 

PSALM 48:2-4,9-11 

My Soul's Beloved,

We are blessed each time we come together and gather around Your Altar to celebrate the mysteries of our faith, in the Holy Eucharist.

Heaven is made present on earth. Mother Mary, all the angels, and saints descend from heaven to celebrate with us as we offer the Father the one, holy, acceptable, and perfect Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, without blemish or stain who takes away the sins of the world. You give us Your flesh to eat and Your Blood to drink so we may receive Your life that sustains us on our pilgrimage from this life to the next. 

There is no greater praise, no greater worship, no greater Sacrifice than the Sacrifice of Calvary made present on our altar each time we celebrate this Sacred Mystery of our faith. There is no other that is acceptable to God our Father.

The Church is the true pole of the earth where the King of Kings resides. Where is this Church? It is formed by the members of Your Body, grafted on to You at baptism. In her alone does the fullness of Truth dwell. In her alone is perfection found for she dispenses the Sacraments that You instituted for the edification and sanctification of her members.

What was hinted at, what was veiled, in the Old Testament is now resplendently visible in the New - God Himself walks among us, You are Emmanuel, God with us. You are Jesus, one who saves, You are the Christ, the anointed of God and we are children of God because this is the Father's plan for our redemption and salvation.  

Just as You are eternal, Your Church, Your spouse, is eternal as well. She is the sign, the light on the mountain top inviting all to come to her. By coming to her they come to You and are made one in You. This worship that the Church offers You in spirit and in truth will resound through all the earth until You come again to reconcile all things to Yourself. Praise be God now and forever, Amen.

MARK 6:7-13

My Soul's Beloved,

This command to Your disciples then and now, 'Take nothing with you' is hard because we saddle ourselves with so much unnecessary baggage that we believe is essential to our well being. It is a hard lesson and yet once we learn it, practice it, and it becomes second nature to us we will find perfect joy in trusting You to provide all we need when we need it and as much as is needed every time. Innumerable saints have made this discovery and rejoiced at Your faithfulness.

We live in a world that has made a religion of getting, acquiring, discarding, replenishing, hoarding, collecting, and saving. When we place our security in the world, in people, and in things, no matter how much we possess it is never enough. Only in stripping ourselves of everything that keeps us captive and earthbound will we soar to the heights of intimate union and communion with You.

A soul unhampered with the things of the earth for the sake of the Kingdom of God receives Your authority, Your power over all things including unclean spirits. It is a human tendency to lean on something for support, to allow our imagination to take wings as we worry and are anxious about a future we cannot see, and make provision for difficult times that might never take place. We are yoked to the world and it is wearying and terrifying when we are held captive by our fears and anxieties. This is why Your instructions to the Twelve disciples is sound advice, "Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses." They were to have the basic necessities only, the pair of sandals on their feet and the clothes they were wearing." 

They were to accept the hospitality that they were given for a laborer is worthy of his hire. Those who accept them will be blessed. This is why we ought to welcome and share gladly with those who are called to labor exclusively in Your vineyard. 

Anyone rejecting them is in fact rejecting You and this rejection will be held as an indictment against them. "And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them." 

This was to be their first training exercise as missionaries, preachers, teachers, and healers. St. Mark also tells us that they used oil when anointing the sick and they were cured. This Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with holy oil is one of the Seven Sacraments that the Church dispenses as a channel of grace that brings healing in body and soul to its members.