TUESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him. JN14:23

GENESIS 6:5-8,7:1-5,10

My Soul's Beloved,

Every now and then we are grief-stricken and cut to the heart when we read the Word of God. Today's first reading is an example of this: The Lord regretted having made man on the earth, and his heart grieved.

As the number of men and women multiplied so did the multiplication of their sins. The effects of original sin rendered humanity so weak that concupiscence dominated the spirit and enslaved them. The further they sank into depravity the further they distanced themselves from God until He would have no more of it and vowed, ‘I will rid the earth’s face of man, my own creation,’ the Lord said ‘and of animals also, reptiles too, and the birds of heaven; for I regret having made them.’ 

Too often we forget that God is sovereign over us and over creation. As easily as He created us He can just as easily sweep His hand across the world and send us into oblivion. And while He is a God of justice He is also a God of mercy and compassion and will not destroy the good with the wicked. One man, Noah, found favor with God and for his sake, God would start over with him and his family.

Noah is an archetype of You, Beloved, and the ark that he was commanded to build is the archetype of the Church You founded. Within that Church all who are cleansed by the waters of Baptism and embrace the fullness of Truth are welcome. The unclean too who are willing to believe are welcome to enter the ark of the Church. All who do have the responsibility to propagate the Truth and spread the Good News, for they are the remnant of God. 

To the Church, You have given this assurance, 'You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.' No matter how high the waters of the flood of evil rises to destroy all who are given over to it, the Ark of the Church will rise above it and all within her will be safe. 

Noah did all that the Lord ordered and so did You, Beloved, accomplishing perfectly all that the Father ordered and this is why no one is saved except through You. 

PSALM 29:1-4,9-10 

My Soul's Beloved,

Peace is Your gift to those who desire it, it is not the peace that the world promises which is hollow and ephemeral, Yours is an everlasting peace that nothing and no one can steal. This is why those who are called by Your Name and belong to the family of God offer unending adoration, worship, thanksgiving, praise, and glory to the power of Your holy Name. 

Though the terrors of the night threaten us, though the immensity of evil in the world surrounds us, God's Eternal Word thunders across the universe and keeps evil at bay. His children are safe by the power of His Word and the Breath of His Spirit.

Ceaseless praise rises up to the throne of Glory, filling the highest heavens with its fragrance. It is a Sacrifice offered by all God's people, from the rising of the sun to its setting - it is the only acceptable and worthy. It is the Sacrifice of Calvary offered by You, the Son of God, who is Lord and the King of Glory and is now seated at the right hand of the Father forever and forever, Amen.

MARK 8:14-21

My Soul's Beloved,

Nothing is as abhorrent to You as hypocrisy, all the seven deadly sins are at its core cunningly concealed in a veil of duplicity. This is why You gave this warning to the disciples,  ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ 

The fact that the disciples were unable to grasp what You meant indicates that they were really simple people who thought perhaps You were commenting on the fact that they had forgotten to carry any food with them.

You knew they hadn't understood.  Using their lack of perception in order to fix in their minds Your divine power that made it possible to perform these wonderful miracles and to open their minds to comprehend divine things.  

Similarly, we need the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our eyes, and our ears in order to hear the Word and discern its meaning. We need the wisdom of God to understand the words and the works of God.