Christ has risen, he who created all things,
and has granted his mercy to men.
The Church must not put utility and necessity over due diligence in discerning and anointing those who will be appointed as shepherds over the flock. When she fails to rely completely on prayer, and the wisdom and promptings of the Holy Spirit she will find herself in the situation that the Church now finds herself in. She is floundering because of all the bad choices made for decades. The rot has set in deep and threatens the Bark of Peter.
PSALM 33:1-2,4-5,18-19 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
While we wait out the pandemic and our desire for You intensifies with every passing day we make this prayer of the psalmist's desire our own, May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. We wait in expectant hope for the doors of our churches to open once again and for the Holy Eucharist to be available daily to all the faithful. And in the waiting, our hearts will learn to groan with intense longing for You, Beloved. And the desire of our heart when it is finally realized, will be all the sweeter because of our burning ardor for You.
Today's gospel passage is a perfect description of the world we find ourselves in today. The Bark of Peter seems to be floundering in a sea of wickedness. It is being tossed around by the winds of evil that buffet her on every side threatening to destroy her. We are far from the shore and the night is getting darker and we do not feel Your Presence with us.
and has granted his mercy to men.
ACTS 6:1-7 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
You set the criteria for choosing disciples. There was a weaning process. Not all were chosen to be disciples except the Twelve that were and God, in His wisdom, will permit a Judas Iscariot as the exception, not the norm.
In today's first reading we see another example of how the Apostles themselves chose from among the large group of disciples men of good standing from within the community to assist them. The Apostles asked the people to select men who met the following qualifications: There were to be men of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom.
When the Church follows the protocol laid down by You and the Apostles she will find from among her children men like Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. And God's Kingdom will flourish as the Good News is preached to the ends of the earth as in the early church when, 'The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.'
PSALM 33:1-2,4-5,18-19 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
It will be a time of great jubilation when the Church all over the world will be filled with joy and music and songs of thanksgiving will rise up to God in praise, worship, and adoration, as we throng once more in ever greater numbers to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
You are the Eternal Word of the Father, and Your Word is true. We can trust Your Word for You are faithful. While weeping fills the earth in this present night we know that joy will come in the morning and our time of mourning will end in victory, triumph, and jubilation.
Your eyes are on Your faithful. You watch over us lovingly and You will rescue us from our present trials which will serve to purify us, strengthen us, and increase our faith in You and Your love. You will not allow Your faithful ones to perish but will fulfill all Your promises to give those who belong to You, life in abundance.
JOHN 6:16-21 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
We are struggling and we are exhausted as we try to keep afloat and our strength has given out. We are terrified. But the night will end and daylight will come. The wind will die down and calm will be restored. Our strength will be renewed and peace will reign once again for we will discover that You were always watching over us and just when we believe the end is near, we will see You walking on the sea of evil and coming to us. We will hear You say, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ And as our fears die down and we reach out to You we will find the Church has made it safely to shore.
Thank You for the faith that we have in You. It is a faith that never disappoints because You never let us down.
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