WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

By his own choice the Father made us his children

by the message of the truth,

so that we should be a sort of first-fruits

of all that he created. JAMES 1:18

GENESIS 21:5,8-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God knows how to draw good from every situation. He knows our pain, He understands as we see from Hagar's situation. She was the slave-woman, her son Ishmael was not the one of promise, yet because he was Abraham's son God looked kindly on him. 

Poor Hagar, through no fault of hers she was cast out. Very often we too suffer unwarranted and unjustified, injustice because people suffer from prejudice, envy, or fear. It is easy to get dejected and to lose heart. In moments of these Lord, let us look to You for help confident that You never fail those who call on Your Name. 

We are all God's children no matter who we are or where we come from. Each of us is a precious thought of the Most High. Let us remember this especially in particularly the most trying times in our lives and be consoled and have confidence that God is with us in the wilderness even as He was with Ishamael.

PSALM 34:7-8,10-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

To know that I belong to You, I am a member of Your Body, I am one with You always, Your life courses through me and Your Spirit makes His dwelling place in me is cause for great, irrepressible joy.

I have a glorious destiny. You have appointed and placed an angel to guard me all my days. More importantly, You are with me always and I have no need to fear anything for You will not permit anything or anyone to steal me from You.

May I never fail to offer You grateful thanks for all You have done for me. Thank You for Your ever-present help, and for providing me with all that I have ever needed. I have never suffered want and Your blessings have never been withheld from me.

Thank You for all who helped me to know You and to grow in my love and knowledge of You. Grant that I in turn may do the same for others. Amen.

MATTHEW 8:28-34 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There is no one so hopeless that they are beyond Your saving mercy, compassion, and help. These poor men possessed by demoniacs were the terror of the countryside. They seemed doomed to be rejected and outcasts forever in the eyes of the world but not so with God. You sought them out whereas others fled from them. Your brought hope where there was none. You brought freedom and healing where none seemed possible. 

These poor men received the gift of new life, free from enslavement to evil and death, one would think the people of that town would rejoice sadly all they cared about was the loss of their livelihood and they implored You to leave that place. Too often we are like them - we forget to look beyond the narrow confines of the material world and in doing so we lose sight of the eternal.

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. 

MT 16:18

ACTS 12:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We are told that when King Herod began persecuting members of the early Church and saw how the beheading of James pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. When we commit sins in order to gain popularity and to please and appease the self-appointed leaders of a sinful culture we begin to walk down a slippery slope into the bottomless pit of evil. 

You assure us that we need not fear those who kill the body but after that can do nothing more, rather we are to fear the One who after we are killed has the authority to consign both body and soul to hell. Those who walk in faith are protected by heaven as Peter and the entire Church who prayed unceasingly for Peter when he was imprisoned and under heavy guard, were to find out.

 
God's angels surround us. His mighty, unfailing protection keeps us safe from the evil plots of the enemy. God saves - that is what Your Name means and we can trust You completely. Peter slept peacefully between the two soldiers who had fastened him with double chains. Armies may come against us but will not prevail for when You fight the battle for us we are victorious. 

God heard the prayers of those interceding for Peter and sent an angel to rescue him. No chains, no bars, no prison doors can withstand the power of God as Peter found out and said, ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’ 

With You on our side, Lord, we are invincible.

PSALM 34:2-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Truly You are a God who saves. You hear every sigh, every cry, You see every tear, and You hurry to console and to save when we cry out to You. 

I can never thank You enough for all the mercies You have shown me. Thank You for the glorious eternity that awaits me so I can praise You forever for walking with me, supporting me, hearing my prayers, answering each one of them so wonderfully but above all for the hope I have that one day when this short life ends I will see You face to face.

Grant that I may never cease to praise You, glorify You, and extol You in all circumstances for You are worthy of praise and worship. Today, I wish to thank You in a very special way for the angel that You have appointed to be my guardian and who never leaves my side. Thank You, Lord.

2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8,17-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I can never thank You for the glorious gift of faith. St. Paul, the most glorious apostle of the faith reveals the true joy of being a faithful disciple to the end. Here was a man who waged war against all who believed in You but You transformed him into the greatest missionary of all time. He shows us how every witness to the Gospel ought to live. Our whole life must be one that radiates You. We don't need words to preach the Good News if we pour our lives as he did as a sacrifice of self-giving.

He was rightly confident of the glorious crown that awaited him for he had served You gladly and rejoiced in His sufferings for Your sake and counted it all joy. 

To Paul, You entrusted a very special mission, ours may not be as great but it is just as important and necessary. We are called to shine the light of love and truth by our lives and when we do we can have the same hope of a glorious destiny. Just as You led him safely despite all the terrors he faced, so too will You lead us and rescue us from all evil when we yield our life to You. Together with Paul we too say, "All glory be to You, Beloved, forever and ever. Amen."

MATTHEW 16:13-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The question You posed to Your disciples is one that is posed to every disciple in every generation and in every age and it is one to which we must respond truthfully. ‘But you, _____, who do you say I am?’ 

Simon Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Peter did not understand fully what this meant when he said it. He would in time but not right then. But You knew right away that it was Your Father in heaven who had revealed this truth to Him and it was for a particular purpose. You replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.'

You then went on to make a solemn declaration about Peter and the Church You were about to build. Peter was to be the rock on which You would build it and You said so in no uncertain terms, 'So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.'  And not only was Peter given the place of primacy among the Apostles but he was also given further authority, 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

Let us not play games of semantics in order to obscure the truth. We cannot take You at Your word to mean exactly what You said about some things and fiddle around with others because it does not suit us. 

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of the Primacy of Peter, and the Magisterium, in the Bark of Peter, all who take You at Your word will find ourselves brought safely to harbor through all the storms of a culture that in every age is shaped and steeped in the capricious wisdom of a fallen world. 

MEMORIAL OF ST. IRENAEUS, BISHOP & MARTYR - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord. PS 94:8

GENESIS 18:16-33 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Abraham had a sympathetic and compassionate heart and despite his fear pleaded for the lives of the just, if any, in Sodom and Gomorrah. God is even more tender and loving than we can ever imagine and is willingly persuaded when we plead and intercede on behalf of others.  

To Your friends, You reveal Your plans. The more intimately our lives are united with Yours the more we will know and understand Your ways. It is always good and pleasing to You when we pray for others and ask You to help and bless them and You will gladly respond and give us what we need as well.

Like Abraham, all who believe in You, hope in You, and love You must be a blessing to others as well. We are all God's children and we must always seek the good of others before our own. 

PSALM 103:1-4,8-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The words of this psalm are so comforting like balm to a wounded soul. How blessed we are to know You, to love You, to belong to You, to worship You, and to be loved so greatly by You.

The blessings You have showered on me from the moment of my conception to this day are too numerous to count. And if I thank You with every breath I breathe I will still not have given You sufficient thanks for Your goodness, mercy, kindness, and graciousness to me.

I have sinned my Lord, and often grievously, and You have always forgiven me. You wiped the slate clean and gave me an opportunity each time to be anew. Thank You for redeeming me from the grave. Thank You for healing me in every way. Thank You for the glorious destiny that awaits me.

Thank You for being exceedingly patient with me always even when I deliberately turned away from You, rejected You, and chose sin over You. Thank You for showing such great compassion and love when I returned to You wounded and hurt and You never failed to forgive quickly and completely. Thank You for keeping no record of the sins of a contrite and humble heart.

MATTHEW 8:18-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your response to the scribe who wanted to follow You indicates that not everyone who follows You does so by first weighing the cost. Often we make serious decisions because we are swayed by strong emotions, or we imagine it is an easy way with no responsibilities, or perhaps we allow our circumstances to dictate our course of action, perhaps we have failed to make our mark where we are or lacked the willingness to make a serious effort to discern Your plan for our lives and just drifted into making decisions that You never intended for us. Only after we make a serious commitment we realize we made a huge mistake and this is why You caution anyone who wishes to follow You to first discern what God desires of us and to understand what following You entails: 

 ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

But there is another kind of disciple who knows deep down what is right, what God wills but makes excuses. There may be legitimate concerns but if we trust You we can be certain that when we do as You ask and leave everything to obey Your call to follow You we need to worry about nothing. You will ensure that all will be well if we discern Your will and do as You command always.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2 TIM 1:10

WISDOM 1:13-15,2:23-24 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We were created for life, not death. This was the Father's eternal plan, this is why when Adam and Eve sinned He put in place a wondrous plan that would take away the sins of the world. 

What a marvel is the work of man and woman. In the words of Wisdom, we were created imperishable for we were made in God's own image and nature. But Satan, envious of the man and woman created in God's image and likeness entered paradise and struck unerringly where God made Himself most vulnerable. The wonderful gift of our free will given to us so we would freely choose to love Him as He loves us also made us susceptible to the wiles of the Enemy. 

We were created for life and not just life but abundant and eternal life. This is why He sent You into the world to save and redeem our fallen race.  Thank You!

PSALM 30:2,4-6,11-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God knew exactly what would follow when He created us and gave us the gift of free will. He knew we would disobey Him and the price He would have to pay for our rejection of Him yet He created us. What absolute folly! Which Father would gladly sacrifice His only, most beloved, Son to expiate for our sins and pay the price of our redemption? Apparently, God would and did because He knows one way to love, His is a self-emptying love that pours itself out without reserve.

In the psalm chosen for our contemplation today, the psalmist has expressed well the gratitude we owe You for our salvation. May every breath we breathe give You praise. May songs of thanksgiving never cease to overflow from our grateful hearts for all You have done for us. Thank You for snatching us from the jaws of death and the gates of hell.

Thank You for wiping away our tears and for filling us anew with Your love. Thank You for the forgiveness of our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Thank You for sustaining us by giving us Your own Body and Blood as our food and drink.

The Lord listened and had pity.
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:
O Lord my God, I will thank you forever.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:7,9,13-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Church never berates and harangues us to give. She does not guilt us into opening our purse strings. She does not threaten us with Your wrath if we fail to give as generously as we ought. But like St. Paul does today, she appeals to our conscience and our sense of justice.

We must recognize for ourselves the debt we owe, the price paid for our salvation, it is one that we can never repay but what is required of us is to have an empathetic spirit for those in need. All we have received is a gift from You. All that we possess both spiritual and temporal is because of Your goodness, mercy, kindness, and generosity. What we have received we are invited to share with the same goodness, mercy, kindness, and generosity that You have shown us. We are invited to be like You.

If we took a moment to seriously and honestly contemplate the price You paid for our redemption it would transform us forever and make us more aware of the debt we owe and which can be repaid in small measure by sharing what we have received gladly and generously just like the widow in the gospel did. She gave all she had to live on because of her great love for God and her faith that He was her provider.

Grant this grace to all Christians Lord, that we give some of what we have so as St. Paul says, 'That is how we strike a balance: as scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.'

MARK 5:21-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Sunday Liturgy invites us to reflect on two miracles - the healing of the woman suffering from bleeding for twelve long years and the healing of the twelve year old daughter of Jairus, a synagogue official. 

Both sought You,  one did so publicly the other in secret, furtively, ashamed of the public disgrace she would cause if she was discovered. Jairus fell at Your feet and begged You earnestly, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Your response to this father's heartfelt plea was to go with him to his house and the large crowd that was with You accompanied You as well. 

We are told that the crowd was so great that they were pushing, jostling, and pressing all around You. Unbeknownst to anyone in the crowd, there was a woman there, the evangelist Mark describes her situation well: Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. 

In addition to her physical ailment and her poverty, her illness rendered her unclean according to the Law of Moses, and therefore she was separated from her family and society. She had nothing having lost even her money on physicians who only made her condition worse. We are told that she had heard about You, she heard of the many wonderful miracles You performed, and she had faith that if she only touched Your cloak she would be healed. She did and her malady left her instantly. She knew it, she felt it, she was healed.

Millions approach You in prayer every day, invoking You under different titles, and bringing their supplications to You, but the attitude of each differs, the quality of faith differs. Some of us like Jairus plead for the life of those we love, and some like this woman having reached rock bottom are suddenly thrown a lifeline. Both were rewarded because of their faith. 

Jairus' daughter was dead - You took her by the hand, asked her to get up and she did. The woman touched You unseen, but You felt her touch, the depth of her faith caused power to go out of You and You turned around and said, 'Who touched my clothes?' One can only imagine the terror of that poor woman, the evangelist says she was frightened and trembling as she fell at Your feet and revealed that it was she who touched You and the reason why she did.

You commended her for her great faith which restored her to health and sent her away with Your blessing of peace. Who could ask for more?

Lord Jesus, grant us the kind of faith that expects miracles to happen. Amen.

SATURDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us MT 8:17

GENESIS 18:1-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We live at a time when we are so consumed with our own affairs, our lives, our comfort, that we neglect to welcome the stranger, the traveller, the wayfarer mostly because we are too lazy to stir ourselves and get out of our comfort zone. Let us learn from Abraham how to greet and welcome strangers.

We are told that it was the hottest part of the day when Abraham who was seated at the entrance of his tent noticed the three men standing near him. He could have sat where he was, greeted them sultrily, and permitted them to move along. Instead, he ran to meet them, bowed to the ground and greeted them, and insisted that they accept his hospitality.  He brought them water to wash their feet and invited them to recline in the shade while he ordered a meal to be prepared for them. 

He roused his household and everyone was given a task to do in order to get the meal ready. He gave them the best of what he had - bread, meat, and cream, and while they ate he remained standing ready to serve. At the end of the meal, they asked where his wife Sarah was and they said to Abraham that they would pass by at the same time the following year, and by that time Sarah would have a son. 

We are told that both Abraham and Sara were old and when Sarah heard what the travelers said she laughed because she knew that humanly speaking she could not conceive at her age. However, God's word proved to be true.  Sarah did conceive, she did bear a son, and nothing is too wonderful for God. 

The next time we are reluctant to welcome the stranger let us remember that when we do, we could perhaps be welcoming angels who will leave behind a wonderful blessing for us. With God, there is always cause for great joy and laughter.

LUKE 1:6-50,53-55 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Chosen by God, Mary's whole life from the moment of her conception was filled to overflowing by God's presence and His Holy Spirit. She walked in grace, in innocence, in childlike simplicity and purity, she was imbued with the fragrance of holiness that came from being wholly possessed by her Creator.

She knew no other way of living except in perfect union and communion with God so when the Angel Gabriel came to bearing God's invitation to her to become the Mother of His Son, she whose whole life was a 'yes' to God could only say what was natural to her, 'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.' 

She who always carried You, the Eternal Word in her soul, now carried You in the flesh in her womb.  as she hastened to visit her cousin Elizabeth. And after being greeted by her Mary's soul, bursting with praise and thanksgiving, sang the most wondrous song to God, acknowledging the marvels He had done for her. 

The Magnificat is a song of wondrous grace and beauty inspired by the Holy Spirit, her Spouse. We can never fully plumb the depths of all it conveys about God and His love for us. Artists, poets, writers, preachers, teachers, the children of God, will find it new, inspirational, and beautiful in every age and they will never be able to exhaust its wonder. 

Mary's Magnificat is ours as well. 

MATTHEW 8:5-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The faith of the centurion is remembered through the ages because as You pointed out it was remarkable coming from a foreigner. This man who approached You to heal his servant believed that all You needed to do was to command that he be healed and it would be done. This kind of faith is rare. The centurion had obviously heard of all the miracles You had performed and he was convinced that what You had done for others could be done for him too. 

Being a Roman he could have insisted or perhaps even taken You by force to his home and to his sick servant but he did not consider himself worthy to have You under his roof. He was convinced that Your power was so great You only had to give the command and his servant be healed.

Not only did You commend him for his great faith, not only did You point it out and remark on it, not just because it was so rare, but because Your own people lacked faith in You and rejected You, but also because of his awareness of being unworthy of having You come to his home, in fact, his both his faith and humility were so great that to this day we make the same invocation at every celebration of Holy Mass before we receive You in the Eucharist.  

The sad truth is that many who are baptized lack faith for whatever reason and Your warning is clear, those who were invited will find themselves cast out and their place will be taken by outsiders who believed in You. 

You came to take away our sickness and disease and once we are healed we, like Peter's mother in law must get up and serve others.

FRIDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us. MT 8:17

GENESIS 17:1,9-10,15-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we pray and ask for favors we desire them to be answered in our way and in our time but Scripture teaches us over and over again that Your Way is better than ours and You know best how to answer us and give us all the desires of our heart at a time and in the way that is better than anything our minds could ever imagine or ask for. 

God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands on the shore but they were still childless at the ripe old age of ninety-nine and ninety. Any possibility of having children had long since vanished. When God reaffirms His promise of a child to Abraham he laughs to himself and instead seeks to help God out of a tricky situation by helpfully suggesting that perhaps Ishmael his son by his slave Hagar, would serve just.

We, finite creatures, are constantly hampering God's desires to give us far more than we can conceive. Our vision is narrow and we are unable to see, know, and understand as You do. Nothing is impossible for God as Abraham and Sara were to discover. God always keeps His promises. We tend to lose heart when the answers to our prayers seem unheard. In times like these may we recall the numerous occasions when the way You answered our prayers was always far better than what we asked or hoped for.

Circumcision of every male of Abraham's descendants was to be the sign of the Covenant between them and God. In the age of the Messiah, the Sacrament of Baptism is the sign that we are children of God and heirs to the Kingdom.  And You, never leave us for You are Emmanuel, God with us, always.

PSALM 128:1-5 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Word of God tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 

Wisdom seems to be in short supply in our age and the world appears to be spinning out of control. We are hell-bent on pursuing every vice with a fervor that is positively manic as it is satanic while virtue is shunned as if it were the plague.

The truth is that unless we turn our steps back to You, unless we wash ourselves clean of sin, unless we begin to live gospel values and principles, we will never be happy. We cannot raise happy, spiritually healthy children if we ourselves are diseased.

Help us, Lord, for we seem unable to help ourselves. We are being swept by a culture that is determined to destroy every vestige of ordinary commonsense. We will not survive much longer without divine intervention. 

There are still many in the world who are struggling against great odds to be light and salt in the world. They are Your faithful remnant. Bless them Lord and increase their number and through them bring about a new springtime of faith in You. We cannot be happy without You. We need You, Lord. Have mercy on us, draw us back from the pit of insanity where the world seems headed, and save us before it is too late. 

MATTHEW 8:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Of all the diseases that plagued the people of the time the disease of leprosy was the most dreaded because of the shame, the stigma, and above all the separation from family, loved ones, and society. The fear of contracting leprosy was so great that lepers were not only ostracised but were treated disgracefully by the community. 

Today's Gospel speaks of a leper who sought You out despite the fact that there was a large crowd with You. His desire to be healed was far greater than his fear. Your fame had spread in the area and hearing of Your power to heal he approached You. His attitude is one of humility. He recognizes that only one who is from God can perform miracles. He believed that if You so desired You could heal him. Prostrating low before You he said, ‘Sir if you want to, you can cure me.’ 

Assuring him that You did wish to cure him, You stretched out Your hand, touched him, and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. You then cautioned him about not telling anyone but to show himself to the priest and make the necessary offering as proof of his healing.

Thank You, Lord, for instituting the Sacrament of Reconciliation where the leprosy of sin can be healed always.

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

As for you, little child, you shall be called
a prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his ways before him. LK 1:76

ISAIAH 49:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The prophecy of Isaiah concerned St. John the Baptist is true about every child of God and every disciple for all the baptized receive the same mandate. We too were called before God lay the foundations of the world, He knew our name before we were conceived in our mother's womb. 

He desires that we possess You, His Word which is sharper than a double-edged sword and has the power to cut through to the very marrow and lay bare the secrets of all.

John the Baptist was entrusted the particular task of preparing the way for You. To open the hearts of the Jews to be receptive to the Word made Flesh, who came among us to reveal the Face of God, that we may touch Him, speak to Him, be touched by Him, eat and drink with Him, and have an intimate relationship with Him. God bridged the unbridgeable chasm between Him and us with You, His Son. 

All of us who believe in You, worship You, love You ought to have the same overpowering, burning zeal of John the Baptist to make You known to the world. To know You and believe in You is to possess the Pearl of Great Price.  

John the Baptist knew that he was only the precursor. He was sent to point to You, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You are the only Way, You are the Truth, and You are the giver of abundant Life, and we who believe in You, hope in You and love You are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that attracts everyone to know You too and be saved by You. 

'I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

PSALM 139:1-3,13-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How can we ever thank God enough for creating us and for the glorious destiny that we have in and through You?

The psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us an understanding of what it means to be known by You. The intimacy of this knowledge of God of each of us assures us that we belong so securely to You that no one and nothing can snatch us away from You. We alone have the power to walk away from You.

There is not a thought, not an idea, not a dream, not a hope, not a desire, that we have that You have not known it before it was ever born in us. All my days lay bare before You and You know each of my movements before I make them. Your Presence is above me, below me, beside me to the right and to the left. You surround me and there is nothing I can do and nowhere I can go to hide from You.

No power can wrest me from You because You have redeemed me, purchased me, died my death, and in exchange given me Your life that is eternal.

I exult in Your knowledge of me. I exult in Your complete possession of me. I exult in the glorious destiny that awaits me when this life comes to an end and death presents itself to me inviting me to enter into the new life that You have waiting for me.

Thank You for creating me exactly the way I am because as the Master Artist I am Your masterpiece, unique, one of a kind, unrepeatable and precious in Your sight.

ACTS 13:22-26 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You, my Beloved, as St. Paul tells us, are the fulfillment of God's promise to His chosen people, Israel. David was only the prefigurement of what was to come. He was the greatest king of Israel and under his rule peace reigned. You, however, are the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, and the ruler of the entire universe. David, the son of Jesse was a man after God's own heart, You, however, are so much more - You are the Son of God, His Eternal Word, You are the image of the unseen God who came into the world and redeemed it for the Father.

John the Baptist knew his role perfectly, he was only the messenger and he was aware that he was unworthy to even undo Your sandal for he knew who You were, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

Today, we are entrusted to spread the message of salvation wherever we are so all we encounter through the course of our lives may come to know You and be saved, for God's message of salvation is meant for the whole world.

LUKE 1:57-66,80 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The birth of a child is always a cause for great celebration for with every new birth new hope is born into the world.

When the baby of Zechariah and Elizabeth was born all the neighbors came to share her joy for they knew that this child was born in miraculous circumstances, new life had sprung where no life was possible.

At his circumcision when the time came for the baby's name to be revealed, his mother Elizabeth said that his name was to be John. God had chosen his name for him. A name that would indicate that he belonged to God. It was when Zechariah confirmed that John was his name that his tongue was unloosed and the power of speech returned to him. When we are obedient to God His power is unleashed in us too and we are able to do His work according to His will.

The birth of John the Baptist was the source of great joy and the cause of much awe and wonder at the amazing things that God had done. They knew that the child was destined to do God's work.

It is not different for each of us who are baptized. By virtue of our baptism we are made children of God, we are given the gift of faith, and we are destined to be God's messengers spreading the Good News by the witness of our lives. For from the moment of our baptism the hand of God is with us just as it was with John the Baptist.

As parents, it is our sacred duty to raise children in the knowledge of God and help them in every way to grow in grace and virtue. We are to teach encourage them to make the right choices that will enable them to live in the shadow of God's Presence and be filled with His Spirit. Too often we fail because we are sinners. Have mercy on us Lord and make up for our lack by Your divine intervention and power to help our children to walk in Your light.

WEDNESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,
says the Lord;
whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty. JN 15:4-5

GENESIS 15:1-12,17-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

What You say to Abraham You say to all who belong to You, 'Have no fear, I AM your shield; your reward will be very great.' Like Abraham, we can get caught up with the obvious lack in our lives despite the fact that all Your promises are true. God promised him a great inheritance to be given to his descendants who would be more in number than the sand on the shore and the stars in the heavens - but the stark fact that stared him the face was that he was childless. ‘My Lord, what do you intend to give me? I go childless. See, you have given me no descendants; some man of my household will be my heir.’ 

But with God all things are possible and we can trust You to be true to Your Word even when it seems humanly hopeless. We need never be afraid for we can take You at Your Word which is always true. Abraham and Sara would have a child in their old age when it was physically impossible for her to conceive. You always make a way. Just as You parted the Red Sea so will You break insurmountable barriers and all You have said will come to pass as it did for Abraham and Sara.

God made a covenant with Abraham with the blood of the sacrifice of animals and birds but with us, God has made an eternal covenant of love in You. We are washed, cleansed, and sealed in Your Blood and in Your Spirit, and as heirs, we are given a share in the Kingdom of God. 

PSALM 105:1-4,6-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We are blessed to be counted among the people who belong to the New Covenant of love in Your Blood. You are the reason we sing songs of thanksgiving and praise to God. We live because of You. We have hope because of what You have done for us. We have a glorious destiny because we belong to You. 

Thank You, Lord, for saving us, redeeming us, loving us, forgiving us, restoring us, and never abandoning us even when we abandon You. Thank You for being our strength and our help.

Thank You for making us children of God and heirs to the Kingdom. Thank You for shedding Your Blood for us and sealing us in the new and final Covenant of Love with the Father. Thank You for incorporating us into Your Body and making us one with You in time and eternity. 

MATTHEW 7:15-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today false prophets abound even within the Church and among those who have been chosen and appointed as shepherds to guard Your flock. They are definitely ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing because they are far more treacherous than the false prophets who wage war against Your Church from the outside.

The very foundations of the Church You founded on Peter seem to tremble and we would be filled with fear if we did not have Your assurance that the gates of hell will not prevail against her.

Truth is immutable. Truth is enduring. Evil may camouflage the Truth for a while but it will never destroy it for Truth by its very nature is indestructible. The Truth will prevail despite the concerted efforts of evil men and women who work tirelessly to bring the Church to her knees.

The fruit of evil is division, rancor, hate, envy, jealousy, pride, and this is evident in every false prophet and teacher. Sadly, they are unaware that there is a righteous Judge and there will be a judgment, and every tree that has produced rotten fruit will be cut down and thrown into eternal flames. Help us Lord to bear good fruit always. 

TUESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12

GENESIS 13:2,5-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When our gaze is dominated merely by our senses we are unable to discern truths invisible to the flesh - and so it was with Lot.

Abram was a man with a large heart and a generous spirit whose faith in God directed his footsteps. Recognizing that the land they lived on could not support his nephew Lot's needs and his without leading to real conflict and destroying their relationship he decides that it would be wiser for them to live separately. 

Rather than picking the best land for himself, being the elder of the two, he gives Lot the first choice. Lot, seizing the advantage looks around and feasting his eyes on the fertile plain of the Jordan chose it for himself and moved away from Abram to settle there.

Making the right choice often requires us to discern God's will for us. The one that is most pleasing to us may not necessarily be the right one. Lot did not look beyond what his senses perceived and chose to live in the vicinity of a place that was notoriously evil. It is a mistake we too are prone to make to our ruin.

Abram, after being parted from his nephew, heard the voice of God renewing the covenant He had made with him: 

‘Look all round from where you are towards the north and the south, towards the east and the west. All the land within sight I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants like the dust on the ground: when men succeed in counting the specks of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants! Come, travel through the length and breadth of the land, for I mean to give it to you.’

Beloved, when we are attuned to the Holy Spirit our lives will be centered on and anchored to Your Word, we will obey God in all things, we will walk in His Presence overshadowed by Your Spirit of Truth and we will live God's grace all the days of our lives. 

PSALM 15:2-5 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Those who are ignorant of Your Word are condemned to walk in ways that are abhorrent to God. Nothing is hidden from those who seek the Light. Truth shines from the mountain top as a beacon to the world's weary inviting all to come into its warmth. 

The sad fact is that people are unwilling to seek the Light. They prefer the known and familiar bleakness of their lives fearing what they will be asked to give up. The beggar would rather fill his belly with scraps rather than leave the certainty of receiving them from the waste bins rather than make the journey to the place where a great banquet awaits all who desire to feast freely on the best of fare.

What is required of those who wish to walk with You, talk with You, dine with You, live with You, and love and be loved by You?  The psalmist's answer is clear, it is what every human heart longs for - justice and truth.

We receive what we give. All who desire to live serenely must first know You it is only by knowing You that we will experience the joy of discovering that we have been known and loved by You before You laid the foundations of the world.

Once we discover this truth then our only response is to love You ardently in return. Grant us a burning desire to please You in all things. May we endeavor to align our lives with Your will. May we abhor sin as much as You do. May our greatest fear born out of our great love for You be never to do anything that would displease or wound You so we will be privileged to be counted among the just who live in Your Presence always.

MATTHEW 7:6,12-14 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Gospel passage reminds us that anyone who is steeped in the world and its culture is unworthy of the treasures of the Kingdom of God for they do not know its worth. This is why we must discern what we may share with it. 

To some, no sermon, no passage from Scripture, will be more powerful than the witness of a life that lives out that sermon or that sacred passage in Sacred Scripture. Talk is cheap and often the treasures of God's word are lost when tossed into the muck of unholy lives.

Only those who are willing to embrace the Cross as You did understand the value of redemptive suffering. Only those who live the Gospel truths will know that the ungodly will not profit from it but will commit sacrilege against it instead. There are many in the world who prefer ignorance to the truth because they are riddled with fear of what they will be required to give up.   

Your word to us is clear, we are to treat everyone as we would like to be treated and there is no easy road to the Kingdom of heaven. We can choose the way of the world leading to death or the narrow and difficult way leading to life - there is no middle ground.