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.