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.