MEMORIAL OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:10

LEVITICUS 25:1,8-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The last and final jubilee will be the day You return in glory to establish a new heaven and a new earth. All will be transformed in You. The dead will be raised and together with the living, all will be finally reconciled to Yourself. A new day will dawn and there will be everlasting peace. 

Until that day arrives we must prepare for Your great coming when You will wipe away the tears from every eye. Hasten the day of Your coming and deliver us from this valley of tears. All the grace and help we need is available to us in the Sacraments, grant us the desire to use them to the fullest. On the day You arrive may You may find us ready and waiting eagerly and joyfully our lamps trimmed and filled with oil ready to accompany You, our Bridegroom, to the wedding banquet. 

PSALM 67:2-3,5,7-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

All that we experience in life, joys and sorrows, disappointments, and the fulfillment of our dreams and aspirations, blessings and the withholding of them, all that helps and hinders, sickness and good health, strength and weakness, laughter and tears, faith and the lack thereof, all is necessary and helps to shape and make us the people that God intends us to be. 

Through it all, we must ask for the grace to keep our gaze fixed on You, trusting that through it all You are with us, leading and guiding us every step of the way from this life to the one that is to come. 

You help individuals as well as nations who call on Your Name to save and to bless us. You have appointed angels to guard and protect us. They are with us and they behold Your Face and they carry on our prayers to You and Your blessings and favors to us.

Thank You for Your assurance to provide all we need both spiritual and temporal and may we never fail to love, honor, and praise You all the days of our lives.

MATTHEW 14:1-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

A guilty conscience can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how we handle it. Herod knew that he had done evil by ordering the beheading of John the Baptist who was unafraid to call him out on his adulterous relationship with his brother's wife, Herodias. Today, the world desiring to sin with impunity, declares that sin does not exist because it is offensive to those who desire to indulge their baser instincts. 

Every sin is as old as Adam and Eve. There is no new sin under the sun even though the pseudo-intellectuals of the world flatter themselves that it is so. The seven deadly sins remain deadly and calling them by different names to make them more acceptable does not render them sterile of their deadly poison.

Today's Gospel reminds us that no sin is committed in isolation, and every sin no matter how secretly it is committed infects and affects everyone that comes under its ambit. Rather than repent of her sin, Herodias sought to destroy the prophet who publicly denounced her and Herod and had no compunction in using her daughter Salome to gain that end.

Herod was not only a sinner but also a weak, ineffectual man who was hoodwinked into doing exactly what Herodias wanted. After swearing rash oaths in public he did not have the gumption to refuse Salome her evil wish. Prompted by her wicked mother she asked for the head of John the Baptist and Herod did as she asked even though he knew it was wrong. 

Often we too are coerced into making wrong choices, we make excuses for our sins, we tell ourselves that they are not really as bad as they are, and we kill our soul each time we compromise our conscience. Help us, Lord, to see sin for what it is - separation from God and death to the soul.

FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The word of the Lord remains forever:
What is this word?
It is the Good News that has been brought to you. 1 PET 1:25

LEVITICUS 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Feast days are important - the Church knows this - and this is why she celebrates so many important days throughout the liturgical year. It keeps the memory of God's goodness, mercy, grace, and abounding love alive in us. God Himself gives Moses elaborate instructions on how to celebrate the festivals all through the year.

God desires us to come together as a community, as one body to honor and worship You and to offer to Him the one, holy, perfect, and most acceptable Sacrifice. We are invited to unite and offer our own joys and sorrows with Your holy Sacrifice. In this way, we make the offering of our own lives pleasing to Him as well. 

Both private worship and community worship are important. You ask us to go in our room, shut the door and pray to our heavenly Father in secret. But as God's holy people we are also commanded to assemble together as the family of God and worship Him. Here on earth, we are given a foretaste of the wedding banquet that will never end.

PSALM 81:3-6,10-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The glorious truth is this - we have You as our Lord, our God, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Messiah, our Friend, our Brother, and our Spouse and this means that the less we rely on our own inadequate resources and the more heavily we lean on You the greater will be our ability to face trials without being crushed with anxiety, fear, sadness, and despair.

Life is hard. We live in the valley of the shadow of death. We constantly battle forces that are beyond our strength to overcome and we don't have to. Those with faith have heaven on their side battling on their behalf. The victory is won. The Cross has triumphed. The Kingdom of God is here. Alleluia! Amen! Alleluia!

MATTHEW 13:54-58 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Good News is a Person. Truth is a Person. Love is a Person. The Eternal Word is the fullness of love and truth. 'And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.'

The nations of the world and their people are much like those of Your own hometown who knew some facts about You, about Your parents Mary and Joseph, they knew Your relatives, they knew Joseph was a carpenter by trade and were dismissive of You when in fact they were clueless about who You truly were.

Today, in a world where information is readily available at our fingertips, all too often fail we fail to seek the truth for ourselves and having found it, consider the whole world well lost in order to possess it. Many listen to half-baked truths about You, they are misinformed and believe the lies that are told of You. They have erroneous ideas of You and to a great extent, we are responsible for giving the world a false image of You because we fail to live authentic Christian lives. 

The people of Your hometown rejected You because they were too bigoted, to see beyond the periphery of their own narrow vision and the same is true for many of us. We have a distorted view of You and of the faith, we are ignorant of Your Word, we are cafeteria Catholics quite happy to pick and choose what pleases our spiritual palate and discard that which we find difficult to practice. Our faith is so weak it vapourises when ugly scandals become public knowledge and we use them as an excuse to abandon the barque of Peter when in truth our lackluster faith needs no pretext to fold like a pack of cards in the wind. Miracles are nonexistent in our lives because we lack a robust faith where miracles are the norm. ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

MEMORIAL OF STS. MARTHA, MARY, AND LAZARUS - 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

1 JOHN 4:7-16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The great touchstone of authentic love is the Cross, there is no other and everyone who aspires to love as You did and do has to meet this criterion. It is not easy and the overarching reason we fail is that we are selfish.

Today, as the Church celebrates the love these three siblings had for You, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, we are reminded that love is everything. Failure to love reveals a rejection of You because as St. John reminds us in this hymn of love in today's first reading, that all love comes from God. He first loved us. He revealed His incomprehensible love for His unworthy, undeserving, and unfaithful people by sending You into the world so we can behold His Face in the flesh and exchange our death for Your life so we could live forever.

Love reaches out. Love makes the first move. Love does not stop to decide whether or not the beloved is worthy of love. Love just loves in season and out of season and whether one feels like loving or not. Love resides in the will and is not dependant on emotions. 

You asked the Father to take the chalice of suffering from You but You added, not My will but Yours be done. The price of Your suffering and death was the redemption of the whole world and You paid it gladly, willingly, and comprehensively.

'this is the love I mean:

not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.'

The lover loves whether or not the beloved reciprocates that love. Perfect love is given freely, without coercion. This love is possible only when one has experienced Your unconditional love for us. While we were yet sinners, You died for us and we are invited to die to ourselves in our love for our neighbor. You showed us how and we, as Your disciples, must do likewise.

God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.

PSALM 34:2-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

At every Holy Communion, we taste and see how good You are I am sorry for all the times when I took this heavenly food for granted. Grant me the gift of authentic humility for only those who are meek will inherit the earth.

Thank You for always hearing and answering all my prayers even when the answer was not quite what I expected or desired. This I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was always for my good. 

I am always in the company of the angels and saints for I have their help in times of distress. The angels provide protection, the saints intercede for me when I implore their help. Thank You, Beloved, that together with all the saints in heaven we are one body in You.

I have all I shall ever need while I live and I have the hope of heaven when I die. Who could ask for more than this?

JOHN 11:19-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You always send angels to comfort us when we are grieving. Martha and Mary were heartbroken at the loss of their brother. They send for You while he was ill and they hoped You would come to visit Your friend Lazarus and heal him. But oftentimes what we desire and what God wills are two different things.

You came only three days after his death. When news of Your arrival reached the two sisters, Martha came in haste to You and said, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’

You assured her that all would be well. Her brother would rise again. Misunderstanding what You meant she said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ But You replied saying, 'I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.' Addressing every disciple today You say, 'Do you believe this?’ And our response must always be, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father. JN 5:15

EXODUS 34:29-35 ©

My Soul's Beloved.

Moses came down the mountain holding the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. You descended from heaven containing within You the expression of the entire Word of God, who has but one Word - and that Word is You.

Moses' face was radiant after his encounter with the Living God. With every close encounter with You, especially after receiving You in Holy Communion our faces too, like his, ought to be radiant. If this was true of us, the whole world would be so enraptured with You they would desire to have what we are so blessed to receive, You, the Son of God, wholly and completely - body, blood, soul, and divinity. 

We behold You now, veiled in Bread and Wine, but when this life ceases to be for us, the veil will be set aside and we will see You as You are: "There we hope to enjoy forever the fullness of your glory, when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes. For seeing you, our God, as you are, we shall be like you for all the ages and praise you without end." Until then Beloved, grant that we strive to keep Your light shining bright in us and so illumine the little corner of the world in which we live. Amen.

PSALM 99:5-7,9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As long as we have breath in our body we who are grafted into Your Body, we who believe in You and have placed all our hope in You, can best express our love for You in loving service to others for Your sake. 

You make Yourself visible and tangible in those we serve for You have said, "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me." Our worship of You is meaningless and all our prayers mere lip service if our love and worship of You do not translate to kindness, compassion, and tenderness to those less fortunate than us.

Blessed as all the patriarchs, prophets, and kings were in the Old Testament none are so blessed as we for You consume You as food that wells up to eternal life in us. You are Emmanuel, God with us and You will remain with us until our last breath on this earth. May I never fail to love You with all the fervor of my whole being and to worship and praise You with immense gratitude all the days of my life.

MATTHEW 13:44-46 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for leading me step by step to the discovery that You are indeed the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price. I still battle my weaknesses which keep me from giving up everything in order to possess You and be possessed by You wholly, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, You will lead me to the place that the Father has destined for me.

Thank You, Lord.

TUESDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain forever.

EXODUS 33:7-11,34:5-9,28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Catholic Church is the fullness of revealed Truth. All her liturgical actions, her worship, her relationship with You, have their roots in the Old Testament. She invents nothing. Born from Your pierced side on the Cross she is the first fruit of Your redemption.

God gave Moses detailed instructions on how His people were to approach Him, how the priests had to prepare themselves to present His people to God, how every sacrifice offered, and every act of worship should be conducted. God assured Moses that He would be present with them and the Sign of His Presence would be 'the pillar of cloud' and He would descend and speak with Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. 

The old Tent, the old Temple of God's Presence among His people is still very much visible now in a new and far more tangible way than it was then and will be visible until the end of time. You are truly Emmanuel at every Holy Mass, You repose in our tabernacles in every Catholic Church, and You are worshipped and adored in our adoration chapels all over the world. The world's weary come to You and You speak with us as You spoke with Moses, face to face as with a friend.

My Lord and my God, ever since You created mankind You have desired to show us Your Face and to reveal to us that You are a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands he maintains his kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet he lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father’s fault in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation.’ 

Abba Father, I want to thank You once again today with all the fervor of my poor soul for sending us Jesus, Your Son, so we can know definitively, comprehensively, and beyond a shadow of all doubt, that You are Love and that Love was made manifest for all time at the incarnation. In Jesus, Your Son, we obtain forgiveness of sins and are adopted as Your heritage. Thank You!

PSALM 103:6-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Anyone who oppresses the poor ought to tremble with fear for You will ensure that justice will finally be granted to the poor, to widows, and to orphans who too long have been held hostage by the greed of the powerful. 

You are full of compassion, love, and mercy for the weak. All repentant sinners can count on Your forgiveness, healing, and restoration to the family of God.  

We can never be grateful and thankful enough for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In this sweet Sacrament where the Mercy of God is tangible, You take away our sins and drown them in the ocean of Your love, never to be recalled or remembered again. A good confession guarantees that every repentant sinner revels in this truth: 

As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

MATTHEW 13:36-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Let us never forget that the day of reckoning will come upon us all. We will all be called to account for all we have said and done. For our sins of omission and commission. For all the times when our hands have been too short to reach out in love. When we have been silent when a word or a look would have brought healing, reconciliation, comfort, and reassurance. When we failed to listen attentively and with a sympathetic, empathetic ear. When we refused to go where we have been called in order to help another carry a heavy load. 

You see all. You know all. The time will come when we will have to account for all the Good Seed sown which we have not permitted to take root and grow and for all the opportunities we gave the devil to sow seeds of evil allowing it to take root in us. 

What You said to Your disciples then You say to Your disciples today:

 ....at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

MEMORIAL OF STS. JOACHIM & ANNE, PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

They looked forward to Israel’s comforting
and the Holy Spirit rested upon them. LK 2:25

ECCLESIASTICUS 44:1,10-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

While it is true that holy men and women have left a lasting impression in the memory of the Church and their legacy continues to inspire all subsequent generations who come after them, there are countless ordinary people who through the ages have lived extraordinary lives quietly, unobtrusively, but have left their mark on the lives that were within their small circle of influence. 

Mary was born of holy, godfearing parents, she was God's gift to them and they nurtured this precious little pearl and helped her to grow, bloom, and blossom under their loving gaze and in the safety and shelter of their little home where God reigned supreme. 

The Church recognizes the undeniable and extraordinary influence for good in the home where children are received and welcomed as a precious gift from God. Where parents are respected by their adult children, And where parents and children respect, love, and care for the elderly members of their family.

It is the work of a lifetime to raise holy, godfearing, righteous children and in our present world, a fierce battle rages to steal, plunder, and the souls of the little children. Even though the battle may be ongoing the victory is won. You will continue to raise ordinary souls to the heights of extraordinary holiness with the help of grace that is poured into our lives by the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments. Thank You. 

PSALM 132:11,13-14,17-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Old Testament speaks of God's pledge to choose a son of David to sit on the throne. God chose Abraham from among all the nations from whom he would make a great nation. Abraham and Sara had one son, Isaac, but God fulfilled his promise of giving him descendants as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the shore. 

God makes impossible and inconceivable promises and He fulfills every one of them. You, my Lord, are not a son of David but Your foster father, St. Joseph was and as Your foster father and legal guardian You inherited his lineage. To You is given a throne far greater than the throne that David sat on and Your kingdom is everlasting. 

It pleased God to choose Israel and its people as His inheritance. The Messiah of the world was born of a virgin who was a daughter of Israel and the daughter of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Mary. Her lap was the throne of God. Her breasts gave Him life. Her blood coursed through His veins, and she gave Him His Body.

From Joachim and Anne came Mary, the flower of Israel, from the line of David came St. Joseph a man after God's own heart and pure as the lily is pure. And the greatest treasure and salvation of the Church and the world came into the world from this humble, insignificant, unknown little family in Nazareth - our God is the God of the impossible, the inconceivable, the unknowable, the unsearchable but He can be found to those who hunger and thirst for Him and all who do will be saved.

‘There David’s stock will flower;

I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine.’

MATTHEW 13:16-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How extraordinarily blessed we are to live in this present moment in time. Great good and great evil have always lived side by side like the wheat and darnel but by coming into the world and redeeming it, good has triumphed over evil.

In this age of great advancement in technology, development, and easy access to information not many can honestly claim to be ignorant of You. Even if their perceptions of You may be skewed, incorrect, and absolutely, categorically, and absurdly wrong, they have heard of You. Today, it is time for all people of goodwill to pay close attention to the words You spoke to Your disciples and understand that You are also addressing us who are called by Your Name. 

‘Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

It is not enough for us to individually see, to hear, and believe, it is far, far more important and imperative to spend our lives being the light and salt of the earth so many can see, hear, and believe and be saved. Every disciple will be held accountable for not preaching the Gospel by our lives.

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

2 KINGS 4:42-44 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

From the foundations of the world God has been present in it and has revealed Himself to anyone who truly desired to see Him. From the first sin that separated us from God, our Father planned to redeem us going to lengths that no human or angel can fathom for it is inconceivable to either. The Father was prepared to give You, His only, most Beloved oly Son into the hands of an evil world in order to become the scapegoat for our sins and the sins of the whole human race.

Not only does the atoning sacrifice of Your life take away our sins but Your Flesh and Blood are our food and drink providing us with superabundant life that will well up to eternal life in heaven.  

We are truly the envy of the angels.

Thank You for the Holy Eucharist made available to us because of a Father's love for His children, the filial love of a First Born Brother who willingly did as the Father commanded, and the Holy Spirit who is the love of Father and Son who made it possible.

With God, we will always have bread to eat and there will always be some left over. God satisfies the hungry heart all the time. 

PSALM 145:10-11,15-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There has never been a time in my life when I did not stretch out my open hands to You and You did not fill them with all that is good, and perfect. You have always granted each of my desires, not always in the way I may have wished but always in the way that was perfect for me.

My Lord, may I never fail to thank You with every breath that I breathe. May I never fail to recognise Your blessings and Your hand in all the circumstances in my life even the one that may be bitter, painful, and most difficult. 

Thank You for the confidence I have in You that Your ear is pressed close to my lips and my heart so You hear all I wish to say to you and You answer me always with Your best blessings and graces. 

EPHESIANS 4:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul, who suffered gladly for Your sake all the hardships, privations, persecutions, imprisonments, as well as lashing, stoning, and physical abuse, reveals to all people of goodwill our attitude in dealing with one another in order to lives that are always pleasing to God. 

St. Paul contemplated deeply the Word of Truth and Life and by the power of the Holy Spirit has articulated powerfully how we are to live in brotherhood, friendship, and love with one another.

It is never easy to love those who are difficult, those who are selfish, those who are inconsiderate, those who bully us and take advantage of us, those who use their power to deny us that which rightfully ought to be given to us but despite all of it, St. Paul tells us that we must, 'Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience.'

Thank You, Beloved, that we are not required to muddle along and do it as best we can, no, You have given us grace upon grace through the Sacraments and the Holy Spirit helps us every step of the way. We look forward with glad expectation for the day when the world recognizes that, 'There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.'

SATURDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Accept and submit to the word
which has been planted in you
and can save your souls. JAS 1:21

EXODUS 24:3-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You have summed up the Law in two great commandments - ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ If we etch the Law of Love on our hearts and allow all our thoughts, words, and actions to be influenced and directed by them we will find it easy to obey all God's laws. 

The Apostles are the foundation stones, Peter is the Rock and You are the Cornerstone on which Your Church is built. She stands strong and invincible on Your Word. Immolated for her as a living sacrifice You took upon Yourself the sins of the whole world and made reparation for all our iniquities. 

Your Blood is sprinkled on us and we are cleansed of every transgression - in You is forgiveness of every sin committed by the world having made perfect atonement on our behalf to Your Father. Grant us this grace, that we resolve to obey Your command to love God above and before all and our neighbor as ourselves and the peace which You came to give the world will descend on us and remain with us forever.

FRIDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance. LK 8:15

EXODUS 20:1-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

On the Cross on Calvary, You broke the chains that enslaved me. You brought me out of the house of bondage to sin and into Your marvelous light. God gave His people and all generations both Jews and Gentiles, the Law. Without these guidelines, we would be ignorant of the things that are offensive to Him. We were created in love, by love, for love. This is why God sent You into the world to reveal the Face of Love.

Love is not a feeling for feelings are ephemeral, love is a way of life and is born in the will. It is a decision to love the other in season and out of season. This is possible only when we know God first and love Him as we ought. Love makes everything else possible. True love is prepared to die for another. You gave us a perfect example of love for us to follow and You provide the necessary grace the enables us to strive always, no matter how imperfectly, to be like You.

PSALM 19:8-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The psalmist has pondered on God's law deeply and has understood how necessary it is to be guided by them. You know the human heart for You created us and You know how we ought to live if we are to be happy in this life.

Sin kills the soul. Sin brings death to the body, mind, and spirit. Sin cripples us in every way and we are unable to break free from it unless we know what goes against the law of love. Ignorance as well as a denial of God's law is hell. 

All who know the laws of God and are guided by them have wellsprings of joy and peace in their soul. Nothing disturbs them, nothing frightens them for they are guided by the Holy Spirit in all things.

It is only the simple and childlike of heart that understands that in order to receive all that is good one must give all that is good. The more we are imbued by the Spirit of God the more promptly will we obey Him in all things. 

Thank You, Father, for giving us the Commandments, without them, we would all be sinning with impunity. Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us that it is possible to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for providing all the grace and help we need to help us to journey from here to eternity.   

MATTHEW 13:18-23 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We have allowed the noise of the world to dull our senses to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. All too often we hear Your Word without listening and this is why we are unable to put into practice the Gospel principles. Today, You remind us to listen to Your Word not just to hear it and forget it instantly. 

If we do not cultivate a habit of truly hearing Your Word, listening to what it says, applying it to our lives we will find ourselves floundering in a sea of uncertainty and unhappiness. Your Word has the power to bestow on all who receive it, life in abundance. 

All of us sinners and saints have received Your Word with hard stony hearts, we have received it with indifference, we have been momentarily elated by Your call to discipleship but have promptly been distracted by the siren call of the world and the flesh. We have received it with hearts full of the cares, worries, and anxieties of this world and have allowed the Seed of God's Word to choke and destroy it. 

Thank You for never giving up on us. All our lives You reach out to us and invite us lovingly into a deeper relationship with You. You provide all the grace that is necessary and will stop at nothing to get our attention. And when our hearts are finally ready Your Word will take root in us and will bear fruit for Your glory.  

FEAST OF MARY MAGDALENE - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Tell us, Mary: say
what thou didst see upon the way.
– The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

SONG OF SONGS 3:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Mary Magdalene in doing so she wishes to remind us that there is hope for every sinner. No one is so lost that salvation is hopeless. This is the reason why the Father sent You into the world - You came to seek and save the lost. As long as we have breath You reach out Your hands to us and invite us to come to You, be healed by You, to rest in You, to be nourished by You, and above all to be one with You in this life and eternally in the glorious life that awaits all who believe in You, hope in You, and love You.

May ours be the passionate love song that the Beloved sings to You, our Bridegroom, may all my thoughts be of You and consume my heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit night and day.  When I sin may I have no rest until I seek You and finding You throw myself into Your loving embrace certain that I will find forgiveness, mercy, healing, compassion, and loving kindness in You gracious response to my repentant heart and contrite spirit.

Thank You for redeeming me and claiming me as Your own.

PSALM 63:2-6,8-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I want to thank You for the grace of loving You. You are my all my Lord and my God, having You I have need of no one and nothing - You satisfy the hungry heart, You are the beloved Friend and Companion of all who hear Your voice and respond to Your invitation to follow You. All our longings, all our hunger, and thirst, all our spiritual and physical needs are met and sated in You.

Thank You, Father, for sending us Your Son. Thank You for knowing how much we will need Him so we can journey safely from this life to the life that awaits us in eternity. Thank You for not leaving us orphans after Your resurrection but leaving a lasting Presence for us in the Eucharist. Thank You for Your Presence with us always in our Tabernacles in every Church so Your poor pilgrims can come and gaze on You and be fed by You. Your love meets and satisfies every need and longing.

May I praise You as long as I have breath in my body. May my hands never tire of being raised up to You in gratitude, worship, and thanksgiving. May my lips never tire of speaking of You and telling everyone I meet how wonderfully good, faithful, loving, kind, and compassionate You are.  

May I cling to You always. May I never doubt Your mercy. No matter how gravely I have sinned or how many times I repeat the same sins may I run to You and beg Your mercy and forgiveness confident that You will wipe away my tears, heal my wounded spirit and cleanse me of all my sins and my guilt.

Do not let go of me my Lord and grant that I may never let go of You. Amen.

JOHN 20:1-2,11-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You took upon Yourself the sins of the whole world, all the corruption that our flesh is prone to, and every evil that our minds can conceive and execute. You bore them all until You made perfect atonement in Your lacerated flesh and Your pierced heart and only then gave up Your Spirit into the hands of Your Father, crying out in a loud voice, 'It is finished.'

Mary Magdalene, a faithful and loving disciple stayed at the foot of the Cross with Your mournful Mother to the end and on the first day of the week, Sunday, hurried to the tomb. She was the first witness to the empty tomb and she was the first disciple to whom You entrusted the good news of our salvation. Death is routed, evil is trounced, God has won a triumphant, resounding, complete, unconditional, and everlasting victory.

What the angels said to Mary Magdalene heaven says to us all, 

‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ And when we reveal that it is You we are looking for, You Yourself come to us, call us by our name as You did that glorious day when You said to her, "Mary!"  You know our name and You whisper it gently always cajoling us, inviting us, and reminding us that You are with us always for You are Emmanuel - God with us. The Good News of our salvation entrusted to Mary is entrusted to all Your disciples, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ 

WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain forever.

EXODUS 16:1-5,9-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

All too often we behave like the people of God in the wilderness. When all is well we are full of praise, joy, and thanksgiving, but let a little trouble come into our lives and we forget every past blessing, every miracle, every joy both great and small, and above all we forget how much You love us and we begin to complain, whine, grumble, and question what You are doing in our lives. We allow sadness to smother us and rob us of our joy in the knowledge that we are sons and daughters of God. 

The Israelites had suffered greatly when they were enslaved and but as soon as the journey to freedom became difficult they wished to return to slavery because although they suffered greatly their bellies were full. We are no different. We tend to look at the past through rose-tinted glasses when the reality is that they were times of great trial and suffering.  

You hear the cry of Your people and You rained down bread from heaven. You gave them as much as they needed and they ate until they were satisfied. You provided meat as well so they would cease to complain and instead be grateful to You for providing them sustenance for the journey.  

Here we see a foreshadowing of the Eucharist - the Bread of Angels is Your Flesh given for the life of the world. It is our food for the journey from this life to eternity.

PSALM 78:18-19,23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Once we resolve to give up the sins that have bound and enslaved us all the old cravings arise periodically to tempt us and lead us away from the path leading to life. They are presented to us as most appealing, satisfying, and we beguile ourselves into believing that we were happy being shackled to our sins. The fight to exercise discipline, and self-control until we gained mastery is sometimes so hard that we want to give up and give in. 

The desert, the wilderness, is a battleground but we are not alone. You provide all we need to fight and to win the victory over our weaknesses which are legion. Thank You for faith, grace, the Sacraments, and above all Your loving Presence helping us every step of the way. 

You are Jehovah Jirah, providing us Your own Body and Blood to sustain us until we reach the end of our earthly journey. Keep us faithful and trusting to the end.

MATTHEW 13:1-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

At various times in my life, the good seed of Your Word has fallen on a heart that has received it carelessly and so was lost when I was faced and gave into temptations. At other times I was so hard of heart that Your Word did not stand a chance of taking root in its hostile ground. There were other times after hearing a great sermon or reading a good book I was momentarily excited and received Your Word with many good resolutions to amend my ways but other base attractions grabbed my interest and I let Your Word be lost in the clamor of other, lesser loves.  I am most grateful my Lord, that You did not give up but continued to sow relentlessly the Good Seed of Your Word all through my life until, after many tears, trials, sorrows, heartaches, and heartbreaks, my heart was finally ready to receive it and with Your help and grace now begins to yield fruit for Your glory and honor.

Ezekiel 34:11-16, Romans 5b-11, Psalm 23:1-6, Luke 15:3-7

SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Ezekiel 34:11-16, Romans 5b-11, Psalm 23:1-6, Luke 15:3-7

Ezekiel 34:11-16

My Beloved, today the Church celebrates the Feast of Your Sacred Heart.  The same heart that was pierced with love for us before it was pierced by a lance.

The heart that continues to be aflame with the fire of Your love while still encircled with a crown of thorns because of our indifference to Your love.  Yet, You love us and as these verses promise, You will care for us and watch over us as tenderly as a shepherd watches over his sheep.  When we stray You look for us. You gather us together in the Church You established, here You feed us with the finest grain and the sweetest wine - Your Body and Blood.  You will lead us up to the mountain of God and You will disperse the clouds and fog of error and false teaching.

In the Presence of the Father, You will gather us under Your breast, and in the power of Your Holy Spirit, You will make us once with the Triune God.

You will heal us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  You will wash our wounds and heal our diseases caused by our sins.  You will restore, strengthen and make whole once more.  Your own will be safe with You they need never know fear or be afraid.