FRIDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord. MT 11:8

GENESIS 23:1-4,19,24:1-8,62-67 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When his wife Sarah passed away he bought the burial plot in which he would bury her. That was the only piece of land he owned and yet Abraham's faith in God's promises was unshakeable, he believed even though it was not fulfilled in his lifetime yet. We on the other hand desire an instant answer to our prayers and when Your response is slow in coming we lose heart, we grow impatient, sad, anxious, and our faith begins to waver, and even grow tepid.

Abraham is a great example of unwavering faith in God. No matter how remote the possibility of things working in our favor may seem, if we trust You we will discover that You are always faithful to your promises. Although we may never see them realized in our lifetime, as was the case with Abraham, the blessings will come, the promises will be fulfilled, our children and our children's children even to a thousand generations will be blessed just as it was with Isaac and Rachel and all the descendants that came after him. You always keep Your promises as Scripture testifies over and over again. You keep Your Word.

PSALM 106:1-5 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We live in an age and in a culture where instant self-gratification is the norm. We are never satisfied even though we are blessed with more than we need. Instead of praise and thanksgiving, we are constantly grumbling and complaining. We eagerly seek to follow a culture that promotes self-indulgence and everyone is taught that it is important to look out for oneself ahead of everyone else. 

The psalmist however recommends a better way that will guarantee joy. When we are truly grateful and thankful for all Your wonderful blessings our whole being will permeate with gratitude for God's wondrous mercy to us. 

Grant us the grace to model our life on Yours so we can become the salt and light of the world. Help us to make Your ways our ways, Your thoughts our thoughts, grant that our spirit be imbued with Yours. True joy comes from always choosing Your will over our own. 

We were not created for this life but for eternity with You. But unless we are prepared to choose the narrow way we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

MATTHEW 9:9-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and St. John says anyone who claims to be without sin is a liar. So let us not lose heart when we sin for we are all sinners. If a righteous man falls seven times a day we can be sure that we poor, frail, weak creatures will fall constantly. It is not how often or how gravely we sin that You are concerned about, it is the rising again after every fall, it is returning with a contrite and repentant heart, and resolving with Your help to sin no more. You alone can provide the grace and the strength needed to overcome our sinful habits and our propensity to fall no sooner than we are faced with temptation. 

You called Matthew, a tax collector to follow You. You do not look on our sins but You look at the sinner and see what is possible with Your help and grace. All that is required of us is to get up, leave everything behind when we hear Your invitation, and follow You.

Just like the Pharisees who scorned You for keeping company with sinners we too may be judged and condemned for the company we keep. It is the world's sick, lonely, marginalized, those that are so often overlooked because they are deemed an inconvenience by the world who need us. They may be found in our own family, or in close proximity with us. You came for sinners, not the righteous. And as You reminded the Pharisees it is far more pleasing in Your sight to show mercy rather than to judge and condemn.