MONDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-5,8-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This life is only the doorway through which we enter our final destination. How we live on earth today determines where we will spend forever. St. Paul and his compansions praise the Thessalonians for their receptiveness to the Good News and the metanoia that resulted in their lives after hearing the Word of God preached to them. The faith has spread from Thessalonika to the surrounding regions because of their dynamic testimony of the Gospel by their lives.

This is how it should be with every Christian who is called by Your Name. Unless our actions reflect our words in every way and every single time we will only be making empty sounds, like crashing gongs or clashing cymbals. Authentic Christian living has the power to preach without words. As salt and light of the world, we can transform the place we live in into God's Kingdom on earth. 

St. Paul put it well when he says that our faith must be recognized by our actions, love must be the catalyst for our work in establishing God's Kingdom on earth as we persevere through hope in You, our Lord and Savior.

PSALM 149:1-6,9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we focus on the things of the world we lose sight of the joy that is Your gift to all who believe in You, hope in You, and place all their trust in You. The Good News has the power to fill us with unending songs of praise and joy because You are our Lord and our King and we are Your people, called by Your Name, we belong to You and unworthy though we are You love us with an everlasting love and You delight in us.

The childlike in spirit, the poor, the humble, those who experience authentic joy in You are able, like David, to dance and sing delightedly in Your Presence. It is You who raise us from the dungheap of our sinful lives and crown us with Your love.

Keep me ever mindful of the great privilege of being called by You, of being anointed by the Holy Spirit, and of belonging to the family of God through the gift of faith received at my baptism. Grant, O Lord, that I may be always grateful for this wondrous gift of faith in You. 

MATTHEW 23:13-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

If there is one thing that You have little patience for it is hypocrites. You will no tolerate them no matter when they are seated in the highest echelons of power.

It is good for all of us to pay special attention to what You say to the scribes and Pharisees who twist the law to serve their own interests rather than God. You are especially harsh to those who after converting someone make him more deserving of hell than heaven by their bad example.

Faith is Your free gift to us may we not use it to distort the truth to further our own selfish interests.