FRIDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many. MK 10:45

HAGGAI 1:15-2:9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The human spirit has a tendency to look at the glory days of the past and yearn for what has gone - but today Your Word reminds us that that is no way to live and if we do we will stagnate and die. The Holy Spirit is at work in us constantly making all things new.

The prophet Haggai comforted the people of God who were downcast because the Temple was destroyed and he assured them that God was at work to give them something new, something not seen before, something that would be far greater and more splendid than anything that existed in the past. 'To work!' the prophet said to the people because God was with them. 

God is always with us and although He does not need our help He lovingly desires our participation in His glorious plans for us. Every promise, every prophecy that He made in the past is fulfilled to perfection in You. All through salvation history God has said to His people, 'I am with you – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks – and my spirit remains among you. Do not be afraid!' 

You know how fearful we are, Beloved, how easily we lose our peace, how readily we believe that we are swamped by our problems, there is no help in sight and we will never know joy and peace again. But this is a lie. You are Emmanuel, God with us and You ask us today to raise our eyes to You and to look at the marvels God has done for His people.

God's Kingdom is in our midst. God's Temple is set high on Mt Zion, and people from every nation, language, and culture stream to her and find their home in her. God's Temple is Your Living Body and the Holy Spirit dwells in fullness in her. The glory of the new Temple surpasses the old in every way for it is built on living stones. In this House of God is the entrance to the Kingdom of God - here is perfect peace and perfect rest for the God of Peace is its Cornerstone.

PSALM 43:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Life without hope is death to the human spirit. God's gift to His people is faith, hope, and love. Our hope is born of our faith, and our love of God and neighbor is the fruit of faith and hope.  

Thank You, Beloved, for the gift of faith in You and in Your Eternal Word. We believe and because we believe we will not be shaken no matter how terrifyingly the storm rages around us. There are times when we are overcome by the terrors of the night and the arrows that fly by day, but if we cling to our faith in You, hope will rekindle and we will withstand the onslaught of the Enemy.

You never withdraw Your presence from us but we withdraw from You when we sin or when we allow our fears to so overwhelm us we lose sight of You. We need You, Lord, we are defenseless against the Enemy. You alone can rescue and save us. 

Your Word is Truth and we can walk the Way with courage when we keep our steps from straying away from its powerful Light. Keep us safe in the shelter of Your holy Temple, the place where You dwell in fullness so we will be fed on the Manna that comes from heaven and receive divine life and grace.

May we never cease to praise and thank You for the gift of Your Church and for the safety she provides all the children who are born of her for she has Your guarantee that the gates of hell will never prevail against her.

LUKE 9:18-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Gospel passage for our reflection tells us that You were praying alone in the presence of Your disciples - this teaches us that we can pray anytime, anywhere, whether we are alone or with others. Each time we close ourselves to the world and raise our hearts and minds to You in that infinity of the spirit within us we are united more intimately with you than those around us whom we can see, hear, and touch.

You then pose this question to the disciples, 'Who do the crowds say I am?' A disciple is one who, having encountered You personally, lives a radically transformed life. To merely be one among the crowd however is to be woefully ignorant of You.  Only a disciple who lives with You can be familiar with Your teaching, Your Word, Your way of living, and strives to imitate You will be able to respond to Your question directed specifically to us,  ‘But you, who do you say I am?’ as Peter did and say, 'You are the Christ of God.’ 

It was then that You made known Your mission, ‘The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’ This is the Good News that brings salvation to the whole world. First, there must be the Cross, there must be a living sacrifice, that makes atonement for the sins of the world, only then can we have the glory of the resurrection in which God graciously gives us all a share.