MEMORIAL OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE & DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH - 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

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

By the power of the Word uttered by God I was created for You in the same way that the Father created all things and He did so in order that You may be glorified. It is the Father's will that all creation love You, worship You, give You praise, glory, and honor for all things find their perfection and fulfillment in You. 

You are the image of the invisible God. You became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became Man. For our sake, You died in order that we could receive Your life and live. You are the firstborn of the Father begotten by Him eternally. You are the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, You are first, last, and forever. In You, all things find their meaning and purpose. 

You are the perfecter of our faith. All who believe in You are happy and blessed. You are our great Amen to God for in You every promise made to Adam and Eve, Abraham Jacob, and Isaac, and every priest, prophet, and king, through the ages, find their fulfillment in You. 

By Your death on the Cross, You have given us Your peace by reconciling us to God, making us His children and co-heirs with You to the Kingdom of God. 

PSALM 100:2-5 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There is no greater joy than to serve God and we can do so by serving those around us with love. Nothing robs the soul of peace so much as selfishness and self-centredness. A life that is lived for You and for love of You spends itself for others and discovers streams of love, joy, and peace gushing from within. 

Nothing can give us greater confidence, nothing can boost our self-esteem so much as the knowledge that we belong to You. We are called by Your Name, we are the sheep of Your flock. We know Your voice and when You call us by our name we recognize Your voice and hasten to Your side. 

Knowing You has put a song in our hearts, thanksgiving in our lips, and a spirit that worships You. We bless You with every beat of our hearts because we are mindful and grateful for the sacrifice of Your life that set us free. 

Thank You for Your faithfulness even when we are faithless and for Your merciful love that keeps no account of our transgressions when we come to You with humble and contrite hearts.  

LUKE 5:33-39 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You understand human nature in all its complexities because You became one like us in all things save sin. Too often we mistakenly believe that our deeds are a sign of being conformed to You and to Your Word. This is not true because our motives for doing good can be questionable.

It is not our fasts, our sacrifices, our mortifications, our penances, deprivation to our flesh, that make us acceptable in Your sight because our hearts may be far from You. Rather, it is our love from which every good flows, that makes our deeds acceptable in Your sight.

The Pharisees and scribes set great store by outward appearances. Comparing John's disciples to Your, they criticized Your disciples and found them wanting because John's disciples were always fasting and praying but Yours did not fast. You replied saying, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast.’

By referencing Yourself as the Bridegroom we understand that at the great marriage feast that will take place at the end of time, You will come in glory and majesty to receive Your Bride, the Church You established and founded on Yourself as its Cornerstone, Peter its Rock, and the Apostles as its foundation stones.

The old has passed. You are the new Adam, You are the new wine the old makes way for the new for it is You my Lord and my God who makes all things new.