TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME -2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord,
through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. GAL 6:14

ISAIAH 50:5-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

One who is righteous, who walks in the Way of Truth and Love, who keeps Your Word in season and out of season no matter the consequences, even if it means death, such a person has nothing to fear. As long as we follow closely in Your footsteps, no matter how much the world hates us, persecutes us, terrorizes us, plots all kinds of evil against us, and even causes our destruction, we walk without fear for You are with us. 

If God is for us, who can be against us?  It is better to suffer in this life, Beloved, than to suffer eternally in the next. You are our Model - let us pattern our lives after Yours and we will know joy and peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. 

The Lord comes to my help,

so that I am untouched by the insults.

The Lord is coming to my help,
who will dare to condemn me?

PSALM 116:1-6,8-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we cry to You, when we appeal to You for help, You never fail us. The more we know You the greater our love for You and our confidence in Your unfailing help. You are closer to us than our shadow. You are closer to us than we are to ourselves because You are Emmanuel, God with us.

Before I can cry out Your Name, before a sound escapes my lips, You hasten to help me. In the midst of anguish, death, turmoil, sorrow, and distress You are present. You are there in the very eye of the storm and You keep me safe. You are my deliverer.

Even though I am a sinner, unworthy of Your love, even though I fall a hundred times a day, yet, when I reach out for You, You hasten to my side because You know that without Your mighty protection I would not live.

You save me not once but over and over again. You have kept my soul from eternal damnation because You are God of great compassion and love, slow to anger and wondrous in mercy and forgiveness. Thank You for holding me up when I have no strength of my own. Thank You for permitting me to seek refuge in You. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for the gift of faith that assures me that I can trust in You - You never fail.

JAMES 2:14-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. James tells us very distinctly and unequivocally that faith gives birth to good deeds. You cannot have one without the other. They are two sides of a coin.

If our faith does not make us tenderhearted, compassionate, and move us to act to alleviate the sufferings of those who are hurting, sick, broken, homeless, hungry, naked, and all the other ills that plague so many, then our faith is a thing to be ridiculed. Authentic faith moves out of self to the other and always seeks the good of a brother or sister in need.

Our faith, if it is only lofty-sounding words, is sterile. Every good deed, every perfect gift of self is born of faith and is alive. We need both, good deeds are evidence that our faith is alive because they are prompted by faith in You. 

MARK 8:27-35 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Only those who have a personal relationship with You will know who truly You are. If our knowledge of You was based merely on hearsay then we would repeat parrot-fashion what s

others say of You and would mistakenly identify You as a great spiritual guru, an exceedingly good man, a man of wisdom who taught good moral values, none of which reveals who You truly are. When we base our knowledge of You on hearsay we will be way off base.

It is only when we are in daily communion with You, have  an intimate knowledge of Your Word in Scripture and through the Church that we, like Peter, can make a true confession of our faith when You ask us, ‘Who do you say I am?’ And we respond, ‘You are the Christ.’ However, we must never forget that You came into the world to do the will of the Father. Peter became a stumbling block when he raised objections to Your revelation that You came to face rejection, suffer grievously, and ultimately be put to death by the enemies of Truth.

If we are to be Your disciples we need to accept Your invitation which is extended to all who desire to follow You: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.’ A good disciple does not run away from the cross but embraces it for there can be no crown of glory without it.