SATURDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2TIM 1:10

1 MACCABEES 6:1-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we allow full rein to our passion, to our flesh, to our desire to acquire and amass, nothing will satisfy, nothing gives peace, joy flees and in its place and the soul loses all tranquility. 

King Antiochus ransacked Jerusalem and committed ghastly atrocities against the people of God. Now he hears that Persia is rich and decides to wage war there as well. He was beaten soundly. When he hears news that Jerusalem has managed to drive out the armies that invaded them he becomes dejected. Going over his past he believes that he has been defeated because of the atrocities committed in Jerusalem and the ransacking of the Temple.

The world continues to wage war against Christians, and the Church. It seeks new ways to repress her and persecute those who fearlessly work in Your vineyard. We thank You, Lord, for Your assurance that no matter how hard the devil uses his agents of evil in the world to destroy her, he will never prevail. If the world suffers it is because it is doing its best to live without God, His Eternal Word, and His all-powerful Spirit.

‘But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there, and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at all. This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a foreign land.’

PSALM 9:2-4,6,16,19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The joy and wonder of faith in You always no matter what life throws at us is that You will always provide all the help and grace we need. You may provide just enough light to take one step forward, but we can count on the light for every step we take as we advance towards the end of our journey on earth. The key O Lord, to living a life of tranquility is to praise You constantly and to pray without ceasing.

No hand raised against us will strike us. Nothing the enemy does to prevail against us will succeed. Ever since You created the world Satan has tried to destroy and kill Your creation and he will continue to do so until You return. But You have won the victory. Satan is vanquished. We share Your triumph.

All who believe in You and Your Name O Lord, all who are called by Your name O Lord, will live forever because You are our salvation, our help, our joy, our deliverer - we are victorious in You. 

LUKE 20:27-40 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

No matter how cleverly the devil indoctrinates sinners to lie and spread evil the unvarnished truth is this, marriage on earth is necessary in order for humanity to exist. Without procreation, we would become extinct. The institution of marriage is essential and God intended from the beginning that a man and a woman come together and become one flesh. This is the most ideal way to raise a healthy family. 

Your presence at the Wedding in Cana sanctifies marriage and this passage from the Gospel of Luke sheds clear light on God's design for marriage on earth and the necessity for it and why there will be no need for marriage in heaven. How simple our lives would be if we just took God at His Word. 

When we remove You and Your Word from the intimate union between a man and a woman for as long as the two shall live, we get the kind of madness that is raging in our world today. The Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection were quite wrong when they posed what they thought was a seemingly difficult question to You, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

In Your response, You made it quite clear that the institution of marriage is for this world because, those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. Too often we fail to remember that this world is not our home.

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord. PS 94:8

1 MACCABEES 2:15-29 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How few there are today, who are zealous for You and the Law of Love first for God wholeheartedly and then for neighbor. We are all too busy kowtowing to the cultural agenda of our age and have created for ourselves a world that no longer upholds Truth.

Pilate asked the question, 'What is truth?' but he did not wait for the answer. Truth stood before him and he was unable to perceive it because he was blinded by his worship of Caesar. 

Mattathias not only burned with zeal for the law of God, but he was also prepared to give up everything for it. None of the honors of the world that King Antiochus offered him tempted him. He knew what was right and was prepared to lose everything including his life to keep and honor the Law of God.

 ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them: we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.’ 

Today, most of us a Christians only in name. Many have renounced their Christian roots to embrace the culture of the world. There are very few Mattathias' among us but we pray that these few by their sterling example and unswerving faith will shine the Light of Truth on the world and by their witness draw others to come home to You. Unless we are prepared to lay down our lives for the sake of the Gospel the world will perish.

PSALM 50:1-2,5-6,14-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Creator has spoken and His Eternal Word has gone forth to the ends of the earth on the Breath of the Spirit. The work of salvation is a work of the Triune God. The Light of Truth is set high on Mt. Zion and it beckons all people of goodwill to make their pilgrim way to the House of God.

What does the Father ask of us, His people who were chosen from among all the nations in the world? He requires us to come together in faith offering to Him the Covenant Sacrifice most pleasing to Him the Sacrifice of Love offered by the Incarnate Word on Calvary.

There is no greater prayer, there is no greater Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and Praise than the celebration of Holy Mass. All God's faithful come together as one community, uniting their own personal sacrifices with the one and only Sacrifice offered by the Son to the Father in expiation of the sins of the whole world. The Father will hear and answer every cry that His children utter when they unite the sacrifice of their own lives with the one, holy, complete, and perfect Sacrifice offered on the Cross. 

LUKE 19:41-44 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The greatest tragedy of all time is the rejection by God's chosen people of the One that they themselves were waiting for, praying for, longing for, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve. Luke phrases it perfectly in today's Gospel passage when he says, 'They did not recognize  did not recognize their  opportunity when God offered it!’ They had their own narrow expectations of the Messiah and when the reality was so unbelievably breathtaking, unexpected, incomprehensible, and unfathomable, they simply rejected it. It was inconceivable to them that God would choose to come in this way - hidden, small, poor, ordinary, unknown, quietly, unobtrusively. They could not wrap their minds around it and hence they dismissed it summarily.

And here You are, drawing close to Jerusalem, where every prophecy of the Suffering Servant made by the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled. Your heart is broken for You can foresee what their blind and stubborn rejection of You will cost them. All that they knew, loved, and revered, their way of life that was began with Abraham would be swept away forever, and You wept. It could have been averted but they refused to accept God's Way of coming into the world. 'He came to his own and his own received him not.'

 
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

MEMORIAL OF ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY, RELIGIOUS - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord. JN 15:16

2 MACCABEES 7:1,20-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The rulers of the world indoctrinate the ignorant to indulge the flesh, to cater to the needs of one's self over those of others, and to have a disdain for all that is chaste, holy, and godly.

This remarkable story in the 2nd Book of Maccabees teaches us the power, strength, wisdom, and courage that a mother displays in the face of tyranny. If mothers today possessed even a sliver of the courage of this mother the children of this generation would not be as adrift in the sea of relativism as they are today.

This mother had raised her seven sons to love the Law of God and to obey it. When their faith was tested they had the strength to withstand the wiles of the wicked. It was their mother who stood by bravely and encourage her sons to remain steadfast and she watched each one put to death before her eyes.

Very few parents today display sterling virtues and by their personal witness teach their children the same. Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, for Your Church, for the Teaching Authority of the Church, and for those in the Church who remain faithful to Your teachings and teach their children to do the same as well. As long as we have a few who are willing to swim against the tide there is yet hope for the world. 

PSALM 17:1,5-6,8,15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There are still valiant souls in the world who have courage and are prepared, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to withstand the onslaught of wicked tyranny that rules in almost every part of the globe.

Hear the cries of Your faithful O Lord, who raise up holy hands and hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving for Your goodness and mercy and plead for the salvation of sinners. Thank You for monks, priests, religious, cloistered convents hidden from the world who make constant intercession for those who are struggling to remain godly in an ungodly world.

Because of the prayers of a valiant few many will be saved.

Strengthen those of us who are in the world and who strive daily to live lives that are pleasing to You, who desire to align their will to Yours, and who are doing the best they can despite the culture war raging in the world. Keep our feet firmly in your paths so our steps do not falter. May our prayers be ever before You. Strengthen us every moment of every day and remain with us always.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings
As for me, in my justice I shall see your face
and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

LUKE 19:11-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's parable teaches us how to view the end times and prepare ourselves even as doomsday prophets predict that the end of the world is imminent.  

The Kingdom of God, You tell us is like a nobleman who travels to a distant country and before leaving gives each of his servants' charge of a portion of his wealth and instructs them to transact business on his behalf. On his return, he expects to see that they have used his money well, increased the capital entrusted to them, and made a profit as well for their master. The parable adds that the nobleman was to be appointed king upon his return. His people detested and rejected him as their king and plotted against him.

It is only now, as we read the Gospels we see how clearly this parable points to You, to Your enemies who constantly plotted against You, rejected You as their Messiah, and succeeded in putting You to death. What they did not count on was Your Resurrection, how could they when they did not believe in You.

The nobleman in the parable does return as king and his servants are called in one by one to give an account of how they used their Master's money. As we read this parable You tell us very clearly how You will deal with us when You return in glory to judge the living and the dead. 

TUESDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God so loved us that he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. 1JN 4:10

2 MACCABEES 6:18-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There have been countless unknown souls in the course of history who have been as honorable in life and in death as Eleazar. This passage gives us a detailed account of this venerable old man who was prepared to die as he had lived - honorably, and obedient to God's law in all things.

How easy it is to give in to our natural inclinations. The flesh clamors for ease, for pleasure, and when we do not practice discipline, self-control, and self-denial chances are that when the time comes to remain steadfast in faith we will topple like a house of cards. When Eleazar was tempted by his friends to make a pretense of complying with the king's command while in truth remaining faithful to God's law, he vigorously and forcefully rejected their vile advice. He knew that a man of his age, who would soon meet his Maker, would lead many to lose their faith if it appeared that for the sake of saving his life, he broke God's law.

Today, we see quite a few church leaders as well as elders in the world who prefer to indulge the flesh, to pander to the decadent culture rather than choose the narrow and hard road that leads to life. Grant O Lord, in Your mercy, that we may we not be counted among them.

PSALM 3:2-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we have a childlike trust in You nothing that we have to endure in this life will overcome us. The world is at war with those who are faithful to You and who keep Your Word. In fact, it has a rabid, evil hatred for Your followers, especially Your faithful disciples in the Church You founded. They delight in trammeling on God's people because You teach us that it is better to be persecuted for the sake of the Gospel rather than receive the honors of the world and be seated in splendor among worldly rulers. 

Your Word O Lord, assures us that You are a fortress that surrounds us. You hear us when we cry out to You for help and You sustain us and provide all the strength we need to battle the Enemy and endure all persecution with grace.

Grant us this day O Lord a docile spirit, a childlike heart, and humility to yield to Your Word always so we will possess the peace that You came into the world to give Your own, a peace that surpasses human understanding.

I lie down to rest and I sleep.

I wake, for the Lord upholds me.
I will not fear even thousands of people
who are ranged on every side against me.

LUKE 19:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's liturgy presents us with two different kinds of men - in the First Reading we have the venerable, upright, well-loved Eleazar who loved the law and kept it. He desired to always live honorably and was aware that he was respected by the community. He was also aware that his life was under scrutiny and hence had a duty not to do anything that would cause scandal, especially to the youth. And when the time came to choose whether he would be a friend of the world and live or be a true Israelite and keep the law and die honorably, he chose the latter.

We can compare and contrast him with Zacchaeus in today's Gospel. Zacchaeus too was an older man, he was a senior tax collector who had become very wealthy by dishonest means. Unlike Eleazar, he was hated by his fellow Jews and despised by the Romans. He heard of You and wanted to see You. Having heard that You would be passing that way, he jostled his way through the crowd but knowing he could never get a glimpse of You because of his height, he decided to climb a tree in order to get a better view. 

To his astonishment and delight, You did notice him. In fact, You stopped right under the spot where he was perched above You and invited Yourself to his home to dine with him. He quickly clambered down and ran home to make the preparations for the meal. At the end of the meal, paying no heed to those who grumbled that You were mingling with sinners, he vowed to make ample restitution to those whom he had cheated. 

In the end, Zacchaeus proved to be just as honorable as Eleazar. You O Lord, love the sinner as Zacchaeus found out and he was so filled with gratitude he made recompense for all his sins. Every repentant sinner will find forgiveness and mercy. And every saint who trusts in Your mercy will receive strength to withstand the snares of the Tempter like Eleazar.

MONDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 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

1 MACCABEES 1:10-15,41-43,54-57,62-64 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Truly, Lord, as we read and reflect on today's First Reading taken from the first book of Maccabees we see how evil totally lacks imagination - the same sins are regurgitated and committed in every age. The age we are living in is no different, the same stench of decay pervades our time as well. Evil is stale, rancid, and putrid but so full of guile it knows how to present all its false promises as packaged so tantalizingly gullible, ignorant people are easy prey to its wiles. 

Many who ought to know better in the world and even in the Church are compromising eternal truths and blurring the lines between good and evil. Deception is the hallmark of despots and people readily buy into the lies because going against the tide has painful consequences. 

........ a number of the people eagerly approached the king, who authorised them to practice the pagan observances. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the pagans have, disguised their circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant, submitting to the heathen rule as willing slaves of impiety.

Entire nations are being subjugated to the dictates of a few and just as God's Word and moral Christian values are being denounced and the worship of self has taken its place. But just as many in Israel who stood firm so too we have the faithful remnant in every age including our own who will stand up to evil even to the point of death. God will use the remnant faithful to crush evil and good will rule once more.

LUKE 18:35-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today You ask me to draw near to You and You ask me, 'What
do you want me to do for you?' My response is this, 'Lord, that I may see.' Take away my spiritual blindness Lord, and take away the evil in me that lures me to sin. I am weak and frail. Let me follow You. Let me stay close beside You. Draw me into Yourself and never let me be parted from You. Save me, Lord,  without You, I am lost.

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man. LK 21:36

DANIEL 12:1-3 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Time will run out for us all eventually. No matter how many years are granted to us in the end they will come to an end. A day will come when even the world will end and we are warned over and over again that we are accountable to God. We will be judged on how we have lived and whether or not we have used the gifts we have received for good or ill. 

Now, while we still have time, the Church reminds us to take stock of our lives. In the end, we will be judged on love. Those who have failed to love God above and before all else and have in love for neighbor as well will find their names struck from the Book of Life. But those who have heard the Word of God and obeyed it, have made the Word the rule of their life, and have taught others to do so as well by their witness will be united with God forever.

MEMORIAL OF ST. FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI, VIRGIN - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2TH 2:14

WISDOM 18:14-16,19:6-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In the course of salvation history from the beginning when God laid the foundations of the earth and created human beings, God has been passionately involved in human affairs. Time and time again Scripture tells us how God Himself took us by the hand and led us. We see it in the Garden of Eden when God walked with Adam and Eve, we see it in the Exodus when God, with mighty signs and wonders, led His people from exile to freedom, especially in the crossing of the Red Sea, when God commanded nature to obey His Word and part to make a way for His people to pass through from slavery to freedom in the promised land. 

So we see it definitively in the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel, God's messenger, invited a young virgin to consent to be the Mother of His Son. At her fiat, the Word leaped from heaven into her womb and the Son of Man and the Son of God was conceived. 

Thank You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for unhesitatingly and always taking us by the hand and walking with us as we poor, weak creatures, stumble and fall as we walk the narrow way leading us to eternal happiness.  

For, to keep your children from all harm,
the whole creation, obedient to your commands,
was once more, and newly, fashioned in its nature.

PSALM 105:2-3,36-37,42-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We are so easily forgetful of all the marvelous ways in which You constantly help us each time we cry out to You. You are a God who saves. Praise and thanksgiving should be always on our lips in all circumstances, for You have the power to draw good even from evil. 

You will not permit the enemy to harm us. You will send Your angels to hem us in and keep us safe. We will always find shelter beneath You. No harm can come to those who are called by Your Name. You will destroy those who seek to bring evil upon us. 

God has only one Word, His Eternal Word, which is You, His Son, 'Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.' We are saved by You, we rejoice in You because our hope of eternal life is You.

MEMORIAL OF ST. JOSAPHAT, BISHOP & MARTYR - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand. LK 21:28

WISDOM 13:1-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Book of Wisdom as for its Author the Holy Spirit of God. It would do all to understand that the Creator of all that is beautiful in created things is to be worshipped and He alone, not His creation. The Author of Beauty is far, far more beautiful than anything that He has created. All who worship creation, or the elements of nature, or any created thing, but has not taken to the trouble to look for the One that created all things is judged by God Himself to be stupid. All created things bear the imprint of their Creator but they are not the Creator Himself.

If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken things for gods,

let them know how much the Lord of these excels them,
since the very Author of beauty has created them.
And if they have been impressed by their power and energy,
let them deduce from these how much mightier is he that has formed them,
since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures
we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.

Ignorance is no excuse for those who, in their search for God get so caught up in His creation they go astray. Their fascination with the works of the Creator impedes their progression in discovering the Creator. They fall prey to appearances, to things that wax and wane, decay and die. 

In the closing verse for our reflection today, the Author of Wisdom has this to say:

Even so, they are not to be excused:
if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge
to be able to investigate the world,
how have they been so slow to find its Master?

MEMORIAL OF ST. MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty,
says the Lord. JN 15:5

WISDOM 7:22-8:1 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This beautiful hymn to the Wisdom of God is completely and absolutely contrary to the wisdom touted by the world. The world does its best to obfuscate the truth which illumines Wisdom. There is no darkness in Wisdom, and all that is attributed to Wisdom in this hymn are attributes of God. Hence, nothing and no one but God who is all good and all holy possesses her fully, wholly, and completely. 

The Eternal Word of the Father encompasses all Wisdom. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Eternal Word of the Father is Truth that illumines the Way leading to fullness of Life in the Triune God. All who seek union with God have Wisdom for a friend.

In each generation she passes into holy souls,

she makes them friends of God and prophets;
for God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom.
She is indeed more splendid than the sun,
she outshines all the constellations;
compared with light, she takes first place,
for light must yield to night,
but over Wisdom evil can never triumph.
She deploys her strength from one end of the earth to the other,
ordering all things for good.

MEMORIAL OF ST. LEO THE GREAT, POPE AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

For all things give thanks,
because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.

1TH 5:18

WISDOM 6:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We all exert power and influence first and foremost over ourselves and to a lesser or greater extent over others depending on our vocation. Rulers of the earth, heads of nations, government officials, employers, teachers, spiritual leaders, parents, and others all have power that is given to them by God. They have been chosen and appointed. They have the power to choose good over evil, to do what is right or wrong, to serve others, or to use their position to serve themselves. But time eventually runs out for all and every deed will be revealed those done in the light of day and those done under cover of darkness. 

All who hold positions of power will be held accountable because it is You who chose and appointed them to rule with wisdom. Those who fail to do so will be judged severely. The writer of the Book of Wisdom reminds us that power is Your gift and must be used to ensure the common good and not personal gain. Here is a warning to all corrupt rulers, 

For power is a gift to you from the Lord,
sovereignty is from the Most High;
he himself will probe your acts and scrutinise your intentions.

God's retribution on the wicked and unjust will be terrible, His judgment will be ruthless over those who have been ruthless, wicked, and corrupt. It will be good for us all to remember that:

the Lord of All does not cower before a personage,

he does not stand in awe of greatness,
since he himself has made small and great
and provides for all alike;
but strict scrutiny awaits those in power.

Time runs out for all saint and sinner alike and after that comes judgment some to eternal damnation and others to eternal bliss. 

PSALM 82:3-4,6-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are the Eternal Word of God and in You is contained all that God has to say. Wisdom belongs to You and all who desire to know You may do so by reading Your Word in Sacred Scripture, meditating on it, and making it a way of life.

Your law O Lord is written on our hearts. All who love You will obey Your Word. We are reminded today that You have a special care for the weak, the helpless, the widow, the orphan, the needy, and the afflicted. If we wrong them we will receive swift and just retribution for raising our hand against them. 

As children of God, we are called to be a sign of contradiction in the world just as You were. We are called to shed Your Light in the darkness remembering always that one day when our journey here ends we will die and stand before You to face judgment. While our today lasts grant us the wisdom to obey Your Word.   

LUKE 17:11-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Before they were healed all ten lepers threw themselves on Your mercy and begged You to take pity and heal them. They called You Master, they knew Your Name, Jesus. In turn, You said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' They turned away to follow Your instructions and found themselves cured. Nine continued on their way to the priests, but one, beside himself with joy was filled with praise and thanksgiving at what God had done for him. He returned to You, threw himself at Your feet, and thanked You. St. Luke tells us that the man was a Samaritan. Your first response was, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

Where do I place myself, among the nine who take all your blessings for granted, all the privileges that are given to me in the bosom of Holy Mother Church, all the graces that are mine for the asking or am I like the foreigner, the outsider who was beside himself with joy and returned to praise and thank You?

FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA IN ROME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord,
for my name to be there forever. 2 CH 7:16

EZEKIEL 47:1-2,8-9,12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Living Water flows from Your Body and covers all who are plunged in the living water of Baptism. We are made children of God. As children of the Father and members of Your Body, we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Holy Spirit are manifest in all who live holy lives conformed to the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Truth. 

Every Christian is called to witness to the Good News by our lives and when we do the life-giving waters we received at our Baptism flows from us to the whole world. We bear fruit for the Kingdom of God, fruit that will last. We attract souls for You by our joy in knowing You and being known and loved by You. All who come into the Temple of the Lord, which is Your Body will find eternal life, spiritual well-being, and a super-abundance of God's gifts which they in turn share with the world.

PSALM 46:2-3,5-6,8-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How comforting it is for every child of God to know this truth, to have this unwavering faith and confidence that nothing we endure in this life can make us fearful or anxious because we are rooted in You. Though the boat of our life is tossed about, the winds are strong, and the waves are so high they threaten to drown us, we will be calm for we know that with You in us, with us, above and below us, around us, no harm will come to us. 

God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.

We are grafted to Your Body, we belong to the City of God built high on Mt. Zion. Living Waters flow from You to us, the Living Church, and out from us flow rivers of Joy because God has saved us and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. 

You are our stronghold, our refugee, our God and we are empowered by Your Spirit to do even greater than You have done because God in His fullness makes His dwelling place in us. We are called, we are chosen, we are commissioned to build the Kingdom of God on earth may we be zealous in hastening Your coming again in glory. 

JOHN 2:13-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We who are grafted into Your Body are also a sanctuary for You O Lord, but we have made Your dwelling place a den of thieves. We are sorry for having given ourselves over to sin and to every kind of evil and for desecrating this Holy Place that belongs to You alone. 

As the Liturgical Year draws to a close we are reminded of who we are - children of God. And as children of God and members of Your Body, we are to be holy and pure just as the Father is holy and pure but we have failed often and miserably. You are justified in Your righteous anger. You overturned the tables of the money-changers, and You drove out the cattle and sheep out of the Temple. May we give heed to the urgency of the call of the Holy Spirit and go to Confession. Thank You, Lord, for Your death and the new life that You won for us on the Cross. May we resolve to sin no more so we can enter into eternal life and receive a share in Your glorious inheritance in the Kingdom of God. 

MONDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.PH 2:15-16

WISDOM 1:1-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We are creatures, we are as nothing before You, the Creator but You desire us to be like You and that is possible when we pursue holiness and perfection and make it our life's goal. The virtuous shine like stars. The Wisdom of God is beyond anything humans can grasp all we can do is remain always humble and childlike and never cease to be in awe of the goodness of God towards us, His creatures.

The Father desires that we never be separated from Him and His love, this is why, after the sin of Adam He made it possible for us to start over by sending You into the world as the new Adam. We would have a new reference point in You, the sinless one, the holy one, the Son of God, and the Son of Man who would willingly die in our place and by Your death redeem the world. 

The world is opposed to You and to the Good News of salvation. It preaches a gospel of death and if we follow the world we will die. In You alone is life. You are the fulfillment of every promise God has made since He laid the foundations of the world. Keep us always humble in heart and childlike in spirit so the Holy Spirit will make His dwelling in us.

PSALM 139:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I rejoice in Your intimate and complete knowledge of me. With
You, I need not hide nor pretend to be anything but myself. You know all my weaknesses, You are aware of my propensity to sin when temptations lure me. With You, I can be still and at peace knowing that You love me as I am. I thank You, that You remain with me every moment from my rising up each day to my laying down again at night.

You never tire of me. You do not stop loving me when I choose deliberately to wander from You and to muck around with sin but You pursue me relentlessly and tirelessly and readily wash away my iniquity and cleanse of my sins when I am sorry and repentant for having offended You, my God. 'A truly contrite heart O Lord, you will not spurn.'

Only the unrepentant sinner seeks to flee from You. I do not wish to flee Lord, no matter how far down the bottomless pit of sin I throw myself I desire You to find me always and raise me up again. The knowledge that You will never give up on me is most comforting.

Stay with me, Beloved, until my last hour and my last breath, and then lead me safely home to Yourself where I will remain in perfect peace and joy eternally. 

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him. 1JN 2:5

ROMANS 15:14-21 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul was fully aware of his vocation as an evangelist to the gentiles and he was passionately committed to it. Having been commissioned by You personally, he experienced the divine force of the Holy Spirit that drove him inexorably always to make the Good News known to people who would otherwise have never heard it. He had a fiery, inextinguishable zeal to win souls for the Kingdom of God. 

What about us? We were too were commissioned at our Baptism and in Confirmation to preach the Good News in season and out of season. How zealous have I been? Paul did not care about the personal consequences to himself - he was prepared to endure every privation and hardship, nothing mattered more to him than being faithful to his call as an Apostle to the gentiles.

We have only one life to live and then comes judgment. What have we to show for the indescribable favor You have shown us by virtue of being children of God and members of Your Body? While there is yet time, Lord, grant me all the graces I need to witness to the Good News through a life that is conformed to You and to the Holy Spirit. 

MEMORIAL OF ST. CHARLES BORROMEO, BISHOP - 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 11:28

ROMANS 14:7-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Too many of us live life superficially, we have no real understanding of our impact on each other in life and in death. We all matter greatly to God, our Father, from the least to the greatest - we are all His children and His vision for us is the same. He desires that we all come to know You, His Son, and believe in You, and be filled with the Holy Spirit so we may have a share in Your Life in the age to come. 

Were it not for You, Lord, our lives would have been an eternal, joyless winter. Adam's sin caused irreparable damage to our relationship with the Father, only one like us but sinless could ever bridge the chasm that yawned between God and us. It was the Father's will that You step into the breach and become the doorway by which we could return to the Father's house.

St. Paul warns us about judging and condemning each other willy nilly - You have been appointed You as the only righteous Judge being both God and Man, You alone know all, You see all, and this is why You alone are the sole arbiter of our actions and our final destiny. Whether we acknowledge You or not as our Lord, our God, You are the sole judge before whom we will stand to give an account of our lives: 

We shall all have to stand before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says: By my life – it is the Lord who speaks – every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God. It is to God, therefore, that each of us must give an account of himself.

PSALM 27:1,4,13-14 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The lives of the saints reveal that it is possible to live extraordinary lives of holiness even as we live our very ordinary, humdrum lives. They allowed the Holy Spirit to pierce their souls because they were yielded to You and through them, we know that no life, when lived in union with You, can ever be anything short of phenomenal.

You are waiting for us, like the Good Shepherd, to lead us, to reveal Yourself to us, to touch us and be touched by us, and when we do You become the anchor and mainstay of our lives. We can begin to taste heaven even as we live on earth. Nothing will ever have power over us if we have yielded to the power of Your Holy Spirit in us. We can savour God's sweetness every moment of every day that we live if we so desire.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,

for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.

Thank You, Beloved, for the gift of Hope which is given to us along with Faith, and Love at our Baptism when we are grafted into Your Body, and we become children of God. Nothing in life can overpower us as long as we hope in You. Once we make a choice for You over the world and cling to You, You will help us every step of the way, 'I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.'

LUKE 15:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Every sinner can rejoice on hearing today's Gospel passage, chosen by the Church for our reflection. It is the complaint of every self-righteous, narrow-minded bigot: ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ 

Only God would leave ninety-nine sheep to go looking for the stray. No prudent shepherd would as he would consider the risk of losing the ones that were safe too great. But You, Beloved, pose the question as if it were absolutely normal, ‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it?’ More than that, You assure us that there is great rejoicing in heaven when a repentant sinner returns home. 

As long we live, O Lord, grant us a great burden in our souls to pray tirelessly for sinners and do whatever we can to woo sinners to repent and be united with You again.