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?