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

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

It is a blessing for you
when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ,
for the Spirit of God rests on you. 1PET 4:14

ROMANS 13:8-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Nothing can be more sublime than the truth that is encapsulated in these short verses. The power of authentic love can change the world - You came into the world to prove it and You invite all who are Your disciples to do likewise. But it is easier said than done. The scar of original sin mars our life and as St. Paul laments elsewhere in his letter, I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

We have a never-ending conflict raging within us and more often than not we are weak and we do the very things that we absolutely do not wish to do. We are mean-spirited, impatient, short-tempered, quick to judge, and just as quick to condemn. We make a show of our piety but inside we are nothing but dead bones.

Today we are reminded once again that there is a perfect antidote to sin, 'Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbor; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.' Grant us the grace we need O Lord to will ourselves to choose to love always.

PSALM 112:1-2,4-5,9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

A FAMILY OF SAINTS

In the Church's magnificent array of canonized Saints, there were several who were godly and godfearing parents who raised the kind of family that today's psalm exalts. One among these extraordinary couples were the parents of the Lisieux family - they were saints who raised saints the most extraordinary among them being the youngest, St. Therese of Lisieux.

Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.

The witness of holy parents in their steadfast faith in God, their unwavering and self-sacrificial love for each other in good times and bad, and for their children will hasten the Kingdom of God on earth. In a world that is filled with sinners, their light gives hope to all who struggle. 

Your word tells us clearly that the gifts we've been given are not to be hoarded but shared. In the measure that we give will we receive from the hands of a bountiful God. Give us, O Lord, open hands and an open heart that is sensitive to the needs of the poor. Amen. 

LUKE 14:25-33 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Experience teaches us that we cannot make big decisions based on emotions, fools do so. Too often we are carried away by the warm, fuzzy feelings of the moment that are as ephemeral as mist in the morning sun, and in the clear harsh light of day, we begin to regret our hasty impulses.

The cost of discipleship is great because the rewards are more wonderful than anything we can humanly imagine, eternal life with You. This is why when we choose to follow You we must be prepared for opposition, persecution, and rejection from those who are closest to us.  Only a disciple worthy of the calling is ready to risk all for the sake of the Gospel. The Way of the disciple is the Way of the Cross - they can be no crown without crucifying self and the flesh. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

You are very clear in Your demands - to receive all we must give all or else we make a laughing stock of ourselves. You have no use for anyone with a wavering mind. What does the Kingdom of God cost us? It costs everything because God gave You up, His only Son, in order to win for us a Kingdom. We must be prepared to do the same - God desires all or nothing, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.