MEMORIAL OF ST. LUCY, VIRGIN & MARTYR - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help. PS 84:8

NUMBERS 24:2-7,15-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Preserve us from false prophets and help us keep our gaze on Peter, Your Vicar on earth. To him is given charge to steer all believers by the North Star, which is You, the Christ, the anointed of the Father, and under His guidance we will all reach our heavenly destination in safety.

No evil has power over the people of God. Balaam was charged to curse God's people but each time he opened his mouth to do so only blessings poured forth. From all that we read in Scripture we can be certain that God's power, God's providence, and God's peace will remain with the people He has chosen for His own. God has saved His people through You.   

He sees what Shaddai makes him see,
receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.
I see him – but not in the present,
I behold him – but not close at hand:
a star from Jacob takes the leadership,
a sceptre arises from Israel.’

PSALM 25:4-6,7a-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I make the prayer of the psalmist my own this day and every day:

Lord, make me know your ways.
Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
for you are God my saviour.

Unless I know Your way O Lord, I cannot follow it. Help me to seek Truth and to hold on to it. You O Lord are the Way, the Truth and when I am prepared to lose all for Your Sake I will be saved and through Your merits, I will receive eternal life.

Beloved, so often in the day I stumble, I am not as upright as I ought to be, I fail constantly but You O Lord, are always beside me to help me along. Thank You for Your mercies that never end. Thank You for Your faithful love - it is Your love O Lord, that You pour out on me that helps me in my struggles. Keep me faithful to the end.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.
In your love remember me.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Beloved, grant me the grace to always reach out and take Your hand that is stretched out to clasp mine. Grant me the grace of true humility so I may never lose sight of the fact that I am a miserable worm and without Your help and strength I will fall by the wayside and be crushed.

The Lord is good and upright.
He shows the path to those who stray,
He guides the humble in the right path,
He teaches his way to the poor.

MATTHEW 21:23-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The insecure feel threatened by truth. Truth by its very nature is unshakeable. It stands firm and tall and is a bright light that shows up every error. Satan is the father of lies and all who prevaricate, all who fudge the truth, all who try to blur the lines between truth and lies are his disciples. 

Cowards make a lot of noise and put up a big show of bravado. They threaten and resort to violence because they have no argument that will stand up against Truth but when confronted with it, they shuffle and dither like the chief priests and elders did and they refuse to give a direct answer when they are up against irrefutable Truth. To their childish question to You after You cleared the temple, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?’ You responded with another question, ‘And I will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’

The writer of the Gospel tells us that they argued among themselves and concluded that whatever answer they gave would put them in a precarious position. They would lose the moral high ground completely and so they responded inanely, ‘We do not know.’ We can never know the Truth unless we are willing to embrace it completely no matter how high the cost.