FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Follow me, says the Lord,
and I will make you into fishers of men. MT 4:19

ISAIAH 6:1-2,3-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

At every Holy Mass, we experience what Isaiah did. We enter the Holy of Holies, we are invited into the sanctuary of God. Heaven descends on earth and we are united with the angels and saints in praise, adoration, and worship of the Word of God and the Triune God. 

Yes, we are a people of unclean lips living among people of unclean lips but we are washed in the waters of baptism and You have put Your own Spirit into us. Each time we sin and cry out to You with repentant and contrite hearts the Blood of the Lamb and the fire of Your love cleanses us once more.  We eat Your Body and drink Your Blood and strengthened and renewed we hear Your invitation ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ we respond in the words of Isaiah, ‘Here I am, send me.’

PSALM 138:1-5,7-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In baptism, we become the daughters and sons of God, and as children of the Eternal Father and brothers and sisters of the Word made Flesh in whom God is pleased to send His Holy Spirit to make His dwelling in us. The angels bless, adore, and worship You night and day and so can we for we are privileged to come into God's presence any time night or day for our body is now God's temple. 

Stay with us all the days of our lives. Keep us free from sin so we will never be separated from You. When we are tempted help us to reach out and take Your hand that is eager to save and keep us safe for eternal life.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

If one does not belong to Holy Mother Church there is a real and ever-present danger of believing a watered-down version of the Gospel. In the Church alone is the fullness of Truth found and despite the fact that the storms continually threaten to destroy the Barque of Peter Your Presence will ensure she reaches safe harbor.

St. Paul preached the Gospel that he and the Apostles received from You and he warns sternly against believing anyone else's version of it for it will attain them nothing. St. Paul preached the Gospel and we are exhorted to believe what he preached in its entirety. God's Word is unchangeable and anyone whether they are ignorant of the whole Truth or who attempt to willfully deceive by an erroneous interpretation of the Gospel will harvest the wind.

It does not matter how gravely we sinned in the past like Paul when we repent of our sins and are baptized into the family of God we are a new creation in You. Grace is at work in us through the Sacraments instituted by Christ and administered by the Church and like St. Paul, we are invited to witness to the Gospel as long as we live.

LUKE 5:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Every word in the Gospel is there because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. In today's Gospel passage taken from the evangelist Luke, we are told that there were two boats by the lake and one belonged to Simon. Jesus deliberately chose to get into the one belonging to Simon. The boat represents the Church that You established it indicates that where Peter is there is Your Church, the one You founded on him as the Rock.  It is in the Church that we hear Your Word preached and we live anew the one, holy, perfect Sacrifice that You offered on Calvary re-presented to us on the Altar. 

Every Christian belongs to the family of God but Catholics are fed and nourished by the Body and Blood of our Savior every single time they receive the Holy Eucharist. The Sacraments instituted by You are conduits through which it pleases God to channel grace into our souls so we can combat the evil that abounds in the world. Without supernatural grace, help, and strength we will surely fall by the wayside.