MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT - 2022

LENT 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life. JN 3:63. 68

DANIEL 9:4-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The prophet Daniel acknowledges that their rulers, their princes, and their ancestors have all disobeyed God's laws and commandments. The collective sin of the entire people of God has resulted in their exile from their homeland. It is a  punishment they deserve and have brought upon themselves. 

We are doomed to repeat all the tragic events of the past because we are unwilling to learn from the grave mistakes that generations before us have made. We commit the same sins, we disobey, we turn our faces from You, we are arrogant in our belief that we have autonomy over our lives. The truth is that we are purchased, we are redeemed at the cost of the Blood of the Lamb and sin should no longer have dominion over us. But sadly, and to our peril, we refuse to acknowledge that we do not belong to ourselves. 

The people of God at the time of Daniel repented. They were ashamed. They acknowledged that they had sinned gravely and they pleaded for mercy. 

In our age, the word shame does not exist. We are a shameless and conscienceless generation and it should come as no surprise to us when the wrath of God spills over and annihilates us. We deserve God's righteous judgment and punishment.

However, Beloved, for the sake of the few who are righteous have compassion on the many who are unrighteous. We know You are a God of tender compassion, slow to anger and abounding in love. Open our eyes, Lord. Give us a fresh understanding of Your love. Grant us a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit and save Your people who are called by Your Name.

LUKE 6:36-38 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Why are we so unwilling to take You at Your Word, Lord? It is not as if the Gospel principles have never been lived. There have been times beginning with the early Christians when Your Word was a lived experience in many parts of the world. Nations took Your Word seriously, it was the rule of their lives and they taught it to their children and they handed it down to their children. A faithful remnant continues to allow their lives to be shaped and formed by Your Word they know that it is the source of joy and life. It is Truth. But they are too few and the corrupt are legion.

Today, once again, we hear Your Voice urging us to model our lives on our heavenly Father, ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

Grant us the wisdom or just plain common sense to take You at Your Word and receive the abundant life You desire to give us rather than to walk in the way that leads to eternal death.