FEAST OF ST. MATTHIAS, APOSTLE - 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord. JN 15:16

ACTS 1:15-17,20-26 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In choosing the least, the last, those who have nothing to commend them to carry out Your divine plan the credit for all they achieve, every one of their stupendous successes, goes to God, and all the glory to Him alone. God has the power to take what is lowly, little, insignificant, and transform it into something beautiful, awe-inspiring, and breathtaking. 

The Peter we see in the First Reading of today taken from the Acts of the Apostle is nothing like the brash, impetuous, bull-headed, weak man who denied You not once but three times, it is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is the same Holy Spirit that is given to us all at our Baptism.

Peter was not chosen as the prince of the Apostles because he had special qualities of leadership. He possessed no qualifications that would enable him to lead, guide, teach, preach, and help the nascent Church to grow and flourish. Yet he was the Rock You chose on which to build it. The same is true for us all who are called by Your Name, washed in Your Blood, fed on Your Body, and sealed in Your Spirit. 

Lots were placed on two men chosen Joseph and Matthias one of whom would take the place of the one who betrayed you, Judas Iscariot. The Holy Spirit chose Matthias to join the ranks of the Apostles as one of the Twelve.

The successors of Peter and the Apostles come from an unbroken line of those who knew You, walked with You, ate and drank with You, were Your friends and companions, and were with You from the beginning of Your earthly ministry to its end: 

‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’

They along with all the faithful make up Your Body, the Church. Not only can we trust Your Church implicitly but we are bound to obey her in all matters concerning faith and morals. Cut off from her will wither and die because apart from You we have no life. 

JOHN 15:9-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

John, the evangelist, recalls in great detail all that You said and did at the Last Supper. All Your words and all You did on that memorable night were etched on his soul and in his memory. He writes all this while he is an old man and is a prisoner in exile on the island of Patmos and yet, with the power of the Holy Spirit he is able to recall every word of Your beautiful prayer to Your Father as if it had just occurred. 

The Church has pondered this prayer for over two thousand years and she will never exhaust all that it says to her and to the children within her no matter how many more millennia come and go.  

Lord, You invite us to love as You love the Father and the Father loves You. The Holy Spirit draws us into the Trinitarian love and we in turn are called to return that love in full measure to God and to our brothers and sisters.

The most assured way to remain in Your love is to obey all the commandments You have given us - which are summed up in two commandments: Love of God above before and beyond all else with all one's heart, soul, body, mind, and strength and love of neighbor as oneself.

You not only taught us how to love but You gave us the ultimate example of how to love. 

A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.