MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER - 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me. JN 10:14

ACTS 11:1-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Our tendency to exclude those who have different beliefs and a different culture than ours is a human weakness. We have a whole set of rules that create division among us and we are constantly erecting walls that keep those who have views and practices that are different from our own out. 

St. Peter instructs those who criticized him and were prejudiced against the non-Jews that the New Way that You came to teach us excludes no one. He reveals to them the vision that he had received and the meaning of that vision. He told them of the Gentile who had also been praying and received a message that said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”

The greatest gift that we have been given is our faith in the Good News and by virtue of our baptism, we are commanded to share it with everyone we encounter every day.

It is only when we are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that miracles occur, lives are transformed, and souls are saved. Too often we draw inward into ourselves and we become close-minded bigots. Unless we step out of our comfort zone and go where the Holy Spirit leads us we will not hasten the coming of the Kingdom of God in our midst.

JOHN 10:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I am truly grateful that I am counted as one of Your sheep. You know me by name, You call me by name, I belong to You and as long as I stay close to You I will be safe from the snares of the enemy.

The world is full of false shepherds whose sole intent is to scatter the sheep, lead them astray, and destroy them. They are the agents of the evil one who is a liar, a murderer, and a thief. He steals what is not his. 

You alone give us life in its fullness. Keep us and our loved ones safe from the wiles of the enemy. Protect us, guard, and guide us, and lead us all the days of our lives on the narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.