SATURDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER - 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree,
has risen from the tomb.

ACTS 18:23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As we reflect in the first reading on the Alexandrian Jew, Apollos who preached eloquently, quoting from Scripture, demonstrated that You were the Christ, I am reminded of all the Spirit-filled Christians who preach and teach with knowledge and power. They love sacred Scripture, know it well, and have committed a large portion of it to memory, they are truly remarkable and deserving of our praise. However, there is something distinctly lacking, like Apollos whom St. Luke describes in this way, 'He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John.'

Every baptized person must pursue Truth until the end of life's journey. The more we drink at the fountain of Truth the greater the vistas that open up on the spiritual horizon of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness - it never ends for God is infinite and no one can know or experience the Triune God completely in this life. 

Beloved, we pray that many Catholics like Priscilla and Aquila boldly step out to these brothers and sisters of ours who enter the gates of Wisdom and Truth and are so captivated by the beauty presented to them they make no further progress to enter the abode of the Presence of God wherein You delight to dwell, the Church You founded. In the bosom of Holy Mother Church, all God's children dwell and God has ordained that through her alone His children will enter into His Kingdom. 

May we like Priscilla and Aquila encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to never cease in their pursuit of Truth which will ultimately lead them home where Truth abides. 

JOHN 16:23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We have this assurance from Your lips, that anything we ask of the Father in Your Name we will receive because we love You and believe that He sent You into the world to redeem it.

The joy You offer us is abiding because it is not dependent on our circumstances - we are joyful despite them no matter how painful they are. It is a joy that no one can take from us. It comes from knowing that we are Yours, we are ransomed by Your Blood, and our names are carved on the palm of Your Hands. 

The most priceless gift we can ask the Father and be confident He will grant it to us because we love You, we believe in You, and in all the promises You have made, is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Nothing else matters. 

May this be my daily prayer, Beloved, from the rising of the sun to its setting, that the Father gives me the grace to love You more and more. I desire to love You with the blazing passion of the apostles, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Therese of Lisieux, and every Saint that has been beatified and canonized by the Church. I am aware Lord, that I am a weak, wilful sinner but I also know that nothing is impossible for God.