THURSDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER - 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I go, but I will come back to you,
and your hearts will be full of joy. JN 14:18

ACTS 18:1-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The lives of the apostles, of St. Paul, and all Your earliest
disciples and followers were zealous in preaching and teaching the Gospel. The fire of the Holy Spirit burned within them and they were prepared to lose their lives at the hands of the enemies of Christianity rather than deny their faith in You and the Gospel. 

Today, the world is full of nominal Christians, cafeteria Catholics, and those who are Catholic in name only. If every member of Your Body had the same fire and zeal as the early Christians, the world would experience the peace that You came to give, and the Kingdom of heaven would come among us. 

My Lord, and my God, grant that I make a start with my own life. You and I both know how little I possess the apostolic zeal and what a poor example I am of the faith I profess. Let this be the day Lord, with Your help, Your grace, Your Holy Spirit that I resolve, one small step at a time, to be the person that God created me to be. May the Holy Mother of God, and all the angels and saints intercede for me and obtain for me all that I lack to make a start. Amen.

JOHN 16:16-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Every Catholic is called to live in intimacy with You - this is because You are present with us day and night, in season and out of season in the Blessed Sacrament in all the tabernacles in the world and exposed in all the Adoration Chapels in every corner of the globe.

You say to Your disciples,

‘In a short time you will no longer see me,

and then a short time later you will see me again.’

As Catholics go about their daily lives doing all the things that fill our days until we go to sleep at night, it is possible to live in union and communion with You through all our waking and sleeping moments. 

We ought to wake up with Your Name on our lips and gratitude in our hearts for the gift of another day to love, serve, and do Your will. Those who can, ought to begin their day with Holy Mass. Receiving You in the Holy Eucharist we become living tabernacles and as we step out of the church, transformed and transfigured by the rich graces You make available to us after each worthy reception of the Eucharist our lives ought to shine Your light illumining a darkening world. 

While we wait O Lord, for the close of our own earthly existence as well as for Your coming again in glory, let us keep Your promises ever before our eyes and minds, recalling them frequently. In this way, our faith, hope, and courage will increase and our love for God and neighbor will abound.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.’

Thank You, Beloved, for the grace of being Catholic but also may I never forget that my judgment will be even greater for You warn us that to those whom much is given much will be asked. Holy Spirit of God, help me to be a good steward of God's immeasurable gifts and graces to me in the Sacraments.