SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTERTIDE - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life. JN 6:63, 68

ACTS 9:31-42 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me today that Your healing work continues through the Church. Just as You promised those who believe in You, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, continue to do everything that You did when You walked among us. 

The Holy Spirit dwells in fullness in the Church and in each one of us who are members of Your Body as Peter demonstrates when he said to the man bedridden for eight years, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and fold up your sleeping mat.’ And he did. Again we are told how Peter raised to life Dorcas, a good and holy woman, and Your disciple. She had spent her whole life doing good and giving to charity and became ill and died. The people heard that Peter was close by and sent for him. When he came and saw how greatly the woman was loved and the grief of the people who mourned her passing, he sent everyone out of the room, knelt beside her bed, and prayed. Then, we are told, he turned to her and said, ‘Tabitha, stand up.’ She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive. The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.

Thank You, Beloved, that You, the all-powerful, Eternal Word of the Father, continue to hear, heal, restore, redeem, sanctify, encourage, and console, all God's people.

PSALM 115(116):12-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There are times when in my weakness I lose sight of You and of Your amazing and boundless love for me. Forgive me, Lord. You have always been good to me. You have always answered my prayers often not in the way I asked but according to Your wisdom and Your goodness. Your answer has been so much better than anything that I could have desired or wished for. 

Grant me the gift of gratitude and the grace to lift my heart, mind, body, and soul to You in thanksgiving for Your great mercies to me and to every member of my family. Grant us all the grace to partake worthily of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist so we do not eat and drink condemnation to ourselves but that Your Flesh and Blood will raise us to life.

May we call on Your Name always in praise, blessing, adoration, thanksgiving, worship, and love. May we never fail to recount all the ways in which You have shown us Your infinite love. May we never take for granted the price You paid to redeem us and be ever grateful for Your saving love.

Keep us faithful to the end Beloved and at the end of our pilgrim journey on earth may we fly into Your loving arms and repose joyfully with You and in You eternally.

JOHN 6:60-69 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Truth of the Holy Eucharist continues to be rejected by many Christians to this day. To many, the Eucharist is only a symbol, and by rejecting the Food and Drink that wells up to eternal life in those who call themselves believers, they, like the many disciples who no longer followed You, deny themselves this divine food that makes our pilgrim journey easier because of this close union with You we partake of the Eucharistic Meal. 

You preached the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist and the meaning is anything but obscure. Your disciples are meant to literally eat Your Flesh and drink Your Blood and You made this possible when You offered Yourself as the perfect, unblemished, Paschal Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. The Church says to all the faithful at every celebration of the Lord's Supper, 'Happy are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb.'

Somehow, sometime, in some way make known to all fallen away Catholics and most especially the loved ones in our own family to return home in order that they may worthily receive this life-giving Sacrament again.

‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.’

Many of Your disciples left You because they could not accept this teaching about eating Your Flesh and drinking Your Blood because they understood perfectly that You were not speaking figuratively but literally. Then turning to and addressing the Twelve You said, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’ With Peter the whole Church, Your bride echoes these words and will do so until You return as our Bridegroom to take us to Yourself. Thank You.