ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, PRIEST - MONDAY OF WEEK SEVENTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created. JAMES 1:18

EXODUS 32:15-24,30-34 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God's imprint is on our souls. His Spirit has made us God's own people, set apart for His glory to be salt and light in the world and so to establish His Kingdom wherever we are sent. We do not belong to ourselves. For the mighty hand of God has led us from the wilderness of sin, darkness, terror, and death into Your own marvelous light.

But just as God's chosen people chose to make an idol for themselves and to worship it so too has our world made many idols. We chase feverishly and fervently, avidly and singlemindedly after the things of the world, the flesh, and the devil and we wonder why our lives are still empty. Nothing satisfies. 

Our shepherds are like Aaron, they answer You as he answered Moses, ‘You know yourself how prone this people is to evil. They said to me, “Make us a god to go at our head; this Moses, the man who brought us up from Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So I said to them, “Who has gold?,” and they took it off and brought it to me. I threw it into the fire and out came this calf.’ It is so much easier to go with the strong current of the prevalent, evil culture than to go against the tide, to stand firmly on God's Word and commandments, to stand in the breach and stem the evil that threatens to annihilate our world.

Beloved, today we are in need of shepherds with the heart of Moses who are unafraid to call sin by its real name.  Moses said to the people, ‘You have committed a grave sin. But now I shall go up to the Lord: perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.’ Are any of our shepherds prepared to do penance on our behalf? To stand up against the powerful evil that now dares to violate the innocence of the most vulnerable among us, children, even if it meant that they could lose everything including their lives?

Moses pleaded with God to punish him for his people's sins but God reserved this Sacrifice not for Moses but for You, His Son. You became the scapegoat for our sins. He laid a punishment that was ours and by Your wounds, Beloved, we are healed. Thank You!

PSALM 105(106):19-23 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for taking on Yourself the punishment and death that was ours and for raising us up to new life in Your glorious resurrection. Thank You for the unending miracles that You perform in our lives undeserving as we are and thank You for being our joy, our hope, and our salvation.

They fashioned a calf at Horeb
and worshipped an image of metal,
exchanging the God who was their glory
for the image of a bull that eats grass.

They forgot the God who was their saviour,
who had done such great things in Egypt,
such portents in the land of Ham,
such marvels at the Red Sea.

For this he said he would destroy them,
but Moses, the man he had chosen,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn back his anger from destruction.

MATTHEW 13:31-35 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You invite us to be like the mustard seed and the leaven in today's parables. We are called to be the salt and light of the world. No matter how small our influence may be it has the power of ripple-effect. Just a smile, a kind word of encouragement, or praise has positive repercussions. Grant us this grace O Lord, to never lose an opportunity to be a force for good in the world. Our time here is short and when we ignore the occasions that are presented to us to be Christ to another we can never go back, there is no do-over, and regret is a bitter and useless endeavor.  

I thank You, Lord, and Your Blessed Mother for inviting me and providing me with many opportunities to sow seeds of kindness, compassion, and comfort. Give me a grateful heart and the grace to use each of these priceless opportunities to be leaven in the world that lead others to encounter You and experience Your goodness and love. 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. MT 11:25

1 KINGS 3:5,7-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we desire the things that please You and we ask You to grant these gifts to us You do so promptly and You give in full measure. Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom when he could have asked for anything else because he discerned that on his own he could not rule the people and the nation entrusted to him without divine assistance. You give generously. You open the floodgates of grace and You pour into our hearts and our lives and You overwhelm us with Your goodness and kindness. Undeserving as we are You delight when we strive to live in the light of Your Word and allow Your Word to guide our steps.

This day, Beloved, I have asked that if it is in accord with Your will to grant me two favors, one to go make a pilgrimage to a Basilica dedicated to Your Blessed Mother and the second to make a retreat. I also desire that it is my husband who proposes that we do so. Thank You, Lord.

PSALM 118(119):57,72,76-77,127-130 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for Your Word, Your Law of Love that has the power to strengthen and console. To heal and to build up. If we permit Your Word to make its home in our hearts we will need nothing more. 

Let your love be ready to console me

by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
for your law is my delight.

Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.

ROMANS 8:28-30 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul says that You have the power to turn all things that happen to us to our good if we love You as we ought. There is nothing so bad, so evil, so heartbreakingly sad or tragic from which You cannot draw out good, and breathtakingly and unbelievably beautiful. This is the power of the Living God. All things without exception work for good for those who love You, those who trust You, and those who gladly surrender their whole being to You. 

Here I am my Lord, I surrender my life to You. With every breath I breathe, I desire to be bound ever closer to Your Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. You are our older Brother and You have given us Your Mother to be our own. You entrust us to her and I now rest in her arms as a weaned child in its mother's lap. Thank You Jesus for giving us Your Dad and Your Mom Mary to be our Abba and Imma as well. 

Thank You for calling me by name, thank You for justifying me, and thank You for sharing Your glory with me and with all the members of Your mystical body. 

MATTHEW 13:44-52 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are my Treasure in the Field, You are my Pearl of Great Price, the world, and my life is well lost for love of You. Grant me this wonderful grace O Lord to trust You wholeheartedly always no matter how terrifyingly the storms rage around me, grant me the kind of faith that remains unperturbed in the midst of the howling, shrieking winds, and the lashing of the waves. 

Count me among the good fish. Use me in any way You desire. I am Yours, Lord, do with me just as You will. Keep me from serious sin and hear my prayers for the conversion and salvation of those I love. Thank You, Lord, for always hearing and answering my prayers.

SAINTS MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS ON SATURDAY OF WEEK 16 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS 

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12

EXODUS 24:3-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

From the foundations of the world, You have revealed Your love for us. You created us in order to glory in Your Presence eternally. We sinned, we turned our back to You, we rejected You and we do so all the time. Despite the fact that You have redeemed us, we are purchased by Your Blood, the life we have is no longer ours but Yours still we are stubborn and stiff-necked. 

Beloved, the one and only way in which we can respond to Your infinite, unfathomable love for us is to trust You in all things and to obey Your commands - there is no other way to be pleasing in Your sight. We are covered with the Blood of the Lamb and our lives now have infinite value because not only have You created us for Yourself but You did not abandon us when we sinned and went astray. Rather You sought us, You found us, You bandaged our wounds, You healed us, and You have made a place for us in Your Sacred Heart. Thank You, Beloved, for the rest that You give all You come to You who are weary. The yoke of Your love is light for it is a sweet burden to love You, to obey You, and to live in Your shadow.

PSALM 49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Holy Eucharist is the only Sacrifice of Thanksgiving acceptable to the Lord. It is through this once and for all Sacrifice that God has revealed to the world the extent of His love and the saving power of that love. It is immeasurable, it is unfathomable, and given freely to all. 

The gravity of the sin of disobedience against You, O Lord our God, had grave consequences. Our punishment was eternal separation from You, banishment from the Presence of God, and eternal death. But You O Lord, in perfect obedience to Your Father's will took on Yourself the punishment that was ours. You became the willing Victim of Love.

We cannot repay the debt we owe, Beloved, but we can spend our whole lives loving You, serving You, keeping Your commandments, and loving those around us as well as we love ourselves.

Thank You, Beloved, for not only setting us free but for stooping low over us always so not a sigh escapes from our lips that You do not hear and answer. No distress You do not relieve, and no sorrow and wound You do not console and heal.

Thank You.

JOHN 11:19-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Your dear friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. You teach us the importance of surrounding ourselves with good friends. Those who are kind, hospitable, and have open, generous, and sympathetic hearts.

When You got the news that Your friend Lazarus had died You did not make haste to go their home and to raise him to life. Very often when we pray for Your assistance in difficult and dire situations we expect You to help us at once. And while we experience several occasions when You do there are also times when You make us wait. You are God and You know what is best for us and You know how to draw immense good from every sorrow, every heartbreak, every overwhelming situation that presents itself to us as an unsurmountable difficulty. Too often we do not recognize that You are constantly at work in us and we become impatient, discouraged, anxious, and fearful. 

Today, as we contemplate this passage on the death of Lazarus and the response of the two sisters Martha and Mary let us understand that You are closer than ever to us in times of harrowing sorrows, tribulations, and difficulties.  In the end, we will see Your victorious hand working marvelously at work restoring all we thought we had lost a hundredfold.

If we have You, Lord, we have everything.

‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

SAINT ALPHONSA MUTTATHUPADATHU, VIRGIN ON FRIDAY OF WEEK 16 IN ORDINARY TIME

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance. LK 8:15

EXODUS 20:1-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Decalogue is irksome to those who want to live their lives on their terms not on Yours. We do not belong to ourselves. We are baptized and grafted to Your Body what we do affects not only the Head but each of the members of this Body. The Ten Commandments are not just a good rule for our lives but they remind us that we are called to be a light and salt in this world. We can never give reign to the wanton, and sinful desires of the flesh. We cannot allow the world or the culture promoted by it to be the arbitrator of our lives. We have to be on guard against the wiles of the devil who is the great deceiver and constantly and insidiously tempts us just as Adam and Eve were tempted. 

We must keep the Commandments that You summarised into the two great commandments  -  “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Beloved, we were created by the Father, we have been redeemed by You, His Son, and we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We are no longer slaves to sin but we walk in the freedom that was won for us and the cost of Your life. As children of God, sin can no longer have dominion over us. 

We need to get rid of all the idols in our lives that hinder us from belonging wholly to You. By the power of Your Holy Spirit living in me, reveal to me those things that prevent me from giving my whole being to You.

Thank You for the Sacrament of Reconciliation that makes it possible for me to return to the Father's house each time I sin as well as the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that nourishes and strengthens me and provides all the graces I need to resist temptation and to remain united to You and the Church.

PSALM 18(19):8-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are the Eternal Word of the Father and this Word, this all-powerful Word has restored all that was lost by the sin of disobedience when our first parents pridefully sought to be like God.

Your law enables us to refrain from doing the things that are detrimental to our moral and spiritual lives. You created us for Yourself and when we disobey the Commandments, we separate ourselves from You and imperil our souls. 

Thank You, Lord, for summarizing the Decalogue to the two great commandments of Love. Genuine love makes it possible to refrain from doing anything that would wound and destroy our friendship with You and with our brothers and sisters. When we live holy and righteous lives we are happy, we are at peace with God and with each other. 

Thank You, Lord, for the Sacraments that provide all the graces and help we need to keep the Commandments.

MATTHEW 13:18-23 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The way in which I receive the good seed of Your Word which You always sow generously determines whether or not it will yield a harvest. When I receive it carelessly, when I reject it, when I do not receive it graciously and gladly, I jeopardize the quality of my life. You said, 'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.' 

Help me Lord to be open to receiving Your word every time so I can yield a harvest of good fruit that will last and that will benefit not just me but everyone I encounter on my journey from this life to the next. Amen.

THURSDAY OF WEEK SIXTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. MT 11:25

EXODUS 19:1-2,9-11,16-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The description of God meeting His people has a hint of Your Second Coming in glory and majesty. God desires to make Himself known to the people He chose and whom He liberated from slavery. Moses is a type of Christ. God chose him to lead His people from slavery to liberation. He stood in the breach like You stand in the breech only You O Lord are the Son of the Living God.  Moses mediated between God and God's people. You are the only mediator between God and the whole human race. 

Beloved, You desire to take us into the wilderness, to pitch our tent with You, and there You desire to meet us away from all distractions. When we give You our wholehearted attention, when we focus our entire being on You and Your love, You make Yourself known to us in ways that are not possible when we are in the midst of the world. 

Beloved, God instructed Moses to inform the people to get ready to meet Him. It reminds us that nothing unholy can enter Your Presence. Thank You for the Sacrament of Reconciliation that washes away our sins and restores the purity of our baptismal garment. Thank You for the graces that flow from the Sacraments and the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to stand in readiness for Your coming. Thank You for reminding us that it is always You who stoop to us, You descend to us in humility while we in turn are privileged to ascend up to You and encounter You in the Holy of Holies at every celebration of the Holy Mass.

DANIEL 3:52-56 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Grant me and mine, this wonderful grace O Lord, to give You praise and glory with every breath I breathe, with every word I utter, with every heartbeat, every pulsebeat. Grant me this grace O Lord my God to glorify Your glorious Name in time and in eternity.

MATTHEW 13:10-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your Word is Truth, Your Word gives Life, and Your Word sheds light that illumines the Way from this life to the glorious life that awaits us in the Kingdom of Heaven. You O Lord are the Way, the Truth, and the Life there is no other way to Father except through You.

The disciples wanted to know why You spoke to the people in parables but You spoke plainly to them so they could understand what You said when You made known to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. You responded by quoting the prophet Isaiah. What good would it be to reveal the treasures of heaven to those who have no intention to enter it? Who although they understand refuse to accept the invitation to live a life of grace in the Holy Spirit? To the worldly wise, the wisdom of God is foolish and hence their minds are dull, their ears are closed but it is the childlike whom  You draw close to You and embrace.

The grace of conversion is available to all but there are those who refuse it but You will increase the capacity of those who receive Your Word, embrace it, and live their lives based on Gospel principles and values. 

Grant O Lord that we will be numbered among those who hear the Word of God and receive it with an open heart and a generous spirit that You may bless us all the days of our lives.

STS. JOACHIM AND ANNE - PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain forever.

EXODUS 16:1-5,9-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Human nature has not changed we are just like the people of Israel in the wilderness who complained unceasingly to Moses about everything. After years of slavery under the heavy hand of Pharoah and the Egyptians, despite the tyranny they endured yet instead of rejoicing that they were free, their flesh longed for the food they ate while in bondage. 

Often we look at the past with rose-colored glasses, it was never as good as we imagine it to be. We hanker for the things of the flesh even though we are aware that these things never fully satisfied us. Who in their right mind would lick their lips thinking of food they enjoyed in bondage instead of rejoicing in their freedom. A full stomach was more appealing to them than freedom. 

Too often we too forget how marvelously You have taken care of us in the past and how You have been with us even through our most difficult moments and You guided us safely through all the storms in our life. The greatest blessing O Lord is that we know You, we love You, we are not only Christians but also Catholics and to us is given the Gift and the great privilege of eating and drinking the Flesh and Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There is nothing greater that either earth or heaven has to offer. Moses said, ‘This is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’ Thank You, Lord.

PSALM 77(78):18-19,23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Every miracle of the multiplying of bread both in the Old and New Testament prepares us for the greatest gift of all - the Holy Eucharist. They set the stage for God's most stupendous act of love for His poor, weak, sinful creatures. 

What a terrible thing it is that out of sheer ignorance, or the inability or unwillingness to get ourselves out of the sinful situations in our lives that prevent us from approaching the Table of the Lord that we deny ourselves the Bread of Angels.

Have mercy on Your people, Beloved, especially those in my own family, those I love and cherish who are unable to receive You because of the choices they make. You do not deny Yourself to them, they deny You who long to provide them with this spiritual nourishment. Have mercy Lord, open their hearts, their eyes, and their minds to the Truth. Bring them back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and from this Sacrament lead them to the wonder and joy of receiving You again in the Holy Eucharist. I make this prayer in Your mighty Name, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

MATTHEW 13:1-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You came down from heaven and You came into the world in human flesh, as a Man, to redeem the world and to take us with You to Your Father's house. You sat with us but You recognized the danger of us being separated from You and being swallowed up by the waves and currents of evil in the world. So You got into the boat, which is the Church You founded and You spoke in parables to the large crowds who stood on the beach. 

You, the Sower, continue to sow the good seed of Your Word - how we receive it is up to us. The different types of soil represent the state of our soul at various stages of our lives, or perhaps even areas currently in our hearts that are either more receptive to Your Word or less receptive to it depending on the demands it makes on us. Too often we cozy up to our sins and are quite comfortable with the less-than-stellar choices we have made in life. 

You offer us eternal life but we choose to live among the fleshpots of Egypt because it is less irksome. We lack the ability on our own to choose to do what is right, what is good, what is necessary and to give up the evil that has made its home in us. 

Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious Blood of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for my sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus, King of Mercy, I trust in You. 

MONDAY OF WEEK SIXTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord. PS 94:8

EXODUS 14:5-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The entire sojourn of the people of God, Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom to the Promised Land is a journey that every Christian must make from slavery to sin to freedom and liberation when we accept You O Lord as our Savior and Redeemer.

The chains of our slavery to the flesh, the world, and Satan get stronger the more we give in to the lie that we can never be free of our proclivity to sin. This is the great lie that the father of lies tells us constantly. We believe that we are powerless against the Enemy but the truth is that the power of Your Name causes demons to flee in terror. 

But we are weak, at the first sign of danger we lose hope just like the Israelites when they saw Pharoah and his army in hot pursuit. Trembling with fear they complained to Moses that it would have been better to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to live in freedom in the wilderness. 

When fear looms terrifyingly before us, Lord, remind us that we have no need to fear the storms that assail us. We just need to stand firm on Your Word and take refuge in Your promises. All we need to do is be still, surrender to You, give have complete confidence that You will do the fighting for us for the battle belongs to You and victory is assured even before the battle has begun.

You are the New Moses who has liberated the new people of God and brought us out of slavery to sin into the freedom of the children of God. Your right hand, Your mighty arm upholds us. Does battle on our behalf as we rest in tranquility in the eternal arms of our God.

MATTHEW 12:38-42 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

All the Scriptures of the Jews were full of the marvelous signs of God's faithfulness to them as a people, as a nation set apart for God and they witnessed many of the marvelous miracles that You worked and it was not enough. It is never enough when we seek the gifts rather than the Giver of gifts. We become greedy and insatiable and we keep demanding more.  As long as we come to You in prayer with a long give me, give me, list of petitions we will never have a real encounter with You. Too caught up with our needs we become sad, anxious, fearful, and unable to exercise the free gifts of faith, hope, and love that we have received at our Baptism.

But You did promise them the greatest of all signs, The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 

Thank You, Beloved, for the hope we have of eternal life because of Your passion, death, and glorious resurrection into heaven. Grant O Lord that all may come to believe so we all may enjoy the beatific vision for all eternity.

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. MT 11:25

WISDOM 12:13,16-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Yes, You are a God of justice and this will be fearsome to those who are stubbornly and pridefully unrepentant of grave sins. But to those who are truly repentant and contrite of heart, those who weep for their sins because they have offended You O Lord to these You will show great mercy for You are full of tender compassion and love. 

Beloved, may I never take Your love, goodness, and kindness for granted but keep me vigilant so I, with the help of the abundant grace You make available to me in the Sacraments, may avoid the near occasion of sin.

My Lord, may I die rather than cause another to commit sin. 

PSALM 85(86):5-6,9-10,15-16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You know that we are weak, You know that we are prone to fall when we are tempted. You know that we desire to be good but we lack the will to be good. This is why God willed that You become incarnate of the Virgin Mary. Only as one of us could You truly enter the human condition and redeem it. 

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

All the nations shall come to adore you

and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvellous deeds,
you who alone are God.

But you, God of mercy and compassion,
slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth,
turn and take pity on me.

ST. MARY MAGDALENE - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Tell us, Mary: say
what thou didst see upon the way.
– The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

SONG OF SONGS 3:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You delivered St. Mary Magdalene from seven devils and from that moment on she was wholly Yours. The Song of the Bridegroom and the Bride which is the Song of the Church, Your Body, became her Song as well. 

So complete was her total surrender to divine love that she no longer belonged to herself but to You. She was caught up in rapturous love and when she thought You had died she was bereft. In her overpowering, all-consuming grief she forgot everything You had preached and taught concerning the necessity of Your dying and after three days You would rise again.

Too often, my Beloved, we become so consumed by the great and painful troubles and sorrows in life that we forget that we have God who is fighting our battles alongside us, with us, and for us. All we are required to do is be still and grant You permission to be God.

You are our Lover and we are Your beloved, and this my Lord and my God is our Song. 

The bride says this:
On my bed, at night, I sought him
whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
So I will rise and go through the City;
in the streets and in the squares
I will seek him whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me
on their rounds in the City:
‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my heart loves.

PSALM 62(63):2-6,8-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This psalm beautifully encapsulates the experience of the saints. It can be our experience as well for You have given all who are baptized into Your Body the Sacraments through which rich graces flow. You have given us Your Holy Spirit the fount of all Grace and He abides in us. He who is the love that binds the Father and the Son and makes You One through Him is the same Spirit that unites us to the Triune God and unites us as well.

Grant me O Lord a burning desire to love You as I ought so this psalm becomes my experience every moment of every day that I live.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.

So I will bless you all my life,

in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

For you have been my help;

in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

JOHN 20:1-2,11-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Our grief so often overwhelms us so greatly that we forget that we have God whom we address as Dad, we have God for our Brother and Bridegroom, and we have the all-consuming Love of the Holy Spirit that binds us with You. Our fears and our grief become the great big stone that blocks us from You. Mary of Magdala was still in the dark as she made her way to the tomb. As she walked she was filled with sorrow, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of loss. To her deep sorrow was added the anxiety of how she would manage to roll away the stone from the tomb. 

When she arrived she discovered that the stone had already been moved. Instead of being filled with joy, she became even more distressed because she thought someone had stolen Your Body. Running back to the disciples Peter and John she exclaimed, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

Returning to the tomb, beside herself with grief, she stooped to look inside and lo and behold she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ 

It is then that You made Yourself known to her although she did not recognize You and You said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’

Help us O Lord when in the throes of our grief we never forget that You are God. You have risen from the dead and because You entered into our death we have hope of being raised to eternal life through Your glorious resurrection into heaven.

Because You have ascended to Your Father and now reign in heaven as our Lord and our God we can cling to You and I do cling to You. May my life O Lord never cease to be a powerful witness to Your Life and Love. Thank You.

FRIDAY OF WEEK FIFTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

EXODUS 11:10-12:14 ©

Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for becoming our Passover Meal, thank You for offering Yourself and enduring the suffering that was ours. Thank You for becoming the atoning Sacrifice for our sins. Thank You for redeeming us. Thank You for plunging Yourself into the fiery furnace and removing from us all stains of sin. Thank You for taking our irredeemable debt and paying the price that we had no means of paying. 

Thank You for Your Precious Blood that takes away the sins of the world and restores to us all that sin had robbed us of. We deserve death, eternal death, but You do not demand from us just retribution as punishment for our sins instead You take our place and You pay the price for our salvation. Without You Lord, we have nothing, we are nothing. You raise us up and make us sons and daughters of God. You make it possible for us to have renewed hope and joy not only in this life but eternal joy in the life that is to come.

Thank You for the gift of the Holy Eucharist and for becoming our food and drink which wells up to eternal life in us.

PSALM 115(116):12-13,15-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for the Gift of the Holy Eucharist, for Holy Mass, and for the grace to go for daily Mass and receive the Bread of Angels.

We cannot journey through this valley of tears and endure the necessary purification of our disordered will and desires without the daily spiritual nourishment that You provide us in Holy Communion.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

MATTHEW 12:1-8 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Too often we self-righteously condemn people judging them falsely as sinners even though they are guiltless. This is why we leave all judgment to You the Righteous Judge - we are called to love, we are called to show mercy, we are called to serve, and if we keep ourselves occupied with the things that we ought to do we will have less time to nitpick the little faults and failings of those around us.

We are often very generous in making excuses for ourselves but we apply the law stringently on others leaving little room for understanding, kindness, and compassion.

Beloved, if we desire to be judged kindly by You then we must judge others kindly. You have said that it is in the measure that we give that we will receive. Help us Lord to be open-hearted and generous always with everyone we encounter in this life so You will receive us joyfully into Your Kingdom. What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’

THURDAY OF WEEK FIFTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord. MT 11:28

EXODUS 3:13-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We too hear Your Voice speaking to us constantly but we drown it out most of the time because we are busy with worldly things, with trivialities, with what perishes and we miss the times of Your coming. But You O Lord are a persistent God, You are a relentless Lover, You pursue us for as long as we have mortal breath, and in this is our hope. You do not give up on us. 

Not only do You come to us, not only do You seek us, not only do You tenderly and lovingly woo us, but You do not lose patience with us nor do You strike us down in righteous anger. This is the Name by which God told Moses You He was to be known -  ‘I Am who I Am.’ But You, my Beloved, have taught us to address Your Father as our Father, Your Dad as our Dad, Your Abba as our Abba. 

Thank You, Lord. Grant O Lord that I may always listen to Your Word for they are life, light, and truth. May they be my guide and the light that lights my steps all the way to eternal life with You.

PSALM 104(105):1,5,8-9,24-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved

May thanksgiving, praise, adoration, and worship flow from my heart constantly for You O Lord are deserving of all glory always. I live, move, and draw breath simply because You are gracious to me and You bless me. You are God's Covenant with me and it is irrevocable. 

Thank You, Lord, for every grace and blessing. Thank You for always hearing and answering my prayers. Thank You for Your loving kindness to me and to all those whom I love. Thank You for Your loving Presence in my life. Thank You for never giving up on me even though You would have been justified in doing so.

Thank You for calling me by my name and for inscribing my name on the palm of Your Hands. Increase my love for You, my Beloved, daily more and more.

MATTHEW 11:28-30 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your yoke and your burden are light only when we surrender to Your will - in this is our true joy and consolation. Life is hard and suffering is the lot of all no one can escape the cross. When we embrace our cross in the spirit of true discipleship only then can we receive its immense merits and blessings. The unworthy sacrifice of our lives when united with the one, holy, perfect, and redeeming Sacrifice that You offered to the Father on Calvary has the power to obtain for us immeasurable graces and blessings. It is this grace that gives us hope and enables us in our daily struggles.

Suffering is our lot, Beloved, because of the sin of Adam and Eve.  You became one like us in all things save sin, to pay the price that redeemed us from the power of Satan. Original sin has made us prone to concupiscence and we fall from grace constantly. We are grateful my Beloved, that we do not have to walk the way the way of the Cross alone, You invite us to be yoked to You, and when we accept Your invitation, the journey becomes easier and our sufferings do not crush us even though they may sometimes overwhelm us because You are with us and provide all the help and graces we need to reach our eternal, heavenly destiny.

SATURDAY OF WEEK TWELVE IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us. MT 8:17

GENESIS 18:1-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

May we be aware of the time of Your visitation to us as Abraham was aware when the Triune God visited him. Let not lethargy and the heat of the day, the troubles of our lives delay a faith-filled response to Your Presence among us. Let us invite You to stay with us, let us refresh You with our love, our confidence, our trust, our adoration, and worship our prayers of praise and thanksgiving. And you will stay awhile with us as we keep You company as Abraham did. He urged his entire household to make haste and help him in giving You a generous and warm welcome and he remained attentive as he stood by You while You were with him. 

Before God left Abraham he blessed him and his wife Sara with the promise of a son that would be born to them before long. Abraham was 100 years old and Sara 90  - when Sarah heard this blessing and promise she laughed and thought to herself, ‘Now that I am past the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again!’ But You O Lord spoke to Abraham and said, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son.’ ‘I did not laugh’ Sarah said, lying because she was afraid. But he replied, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’

Today Beloved, I receive the consolation that You give me gladly, expectantly, hopefully trusting that Your Word O Lord is Truth. I do believe my Lord, that nothing is too wonderful or too difficult for You to do. I believe Lord, I believe.

MATTHEW 8:5-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Nothing pleases God more than a grateful, thankful, heart. A heart that acknowledges all Your blessings, that notices even the little ways in which You care for us, look after all our needs and answer all our prayers often even before the words have escaped our lips and even as the intention is lying on our hearts. Thank You, Lord.

There are many remarkable things to take note of in the Gospel text chosen for our reflection in today's Liturgy of the Holy Mass. A Roman centurion pleaded with You to heal his paralysed servant who he said was in great pain, this alone moved Your heart to compassion. This was an officer in the Roman army who knew his servant and cared greatly because he was sick and suffering. Immediately You responded saying, ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. To which the centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’

If only we had such great faith Beloved. We know You. We know that You are Love, Goodness, Mercy, Compassion, ready to forgive us, heal us, restore all that we have lost, and yet when we approach You in prayer we come like beggars with a begging bowl and not as sons and daughters of the Living God. You have assured us that God is our Father and it pleases our Abba to give us all that we ask Him in Your Name. 

And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.

You then went into Peter’s house and found his mother-in-law in bed with fever, You touched her hand and the fever left her and she got up and began to wait on You. Your day had just begun, my Lord, that evening they brought to You many who were possessed by devils and You cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. To this day, O Lord, our Healer, You continue to take our sicknesses away and carry our diseases for us. Thank You, Lord. Thank You.