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,
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.’
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