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.