ST. CLARE VIRGIN, FRIDAY OF WEEK EIGHTEEN IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:10

DEUTERONOMY 4:32-40 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

All that Moses said to the people is true - God, having chosen Abraham and through his descendants made a people for Himself in order to reveal to all creation that He is love and there is no other god but God.

However, Beloved, in the fullness of time when God sent You into the world, His only begotten Son, who is born of God and is God from God, light from light, true God from true God -  You O Lord were rejected by the very people whom God chose from all the nations. There is only a remnant, and that remnant is in the Catholic Church, who have embraced the fullness of Truth as revealed by the Father through the incarnation of His Eternal Word and remains with us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Moses said to the people of God that they were indeed marvelously blessed for they were privileged to hear the voice of God and experience His presence in their midst. They witnessed the mighty power of God who through many wondrous miracles led them from slavery to freedom. And yet, they are not half as blessed as we are for we O Lord, our God, nor half as privileged as we who belong to Holy Mother Church. There is no greater miracle, there is no great sign of the Presence of the God of Love in our midst as in the Holy Eucharist. We who embrace the fullness of Divine Revelation eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, and the Son of God and even as we walk in this valley of tears we already possess eternal life.

Grant us this grace today and as long as we have breath O Lord to keep Your commandments of Love and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be lavished on us 

and our children as we make our pilgrim journey from this life to the place that the Father has prepared for us from all eternity. 

PSALM 76(77):12-16,21 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When this world gets too much for us when the weight of our cross bears down on us and when the darkness and evil in the world loom threateningly around us, then O Lord may we recall past blessings. Let us muse on Your mighty deeds and most especially the salvific work of redemption wrought for us on the Cross. Love created us, Love has saved us, and Love will guide us home in safety.

We are not abandoned to muddle our way through life but You who are the Way, the Truth, and the Life are with us. Your Word is our lamp, Truth is the Light that illumines our path. You have given us Manna from Heaven which provides us with spiritual nourishment for the journey.

While the Israelites were redeemed with the mighty hand of God through incredible signs and wonders - the one all-powerful sign that ultimately redeems and saves the whole world is the Sign of the Cross. 

MATTHEW 16:24-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

It is hard to embrace the truth of suffering and the cross as being the only way by which we can be perfected and prepared for ultimate union with God in eternity. There is no easy road for the disciple who desires to follow You. We must be prepared to renounce everything even our life for Your sake and for the Gospel this is why perhaps many are tepid, lukewarm Christians they somehow arrange their beliefs about You and Your teachings in ways that make them more palatable and conducive to their lifestyle choices. But Truth by its very nature is eternal and unchanging. It is hard, it is uncompromising, what You ask of the disciple is a whole-hearted commitment to the Truth. We need first to know the Truth, embrace it, and live it for Truth alone can set us free from the wiles of the Enemy.

St. Ignatius of Loyola kept reminding St. Francis Xavier that a man gains nothing if he wins the whole world but loses his soul. 

Yes, the Gospel has been preached to the ends of the earth and the Church is being persecuted in every part of the globe. But we ought not to be afraid to be powerful witnesses to the Truth. You assure us that we need not be afraid of those that can kill the body and after that are powerless rather we should fear God who can destroy both body and soul eternally. 

Thank You for the vision of Glory that was given to Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration. Thank You for the Kingdom of God that is already present in our midst and in our hearts. Above all thank You for the Sacraments and above all for the Sacrament of Sacraments - the Holy Eucharist. The Kingdom of God descends into our hearts in this Sacrament and for a moment we are transfigured and transformed in divine intimacy with You.