FRIDAY OF WEEK 24 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 TIMOTHY 6:2-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There is one Way to the Father's house and it is only through You that we can get there. Every baptized Christian is bound to keep Your doctrine in its entirety and the Church has the sacred duty of passing it on to future generations undiluted. We do not hand a watered-down faith in doing so we get the kind of weak, tame, timorous faith that so many in the Church even among her shepherds profess and teach.

The lives of the Apostles, the disciples, saints, and every martyr who gladly faced persecution, imprisonment, torture, and even death did so because they knew in whom they had placed their faith and their hope. God's free gift of faith in You and in the revelation of the truth of who God is and God's purpose for His children which is the Sacred Deposit of our Faith, is worth dying for. 

The world corrupts and this is why You urge Your disciples to live in the world but not be of it. The world is given over to Satan and he comes to steal, to murder, and to destroy what has already been redeemed by You. Free will is God's greatest gift to us for God allows us to choose whether or not we will walk on the side of Truth and Light or walk with the angels of darkness. "He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent."

Beloved Jesus, it is so easy to fall prey to the dark influences that constantly pressure us to choose the easy road and many give in and are lost. In Your great compassion and love O Lord, hear our prayers not only for ourselves but for everyone we pray for earnestly each day that we might embrace the Good News in its entirety and hold fast to the Truth no matter the consequences. For the sake of Your sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the world. 

But, as a man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses.

PSALM 48(49):6-10,17-20 ©

Why should I fear in evil days

the malice of the foes who surround me,
men who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches?

For no man can buy his own ransom,

or pay a price to God for his life.
The ransom of his soul is beyond him.
He cannot buy life without end,
nor avoid coming to the grave.

Then do not fear when a man grows rich,

when the glory of his house increases.
He takes nothing with him when he dies,
his glory does not follow him below.

Though he flattered himself while he lived:

‘Men will praise me for all my success,’
yet he will go to join his fathers,
who will never see the light any more.

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

LUKE 8:1-3 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Synoptic Gospels mention the names of the Twelve Apostles chosen by You to play a primary role in the Church You founded, St. Luke however, makes it a point to mention and include the names of the women who accompanied You along with the Twelve as You went about teaching and proclaiming the Good New of the Kingdom of God. 

The Church has always recognized the women's role of complementarity in the Church. Her gifts and charisms are an invaluable contribution to the life, growth, and strength of the Church, and while they most certainly do have the same role as men especially those called to minister to the Body of Christ as His priests, they are just as necessary to the life of the Church. 

Beloved You called women to follow You as Your disciples fully aware of 'the feminine genius' for it was You with the Father and the Holy Spirit who created her. May neither women nor the world discount the very necessary gifts she brings and the vital role that women play in the Church and in the world.