ST. JEROME, PRIEST, DOCTOR - SATURDAY OF WEEK 25 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2 TIM 1:10

ZECHARIAH 2:5-9,14-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Church You founded, the Church that is Your mystical Body, is the Church that You protect with a wall of the Fire of the Spirit of God, the Love of God, the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. You have given Your Bride Your Word that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. Those within her gates and those outside it have been doing their utmost to destroy her but Satan remains toothless and all the wiles of the world the devil, and the flesh will remain ineffectual. 

“( The New) Jerusalem is to remain unwalled, because of the great number of men and cattle there will be in her. But I – it is the Lord who speaks – I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her.” Thank You for Your Word O Lord concerning Your Church, Your Body of which You O Lord are the glorious Head. We believe in Your Word and we are confident that for as long as the Church from the rising of the sun to its setting offers to the Father the once-for-all Sacrifice in remembrance of the work of salvation that You wrought on Calvary for the salvation of the world, the power of God and the presence of God within her will be unassailable and invincible until You return in glory. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

Sing, rejoice,
daughter of Zion;
for I am coming
to dwell in the middle of you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Many nations will join the Lord,
on that day;
they will become his people.


JEREMIAH  31:10-12,13 ©

O nations, hear the word of the Lord,
proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,

has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion,
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord.

Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance,
the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console them, give them gladness for grief.

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

 LUKE 9:43-45 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

At the time of Your public ministry over 2000 years ago, You were always aware of Your mission. The shadow of the Cross lay across the manger in Bethlehem and its shadow stayed with You until it was laid upon Your shoulders and You were finally crucified after enduring the savagery of Your executioners in a barbaric scourging,  accompanied by the derision and mocking of those who crowded around to watch what they perceived to be the end of the Man who threatened to destroy forever the comfort of the status quo that until then they enjoyed and no one but You had dared question. 

Oftentimes, when the adulation of the crowd was at its zenith You made it a point to remind Your disciples of what was to come - the handing over of the Son of Man to the power of men who had given themselves over to the powers of darkness and evil. This was one such time when they were still enthralled by the euphoric crowd that You drew them gently to the purpose of Your mission, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ Whenever You spoke of what was to come it made them afraid and uncomfortable. They enjoyed Your Presence basking in Your reflected glory and they did not want to see these exciting, exhilarating days come to an end. And they were too afraid to ask. In time they would, but until the hour for which You were born arrived the meaning was hidden from them.

Beloved, we want to be happy always with no suffering, pain, heartache, or sickness, and we never want evil to touch our lives - but we cannot escape the cross.  Every Christian is invited to share Your Chalice of Suffering while we sojourn in this vale of tears and we must do so with patience, humility, and with the grace that You make available to us. Only then can we hope to share in Your glory eternally.