ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM BISHOP, DOCTOR - WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 23 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Rejoice and be glad:
your reward will be great in heaven. LK 6:23AB

COLOSSIANS 3:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The words of St. Paul today stir the soul with passion, fervor, and love for You O Lord, our God, and for our brothers and sisters. Love is all that matters and in the final analysis, love will determine our final destiny.

The life that we have received in Baptism is Your life Beloved, and we are made children of the Father and co-heirs with You to the Kingdom. Our whole beings must yearn toward God and even while we are still on earth our hearts must be already in heaven gazing at You and worshipping You for as St. Paul reminds us, our life is now hidden in You.

Concupiscence still has its way with us for we are weak, My Lord, this is why we ask for grace from the Holy Spirit to help us put to death the things of the world, the flesh, and the devil that tempt us constantly and kill both soul and body. So often in the day pride leads me to impatience, irritability, annoyance, and how often I fail in love. I need the grace O Lord to exercise the virtues of humility and obedience.

Yes, Lord, I desire to be stripped totally of old sinful habits. Now that I am clothed in You and in Your Spirit, Beloved, I am confident that You will carry me for I am incapable of making this journey through the valley of tears without Your constant and abiding help. You O Lord are everything to me, I love You. Keep me safe in your love.

PSALM 144(145):2-3,10-13a ©

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.

To make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.

How good is the Lord to all.

LUKE 6:20-26 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Beatitudes are the roadmap to heaven. You do not ask of us anything that You did not first teach us by example. The evangelist says that You fixed Your eyes on Your disciples as You preached the greatest sermon that was ever preached and will ever be preached. 

My Lord, Your eyes are fixed on me personally and You are teaching me personally as You are speaking to all who listen to these words today: 

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.’

It matters not, my Beloved, how those who are of the world allow worldly wisdom and its culture to shape their lives demanding that they kowtow to what it dictates. They may scorn and ridicule all that is right, true, good, and beautiful yet it is Love, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness that are eternal and they will discover when it is too late that the One who has the power to kill both body and soul will judge them and they will be cast into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and living death in the eternal fire of hell.

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

While there is yet time my Lord, may we who have chosen to abide in You and remain in Your love pray fervently for the conversion of the whole world for this is Your will and Your desire that all be saved and come to the knowledge of Truth.