Sts. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs, SATURDAY OF WEEK WEEK 23 IN ORDINARY TIME (2023)

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him. JN 14:23

1 TIMOTHY 1:15-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul is right - it does not matter if our sins have been as scarlet You have the power to wash our souls and make them whiter than wool. These are Your words O Lord and I believe Your Word, O Eternal Word of the Father.

My own life is a testament to how You never abandoned me even when I turned my back on You so often in my youth. You never let go of me but pursued me relentlessly. You did whatever was necessary to bring me back to my senses and to show me that You alone are all we need to be joyful in this life. Thank You for all You have done O Lord in saving me and for continuing to save me every single day.

I will stop being worried and anxious for the salvation of those I love for I believe that just as You brought me from darkness to Your own marvelous light so too will You will bring my loved ones into that same light. I will pray and hope, but I will not worry because I can trust in Your inexhaustible patience with sinners. Jesus, I trust You.

PSALM 112(113):1-7 ©

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and forevermore!

From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.

Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor

May the name of the Lord be blessed forevermore!

LUKE 6:43-49 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I am Your disciple and not just I but my family members as well. We are grafted to You Beloved. Yes, we have not always been faithful, we have sinned and continue to sin grievously because we are weakened by the sin of our first parents. However, we have hope in the salvation that You won for us. Baptism has grafted us to Your Body and as members of Your Body, we are rooted in the Holy Spirit. While it is true that we fail to produce good fruit in every season, Beloved, we know that our Heavenly Father, the Vinedresser, is constantly pruning us, and with the help of the Holy Spirit and the immense graces You won for us, each of us will be saved.

Hear my prayers Beloved, as I plead with You day after day to open the hearts, minds, and ears of those I love so they may hear Your voice and repent. May they return to the Sacraments and avail of the immense graces that are freely available to them. Be merciful O Lord, for the sake of Your sorrowful passion, have mercy on my family and on the whole world.

Grant O Lord that according to Your word, we who have been grafted to Your Body and have laid the foundations on rock will prevail even when the flood waters of the river rise up to bear it down. We will be unshaken because we are built on the firm foundation of the Church You established and You will lead us safely through this valley of tears to the eternal Kingdom. We will share in Your inheritance and we will enjoy the beatific vision forever.