MONDAY OF WEEK 27 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia! JN 13:34

JONAH 1:1-2:1,11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

It is better to fall in Your hands in obedience than to flee from You in disobedience as Jonah quickly discovered. You speak to us clearly in many ways through Sacred Scripture, the Church, our circumstances, as well as those around us. You speak to us constantly it's just that our ears are deaf to the sound of Your voice because of the din of the clamour of the world, the flesh and the devil that constantly distracts us. 

Too often like Jonah we also question or do not wish to comply with what You ask of us. The people of Nineveh were the enemy and Jonah the prophet had no desire to go and preach repentance to them even though Your command was crystal clear. So he went in the opposite direction. He soon discovered that no one can escape the strong arm of the Lord and he also found out that it is better to do as God commands and save ourselves a lot of grief.

In the end, Jonah did do what God wanted although he did it most grudgingly and with much complaining. Forgive me, Lord, when I act like Jonah. Keep me attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and grant me the grace to do all You ask of me promptly, joyfully, humbly, and obediently. Keep me in Your love now and always.

PSALM - JONAH 2:3-5,8 ©

Out of my distress I cried to the Lord

and he answered me;
from the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you have heard my voice.

You cast me into the abyss, into the heart of the sea,

and the flood surrounded me.
All your waves, your billows,
washed over me.

And I said: I am cast out

from your sight.
How shall I ever look again
on your holy Temple?

While my soul was fainting within me,

I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came before you
into your holy Temple.

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

LUKE 10:25-37 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The lawyer who questioned You about what he needed to do to inherit eternal life although he knew the answer. He just wanted to put You on the spot and when You quoted the first commandment, which he knew well too, to seem less stupid before the crowd he asked, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ You replied with a parable that reveals the tender compassion of God for those who suffer abuse at the hands of those who do evil.

All too often we are like the priest and the Levite who even after noticing the victim lying on the road beaten half to death, refused to get involved. He was a fellow Jew and yet they refused to lift a finger to help him. Both the priest and the Levite saw the man lying on the road and deliberately crossed over to the other side. A Samaritan, however, although considered an enemy of the Jews, did the unexpected.

But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.”

You then put this question to the lawyer, a question we are all called to answer as well: ‘Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ He responded, ‘The one who took pity on him’ Let us also heed Your instruction to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’ For it is the measure that we give that we will receive.