ST. ANDREW, APOSTLE - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Follow me, says the Lord,
and I will make you into fishers of men. MT 4:19

ROMANS 10:9-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for the Apostles, the Twelve, and for Peter whom You placed in authority over them. To Peter, You have given the charism of infallibility in matters concerning faith and morals so the Church You established will never stray the least bit from divinely revealed Truth. You chose the Twelve, You taught them. They lived with You, ate with You, they were powerful witnesses to all the miracles. They touched You and were touched by You. Often You withdrew away from the crowds and You taught them privately. They saw You after Your resurrection not once but many times. You spoke to them about the Holy Spirit that they would receive while they waited in prayer with Mary in the upper room and the Holy Spirit descended on them filled them and transformed them from weak, frightened men into men of great valor who having received their mission from You to go out into the ends of the earth and spread the Good News did so. They were all martyred except for the beloved disciple, John to whom You entrusted Your Mother, the Virgin Mary.

We thank You for the successors to Peter and the Apostles who faithfully carry on the mission through priests, deacons, and the lay faithful to this day and will continue to do so till the end of time and Your Second Coming.  

St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles assures us that anyone who makes this confession with their lips that You are Lord and believing this from their heart will be made righteous and will be saved. Belief is the first step. The Apostles didn't just confess what they believed - they lived out their faith in season and out of season, whether it was convenient or inconvenient, when in danger or in safety. With no thought for their personal comfort, despite being imprisoned, persecuted, facing all kinds of threats to their lives, traveling in all kinds of weather, undeterred even when facing hostile crowds, they preached the Good News and more importantly they lived the Good News and were martyred. They died joyfully because they were considered worthy to lay down their lives for You and for the Gospel.

So yes, faith is the basis by which we begin but it is only the first step - our entire life must be a witness to our faith or else it is a sham. No one is saved by faith alone as St. James says, So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith without works is barren?

Lord Jesus, Beloved of my soul, if I have yet made a beginning to demonstrate by my works a living, vibrant faith then grant me the grace to begin now while I still have today for tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. 

PSALM 18(19):2-5 ©

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

MATTHEW 4:18-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are always passing by. You are always inviting us into a deeper relationship with You. You have a mission for us, a plan for our lives, and unless we pay attention, we lift up our heads from whatever our preoccupation is and we look at You meet Your gaze, and hear Your call which is urgent and personal we will miss the opportunity to become a part of the great work to which every baptized Christian is called.

Today as the Church celebrates the feast of St. Andrew, Apostle and martyr, we reflect on Your call to the brothers, Simon and Andrew, and James and John. They were busy with their trade, their livelihood but they saw You walking by the Sea of Galilee, they looked at You, they heard Your voice and Your invitation - ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ All four men heard the call and we are told that at once they left what they were doing - Simon and Andrew left their nets, and James and John left the boat and their father and followed You.

So many of us hear You call and we pretend we do not hear You. Or we hear You and ignore the invitation because we are too preoccupied with the cares or the pleasures of this world. If today we hear Your voice let us not harden our hearts but grant us the grace to leave everything behind and follow You with an undivided heart. Thank You, Lord. 

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 34 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you
the crown of life. REV 2:10

DANIEL 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we profane sacred things we bring God's wrath upon us. God is holy all God's creation is holy, God's creatures are holy, and above all created things man is holy. You have commanded us to be holy and perfect as Your Father and our Father in Heaven is holy and perfect. Our words, thoughts, and our deeds must be holy. We must strive for holiness and perfection always only then can we be pleasing to God. It is in our constant striving that has value in Your sight. Of course, we will fail any number of times in a day because we are broken, weak, frail, and subject to concupiscence. Each time we fall we rise again and begin anew.

Our bodies were created to glorify God and when we desecrate them we invite all kinds of diseases both physical and spiritual into our souls, however, when we use our bodies as they were meant to be used by God we thrive in every way. Beloved we have only to look at our broken world and see the horrific errors that are being promoted as desirable and good. All sanity, plain commonsense, and logic have fled from public discourse while diabolic lies that are destructive to body and soul are being touted and celebrated and even made punishable by law if we refuse to fall in line with the evil that is being forced upon all.

Today the Church reminds us that our lives are finite and we are accountable for our actions. The first two commandments are the only rules by which we ought to live our lives if we are to know joy in this life and everlasting joy in the life to come. 

The prophet Daniel refused the gifts and rewards that the king promised to give him for a correct interpretation of the writing on the wall, he would tell him what the words meant without accepting anything favors in return. He told the king that he had defied the Lord of Heaven and there would be severe consequences. What the prophet Daniel said to the king applies to our world as well. As long as we deny and defy God our world will sink deeper and deeper into corruption, decay, and death. We bring about our own annihilation the further we stray from the path of holiness, goodness, beauty, and truth. 

Responsorial Psalm DANIEL 3:62-67 ©

Sun and moon! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Stars of heaven! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Showers and dews! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Winds! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Fire and heat! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Cold and heat! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

LUKE 21:12-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In this final week as the liturgical comes to an end we are reminded about the things that matter, the things that are eternal, the things that are necessary to prepare us as we come to an end of our own personal pilgrim journey from this world to the next and for Your Second Coming in glory. 

To be faithful disciples in all seasons is to take up our cross daily and follow You. The world hated You and continues to hate You and all who follow You are hated as well. The Enemy will stop at nothing to steal what belongs to God. He lost paradise and his envy of us who are bound for heaven is all-consuming and he and his agents will stop at nothing to snatch us from You. You warn us most solemnly of what we can expect and also that we need not fear the Enemy for You O Lord are with us and You assure us that no one has the power to steal what God has entrusted to You. Let us not be anxious about what the rulers of this world can do to us for the only power they possess is to kill the body but after that can do nothing else. You assure us that if we endure to the end we will receive eternal life with You in heaven. You will be our reward.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

TUESDAY OF WEEK 34 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you
the crown of life. REV 2:10

DANIEL 2:31-45 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Through Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, You reveal to us that kingdoms come and go, rules, despots, dictators, rulers of all nations, and their rule will end. Nations will crumble and their legacy scattered to the four winds and their names will be lost in the ashes of time and will be forgotten. All that is material is temporal. The world is subject to decay and eventual death no matter how lovely created things may be their life span is short and their memory will ultimately be erased.  

We live in a world where men and women are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths sometimes even diabolical lengths to preserve youth, physical beauty, and health but all they succeed in doing is either make caricatures of themselves or buy a little extra time. The one thing that is certain is death - time marches inexorably and despite all our efforts to delay its hour death will meet us.

One thing alone is eternal - our soul and when time runs its course we will be judged and we will find ourselves either in eternal bliss with You in the Kingdom of God or cast into the pit of hell where the fire never goes out. 

You came into the world to establish the Kingdom of God in our hearts, in our midst, and this Kingdom will never end. Your Kingdom which is the Church You established on the Rock of Peter while You, O Lord, are its cornerstone, and with this Church, You have made a Covenant of Love sealed in Your Blood and the Holy Spirit. This Kingdom will have no end even though her enemies strive tirelessly within and without to destroy her. She is invincible for she belongs to You. The Church from the moment You instituted her has gone through many trials and upheavals, scandals and controversies, and will continue to do so until You return in glory, but she will never be overcome, overpowered, or destroyed for she is built on the invincible and Eternal Word of God.

 ‘In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  - DANIEL 3:57-61 ©

All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Heavens! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Waters above the heavens! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

LUKE 21:5-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Temple of Jerusalem, just as You had foretold, was destroyed so thoroughly that not one stone was left on another. When we reject You, Lord, nothing can withstand the onslaught of the Enemy whose envy of us is so great that he will stop at nothing to steal, pillage, and destroy our immortal souls. The Kingdom of God is not in beautiful structures, adorned with fine art, rich tapestries, and precious metals and jewels. All these are good in their place for they were built to give You glory and to raise our hearts and minds through beauty to the Author of Beauty.  

But if we forget You, if we disobey the Law of Love which is the Law of God written on our hearts, if we give our lives over to dissolution, fornication, drunkenness, carousing, lust, and depravity, if we value money, power, and carnal pleasure over obedience to God we will reap the whirlwind. Horrific tragedies and disasters both man-made and natural have regularly swept across large swathes of the globe in times past and they are happening now. You warn us time and time again to repent and to return to You with humble and contrite hearts and if we continue to ignore Your loving call to contrition we will experience what the people of God experienced when after having rejected the Savior of the world, after committing Deicide, the people of God became wanderers yet again as they were scattered all over the world. Having rejected the One that they longed for - the Messiah because You did not fit their preconceived ideas they lost everything. 

What You said then is true even now,

‘Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon. Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

But Your faithful remnant also holds on with faith to Your assurance, 'Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'

MONDAY OF WEEK 34 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming. MT 24:42, 44

DANIEL 1:1-6,8-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As I read today's first reading I understand that if God be for us nothing can go against us. If God is the One I seek to obey, if I desire to be faithful to Him and to His Word in all things that all will go well for me and I need fear nothing not the terror of the night or the arrows that fly by day for You O Lord, my God, the Eternal and abiding Word of the Father remain in me and give me life.

Never has it been known, my Beloved Lord that anyone who has placed all their hope and trust in You has been disappointed or put to shame. Daniel and his companions refused to compromise their faith for the sake of temporary honor or the goodwill of the king. They remained steadfast and You blessed them a hundred-fold with knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom and were found to be far greater in each of these areas than the kings magicians, and enchanters.

Give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness O Lord my God in the face of all opposition. Grant me the grace to be fearless in the face of difficulty, sorrow, anxiety, stress, sickness, and any malaise in heart, mind, body, and spirit. I desire to stay hidden in Your Sacred Heart as I take refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Your Mother's heart belongs to You. Through Mary to You in all things - grant me this O Lord and all will be well with me. 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM - DANIEL 3:52-56 ©

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

Blest your glorious holy name.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the temple of your glory.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest who gaze into the depths.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the firmament of heaven.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

LUKE 21:1-4 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

What are Your thoughts when You see us drop our money in the collection box every Sunday? Nothing is hidden from Your sight - You know the secrets of our hearts, You know our motives. Most of us put the same amount Sunday after Sunday as a matter of course and You know just as well as we do that it really makes no difference to us. We give out of our abundance. We drop our money complacently and the box moves and then we hear a clink of coins, someone drops into it some change and this could very well be a person who is in the same situation as the widow whom You noticed and You pointed out to those who were around You. So for those of us who without a second thought drop our usual offering as a matter of habit and are judgemental about the one whose coins clink as they make their meager contribution, it is good to be reminded about who offers more and which offering is better pleasing to God. Our generosity is not measured by how much we give and most certainly most of us can give more - it is measured by the selfless love that accompanies our giving. 

 ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

CHRIST THE KING - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! MK 11:10

EZEKIEL 34:11-12,15-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today as the Church celebrates You under Your title Christ the King we rejoice for we have a King who is not only the ruler of the heavens and the earth but a King who lay down His life for His sheep. We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock. You know us by name. We belong to You and You assure us that one of Your sheep whom the Father has entrusted to You will be lost.

Thank You for this wonderful assurance, Beloved, that You know even those who have strayed far from the fold and while they may have lost sight of You, You have them in sight, and in time, You will lead them back to the fold for You O Lord are the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. 

Thank You, my Beloved, for this confidence that we can have in You for You O Lord are Truth. I will pray unceasingly for my loved ones to come home so one day we will be with You eternally. 

PSALM 22(23):1-3a,5-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
forever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26,28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How good it is to know that in the end death will be no more. You have won the victory by the power of Your glorious resurrection into heaven. You took upon Yourself the iniquity of the entire human race. You paid the price that we owed. You who are without sin became sin in order to stand in the breech and receive the punishment that was ours. Having crushed the head of the serpent just as God promised we can hope to receive a share in Your inheritance.

It is hard to believe Lord that this world has been redeemed. We look around us and we see a culture that is getting more and more steeped in debauchery. Forget Wisdom, common sense has long fled from the collective consciousness of people.  Twisted, maniacal ideologies that have no place in the realm of sanity have now taken center stage and all are forced to kowtow to the abhorrent and demonic culture and threatened with dire consequences if we fail to do so. But the hour is coming and You will return in glory. But before that day arrives Beloved, grant through the power of Your Blood that we return to the Truth and that all mankind worships the one true God and You, His Son whom He sent to redeem the world. How comforting it is to know Lord that You will do away with every illegitimate authority and power and You will reign over us all. We long for that day, Lord. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

MATTHEW 25:31-46 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

May I never fail to see You in my neighbor especially those whom the world pushes to the peripheries and views as an inconvenience. You O Lord have been appointed as the righteous and just Judge for You know us, having come into the world as one like us in all things save sin. You know the depths of degradation to which the human heart can sink and You also know the heights of sublimity to which the soul can rise for You created us, You became like us, and nothing about us is unknown to You. 

While on earth You gave us an example of how we should treat those who are less fortunate than us and how we are always accountable for our brothers and sisters in need. Beloved, on the day of Your final return in glory grant that we will all be on the side of the sheep - not only we and our loved ones but the whole human race having received You as our Lord and our God may we be judged with compassion. Grant us this grace O Lord that while there is still time to live in grace and in truth so we will hear You say to us, 

 “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” And when we ask You, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” You will say to us, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

Mother dearest, Your Son entrusted us to you and we have taken you home with us. Intercede for us, your poor, sinful children, and ensure that in the end, together with you we will all be praising and worshipping God face to face eternally.

SATURDAY IF WEEK 33 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia! 2TIM 1:10

1 MACCABEES 6:1-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

A good examination of conscience at the end of each day will keep us conscious of the many times we failed during the day. We will know ourselves and our weaknesses as well as the strengths we receive by the grace of God. 

King Antiochus after being defeated and hearing more bad news of his army being routed in Judah is now morose, disheartened, and disconsolate. He takes to his bed and understands that his end is drawing near and examines his life. He wonders how he has come to such a sad end even though according to his assessment of himself he was generous and well-loved. While this may be true of his dealings with his friends it was certainly not true of his treatment of the inhabitants of Judah whom he had killed. He also plundered the sacred vessels made of gold and silver from the temple and he now admits that this is probably why he has come to such a miserable end. 

My Lord and my God, grant me sufficient grace each day to stay close to you, to align my will to Yours, and to allow Your Holy Spirit to live, move, and breathe in me so I may always rest in Your love and avoid all that is displeasing to You. Help me to live each moment aware of Your Presence in me and with the help of Your grace resist every occasion of sin. Stay with me Lord not and until You come to take me home to Yourself forever.

Saints Andrew Dũng-Lạc and his Companions, Martyrs FRIDAY OF WEEK 33 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

1 MACCABEES 4:36-37,52-59 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How good it is when God's people come together to celebrate Your goodness and Your love. How good it is when our hearts are filled with gladness and we worship and adore God as one Body in You and the life of the Holy Spirit flows through us and fills us with light, life, and grace. There is no greater joy than when we gather together as one community with one purpose to celebrate God and His covenantal love for His children - a covenant sealed in Your Blood and in Your Spirit.

We have allowed the world, the flesh, and the devil to rob us of the joy that is our inheritance through Your saving work on the Cross. By Your passion, death, and glorious resurrection You have granted us new life in You a life of abundant joy and peace and yet we are blind and deaf to the truth of the Good News. How much longer Beloved will the people of God, the members of Your mystical body, continue to live like pagans? How much longer are we going to deny the truth that we have been purchased by Your Blood, we have been ransomed by You and that we now owe a debt that is impossible for us to repay? Let us rejoice that we You have set us free and we are no longer slaves but children of God and co-heirs with You in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

1 CHRONICLES 29:10-12 ©

Blessed are you, O Lord,

the God of Israel our father,
for ever, for ages unending.

Yours, Lord, are greatness and power,

and splendour and triumph and glory.
All is yours, in heaven and on earth.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom,

you are supreme over all.
Both honour and riches come from you.

You are the ruler of all,

from your hand come strength and power,
from your hand come greatness and might.

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

LUKE 19:45-48 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The House of God, the Temple of the Holy Spirit both within us and without are constantly being desecrated. The Holy of Holies within us being sullied by our sins and we constantly grieve the Holy Spirit. But our churches also have become commercial hubs where sacred things are sold and there are some who find it increasingly difficult to receive the Sacraments because of all the well-meaning perhaps, obstacles that clerics put in place. Many are so put off by all the hoops that they are made to jump through that they give up.

Corruption has spread all the way up the hierarchical chain and the faithful are either scandalized or confused. The Church ought to speak in one voice on matters of faith and morals but the constant divisive voices sow only discord. We need apostles who like You are unafraid to take the whip and drive out the buyers and sellers that have turned Your house of prayer into a den of thieves. The enemies of truth are baying for blood like the chief priests and the scribes along with powerful secular voices that are hell-bent on doing away with You and all that You represent - BEAUTY, TRUTH, AND GOODNESS. Hear the cries of Your faithful remnant O Lord and grant us speedy help, relief, and justice. Amen.

THURSDAY OF WEEK 33 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia! PS 94:8

1 MACCABEES 2:15-29 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The violence in Salvation history took place at a time when people lived in violent times.  Tribal wars and wars between leaders of nations in the pagan world with the people of Israel were a constant occurrence and ruthless means were used to defend themselves, their families, their land, and above all their faith against the marauders. But this was then. Yet even in our times, there are people who are brainwashed into believing that such barbarism is justified and that the god or gods they worship they worship actually command that they commit such atrocities. They have taken the most violent parts of the Old Testament out of context and embraced them in their satanic, brutish ideology. There is a demonic bloodthirst fuelled by vicious hatred that turns people into brutes. Warring factions on both sides have lost all sense of proportion - one side desires to pulverize the enemy until they have been neutralized to the point of annihilation believing that only then can they exist in relative peace. Whereas the other side has a manic hatred for the very existence of their enemy and desires that they be expunged from the face of the earth and not just they but all who oppose their satanic ideology.

There can be no peace on earth, Beloved, unless we recognize that we are brothers and sisters and that we need each other. You came into the world to show us the Way, to reveal the Truth, and to give us abundant, unending, fruitful, and joyous Life in the Holy Spirit.

We live in a broken, sin-filled world. The envy of the devil will not permit him to rest until he steals our inheritance from us, an inheritance that was once his and which he rejected. There is no turning back for him and his minions from his rebellion against God and his envy of us is so great that he has unleashed all the powers of hell on the world in order to snatch our inheritance of the Kingdom of God from us.

Grant us this grace O Lord, that we would prefer death like Mattathias and his followers rather than give in out of fear for the sake of gaining a few paltry years in this life. All is well lost for Your Sake, Beloved, and for the sake of the Kingdom. 

PSALM 49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 ©

The God of gods, the Lord,
has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.

‘Summon before me my people

who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God

and render him your votive offerings.
Call on me in the day of distress.
I will free you and you shall honour me.’

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

LUKE 19:41-44 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Twice in the Gospels, we are told that You wept. Once at the tomb of Your friend Lazarus, and once when You came in sight of the city of Jerusalem and foresaw what would become of it because they rejected You refusing in their hardhearted stubbornness to accept that the time of their salvation had arrived. 

What You prophesied about Jerusalem came true decades after Your Ascension and history continues to repeat itself across the globe ad infinitum ad nauseam. The horrors that occur daily many of which we do not even know of are straight from the very pit of hell. The enemy has infiltrated everywhere. Families are the primary target of the enemy and we can see its effects in the debauched culture we currently live in. Children are dismembered within the womb and outside it. Women are violated and not only women but men as well. They are exploited and abused in every way. And why? Because as You say so clearly - we have not recognized that salvation has been extended to us from the Cross of Calvary and the Blood of the Lamb has redeemed the world.

Abba Father, for the sake of Jesus' sorrowful passion, stay Your anger - command Satan to halt and come to no further and encroach on what Your Son has won for us on Calvary. Have mercy on the world Father for Jesus' sake we pray. Amen.

ST. CECILIA, VIRGIN & MARTYR, WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 33 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord. JN 15:16

2 MACCABEES 7:1,20-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The world is in dire need of mothers like this mother in today's first reading. A mother who would prefer that her children lay down their lives nobly rather than for the fleeting pleasures of this world. Children who would rather die than forsake God. Too many women have forgotten that they are entrusted with special gifts that enable them to shape, form, and nurture souls entrusted to them to greatness. When they fail in this sacred mission the world grows more cruel, selfish, and hostile to God and to neighbour.

A noble mother strong in her faith and a steadfast anchor in the lives of her children can strengthen their faith, increase their love, and help them to grow into men and women who will influence the lives of others and the world for good.  The faith of so many young people is so weak that as soon as they are on their own they are swept away by the immoral culture prevalent in the world today. The world is filled with mothers who are broken, and whose tears stream constantly knowing that their their children have strayed from the path of holiness that leads to the Kingdom of God. 

Hear the prayers of all mothers today Beloved and grant that children may receive the grace of conversion, and repentance and that they return to You with humble and contrite hearts. Have mercy O Lord for the sake of Your sorrowful passion, have mercy.

PSALM 16(17):1,5-6,8,15 ©

Lord, hear a cause that is just,
pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer:
no deceit is on my lips.

I kept my feet firmly in your paths;

there was no faltering in my steps.
I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.
Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings
As for me, in my justice I shall see your face
and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

LUKE 19:11-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We have all been entrusted with the gift of faith which is not ours to keep but to be shared. Faith enables us to look at the future with hope. Faith teaches us that we can trust God who loved us into being, redeemed and sanctified us, and watches over us will never fail us, He has done so in the past and we can trust Him to do so in the future. Faith is the light that illumines the way especially when the night is dark. Faith in You, O Lord our God who emptied Yourself and laid down Your life for us so we may live, has also given us His Holy Spirit. Filled with the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we are more than conquerors. 

However, all that we have received is to be given away. We are to imitate You. The more we receive the more we are called to share of the gifts entrusted to us. The day of reckoning will arrive. Those of us who have hidden the talent or talents given to us will be called to account and will be punished. Those who have used their talents, like so many admirable priests, bishops, and lay people to draw many to the knowledge of the Truth revealed to us in You will receive a great reward.

Let us take a moment today to reflect on which category we come under. Time is brief. The time is now. Let us not waste it but put on Your full armor and fight the good fight.  

THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God so loved us that he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. 1 JN 4:10

2 MACCABEES 6:18-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As these last weeks of the month of November dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory draws to a close we are reminded time and time again of Your words that we ought not to fear those who have the power to kill the body and after that can do nothing more but to Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell.

Today's first reading gives us a shining example of a venerable old man, Eleazar, who would rather die nobly than compromise his integrity and lead anyone who was watching him astray. He scorned gaining a few more years to live only to lose his soul eternally. We live in a world that celebrates and prizes physical pleasure and temporal goods over the spiritual. Some elderly bishops and priests, leaders in the Church, parents, and grandparents, as well as some of the older generation would do well to reflect on the honorable words and actions of Eleazer. 

‘Such pretence’ he said ‘does not square with our time of life; many young people would suppose that Eleazar at the age of ninety had conformed to the foreigners’ way of life, and because I had played this part for the sake of a paltry brief spell of life might themselves be led astray on my account; I should only bring defilement and disgrace on my old age. Even though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp of the Almighty. Therefore if I am man enough to quit this life here and now I shall prove myself worthy of my old age, and I shall have left the young a noble example of how to make a good death, eagerly and generously, for the venerable and holy laws.’

PSALM 3:2-7 ©

How many are my foes, O Lord!

How many are rising up against me!
How many are saying about me:
‘There is no help for him in God.’

But you, Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, who lift up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord.
He answers from his holy mountain.

I lie down to rest and I sleep.

I wake, for the Lord upholds me.
I will not fear even thousands of people
who are ranged on every side against me.

The Lord upholds me.

LUKE 19:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Many wanted to see You Lord out of curiosity, or because they wanted to be healed or a loved one to be healed. They had heard of the many miracles You had worked and Your teachings which though old seemed fresh and new and they wanted to see for themselves whether all the hype about You was true. That's all they wanted, nothing more. And so it was with Zacchaeus as well. It began with curiosity. The Gospel says, that he was anxious to see what kind of man You were and so he joined the crowds. However, being short in stature and unable to see above the crowds around him, having no regard for seeming ridiculous he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to get a better view. He must have almost fallen off the branch where he was perched when You stopped right under him and looking up at him said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ 

Incredible joy surged through this tax collector who had defrauded many and was hated by his countrymen. Despite the grumbling crowd who sneered at him and faulted You for wanting to stay at a sinner's house, the irrepressible Zacchaeus made voluntary reparation publicly for his past deeds saying, to You, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ Forgiveness and restoration were granted to him and his family in an instant when You said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

MONDAY OF WEEK 33 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12

1 MACCABEES 1:10-15,41-43,54-57,62-64 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Our tragedy is that we do not learn from the past and hence we are doomed to repeat the catastrophic consequences of our lack of vision, foresight, and are lack of faith in divine wisdom. Just as the people of Israel made a pact to renounce their faith in God who delivered them mightily from the hands of enemies over and over again, their short memory of past blessings caused them to forget God's covenant with them.

In our world today, many Christian nations, out of a sense of misplaced sympathy have opened their borders and allowed a deluge of people whose beliefs are polar opposites of Judeo-Christian principles and values. These nations now realize that they have legally permitted deadly vipers to spread like cancer and now find themselves victims of their own folly. 

Slowly but insidiously nations have allowed concupiscence to enslave them to the flesh and to material, transient things. The world seems to be heading speedily to hell in a hand-basket and if we look at the evil around us it is easy to give in to despair. But You O Lord are the Covenant of Love that God, our Father has made with us. Sealed in Your Blood and Your Holy Spirit we are more than conquerors. Keep Your faithful remnant safe in the shadow of Your wings while we wait for the hour when You will once again deliver Your people. All our hope is in Your Lord. 

PSALM 118(119):53,61,134,150,155,158 ©

I am seized with indignation at the wicked

who forsake your law.
Though the nets of the wicked ensnared me
I remembered your law.

Redeem me from man’s oppression

and I will keep your precepts.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near;
they are far from your law.

Salvation is far from the wicked

who are heedless of your statutes.
I look at the faithless with disgust;
they ignore your promise.

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your will.

LUKE 18:35-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your Church, Your Bride whose wedding garment is sullied with sins, with unfaithfulness, with betrayal, is like the blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. We have forgotten that we are a redeemed people and we have been purchased by the Blood of the Lamb. We have squandered our rich spiritual inheritance and having lost everything we have become spiritually blind.

Pity us, Lord. Do not pass us by. Like blind Bartimaeus, we cry out to You, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.’ Hear our cry and command that we are brought into Your Presence so we can hear You say to us kindly and lovingly, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And on hearing our reply, ‘Sir, let me see again.’ Say to us, ‘Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.’ And recovering our sign again may we follow You as he did praising God and praising You all the days of our lives. 

33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
Whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty. JN 15:4, 5

PROVERBS 31:10-13,19-20,30-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for giving all women Your Mother as our model. The Holy Family in Nazareth was heaven on earth. Within its humble walls, God reigned supreme for here God was offered perfect worship and adoration by both Mary and Joseph. Angels thronged this home and each vied to stay close to Your Mother for she reflects her divine Son to perfection.

This beautiful hymn of praise in today's first reading can be sung to this perfect of all women, this creature of God sublime in every virtue whose every breath praised

God. There never was and will never be a home like the home in Nazareth here the will of God reigned supreme and the love of God and service to God were offered every moment of every day. 

Our world is broken, our families are broken, sin reigns and tears, violence, and wickedness in our bread for the world is in the grip of Satan. Beloved, You are the only mediator between us and God - we ask You to remind Him of the price You paid for our salvation. Our earth is consecrated by Your Blood. Not only this, Lord, we are sealed in the Blood of the Lamb and the Father has made a Covenant of Love with us through You.  

Abba Father, do not forget Your children and the children of Your daughter Mary, and do not turn Your Face from us but renew the earth once again so we may know innocence, peace, and joy in every home on earth and among the people in all nations.

FRIDAY OF WEEK 32 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand. LK 21:28

WISDOM 13:1-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The writer of the Book of Wisdom is right when he says that we have no excuse not to know God for His imprint is impressed all around us first and foremost in human beings O Lord whom He created in His image and likeness, and then in the beauty of creation that surrounds us. Who can look at the night sky studded with stars, or at a full moon with its reflection glinting on the water, or a deep blue sky with billowy white clouds and not praise the One who created all this beauty that surrounds us? The colors and variety of flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, all living and inanimate things that fill our world all cry out in praise of the Creator. Who can look at a newborn baby, hear the delighted and innocent laughter of a child, see a mother's tender gaze as she looks at her child, or a father's protective love for his children, the love of husband and wife and not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is One who transcends all that He has made? Only a fool could refuse to believe that there was a God for You O Lord are everywhere. You are in all that You created and You are in us. If only we saw You in all our brothers and sisters the Kingdom of God would already be in our midst. 

You have blessed mankind with intellect and we are meant to use it not only to increase our knowledge of the material world but first and foremost to seek You and to find You because You do not hide Yourself from us - You want us to know You and love You just as we are known and loved by You. Our days here are numbered O Lord may we not spend them in useless pastimes but use them gainfully to grow in the knowledge of Truth so we will not stray from the path of holiness that will leadus to You. 

PSALM 18(19):2-5 ©

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

LUKE 17:26-37 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Ever since Your ascension into heaven, we have been urged by the Church to prepare for Your Second Coming in glory. At first, the Apostles thought Your return was imminent but over 2000 years have gone by and we are given ample time to get ready so we will not be taken by surprise when that hour finally arrives. 

The tragedy though is that we have become lax in our faith. Many have fallen by the wayside. To this day people live their lives just as they did when Noah warned the people that the day of destruction was drawing near but they would not listen. They carried on sinning and carousing until the flood washed them away and only Noah and all in the ark that he built according to God's instruction survived. 

Only the faithful in the Ark of the Church You founded will be saved. But even these cannot take their salvation for granted. We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling in union with the Holy Spirit every moment of every day that we are alive. You warn us that death will come like a thief in the night and many are caught off-guard and unprepared. 

Beloved, let us not waste time on the things that are passing but strive to grow in holiness and perfection. You have not left us to struggle on our own but have made available to us in the Church the Sacrament to help in our sanctification. Let us be faithful O Lord in obeying the Commandments and when we fail to be reconciled to God as often as necessary in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so on the day of Your return we will be like the 5 wise virgins ready with lamps trimmed and full of oil and we will accompany You to the wedding banquet. 

Just as You foretold the destruction of Jerusalem came about with terrible violence and bloodshed and we pray my Lord and my God that You will find many faithful souls awake, alert, and ready for Your return and where the vultures gather to feed on those that are spiritually decaying or dead. 

There is no Salvation outside the ‘Church’, So let us stay with the ‘Ark’ that bore Jesus Christ.

THURSDAY OF WEEK 32 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty,
says the Lord. JN 15:5

WISDOM 7:22-8:1 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Wisdom of God is all light, all holy, all pure, all joy, all serene, all good and it is in Wisdom that God created all things in heaven and on earth. Divine Wisdom animates all, illumines, and imbues all things. Wisdom is pure spirit, knows all, and cuts through and penetrates all. Nothing is hidden from Wisdom. Wisdom cannot be sullied and nothing unholy can enter Wisdom. 

Wisdom is the reflection of the eternal light of God and can never be dimmed nor can the power of Wisdom decrease for she is the mirror that reflects all the attributes of God. Wisdom has the power to make all things new. Wisdom is God's gift to those who desire her. It is His gift to His sons and daughters who are members of Your mystical body.

Only in the measure that we desire to empty ourselves can we be filled with the love of God and receive this unparalleled gift of Wisdom which will help us navigate safely through the snares and traps that the enemy sets for us. Wisdom is given to all God's friends who desire nothing more than to love You, serve You, adore You, worship You, and lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers in imitation of You.

In each generation she passes into holy souls,
she makes them friends of God and prophets;
for God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom.
She is indeed more splendid than the sun,
she outshines all the constellations;
compared with light, she takes first place,
for light must yield to night,
but over Wisdom evil can never triumph.

PSALM 118(119):89-91,130,135,175 ©

Your word, O Lord, forever
stands firm in the heavens:
your truth lasts from age to age,
like the earth you created.

By your decree it endures to this day;

for all things serve you.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.

Let your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
Give life to my soul that I may praise you.
Let your decrees give me help.

Your word, O Lord, stands forever.

LUKE 17:20-25 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As the liturgical year draws to a close the Church reminds us every day that time will cease and the eternal day will come when the Sun of Justice will never set and the Eternal Day Star will shine forever. It is so easy to get caught up with our temporal lives and all its demands that we seldom pause to give serious thought to the things that are eternal. This is why the Church in her wisdom gives us the liturgical seasons in the year. Every season urges us to pay attention to what God is asking of us as His children. The glorious mysteries of our faith can be taken for granted if the Church did not draw the attention of her children to them in each of these seasons. 

The Kingdom of God is already among us. The King of Kings already reigns in our hearts. We already receive here and now a taste of the heavenly banquet in the Holy Eucharist. Divinity is already present in us and makes a home in our immortal souls. So let us never be fooled by false prophets even if they call themselves Christian. The greatest sign given to the world is the Sign of the Cross. Love became incarnate in order to redeem us and Love will return to claim us for God eternally. Until then, Beloved, let us prepare ourselves diligently for Your return. Nothing is hidden, Lord, You have given us the Church and in her and from her we receive all that is necessary to strengthen and nourish us, to heal and restore us, and keep us safe from all evil for You dwell in her and in us in truth and in love. 

We long for the day of Your return in glory but until that day comes remain with us until our own passing and our own personal judgment so we will receive the crown of salvation that You have obtained for us.