ALL SOULS - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

It is my Father’s will, says the Lord,
that I should lose nothing of all he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day. JN 6:39

WISDOM 3:1-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God created us for heaven and for eternal joy. Even when we turned away from Him He did not turn away from us but He sent You His only well-beloved Son to come into the world as one like us to save us. The Father wanted us to experience the manner of His love and to taste His goodness and this was the mission You came to fulfill. You revealed to us the unfathomable love of the Father in sending His Son who is God into the world, born of a Woman, in order to take upon Yourself the terrible punishment and separation from God because of our sins and to save our souls from eternal death.

We now have hope, Lord, because of Your passion, death and glorious resurrection into heaven. We are made righteous in You. We are justified before the Father because You paid the price for our salvation - it was a debt we incurred but had not means of repaying. 

Today as we remember and pray for all our loved ones who have died and gone before us and are still in purgatory, the Church gathers as one body to remember all the holy souls who have died and a still suffering in purgatory. We pray O Lord that in Your merciful love and tender compassion You will hear our prayers for them and release them from the place of purifying fire so they may be given the wedding garment and enter into God's holy presence. 

Thank You, Lord.

PSALM 22(23) ©

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.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.

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.

ROMANS 5:5-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul's words today offer us great hope, comfort, and consolation, especially for those members of our family who are baptized but have strayed far from the path of holiness. While they yet live may we who love them so dearly but could never love them as well and as faithfully as God our Father does, we will continue to pray earnestly even with tears and lamentations, but always with hope for their salvation. The power of the Cross and the precious Blood of the Lamb has purchased for all sinners across time and space the forgiveness, pardon, and mercy that we do not deserve. Yet, God chose to give up His only Son to die an ignominious and brutal death in order that His poor, sinful, weak children could live. 

St. Paul says, "Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation." Thank You, Lord, for the hope we can have in the power, mercy, and compassionate love of God for us.

MATTHEW 11:25-30 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Lord Jesus, Savior of my Soul, my Lord and my God, I adore You, I worship You, I bless You, I thank You and above all, I love You with my whole heart, my whole mind, and with all my strength. Thank You for loving me more than I can ever comprehend or imagine.

You love me as a person, You know me. You assure me that the Father has counted every hair on my head. I am precious to God and my salvation is of paramount importance to Him because He who created me desires me to live with Him eternally. God prepared a place for me with Him even before I was conceived in my mother's womb and He has made certain that when my life on earth ends, by the power of Your passion and death I will receive a share in Your glorious resurrection.

To this end, Beloved, You sent us Your Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness. Who gives us life-giving grace through the Sacraments You instituted. We have hope of someday entering paradise by the merits You won for us, Lord. You continue to remain ever present in us and heap grace upon grace on us so we have all the help we need in this life to overcome the wiles of the Enemy and our never-ending battle with concupiscence.

Today Beloved, I accept Your gentle and loving invitation: 

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Stay with me Lord and not only with me but with every member of my family and lead each one of us home to that place of rest in the Father's bosom.