I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord,
for my name to be there forever. 2 CH 7:16
EZEKIEL 47:1-2,8-9,12 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
I am so grateful for the gift of being Catholic. Thank You, Lord. It is in the close embrace of Holy Mother Church that I receive all the graces I need to live a holy life pleasing to God.
From Ezekiel's vision, we see how God works through the Church which is Your mystical body. The fullness of grace, beauty, and truth subsists in her, and from her streams of life-giving water flows into our lives bringing lush fruitfulness. It is in the power of the Holy Spirit that we recognize that You are Lord and cry out to You to save us.
The demons of hell are present within and without the sacred precincts of the Church and threaten to destroy her. Many of the faithful have fallen for the lies of the devil and no longer observe the Commandments which are not suggestions but unchanging imperatives to live a life worthy of our calling as children of God and heirs to the Kingdom.
We do not worship a tame God but a mighty all-powerful God whom the heavens cannot contain. Full of glory and majesty the angelic throngs as well as all the saints in heaven fall on their faces before You. No human eye can see God for Scripture reveals: It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
My Lord and my God, hear my prayers not just for me but for all those I love and pray for each day and for those of us who have strayed from the faith bring them home my Lord, so none of us will be lost but will be gathered together in the beatific vision where we will joyfully worship You face to face. Thank You, for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.
PSALM 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9 ©
God is for us a refuge and strength,
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
JOHN 2:13-22 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Too many of us in the Church, including some of her bishops and priests have made for ourselves a tame god formed in our image and likeness. The idol we made for ourselves is one we can control, He is one who panders to our weaknesses, moral failings, and grave sins. We have made for ourselves a god who looks away from our transgressions instead of a God who is constantly calling us to repentance and conversion.
In today's Liturgy on the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica taken from the Gospel of John, we are given a reality check. God is not our buddy. God does not pander to us or make excuses for our weaknesses. The 10 Commandments are not polite suggestions. God is Truth and we will be judged in the light of Truth which is unambiguous, radiant, and luminous. Nothing can be hidden from Truth which is a Divine Person whose Name is Jesus.
Beloved Jesus, this is not the time for us to play games with our faith - our eternal destiny depends on it. We are either for You or against You there is nothing in between. When we desecrate the temple of our body where the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling place, when we grieve the Holy Spirit abiding in us we can expect to be cleansed in the manner and to the degree that God deems necessary. Filled with righteous indignation You will make it known to us in no uncertain terms to stop turning Your Father's house into a marketplace and a den of thieves.
May we turn to the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as we need to so that on the Day of Judgment we will not face You as the righteous Judge but our merciful Lord and Savior. If we expect to be raised with You Lord, we must first begin to die to ourselves. Grant us this grace O Lord that the gates of heaven may remain open to us when our sojourn here has ended.
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