TUESDAY OF WEEK FOUR IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us. MT 8:17

2 SAMUEL 18:9-10,14,24-25,30-19:3 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Our deepest sorrows and the greatest wounds we suffer are often caused by our children when they rebel against Your laws to their own destruction. The older we get and the longer they delay their conversion the deeper our anguish when we pray as we raise up our hearts and tear-stained faces to You. 

Absalom was a wicked son yet that did not stop David from loving him as tenderly as all fathers do and he mourned deeply when he heard that Absalom was dead. We mourn for our spiritually dead offspring. We are sorry for the mistakes made in raising them but we trust You, Lord, to take our mistakes and to draw good from them.

I believe Lord, that every prayer is answered, every sigh is heard, every tear is collected and You will right our wrongs because You are God and because You are Love and because they were first Yours before they were ours.

Thank You for this confidence that I have in You, Lord, that in the end, by the precious Blood of the Lamb, they will be saved and we will be together in Your Presence eternally sharing in the beatific vision.

 

The king shuddered. He went up to the room over the gate and burst into tears, and weeping said, ‘My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! Would I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!’ 

PSALM 85(86):1-6 ©

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

for I cry to you all the day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

Turn your ear, Lord, and give answer.

MARK 5:21-43 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There are many things that we learn from these two miracles of  Jairus' daughter and the woman who suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years. Jairus was a synagogue official who having heard of the many miracles You had performed believed that You had the power to heal his desperately ill little girl. It is evident that he loved his daughter very much and was distraught at the thought that she could die so he came looking for You and finding You he fell at Your feet pleading with You to come and heal her. Your heart greatly moved with pity and compassion went with him and the large crowd went with You, pressing around You on every side.

We then have the next dramatic miracle. This poor woman in the crowd was desperate for healing of the malady that had almost destroyed her for 12 long years. She had no money left for physicians, her health was poor, all she had was her faith and she held on to it with all the fervor of her being. One thought filled her mind, she was convinced that if she could get close enough to touch just the hem of Your cloak she would be healed. She worked her way through the crowd that was pressing around You, touched Your garment, and was healed instantly. 

She believed that she could do this without being noticed but God always knows. God's power is always at work in those who believe. You turned around and said, 

‘Who touched my clothes?’ The disciples marveled that You could ask such a question considering the great crowd around You but there is a difference in the way we touch You - she touched You with the power of faith and power went out of You. It is a great reminder to us too, to approach You in faith and we too will experience Your power flooding into our whole being and healing us in every way that we require healing.

You insisted on knowing who touched You and the poor woman, trembling with fear, confessed that it was she and why she had done so. You looked at her tenderly and said, ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we need to approach You with sorrow for our sins, contrition of heart, and openness in confessing our guilt and shame, only then can we be cleansed and restored to perfect health in heart, mind soul, body, and spirit.

In the meantime, You arrived at Jairus' house only to find the whole house weeping and wailing as the little girl had died. ‘Why all this commotion and crying? You asked, ‘The child is not dead, but asleep.’ but they laughed at You and missed the opportunity of witnessing the miracle. Taking only the parents of the child and the three apostles Peter, James, and John You went to where the child lay and taking her by the hand You said, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

Let us never forget that we can never see Your power at work without faith and let us also never forget that You are God who sees all, knows all, and loves and cares for us as only a God of Love can - You cared that the little girl was hungry and You brought this fact to the attention of the parents when You asked them to give her something to eat.  Thank You for the Bread of Life that satisfies our hunger. 

MONDAY OF WEEK FOUR IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

2 SAMUEL 15:13-14,30,16:5-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Within Your will is our peace O Lord. Once we accept this divine truth then we will be able to quell the storms within us, the fears that assail us. We can meet the difficulties of life with calm and patience. In this life, we will have trouble and tribulation because we are sinners living in a sinful and broken world. But You O Lord have triumphed. You have won the victory. But we can only cross from this life to the next with equanimity when we rest in Your will trusting You to take us by the hand and not to be distracted by the storm, the winds, and the waves no matter how ferocious each is.

David, Your servant, trusted You his own son was hounding him with the intent of murdering him what can be more heartbreaking for a father than to know this. He was more pained by his son Absalom who sought to kill him than by the curses of Shimei. He had it in his power to snuff out Shimei's life and yet he spared it believing that if God had permitted his insolence towards him who was he to stop him.

Too often, Beloved, we spoil our children, we do not correct them when we should have done so, and then when they stray from the path of truth we have no one but ourselves to blame.

Thank You, Lord, that we can always trust You to write straight on the broken and crooked lines of our lives. 

PSALM 3:2-8 ©

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.
Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

MARK 5:1-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When we allow evil to make a home in us pretty soon we are overwhelmed by its power, its stranglehold over our lives. While it is we who freely give in to our evil inclinations without putting up any resistance, once they are firmly entrenched in us it is almost impossible to get rid of their shackles without divine intervention. 

You deliberately went out of Your way to meet and heal the man possessed by an unclean spirit in Gerasenes which was a pagan territory. You always seek the sinner even when the sinner has no intention of seeking You. Thank You, Lord, for Your great love that seeks the sinner tirelessly and relentlessly so we can be saved. 

After commanding the Legion of evil spirits to leave the man he, having been restored to his senses and made whole again desired to follow You but You had a different mission for him. Let us always remember that it is more important to do Your will instead of our own even when what we desire is good. 

The people of that town implored You to leave their neighborhood and You did. The people rejected You but You did not reject them - the man who was healed became a disciple and a witness. He wanted to remain with You and begged to be allowed to follow You and it was a wonderful desire but You had other plans for him, greater ones so You said to him, ‘Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.’ So the man went off and proceeded to spread throughout the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

Grant O Lord that I who have been repeatedly touched by Your grace, Your goodness, and Your mercies gladly testify to everyone all that You have done for me and how immeasurably You have blessed me so that everyone who hears me will be amazed.

SATURDAY OF WEEK THREE IN ORDINARY TIME - 2-24

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life. JN 3:16

2 SAMUEL 12:1-7,10-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You so love the poor that anyone, especially the rich and the powerful who take by force what belongs to those who have little the wrath of God stirs mightily against them as it did when David stole Uriah's wife Bathsheba. 

David was supposed to be on the battlefield with his men but chose to stay behind in his palace and was idle this is when he was tempted to sin and he gave in to it. One sin led to another and each sin was graver than the last until David committed murder against an innocent man. 

Beloved, we are often outraged by the sins of others but are oblivious to our own, even greater sins. This passage highlights the consequences of our actions. We cannot sin with compunction. David's firstborn son died just as God said he would and despite all David's prayers and fasting his son died. No matter how bitterly we repent there are always consequences that we will suffer for our gravely sinful actions.

Thank You, Father, for the Blood of the Lamb and for the price that Your Son paid for our redemption.

Thank You, my Beloved, for paying the price for me. Keep me from grave sin and should I have the misfortune to fall grant me the grace of true repentance and forgiveness of all my sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

PSALM 50(51):12-17 ©

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

MARK 4:35-41 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today, in another season of suffering that has entered my life, You speak to me and say, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ You gentle the tumult of my emotions, my anxieties and fears and the fury of the tempest within me ceases and all is still for You, O Lord, are with me as You have always been. In all the trials of my life, You have never abandoned me and even now Lord You encourage me, strengthen me, and give me the fortitude I need, the patience that is often required during this difficult time.

You are the Lord our God and by Your Word all that is came to be. I trust You to take me safely through this harrowing season of my life, once again to safe harbor. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, I trust You. Thank You for never leaving me, never abandoning me, and for always reminding me that I am Yours now and forever.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL - 2024

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

ACTS 22:3-16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Like St. Paul at some point in our sinful journey in life You break into our consciousness and You reveal Yourself to us as the God of love who pursues us relentlessly. We encounter You, O Lord, and grace finally penetrates our soul, removes the scales from our eyes and the faith we received at our baptism comes alive.

It does not matter how gravely we have sinned, how far we have fallen from grace, how broken we are in every way You have only to call us by our name, beloved Lord and Savior and we finally hear Your voice. 

Thank You, Lord, for never giving up on me. As I enter the final phase of my journey in this life may my inner being grow more radiant with the knowledge of Your love for me, an awareness always of the price You paid to save me, and may I consider no cross too great to bear for I know that You are with me and in the end You will come for me, You will call me by my name and I will come home to You and remain with You forever.

PSALM 116(117) ©

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP & DOCTOR, WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 3 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain for ever. 

2 SAMUEL 7:4-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Often, like David, we want to do wonderful things for the Lord, but sometimes, good as these things we desire to do are, God has other plans for us and we must humble let go of the things we perceive as good for the things that You O Lord, desire of us. In this submission to the divine will is our peace and our joy.

Your Covenant O Lord and all Your promises are eternal. We can always trust the Church that You founded and where You dwell in fullness, to lead us, guide us, protect us, feed us and strengthen us. You O Lord have fulfilled the prophecy made by the prophet Nathan: I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me....

Thank You, Beloved, that the Father has chosen me in You to belong to the family of God. Thank You, that I am a member of Your mystical body, the Church and because I am a member of Your Body, the Church, I am privileged to call God Father for in You we are His adopted children and co-heirs with You to the Kingdom. 

PSALM 88(89):4-5,27-30 ©

I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.

He will say to me: You are my father,

my God, the rock who saves me.
And I will make him my first-born,
the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep my love for him always;

with him my covenant shall last.
I will establish his dynasty for ever,
make his throne endure as the heavens.

I will keep my love for him always.

MARK 4:1-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This parable of the Sower and the Seed is the story of my journey from infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood and now the evening years of my life. Having received the good seed of God's Word I have not always responded to as I ought. 

Thank You, Lord, for never giving up on me. Thank You for ceaselessly pursuing me and revealing Your unfathomable love for me. Thank You for loving me even when I rejected You and turned my face from You choosing rather the pleasures of the world than the unsurpassable joys and treasures of heaven.

At last, O Lord, I know that only in You is there lasting joy and peace. Even in the midst of heartache, heartbreak, grief, and sorrow You are the Rock on which I am anchored and I am finally at peace. Grant me this grace O Lord, to align my will to Your in all things always. 

SATURDAY OF WEEK TWO IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14

2 SAMUEL 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

After our battle in this life is done with the help and grace that is granted to us by the Holy Spirit we pray, we hope, and we long for the life that You have won for us on the Cross. 

Lord God, in this life we journey in a valley of tears, and some times the darkness, the pain, the suffering seem more than we can bear yet, Lord, You are with us every step of the way. You carry our burdens with us for You O Lord, yoke yourself to us and with You all things are possible. Continue, my Beloved, to keep me close to You. Nestled in Your Sacred Heart I can bear all things. Stay with Me Lord until I draw my last break in this life and I draw my first in the life that awaits me in Your Kingdom.

Grant me the grace and courage I need as those I love leave me to return to You and help me wait with joyful hope for the day when You will take me home to Yourself as well. What a day of rejoicing that will be.

PSALM 79(80):2-3,5-7 ©

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

you who lead Joseph’s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.

Lord God of hosts, how long

will you frown on your people’s plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread,
an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbours,
our enemies laugh us to scorn.

Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.

MARK 3:20-21 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

More often than not I am overly concerned about appearances. I prefer to be unnoticed, to take the back seat, to opt out of taking the lead, and hoping that I will not be asked. I wait to be asked and to be assigned to a task rather than to offer before being asked or assigned. 

But there are those, Beloved, who make themselves readily available. Unlike me, they are eager to offer their services wherever required and where they know there is a lack. They are truly to be admired. Modeling their lives on You, they pour themselves out for others. 

Such people follow Your example. You are their model. Wherever You went large crowds followed You. They brought their sick in droves depriving You of taking any time for food, sleep, and rest. Today's Gospel tells us that Your relatives came to rescue You from the clutches of the great crowds that refused to give You respite. Your heart was moved with pity for them and You poured Yourself out forgetting about Your own needs.

Grant me this grace O Lord to be less concerned about what I feel and to step up and step out to do what I must without being prompted or asked first. Help me to step up when needed instead of receding quietly into the background hoping others will be chosen instead. I cannot be Your disciple if my self-consciousness or perhaps even selfishness prevents me from making myself available when needed. 

FRIDAY OF WEEK TWO IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. 2 COR 1:19

1 SAMUEL 24:3-21 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

David was indeed a noble man, a righteous man, a man after the heart of God, and yet O Lord, who are called Son of David, are far, far nobler, righteous, and greater than David ever was. Beloved, from the cross You prayed to Your Father to forgive those who plotted and killed the Son of God and the Son of Man. You continue to plead for our lives before the Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior, and my Redeemer look with pity on Your people whom You have saved by the power of Your Blood and the power of the Cross and grant that we be healed in every way that we need healing so we may praise You and glorify You all the days of our lives. Amen.

PSALM 56(57):2-4,6,11 ©

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy

for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.

I call to God the Most High,

to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.

O God, arise above the heavens;

may your glory shine on earth!
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

MARK 3:13-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You spent the whole night in prayer and then chose the Twelve on whom You would build Your Church and You have given us this absolute assurance that the gates of hell will never prevail against her.

Among the Twelve was one - the Rock, who would deny You not once but three times. and another Judas Iscariot would betray You to those who sought to take Your life for a measly 30 pieces of silver - for this paltry price he betrayed God. To their shame, they all abandoned You when You were arrested and You needed a friend most. All but one repented and they preached the Good News to the ends of the earth laying down their lives for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel. 

Beloved, we are all called to be Your disciples and to preach and teach the Good News of salvation by the witness of our lives. We fail miserably because we are sinners. Fill us once more with Your Holy Spirit and grant that by His power we might set the world on fire with the power of Your love and hasten Your return in glory. 

THURSDAY OF WEEK TWO IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

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

1 SAMUEL 18:6-9,19:1-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Envy is a sin that destroys the soul. It is unhappy to see another prosper. It eats into the soul and kills it. Preserve us O Lord from this and all other deadly sins.

Keep me innocent, simple, childlike. May I always rejoice at the blessings showered on everyone and rejoice also when others are being praised and celebrated. Grant me the virtue of humility recognizing that it is the little ones that are nearest and dearest to You.

PSALM 55(56):2-3,9-14 ©

Have mercy on me, God, men crush me;

they fight me all day long and oppress me.
My foes crush me all day long,
for many fight proudly against me.

In God I trust: I shall not fear.
You have kept an account of my wanderings;
you have kept a record of my tears;
(are they not written in your book?)
Then my foes will be put to flight
on the day that I call to you.

This I know, that God is on my side.

In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not fear;
what can mortal man do to me?

I am bound by the vows I have made you.

O God, I will offer you praise
for you have rescued my soul from death,
you kept my feet from stumbling
that I may walk in the presence of God
and enjoy the light of the living.

In God I trust: I shall not fear.

MARK 3:7-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Everyone clamors around You hungry to receive healing, desperate for Your touch. More often than not people come to You begging for favors and once they receive what they have asked for they forget You.

In today's Gospel passage for our reflection we are told the crowds that followed You were so great that You asked for Your disciples to have a boat ready for You to prevent them from  crushing You. In our need O Lord we seek You. When our hearts are breaking we plead for You to comfort us and make us whole. We ask that You alleviate our pain and our suffering and when we have received all we have asked for we often forget these blessings and return to our sinful, wayward lives.

Beloved, keep me close to You always especially in times of trials. And when the season of suffering has passed may I draw ever closer to You in gratitude and love. 

ST. ANTHONY, ABBOT - WEDNESDAY OF WEEK TWO IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of sickness among the people. MT 4:23

1 SAMUEL l 17:32-33,37,40-51 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for this most consoling word that despite the evil that has currently descended on the whole world, You speak to us through the lips of Your servant David, who said to Saul,  ‘Let no-one lose heart on his account; your servant will go and fight the Philistine. The Lord who rescued me from the claws of lion and bear’ will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.’ 

The staff of David symbolizes Your Cross, the five smooth stones from the river bed are Your five wounds O Lord - these are the weapons with which You O Lord have vanquished the Enemy. Your Precious Blood O Lord has consecrated our earth and You have restored the world created by God and wrested from Him by the wiles of the Devil and the sin of disobedience, back to Your Father and our Father.

Satan scorns that You come to destroy him only by the power of Your Body, Blood, Your wounds, and Your scars just as the Philistine mocked David for coming to him with sticks. The power of the wood of the Cross has destroyed evil and vanquished the world, the flesh, and Satan forever.

Today, O Lord, I unite by song of victory with the words of David and I sing Your praises O Lord, for You have delivered us and destroyed the chains of sin that enslaved us to the Enemy. It is not by sword or by spear that You have won the victory for us O Lord but by the power of the Word made Flesh and by the power of the Cross. Death is conquered forever and freedom now belongs to us, Your sisters and brothers for we are now adopted children of the Living God.

PSALM 143(144):1-2,9-10 ©

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.

He is my love, my fortress;

he is my stronghold, my saviour
my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings peoples under my rule.

To you, O God, will I sing a new song;

I will play on the ten-stringed lute
to you who give kings their victory,
who set David your servant free.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

MARK 3:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today You remind us that it is always a good time to do good and fight evil. There is so much misery and sadness in our world today. So many in our world are broken and filled with anguish, sorrow, loneliness, and pain and they do not know that help,  consolation, and mercy are available for the asking but they do not know it.

We live in a world where evil is celebrated and division is encouraged. People are becoming more and more isolated in their misery and seek relief from what can only provide momentary release from their pain. The world is in desperate need of You my Lord, and yet those who know You, refuse to share You for different reasons one of them being fear of persecution.

Let this be the day Lord, this the hour, the moment for a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit so we can renew the face of the earth. Beloved Father, I beg You, declare that it is enough - evil has had its day - now Father, bring an end to the works of darkness and herald the hour of Your Son, the Light of the World to overcome and overpower the rulers of darkness and begin an era of peace in our world.

ST. JOSEPH VAZ - TUESDAY OF WEEK 2 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. EPH 1:17, 18

1 SAMUEL 16:1-13 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Too often we can be like Samuel, we hold on to things that You desire us to let go of because You want to give us something better but we cling on to things of the past unwilling to give them up and embrace the wonderful new thing that You wish to give us. Saul proved to be unworthy of his high calling and God had chosen another, David, the shepherd whom He would be king of His people, Israel, and a foreshadow of the true Shepherd King.

Sometimes we are unwilling to trust You, Lord, like the elders of the town who were afraid that God had sent Samuel to punish them but he assured them that he had come to offer a sacrifice and to bless the house of Jesse by anointing his youngest son as the king of Israel. Samuel's gaze noted the outward appearances of Jesse's sons and believed that because they were tall, handsome, and strong one of them would be God's anointed. But Your ways O Lord are not our ways, nor are Your thoughts our thoughts. You rejected them all,  saying to Samuel, ‘God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ When the youngest son, a mere lad, was called from the fields the Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. 

Beloved, we too are Your anointed - fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we may always do what is pleasing to You, our Lord, our King, and our God.

PSALM 88(89):20-22,27-28 ©

Of old you spoke in a vision.

To your friends the prophets you said:
‘I have set the crown on a warrior,
I have exalted one chosen from the people.

‘I have found David my servant

and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him
and my arm shall make him strong.

‘He will say to me: “You are my father,

my God, the rock who saves me.”
And I will make him my first-born,
the highest of the kings of the earth.’

I have found David, my servant.

MARK 2:23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today Your Word reminds us that we must guard against the law becoming blinkers that prevent us from being human, compassionate, empathetic, kind, and sensitive to the needs of those around us. When we impose the law regardless of whether or not it is inappropriate to do so in some circumstances we become soulless, heartless, and tyrannical. 

The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees were hell-bent on imposing the whole law, many of them man-made, insisting it was mandatory to keep them all and causing great difficulty to those who were poor and ignorant. The law in these cases became a tyrant. Grant O Lord to remember that we are more pleasing to You when we are merciful and kind rather than judgmental and condemnatory especially to the poor, the less fortunate, and the ignorant. 

The Church, following Your example, has always welcomed and embraced with mercy those whom the world despises and rejects and we who are her children must do the same remembering always Your teaching: ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

We have found the Messiah – which means the Christ –
grace and truth have come through him. JN 1:41, 17

1 SAMUEL 3:3-10,19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You constantly call us to repentance and conversion but we are unable to discern Your voice if our ears are being bombarded by the cacophony of the culture around us. Your voice is persistent and if we sincerely desire to sift through the variety of voices we will learn to distinguish Your voice from the din surrounding us. A hungry heart seeking God is alert and will respond promptly and the Holy Spirit will enable us to know when it is the Lord who speaks.

The boy Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord, where the ark of God was when he heard God calling to him. Grant me this grace my Beloved, to lie down quietly in the presence of the New Ark of God, Mary, our Blessed Mother and when You call me she will prompt me and lead me to You, my Lord and my God. 

When You call Lord may I always run to You saying, 'Here I am.' May I be ready and willing to listen to all You have to say to me and to do all You desire me to do just as You desire me to do it just like Samuel who let no word of the Lord fall to the ground.

PSALM 39(40):2,4,7-10 ©

I waited, I waited for the Lord

and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.

You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,

but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.

In the scroll of the book it stands written

that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.

Your justice I have proclaimed

in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:13-15,17-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In a world corrupted by a demonic culture, we are brainwashed into believing that we are our body and that the clamor of the flesh and the gratification of the flesh even when it is contrary to the divine purpose for which it was designed and created. We are not just a body but we have a body and a soul and both are created to function and live in harmony. We need both and both need to be under the divine power and influence of the Holy Spirit.

Our bodies were not created for lust, gluttony, immorality, or hedonistic pleasure but to glorify God in all things. Every breath we breathe must glorify God. Our bodies are good and the desires of the body are good when they are used as the Creator designed them to be used.

Beloved, have mercy on this fallen world that is in a downward spiral to misery and death. Hear the prayers of Your faithful remnant, do not forget the price that You paid for our salvation. Remember that the earth is consecrated by Your Blood that was soaked into it at Your Passion. Have mercy O Lord, have mercy and grant us pardon and peace. We make this prayer in Your sweet and all-powerful Name, amen. 

Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.

FRIDAY OF WEEK ONE IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

1 SAMUEL 8:4-7,10-22 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your chosen people's demand for a king so they could be like other nations is so recklessly foolish. They were chosen from all the nations to be Your own. God made Himself known to them, walked with them, cared for them, and saved them over and over again. This is the story of the human race. God created us for Himself. We are designed by God to live in a certain way if we are to be happy and whole in heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit but we reject Your commandments, we fail to embrace Your will and submit our lives to Wisdom. And when we are stubborn and self-willed when we are hard-hearted and deaf to reason and common sense You let us have our way and sooner than later we are on the road to self-destruction.

Yet You never abandon us even when we so foolishly and wantonly reject You. You remain close, You seek us tirelessly and woo us tenderly and unceasingly despite our callous rebuffs of Your love. We chase the world and we seek to emulate, adulate, and fawn over those with money, power, prestige, fame, and other ephemeral qualities that we find attractive. 

It pierces the heart to hear You say to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you they have rejected; they have rejected me from ruling over them.’ But this is what we do over and over again when we reject Your commandments. What sublime ignorance or foolhardiness to think we can operate with the operation manual that is given to us by the Creator. No wonder we are living in a world gone mad and is on course towards total chaos and ruin.

You continue to woo us through Your Word, Your Church, and through the voices of holy men and women but we refuse to see, to hear, to accept that without You we are nothing. What will it take, Beloved, for us to finally come to our senses and return to You? What terrible tragedies must the whole world undergo before we fall on our knees and cry out to You to help us and save us? Listen to the prayers of Your faithful remnant O Lord and reduce the number of days of the chastisement that will surely visit us sooner rather than later.

PSALM 88(89):16-19 ©

Happy the people who acclaim such a king,

who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who find their joy every day in your name,
who make your justice the source of their bliss.

For you, O Lord, are the glory of their strength;

by your favour it is that our might is exalted;
for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord;
our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel.

I will sing forever of your love, O Lord.

MARK 2:1-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As we read and meditate on today's Gospel passage of the Liturgy about the four friends who brought their paralytic friend to You we are reminded that the four friends are the four evangelists who have given us the four Gospel. The power of Your Word contained in the Gospels can raise our paralyzed and inert souls to new life. By the power of Your Word our sins are forgiven and we are cleansed and made whole again. 

We are told that there was no room left and they were unable to bring their friend to You from the front door - however faith found a way, faith always does. The Church You founded is full of those who are panting for Your Word O Lord and even though it may seem there is no room, there is always room for those who seek You with a sincere heart. Also, there will always be skeptics, naysayers, those who come only to criticize, to complain, to nitpick, whose delicate spiritual sensibilities are offended because God chooses the sinner over the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Chief Priests, the hypocrites, the self-proclaimed arbiter of God's Law over compassion tenderness, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

To every sinner and to all who pray for sinners with tears and lamentations, and broken hearts You say:

‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ and ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’ And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astounded and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

This is also the experience O Lord of every sinner who has been forgiven by You in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Thank You, Lord, keep us faithful to the end

TUESDAY OF WEEK ONE IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking. 1TH 2:13

1 SAMUEL 1:9-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Hannah was a woman in distress, in great sorrow because she was childless. The love of her husband for her was not enough she wanted a child of her own. All earthly ties are as nothing O Lord if we do not have the great desire of our heart which is its longing for You. God alone can satisfy our deepest and most ardent desire which is to belong wholly and completely with no hindrance to the God who created us out of nothing and desires only all that is good for us.

Hannah cried out to God tirelessly and God heard her prayer. She conceived a son and she joyfully fulfilled all the vows she made to God. She did not cling to the gift and make it her idol rather she returned the gift back to God so her son could dedicate his life to God. Beloved, Hannah teaches us to cling to the Giver of all gifts rather than the gifts. When we attach ourselves to anything other than You, O Lord, we are guilty of idolatry. We are guilty of breaking the First Commandment. Grant me the grace of detachment, my Lord and my God, and increase in me daily the desire for You alone. For You alone, O Lord can satisfy and quench the hunger and thirst of my soul.

Having received of You and of Your fullness O Lord grant me this wonderful grace of not holding on to You but sharing You generously with others. Grant that the whole world comes to know You and worship You with one heart, one mind, one body, one voice and we will hasten the coming of Your Kingdom on earth.

PSALM - 1 SAMUEL 2:1,4-8 ©

My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.

The bows of the mighty are broken,

but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.

It is the Lord who gives life and death,

he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.

He lifts up the lowly from the dust,

from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.

My heart exults in the Lord.

MARK 1:21-28 ©

Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said:
This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. JN 1:29

ISAIAH 55:1-11 ©

Unless we are plunged into the waters of baptism we cannot belong to the family of God. Repentance and baptism are a necessary first step on our journey from this world to the world that is to come. God's free gift of salvation begins when we accept You as our Lord and Savior and are grafted to Your Body in the Sacrament of Baptism. In baptism, we become adopted children of God and receive the privilege to address God, our Father.

Baptism is the holy door through which we enter and receive the food of angels, the heavenly manna that wells up to eternal life in us and it is all absolutely free. We need to only be washed in the waters that gushed forth from Your pierced side and be filled with Your Holy Spirit and You will feed us with Your Flesh and Blood. This is the provision that God, our Father has made for all His children, that in the wilderness of our sojourn in the world, we will not fall and perish by the wayside.

You came to Your own and they rejected You and You have turned their rejection into a blessing for all nations. The Gospel is being proclaimed to all nations and all who hear and accept You as Lord and Savior are saved. Amid a world that is in the throes of wanton sin, deceit, and rejection of all that is true, good, and beautiful the Spirit of God is at work in the most unlikely places and in the most hardened hearts. The people of nations that for centuries have rejected the Truth and have embraced the father of lies who has deceived them by calling truth lies and lies truth are being disarmed by Divine Love.   

See, you will summon a nation you never knew,

those unknown will come hurrying to you,
for the sake of the Lord your God,
of the Holy One of Israel who will glorify you.

Beloved, we are living in the age of the Holy Spirit and we are being prepared for Your Second Coming in glory - now is the time, this is the moment of our conversion. Now is the time to see You with sincere hearts and find You. You are a God who saves and You delight in the conversion of sinners. God wants all His children to be saved and to come to the knowledge of Truth. Truth is a person, Truth is embodied in You - You are Truth and when we seek truth with open hearts and minds we find You.

You O Lord, are the Eternal Word of the Father He sent You into the world to die to raise a rich harvest of souls to worship and glorify the one true God forever. You have conquered sin and death. You have won the victory. The head of Satan is crushed, You have won the victory and to You, the victor belong the souls of the just. Alleluia. 

Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM ISAIAH 12 ©

Truly, God is my salvation,

I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song,
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water

from the wells of salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!

Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his name.

Sing a psalm to the Lord

for he has done glorious deeds;
make them known to all the earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

MARK 1:7-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for calling Me when I was still in my mother's womb. Thank You for the gift of the Catholic faith and for the place that all God's children have in Your mystical body, the Church. 

It is not enough to be baptized, Beloved, I am called to be holy and perfect as our Father is holy and perfect. I am privileged to call Him Abba as You taught us to - and if God is our Father then I must strive to do His will in all things always.

Thank You for the Sacraments of initiation which provide strength and nourishment for the journey. Thank You for the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we can begin anew no matter how many times we fall. Thank You for the Holy Eucharist where we feast at the Table of the Lord and receive all we need to walk in newness of life and in truth.

You O Lord are so holy that we dare not approach You without being invited to do so. You hunger and thirst for our love and this is why we can come to You with the confidence of little children and You will draw us close to You and bless us.

Keep me close to You O Lord and please grant all those I love repentance and conversion so that we may all come home to You and praise You for all eternity.

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

We saw his star as it rose
and have come to do the Lord homage. MT 2:2

ISAIAH 60:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The apostle to the Gentiles says. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more." When we look around our world today we know this is true. It would seem that never in the course of human history has the world been as depraved as it is in this day and age and it would be so easy to lose hope and confidence. Evil lurks everywhere. The powerful prey upon the weak violently and purposefully for personal gain. In the midst of the gloom and darkness that envelopes the world, we know beyond all doubt that the Light that drew the wise men from the East to seek the Child and worship Him has not been extinguished.

Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come,
the glory of the Lord is rising on you,
though night still covers the earth
and darkness the peoples.

The Church You established and in which You dwell in fullness and in truth is the Temple of God built high on the hill of Mt. Zion and it is here that people from every nation, tribe, culture, and language stream up to her to offer You worship and adoration. The rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the sick and the strong, all who have seen the Day Star follow its Light and find God.

Lift up your eyes and look round:
all are assembling and coming towards you,
your sons from far away
and your daughters being tenderly carried.

You have revealed Yourself O Lord as the Light to all the nations, You throw Your arms wide open welcoming all, and all who respond to Your invitation find in You perfect peace and rest. 

PSALM 71(72):1-2,7-8,10-13 ©

O God, give your judgement to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.

In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts

shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,
all nations shall serve him.

For he shall save the poor when they cry

and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

EPHESIANS 3:2-3,5-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul recognizes that it was God who sought him, God who made Himself known to him, and God who appointed him choosing the most unlikely person who was a zealous persecutor of Christians, to become the great apostle to the Gentiles.

Beloved, all are called, and all are invited for God's salvation is free and is given to all who seek You with humble and sincere hearts.  However, it is so discouraging when we look at this age in which we live. Satanic forces are palpable in every area of society dominating and debasing the culture and imbuing it with such depravity that it boggles the mind of those who cling to You.  Satan would be overjoyed for us to believe the lie that he has triumphed, he is the victor.  Yet, nothing can be farther from the truth. 

St. Peter, St. Paul, and all the Apostles have handed down the faith in its entirety, in all its beauty, goodness, and truth. This Sacred Deposit of Faith continues to be handed down from generation to generation to all God's children born of water and the Holy Spirit. The gates of hell shall never prevail against Your Bride. 

Every day many are coming home to the Church. Conversions are taking place in the most unlikely places and among the most unlikely people in non-Catholic and non-Christian faiths. We are privileged to be living in the beginning of the end times. You are preparing the Church and the world for Your Second Coming in glory and majesty.

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.

MATTHEW 2:1-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God reveals Himself to the wise men, pagans who came to Jerusalem from the east following the star that had led them all the way to the place of Your birth. They interpreted the sign of the star they had seen, examined the ancient writings, and desired to see for themselves this infant king of the Jews. They knew that You were no ordinary king and they came to pay You homage and present You with the treasures that they had brought with them - gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They came from far away. They came in faith. They shared their knowledge with King Herod whose only reaction was fear, rage, and murder for he saw Your birth as a threat to his throne. Having received all the information from the wise men he called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: 

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.’

He let the wise men go with these  instructions: ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ 

Seeing the star again after they left Herod they were filled with joy and followed it until it halted over the place where You were. Going into the house they saw You, the child with Your Mother Mary and they fell on their knees and worshipped You. 

What do we do when we hear the Good News of Salvation? Are we impervious to it like the chief priests and scribes of the people, or does it cause us rage and discomfort like Herod? Or do we follow the Star faithfully and go where it leads us even to the most unexpected places. And once we find You Beloved, are we transformed like the wise men were and we are docile to the Spirit and we return home transformed carrying the Good News of our encounter with You, sharing it joyfully with everyone we meet and wherever we go?

Make us a new creation in You, my Lord and my God.