HOLY SATURDAY - 2024

 DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

My Soul's Beloved,

The Liturgy for Easter Vigil is thrilling. We walk in time through salvation history beginning with Creation when Father, Son, and Spirit laid the foundation of the world. We hear about the fall of our first parents and how evil, sin, destruction, and death entered the world. We hear about God choosing Abraham, one man, and from his descendants, He would make a great nation. 

God made His first Covenant with Noah after the great flood.  He made subsequent Covenants with Himself Abraham, Moses, David, and His chosen people. However, You O Lord are the fulfillment of all the covenants. You are the new Adam, the new Moses, the new David, and in You, the old stale wine is replaced with the new wine. This New Wine is for all humanity who desire with all their hearts to discern and do Your will in all things.

We are grateful to the Church for rekindling in us a renewed fervor and joy as we recognize who are and to whom we belong. We have been purchased, redeemed, and restored to the place God intended us to have before the fall. 

ROMANS 6:3-11 ©

Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again

When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a Christian dies, of course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

PSALM 117(118):1-2,16-17,22-23 ©

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;

his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.

The stone which the builders rejected

has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

MARK 16:1-8 ©

Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has risen

When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just as the sun was rising.

They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ But when they looked they could see that the stone – which was very big – had already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, ‘There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him. But you must go and tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him, just as he told you.”’

GOOD FRIDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Christ was humbler yet,
even to accepting death, death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name which is above all names. PH 2:8-9

ISAIAH 52:13-53:12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Only God can take an instrument of shame and torture and raise it up to a glorious throne from which all the iniquity, evil, and sins of the world are vanquished. The enemies of God believe that by murdering those who oppose evil they win have only to contemplate all that God endured in the last week of Your earthly existence to discover that good always triumphs over evil. Life always wins over death. The Cross and the Crown of Thorns, the blows, the cruel nails, the scourge, and the spear only serve to open the floodgates of torrents of love, mercy, and grace. 

Every wound, every blow, every ugly word of mockery, every curse, every blasphemy, every degrading word and deed directed toward You, O glorious Savior, served only to bring about the salvation of the whole world. Who but God, the God of contradiction, can turn the wisdom of the world on its head and reveal how divine wisdom and love can rise gloriously victorious over the worst that evil can plot, devise, and carry out in every way and in every age. Hate and evil can never win over the goodness of God, the beauty of Truth, and the astounding love of God. 

His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself.
Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.

PSALM 30(31):2,6,12-13,15-17,25 ©

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.

Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

In the face of all my foes

I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbours
and of fear to my friends.

Those who see me in the street

run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten in men’s hearts,
like a thing thrown away.

But as for me, I trust in you, Lord;

I say: ‘You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of those who hate me.

Let your face shine on your servant.

Save me in your love.’
Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all who hope in the Lord.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

HEBREWS 4:14-16,5:7-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I thank You, Lord, for the gift of the epistles to Your Church. In this letter to the Hebrews, I am reminded on this Good Friday that I, the Church, and the world have the Son of God, having gone to heaven is the supreme high priest who makes unceasing intercession for me, for the Church and the world. You are the Son of God and the Son of Man. You set Your glory aside and clothed Yourself in the flesh that You took from Your Virgin Mother, and You came into this world as one of us. You went into the deepest, darkest recesses of the human condition and tasted the worst that humanity can do to one another - drinking the cup of suffering to its very dregs. You permitted evil to crush You and You spiled Your life's blood on a wounded, hurting, depraved, sinful world. 

This is why we have every confidence in Your saving work. On the Altar of the Cross, lifted between heaven and earth, You offered Yourself to the Father as a pleasing Sacrifice for the salvation of the whole world. We live because You died. We have hope because You took our place paying a debt we owed but could not pay and redeeming us from the snares of the Enemy.

I can now approach the Throne of Grace boldly, I make my petitions not just for myself but for my loved ones, with confidence, for I am covered in the Blood of the Lamb. I am certain that I will be heard and that God will answer me favorably for Your sake.

Thank You, Jesus, for storming the gates of hell, crushing Satan, destroying death, and opening the Way that leads to the Father's House. My hope is in You. My joy is in You. I long for the day, Beloved, when I will possess You and will be possessed by You in fullness in the life to come. 

Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

JOHN 18:1-19:42 ©

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

MAUNDY THURSDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord. JN 13:24

EXODUS 12:1-8,11-14 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

When God instituted the Passover before He led His people from slavery and exile in Egypt to the Promised Land, He gave Moses and Aaron clear instructions on how the community of Israel was to prepare and eat the Lamb, how they were to be dressed while they ate it and what they were to do with the blood of the lamb. All these instructions had to be followed faithfully and after they entered the promised land future generations were to continue to celebrate the Passover each year recalling how God had intervened mightily to save His people.

That first Passover was a foreshadowing of the new Passover instituted by God. He provided the Lamb, His well-beloved Son without blemish or stain to become the Lamb of Sacrifice that takes away the sins of the whole world, freeing the new people of God from the jaws of death, hell, and Satan. The lamb of sacrifice had to be a male one year old, without blemish taken from either sheep or goats. 

This is what God instructed, the people of Israel to do with the blood of the lamb that was slain, some of the blood was to be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. The lamb had to be roasted whole and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were to be dressed for the journey as they ate: with a girdle round their waist, sandals on their feet, and a staff in their hand. If the family was too small to eat the animal they were to ask their nearest neighbors to join them as many as were required to eat it. 

The blood of the lamb on doorposts and lintel would serve to mark the houses that God's people lived in and the angel would pass over and not strike dead the firstborn of man and beast in that house.  God said, 'When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honor. For all generations, you are to declare it a day of festival, forever.’

While the Jews continue to celebrate Passover just as their ancestors did, the new people of God celebrate the fulfillment of that first Passover until You return again in glory and majesty. As we enter the Triduum today, the most solemn of all the days of salvation history leading up to the greatest event of all time changing the course of history forever, the Church will faithfully recall all You said and did on Your last days on earth. Thank You, Beloved, for instituting the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood today. 

 

PSALM 115(116):12-13,15-18 ©

How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
before all his people.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

My Lord and my God, my God and my all thank You for instituting the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and for the Holy Priesthood at the same time. We could not eat Your Body and drink Your Blood if there were no priests to consecrate these simple gifts of bread and wine into the supernatural food that our souls need and would die if deprived of it.

 There never was a time after You instituted this Sacrament of the Eucharist when it was not celebrated even before the Church was formally born at Pentecost. On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples recognized You at the breaking of bread and we recognize You at Holy Mass when the priest does what You did at the Last Supper. We make that moment present at every celebration of the Holy Eucharist and so it will be until You return again in glory.

For as long as the sun rises and sets and rises again a perfect offering is offered to the Father - the Sacrifice most pleasing to Him and by the power of the Holy Spirit the world is sustained. It can never be destroyed no matter how hard Satan and his minions outside the Church and even within her might plot and even carry out their evil designs to annihilate her. 

May we who remain faithful by the love of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit never cease to pray that the whole world may come to know You, love You, worship You, and be one with You in the Church You established which is Your Body. 

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

JOHN 13:1-15 ©

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’
When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Hail to you, our King!
You alone have had compassion on our sins.

ISAIAH 50:4-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

If I desire to be Your disciple I must follow You closely. I must remain with You. I must make Your Heart my home and open my heart and life so You can make Your home in me. I must emulate You in all things. I must strive to be holy and pure. To be humble and obedient in embracing God's will for my life. I must cease complaining, whining, and grumbling.

Every Christian is called to be a saint. To follow the way of perfection. To pick up whatever cross is given daily and follow You humbly and obediently. You have given us Your Word and Your Church - You have shown us the Way and commanded us to walk in it. Your life on earth is a template on which all Christians must base their lives. There is no other Way but the Way of Suffering and the Way of the Cross. We must die to ourselves if we are to find ourselves. We are to lose our lives if we wish to gain it. You have made it clear that we, like the grain of wheat which falls to the ground must die before it can bear fruit, so must we. 

You have given us the Holy Spirit. He teaches us to pray. He gives us the gifts necessary to live holy lives pleasing to God. He empowers us and with His help, we can live lives that will set the world ablaze with the fire of God's love.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, may each day of this holiest of weeks enable us to enter more fully into the mystery of suffering and embrace the crosses that we must bear gladly and with grace no matter how great the cost. 

Grant, Beloved, that I do not allow temptations to defeat me with discouragement as I carry the cross, rather, may I keep my gaze fixed on You as You hang between heaven and earth and find healing and strength through Your wounds.

I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.

PSALM 68(69):8-10,21-22,31,33-34 ©

It is for you that I suffer taunts,

that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me.

Taunts have broken my heart;

I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion,
for consolers; not one could I find.
For food they gave me poison;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

I will praise God’s name with a song;

I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

MATTHEW 26:14-25 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Apostle and evangelist St. Matthew, writing this passage with the wisdom of hindsight says of the one who was numbered among the Twelve, 'the man called Judas Iscariot'. His disgust is palpable when narrating Judas' treacherous betrayal of their Master and Lord. Many saints and Scripture commentators have written much about why Judas did what he did yet it is hard to comprehend his actions.  Here was a man, chosen by God and privileged to be numbered as one of the Twelve. You knew he was wicked, a rogue, and a thief to boot, yet You chose him. Before we get too carried away in condemning him though, let us reflect on our own wayward, and often tepid discipleship.

It boggles the mind though that his love for money was so great that for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver he was prepared to betray a Man who was clearly so much more. He was a witness to the many miracles You performed. He heard You teaching and preaching. You spent time with him and the rest of the apostles, away from the crowds, while You formed them into disciples, teachers, and leaders and filled them with the power of the Holy Spirit to do the things that You had done. And yet it is clear that his heart was far from You. He remained untouched by grace. Sadly, Beloved, so it is with us.

Judas had the temerity to ask You point-blank whether it was he who would betray You when You revealed that one of them would betray You knowing all the while that it was he. And although he knew that You knew he still went out into the dark night that had entered his soul he betrayed You. 

My Lord and my God, preserve me from ever deliberately doing evil. I am weak and frail and in my weakness, I will fall over and over again but O Lord, do not let me be lost forever but stay with me and help me begin again no matter how many times, and how hard I fall. Thank You, Lord.

When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Hail to you, our King!
Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion
as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.

ISAIAH 49:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Your Name is Jesus which means one who saves, Messiah, and Christ which means the anointed one, Emmanuel which means God with us. You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the only Son of the Living God born before all ages and called by God to save and redeem the world.

Formed in Your Mother's womb by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and power of the Most High, You became incarnate of the Virgin and became Man. Leaving Your glory behind You came down from heaven in perfect humility to become the Scapegoat who carried away the sins of the world.  

You are the Eternal Word of the Father - His only Word through You, all that is came into existence. Sharper than a double-edged sword, Your Word O Lord spoken by God by the breath of the Spirit will not return to Him void but will fulfill all that God has desired it to accomplish.

Every page in salvation history speaks of Your coming and how You will make all things new. You were sent by Your Father to lay down Your life and You did in perfect accord with His will. These days of the Passion Week, Beloved, grant the Church and all who believe in You to enter fully into the mysteries of our salvation. May we receive the rich graces with which You will flood every soul who desires them and may we become powerful witnesses of the Good News of our salvation and may all who see us and hear us come to the knowledge of Truth and be saved. 

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

PSALM 70(71):1-6,15,17 ©

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me:
pay heed to me and save me.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,

a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand of the wicked.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your justice

and day by day of your help.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

JOHN 13:21-33,36-38 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In these last days of Your life on earth, the fact that You were fully human was most apparent. You were troubled in spirit so You understand perfectly when we are troubled, anxious, worried, fearful, filled with sorrow and apprehension when faced with grave situations that seem too difficult to overcome. 

One of Your own was to betray You into the hands of Your enemies. Being God You knew all that You would have to endure and it was too much for any human being no wonder anguish crushed Your spirit. Unbearable as the physical pain would be what would cause You greater anguish is that many souls would perish eternally despite the Sacrifice of Your life as the Lamb of God offered as a holocaust for the sins of the world.  

So many of us who claim to be Your disciples receive so many good things from Your hands and yet go out into the night to betray You for tawdry and passing things of this world that have no lasting value. We make idols of the world and the passions of the flesh readily falling for the wiles of the Enemy for a few moments of pleasure.

Thank You, Beloved, for paying the debt we owed and could never pay.

Even if like Peter we fall Beloved, may we always rise up like he did and follow You anew.

Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Hail to you, our King!
You alone have had compassion on our sins.

ISAIAH 42:1-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father. You are the only, and well-beloved Son of the Living God, and God sent You into the world to save and redeem His sinful, wilful, children. Had You not come into the world as one of us, O Lord, we would not have survived. The prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit revealed God's plan of salvation to His chosen people, Israel, but while they panted, and waited with longing for the Messiah - they rejected You when You came into the world. They had preconceived ideas and since You did not fit their mold they refused to believe that God could come as You did as a Servant, as the Suffering Servant.

You O Lord, are most beloved of Your Father. You are the delight of the Father's heart. You and Your Father are one in the love of the Holy Spirit. Three Persons in One God - Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, One in Being, and One in Essence yet Three divine Persons. This is the mystery of our faith and the faith of our fathers. 

You were sent into the world to reveal the Face of the Father. To demonstrate in action the Love of God and to bring back to Him the children lost to Him by the sin of disobedience by our first parents. God woos us through You. God gentles our passions through You. God takes us by the hand through You. God ministers to us through You. God leads us gently from the paths of unrighteousness to the Way that leads us back to the Father's house. You bind our wounds by Your stripes. You pour Living Water into us and revive us. You feed us with Your Body and give us eternal life. Your love for us never wavers no matter how gravely we offend You and how forcefully we reject Your love. 

He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.

You meet us where we are in our lives. The lower we sink You will still reach us for You went to the uttermost bounds of the netherworld and there You unshackled our bonds and brought us freedom and liberation from sin and death. 

You came to bring us new life. You came to save us. You came to give us peace that the world cannot give. Taking upon Yourself the sins of the whole world we receive forgiveness and reconciliation for our sins. Through Your bloody Sacrifice, the unpayable debt we owed to God is paid in full.

Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.

O Lord our God, our redeemer and savior, our hope of eternal life we receive humbly and gratefully the life You have come to give us in You. In return, we give You our sinful lives. Thank You, for redeeming us. Thank You for the hope we have in You of eternal joy with You and our heavenly Father.

Thus says God, the Lord,
he who created the heavens and spread them out,
who gave shape to the earth and what comes from it,
who gave breath to its people
and life to the creatures that move in it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
‘to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.’

PSALM 26(27):1-3,13-14 ©

The Lord is my light and my help;

whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?

When evil-doers draw near

to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me

my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!

The Lord is my light and my help.

JOHN 12:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

On that day, when You were invited for a celebration dinner at the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in Bethany there would have been a festive atmosphere in that home. Many were invited to celebrate the miracle You performed by raising Your friend to life. The palpable air of mystery surrounded You - the people were beginning to believe You were the long-awaited Messiah. As for the members of that household, they already believed it. 

Mary, full of gratitude, love, reverence, and worship brought out a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it she anointed Your feet. She then wiped Your feet with her hair and the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Everyone present would have wondered at the extravagance of Mary's gesture in their hearts but Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray You as the evangelist John bluntly points out, said: Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ St. John also reveals the character of Judas the betrayer - He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. This was a man who made a pretense of righteousness while his heart was corrupt. 

You looked at Judas and said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’ You knew him to be a blackguard at heart, You knew the weak man that he was, You knew that he would soon commit the dastardly deed of betraying You to those who sought to kill You even as You revealed that You would not always be with them. 

The truly good and righteous person is hated by the wicked of this world and this is why those in authority burned with hatred for You and plotted to kill You. Feeling the stranglehold of power they exercised over the people was slipping after You raised Lazarus from the dead, they wanted nothing more than to destroy You.

Grant O Lord, that when our own faith in You is tested we may not flee but embrace the Cross for love of You. May we cling to the Cross always for the road to heaven is the way of sorrow and suffering.

PALM SUNDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Christ was humbler yet,
even to accepting death, death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name which is above all names. PH 2:8-9

ISAIAH 50:4-7 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As we enter the holiest season of the Church grant us the grace to be attentive to all the liturgical services may we, as one body, reflect, meditate, and participate with our whole being as we relive with You the last days leading up to Your death and Your glorious resurrection.

Let us be fully present and take away all distractions and may the prayers, praise, worship, thanksgiving, and sorrow for sins of the whole Church rise up to the glorious throne of God and be acceptable to Him. May the merits that You have won for her as her Bridegroom flows in torrents over her and into each of her members.

We are living in evil times O Lord, protect Your faithful people. May we imitate Your courage and humility if we are ever called to suffer for our faith as Christians. May we keep our gaze fixed on You and remain with You from the Garden of Gethsamane to Golgotha and the tomb. May we keep vigil beside You with true compunction for our sins and resolve to sin no more. Let this be a particular time of grace for me, for my family, for the Church, and for the world.

The Lord has opened my ear.
For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.

PSALM 21(22):8-9,17-20,23-24 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In You is fulfilled every prophecy from creation, the fall, the promise of a Messiah, Your birth, life, passion, death, and resurrection.

The psalmist spoke of all that would take place and the evangelists have given us a faithful account that matches all that the psalmist has said.

Thank You, Beloved, for all You suffered for me and for the world.  Father God do not permit a single soul to be lost for too great a price was paid for our redemption.

All who see me deride me.

They curl their lips, they toss their heads.
‘He trusted in the Lord, let him save him;
let him release him if this is his friend.’

Many dogs have surrounded me,

a band of the wicked beset me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet
I can count every one of my bones.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

They divide my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my robe.
O Lord, do not leave me alone,
my strength, make haste to help me!

I will tell of your name to my brethren

and praise you where they are assembled.
‘You who fear the Lord give him praise;
all sons of Jacob, give him glory.
Revere him, Israel’s sons.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In this holiest of all weeks grant all who believe in You to participate with our whole beings in the sacred mysteries of our faith. The world needs to know You Lord today more than ever before and yet sadly many are ignorant of You or reject You completely.

Our world is in chaos. It is difficult not to be afraid and apprehensive about the future of our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. Beloved, You died for us. You paid the price for our redemption. We are saved. Have mercy, Lord. Have mercy on Your people and grant us renewed faith. Set the world on fire with Your own love and rekindle in us anew faith, hope, and love. 

His state was divine,
yet Christ Jesus did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet,
even to accepting death,
death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name
which is above all other names
so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel MARK 14:1-15:47 ©

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - 2024

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

EZEKIEL 37:21-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This description of how God is going to deal with the children of Israel who despite their adulterous, idolatrous, decadent, evil, sinful lives, will nevertheless redeem them and make them a people after His own heart, filled with His life and His Spirit - is a template of what God in You, have done for us in forming Your Church. She was created from Your side. Her members by Baptism are made children of God. We are cleansed by Your Blood in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are fed by Your Body in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We are confirmed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. We are fitted as Your disciples to go out into the world and preach the Good News of salvation and all who come to the knowledge of Truth will be saved. 

We have only one King, one Lord, one Savior, one Father who is Father of us all and we are bound in the Love of the Holy Spirit to Father and Son. We belong to God's household and to His Kingdom. Your priestly prayer of unity Lord Jesus, is heard and answered for Your Father always hears You. All who have separated from Your Body will return to the Church and there will be but one flock and one Shepherd. For it is in the Church that You dwell in fullness and in truth. 

We pray for that day. We long for that day. We know it is coming. 

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and their filthy practices and all their sins. I shall rescue them from all the betrayals they have been guilty of; I shall cleanse them; they shall be my people and I will be their God. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all; they will follow my observances, respect my laws and practise them. They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land in which your ancestors lived. They will live in it, they, their children, their children’s children, forever. 

David my servant is to be their prince forever. I shall make a covenant of peace with them, an eternal covenant with them. I shall resettle them and increase them; I shall settle my sanctuary among them forever. I shall make my home above them; I will be their God, they shall be my people. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord, the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever.’

PSALM - JEREMIAH 31:10-13 ©

O nations, hear the word of the Lord,

proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,

has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion,
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord.

Then the young girls will rejoice and dance,

the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console them, give gladness for grief.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

JOHN 11:45-56 ©

My Son's Beloved,

The vision of those in authority, and holding positions of power who can command and their decrees carried out without question is at best myopic. They lack divine vision. They are blinkered and hence unable to embrace the grandeur of God's will for His people. Because they are a bunch of narrow-minded, mean-spirited, navel gazers who are so full of themselves they miss the times of divine visitation. This is true of the chief priests, Pharisees, and the religious authority of Your day and true of all organizations and governments across the globe, across eons to the present day, and perhaps will be the state of the world until You return.

It is hard to comprehend the diabolic levels to which a few who think they are gods and who possess unlimited power and wealth believe that they can change the divine world order with impunity. They are zealots convinced they know best what humanity needs.

Four days after Lazarus was in the tomb You raised him to life. Only God has the power to do this and Your enemies were afraid. They knew perfectly well that their reign of terror would cease if people began to comprehend that You are truly who said You were, the Son of God, and the world as they knew it would crumble and their power with it. They would rather deny that the longed-for Messiah had come and were prepared to murder You rather than relinquish their authority and power over the people. 

Today, all dissident voices against cruel governments are silenced by the entire machinery of power available to the powerful. They are eliminated by every means possible. Yet Truth cannot be overcome by lies. The reign of malice will cease. Evil has been conquered by Good and death has lost its sting because the Son of God became the Son of Man and has redeemed the world. 

Jesus was to die to gather together the scattered children of God
Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all these signs’ they said ‘and what action are we taking? If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.’ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.’ He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation – and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God. From that day they were determined to kill him. 

THURSDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

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

GENESIS 17:3-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

God made a covenant with Abraham. From him God was to form a people for Himself, uniquely His. He would reveal Himself to Him, talk to him, and lead and guide him through the unknown. All the while, Abraham was to trust God even when he did not understand. Even when years passed by with God's promises remaining unfulfilled, he still trusted in God.

Unlike Abraham, Lord, my faith wavers. When things do not work out as I thought they should I become disheartened, I grow despondent, and I allow anxiety to crush my spirit. I lose my peace and my feverish brain finds no rest. In times like this Lord, I need to call to mind past blessings. You have been my ever-present help always and have never failed me. No matter how bleak my present situation is, Lord, may I keep my gaze on You, trusting that You O Lord, are the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

You are God's Covenant with me. It is You alone who are my Cup and my Portion and I will never run out of blessings so long as I remain in You and You in me. Keep me and all I love always under the shelter of Your wings. Amen.

‘I will be your God.

You on your part shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation.’

PSALM 104(105):4-9 ©

Consider the Lord and his strength;

constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.

O children of Abraham, his servant,

O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.

He remembers his covenant for ever,

his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

JOHN 8:51-59 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today I take to heart the words You spoke to the Jews and to anyone who hears and believes:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.’

Your Word O Lord is spirit, truth, and life and all who abide in Your Word receive Your Spirit and Life. You confer on those who are members of Your Body, everlasting life. Death is the doorway through which we enter into the Life that is in You and is given to all who believe, hope, trust, and abide in You.

Unless we believe that the Father sent You into the world, not to condemn it but to save it, we cannot hope to receive a share in the abundant life that You came to give all who receive Your Word and keep it. 

You are the Father's revelation of love to a sin-darkened world. You are the Light that came to banish the darkness of sickness, disease, decay, and death. You alone O Lord, are our hope of health, joy, wholeness, and life. You are our peace.

Beloved You spoke the truth when You declared to the Jews 

‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’

They understood perfectly what You meant when You uttered the words - I AM. You declared that You are God. It is no wonder that they picked up stoned to throw at You. The Truth has a way of unnerving sinners and unbelievers and rouses in them uncontrollable rage - rage that prompts them to kill.

In every age this is true. People would rather die in their sins than acknowledge that there is a God on whom we depend for every breath we breathe. Do not count us among the wicked, Beloved, but keep us in Your Word and Your love all the days of our life.

At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance. LK 8:15

DANIEL 3:14-20,24-25,28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Faith like these three young men in the Book of Daniel is the kind of faith that is of the Holy Spirit and can transform the world. Not only in the era before You have men and women been prepared to die rather than renounce their faith in God but continues through the course of history. Having found the Pearl of Great Price, which is Yourself O Lord, martyrs gladly go to their death to keep it. 

Those with great power like King Nebuchadnezzar are easily flattered into believing their commands must be obeyed at all costs and if thwarted are prepared to take barbaric measures to crush insubordination. This is currently happening all over the world. A powerful minority seeks to abolish not just common sense, but divine wisdom and to do away with all that is true, good, and beautiful. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit let us stand firm in our faith and be prepared to undergo all persecution, tribulation, and die if necessary, rather than sell our soul to the devil. The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians. If we are granted the great privilege of dying for You who died for us may we not hesitate but go to our death gladly just as Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and so many countless martyrs through the course of salvation history. Grant us the grace to die to ourselves daily as we prepare for eternal life so we can receive a share in Your glorious resurrection.

‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’

DANIEL 3:52-56 ©

You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.

Blest your glorious holy name.

You are blest in the temple of your glory.

You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.

You are blest who gaze into the depths.

You are blest in the firmament of heaven.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

JOHN 8:31-42 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Concupiscence has ruined us. The choices we make daily, hourly, moment by moment tend towards the flesh, the world, and the devil. If we made Your Word our home as so many saints did, we would find it easy to choose wisely, to choose life rather than death. We call ourselves Your disciples, members of Your Body which is the Church You founded, and yet we disobey her teachings, we water down her doctrines, we pick and choose what we believe, we are swayed by the culture we live in and we are attracted by the gaudy tinsel and the strident noise of the world that the wiles of the Enemy constantly lures us with.

Urging the Jews around You to learn the truth that has the power to liberate, they countered that they were not slaves but free. You pointed out that we are slaves when we are bound by sinful habits and the chains of this kind of slavery are hardest to break.

‘I tell you most solemnly,
everyone who commits sin is a slave.
Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,
but the son’s place is assured.
So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.’

We fool ourselves into believing that we are saved because we are baptized but baptism is only the first step - we are called to live holy and virtuous lives. We must obey the two great commandments or else we will separate ourselves from the love of God. Cafeteria Catholics treat the doctrines of the Church like a buffet from which they pick and choose what suits their spiritual palate. We keep all the Ten Commandments and when we don't we commit a grave sin, a mortal sin, the consequence of such sins is death to the soul.  

We are guilty of the sin of presumption when we take our salvation for granted as You rightly pointed out to Your hearers:

‘If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do as Abraham did.
As it is, you want to kill me
when I tell you the truth
as I have learnt it from God;
that is not what Abraham did.
What you are doing is what your father does.’

Within the Church, are many divisive voices that cause confusion and disunity among the faithful. All division is the work of Satan who never sleeps but works tirelessly to destroy it. We are grateful O Lord, for Your assurance that the gates of hell will never prevail against Your Bride, the Church.

We were chosen by God to belong to the Church You founded not on our merits but on Your goodness and mercy. May we always remember that to those to whom much is given much is required. Let us embrace the fullness of the faith we have received as a gift in all its beauty, truth, goodness, and splendor. 

God is our Father. You are our Brother and Friend, and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Helper, and Guide. We believe, O Lord, and by believing we are saved.

ST. JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READING

They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord,
for ever singing your praise. PS 83:5

2 SAMUEL 7:4-5,12-14,16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

From the creation of the world and our first parent, Adam and Eve, You O Lord our God, have been passionately and lovingly involved with every aspect of our universe. Nothing is meaningless, or superfluous, but all things have a divine purpose. Every event is interconnected and interlocked, everything has a bearing on the other, and each is placed on its own course to fulfill God's plan which is at work in all things, in all times and places, and throughout history until it culminates in Your glorious second coming. 

St. Joseph, Your foster father was chosen and appointed by Your eternal Father to be Your guardian on earth and the most chaste spouse of Your Mother Mary. He belongs to the royal house of David, and Joseph's legal guardianship over You too a descendant and heir.  

St. Joseph had charge over Your Body - to feed, protect, teach, guide, and instruct You from the time of Your birth, through Your infancy, childhood, and adulthood.  You were subject to Mary and Joseph as the Gospel of Luke tells us after You were lost and found at the Temple when You were 12. And since the Church is Your mystical body she recognizes that St. Joseph has guardianship of her too. As she celebrates his feast today, we rely on his powerful intercession with You to protect her from all danger just as he protected You and Mary. 

Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the wonderful gift of St. Joseph as our spiritual father just as You gave us Mary to be our Mother too. Thank You for including us in the Holy Family of God. 

‘Go and tell my servant David, Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, 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. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

PSALM 88(89):2-5,27,29 ©

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;

through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

‘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.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’

His dynasty shall last for ever.