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.