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.’