Friday, May 31, 2024

THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. LK 1:45


ZEPHANIAH 3:11-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You O Lord, the Father, and the Holy Spirit chose Mary of all the virgin daughters of Israel to be Your Mother. She, the fairest flower was to be the first daughter of the Father. Upon her the Holy Spirit rested infusing her with the love of God and making it possible for You to become incarnate of her, the Virgin Mother. She was chosen from all ages to be the splendor of the human race. 

Heaven sings her praises. Each Person of the Triune God outdoes the other in lavishing on her every virtue, grace, and merit. She whose fiat made it possible for God to accomplish His divine plan in redeeming the human raise needed this little maiden to cooperate with Him and this she did with great humility. Her whole life was one of total submission to God. The sum and substance of her life was to open her entire being to God. From the moment of her conception, she belonged wholly to God, and from her infancy, her whole being was a quiet, humble, joyful 'Yes' to God. But at the Annunciation that 'Yes' was audible once and only once and that 'Yes' that God and His angels waited to hear with bated breath, caused heaven to erupt with joy. Her 'Yes' resounded in heaven, and echoed and re-echoed with every silent 'Yes' that Mary said to God at every moment of her life until she was assumed body and soul into heaven. 

O Mary, dearest and best of all mothers, and mediatrix of all graces, I know that you never forget your poor children living in this valley of tears. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death and grant us all we need for our salvation through the wondrous merits of your beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.

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.

Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

LUKE 1:39-56 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There never was an instant in Mary's life that she was not conscious of the great privilege accorded to her by God. She knew that she was nothing, only a creature in need of salvation like the rest of humanity but God chose her from all the virgin daughters of Israel, and God raised her up higher than every other human being on earth that ever lived, and God seated her at Your right hand. The Triune God crowned her as Queen of heaven and the entire universe. The angels and saints revere her. They outdo each other in singing her praises. There never was and never will be another human being like her for none can outdo her in her humility, her obedience, her submission, and her openness and readiness to do the will of God at every instant in her life. 

Lord Jesus, You are the Model par excellence, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, modeling our lives on You we choose the straight path leading to the Kingdom of God. We also imitate Mary, Your Mother, and ours, for she is the disciple of disciples. She is the frontrunner when it comes to leading and living a life of grace and virtue. We cannot err when we pattern our lives on her for she patterns her life on You. She teaches us how to be a servant, a lowly handmaid of the Lord, a creature submissive to Him in all things, to be ever mindful of the truth of who we are before God, and that any merit, and good thought, word, or deed is sheer grace. On our own we are nothing but she reminds us that with God we are everything in and through You.

Mary's first act of service, once she has conceived You, the Second Person of the Trinity in her womb, is to go in haste to her much older cousin Elizabeth who once barren is now in her sixth month. What a great comfort they would have been to each other. To each God had conferred an extraordinary gift of grace and they exulted in God's goodness. Mary was keenly aware that God had raised her above all creatures by doing this great thing for her.

In her beautiful hymn, the Magnificat, it is clear how familiar she is with Sacred Scripture. 
She prophesies that from the moment of her conception all generations will call her blessed because of the wondrous things God has done for her, and it is so. Just as heaven reveres, honors, and praises her, so do her children in every generation on earth. Thank You, Lord, that I am one of Mary's children. Because of her every time we receive You, Lord, in the Holy Eucharist, her song of praise, in some measure, becomes ours as well.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12


1 PETER 2:2-5,9-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You have conferred dignity on me. Baptised and grafted into Your Body, I AM a child of God and co-heir with You to the Kingdom of Heaven. You O Lord delight in giving me a share of all that is Yours. From You, we learn that it is in giving that we receive. The more You give us, the more we must give away and the more will we receive - this is the divine principle. Our sinful nature wants to clutch everything selfishly to ourselves but the more we cling to the gifts freely given to us the more bankrupt we become for nothing that we've been given is ours to keep. Just as Your Mother freely pours upon her children all the graces You lavish on her, she delights, in turn, on lavishing those same graces on us. This is why the Church recognizes that she is the mediatrix of all grace. 

Beloved, St. Peter, reminds us of the dignity conferred to all the members of the Church: 
 
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 

Lord Jesus, keep us who are members of Your Body free from sin by the merits that You won for us. Remind the Father of the price You paid for our salvation in perfect obedience to His will Save us all and bring us at last to the place that God has prepared for us in eternity.

PSALM 99(100):2-5 ©

Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

MARK 10:46-52 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's Gospel passage for our reflection is the healing of Bartimaeus the blind beggar. He represents all of us who are spiritually blind. We are seated at the side of the road begging, unable to help ourselves because we are handicapped by our sins that have made it impossible for grace to penetrate into our souls. We are ailing. We long for You O Lord for our hearts are made for You and they are restless because nothing can satisfy our hunger for You our need for You. We long to restore our relationship with You but the gravity of our sins has created an insurmountable barrier between us that only You can help us overcome. But to make that possible, Lord, it is necessary for us not just to desire it, but to will it. 

Today Lord, we cry out in unison with Bartimaeus, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ We will not be deterred by those who want to silence us but we will shout even louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ And when You O Lord, called Baritimaeus saying, ‘Call him here.’ I come to You as well, encouraged by the Church, who constantly speaks to all sinners saying:  ‘Courage, get up; he is calling you.’ Like the blind beggar, I desire to throw off every sin, every unholy attachment, and jump up and come to You. And when I hear You speak to me asking me: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ My plea is the plea of the blind beggar, ‘Rabbuni, Master, let me see again.’ 

Restore to me and every member of my family our vision once again. Hear my daily prayer imploring You for this grace and gift and say to me now, Lord Jesus the same blessed words of benediction You said to Bartimaeus, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And like him, our sight restored, we will follow You on the Way that leads to Life. Amen. 

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 8 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many. MK 10:45


1 PETER 1:18-25 ©

My Soul’s Beloved,

I was purchased, the ransom for my life was paid in the precious blood of the Lamb without stain or blemish and this is why my life is no longer my own. It is yours, my Lord and my God.

You are the Word of God that leaped down from the bosom of the Father and in the power of the Holy Spirit who came down on the Virgin Mother, You O Lord became incarnate. She gave You a Body that You could offer as a whole, burnt offering in a fragrant and pleasing Sacrifice for the salvation of every man, woman, and child born of woman. We can no longer claim that we belong to ourselves we are now Yours O Lord to do with as You will.

You came to show us the Way to the Father. You came to give us the Holy Spirit. You came to baptize us into Your Body so we can receive the free gift of faith that will be the light to our path and a lamp to our feet that will direct our way along the narrow and difficult path to our Father’s house. You have shown us by example the shortest and easiest route to our eternal home, it is by obedience to the truth. Only by abiding in the truth O Lord fearlessly and boldly can we hope to receive the inheritance that You won for us on the Cross.

May we never forget: Death will come like a thief in the night may we not be caught off guard and be ready and awake when we are summoned into Your Presence at the end of life’s journey.

All flesh is grass and its glory like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains for ever. What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

PSALM 147:12-15, 19-20 ©

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.

He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.

He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!


MARK 10:32-45 ©

My Soul’s Beloved,

It is Your final journey, You spent three years with the Apostles You hand-picked and You are preparing them for what is to come. Their minds cannot accept nor understand what You are saying. You reveal clearly what awaits You in Jerusalem and they are unwilling to comprehend the awful reality of Your impending suffering and death. St. Mark says that they were in a daze and they were apprehensive about what You had said:

‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans, who will mock him and spit at him and scourge him and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again.’

Yet, O Lord, human nature when not bridled reveals its self-absorption. Before anyone else pips them at the post they come to You to lobby for the prime positions at Your right and left in the Kingdom.

‘Master, we want you to do us a favour.’ He said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.’

You remind them that the road to God’s Kingdom is not easy:

‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.’

As is typical of human nature, the rest of the Apostles were indignant when they heard the two brothers plotting for the best places. Even though Your heart was full of the knowledge of what awaited You at Jerusalem, You chided them gently, as the father gently corrects his children.

‘You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

This is key for all who desire to be Your disciples, Beloved. We are to remember that our highest call is to serve. We are to serve with love - humbly, willingly, obediently, and gladly. When we stand before You, the righteous Judge, we will be judged on how well we have loved.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

TUESDAY OF WEEK 8 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. MT 11:25

1 PETER 1:16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

At the time of the fall of our first parents, God revealed that a Woman would conceive and her offspring would crush the head of Satan who would strike at His heel. Prophets, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke of the wonderful mysteries of salvation that would occur when the Messiah would come into the world. They marveled at things to come that they would not witness but all who studied the Sacred Scriptures were filled with a great longing for Your coming.

We are blessed to be alive in the third millennium of the Year of Our Lord. Holy Mother Church has reflected since Apostolic times on the Good News, on our faith's rich heritage and treasures. We, her children, born of water and the Holy Spirit, are fed from these riches. This is our inheritance that the Church keeps alive through the Gift of the Magisterium, the Apostolic Succession whom You have assured will never teach error in matters concerning faith and morals. We can trust the Church to take us by the hand and lead us safely through this valley of tears to the Kingdom of God, the New Jerusalem, the City on the Hill. 

St. Peter says, that even the angels longed to see the divine plan unfold and the marvels that God would do to redeem the children whose first parents willfully turned their back on Him and refused His love. Thank You, Father, for Your Son Jesus, for Mother, Mary, and for sending Your Son into the world to lay down His life for us and save us. Thank You, Jesus, for the Holy Spirit, without Him we could neither say, 'Jesus is Lord' nor could we strive to be holy and perfect as Your Father is holy and perfect as You have commanded us. We can walk securely in the Way that leads to Life through the power of the Holy Spirit, poured into our hearts and lives.

Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy.

PSALM 97(88:1-4 ©

Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.

The Lord has made known his salvation.

MARK 10:28-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

In a world where everyone is pushing and shoving to get ahead and trampling on others to get there, You remind us that the way of the world is in total opposition to Your Way. We are told succinctly, 'Many who are first will be last and the last first.' Your Way O Lord turns all the mantras that the world touts as necessary for happiness, into a tailspin. It is the last, the least, the humble, the forgotten, the forsaken, the crushed in spirit, the widow, the orphan, those marginalized, pushed to the peripheries, the poor, victims of greed who are robbed of everything and most importantly, as children of God, of their dignity and self-respect for we are all equal in Your sight. This is why the Church has a preferential love for the poor.

On the other hand, as St. Peter inquires of You, what about him and the rest of the Apostles and disciples who have given up everything for Your sake and for the Gospel? What will they gain? Your tender, generous response is:

‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life. Many who are first will be last, and the last first.' 

Lord, bless immensely every member in the Church hierarchy with a generosity of spirit so they will not hesitate to give up everything for the sake of the Kingdom of God not for reward's sake but for Yours.

Monday, May 27, 2024

MONDAY OF WEEK 8 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty 2COR 8:9


1 PETER 1:3-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Peterr's words in today's reading are most comforting. Without seeing You, Lord, I do believe. I know You are the Son of the Living God, the Father, who sent You into the world to lay down Your life for me. To enter into the death that is ours so we may be raised to new life in You through Your resurrection. I know Lord, that before the end of this life, I sojourn in a valley of tears. I must walk the narrow way which is hard, I must crucify my will, my passions, and my disorderly affections, I must train my spirit to be humble, submissive, and obedient to the will of God. I need grace to embrace God's will not just for me but for those I love with joy knowing that in all things God works for good for those who love Him.

O Lord, my God, my Savior and Redeemer, my Hope and my Inheritance, stay with me. Without Your help, without grace, without the Holy Spirit, I will lose heart, I will become discouraged, I may give up. Help me! Stay with me Lord every moment of every hour of every day and then at last I know that You will take me by the hand and lead me to the Father and to the place prepared by God for me and my loved ones since the creation of the world.

You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

PSALM 110(111):1-2,5-6,9-10 ©

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.

He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He has shown his might to his people
by giving them the lands of the nations.

He has sent deliverance to his people
and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared.

To fear the Lord is the first stage of wisdom;
all who do so prove themselves wise.
His praise shall last for ever!

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

MARK 10:17-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As I reflect on the incident recorded by St.Mark in his gospel, the rich young man would have known You, he would have followed You and perhaps witnessed many miracles performed by You. At a word, or touch You caused the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and evil spirits were cast out.  Perhaps he was present when You cured lepers and raised the dead to life and he had a burning to hear from Your lips how to have a deeper relationship with God. Knowing that You were leaving the neighborhood he desired to meet You personally and came running to You. Kneeling reverently before You he asked, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Before You addressed his question, You said, did not answer his question but said, Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’ You said this because the man did not know that You were indeed God, he believed You to be a rabbi, a prophet, a good man of God, but he did not recognize that You were truly the Son of God - You were God incarnate. 

You went on to tell him the basic requirements he needed to fulfill to inherit the Kingdom of God, ‘You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ The man said that he had kept the Law from his youth. Knowing this was true, Mark says, You looked at him steadily and loved him. This earnest young man with a deep hunger for more moved your heart but You also knew him better than he knew himself. You knew that while his spirit was willing, his flesh would prove him unable to embrace the cost of true, and committed discipleship. Even as he heard Your answer to the deep need of his spirit,
 ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ His countenance changed. The eagerness was dulled. And his response to total self-abnegation was visible in his whole demeanor. Mark says it well, But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

You knew all along that the man was too attached to his possessions to give it all up for the lasting inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Turning to Your disciples, You gave them a warning that is also a warning to the rich, the powerful, those who possess vast wealth:

How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ 
‘My children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

The disciples did not know what to make of Your words as they were beginning to understand that it takes far more than just the desire to become Your disciple. We are to make a total commitment by following You, leaving everything behind as the Apostles did, without looking back, and this takes grace. We need grace for without it, You tell all those who wish to be Your disciples that we cannot be saved on our own, only God can save us for with God everything is possible for God.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
the God who is, who was, and who is to come. REV 1:8


DEUTERONOMY 4:32-34,39-40 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Moses, speaking to the people, recalled how God dealt with His people when He brought them out of slavery in Egypt with mighty hand, outstretched arm, and how with fearsome terrors he crushed Pharoah and his army and obliterated them. 

But we, O Lord, the new people of God, have experienced far greater signs and wonders wrought by You, the Incarnate Word of the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God of Love, God of Mercy, God of Power who makes of the children of men sons and daughter of God Most High. What You did for the children of Israel pales in comparison for what You have done for us in sending Your Son as the Lamb of Sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. 

Beloved, our grateful and loving response to God who first loved us and saved us leading us from darkness into His marvelous light, must always be to keep His commandments. Lord Jesus, Your commandments are not difficult to obey because You make it possible by pouring Your Spirit into our hearts. He is our Helper and our Paraclete. 

‘Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.’

PSALM 32(33):4-6,9,18-20,22 ©

For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.

By his word the heavens were made,
by the breath of his mouth all the stars.
He spoke; and it came to be.
He commanded; it sprang into being.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

ROMANS 8:14-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Spirit descended after Your ascension into heaven. We need the Holy Spirit as the arid and parched land needs water to bloom and bear fruit. Thank You for the free Gift of the Holy Spirit given to us at our baptism making us a child of God and heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. Without the Spirit, St. Paul tells us, we cannot say, 'Jesus is Lord' but the Holy Spirit makes living for the Lord and dying for the Lord a joyous experience for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God - the Spirit of Joy - the Spirit of Truth - He is the essence of both the Father and the Son. This is the Spirit whom God has generously poured into our hearts. He is gentle and kind, compassionate and loving. He does not force us to do anything that is against our will but prompts gently and encourages us lovingly, and when we offer Him a docile spirit, and humble and obedient hearts He can make great saints of us. All we need to do is give Him permission to do so.

Thank You, Father, Son, and Spirit for taking by the hand not angels but mortal beings.

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.

MATTHEW 28:16-20 ©


My Soul's Beloved,

You arranged to meet the eleven on the mountain in Galilee. This is 40 days after the resurrection. You met them often during this period walking through closed doors, talking to them, opening their minds to understand the Scriptures and to recognize how clearly You were the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. One more time, at Your Word, they miraculously caught a large haul of fish after slaving all night and catching nothing. You invited them to eat breaking that You had prepared for them on the shore - bread and fish were already on the fire. You invite them to eat, “Come and have breakfast.” You took the bread, reminiscent of the Last Supper, and gave it to them to eat. You did the same with the fish. They ate and were satisfied. You then entrusted Your Bride, the Church, to Peter after his triple confession of love thus negating his triple denial of You.

Now, the time has come for the final goodbye before You ascended to Your Father. St. Matthew records that of the 11, despite everything, some hesitated. This is why O Lord, we so desperately need the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who made it possible for the Apostles to carry out the mission You entrusted to them: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

Without the help, the graces, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit we would make little spiritual progress. Thank You Father, and Son for sending the Holy Spirit who deigns to live in our sinful, broken hearts and tenderly and encouraging nudging us along the Way that leads to eternal life.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

SATURDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. MT 11:25

JAMES 5:13-20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You, for the timely reminder of the power of prayer in times of trouble, difficulty, distress, anxiety, and fear for the salvation of those we love so dearly. Lord Jesus, I know that the salvation of the people we love is of greater concern to the Father than we can ever experience and this is why our prayers will be heard. No prayer is so perfectly aligned to God's will than the salvation of all God's people. I will pray with faith. I will pray with hope. Holy Spirit of God, grant me the grace not to worry but to have a child-like confidence that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose and plan. The purpose and plan of God is that all may be saved and come home to Himself forever.

Grant O Lord, that we make frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation - it is here that You, O Lord, our Divine Physician, touch and heal us of all that ails us in heart, mind, body, and spirit and You restore and renew us in the life of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, for the Gift of the Holy Eucharist, nourishment for hungry souls. I long for the day, Lord, when every member of my family, after being healed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, come joyfully to receive You in the Holy Eucharist.

The heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully. 

My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it, he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from the wrong way that he has taken will be saving a soul from death and covering up a great number of sins.

PSALM 140(141):1-3,8 ©

I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.

Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth;
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!

Let my prayer come before you like incense, O Lord.

MARK10:13-16 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

My most loving Jesus, my Lord and my God, my Savior, Redeemer, and the delight of my soul. I bring my children to You multiple times a day. Even as I like awake in my bed at night, I bring them to You. You want me to and You will not turn away from them but draw them into Your loving embrace. In fact, You are indignant with anyone who hinders the children from coming to You. We have it recorded for as long as time lasts that You were indignant with the disciples for hindering people from approaching You with their little ones.

‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms around them, laid his hands on them, and gave them his blessing.

Put Your loving arms around us as a family, Lord, and draw our children close to Your Sacred Heart, and grant each one of us, pardon, healing, restoration, and renewal, in heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit. Thank You, Lord.

Friday, May 24, 2024

FRIDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth. JN 17:17


JAMES 5:9-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

From St. James' Epistle, it is evident that he assimilated Your teachings completely and made it his own. He was one with You in heart and mind and was unafraid to call out sin and name it clearly and succinctly. Sin is sin whether we lie and give it a benign meaning. Poison is not honey and deadly poison will kill even if you drink it despite its sweetness to the palate.    

We are constantly seeking to remove the specks in the eyes of those around us ignoring the glaring logs in our own. We, ourselves, are afflicted and we dare to nitpick the faults of others. You O Lord, are appointed sole Judge by the Father, let us not constantly try to usurp Your place. Rather, grant us the graces we need from the Holy Spirit so we may be filled with His gifts. Help us to understand that in this life we must expect trials and tribulations of every kind. In this valley of tears, we are purified and prepared to the bliss of everlasting life in Your glorious presence.

Finally, he reminds us, quoting You verbatim O Lord, not to speak uselessly and make a lot of empty promises but speak only a little lest we condemn ourselves by our own words.

Above all, my brothers, do not swear by heaven or by the earth, or use any oaths at all. If you mean ‘yes’, you must say ‘yes’; if you mean ‘no’, say ‘no.’ Otherwise you make yourselves liable to judgement.

PSALM 102(103):1-4,8-9,11-12 ©

My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.
It is he who forgives all your guilt,

who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
His wrath will come to an end;
he will not be angry for ever.

The Lord is compassion and love.

For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.

The Lord is compassion and love.

MARK 10:1-12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As usual vast crowds gathered and often pressed around You these are the hoards of which only a handful desire to amend their lives, listen to You, and obey Your commandments. The rest are there out of curiosity, or compulsion, or even to find fault and discredit You.

The fact that the Pharisees put this question to You knowing that Moses permitted divorce it is apparent that they were not comfortable with the practice of divorce. What other reason could there be apart from testing You and perhaps secretly their conscience was uneasy? You point out first that they were hard of heart and this is why Moses, taking into account their broken human nature, he permitted them to divorce. But immediately after acknowledging what Moses allowed, You make known the will and the heart and mind of God.

‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’

This is divine doctrine. The Church You founded does not permit divorce. Separation yes and annulment but never ever divorce for the reason that You stated clearly and unequivocally. And yet our non-Catholic sisters and brothers are notorious for fudging and blurring the lines and more often than not willfully misunderstanding Your clear doctrine and wrongly interpreting Your Words to align with whatever fad the culture imposes on a fallen world.

Thank You, Lord for guaranteeing that the Church will steadfastly uphold the Truth come what may on matters concerning faith and morals. The successors of Peter will change through the years but she will hold fast to what You taught and which is handed down to all the children in the bosom of Holy Mother Church in all its pristine truth and beauty. Only in this way can she ensure that all her children will be be saved.

Thursday, May 23, 2024

THURSDAY OF WEEK 7 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

JAMES 5:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

If only the rich, the powerful, those who are fat and sleek by preying on the misery and the sweat, blood, and tears of the widow, the orphan, the marginalized, the outcast, the unseen. Because of the wealth they have accumulated on the backs of those who labor for them, and the power, position, and honor that the world bestows on them, they are foolish enough to believe that there is no greater power over them to whom they will have to render a strict account of their stewardship.

The Epistle of St. James is not very popular to those who prefer to blur the lines between the judgment of God and His mercy, and tender compassion. The meek will inherit the earth not those who lord it over them. Who suck the spirit of the poor and then spit them out. Like the rich man who was blind to the plight of Lazarus at his gate and then begged for Your mercy when he found himself in the pit of hell and in torment in the raging, unquenchable flames of hell, so too will those who have lived unconscionable lives perish in the undying pit of the nether world.

While we yet have time, Beloved, grant us the grace to always remember that we who are the Church always have a preferential love for the poor.

An answer for the rich. Start crying, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is all rotting, your clothes are all eaten up by moths. All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be your own sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realise that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content. It was you who condemned the innocent and killed them; they offered you no resistance.

PSALM 48(49):14-20 ©


This is the lot of those who trust in themselves,
who have others at their beck and call.
Like sheep they are driven to the grave,
where death shall be their shepherd
and the just shall become their rulers.

With the morning their outward show vanishes
and the grave becomes their home.
But God will ransom me from death
and take my soul to himself.

Then do not fear when a man grows rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
He takes nothing with him when he dies,
his glory does not follow him below.

Though he flattered himself while he lived:
‘Men will praise me for all my success,’
yet he will go to join his fathers,
who will never see the light any more.

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


Wednesday, May 22, 2024

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me. JN 14:6


JAMES 4:13-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Epistle of St. James is not quite popular because he is unafraid to speak the unvarnished truth. He names the sins we are prone to and guilty of. Too often we are so full of our own dreams and plans we forget that tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. All we have is the present moment, you desire us to live in it and live it as if it were our last. If we do this, we can hope to be pleasing in Your sight for we can presume nothing. We must receive everything as coming from You, humbly, for You are gracious, compassionate, tender, loving, and kind even when we do not deserve it. 

The world knows what is right because the world and all in it was made by You and for You and our spirit is troubled when we do not follow the still small voice which is our conscience. People everywhere are wounded, broken, unhappy, confused, spinning giddily into chaos, destruction, and death because they will not call the passions and pleasures of the flesh by their proper name - sin. The effect of sin is death and the stench of death and decay surrounds and suffocates us. 

Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and doesn’t do it commits a sin.

Abba Father, have pity on a world gone mad for the sake of the sorrowful passion of Your Son, send on us once again Your powerful Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth. 

PSALM 48(49):2-3,6-11 ©

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Hear this, all you peoples,
give heed, all who dwell in the world,
men both low and high,
rich and poor alike!

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Why should I fear in evil days
the malice of the foes who surround me,
men who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches?

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

For no man can buy his own ransom,
or pay a price to God for his life.
The ransom of his soul is beyond him.
He cannot buy life without end,
nor avoid coming to the grave.

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

He knows that wise men and fools must both perish
and leave their wealth to others.

How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

MARK 9:38-40 ©

You must not stop anyone from working miracles in my name

John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

TUESDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord,
through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. GAL 6:14


JAMES 4:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. James reminds us how we are to live if we are to remain closely united to You. The great saints knew this. We have to put to death every evil inclination in us. We must root out weed by weed everything that separates us from You. It is a task of a lifetime but You have poured Your Spirit in us and You have given us Mama Mary and the intercession of the angels and saints to assist us. 

We must flee the devil, not engage with him. He is a deceiver and a liar and has been so since his fall from grace. Let us not spend a moment worrying about him but keep our focus on You for from You we receive help always. 

Lord Jesus, You have said that it is from within our hearts that evil flows and pollutes everything it touches but if our hearts are filled with love; that love flowing from our hearts will touch everything and make all we do pleasing to You.

My Beloved, You make Your home in me, let me remember every moment of this day that You are with me and no evil can touch me. 

God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Look at your wretched condition, and weep for it in misery; be miserable instead of laughing, gloomy instead of happy. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.

PSALM 54(55):7-11,23 ©

Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.

O that I had wings like a dove
to fly away and be at rest.
So I would escape far away
and take refuge in the desert.

Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.

I would hasten to find a shelter
from the raging wind,
from the destructive storm, O Lord,
and from their plotting tongues.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
For I can see nothing but violence
and strife in the city.
Night and day they patrol
high on the city walls.

Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.

Entrust your cares to the Lord
and he will support you.
He will never allow
the just man to stumble.

MARK 9:30-37 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Often times we face troubling situations that we are unable to make sense of and we lose our sense of peace. We wonder why we or our loved ones have been singled out for suffering while everyone else seems to be blessed and joyful with no fears or troubles to disturb the even tenor of their lives. However, like the disciples, we do not understand and instead of bringing our troubles to You, we are afraid to approach You humbly and talk to You.

But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

Not only are You God and the Son of God, but You are also my Spouse, and my Beloved, You have given me access to Your Heart day and night. Nothing can hinder my approaching You at any time. It is my lack of faith, my fears, my lack of understanding that keeps me from running to You and throwing myself in Your loving embrace. 

Give me the heart and spirit of a child, Lord, and I will never leave You. Nestled against You the world and the devil may do its worst but I will be at rest and serene in Your loving arms.

 ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Monday, May 20, 2024

MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, MONDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise,
for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.


GENESIS 3:9-15,20 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The children of the world are children of Eve, the mother of all the living. But we who are baptized in Your Body and are born of Water, Fire, and the Holy Spirit are born of the New Eve, Your Mother, for You gave her to us, she is Your ultimate gift from the Cross. We receive her, Lord, and take her into our homes and hearts. We love and revere this precious gift that You have entrusted to us. Thank You, Lord, for giving us such a loving, good, pure, tenderhearted, and compassionate Mom.

Beloved, in this world of division, sin, violence, ugliness, and strife Mother Mary is our refuge. We hide beneath her mantle and are safe from the wiles of the Enemy. He dare not approach the Mother of God and our Mother for she is given the power to crush his ugly head.

Where sin abounds grace abounds even more, St. Paul assures us. As wicked and frightful as the world grows we will not be afraid or discouraged for we have Mama Mary to pray for us, her little children. 

PSALM 86(87) ©

On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.

Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
Of you are told glorious things, O city of God!
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’

Of you are told glorious things, O city of God!

JOHN 19:25-34 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You were always fully aware that the Father sent You into the world to fulfill every prophecy ever made about the Messiah and in Your final moments on the Cross You made certain that every last one that God ever made to His people was accomplished.

At the foot of the Cross stood Your Mother, the other two Marys, and the beloved disciple. In the final agonizing moments of Your life, You looked down at Your Mother whose gaze was locked on You. Moved with immense filial love for her, and love for the beloved disciple You addressed each of them as You entrusted Your Mother to him saying:

‘Woman, this is your son.’ 
Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ 
And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Your Church has taken Your Mother home. She is given a place of high honor and reverence. Just as God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit outdo each other in heaping praise, graces, and love on her, we too strive to emulate God and love our Blessed Mother. The Church shows its great reverence for her by celebrating her in all her different roles as Mother, Queen, the New Eve, and many more. Each successor of Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, honors her under different titles and her children are delighted to praise and venerate her under all of them during the liturgical year.

My Lord and my God, may we, the children of Mary, stand fearless around her banner, and under her powerful protection, fight the Enemy and with her help resist his wiles. With the powerful weapon of the Holy Rosary, she will help us vanquish the Enemy as she crushes his head under her foot.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

PENTECOST SUNDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.

ACTS 2:1-11 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

This is the Holy Spirit that You assured Your Apostles You would send after You ascended to Your Father. This is the promise that You assured them would be fulfilled and would help them to carry out the mission entrusted to them.

Today we celebrate the birthday of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Today the Church was born. There was the Mother of the Church in the upper room on the day when the Jews celebrated Pentecost and this Descent of the Holy Spirit is on the Daughter of Israel and the Apostles is the fulfillment of all the aspirations of Israel.

The Church, born of fire and the Holy Spirit, born in 33 AD, has continued to bewilder the world for she has remained steadfast amid every storm, that continues to buffet her on every side from her enemies within and without. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Church founded on Peter, the Rock, has had successors to him and the Apostles in an unbroken line for 2000 years. You, O Lord, are her cornerstone and she will never be moved, neither by the world nor by the powers of darkness. She is Your bride and by the power of the Holy Spirit that raised You from the dead in Your glorious resurrection, she will continue to be a beacon of light to the world. All the world's weary, carrying their cross, will ascend the Mountain of the Lord, and there they will worship God in spirit and in truth until Your return again in glory to claim Your Bride and You will present her to Your Father, and she will be without wrinkle or stain.

Hasten the day of Your coming, Beloved. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

PSALM 103(104):1,24,29-31,34 ©

Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord God, how great you are,
How many are your works, O Lord!
The earth is full of your riches.

You take back your spirit, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord last for ever!
May the Lord rejoice in his works!
May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I find my joy in the Lord.

Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

GALATIANS 5:16-25 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

We live in the age of the Enemy which is opposed to the Holy Spirit. It is a time when weeds and wheat are flourishing side by side. Led by the spirit of darkness, sin abounds. Those opposed to the Spirit promote the evil that St. Paul lists in his letter to the Galatians: self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. 

He warns us that anyone who indulges in grave sin and persists in living an immoral, unholy life can never possess the Kingdom of God. They have cut themselves off from their inheritance.

Today as the Church celebrates her birthday, Beloved, we ask You humbly and sincerely to fill us with Your Holy Spirit and we will bear fruit pleasing to God: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Possessing these O Lord, we can be certain of carrying our cross cheerfully daily. We belong to You, we are sealed in Your Spirit and because we are Yours we are confident that with His help we will crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires.
Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.

JOHN 15:26-27,16:12-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Father, the Holy Spirit and You are One. Trinity in perfect unity and harmony. One in Three and Three in One. The Holy Spirit who is Love binds You to the Father and the Father to You and we O Lord, our God, who are privileged to be children of God by virtue of our baptism are drawn up in You and into the love and life of the Holy Trinity.

The Holy Spirit makes actual what Your incarnation, life, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven made possible. This was the Father's will from the moment of the fall of our first parents.

Today, the Church celebrates the fulfilment of Your promise to Your disciples:

‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.

You are a most compassionate, merciful, tender brother and spouse. You understand our limitations just as You understood the limitation of the disciples and so You comforted them saying:

‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’

Thank You, Beloved, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. He makes the arduous and impossible journey to the Kingdom possible. For He abides in us and He leads and guides us. He is our Paraclete, our Helper, He is the Fire of Love between You and the Father and He pours into our souls this same divine Fire so we can strive to love You as we ought.

Thank You, Beloved, for the Holy Spirit may we never grieve and wound Him deliberately committing grave sin. By the power of Your Blood and the help of the Spirit bring us safely to the place that the Father has prepared for us. Amen.