SATURDAY BEFORE ASCENSION SUNDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree,
has risen from the tomb.

ACTS 18:23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There is a steady stream of protestant sisters and brothers who come home to the Catholic Church and find in her all they were looking for. Like  Apollos, they evangelize brilliantly and are full of the joy of the Gospel, and zeal to preach it. They love You immensely and are constantly seeking the Truth. Many of them are powerful preachers of the Gospel but their hearts are restless, knowing that they have many questions which the denomination they belong to have no satisfactory answers. It is said rightly that "Poorly formed Catholics become Protestants. And well-formed Protestants become Catholics." 

Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speak eloquently. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way. It is these neophytes who understand and appreciate far better than cradle Catholics the rich treasures of the Catholic Church. 

Let us humbly appreciate them, learn from them, pray for them, and encourage them. Convicted of having taken the rich treasures of our inheritance for granted, let us begin to study and share what we have freely received. 

PSALM 46(47):2-3,8-10 ©

All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.

God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.

The princes of the people are assembled
with the people of Abraham’s God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.

God is king of all the earth.

JOHN 16:23-28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today You spoke to me in Your word  and You now confirm what You have said to me earlier in these verses:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.’

Lord, You are the image of the unseen God. God is Love and Love is made visible and tangible in You, the Eternal Word of the Father. Incarnate of the Virgin Mary You became Man. You descended into the deepest, darkest depths of human misery so no one can say that You do not understand our suffering, our misery, our grief. 

The Father wants us to comprehend with every fiber of our being what His Love has accomplished for us, His poor sinful, broken creatures in and through You. To know the Father's plan of salvation and give endless thanks for what He has done for us by Your loving submission to His will.

We believe that You were sent into the world by the Father and after accomplishing all that He sent You to do, You are now seated at His right hand. Faith in You enables us to boldly approach the Throne of Grace for we have Your assurance that the Father will give us all we ask for in Your Name because we believe.  

‘When that day comes you will ask in my name;
and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you for loving me
and believing that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world
and now I leave the world to go to the Father.’