13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2TIM 1:10

WISDOM 1:13-15,2:23-24

My Soul's Beloved,

Satan's envy brought decay, death, and destruction to the world. We were created for love, joy, peace, in this life and to live in Your glorious Presence eternally. All that God created is good, wholesome, fruitful, beautiful, and true. God created us to enjoy abundant life but the poison of sin robbed us of all that God desired to give when He created us.

Yet, the Father, the Creator did not permit evil to have the final word - He sent You, His Son, the Eternal Word that reposed in Him eternally, into the world to undo by perfect obedience and steadfast love that which Lucifer, the fallen angel in envy stole by subterfuge and outright lies. The devil is the father of lies and God is the embodiment of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

You, my Beloved, have now won back for God the human race. Through Your life, passion, death, and glorious resurrection in heaven, You restored all we had lost by our wanton rejection of God. Thank You, Lord, for opening the gates of paradise once barred to us and making it possible for all who desire God to enter.

PSALM 29(30):2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me

and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,

give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

The Lord listened and had pity.

The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:
O Lord my God, I will thank you forever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:7,9,13-15

My Soul's Beloved,

The things of God, and all that delights Him are always a sign of contradiction to those who belong to the world. St. Paul points out in his letter to the Corinthians and to us who are called by Your Name, that we must image Your life in ours. You are the Way to the Father and we are to imitate You closely if we desire to experience true joy even in the midst of suffering and loss.  

This is how he puts it: Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. 

St. Paul also tells us that we must strike the right balance. Moderation in all things. Yes, we must give out of our surplus rather than hoard instead of sharing with those who have nothing. When we give with a generous heart God will always ensure that we will never want for anything.

As scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.

MARK 5:21-43

My Soul's Beloved,

It was Your intention to stay by the lakeside and teach the crowd but You willingly laid Your plans aside when the synagogue official, Jairus, pleaded with You to accompany him to his house and lay Your hands on his dying daughter. The large crowds accompanied You, pressing against You on all sides. In this crowd is a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for 12 years. 

During this time she underwent many long and painful treatments under several doctors and only got worse. Not only was she even more sick but she had spent all her money as well. She heard about You. She believed that You could cure her. She thought to herself if she could only touch Your clothes she would be healed. Putting thought to action she touched Your garment and was healed instantly. The joy and relief coursing through her body was immediately replaced with fear for You had felt power going out of You and You stopped and asked:

‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. 

The poor woman in fear and trembling confessed what she had done for she knew she had experienced healing. You spoke to her and said:

‘My daughter,your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

You continued to make Your way to Jairus' house when some people arrived with the news that his daughter had died and not to trouble You further. But You spoke to the official saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ 

Taking with You Peter, James, and John You urged the people to stop weeping as the child was not dead only asleep. They laughed and their disbelief resulted in the crowds being turned out of the house and taking Your disciples and the child's parents You entered the room where the child was.

And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

Both the miracles today teach us that if we have faith we too will see great miracles occur in our lives. Lord Jesus, we do believe. Help our unbelief.

SOLEMNITY OF STS. PETER AND PAUL - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. MT 16:18

ACTS 12:1-11

My Soul's Beloved,

As members of the Church You founded on Peter the Rock, as children of God who are baptized into Your Body, and as a people who are espoused to You we too can be assured of receiving the same miracles and help from heaven as Peter, Paul, the Apostles, and so many more have received. You O Lord will never forsake Your own most especially when we are carrying out the mission that You have entrusted to us - to preach and teach the Gospel to all nations even to the ends of the earth.

People who live according to the flesh hate, with a visceral hatred those who live according to the Spirit and the Law of Love. This is why martyrs have died horrific deaths but they went to their deaths gladly facing all kinds of persecutions and tortures for they knew whom they served and the promise of eternal union with You in the Kingdom of God.

No chains no matter how strong can hold those whom You choose to set free. Armies may stand guard against Your anointed but they are powerless against the legions of angels. The rulers of this world may devise all kinds of plans to silence the children of God but their plans will come to nothing for God Himself will fight for His own. While Peter was imprisoned, the Church prayed for him unremittingly and their prayer was answered in a manner that was visible to all that God hears and God answers the prayer of His faithful.

Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ 

Peter, thinking he was seeing a vision, did all that the angel asked him to and they walked out of the prison passed the guards, and through the gates that opened of its own accord. The angel walked with him the whole length of the street and left him. Only then did he realise that it was not a dream. 

‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

 St. Paul urges us in Ephesians to put on the armor of God - the belt of truth around our waist, the sandals on our feet we must put on whatever will make us ready to proclaim the Gospel of peace. We are to be clothed in the robe of righteousness always and we can be certain that angels will ensure that we make our way safely through this valley of tears, through the narrow way, to the Kingdom of God.

PSALM 33(34):2-9

I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8,17-18

My Soul's Beloved,

The two giants of the faith, the Apostle Peter once called Simon who is Your visible head of the Church founded on the Rock with You as its Cornerstone, and the Apostle of Apostles in the faith Paul once called Saul are a reminder to us what God can do with ordinary, sinful people. Peter denied You three times despite vehemently stating that he would die with You. Paul's heart, full of murderous hatred of Christians and who set out to seek them wherever they were and either kill them or put them to death was transformed in a flash into the greatest Apostle of all time.

Beloved let us take heart that no soul is so depraved or so lost that You cannot touch, heal, make whole, and transform into heroes and giants of Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and above all Love.

Hear our prayers and the prayers of Your Church as we honor these two great Apostles who adorn the Hall of Saints and pray for the grace to follow in their footsteps fearlessly and faithfully until we are united with You in Heaven.

The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

MATTHEW 16:13-19

My Soul's Beloved,

You did not ask this question lightly - ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Each one of us as Catholics and Christians must answer it as well - 'Who do you say I am?' Many of us know the answer, Lord. We know who You are but if we confess it then we have to live transformed lives. No longer can we live mediocre, worldly lives that are subject to the desires of our flesh but we have to become flames of love, we have to become the salt and light of the world. There can be no half-measures once we confess to the truth of who You are.

My Beloved, when  Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoke up and confessed: ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ You received confirmation from Your Father that Peter was the one on whom God's favor rested and You made this declaration in the presence of the disciples and for all time, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

We thank You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the gift of the Magisterium, for the gift of the Holy Father, and all the Bishops, we thank You for all priests and religious men and women, and for the laity. It is precisely because we have Peter and his successors at the head of Your Church, that we have Your guarantee that she will never ever teach error for through the mouth of Peter and the gates of hell shall never prevail against her. Truth will guide Your Church and keep all who are in her united and safe from the wiles of the Enemy. 

ST. IRENAEUS, BISHOP, DOCTOR, MARTYR - FRIDAY OF WEEK 12 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us. MT 8:17

2 KINGS 25:1-12

My Soul's Beloved,

Once again we see how God's chosen people were captured, taken into exile and Jerusalem was destroyed. The Temple was burned as it was many times in the past and the walls surrounding Jerusalem were broken down. This is a recurring story, every time God's people sinned grievously, broke the commandments, worshipped false gods, and did all that God had precisely forbidden them to do their enemies conquered. Not only were they killed brutally, but the Temple and their homes were burned and destroyed. The king tried to escape under cover of night but he was found, his sons were put to death, his eyes were put out, and he was put in chains and carried off to Babylon. 

Sin destroys everything it touches. Sin separates us from God. Sin is deliberately and willfully, and with full consent doing what God expressly forbids because You created us and You know that we cannot live apart from the Source of all Life. And yet, fools that we are, we choose sin, momentary pleasure, and concupiscence over what is true, good, and beautiful and gives us peace and joy. The devil has been a liar and a deceiver from the beginning, we know it, experience has taught us this is true and yet we allow ourselves to be deceived over and over again and then we wail, moan, and complain when we have to suffer the consequences.

Yet, O Lord, we see again, there is always hope. There is always a faithful remnant - poor, humble, whom the world despises, ignores, and treats with contempt. These are Your little ones and You use these little ones who are great in Your sight to rebuild what the Enemy destroyed. Count me among Your little ones O Lord and keep me and those I love under the shelter of Your wings.      

The commander of the guard left some of the humbler country people as vineyard workers and ploughmen.

PSALM 136(137):1-6

By the rivers of Babylon

there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps.

For it was there that they asked us,

our captors, for songs,
our oppressors, for joy.
‘Sing to us,’ they said,
‘one of Zion’s songs.’

O how could we sing

the song of the Lord
on alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!

O let my tongue

cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem
above all my joys!

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

MATTHEW 8:1-4

My Soul's Beloved,

Every healing recorded in the Gospel demonstrates to us and the whole world that You are not only God but also reveals that You O Lord are tender-hearted, loving, kind, and compassionate. You are not distant, untouchable, unknowable - but You O Lord are near and tangible. 

The Father sent You into the world so we could see You and know You for You are the image of the unseen God. Not only do we see You, Beloved, but we are privileged to taste You. We eat and drink You in the Holy Eucharist and each time we do we discover that You are sweeter than wine, wine from the honeycomb, and finer than the finest wheat. You O Lord, are so close, You become our food and drink, and for a while, we are united with You in an intimacy closer than the most intimate relationship between man and woman bound in holy matrimony. You O Lord are the divine Bridegroom who unites with His poor spouse and for just a little while the two are one. 

Beloved, we are the leper who comes to You from the shadows, unaware of our unworthiness, of our separation from You due to the leprous nature of our sins, and we prostrate before You as we approach You in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and after we have confessed our sins and say, ‘Lord, if you want to, you can cure me.’ And always we will experience You stretching out Your hand, touching us and saying, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And we are healed at once. 

Beloved, grant us the grace to humbly approach this awesome Sacrament of healing and grace and take advantage of this wonderful privilege of being cleansed over and over again no matter how terrible the sins we have committed. No sinner sins so gravely that they are beyond Your sweet mercy. The humble, contrite heart You will never spurn.

THURSDAY OF WEEK 12 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him. JN 14:23

2 KINGS 24:8-17

My Soul's Beloved,

Over and over again, salvation history teaches us how God deals with sinners and the consequences of choosing to sin gravely over keeping the Laws of God. Today we read how Jehoiachan who was 18 years of age did what was displeasing to God just as his father had done. It resulted in the troops of the king of Babylon marching on Jerusalem and devastating it. All the able-bodied people were taken into exile and only the poor were left behind. 

When we choose to use the wonderful gifts given to us for self-aggrandizement rather than to share them and serve others, we will eventually be separated from God. We are taken into exile and slavery. Sin enslaves but love sets us free. Who was left behind? The anawim of God are those who recognize that they are nothing, possess nothing, and rely solely on God for strength and to provide for all they need. When we use God's gifts selfishly and are prideful of them we lose His favor. Loving obedience and humble submission to the will of God guarantee us a life of abundance in grace and blessings. We lose everything when we squander God's gifts in a life of self-indulgence.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what is displeasing to the Lord, just as his father had done.

The king of Babylon,  King Nebuchadnezzar carried off all the treasures of the Temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace, and broke up all the golden furnishings that Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Lord had foretold. He carried off all Jerusalem into exile, all the nobles and all the notables, ten thousand of these were exiled, with all the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind. 

PSALM 78(79):1-5,8-9

O God, the nations have invaded your land,

they have profaned your holy temple.
They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
They have handed over the bodies of your servants
as food to feed the birds of heaven
and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem;

no one is left to bury the dead.
We have become the taunt of our neighbours,
the mockery and scorn of those who surround us.
How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever;
how long will your anger burn like fire?

Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
we are left in the depths of distress.

O God our saviour, come to our help.

Come for the sake of the glory of your name.
O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;
rescue us for the sake of your name.

Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

MATTHEW 7:21-29

My Soul's Beloved,

We are created by God, our Father, the Creator of the universe, and of all that is seen and unseen. We can function best when we follow His instruction manual to the letter. Any deviation will cause us to malfunction and ultimately, if we persist, we will fail hopelessly and be good for nothing except to be cast in the outer darkness and on the rubbish heap of hell.

Many of us are very good at making a great show of our piety. We are seen in all the right places at Holy Mass, spiritual retreats, novenas, and various parish activities. We make the right noises, say the right things, and ensure that all our good works are noticed. We overtly and subtly invite flattery and praise, and gloat and revel in it until we actually fool ourselves into believing we are indeed very good and pleasing to God, yet all the while, our hearts are far from Him. Darkness dwells in our soul for in the hidden recesses of our being there is only corruption and evil. Decay and death.

Let us pay close attention to Your warning to us today, we who are prone to hypocrisy -

‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!’ 

There can be no greater tragedy than to hear You say to us, 'Depart from Me, I have never known you.'

Each new day is a gift. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Thank You, Lord, that we are built on You, the Rock and we will not be destroyed as long as we remain in You, our Lord and our God.

‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 12 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,
says the Lord;
whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty. JN 15:4, 5

2 KINGS 22:8-13,23:1-3

My Soul's Beloved,

We can only ever lead fulfilled lives if we live by the Law of God - and Your Law O Lord is sweet for it is the Law of Love. The whole world, every nation, and people everywhere are living in rebellion. We have turned away from You O Lord. We have believed the lie of Satan, it is the same one that he told our first parents. Unfortunately, they fell for it and were banished from paradise and sadly we too believe it. The great lie of the Enemy is that if we lived our lives in perfect submission to Your holy will we would be slaves, yet nothing can be further from the truth. We become enslaved to our passion when we seek to grasp by force that which You freely desire to give us. We can only become like You and therefore, like God, when we surrender our whole lives joyfully, freely, and humbly to the Father as You did.    

The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar, and in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.

PSALM 118(119):33-37,40

Teach me the demands of your statutes

and I will keep them to the end.
Train me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.

Guide me in the path of your commands;

for there is my delight.
Bend my heart to your will
and not to love of gain.

Keep my eyes from what is false;

by your word, give me life.
See, I long for your precepts;
then in your justice, give me life.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

MATTHEW 7:15-20

My Soul's Beloved,

Help me to bear good fruit always. Help me to die to myself constantly, especially during those times when I resent serving in love. Keep my gaze fixed heavenward and desire nothing more than to please You in all things. Grant me the desire and the grace to spend my time learning more about what pleases You and choose to do what You desire not just sometimes but always.

You will judge me by my fruit and the fruit pleasing to You are the fruits of the Spirit -Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Prune me constantly and may I be patient under the pruning and not give in to self-pity and fear when it is painful. Rather, grant me the wisdom to know that all trials are necessary if we are to grow in courage, fortitude, and faith in God who will never try is beyond our ability to endure.

TUESDAY OF WEEK 12 IN ORDINARY TIME - 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

2 KINGS 19:9-11,14-21,31-36

My Soul's Beloved,

How amazing is our God of love power and wonders - we can trust Him always for He is always good, kind, compassionate, and full of love for His little ones. If we turn to Him as trustfully as little children He will hear, He will forgive, He will bless for such is our God who is love and who cannot but love His weak, frail, willful, sinful children when they run to Him and ask His help.

The defiant, the deceitful, and the one who defies God will find that he has indeed taken up an adversary against which he has no hope of prevailing. Often, liars and cheats set themselves up against God and against the anawim of God. They do so to their peril as Sennacherib found out when God routed his army and destroyed them without the Chosen people of God lifting a finger. God will always fight for His own all we are required to do is trust Him and keep His commandments of love.

‘It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations, they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them. But now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, I pray you, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone are God, Lord.’

God heard Hezekiah's prayer of trust and confidence in God and this is the answer of the Living God.

‘This, then, is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘“He will not enter this city,
he will let fly no arrow against it,
confront it with no shield,
throw up no earthwork against it.
By the road that he came on he will return;
he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.
I will protect this city and save it
for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’

You Oh Lord our God will fight for Your children all we need to do is rest quietly in You.

PSALM 47(48):2-4,10-11

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised

in the city of our God.
His holy mountain rises in beauty,
the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,
the Great King’s city!
God, in the midst of its citadels,
has shown himself its stronghold.

O God, we ponder your love

within your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name
reaches the ends of the earth.

God upholds his city forever.

MATTHEW 7:6,12-14

My Soul's Beloved,

Today You ask us to be wise, to discern to whom we speak of sacred things of things that they cannot understand not only because their minds are closed but because they are given up to evil. We can only pray for them that You, O Lord, will soften their hearts and prepare their hearts in time to receive the treasures of faith. Often we may find that we may not be able to teach and preach the Good News aloud but we can always do so by our lives. The quiet witness of loving service, of humility, of picking our cross daily and receiving all manner of persecution with docility of spirit for love of You, will, in the end, win souls for You.

Jesus said to his disciples: 

‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.

‘Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’

It would appear that the whole world has chosen the way of pleasure, self-indulgence, avarice, and self-love. The Way of the Cross is anathema to those who have chosen the broad road that leads to hell. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Way to the Kingdom of God is the Way that leads to Calvary, to crucifixion of our will, death to our flesh, and a life of service to others. We cannot be born anew in the Spirit unless we die to ourselves this is impossible for us to do on our own, but You make it possible through the abundant grace You give us through worthy participation in the Sacraments You instituted. Thank You, Lord.

Beloved, hear our prayers not just for ourselves and for loved ones who have strayed, but for the whole world. Grant O Lord that every sinner is found by You, the Good Shepherd, and restored to the fold. Amen.

THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

As for you, little child, you shall be called
a prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his ways before him. LK 1:76

ISAIAH 49:1-6

My Soul's Beloved,

By virtue of our baptism, each one of us is called to be an Elijah and a John the Baptist. We are to be the heralds of the Good News that God has come to dwell among His people. We are the ones God has chosen just as He did John the Baptist to wake people up from their slumber. As cradle Catholics, we have been called before we were born. God has given us a special name. He has called us to speak the Word of Love, Life, and Truth through the power of the Spirit whose Breath animates our lives and who makes His home in us.

This first reading is a prophecy of John the Baptist, the herald of the Savior, but it is also a prophecy for every Catholic. It is not by chance that You chose us, Lord but You chose us for a purpose. The fact that many of us are not formed or are ill-formed in the faith that is bequeathed to us without any effort on our part, does not condone our ignorance. You do not excuse us from teaching ourselves, educating ourselves, studying the Scriptures, doctrines of the Church, the Catechism, and with the help of the Church and the Holy Spirit to educate ourselves in the Truth. Armed with the Truth alone we can combat the Enemy of Truth and become his formidable adversaries. 

Well grounded in our faith we will be like the pebbles in the sling of David and like sharpened arrows in the quiver of the Lord. We were created to prepare the Way in the hearts and minds of those we encounter every day to welcome You and in turn become heralds of the Truth so that the whole world may come to know You, love You, worship You, and hasten Your return again in glory and majesty.

 

You have made us the light of the world and we are to shine our light from the lampstand to dispel the darkness of evil with the Light of Truth. This is our mission O Lord, grant us the wonderful grace of being faithful to it until the end of our days on earth. Thank You, Lord. 

‘I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

PSALM 138(139):1-3,13-15

O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.

For it was you who created my being,

knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.

Already you knew my soul,
my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and moulded in the depths of the earth.

I thank you for the wonder of my being.

ACTS 13:22-26

My Soul's Beloved,

St. John the Baptist was the herald sent by God to the people of Israel. He was the precursor to You O Lord who was sent to make crooked paths smooth and to straighten the way so people would be ready to receive the Eternal Word of God. 

God's plan of salvation took careful preparation beginning from the call of Abraham and culminating in the birth of St. John the Baptist. He was privileged to be the last of the prophets before the One whom God had promised at the fall of Adam and Eve would come to undo their sin, the sin that the fathers of the early Church call, 'a happy fault that gave us so glorious a redeemer.'

Each of the baptized is invited by name to be a John the Baptist, in our own little way and the righteous Judge on the Day of Judgement will call us to testify whether or not we fulfilled this great mission given to us. Every child of Adam and Eve must hear the Good News from the children of the New Adam and the New Eve and it is given to us to ensure they do. 

We are to be humble as John recognizing that we are only servants to the Most High and we are to say with him, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’

LUKE 1:57-66,80

'His name is John'

12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

JOB 38:1,8-11

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You, Lord, for Your Bride, the Church - for Your Word that she enfolds in fullness in her bosom. For the Holy Spirit who abides in her and whose breath sustains, enlivens, and speaks divine truth to her, fills her with divine wisdom, animates her, and enables her to preach and teach these perennial truths to the children born of her and to those who desire to be taught by her. She is universal and all people of goodwill find a home in her.

A storm at sea is a terrible sight to behold and if a boat is caught in the middle of its churning and wild fury it can be tossed about and smashed to pieces. Yet O Lord, You are the Master of the sea, the waves, and the winds as You made known to Job and to us as well today.

All the evil and the fury of the fierce and destructive anger of Satan is as nothing before the God of Love, Truth, and Mercy. Often in life, we are caught in the middle of the storm and we are terrified, petrified, and feel helpless and hopeless. In times like these, Beloved, which we will face periodically in life let us recall the words You spoke to Job: 

Who pent up the sea behind closed doors
when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb,
when I wrapped it in a robe of mist
and made black clouds its swaddling bands;
when I marked the bounds it was not to cross
and made it fast with a bolted gate?
Come thus far, I said, and no farther:
here your proud waves shall break.

God our Father is the Creator of the heavens and the universe, the seas, the earth and all in it. All was created by one Word, His Eternal Word that issued forth from Him in the Breath of Love that is His Holy Spirit. The same Father, Word, and Spirit created me and I belong to God. You O Lord, are not only My Creator but my Father, my Redeemer, and my Sanctifier - what have I to fear? Nothing. O Lord my God, I believe in You, I hope in You and I trust You and I know that I will never be put to shame for the Lord my God is with me now and forever.

PSALM 106(107):23-26,28-32

Some sailed to the sea in ships
to trade on the mighty waters.
These men have seen the Lord’s deeds,
the wonders he does in the deep.

For he spoke; he summoned the gale,
tossing the waves of the sea
up to heaven and back into the deep;
their souls melted away in their distress.

Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper:
all the waves of the sea were hushed.

They rejoiced because of the calm
and he led them to the haven they desired.
Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-17

My Soul's Beloved,

It is amazing when we contemplate Your power in taking one like Saul full of an all-consuming hate for Christians and making of him a new creation - Paul, the greatest of all the Apostles. To this day, my Lord, we see the power of the Gospel and the power of the Truth that gently but inexorably draws the greatest enemies of the Church into her fold. This is why we must never cease to pray for those who oppose her so strongly they seek her destruction and this is a prayer most pleasing to You and most readily answered by You. You came to seek and save the sinner and You will not rest until all those whom the Father desires to enter His Kingdom come to the knowledge of Truth and be saved. You will not rest until every sinner for whom You lay down Your life is restored to the sheepfold.

Your love O Lord, the love of the Father is revealed on the Cross planted on the hill of Calvary and it is from this mount that love, life, and mercy flow drawing all humanity to God through You and the Holy Spirit. 

The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.

MARK 4:35-41

My Soul's Beloved,

The earlier chapters in the Gospel of St. Mark are a veritable roller-coaster where we see Your power over diseased bodies, minds, spirits, and souls. With just a word or a touch evil spirits flee, bodies are restored to perfect health, and mental illnesses vanish but this miracle of calming the storm is the first one that manifests Your power over nature. You have spent the day preaching and teaching and at the end of the day, leaving the crowds behind, You say to Your disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ 

These Twelve are Your particular friends. They have eaten with You, witnessed all Your miracles, You have taught and preached to them privately and informally and they have heard You preach and teach the crowds. One would imagine they would have some inkling by now that You were more than a rabbi and a prophet. They ought to begin to sense that You were more than just a good and holy man for they saw that You possessed the power of God. 

The people in the crowd have different motives for following You and once they are satisfied that their needs are met they return to their homes. The disciples however stay with You. St. Mark writes: And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. What does the writer mean when he says, just as he was, in the boat? Perhaps he means that the disciples had even until then failed to recognize that You were both God and Man despite all they had witnessed. We are also told that there were other boats with You yet he says nothing about these boats after this brief mention of them. We are only told about this boat in which You and they were caught in the storm that almost swamped the boat.  You ensure that the boat of the Church You founded will come safely home.

It had been a long tiring day and You O Lord, were physically, mentally, and spiritually drained and You were fast asleep with Your dear head resting on a cushion. At least four of the twelve disciples - Peter, Andrew, James, and John were seasoned fishermen and familiar with the storms that suddenly came up in the Lake of Galilee and would have seen the boat safely to the other side but the others seeing the violence of the wind, the waves gave into their fears and panicked. They roused You from Your slumber and reproached You saying, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ You woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Only then did You turn to them and say, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

Beloved, at various intervals in my life terrible storms have come up and every vestige of reason and faith takes flight. I get so caught up in my worries, my fears, my anxieties, and I lose my peace. My mind and my spirit churn restlessly like the wind and the waves and I lose all sight of You and Your presence within me. In moments like these O Lord, grant me the grace to remember that You are always with me and no harm will come to me. Let me wait calmly knowing that You will see me through every storm and while I wait may I recall and give thanks and praise for every grace and blessing I have received and for every answered prayer. Thank You, Lord. 

SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK 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. 2 COR 8:9

2 CHRONICLES 24:17-25

My Soul's Beloved,

Your chosen people neither in the Old Covenant nor the New remain stubborn, willful, disobedient, and fickle. Time and time again we read how the kings and God's chosen people turned away from true worship of God and bowed down before idols. The more they regressed spiritually the more wicked they became. How easily they forgot that they were chosen as Your inheritance forever. Because You do not visit us with Your wrath despite our grave offenses but are exceedingly patient, kind, and full of mercy and tender compassion for our frailty, we forget that You are also a God of justice. 

Lord Jesus, You bore our punishment, You took on Yourself our guilt and paid the price for our redemption. You bore the stripes by which we are healed. Let us never fail to give You the praise, worship, and thanksgiving that are Your due. Had You not freely laid down Your life for us we would have been banished forever from God's sight.

Let us never take Your love and the Father's love for granted by sinning with impunity, rather let us implore You to fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that with His help we can always strive to do all that is pleasing to You, always.

PSALM 88(89):4-5,29-34

‘With my chosen one I have made a covenant;

I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.

‘I will keep my love for him always;

with him my covenant shall last.
I will establish his dynasty for ever,
make his throne endure as the heavens.

‘If his sons forsake my law
and refuse to walk as I decree
and if ever they violate my statutes,
refusing to keep my commands;
then I will punish their offences with the rod,
then I will scourge them on account of their guilt.

‘But I will never take back my love,
my truth will never fail.’

I will keep my love for him always.

MATTHEW 6:24-34

My Soul's Beloved,

You will have no part of a divided heart we are either all Yours or we are not. We cannot keep one foot in heaven and the other in hell. We must choose to be Your completely or not at all. It is impossible to be loyal to both the Prince of Peace and the ruler of darkness we have to either love the one and hate the other, be loyal to one and forswear the other, belong wholly to God, and give no quarter to the Enemy. There is only one Way - the Way of the Cross, the narrow way, the way of suffering leads to life, there is no other. You warn us that broad is the road and easy the way that leads to perdition and destruction.

Lord God unless we have a childlike trust in You and even when the storms in our lives rages around us we are to lay quietly beside You even if seems that You are fast asleep in the boat. Give us the kind of faith O Lord that prays the prayer of Job, 'Even though he slay me, yet I will trust Him.'

I know Lord that we are children of God and heirs with You to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Father knows all that we need even before we ask Him and He will provide for us always. Not according to our timetable but according to His will. While I wait Lord, grant me the grace to be like a weaned child on its mother's lap, content and serene.

‘Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, RELIGIOUS, FRIDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:3

2 KINGS 11:1-4,9-18,20

My Soul's Beloved,

Right through salvation history we see that "Although evil has its hour, God will have His day." Athaliah was a wicked queen and for a while she reigned she triumphed but it was for but a season. God is constantly working behind the scenes making all things work for good, of this we can be sure.

Lord Jesus, we lose heart too easily. We are ready to give up too soon when we keep our focus on the things that disturb our peace. We would be much happier if we kept our gaze on You instead and recalled all Your promises and all the times when we thought that our sorrows would never end, they did. Joy and gladness did come and we rejoiced.

In all the trials I am facing presently Beloved, let me never lose sight of hope. My confidence is in the love of God who has never failed me and never will.

PSALM 131(132):11-14,17-18

The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
‘A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.

If they keep my covenant in truth

and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.’

For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
‘This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live.

There David’s stock will flower;

I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine.’

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

MATTHEW 6:19-23

My Soul's Beloved,

They say one person's treasure is another person's trash. This is especially true when children clear out the accumulation of years their late parents had collected and treasured. Some of it may even have some value, some were part of their parent's priceless memories but the children have no use for much of it. We set such store by these material things as we collect, hoard, and find hard to part with. What good does it do any of us in the end since we have to leave it all behind? 

Today You remind us of the kind of treasure we are required to accumulate and store if we desire to enjoy the beatific vision. ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

We spend a lifetime agonizing about things that in the end are irrelevant. Our faith, hope, and love are weak and we make these virtues subject to our ephemeral feelings, desires, and wants, and make ourselves positively unhappy for much of our lives. Nothing is in our control and this truth can either depress us and make us joyless or we can exult in this truth that God is in control, He is our Abba and He loves us. When we live in the right knowledge that God is good all the time we can place our lives and the lives of our children securely in His hands and we will experience true serenity of soul. Sadly, Beloved, I for my part struggle daily to snuggle close beside You like a weaned child at its breast and this is why my life is filled with sorrow, terror, and anxiety. 

Lord Jesus, this is my prayer today, give me the heart and spirit of a little child so I may trust you completely. May light, life, and love fill all my days for I know in whom I have placed all my hope.

‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’

THURSDAY OF WEEK 11 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The spirit you received is the spirit of sons,
and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ ROM 8:15

ECCLESIATICUS 48:1-15

My Soul's Beloved,

The prophets Elijah and Elisha show us what is possible when we are filled with the Spirit of God, and rely wholly on Him, and His Word is our sole rule and guide. The writer gives us a snapshot of the lives of these two towering prophets in the Old Testament. They were bold and confident of the gifts that they had received. When they commanded all that they asked for was granted because they believed in the power of God and the Spirit of God which rested on them.  

Beloved, sin abounds and sinners die in their sin because we have received far greater blessings through the life-giving Sacraments. We are the people of the New Covenant. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart, and yet the way we live our lives gives no indication of who we truly are because we have not fully grasped the gift of God.

The Apostles, St. Paul, and every great saint and martyr knew this and if we so desired, Lord, we too could be flames of fire burning with zealous love for God and for our brothers and sisters. But ours is a lukewarm, wishy-washy faith, that blows hot and cold. We are governed by our passions and our feelings. We are inconsistent and weak. We have no real desire to take You at Your Word and allow Your Holy Spirit to invade our lives, possess us, transform us, and use us to hasten the coming of Your Kingdom.  

We are not all called to be Elijah's and Elisha's Lord but we are commanded to serve humbly, quietly, resiliently, day in and day out carrying out God's will for us obediently and gladly. Beloved, You are in the silence, in the gentle wind, and in our tenderness, mercy, and compassion for each other. 

Great and wonderful things happen Lord when we, like Mother Mary, say, 'I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.' The Holy Spirit will come upon us, the power of the Most High will overshadow us and You O Lord will be conceived in our heart and our soul and we will conquer the world, the flesh, and the Enemy and hasten Your coming again in glory. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

Elijah was shrouded in the whirlwind,
and Elisha was filled with his spirit;
throughout his life no ruler could shake him,
and no one could subdue him.
No task was too hard for him,
and even in death his body prophesied.
In his lifetime he performed wonders,
and in death his works were marvellous.

PSALM 96(97):1-7

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,

let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
his throne, justice and right.

A fire prepares his path;

it burns up his foes on every side.
His lightnings light up the world,
the earth trembles at the sight.

The mountains melt like wax

before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.

Let those who serve idols be ashamed,
those who boast of their worthless gods.
All you spirits, worship him.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

MATTHEW 6:7-15

My Soul's Beloved,

Each time I approach You in prayer all I need to do is come to You as a little child. Nestle against You and quietly rest against Your Heart as the beloved disciple did. There is no need for words. You know all. You understand everything. You know my fears, my worries, the terrors that seize my soul for the salvation of those I love so dearly. My heart is filled with needs and wants and desires, but as You said to Martha, 'Only one thing is necessary, Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.' I desire to love as Mary did. To sit at Your feet O Lord and drink in Your Word and Your love. To be held enthralled by Your gaze desiring nothing O Lord by You and You alone. How far I am from this ideal, Beloved. Pity me, Lord.

How good it is of You to invite us to look at Your Abba as our own Abba as well. Our Daddy God. Our Pa. Thank You for teaching us how to pray. You prayed all the time and there is no better teacher than You. 

You assure me that God, our Father, already knows what I need even before I ask Him. This gives me confidence knowing that He will always give me all that is necessary for me in this life and eternal life when my journey here ends.

‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

May I spend this day praising and glorifying God in everything I do and say and trust Him to meet all my needs for today and always just as He will for those I love so dearly. Thank You, Lord.