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.

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 11 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 2:1,6-14

My Soul's Beloved,

Elisha made a bold request - he asked for a double portion of the Spirit that was given to Elijah. Too often our requests are timid. We ask for crumbs instead of the whole banquet. We ask for little and we receive little and then we are disappointed and we complain.

Let us come boldly up to the Throne of the Father where You sit at His right hand interceding for us day and night and let us make all our requests known to You and the Father will grant You all that You ask on our behalf. We can be confident that all we ask You in prayer You will grant us for You assure us. 'Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, ask and it will be given to you.'  May we ask boldly with expectant faith, seek You confidently, and receive all we have asked for humbly and joyfully, with hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving, always. Thank You, Lord.

Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Make your request. What can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha answered, ‘Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’

He picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.

PSALM 30(31):20,21,24

How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men;
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.

Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.

Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

My Soul's Beloved,

Being a Man and therefore human like the rest of us You understood our proclivity to parade our good deeds before all so we may be applauded and thought better than we actually are. You warn against this. We are not called to impress our neighbor but to please God. If we mistakenly believe that we can fool God then we are truly to be pitied for You O Lord know us and You see our heart.

Too many of us seek to parade our virtues and people around us pat us on the back and praise us - we have attained our goal and received our reward. There is no merit in such acts of virtue before God.  It is the person who humbly, quietly, self-effacingly, goes about the humdrum duties that they carry out in looking after sick and old parents, sick and or disabled or mentally challenged children, those who have given up their own chance of happiness to care for a sick sibling or relative, those fathers, mothers, husbands and wives who lay down their lives daily in order to care for each other and their children. These are the real heroes. Anyone who works to the best of their ability offering all for the glory of God will indeed receive a great reward. For God sees all, God knows all and He will reward richly all who live their lives to serve others joyfully and humbly. 

TUESDAY OF WEEK 11 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord. JN 13:34

1 KINGS 21:17-29

The wages of sin is death - may we never forget it, Lord. Jezebel was evil and her husband was a weak man with a covetous spirit. He was king and possessed much yet he envied the little that Naboth had so greatly the desire for it made him ill. Jezebel though was far worse than he. A wicked idolater, she plotted to kill Naboth so her husband could have what his heart desired. 

You, O Lord, see all, and know all. Your punishments are just and fitting. You sent the prophet to Ahab to make known to him just what to expect for the wicked and murderous deed his wife and he had done. His name was to be blotted out as his male descendants would be destroyed. As for his wife, she too would die a horrible death. Ahab repented and humbled himself before You and You lifted the hand of judgment from him. The disaster that was to be his would fall on his descendants instead.   

God is pleased when we humbly recognize and confess that we are sinners. Any punishment meted to us is well-deserved when we break the commandments of God. But a humble contrite heart O Lord, You will not spurn. You are good, kind, tender-hearted, and full of mercy and love. I sin a hundred times a day but each time I come to You O Lord with a repentant heart and a humble spirit, pleading for forgiveness, You will always forgive and bless, renew, and restore. Thank You, Lord, for loving me.

PSALM 50(51):3-6,11,16

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.
O rescue me, God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.

MATTHEW 5:43-48

My Soul’s Beloved, 

God, our Father, has made Himself visible in You. You are the image of the invisible God. If we want to know what God is like and how great His love is for His creatures, all we need to do is look at a Crucifix. There we understand the true meaning of love. Love is sacrificial. It pours itself out for another so that the other may receive all that is good and necessary for life. A life of grace is possible only when we follow the Way of the Cross, the Way of the Cross is the Way to the Father’s house. 

Original sin has weakened us so greatly that our fallen nature makes it difficult for us to resist the easy road. But You warn us that broad is the road and easy that leads to perdition. In the world we see that the wicked flourish like the cedars of Lebanon and the good suffer great trials often their whole life. What does this mean, Lord? Today’s Gospel reveals the heart of God to us and gives us the answer: 

‘…….. I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ 

I am invited today to be like our heavenly Father. To be perfect just as He is perfect. Help me, Lord, for without the help of Your Spirit I will fall by the wayside and be trampled into the ground and die.

MONDAY OF WEEK 11 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path. PS 118:105

1 KINGS 21:1-16

My Soul’s Beloved, 

Covetousness is abhorrent to You, O Lord. You give to each what is needful and this is why we must be content with what we have received and not be envious of the gifts given to another. It is in our sinful nature to look at what others possess and to wish that we too were blessed similarly this could be anything spiritual or material. If we desire something Lord, we must bring those desires to You in prayer and ask for it for You deny us nothing if what we ask for is good. You delight in answering us and if we do not receive what we ask for then we must rest content in the knowledge that You will grant it in time or You desire to give us something better. 

Jealousy and envy can lead us to sin grievously. We ought never to rob those less fortunate than ourselves or those who are weaker than we are no matter what it is that we seek to take. It could be by deliberately tempting them knowing that their weakness and that they will fall prey to it and perhaps be lost forever. It is no small thing in Your sight, Beloved if we take advantage of those who are powerless against us to withstand and resist. Jezebel was a wicked woman who planned and plotted against an innocent man so her husband who was king could have what he coveted from a good man and who became a victim of the king’s greed. 

Have mercy on us O Lord and grant us the grace to be content with what we have given and may we be more concerned in saving our souls rather than spending our time on things that will prove to be stumbling blocks in our path to the Kingdom of God.

PSALM 5:2-3,5-7

To my words give ear, O Lord,
give heed to my groaning.
Attend to the sound of my cries,
my King and my God. 

You are no God who loves evil;
no sinner is your guest.
The boastful shall not stand their ground
before your face. 

You hate all who do evil;
you destroy all who lie.
The deceitful and bloodthirsty man
the Lord detests. 

Give heed to my groaning, O Lord. 

MATTHEW 5:38-42

My Soul’s Beloved, 

We live in a world that preaches that might is right. The powerful trample on the powerless. The rich become richer by stealing and seizing what belongs to the poor who are voiceless. The law often turns a blind eye to the plight of the helpless and the poor, the minority and the migrant, and the faithful Christian disciple against a godless world. Should they seek redress they are crushed and even the little they had is taken. 

What do we do in a world where there is no justice for those who are prevailed upon, often by force, or cunning, to submit because those in authority will not lift a finger to help them? If the only option before us is to submit humbly and trust You completely to battle on our behalf, we can offer up the injustices against us as reparation for our sins. You have the power to bring about a greater good when we place all our hope in You. To render evil for evil, or to act violently when we are met with violence gains us little and we suffer even greater loss. 

It is not easy Lord, to humbly submit to those with power over us, our pride makes us resist but You teach us a better way. We can experience inner peace by doing what we are forced to do serenely and our witness to the power of love can and will change the heart of the oppressor.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.’ 

11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain forever.

EZEKIEL 17:22-24

My Soul’s Beloved, 

I thank You with all my heart for establishing Your Church, it is a place that You have formed from Your pierced side, it is washed clean in the Living Water that flows from it and it receives Your Flesh and Blood as supernatural food making it a strong and invincible fortress against the wiles of Satan who is a thief, a robber, a murderer who seeks to plunder, destroy, and kill. You O Lord, have built Your Church on Mt. Zion, the highest mountain. It is Your Holy Spirit that causes it to be fruitful with an abundance of good fruit. You cause her leaves to be evergreen, and her branches to spread out making a home for all God’s people from every nation, race, language, and culture. When we worship You, O Lord God of Truth and Love, no matter where we are in the world our worship is one in heart, mind, soul, and spirit. We are one Body, Your Body. 

Every Christian denomination that has broken from the True Vine, that has removed itself from the noble cedar, is stunted, it withers, and will eventually die. But we pray with all our hearts for unity. We make Your prayer to the Father that we may all be one, our own. God has already heard and answered for He always answers You and what You have prayed for, Beloved, He will do. We can see signs of it already. The withered trees who have brought themselves low will come to the knowledge of Truth and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. Praise be God now and forever. 

‘And every tree of the field will learn that I, the Lord, am the one

who stunts tall trees and makes the low ones grow,

who withers green trees and makes the withered green.

I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.’

PSALM 91(92):2-3,13-16

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your truth in the watches of the night. 

The just will flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

Planted in the house of the Lord
they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old,
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just.
In him, my rock, there is no wrong. 

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-10

My Soul’s Beloved, 

You came into exile when You came into the world leaving Your glory behind and now we too know that we are only exiles and pilgrims. Our true home is in heaven with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit and with all the angels and the saints who have gone before us. 

Lord God, because You took on a human body You are now able to share everything with us. You took on Yourself our sin, our punishment, our death, and drawing all the horror of sin, decay, destruction, and death on Yourself You paid the price for our salvation. This is why we are strangers and exiles in the world for where You are Beloved, is our true home – heaven. Thank You, Lord, for the free of faith given to us at our Baptism. We are children of God and heirs to the Kingdom. We believe in Your Word, we have received Your life and we ask only this O Lord, that by Your grace, Your mercy, Your tender love and Your constant mediation for us before You Father, that we may make it safely from this life to the next.

……..  to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight – we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.

MARK 4:26-34

My Soul’s Beloved, 

You are the Word of God that leaped forth from heaven into the night of the world. You are the little mustard seed that God sowed in the womb of Your Virgin Mother. You came into the world as Light, Truth, Life, Love, Abundance. Planted in the dark world which was plunged in the dark night of sin, decay, and death – You who are pure light took upon Yourself the sin of the world. You allowed Yourself to go as deep as it is possible for the human soul to go in to very darkest places of despair, sickness, and abandonment, and became the Saving Victim for the whole world. 

You O Lord are the Seed that died and rose up bringing with You an abundance of souls to new life through Your glorious resurrection. We wait in joyful hope for Your coming again in glory and while we wait, Lord, we pray with faith and with hope that everyone for whom we pray daily, hourly, and always, will be saved. You more than us desire that all be saved and not one soul for whom You gave Your life will perish. 

‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’