TUESDAY OF WEEK 9 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2-24

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. EPH 1:17, 18

2 PETER 3:11-15,17-18 ©

My Soul’s Beloved, 

Love, Agape Love, is the kind that is prepared to plunge the beloved in the fiery furnace if that kind of death is needed in order to be raised to a glorious and fruitful new life. The whole purpose of our lives is to be pure and holy as our Father in Heaven is pure and holy. The lives of the saints teach us this. Our lives do not belong to us but the One who created us and sealed us in His Spirit. We are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. If we desire that our names are not expunged from the Book of Life, Lord, then we must be prepared to put to death concupiscence that corrupts and kills the soul. 

Sorrow, disappointments, loss, sickness, failure, all these are the lot of fallen creatures when we receive whatever cross that You invite us to bear, and we do it willingly and obediently, without chafing under its weight and grumbling, then You, my Lord, who permit You to place Your yoke on us, will find that yoke easy and the burden light. 

St. Peter, the first Pope and the Head of the Church You founded, speaks Your Word and speaks it with authority. Keep me safe in her, Lord, and she will feed me, nourish me, and assist me through the Sacraments You instituted until at last, You call me to my eternal home and the place of rest in You. 

So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.

PSALM 89(90):2-4,10,14,16 ©

Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.

You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.

Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.

In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

MARK 12:13-17 ©

My Soul’s Beloved, 

In the world, there will always be people like the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders who under the guise of seeking common ground and understanding hide devious, dangerous, and murderous intent in their hearts. Their agents are people like the Pharisees and Herodians whom they sent to trap You. They plot with the devil. They lie with the Enemy for worldly gain, position, wealth, influence, or some temporary carnal, earthly advantage that brings with it only death. But they are so caught up in hubris that they forget that when they die they will stand before You, the righteous judge, who has the power to destroy body and soul in hell. 

Once again, seeking to trap You, who are the Word of the Father, the Eternal Wisdom and Truth, and the Image of the Invisible God, they start with flattery. All villains use flattery and conceited fools are apt to be taken in, to their ruin.  

‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ 

Seeing through their hypocrisy You said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ 

They handed You one and You said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ 

‘Caesar’s’ they told You. 

And You said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ 

This reply took them completely by surprise. 

My Lord and my God, let us not be so stupid and foolish as to think we can outwit God. Rather, grant us grace to know and understand that, ‘The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.