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.