The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27
2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-5,11-12
My Soul's Beloved,
The Church, Your Body which is the community of believers prays constantly and continually from the rising of the sun to its setting for the Church as a whole as well as for its individual members. Without this prayer which is wholly pleasing and acceptable to the Father, since we pray with You and through You as the Head, we are certain that all we ask for is heard and will be answered for the glory of God and for the good of His people.
We thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for establishing Your Church in the way that You did with Peter as its head followed by the Bishops, priests, and the laity. This hierarchy is essential if the Church, Your Body, Your Bride is to be fed and sustained from age to age until You return to claim her.
In a world that gets increasingly evil, violent, and frightening we trust in You and we know that You will carry us all safely in Your Sacred Heart through all the terrible storms that threaten to destroy the world and all who live in it. By Your Word O Lord, You uphold and sustain us. Thank You, Lord, we rest in You in confidence and peace.
Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PSALM 95(96):1-5
My Soul's Beloved,
We feel we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers; quite rightly, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love that you have for one another never stops increasing; and among the churches of God we can take special pride in you for your constancy and faith under all the persecutions and troubles you have to bear.
Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PSALM 95(96):1-5
Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
to be feared above all gods;
the gods of the heathens are naught.
Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
MATTHEW 23:13-22
Not much has changed since You called out the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites for not practicing what they preached. We have bishops, priests, and religious, leaders in the Church who while preaching the Gospel to the flock lead unholy hidden lives. Ultimately when their sins are made public they cause scandal to the little ones resulting in many leaving in disgust and anger. Too often, desiring to be popular the Gospel and the Commandments of God are watered down to wishy-washy platitudes that do not challenge us to be holy and perfect as our heavenly Father is holy and perfect.
Lord Jesus, without holy priests and religious, and without holy men and women who are unafraid to live the Gospel as well as preach and teach it despite the persecution that is sure to follow, unless they are prepared to shine like stars in an increasingly darkening world, we will perish.
It is time Lord, for all of us who are baptized into Your Body and are called by Your Name to take up our cross daily and follow You with humility and courage. We cannot do it without the grace and strength that You provide us daily in the Sacraments.
Help us, Lord, lest we sink and we perish.
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