30TH 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

JEREMIAH 31:7-9

My Soul's Beloved,

I thank You for speaking to me so powerfully through Your Word which like a double-edged sword cuts through bone and marrow revealing truth and bringing life to all who believe. We have Your assurance that all who walk with You on the narrow will walk in the light and they have no fear of stumbling.

You take those who are Yours, those called by Your Name, by the hand and You lead them to green pastures besides running streams and You give them rest for their souls. No matter how far Your children roam You, the Good Shepherd will pursue us relentlessly and tirelessly and You will find us no matter in what perilous situation we have placed ourselves.

We bring about our own misery, Lord, we call down sorrow on our own head by our willful sinful choices and when we have to bear the consequences of our stupidity and foolishness we cry to You for help  But You understand us O Lord. You know we are weak. You know that we are easily tempted and when You run to You, You will not despise us or draw away from us in disgust, rather, You will pick us up, wash us, cleanse us, feed us, restore us, and like the prodigal son restore all according to the riches of Your glory and splendor.

The Lord says this:

See, I will bring them back
from the land of the North
and gather them from the far ends of earth;
all of them: the blind and the lame,
women with child, women in labour:
a great company returning here.
They had left in tears,
I will comfort them as I lead them back;
I will guide them to streams of water,
by a smooth path where they will not stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my first-born son.

PSALM 125(126)

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,

  it seemed like a dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

  on our lips there were songs.

The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels

  the Lord worked for them!’

What marvels the Lord worked for us!

  Indeed we were glad.

Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage

  as streams in dry land.

Those who are sowing in tears

  will sing when they reap.

They go out, they go out, full of tears,

  carrying seed for the sowing:

they come back, they come back, full of song,

  carrying their sheaves.

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

HEBREWS 5:1-6

My Soul's Beloved,

What a great privilege it is to be Catholic and receive all the wondrous benefits  You bestowed on this Church You founded on Peter. Without the priesthood that You instituted at the Last Supper when You also instituted the Eucharist we would not have the Bread of Angels, the Heavenly Manna, Your Flesh and Blood as food and drink and we would wither and die.

You are spotless, eternal, High Priest appointed and consecrated by God. You in turn called the Twelve and You continue to call men to serve and minister to Your people in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. From the beginning, the Twelve laid hands on men chosen by the Holy Spirit and continues to do so. Every priest in the Catholic Church is consecrated and anointed for service to the people of God by the laying on of hands and this can be traced all the way back to the Apostles. 

We are truly grateful for all the priests who generously said 'yes' to Your invitation and we ask O Lord that You keep them safe from the world, the flesh, and the devil. May we pray for them and support them for You assure us that if we give even a cup of cold water to Your anointed our reward will be great.

Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.

MARK 10:46-52

My Soul's Beloved,

Your ears are always attuned to the cries of Your suffering brothers and sisters. Every prayer raised up to You with sighs too deep for words, with tears, moans, and groans, with hearts that are breaking will move You to pity and tender compassion. You hasten to hear and to answer, to wipe away our tears, to touch, soothe, heal, restore, to make whole once again. 

All who call on Your Name with faith, sincerity, hope, and even despair like Bartimaeus the blind beggar seated at the side of the road, will be heard. Once he knew that You were passing by he began shouting with all his might saying, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ The people in the crowd tried to shut him up but he cried out even louder. No one was going to stop him from his one chance of receiving from You the gift of sight.

Beloved, Bartimaeus teaches us the value of perseverance in prayer. We must ask without losing heart, without giving up no matter how long we have been praying and asking, seeking and knocking. You will hear, You will answer when the time is right. We will hear these blessed words, ‘Courage, get up; he is calling you.’ When we do we must cast aside anything that would hinder our progress to You just as Bartimaeus threw of his cloak, which was his only possession, lest he tripped and fell as he ran to You. Then unencumbered he was able to say in response to Your question, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Rabbuni, Master, let me see again.’ And You will respond to us as You did to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And like him, after receiving our sight, we must follow You along the road that leads to salvation.