You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life. PH 2:15-16
TITUS 1:1-9
My Soul's Beloved,
There is a template, the template of Christ, the template of the Beatitudes that every baptized Christian must strive to become, to believe, and to live, no matter how hard it is. The Way to the Kingdom is the Way of the Cross, the Way of Suffering, the Way of Calvary. Only from Calvary, after we have put to death all that is not of You, Lord, can we rise to new life in the Kingdom of God.
Dying You destroyed our death, rising You give us new life and by our Baptism, we are children of God. We await Your return again in glory and long for the day of Your coming when all those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter through You, the only Gate, into the home of our Father.
In a world that is held in the sway of evil You, through Your Apostles and the Church, have told us how we are to live holy lives without the taint of evil. The instructions Paul gives to Titus apply to all Christians and not just the leaders of the Church. We are called to be disciples, we are given a mission, we are equipped to carry out the mandate that is given to us, and in the end, we will be judged on our faithfulness in carrying out this mission:
Appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, and his children must be believers and not uncontrollable or liable to be charged with disorderly conduct. Since, as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.
PSALM 23(24):1-6
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
LUKE 17:1-6
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
To all grace is given to overcome temptations if we are truly committed to living holy lives. The hall of saints in the Catholic Church is filled with all kinds of people from every walk of life who took the Gospel seriously and walked in the way of righteousness. They fell, as we all do, but the difference between the sinner and the saint is that the saint never gives up whereas the sinner loves his sins, and clings to them.
Too often while we strive to live lives pleasing to You, Lord, we are too cowardly to speak the truth in love to those living in sin. We gossip about their sins behind their backs, and self-righteously judge and condemn them but lack the spine to speak candidly for fear of offending them and losing their friendship. Also, You ask us to be quick to forgive for in the measure that we forgive will we be forgiven.
Beloved, I am guilty of being weak, lazy, a coward, of taking the easy way out, of not standing my ground and speaking the truth in love. I ask for grace, for faith, for courage, for boldness, for strength. I know that You are a generous God and You give us all we ask and You have already given us all we ask through the rich graces we receive in the Sacraments. Help me Lord to live my faith boldly even when I am afraid.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
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