WEDNESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY SUNDAY - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

1 JOHN 1 4:11-18

My Soul's Beloved,

No living human being can love as perfectly and completely as God loves, because human love is tainted, and limited, in some to a greater degree than others. Saints constantly strive to all as You do and the more they desire to do so and the more they deny themselves to love even those who wish them evil, they grow in perfection and in their capacity to love as You do. 

It is hard in our frailty and lack of a real desire to pattern our lives after Yours. Our self-love, selfishness, and spiritual laziness, hinder us from growing in agape love, the ideal way to love is as the poet has said: "Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair."

Which of us, O Lord, who have given ourselves over to the world and its passing pleasures can ever attain the goal of perfection in loving one another as You have loved us except for the great saints? Having fallen in love with You so completely they lived only to please You and the Holy Spirit provided all the necessary grace for them to live holy lives. 

My love O Lord for my neighbor, for those around me, is a timid, puny, frivolous, tepid little thing. At the first sight of difficulty, it fizzles out and never takes off as I ought. Desire alone cannot help me to love as You do, Beloved. Unless I make the effort, unless I will to love, unless I take the first step will You do for me what I know I cannot do myself. Help me, Lord! Help Me!

God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.
Love will come to its perfection in us
when we can face the day of Judgement without fear;
because even in this world
we have become as he is.
In love there can be no fear,
but fear is driven out by perfect love:
because to fear is to expect punishment,
and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

PSALM 71(72):1-2,10-13

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts
shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,
all nations shall serve him.

For he shall save the poor when they cry

and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

MARK 6:45-52

My Soul's Beloved,

5000 had eaten and were satisfied. You fed the multitude by multiplying the 5 loaves and 2 fish. The crowd witnessed many miracles that day but this miracle was by far the most amazing neither the disciples nor they had ever seen anything like this and were wonderstruck. After the people ate their fill, the leftovers were collected, You asked the disciples to get into the boat to Bethsaida while You sent the crowds away. When all had gone You went off alone to the hills to pray. Being human You were exhausted physically and depleted spiritually it would have been quite understandable if You wanted to take some time off to sleep. But You knew that being with Your Father was the best way to rest and reinvigorate Your body and soul and spirit was to be with Your Abba. So it ought to be with us too, Lord instead of indulging our flesh if we ran to God and just rested in Him we too would be the better for it. 

Even as the disciples were far out on the lake, You saw them. They too had had a long day and now were even more exhausted with rowing as they battled the wind that was against them. It was the fourth watch. They would have been discouraged, dispirited, and bone-weary You walked across the water towards them and it appeared that You would have gone past them but they saw You and were terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. All too often, Lord, when we are tired in heart mind, soul body, and spirit we give in to fear and anxiety, and panic fills us. They heard You speak,  ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

Beloved, may I always remember that no matter how frightening the events that take place in my life and in the lives of those I love, You are always there, You are watching, and You will reach out and comfort me and speak words of healing and encouragement. You will enter the boat of life with me and ensure that I reach my destination safely. With You beside me, Beloved, I have nothing to fear.