Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14
GENESIS 3:1-8
My Soul's Beloved,
Your law O Lord is written on every human heart. We know instinctively what is right, good, true, honorable, and pleasing to You. We know that it is always better to err on the side of goodness and truth and yet, O Lord, we allow ourselves to be tempted, we allow the Enemy to beguile us with lies because our flesh is weak and the works of the spirit of the world lures us, captivates our attention, and we take our eyes off the goal which is a life in the Spirit.
We know what You have said O Lord, Your Word is unchanging but we look for loopholes, we pretend that it does not matter too much if we just flirt with sin and not give in to it. We get close to temptation and we allow our desires to be aroused all the while fooling ourselves that we are in control and can restrain ourselves but more often than not the temptation to sin will result in us committing sin because we did not flee from it immediately.
The world is filled with serpents who vociferously teach and preach falsely that it is right and good to put the needs of the flesh over the needs of the spirit which is in truth lying to ourselves that vice is virtue and virtue vice. Our conscience will die when we choose to give the law of the flesh precedence over the Law of Love. Aware of our nakedness we flee from You.
Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
PSALM 31(32):1-2,5-7
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.
May we who have experienced the wonder of Your mercy, Your healing touch, never cease to witness to Your goodness, mercy and love.
Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
PSALM 31(32):1-2,5-7
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.
But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: ‘I will confess
my offence to the Lord.’
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.
I said: ‘I will confess
my offence to the Lord.’
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.
So let every good man pray to you
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven.
MARK 7:31-37
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
Before our life-changing encounter with You, we were like the deaf man with a speech impediment as well. We know in our heart that something is wrong with our lives, we are aware that there is something better, our lives are empty and unfulfilled, we long for a life that brings joy, peace, and fulfillment but the impediments which is a life lacking in virtue keep us from truly living. Weakened by sin we are heartsick, physically, spiritually, and mentally ill and the more we indulge in sin the greater the malaise that pervades our being.
This deaf man, persuaded by those who knew him was brought to You by people who had faith and believed that You had the power to heal him. They asked You to lay Your hand on him so You took him away from the crowd, put Your fingers into the man's ears, touched his tongue with spittle, looked up to heaven and sighed and said, 'Ephphatha' and the man's ears were opened at Your command and his tongue loosened.
Lord Jesus, so long as we distance ourselves from You we are unable to hear Your voice and Your Word, and our ears are shut which renders speech with clarity impossible. How can we express that which we do not know? We thank You for the prayers of the Church, of holy men and women, of family members who do not give us but pray faithfully for our salvation. In time, You who answer every prayer especially those that pray for the salvation of those we love and the world, You will hear and answer. You will touch and heal. Eyes and ears will be opened and tongues will be loosened and all will glorify You O Lord who is worthy of all praise.
May we who have experienced the wonder of Your mercy, Your healing touch, never cease to witness to Your goodness, mercy and love.
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