MONDAY OF WEEK 7 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2TIM 1:10

ECCLESIASTICUS 1:1-10

My Soul's Beloved,

How good it is to know You, to love You, to be drawn by the Holy Spirit into a deeper union with You, to abide in You, to be instructed by You, and to allow You to possess me so completely that I can say with the great Apostle Paul, It is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me. 

You O Lord are good, kind, merciful, tender, and full of compassion and love. I deserve nothing and yet, O Lord, You have drawn Me slowly, tenderly, gently to Yourself. Even though I struggled against these sweet bonds of Your love because I am stubborn sinful, and so easily distracted by the noise, the tumult, the passing delights of the world, that I often pulled against You ut You did not give up, Beloved You pursued Me me relentlessly you allowed me to feel the cold the bleak the sadness, the terror of a life apart from You O Lord, my God, thank you that despite myself and my foolishness you never gave up on me. Thank You for Your Word, for Your Church, for Your anointed and consecrated priests and religious, for good friends, and for those men and women who freely share the wisdom that You have given them, and they, in turn, share these divine truths with all who seek to know You, love You and enter into a deeper relationship with You Thank You for Your Mother ad for St. Joseph together with all the holy angels and saints who constantly intercede for me and never fail to bring my prayers and petitions before Your Throne of Mercy. Thank You for answering all the prayers that I make to them and for their faithfulness in obtaining through these dear friends of yours all that I ask for  Thank You for Wisdom that is freely available to all who seek her for You delight in filling all who ask with all we need in this life so we will enter finally into Your rest forever.

All wisdom is from the Lord,
and it is his own for ever.

Before all other things wisdom was created,
shrewd understanding is everlasting.

One only is wise, terrible indeed,
seated on his throne, the Lord.
He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her,
and poured her out on all his works
to be with all mankind as his gift,
and he conveyed her to those who love him.

PSALM 92(93):1-2,5

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power.

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are.

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

MARK 9:14-29

My Soul's Beloved,

You have kept nothing hidden but have revealed all that is needful for us to thrive, live holy and joyous lives, and be pleasing to God always. All we need is faith in God. You assure us that faith as small as a mustard is powerful and can accomplish great miracles, but often we lack even a little genuine faith. We focus on our own inadequacies, and our inability to trust that with You all things are possible. Our faith is often a puny little thing that is so easily extinguished when faced with seemingly insurmountable hurdles.

You are returning from Mt. Tabor after Your transfiguration to which only Peter, James, and John were witnesses. You rejoined the rest of Your disciples who were waiting for You a crowd had gathered around them and when the people saw You they came running to You. You asked what all the commotion was about and a man from the crowd said:

‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’

Because of their lack of faith, the disciples were unable to free the boy who was demon-possessed. When the boy was brought to You, You asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ He replied, ‘From childhood, and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ 

The poor father pleaded that You have pity on them and if You could, to please help them. He was not quite certain if You could so before You could heal the boy You needed him to have a bolder faith, assuring him that everything is possible for anyone who has faith. The poor father replied, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ On his confession of faith You rebuked the unclean spirit, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

Thank You, Lord, for reminding us that with faith all things are possible and that we also have to become prayer warriors if we are to be effective disciples in the world.