Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life. JN 6:63, 68
DANIEL 9:4-10
My Soul's Beloved,
God, our Father, created us for life in its fullness. Having designed us He knows how we can function at our optimum and enjoy the fruits of His Fatherly love, Your redeeming love, and the Spirit's sanctifying love. God's imprint is on our souls and we are created for Him alone. To know this truth and live our lives in perfect accord with the law of God, which is perfect, allows us to live in the freedom of the children of God.
Sadly, Beloved, as in the past, generation after generation has been disobedient. They broke the commandments with impunity, ran after false gods that present themselves to us in a myriad ways and make us idolaters of the worst kind and guilty of exile, banishment, slavery, punishment, and death.
This is Daniel's lament and the lament of all good and holy people in every age who innocent or not have to share the lot of the wicked. All have to suffer for the sins of the wicked just as the rain falls on both the good and the evil alike. How You must shrink from us O Lord, the present age has lost all sense of shame. Wisdom is absent not only in the old and the young but also in those called to be leaders, guides, teachers, rulers, governors, and worst and most frightening of all even parents.
How will You deal with this evil generation, Beloved? What will it take to bring us back to our senses and to You? The only remedy is the remedy given to Moses when the people of Israel were bitten by fiery serpents in the desert. We must raise our gaze to the Cross and beg for mercy and allow the Blood and Water flowing from You to bathe us, cleanse us, heal us, make us whole and restore us in every way that we need restoration. Haver mercy on us O Lord, have mercy on us.
Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
PSALM 78(79):8-9,11,13
Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
we are left in the depths of distress.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
PSALM 78(79):8-9,11,13
Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
we are left in the depths of distress.
O God our saviour, come to our help.
Come for the sake of the glory of your name.
O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;
rescue us for the sake of your name.
O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;
rescue us for the sake of your name.
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die.
But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,
will give you thanks for ever and ever.
We will tell your praise from age to age.
But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,
will give you thanks for ever and ever.
We will tell your praise from age to age.
Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.
LUKE 6:36-38
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
Why is it that we are so blind? Having eyes we do not see, having ears we do not hear, having intelligence we lack wisdom, although capable of discerning good from evil we choose evil. Nothing is hidden from us. Salvation is Your free gift to all who will receive it, and yet we prefer to live in slavery to our flesh. We are unwilling to exercise discipline and self-control. We give in to every craven desire. Those who govern us are often wicked, they make evil laws, and instead of resisting, we follow like sheep led by wolves.
How much longer, O Lord, will we remain slaves of our concupiscence? You have revealed the Truth - You are Truth, You have shown us the Way - You are the Way, You have given us Life - You are Life, open our eyes and our ears Lord that seeing and hearing we may grow wise, obey, and live the Word of God and live the abundant life. When we do, the windows of heaven will open and every good and perfect gift will rain upon us from above without measure. Now O Lord, pity us and open our hearts to the truth so we can live as children of God and not as those of the world.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
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