SATURDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation. 2COR 6:2

DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19

My Soul's Beloved,

Every promise God has made to the people He has chosen for His own has been realized and fulfilled in You. You are the Covenant of Love that God makes with us forever. It is permanent and God will keep His Word to us. However, it is up to us to remain faithful to God and not break this Covenantal bond God makes with us in and through You. God does not fail, we do and all the time. 

You are the new Moses who speaks to us today, here and now, through the Church, through Scripture, through the community, and the message is clear - if we want to live a full, happy, and peaceful life while we walk in this valley of tears then O Lord, we must keep the Commandments which are summed up in the two great commandment to love God as He ought to be loved and to love our neighbor as we love ourself. Only then will the Church and all her members be the light set high on the hill and the people of the whole world will come up to her for in her alone, as we have found to our joy, is the fulfillment of every promise that God has ever made to His children. We, who are in the Church are the stars that shine and draw people from every creed, nation, and language to the Home of the Living God, the place where He dwells and the Kingdom of God will finally be among us.

‘You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.’

PSALM 118(119):1-2,4-5,7-8

They are happy who follow God’s law!

They are happy whose life is blameless,
who follow God’s law!
They are happy who do his will,
seeking him with all their hearts.

You have laid down your precepts

to be obeyed with care.
May my footsteps be firm
to obey your statutes.

I will thank you with an upright heart

as I learn your decrees.
I will obey your statutes;
do not forsake me.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

MATTHEW 5:43-48

My Soul's Beloved,

Perfection is found in God alone, but this is no excuse for us, sinners, and members of Your Body, to make no effort to grow in perfection. You O Lord, have given us the fullness of Your Spirit and we receive grace upon grace, unceasingly and immeasurably through the Sacraments You instituted. Catholicism is not for wimps and this is why few make any real effort to grow in holiness and perfection as the saints have shown us. It takes courage to be a saint. The more we die to our flesh and its desires and cravings, the easier it is to grow in virtue and grace. But rooting out sinful habits that we have allowed to take root and thrive over years is difficult, painful, and impossible without help and a real desire to rid ourselves of them.

Lord Jesus, we are thin skinned and take offence at every little slight, real or perceived. We grumble and criticize those we dislike for whatever reason, or often without any valid reason. Why? because sin is dominant in us and we often allow our feelings and emotions to dictate our responses to others. We like others to notice us, make much of us, show us affection and regard, to praise and compliment us, and when they don't we pout and get upset and wait for a suitable opportunity to get back at them. We carefully nurse every slight until we blow it completely out of proportion and become miserable, waspish, and lose all our peace and joy. 

Today, You give us the perfect antidote to a life of selfish self-absorption if we live as You command, Lord, we will be content, happy, peaceful, and joyful and grow steadily in holiness and perfection.

‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’