THURSDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A pure heart create for me, O God,
and give me again the joy of your help. PS 50:12, 14

ESTHER 4:17

My Soul's Beloved,

The prayer of Queen Esther has been my prayer for years, O Lord, ever since troubles have assailed us. You are faithful, good, kind, compassionate, and loving and You always hear our cries. Yet, O Lord, there are times when we are afraid, we lose heart, we lack courage and faith grows weak and we become discouraged by the wait. How much longer our hearts cry out to You, Lord, how much longer must we wait patiently for You to hear and answer? We know O Lord that You are our only help, our shield, our refuge when the storm surrounds us and so we too pray:

‘My Lord, our King, the only one,
come to my help, for I am alone
and have no helper but you
and am about to take my life in my hands.’

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, as the days grow into weeks, months and years, nothing seems to change and yet that is not true. You are always with us, were it not so we would have perished long since. It is Your Breath that sustains us and Your Love that keeps us alive. You are always good, kind, and gracious even when we sin and turn away from You. You, O Lord, are always faithful, we are often faithless. Remember O Lord that we are our own worst enemy and save us.

‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself
in the time of our distress.
‘As for me, give me courage,
King of gods and master of all power.
Put persuasive words into my mouth
when I face the lion;
change his feeling into hatred for our enemy,
that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.

Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness. Forgive my lack of faith. Forgive me for getting anxious instead of being hopeful, trusting that in the end You will grant all my heart's desires according to Your riches in glory. 

Lord I believe, help my unbelief!

‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand,
and come to my help, for I am alone
and have no one but you, Lord.’

PSALM 137(138):1-3,7-8

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.

You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

MATTHEW 7:7-12

My Soul's Beloved,

I thank You for Your reassurance that You always answer, if we seek You with all our hearts, we will find You, and when we knock at the door of Your Heart, You will always open it to us. Thank You, Lord. I beg pardon for my lack of faith. I grow weary of waiting and I want You to hurry and answer me. But I am aware, Lord, that You know best. When we are asked to wait, it is because the time is not right, and it is good that while we wait we pray with expectant faith, certain that You will not withhold any good thing to those who ask.

You remind us that any father, although he could be wicked, will always provide for his children. He knows that were he not to give them what they needed for their sustenance they would die. He spends his entire life providing for his family. How much more, You remind us, will our heavenly Father not hold back all that we need to sustain our physical life and even more richly, provide all we need for everlasting life. Did He not send You into the world to take upon Yourself our lot, our punishment, our death and give us in exchange new and everlasting life in You? You Beloved, are God's Covenantal love with us and I know that for Your sake the Father will not forsake us.

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’