FRIDAY OF WEEK 34 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand. LK 21:28

DANIEL 7:2-14

My Soul's Beloved, 

In the history of the world, ever since its creation, and from the moment sin entered the world, death, evil, decay, and destruction entered it through the wiles of the Enemy. The father of lies lost paradise through his pride and delusion that he, a mere creation of God, could dare to desire and claim to be like Him. This lie, he insidiously planted in the mind of the woman, who, in turn, planted it in the man, and thus our alienation from God began.

Through the ages, Beloved, nations have sought dominion over other nations. Savage wars have been fought over and over again; those hungry for power, land, and dominion seek to lord it over the rest, and they do so using every weapon in their arsenal, physical, spiritual, mental, and every other ungodly means they can envisage. They are unconcerned about who is crushed under their might so long as it serves their diabolical purposes.

We are now on the threshold of people of every other faith or no faith at all, ranged against Christianity. Fundamentalism is polarising the people of different faiths in any given country - the majority impose their faith and threaten all kinds of punishment on those who refuse to buckle to their thuggery and bullying. But many who are weak are unable to stand firm in their faith and give in to save themselves and their families from the savagery of the mob.

But to those who stand firm, Lord, we have hope. Hope in You. Hope in the Resurrection. Hope in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church, and in Your Word. We are a people who have been saved and who have won the victory by the power of the Blood of the Lamb. Our son of triumph is 'Alleluia'. We are redeemed and armed with this knowledge, O Lord, that the battle is won, we lift up our heads and walk with the confidence of knowing that we are the victorious sons and daughters of the Living God.

I, Daniel, have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. “Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.
While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

PSALM - DANIEL 3:75-81

Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Springs of water! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Seas and rivers! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Sea beasts and everything that lives in water! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Birds of heaven! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Animals wild and tame! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!

LUKE 21:29-33

My Soul's Beloved, 

We are the new Jerusalem, the Church You established on Peter and the Apostles, and which continues to grow and thrive, and will do so until You return. Every other institution is built on shifting sand and will perish, but the Church, which is built on the Rock and has You as its Cornerstone, will continue to be the lamp lit and set high on the hill so all can find their way to her. 

Kingdoms have come and gone, the Jerusalem that the Jews knew in Your time has perished; nothing remains of it, only a memory of things past and faded glory. But the mustard seed of the Kingdom of God that was given to Peter and the Apostles, who in turn took it to the ends of the earth, is growing. Hard as the devil through his minions strives to bring her down, they will never succeed. We have the authority of Your Word and Your promise that the gates of hell shall never prevail against her. 

We are confident, Lord, that despite every evil trick that Satan uses, in the end, he and the vast numbers of those he has deceived will be consigned to the deepest, darkest pit of hell forever. Until then, Beloved, we stand firm on Your imperishable Word. Strengthened by the Sacraments, we will carry out the mission entrusted to us to be light and salt in the world and do our part, by our lives, to draw many to the Truth of the Good News that alone has the power to save.

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is near. So with you, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away, all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’