SATURDAY IN THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2026

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, 

The only reason we faithfully keep all Your commandments is love, not fear, for fear has no place in love. To love You as we ought with our whole heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit is the reason for which God created us in love, and the only acceptable response to Your love is to do all You command because in this is life, joy, and peace. Disobey, as our first parents did, and we die. For all sin brings death and separation from You, our Lord and God, from whom flows life and love. Apart from You, we are nothing.

The world is in a sorry mess, and so is the Church You founded because her shepherds have failed miserably in caring for Your sheep entrusted to her care. They have not obeyed Your Commandments, and because of their disobedience, they preach a watered-down version of them. The Commandments of God are the gold standard by which not just Christians but all men must live by and model their lives on if the world is to know true joy and peace. But many in the Church do, Lord, and for those who strive after holiness and perfection, You will bless abundantly and grant every grace and help to grow in these virtues.

Stay with us, Lord, and help us, for without You we have no hope of living a life pleasing to God. Take us by the hand as You promised, and lead us at last safely home to the Kingdom of God.

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
‘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, 

You invite us to be like Your Father whom You have taught to call our Father as well. To be like our Abba, we must emulate Him as children do, and all God's characteristics are perfectly reflected in You, His only, well-beloved, Firstborn Son. In modeling my life on Yours, I will reflect God's holiness and perfection to some degree as I strive to become like You more and more each day. You and I both know, my Lord, that I cannot succeed because I am weak, I am filled with concupiscence, and I am easy prey for all the wily snares the devil sets for me. However, it is in the relentless striving for holiness and perfection that You are well-pleased. You know my limitations. You know all my frailties, and You who are always yoked to me will help me. I am not alone, You are always with me.

It is hard sometimes not to let my fallen nature overpower the good I know that I must do. I get impatient. I lack humility. I bristle in my spirit when I am called to serve with a glad heart. Help me, Lord. You came to serve, not to be served, and to give Your life as a ransom for many. Grant me the grace to be grateful for every opportunity presented to me, every moment of every day to be a servant like You.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘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.’

FRIDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - FEAST OF ST. GREGORY OF NAREK, ABBOT & DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks –
and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. EZK 18:31

EZEKIEL 18:21-28

My Soul's Beloved, 

All sinners, no matter how gravely they have sinned, rejoice at the assurance that the Word of God gives them today. Although our sins are like scarlet, if we return to You with a contrite and humble heart, resolving to sin no more with Your help, You will welcome the sinner just as the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son welcomed his wayward, sinful son.

Beloved, You know that we are weak. Original sin is our inheritance from our first parents, and though it is washed away by the waters of baptism, its effects remain. We are rendered weak and susceptible to temptations. We must constantly battle the lure of the world, the sinful culture, as well as our flesh, and the traps set by the devil to ensnare us and snatch us at our weakest. Thanks be to God, Lord, that we have You and the Holy Spirit, we have the love of our Father God, and we have the wonderful Sacraments that You instituted to help us remain faithful and to begin anew over and over again. You never reject the repentant sinner, no matter how often he falls, but You seek and save the lost, and You joyfully restore us to Your flock. Thank You, Lord, for the gifts of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist that help us on this journey from this life to the life that is to come in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Thus says the Lord:
‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?
‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

PSALM 129(130)

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.

My soul is waiting for the Lord.
I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
(Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.)

Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

MATTHEW 5:20-26

THURSDAY OF 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2026

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, 

It is only when we truly understand that You are our only refuge, our only help in times of trials, and that we can rely on no one but You because the help of man is vain. In the world, we are alone for there is no one on earth powerful enough, or tender, compassionate, and loving enough as You, O Lord. In You alone must we always place our faith, hope, and trust, for no man, no matter how great in the world, can ever love as dispassionately as You do. You love us for our own sake. You love us even when we turn our back to You and refuse Your love. Your love is the same today, yesterday, and forever. 

Queen Esther's prayer is a model for all prayer for those who are in dire straits. When we are looking down the barrel of the Enemy, and all seems lost, it never is if we turn to You, cling to You, cry out to You, expressing unabashedly that we are afraid, anxious, distressed, pouring out how we feel. We can be absolutely certain that You will understand, comfort, and provide all the help we need to deliver us just as You helped and delivered Queen Esther and her people. 

Today I come to You, Beloved, with all my trials and my anxieties, pleading with You, God of heaven and earth, to hear and answer me as only You can. I believe in You, I hope in You, and I trust You to take care of all those I love and for whom I pray unceasingly. Thank You, Lord, for never leaving or forsaking me. I believe all Your promises for I know them to be true.

Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:
‘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.
‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family,
that you, Lord, chose
Israel out of all the nations
and our ancestors out of all the people of old times
to be your heritage for ever;
and that you have treated them as you promised.
‘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.
‘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, 

You are the Eternal Word of the Father, and if the Word of God, issued forth from Him by the Breath of the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that His Word is true. You have revealed to us that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except by You. Today, You say to us, Your disciples, members of Your Body, that all that we ask will be given, all that we seek, we will find, and when we knock, You will always open the door to us. This means that we always, with no exceptions, have access to Your goodness, mercy, power, and above all, Your love. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving us this assurance of Your unchanging, unending love for us, although we are unworthy of such love.

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.’

WEDNESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
for I am all tenderness and compassion. JOEL 2:12-13

JONAH 3:1-10

My Soul's Beloved, 

You are a God of new beginnings. In You, there is always hope. No matter how far we have sunk in the miry pit of sin, You will hear our cry of repentance, and You will come and save us. Thank You, Lord, that there is no sin so great that cannot be forgiven by Your atoning sacrifice on the Cross of shame. You took on Yourself all our iniquities and made reparation for all our sins, beginning with the sin of Adam to the last man before Your coming in glory. You died, my Lord, so we could live.

Jonah, the second time, was obedient to God's word and set out to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh, a pagan city. Although they did not know the true God, the king of Nineveh heard the preaching and the warning that the nation would be destroyed in 40 days, lest they repent. He believed and commanded that men and beasts alike should put on sackcloth and ashes, refrain from food and drink, and repent of all their sins. God relented and did not destroy that nation.

Lord, we are in the season of Lent. A season given to us by the Church to turn away from the world and its distractions, to deny the flesh, to pray constantly to withstand the wiles of the Enemy, to give alms to those in need, and to experience anew the joy of our salvation. My Lord, grant us the grace to persevere in our Lenten observances so we will be renewed, reinvigorated, and refreshed after these 40 days of withdrawal from the world, the flesh, and the devil that without ceasing clamors to take our attention away from You and from our ultimate goal, which is eternal life with You in the Kingdom of God.

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

PSALM 50(51):3-4,12-13,18-19

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

LUKE 11:29-32

My Soul's Beloved, 

More than 2000 years ago You called that generation a wicked generation who kept asking for signs that God was present and alive among them. If they were wicked then, Lord, how great is the wickedness in our world today. Unprecedented evil has seeped its slimy and grimy way into every area of our lives. Nothing and no one is spared. The wicked prey on the innocent, and no one is spared. The whole world is now Sodom and Gomorrah, and the great chastisement of God is almost upon us. Just as the people in Noah's time were eating and drinking before the great flood wiped them off the face of the earth, so it will be for us if we fail to repent and turn from all our wickedness and come back to God.

There is no greater sign given to the world than the Sign of the Cross. It is the sign of our salvation, or our healing, of life. Those who ask for signs, ignoring the only sign that matters, will perish in their sins. We thank Holy Mother Church for this season in the year when we can reflect, reform, renew, and be born anew as we reflect on Your passion, Your death, and finally the glory of the resurrection. 

The Catholic Church is famous of drawing bigger and bigger crowds on particular feasts. They crawl out of the woodwork and then return to their unholy, passive, grey lives after the great outward show of coming for ashes and Holy Week services, or attending Church services at Christmas and Easter. Open the eyes of all, O Lord to recognize that the greatest sign is already given to us, there is no other, and let this be the hour and the moment of our repentance and return to You with all our hearts.

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

TUESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. MT 4:4

ISAIAH 55:10-11

My Soul's Beloved, 

Thank You for confirming and reinforcing what You have already said to Me in Your Word today. You are a God who delights in giving Your children good gifts. Thank You for all Your promises and for Your assurances that the time for mourning and weeping is at an end. You have spoken, O Eternal Word of the Father. You have spoken words of healing, restoration, and provision, and Your Word always accomplishes what You want it to. 

All that we need, O Lord, You will provide. The whole earth and everything in it relies on You, and You, who look after the sparrows in the air and the lilies in the field, will most surely give all of us all we need in this life and eternal joy in Your Presence in the life to come.

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

PSALM 33(34):4-7,16-19

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.

They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

MATTHEW 6:7-15

My Soul's Beloved, 

Thank You for Your loving assurance that our Father in heaven knows what we need even before we ask Him, and that He delights in His children approaching Him with confidence and making all that we need known to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, what I desire most of all is the salvation of my children, and You and our Heavenly Father desire this with far greater intensity than I ever can. So I will pray, and I will not worry, but have this certainty, that in the end, Your hand and holy arm will save them from the jaws of hell and death and put them on the path of salvation and life.

Thank You, Lord, for teaching Your disciples how to pray in the Lord's Prayer. We begin by acknowledging that God, who is our Father, is God whose abode is in heaven. He is holy and perfect, and we must never for an instant forget that although He is our Abba, He is also God Almighty. It is He who created us in love and knows what we need far better than we do. Thank You for also revealing to us that unless we forgive from our hearts, we will not be forgiven. May we always have this confidence in Him that all that we ask for in Your Name He will give us.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

MONDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT, FEAST OF ST. POLYCARP, BISHOP & MARTYR - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

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

LEVITICUS 19:1-2,11-18

My Soul's Beloved, 

God is the gold standard by which we ought to model our lives. You, O Lord, are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You have shown us the way we are to walk, which is the way of the cross and the only way by which we can be saved. You have revealed the Truth of the Love of God by Your Life, and if we embrace this Truth, believing with all our hearts and living it, then we will be filled with the Life of the Holy Spirit, which is a life of grace. 

The commandment is clear, 'Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.' You showed us that, through the incarnation, we can strive after holiness and perfection by crucifying our will and embracing God's in all the circumstances of our lives. The world is filled with liars, cheaters, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and fornicaters, and the fruit of such abominations is the toxic culture we presently live in. It is a culture that promotes decadence and self-absorption, and the worship of cultural icons and their unhealthy lifestyles.

The good, the holy, the Christlike, are lampooned and mocked, nevertheless many remain steadfast in faith and are a beacon of light to those weary of the world. Lord, hear the prayers of the Church for her children and for the world that in these difficult times, with Your help and power, she will navigate the storms that threaten to destroy her, and finally bring her to safe harbor. 

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

PSALM 18(19):8-10,15

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

MATTHEW 25:31-46

My Soul's Beloved, 

You are my Lord, my God, my King, my Savior, my Redeemer, and the Bridegroom of my soul.  You are my Master, my Teacher, my all-in-all, and today You remind me that You are present in every man, woman, and child and every thought, word, deed, and action, whether good or bad done to any of them, You consider done to You. This truth ought to make such an effective impact on me that from this day forth, I must always see You in everyone. Grant me this grace, O Lord, for left to myself, I will forget, and be blind to Your presence in my brothers and sisters. My immortal soul depends on it.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

1ST SUNDAY IN LENT - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. MT 4:4

GENESIS 2:7-9,3:1-7

My Soul's Beloved, 

The greatest gift given to us, our free will, our freedom to choose either good or evil, was to be the very things that brought about our fall from grace. You created us to live in eternal bliss surrounded by goodness, beauty, and truth, but we, foolish creatures, created in Your image and likeness, chose to believe the lies of the father of lies.

Beloved, we were created for eternal joy, but as St. John, the evangelist, has written, we brought about our own ruin because we preferred to belong to the world. We are reminded, "for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world." Eve knew exactly what was forbidden and what would happen if they disobeyed. But the subtlety of evil nuance to the command of God swayed her, and she was tempted to believe the lie because she, a creature, wanted to be equal to her Creator. That was the downfall of Satan, and he used his sin to destroy her just as he had destroyed himself. Unfortunately for Lucifer, it backfired so astoundingly that to this day, he vengefully makes unceasing war on the children of the New Eve.

Yes, Beloved, our first parents sinned and cost us Paradise but we thank God that You did not permit evil the last word. The Eternal Word, the New Adam, with the perfect self-surrender of the New Eve, God wrote a wonderful new story that restored all that the old Adam and Eve had lost and regained for the redeemed children of God so much more than the world could ever hope for, dream, or could ever imagine. Thank You, Lord.

The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.
Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

PSALM 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

ROMANS 5:12-19

My Soul's Beloved, 

The faulty gene inherited from our first parents when they committed the original sin is what ails us. The world is sick and getting sicker. The longer we take to rid ourselves of this inherent flaw that is passed on from one generation to the next through the cleansing, healing, and regenerating waters of the Sacrament of Baptism, the longer we will live under the bondage of evil. Thanks be to God our Father, You, our Redeemer, and the love of the Holy Spirit, there would be no remedy to this evil that reigns in us.

St. Paul describes so powerfully how God rendered original sin ineffective by the plenitude of grace He obtained for the entire human race through You, His beloved Son, by Your entering into our humanity, taking on Yourself the entirety of the debt we owe a good God, and paying the price for our redemption. Beloved, it need not have been as devastating and horrendous as it was. You could have done it in a way that did not cost You so much, but it was the will of God to show us the depth, breadth, width, and height of God's love, which is vast, limitless, and infinite.

For the sake of Your sorrowful passion, my most beloved Jesus, hear our prayers, look upon our tears as we pray for the conversion of those we love. Thank You, Lord.

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.
Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

MATTHEW 4:1-11

My Soul's Beloved,

Temptation to sin is part of the human condition; how we combat those temptations is what matters. Do we give in without a fight, or do we fight against them steadfastly, not letting our guard down for a minute?

Today's Gospel on the 1st Sunday of Lent shows us how You resisted the devil, and we must do the same. The devil is a deceiver, a liar, and a murderer from the start, and we must be alert to the many ways in which he will find our weaknesses and use them against us.

Firstly, we must take time often to leave the world behind and spend time with You alone. In prayer, submission and obedience to the commands of God, and mortification, we can discipline our flesh and train our will to yield always to the will of God. We must be familiar with God's Word and use it effectively to fight against the powers of darkness. Your Word, O Lord, is Truth, sanctify us in the truth and we will hold on with steadfast faith to Your promises.

May we never presume that salvation is ours. It is Your gift to us, Beloved, and we can lose it if we refuse to work out our salvation with fear and trembling daily.

The sin of presumption is to sin gravely over and over again with impunity and expect salvation without repentance and contrition. Preserve us from such folly, Lord, and keep us meek, humble, obedient, and yielding always to Your holy will.

Preserve us also from making idols of people or possessions, or pet beliefs.  We are to worship God in spirit and in truth and Him alone must we serve and love with our whole hearts, minds, strength, souls, bodies, and spirits. Idolatry in any way, shape, or form separates us from You. Keep us from the subtle ways in which the world, the culture, the flesh, and the devil can tempt us to become idolaters. We were created for God alone, and Him alone must we love, trust, and obey all the days of our lives.

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:
Man does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:
He will put you in his angels’ charge,
and they will support you on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.’
Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man
– it is the Lord who speaks –
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life. EZK 33:11

ISAIAH 58:9-14

My Soul's Beloved, 

You promise springs of living water to gush forth from those who belong to You, grafted to You, obey Your Word, keep Your commandments, and live a life filled with Your Holy Spirit. It is not easy, Lord. The world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly at war with us, and it is relentless. We are weak, frail, and we fall often. Have pity on us, O Lord, help us. We are buffeted on every side, and we are afraid we will fall by the wayside, be trampled upon, and destroyed. Take pity on us, Lord. Stay with us. Hold us up. Strengthen us. Keep our hand firmly in Your own. Keep us faithful to Your Word, Your Church, Your teachings, and we will be safe.

Thank You for Your Mother, all the angels and saints who make constant intercession for us. Hear our prayers as well for our own salvation and the salvation of all the members of our family. We are living in demonic times, Beloved, and we may be lost if You do not come to our aid and help us in our weakness. Stay with us, Lord, lest if left alone, we succumb to temptation and be lost forever.

The Lord says this:
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word,
if you give your bread to the hungry,
and relief to the oppressed,
your light will rise in the darkness,
and your shadows become like noon.
The Lord will always guide you,
giving you relief in desert places.
He will give strength to your bones
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never run dry.
You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
build up on the old foundations.
You will be called ‘Breach-mender’,
‘Restorer of ruined houses.’
If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
and doing business on the holy day,
if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’,
and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’,
if you honour it by abstaining from travel,
from doing business and from gossip,
then shall you find your happiness in the Lord
and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.
I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

PSALM 85(86):1-6

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,
for I cry to you all the day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

LUKE 5:27-32

My Soul's Beloved,

I am sick, the world is sick, and the Church You founded is full of sick people. We need You, Lord. I want to remind You today that it is You who said that it is the sick who need a physician, not those who are well. You came for me, You came for the world where almost all of us, O Lord, need You. Minister to us, Lord. Heal us in every way that we need healing in heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit, according to Your most holy and perfect will. 

Lord, invite us, as You invited Matthew, a public sinner, to follow You as one of the Twelve, grant us the grace to leave all that is a hindrance to our discipleship, and follow You closely all the days that are allotted to us. 

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.
In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS INTENTIONS

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you.

ISAIAH 58:1-9

My Soul's Beloved,

Your Word is clear. Penances performed for outward appearance to appear holy to the world are abhorrent to You; what You desire is a contrite heart and a humble spirit. Our fasting, almsgiving, and our prayers have to move our spirit so deeply that they evoke a change in us. We are to grow in holiness and perfection. We ought to have a greater reverence and appreciation for the work of salvation wrought for the whole world on the Cross. Anything less than a real conversion is worthless before You.

Beloved, may we see, hear, and act as You desire us to, not superficially but with tenderness, sympathy, compassion, and love, and reach out to those in need in ways that bring comfort and hope. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and grant me the graces I need to be always pleasing to You.

Thus says the Lord:
Shout for all you are worth,
raise your voice like a trumpet.
Proclaim their faults to my people,
their sins to the House of Jacob.
They seek me day after day,
they long to know my ways,
like a nation that wants to act with integrity
and not ignore the law of its God.
They ask me for laws that are just,
they long for God to draw near:
‘Why should we fast if you never see it,
why do penance if you never notice?’
Look, you do business on your fast-days,
you oppress all your workmen;
look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast
and strike the poor man with your fist.
Fasting like yours today
will never make your voice heard on high.
Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,
a truly penitential day for men?
Hanging your head like a reed,
lying down on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call fasting,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me
– it is the Lord who speaks –
to break unjust fetters and
undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and break every yoke,
to share your bread with the hungry,
and shelter the homeless poor,
to clothe the man you see to be naked
and not turn from your own kin?
Then will your light shine like the dawn
and your wound be quickly healed over.
Your integrity will go before you
and the glory of the Lord behind you.
Cry, and the Lord will answer;
call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’

PSALM 50(51):3-6,18-19

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

MATTHEW 9:14-15

My Soul's Beloved, 

We get a taste of the Bridegroom's presence and the spiritual union between groom and bride each time we receive You in the Holy Eucharist. What a singular privilege it is for us who receive You in Holy Communion - body, blood, soul, and divinity. Forgive me, Lord, for the times when I approached this Banquet of Love ill-prepared and lacking in fervor. I AM receiving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Savior of the world, and I have often received You with complacency.

My Lord, grant me the grace during this season of Lent to prepare myself well before the glorious feast of Easter by prayer, fasting, and abstinence so I may grow more and more like You.

John’s disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Repent, says the Lord,
for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. MT 4:17

DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20

My Soul's Beloved,

Daily, we have to make choices about important things and simple things, but every decision we make, whether big or small, impacts our lives and the lives of those around us. Either for good or for evil, whether we are aware of it or not, our choices often have short-term, long-term, or eternal consequences. The truth is that more often than not, we make choices that allow frivolity, shallowness, lack of character, lack of a well-formed conscience, or, as is most of the case, a total absence of serious thought, which impact our actions that can have life-altering results.

How is it, Beloved, that despite having some knowledge of Sacred Scripture that warns us time and time again, both in the Old and the New Testament, that love of God alone can help us make wise and healthy choices, and yet, Lord, we choose to satisfy the cravings of our flesh, we give in to the wiles of the enemy, or we succumb to the lure of the world. There are many reasons for this: poor catechesis, poor knowledge of Scripture, a shallow faith, or we are heavily influenced by our peers and the liberal and lax culture that bombards the morally and spiritually weak on every side. 

Sadly, Beloved, our lives can become the sum total of our poor choices if we do not wake up, repent, and return to You with a humble heart and a contrite spirit.

Moses said to the people: ‘See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin on you today, if you love the Lord your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws, his customs, you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to make your own. But if your heart strays, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself be drawn into worshipping other gods and serving them, I tell you today, you will most certainly perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: I set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends your long stay in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob he would give them.’

PSALM 1:1-4,6

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.

He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.

Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

LUKE 9:22-25

My Soul's Beloved, 

Long before the end of Your 3-year ministry, time and time again You told Your disciples how You would die, who would put You to death, and that death could not hold You, for after 3 days You would rise again. And yet, my Lord, it did not register with them. You are telling them You are God, and to them it's just words, impossible to comprehend the magnitude of Your frank revelation about Yourself. Nothing in their history prepared them for believing such a claim, and hence they can be excused. Not so we. Apart from the testimony of the Apostles, the written Word of God, Sacred Tradition, as well as history, have proved over and over again the authenticity of Your revelation, yet so many choose not to believe.

Today, we are reminded of the cost of discipleship. You embraced the Cross, and the Cross is the only way by which we can be saved. Each of us is privileged to receive from Your hands our own crosses. It is not the whole cross we deserve, no, You bore the entirety of the suffering that is rightfully mine, the weight of my entire cross, and yet I struggle, I chafe under its weight even though You assure me that You are yoked to me and that You carry my cross with me. 

Grant me the graces I need every moment of every day to die to myself, to renounce the lure of the world, to scourge my flesh of its unruly passions, and to hide myself in You and Your Sacred Heart so the devil has no access to me. I am weak, Lord, and given a chance, I will deny You as Peter did, doubt as Thomas did, and betray You as Judas Iscariot did. Pity me, Lord, and help me. I have recourse to none but You.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
Then to all he said:
‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self?’

ASH WEDNESDAY - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! PS 94:8

JOEL 2:12-18

My Soul's Beloved, 

You graciously give us another Lenten season to draw close to You. So many did not live to see the new year, many have passed on during these past few months, but to us, You give us another opportunity to return to You with all our hearts. Grant us the graces we need to be faithful in keeping the Lenten resolutions we have made that transform us, help us rid ourselves of bad habits, and cultivate those that will benefit our souls.

This is the time, now is the hour; let us not delay our conversion any longer, or it may be too late. I ask for your help, Lord, to participate in the parish community activities during this season of Lent so I may grow in faith, hope, and love. Pour Your grace into my heart so I may enter more deeply into the mysteries of Your passion and death, so I may rejoice greatly as we celebrate the feast of Your glorious resurrection into heaven.

‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn,
turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent,
will not leave a blessing as he passes,
oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?
Sound the trumpet in Zion!
Order a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
call the people together,
summon the community,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom
and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, lament.
Let them say,
‘Spare your people, Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame,
a byword for the nations.
Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’
Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land,
took pity on his people.

PSALM 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-6:2

My Soul's Beloved, 

If my heart is breaking that those I love so dearly in the world have separated themselves from You, how much more does God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ache that His children do not knowHim, have no desire to do so, nor do they give Him the honor, the glory, and the praise that is due for the incredible work of salvation wrought for us on the Cross. 

Beloved Jesus, grant me the graces I need to enter fully into these divine mysteries with the Church, and You will at last hear my prayers and break into the hard hearts of those family members who continue to resist Your love. Bring about their salvation, Lord, before it is too late.

We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

TUESDAY OF WEEK 6 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him. JN 14:23

JAMES 1:12-18

My Soul's Beloved, 

Trials abound in my life and in the lives of those dearest to me. Today, I am reminded that in the testing, our character is revealed. Most of our troubles are a direct result of the sinful choices we make, and they affect not just the sinner but the entire family. We fail to consider our actions. We are ignorant of Scripture that warns us over and over of the consequences of disobedience to Your Word, and when tribulations and suffering are our lot because of the bad choices we have made, we become disconsolate, worried, anxious, and we chafe at the weight of the cross that we have brought upon ourselves.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, You know that we are sheep and we need You, our Good Shepherd, to seek us, lead us, heal us, and assist us to receive all that You desire to give us. Thank You, Lord.

Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proved himself, and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Never, when you have been tempted, say, ‘God sent the temptation’; God cannot be tempted to do anything wrong, and he does not tempt anybody. Everyone who is tempted is attracted and seduced by his own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it too has a child, and the child is death.
Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers: it is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.

PSALM 93(94):12-15,18-19

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,
whom you train by means of your law;
to him you give peace in evil days
while the pit is being dug for the wicked.

The Lord will not abandon his people
nor forsake those who are his own;
for judgement shall again be just
and all true hearts shall uphold it.

When I think: ‘I have lost my foothold’;
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
When cares increase in my heart
your consolation calms my soul.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

MARK 8:14-21

My Soul's Beloved, 

Truly, Lord, I have no perception. My mind is closed. I have conveniently shut my mind to the countless blessings You have showered on my family and me. I am obtuse. Today You say to me, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ Why is your heart heavy? Why are you letting your black mood and your sour disposition color your relationship with those you love? This is displeasing to Me. 

Lord Jesus, I am truly sorry for forgetting that You are good, kind, faithful, loving, compassionate, and full of mercy. Grant me the grace to focus on Your blessings rather than on the trials and crosses laid on my loved ones and me. It is only through suffering endured with grace that we can receive a share in Your glory.

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’

MONDAY OF WEEK 6 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me. JN 14:6

JAMES 1:1-11

My Soul's Beloved, 

I asked You to speak to me, to speak to my heart, to speak to me in the midst of the heaviness in my soul and You did. You answered me. You, O Lord, are faithful and You are good, and You always hear the cry of the needy.

Thank You for Your word today from St. James, who reminds us that suffering is necessary for every Christian who desires to walk in the Way of Life and Truth. Beloved, it was Your ignominious passion and death that wrought our salvation. We are invited to make Your Cross our boast, for in and through the Cross alone are we saved. All too often, Lord, when we find the weight of the cross too heavy to bear, especially when it is our loved ones who suffer, and we suffer because they are suffering, then it becomes doubly hard because we want them to find relief, and it does not seem to come. Disappointment follows on the heels of disappointment, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. It is precisely at this time that we are reminded that trials are given to us to test our faith and to help us grow in patience.

Thank You for answering me through Your Word. It is not easy, Lord, but knowing that uniting my trials with Your suffering will produce in me the virtues necessary to walk in faith, hope, and love as I sojourn from this life to the life to come, where sorrow and tears will end, and I will behold the beatific vision in perfect joy eternally.

From James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion.
My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.
If there is any one of you who needs wisdom, he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him. But he must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him anything.
It is right for the poor brother to be proud of his high rank, and the rich one to be thankful that he has been humbled, because riches last no longer than the flowers in the grass; the scorching sun comes up, and the grass withers, the flower falls; what looked so beautiful now disappears. It is the same with the rich man: his business goes on; he himself perishes.

PSALM 118(119):67-68,71-72,75-76

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

Before I was afflicted I strayed
but now I keep your word.
You are good and your deeds are good;
teach me your statutes.

It was good for me to be afflicted,
to learn your statutes.
The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,
that you afflicted me justly.
Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

MARK 8:11-13

My Soul's Beloved,

The only sign a Christian needs is the Sign of the Cross, from which flows the redemption of the whole world. To this day, the hearts of the Pharisees of this present world are hardened against the Truth just as God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. They refuse to believe that the Messiah has come. The Savior has redeemed the world, and we are to live in righteousness and truth. The opposition of those who refuse to believe is because they are so in love with their sins that they deliberately close themselves off to divine revelation. 

The Sign is given to us, and all who wish to be saved embrace it. In the Cross alone are we redeemed, sanctified, and made perfect so we too may share in Your Crown of glory. Those who refuse, You give up with a sigh for You, O Lord, have created us free, and with this beautiful gift of freedom, we make the choice to be eternally damned or saved.

The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.