Monday, July 7, 2025

MONDAY OF WEEK 14 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2TIM 1:10


GENESIS 28:10-22

My Soul's Beloved,

Jacob was far from perfect. He took advantage of his brother's weakness and stole his birthright. At his mother's instigation, he also stole the blessing that their father meant for Esau. Yet God continues to be faithful. He remembers the covenant he made with Abraham and his descendants, and he remained with Jacob all through his self-exile until he brought him back to his homeland in safety.

Beloved, we are God's new Covenant people by the Blood of the Lamb and sealed in the Holy Spirit. Baptism has put an indelible mark on our soul, claiming us eternally for You as a member of Your Body, and of the household of God. 

You have appointed an angel to be our guardian from the moment of our conception, and he is commanded to pray for us. He remains before You and with us to intercede for us, carry our prayers to You, and carry Your blessings to us. He remains with us through our sojourn on earth and will accompany us on our final journey from here to the Kingdom of God.

Thank You, Lord, for caring for me, unworthy though I am. Thank You for bringing me from darkness into Your own marvelous light. Thank You for the grace and gift of being Catholic. Thank You for Your mercies that are new each morning and for Your assurance that You will never leave me or abandon me but will remain with me always.

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he had reached a certain place he passed the night there, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones to be found at that place, he made it his pillow and lay down where he was. He had a dream: a ladder was there, standing on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and there were angels of God going up it and coming down. And the Lord was there, standing over him, saying, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants shall be like the specks of dust on the ground; you shall spread to the west and the east, to the north and the south, and all the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.
‘Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go, and bring you back to this land, for I will not desert you before I have done all that I have promised you.’
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Truly, the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than a house of God; this is the gate of heaven!’ Rising early in the morning, Jacob took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up as a monument, pouring oil over the top of it. He named the place Bethel, but before that the town was called Luz.
Jacob made this vow, ‘If God goes with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return home safely to my father, then the Lord shall be my God. This stone I have set up as a monument shall be a house of God.’

PSALM 90(91):1-4,14-15

My God, in you I trust.


He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge.

Since he clings to me in love, I will free him;
protect him for he knows my name.
When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’
I will save him in distress.

My God, in you I trust.


MATTHEW 9:18-26

My Soul's Beloved,

No sooner did the official ask You to come and heal his daughter, even though You were speaking to Your disciples and to the crowd, You rose immediately and accompanied him. You are a God of tender compassion. You are moved by the sight of our tears, by our suffering, especially when we suffer for our children's sake. Every prayer we make for them, for their well-being, for their salvation, for grace and restoration - You will hear and You will answer. Of this, every parent who implores You importunately night and day may be sure.

You accompanied the official to his home, and the huge crowd who were with You came with You as well. The crush of people was so great that they were pressing close to You, and one sick, sad, desperate woman in the crowd crawled up to You. You were her last resort. Having exhausted all her resources and having nothing more to lose, she risked being found out and condemned as unclean, as she crawled on her hands and knees on the dusty road, almost trampled upon by the crowd, and reached out with trembling fingers to touch just the hem of Your garment, certain that if she did so she would be healed of the shameful disease that had plagued her for twelve years. As soon as she did, You knew it. This touch was different - it was a prayer, and it immediately stirred a response in You. She was healed instantly. Try as she might to remain hidden, You would not permit it. Her faith in You was to be rewarded, and generations to come, until Your return, would remember her. Contemplate and meditate on her action and Your response to her act of faith, and all who did so would be filled with hope, faith would be reignited, and we would approach You in prayer and receive the miracles we have been pleading for just as she did.

As for the official's daughter, she died before You could reach the house, and there was a great commotion as the mourners already started their dirge. But You commanded that they clear the house, saying,  Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ They laughed to scorn, but they were turned out summarily while You took the little girl by the hand and she stood up just as You took Peter's mother-in-law by the hand, and immediately the fever left her and she got out of bed and began to serve. 

Touch me and heal me in every way that I need healing, Beloved, and rising up may I serve You all the days that are left to me. Thank You.

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.
When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts;
let the message of Christ find a home with you. COL 3:15, 16


ISAIAH 66:10-14


My Soul's Beloved,

This beautiful hymn of praise can be applied most fittingly to the Church You founded. She is the new Jerusalem whose gates are thrown wide open to all. No one is denied entry, and all who wish to come in are welcome. The arms of Holy Mother Church are large enough to embrace everyone. She feeds all on the Bread of Life. Through the divinely instituted Sacraments, which her priests have the authority to dispense, she has the power to wash every stain of every sin, no matter how grave, of every penitent who is truly contrite and repentant.  The Sacraments are life-giving and stream in torrents from her maternal bosom and cause all who drink from it to bear good, abundant fruit that will last.  

Beloved, it is sad when we hear the words in the liturgy and in Scripture that say many who hear and believe will be saved because not everyone who hears will believe. It is a personal choice we must make, either for life or death. No one is saved by force but by choice, for it is God who has given us the gift of free will, and He will respect the choices we make for good or ill. 

However, Beloved, it is only in the bosom of Holy Mother Church that the human soul can flourish, thrive, and become all that God desires it to be, because it was instituted by You for all who wish to belong to the family of God. 

Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.


PSALM 65(66):1-7,16,20


Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!

‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.

He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.

Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

GALATIANS 6:14-18

My Soul's Beloved,

The lives of the Apostles and every great saint in the glorious annals of the history of Holy Mother Church, as well as any one who desires to be a saint witnesses to this truth - unless we are prepared to follow closely in Your footsteps and emulate You in all the trials of our life, the more we resemble You, the crucified Lord, the more we are willing to expend our lives for love, to that extent alone will we become alter Christus in the world.

The Apostles knew it. St. Paul knew it, St. Francis of Assisi knew it. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta knew it - unless we are willing to become another Christ and the wounds of the Crucifixion become a reality in us, we will never truly become the children of God that He intends us to be, shining, illumined, and radiating Your Light.  

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.
I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.


LUKE 10:1-12,17-20

My Soul's Beloved,

To the Church is given all authority and all power to do what You did during Your public ministry. The Breath of the Spirit that You breathed on the Apostles, and the fullness of the Spirit they received at Pentecost, is handed down to their successors in an unbroken line that goes back all the way to St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles. We, too, who are members of Your Body, have received that same Spirit. You assure us that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we would do all that You did and even greater things. This is true for the lives of many saints testify to this promise You have given us.

The problem is not with the authority and power You have given us, but in the measure with which we believe this to be true. The more we are willing to trust in Your Word, the greater will be the works we do by the power with the power of the Spirit dwelling in us. The more we are willing to strip ourselves of all that is unworthy of children of God and the more we rely on You, the more we will become like You.

Too few among us are willing to be humble always, patient in suffering, serene under persecution, calm under all provocation, gentle, compassionate, and understanding in all circumstances. Loving all, not just those whom we like or those who are easy to love. The true test of love is the extent to which we are prepared to pour ourselves out as a libation for our brothers and sisters, as You did. 

You will grant us all that is necessary, O Lord, depending on our sincerity in desiring to become like You. Grant us this grace, O Lord, give us the generosity of heart, and the certainty of will by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we will conquer the world for Your greater glory, O Lord.   

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.
‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.
‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’