SATURDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTERTIDE - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Christ has risen, he who created all things,
and has granted his mercy to men.

ACTS 6:1-7

My Soul's Beloved,

All too often, because the laity are less than generous in offering their services to the Church, priests are found to be busy with work that takes them away from the real task for which they were ordained - that of prayer, preaching, teaching, and administering the Sacraments. Many tasks within our parishes can be very well executed by the lay faithful; sadly, the excuses that are made are like the ones made by those who were invited to the banquet. All believed they had legitimate excuses, but that is not how God viewed it.

Priests are called by God, and are consecrated and anointed by You by the laying on of hands by the bishop. Priests lay hands on those willing to serve the parish so that they, too, may do what is required of them in a spirit of filial love for the members of the parish.

Let us pray that those who answer this call of the Holy Spirit to serve may do so for the right reasons. Not like the Pharisees to be seen and to be admired and praised, but humbly, with the attitude of a servant. A loving and generous heart offered in service of Your people, O Lord, You will bless greatly in this life and even more abundantly in the life to come.

About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.

PSALM 32(33):1-2,4-5,18-19

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

JOHN 6:16-21

They saw Jesus walking on the lake

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14

1 SAMUEL 1:20-22,24-28

My Soul's Beloved,

All I have You have given me. You have blessed me immensely from the moment I was conceived in my mother's womb and You have been with me always. Thank You for the children You blessed me with and one that in Your wisdom You took to Yourself. All my children O Lord I have always offered to You, even though they are mine, the first belonged to You and they are Yours forever.

Beloved, Hannah longed for a child with a longing that consumed her whole being and she pleaded with God to give her her heart's desire and God did bless her with a son, Samuel. God had taken away her shame and her disgrace but she did not cling to the gift that was given to her but freely, unreservedly gave him back to God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, I give You my family, my children, and I ask nothing more than this Beloved, that You keep them save in Your love and bring them home at last to Yourself eternally.

Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, and called him Samuel ‘since’ she said ‘I asked the Lord for him.’

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’

PSALM 83(84):2-3,5-6,9-10

My Soul's Beloved,

We are Yours purchased by Your Blood. We belong irrevocably to You and we are happy and fulfilled when we nestle close to Your Heart. It is when we wander away from the path of holiness and righteousness that we fall prey to the wiles of the Enemy. Grant us wisdom, Lord, that we may always say no to the flesh and to keep our gaze fixed on the prize which is the Kingdom of God.

Lord God, our Savior, and Redeemer, never let us be parted from You. Reach out to us and prevent us from making choices that lead us astray. You give us life and You fill us with Your Spirit as long as we are united with You we will live the abundant life and bear good fruit, fruit that will last.

My Lord and my God, be merciful to us O Lord and do not permit us to stray from You and finally bring us safely to our rest never to be parted from You.

How lovely is your dwelling place,

Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning,
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.

They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer,

give ear, O God of Jacob.
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield,
look on the face of your anointed.

They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.

1 JOHN 3:1-2,21-24

My Soul's Beloved,

We are baptized into Your Body and are members of the family of God. We are privileged to call God, Your Father, our Abba. You have poured Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and it is the Spirit that enables us to cry out, to the glory of God, that You are Lord. 

Beloved, how easily we could have been born outside the faith, outside the Church, but through no merit of ours except Your sheer goodness and mercy, we were born in a Catholic home and received the free gift of faith. Thank You, Lord, for not permitting us to stray too far from embrace in our Youth and when we were tempted to do so, You led us back gently back into the fold.

My Lord, I believe, in Your time and in Your way You will bring back every member of my family home to the Catholic Church for only in her do You dwell in fullness and in truth. Grant the gift of Baptism to those in my family who are not baptized. I know You will hear and answer me for this is the desire of our Father as well. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

My dear people,
if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God’s presence,
and whatever we ask him,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments
lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

LUKE 2:41-52

My Soul's Beloved,

For twelve years You lived quietly under the loving and watchful gaze of Mother Mary and Joseph. Yes, You were the Son of Mary but they were also aware that You were the Son of God and they only knew as much about Your divinity as was revealed to them, which was not much. They accepted everything on faith. Having been chosen by God to nurture, watch over, and protect the Child they surrendered their whole lives to fulfilling the great honor God had bestowed on them.

When as usual, that year, they prepared for the yearly trip to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover they had no way of knowing that everything would change for them from then on. The journey to Jerusalem was unremarkable, they had made this journey to and fro without incident for eleven years and had no reason to believe that his trip would be any different. On the way back home to Nazareth, after a day's journey, everything changed for Mary and Joseph. One can only imagine the terror that struck them when they discovered You were not with the caravan.

My Lord and my God, parents from time immemorial have suffered because of their children. The terror, sorrow, and numbing grief that strikes the hearts of parents is so great and never quite leaves us. We can lose our children in so many ways and there are times that they may never return. In times like these Lord, we can turn to Mary and Joseph and take comfort that they too suffered as we do and they will pray and intercede for us.

It is hard O Lord not to cling to our children. We learn from Hannah to give back to God what He has freely given us. We learn from Mary and Joseph to not give up hope but to search for You until we find You. Too often we lose You because of wrong choices that we make and they take us further and further away from You but if we keep our gaze on You and look for You with a contrite heart and a broken spirit we will find You. 

Mary and Joseph were struck with wonder when they did find You on the third day and their hearts were filled with joy. Yet the sorrow never quite left them even though You returned home to Nazareth with them and from then on You were obedient to them as You grew in age and wisdom. Mary, in particular, we are told, kept all these things in her heart and pondered on them.

Lord Jesus, grant us the grace also to keep Your Word in our hearts, ponder on all that happens to us in the light of the Gospel, and allow all that occurs in our lives to be moments in which we grow in wisdom and in stature after the heart, mind, and will of God.

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2022

PASSION WEEK 2022

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Hail to you, our King!
Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion
as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.

ISAIAH 49:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Before the dawn of creation the Creator knew that the crown of His creation would reject Him and even then He made provision to redeem the world through His Son. 

God created Adam and Eve, they sinned, they rejected God, and were banished from paradise but God sought a way to restore what His creatures had so callously rejected. 

Beloved, we must always be alert and awake to God's call - He called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel and a host of others from the Old Testament to the New and He continues to do until the end of time.

With God, nothing is lost and He can redeem all things by the power of His Word, His Eternal Word, the Incarnate Word who lived among us and was like us in all things save sin.

Israel rejected You just as our first parents rejected God and the world continues to reject You, Beloved. But all is not lost. You are the Light of the World and Your Light has gone out to all the nations and through the power of Your Holy Spirit the world is slowly but surely being reconciled to through the lives of all who believe in You, hope in You, and shine Your Light in the world. 

JOHN 13:21-33,36-38 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

There is much we can learn about You and ourselves as we contemplate this passage. The fact that You were troubled in spirit reveals that You were fully human. When we know that we have to face difficult, even painful times we too become troubled, and worse we stress, we are fearful, anxious, and lose our peace. 

But despite the fact that You knew exactly what was ahead of You there were things You had to say and do and You did so resolutely. You revealed to them that one of Your closest friends seated at the table eating bread with You and the rest was to betray You. At once all wondered who among them was the guilty one. To John, who asked You directly, 'Who is it, Lord!' You responded, ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 

The evangelist says,  At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. And addressing him You said,  ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ So many of us partake of the Holy Eucharist with unclean lips and unclean hearts and it does us no good but renders us even more unclean. If only we knew how we, like Judas, betray the Son of Man and the Son of God when we approach the Eucharist without first going to Confession to be absolved of grave sins, we would die rather than eat Your Body and drink Your Blood.

As soon as Judas had partaken of the Eucharist he had eaten condemnation to himself, Satan entered him and he rose up to do his dastardly deed, and John tells us, 'Night had fallen.'

Every grievous sin results in night falling on our soul.

You continue to talk to and encourage the rest of Your friends around the table. Soon they would be scattered by fear and You would be bereft of all companionship except that of Your Mother, the faithful women, and the disciple You loved - they alone remained steadfast to the end. 

When You announced to the group that the hour for Your departure was drawing near and they could not follow where You were going, Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’

Beloved, keep us humble, keep us aware of how much we need grace, and let us cling to You lest in our pride and our self-confidence we lose our soul.

Only in humility and obedience can we hope to be glorified with You as You are glorified by Your Father.

MONDAY OF WEEK TWELVE IN ORDINARY TIME - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth. JN 17:17

2 KINGS 17:5-8, 13-15, 18

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Sin separates us from God, blocks our ability to receive God's help and grace and makes us vulnerable to attacks from the Enemy. This is what happened to the people of God over and over again. Every time they turned away from the Lord and worshiped other gods they were taken as prisoners and exiled.

All that the word of God says in this passage taken from the Book of Kings can be applied to us today. Despite every warning that without You and without the Law and Rule of Love as the guiding principles of our life we are doomed, we simply will not listen. 

".... they were more stubborn than their ancestors had been who had no faith in the Lord their God. They despised his laws and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They pursued emptiness, and themselves became empty through copying the nations round them although the Lord had ordered them not to act as they did. For this, the Lord was enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

But there is still a faithful remnant, there is always is, even in the worst of times and through their prayers, sacrifices, and incessant cries for compassion and forgiveness for those who stray, Your tender and compassionate heart will hear and answer their prayers.

PSALM 60:3-5, 12-13

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Hear us, O Lord, and help us.

This cry of lamentation of the psalmist is our own. In Your great mercy hear and answer us O Lord. We are afflicted and  helpless. We need Your intervention for the help of humans is in vain. Do not reject our cry, do not turn away from us or we will perish. Our churches are closed and they will remain closed until You destroy this invisible enemy.

Our spiritual health is at risk. We are unable to receive You in Holy Communion which is the primary source of our spiritual nourishment and growth. We need this heavenly Manna, Beloved, have pity on us and restore the Sacraments to us lest we perish.

MATHEW 7:1-5

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

This is one of those passages in the the Gospel when You speak to Your disciples bluntly, forcefully  and with absolute clarity. What You said to them applies to us as well, for we too are Your disciples.

We are all guilty of being too eager to judge quickly and often maliciously. It is a deep, underlying fault within us. We do so because we hope to take the glaring spotlight away from our own deep-seated faults. 

Let us pay close attention to what You say to us today and refrain from being so quick to criticize in future. ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.’

Job 7:1-4, 6-7, Psalm 147:1-6, 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23, Mark 1:29-39

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. Mt. 8:17

Job 7:1-4, 6-7, Psalm 147:1-6, 
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23, Mark 1:29-39

Job 7:1-4, 6-7

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Poor Job's life was filled with misery because of the many tragedies that befell him one after the other. He believed God had abandoned him and he would never know joy again. 

But we too ought to know that we are only pilgrims on earth. We ought not to get caught up in this life rather our whole being must yearn for our true home which is with You. The days allotted to us may seem dreary and filled with sorrow, sickness, loss, grief, and with good things as well. But we are to remember that we were not created for the world but for God and for Him alone. Everything we do, everything that occurs in our life,  must prepare us for the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Psalm 147:1-6

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Praise is on the lips of those who love you in all circumstances. It is not dependent on anything - the soul that loves You is constantly aware of You, lives in Your Presence, does all things only to please You. The soul that has experienced Your love, knows that You overshadow it always and exults with joy even in the midst of sorrow and hardship. Knowing in whom my soul has placed its trust, knowing that You are love and compassion, goodness, kindness, and mercy, it yields to You always and looks to You to heal and bless. You are great and mighty and yet, You look upon me, Your poor, frail, weak, sinful nothing and You love me extravagantly, passionately, infinitely, and forever. Thank You.

Almighty God, You who know the number of the stars and have given each its name know me as well more intimately than I know myself.

1 Samuel 15:16-23, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21 and 23, Mark 2:18-22

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Heb 4:12

1 Samuel 15:16-23, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21 and 23, Mark 2:18-22


1 Samuel 15:16-23

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The sin of presumption is a terrible sin. We cannot fail to do God's in precisely the manner in which He requires us to do it. We cannot decide for ourselves the extent to which we will obey and whether we can compromise partly believing that we know better than Him. God knew exactly why He commanded Saul to destroy the enemy and everything that belonged to him yet, Saul decided that he knew better than God and tried to justify his actions to Samuel.

We ought to be humble and do exactly as God desires trusting that even though we may not fully comprehend we must obey. 

Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21 and 23

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You remind us today that You are more pleased with us when we obey You than when we do things, even good things for You rather than doing what You desire us to do. This required humility, a childlike spirit, it means being docile to Your Spirit. It means being like You - Your will was always perfectly conformed to that of Your Father.

Teach me Beloved that it is better to obey than to offer sacrifice. God loves nothing more than one who is meek and humble of heart.

Mark 2:18-22

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today You remind us that there is a time to fast and a time to refrain from fasting. As long as the Bridegroom is with us fasting is not required rather we are called to enjoy Your Presence and delight in being with You and having You in our midst.

Even in the Church we have times during Lent and Advent when the Church requires that we fast and do some penance in order to discipline our body. However, the Church requires that we do this in moderation and not to become scrupulous about our fasting. It is far more pleasing to God if we love Him and each other and our love is made visible in humble service. 

Romans 9:1-5, Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20, Luke 14:1-6

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me. Jn 10:27

Romans 9:1-5, Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20, Luke 14:1-6



Romans 9:1-5

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

If we must have anguish Lord, if we must suffer great sorrow then it must be for the noble reasons that St. Paul has just spoken of in today's reading. You said it Yourself in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted." You wept over Jerusalem because they rejected the time of their visitation by rejecting You. St. Paul goes so far as to say the unthinkable, he would wish himself the most accursed of all and even cut off from You if it would bring his people, the people of Israel, the chosen people of God, the people of the Covenant if they would only come to know You, recognize You and proclaim You as the One whom they have longed for through the ages.

How terrible it is to have their longing realized in You and yet be so blind that they cannot see it and they continue to look for the One who has already arrived, was born from among them, took flesh from one among them, no wonder St. Paul grieves and so must we because the world too continues to reject You as well.

What am I doing to make You known and loved?

Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

A day will come when the people whom God chose from among all nations will recognize You as the Messiah for whom they have longed through the ages. They have suffered great persecution, they have been exiled, they have been maligned, they continue to be harassed and are the target of great hatred and violence. Yet, they continue to be the people of the Covenant for God does not change and His promises are forever. 

We are grateful Beloved, that their rejection has made us the beneficiaries of the New Covenant. We are the new people of God. You have established the New Jerusalem from Gentiles, outsiders. We have received the Word that they rejected. The Cornerstone that they refused is the Cornerstone on which You have built Your Church.

However, the people of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are God's chosen and in the end they will accept the Word that sprung forth from among them.

Luke 14:1-6

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is the Sabbath. You are invited to dine at the home of one of the prominent Pharisees who has only invited You so that he had is peers could scrutinize You and look for ways to trap You and humiliate You in front of the other guests. From the moment You entered they kept a watchful eye on You. They thought that the ideal opportunity presented itself when a man suffering from dropsy was also present. They knew for a fact You would heal him and this was not permitted on a Sabbath.

You did exactly what they expected You healed the man and dismissed him then turning to Your adversaries You made clear their hypocrisy and their perverseness because they denied the care they extended over their livestock on a Sabbath to a human being. You silenced them on this occasion at least. 

Help me Lord never to hinder Your work but to collaborate generously with those who do.

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life. Phil 2:15, 16

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10, 
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You choose who you will to accomplish Your will. Here we see how God chooses a pagan king Cyrus and used him to send the people of God back home after years of exile. Our God is God of the unexpected, He does what He wills and who will say to Him, 'No.' This is why I must be docile in spirit knowing that God often chooses those who we might reject so there can be no dispute that it is Your work, Your power that brings about the impossible through the most unexpected people. All You need is a humble heart and a willing spirit.

Cyrus was successful because God was with him. God used him. God inspired him to do what He wished to accomplish through his office as king. It is good for us to always remember that if we are alive, it is because God wills it. It is You who choose, You who call, You who raise us up, You who prepare, You who equip, You who send - we are only Your instruments.  The work is Yours, the victory is Yours, the glory is Yours. Thank You Beloved for calling me and using me if only in very small to shine my little light which though small is really Your light and not my own.

Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

One of the best ways, a way most pleasing to You, is when we come together as God's family on the Lord's Day, and offer You, as one body, the glory, the praise, the worship, that is Your due as our Lord and our God.  The most fitting praise that can be offered is the Liturgy, in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in the Holy Eucharist where we offer to the Father the Gift of His Son whom He sent into the world in expiation for our sins. 

Here we offer God a Sacrifice of Praise, Adoration, Worship, and we receive in turn the Flesh of the Son of Man to eat and the Blood of the Son of Man to drink so we can become what You are and receive strength on our journey to the Father's house. Let us not forget to wear the wedding garment when we come before You, the garment of righteousness, the garment received at our baptism, unstained and unwrinkled because they have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

We did not receive the Gospel cheaply. It came at a terrible price beginning with the price paid at Calvary and subsequently the price paid by all who in imitation of You laid down their lives for You and for the Gospel.

There is no such thing as cheap grace. Our salvation was bought on the Cross and in exchange for our death You have given us the hope of eternal life. We thank You Beloved for the long line of witnesses beginning with the Apostles who have endured much suffering even to the laying down of their lives so that the Good News could be preached to the ends of the earth. Thank You Beloved for each one of them and grant that I too may do my part faithfully, no matter how small it may be to carry on this wonderful mission given to me at my baptism to make You known and loved wherever I may be.

Matthew 22:15-21

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

There are many in the world who are wolves in sheep clothing. They want to devour, to plunder, to destroy, and are prepared to use guile and deceit in order to trap and ensnare just like the Pharisees who sent their disciples and the Herodians to do their dirty work. 

What they said was true, You are the embodiment of Truth and it is also true that You were not concerned with the opinion of men but of God, Your Father alone. They thought they were being very clever when they asked You a question that would damn You either in the eyes of the authorities or the people. Filled with malicious glee one can almost see them rejoicing that they had got You. Fools. You saw through them instantly and called them hypocrites to their face letting them know that You were not fooled by them for an instant. They had no way of responding to Your response for there was no response to the Wisdom of the Word. 

"Whose image is this and whose inscription?" 
They replied, "Caesar's."

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."


We are called to obey civil authorities, and civil laws no matter how unpleasant we find them for it is You who have given us those in the world who will govern us, just so long as they do not ask us to do what is evil, what is wrong, what goes against God's law. And we must be vigilant in rendering to You, our Lord and our God what belongs to God. Our love, our worship, our obedience always and everywhere.

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5 & 7, John 21:2-25

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth. Jn 16: 7, 13

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5 & 7, John 21:2-25


Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

Dear Love,

Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, was finally in Rome the place Your Gospel was already being preached  by Peter and now by him. It was God's plan that the Jews who were already here would also hear the Good News of salvation and how their long awaited Messiah had come into the world and had become the Passover Sacrifice for the sins of mankind. 

The seed of the Word was being sown and many came to believe. Your mission in Rome lasted two years before You called him home to share Your glory.

When we are sensitive to Your call and we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit we know that we will be able to labor in Your vineyard and we will see the fruit that this labor brings. We keep our gaze on the goal which is the establishing of Your Kingdom on earth and when we have accomplished all that God desires we will receive the prize - life forever in Your Presence.

Psalm 11:4-5 & 7

Dear Love,

We have Your assurance that we will gaze upon Your Face and be filled with joy. You are in heaven as You are on earth enthroned in the hearts of all who believe. You remain with us in our tabernacles because You cannot be parted from us and You desire that we have the same hunger and thirst for You.

Thank You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for keeping Your gaze upon us all. We need never be afraid, for no matter what happens to our mortal bodies our soul has a glorious destination eternally. 

John 21:2-25

Dear Love,

Peter was curious. He was flawed. He was weak as we all are. We also see from this exchange between You and Him that we ought not to worry about things that do not concern us.  We are called to keep our focus on our mission. Useless curiosity is a waste of time and God's plans for others  is between Him and them. 

Great as Your love is for us Beloved, You will not indulge our weaknesses. There is a work to be done and it is better for us to put our hand on the plow and labor than waste time in idle curiosity about persons and things that are no concern of ours.  

Genesis 2:18-25, Psalm 128:1-5, Mark 7:24-30

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls. Jas 1:21

Genesis 2:18-25, Psalm 128:1-5, Mark 7:24-30

Genesis 2:18-25

My soul's beloved, it is God's plan that we ought not to be alone. God is not solitary but a communion of Person and God knows how good it is to be in a close, loving, relationship and He wants us to know it too. Truly speaking one is never really alone if one is always in tune with the Holy Spirit that lives in us. To some is given the gift to enter into the Triune relationship more fully than those who are legitimately concerned with raising a family. Not one suitable partner was found for Adam among the birds and the animals and so the Lord put the man into a deep sleep and taking a rib from his side fashioned a woman, a mate, a partner, a compatible  partner for him. God Himself, desires us to be fulfilled, to be happy, and to collaborate with Him in bringing forth new life.

How well the writer put it:

"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman,'
for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."

That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

If only we understood what an awesome Sacrament marriage is, how closely we resemble the relationship of God in Trinity when we love with the kind of love that God loves where He pours Himself out completely in total giving to the other and receives in turn completely what is given in an eternal flow of His all consuming love. 

Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed before the fall because the loved as God desired them to love. Shame entered when sin entered and stained forever love that was meant to be sublime.

Psalm 128:1-5

My soul's beloved, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because we recognize who God is and we tremble in awe at His majesty, power, and His astounding love for us His creatures. When we know who God is and live in faith, humility, and obedience our lives begin to bear fruit in abundance and there is no lack of blessings and favors that the Lord heaps upon those who love Him. The whole family is blessed if the wife is as God desires her to be in relationship with her husband, her children and the world. Her children will be blessed and admired for they will reflect the values of the parents who raised them. How far from the ideal are our relationships in our time. However, God continues to teach us, help us, and enable us to correct our sinful ways and begin to walk anew in the light of all He has revealed to us and the life He desires us to lead. Those who live by the Word will be blessed.

Mark 7:24-30

My soul's beloved, to believe in the power of God and His Word is most pleasing to Him. This woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit was certain You could help her. She had greater faith than all the Jews who flocked around You and who had already witnessed the power of Your preaching and teaching but had seen the miracles You had performed as well. Most of them came as spectators to see wonders and signs and were not too concerned about true conversion. This gentile though did not only have great faith, but her love for her child made her bold, gave her courage. She stood her ground and was not intimated when You said that You came for the people of Israel and not for her. She said even dogs were not restricted from eating the crumbs that fell from the table. She was there for the crumbs. You were so pleased at the boldness, directness, and the fervor of her faith You granted her what she  had come to beg of You, 

 "For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter."

She received what she had come for, when she went back to her home she found her daughter was healed.  All things are possible to those who believe. Lord, increase my faith!

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-18, 12-13, Psalm 36:6-11, Matthew 13:10-17

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13, Psalm 36:6-11, 

Matthew 13:10-17

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

---- My Own, you reject Me at your own peril. Today I remind you of your first fervor when you first recognized Me as the God who loved you with a love that is like no other  It was the love of a bride for her bridegroom I was your delight and you wanted nothing more than to please Me in all things. It was  I called you, who led you from sorrow, sin and darkness into joy, peace and rest but you now take My love for you for granted You look for satisfaction in the things that can lead you to exile. Listen to Me. Return to Me with all your heart and enjoy once again the fullness and perfection of My love. It is a love that never fails.

Psalm 36:6-11

My soul's beloved, draw me back to You my Lord. Forgive my foolishness forgive my sins pardon my offences, remove my guilt and bathe me in the ocean of your love. Turn your gaze of compassion on me and remember that You lay down Your life for me in order that I may be reconciled once again to You.

It is true that I am weak I am frail I fall and I close my ears to the gentle voice of wisdom . Do not permit me to sin help me I cannot help myself. Act on my behalf. I renounce my will and embrace Your will for my life. Draw me to yourself and permit me to be lost in You. I desire to please you alone in all things help my desire Lord .

Matthew 13:10-17

My soul's beloved, sin dulls my ability to hear the Voice of the Spirit. Sin separates me from You. The greater the distance that my sins create between You my Life and me. Do not permit me to grow away from You for if You do I shall die. I surrender my will to You this day simply because I cannot trust it do choose the right, the good, the true, the perfect, the beautiful. I know I ought but I choose to do otherwise. So I beg You this day my beloved to grant me this gift and this grace to permit Your Holy Spirit to take control of me completely and direct every impulse aligning my will to His. directing me from this moment and until the end of my days in the way that will bring me eternal life in Your Kingdom.

2 Kings 22:8-13, 33:1-3, Psalm 119:33-37 & 40, Matthew 7:15-20

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

2 Kings 22:8-13, 33:1-3, Psalm 119:33-37 & 40, Matthew 7:15-20

Remain at my side my Beloved so my heart can rest in You

2 Kings 22:8-13, 33:1-3

My Beloved, Eternal Unchangeable, Everliving Word of the Father You dwell in fullness in Your Holy Church, You are never far from us for we the Church are in You and You are in us. God desires that we obey His commandments the first is to love Him above all and before all with all our heart, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as well as we love ourselves.  The Law of Love is written in the hearts of all who belong to You, when we keep obey this Law You abide in us and we abide in You.

Psalm 119:33-37 & 40

My Beloved, You did more than explain Your commandments, You lived it out by laying down Your life in love to save us from eternal death.   You gave us understanding when You said there is no greater love than one a man lays down his life for his friend.  Your Holy Spirit abides in me and guides me in the way of Truth, my joy and my peace come from obedience to the Truth.  

My Beloved, You know me well and You know that all I confess of myself is true.  I am weak, selfish, sinful, lazy, self-willed, self-indulgent, self-righteous often, and prideful too this is why You need to remain at my side so my heart can rest in You, be strengthened and directed by You.  

Your life-giving Word empowers and enlightens my spirit so I can do all things according to Your will.  Renew my life my Beloved as my souls feasts on You and is nourished by You in the Eucharist.

Matthew 7:15-20

My Beloved, You tell us that the the one sure way to discern if something is good or bad is to look its fruit.  A good tree bears good and a bad tree bad fruit.  It is asinine to expect a positive outcome when we or anyone does what is wrong.  When we rid our lives of sin, when we are grafted on to You, when the life giving sap of Your Spirit courses through us, the fruit we produce will be good fruit that will last.

Thank You my Beloved for teaching  us how to discern good from evil.  The fruit produced will enable us to recognize what is good and reject what is evil.

Acts 13:13-25, Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 & 27, John 13:16-20

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Acts 13:13-25, Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 & 27, John 13:16-20

Acts 13:13-25

My Beloved, we see from these verses that God is the principle director of human affairs.  It is He who chooses, He calls, He leads, He appoints, He gives, He empowers, He removes, He raises up and He affirms, acknowledges and rewards. He fulfills the promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that through their descendant He would send You, His Son, to do for His creatures what it was impossible for us to do for ourselves.  

He would start over, there would be a new beginning to meet the enemy head on and crush the power he had won over the children of God through their disobedience.  Your obedience to the will of Your Father would vanquish the powers of darkness forever.

Thank You Father for the Gift of Your Son. Thank You Jesus for the Gift of You Holy Spirit.

 
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 & 27

Every Liturgy celebrates Your love and Your faithfulness.  We are in awe of the Father who did not spare You, His only beloved Son but sent You into the world to lay down Your life for His sinful creatures who but for the mercy of God were destined to live in eternal darkness.

David is only a symbol of what God would accomplish through You.  Empowered by the power of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit that binds You to the Father in love, You came into the world to show us the way back to God.  You are now raised high, seated at the right hand of the Father in glory and honor.  He has made You the Rock, the Fortress, the Delivery, the Cornerstone, the Messiah, the Savior of the people He created who having disobeyed Him lost their heritage would have it restored through You my Lord and my God.

John 13:16-20

My Beloved, Lucifer and the fallen angels were thrown out of heaven into the abyss because of pride.  You who are the Son of God and equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit made Yourself a Servant obedient to the Father's will.  To serve God in our neighbor is our highest calling.  We take our cue from You.  You showed us how service rendered in love, humility and obedience is one of the best forms of homage we can render God.

You promise to bless us when we live as You desires us to.  Each one of us is called by name and chosen for a mission.  Grant O  Lord that we treat with great respect and love those who serve us for Your sake especially those whom You have consecrated and anointed servants as priests and religious.

Romans 14:7-12, Psalm 27:1, 4 13-14, Luke 15:1-10

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Romans 14:7-12, Psalm 27:1, 4 13-14, Luke 15:1-10

Romans 14:7-12

_____ my own, in life or in death you are Mine.  Remember, mortal breath lasts but a moment and while it lasts you are often called to bear physical, mental or spiritual suffering.  Can you not bear the cross in love and walk a mile with Me to Calvary? Can you not carry your burden as I carry Mine and keep me company? When in agony, can you not keep vigil in My own agony in Gethsemane, there where I sweat blood?  It will be only for a while.  

I have conquered and destroyed death but there are too many who are indifferent to the price that was demanded and which was paid in perfect love so that all men shall live.  Die with Me and in Me you shall live again eternally.

Life on earth must give way to death, but through its door, you _______, my very own, shall enter in eternal union with Me.  Love is the key to everything and love alone makes all worthwhile for love alone prevails.  Love stooped from heaven to die so you my may live with Me whose Name has always been and ever will be Love Incarnate.

Psalm 27:1, 4 13-14

You my Beloved, are my Light, my Salvation, my Stronghold, my Deliverer.  What need I fear whom Love upholds me when I am awake and even while I sleep.  In life or death my Lord, I know that I belong to You alone.  My only prayer has ever been to dwell in You and that You dwell in me.  You have made my heart Your home and You take pleasure in the abode You make in me.  When for a while You stoop to enter through the open door into my heart, when I receive You, God's priceless Jewel in the Sacrament of Love, my hope is sure for it rests in You my Lord.  You make me strong, Your put to rest all fear, in life Beloved and in death, You have claimed me for Yourself and I need never fear.

Luke 15:1-10

My Beloved, there is nothing more satisfying or joyous than when those who've wandered  far from Love and Truth come home.  They walked for many years in ways where wisdom long had raised her voice in soft rebuke but was never heard.  We are called to pray and fast for those we love until the day grace penetrates and breaks every barrier and love finds a way into the soul and draws him or her back into the shelter of the fold.

Hear my prayer for all I love Beloved and grant that these Your sheep be found and returned to the Shepherd's Fold, the coin long lost restored to God treasury.