MONDAY OF WEEK 23 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-8

My Soul's Beloved,

Sexual immorality appears to have reached the pinnacle in our day and age. The level of depravity among men, women, young people, and even children is incomprehensible; all logic, common sense, and wisdom have disappeared. People actually defend evil behaviour and justify the most horrific sins, the worst of them being abortion even up to the time of birth.

Is it any wonder, Beloved, that nature rises up against us in an attempt to wash us off her bosom in the frightening natural disasters that are taking place the world over? Nations play their part in warring against each other, using their people as pawns in a game. No one cares how many innocent people lose their lives and their livelihoods as they desperately try to survive.

What is even more incomprehensible is that You have not waved Your hand across the world and annihilated us in Your just anger. We deserve punishment, O Lord, and yet You are merciful. You look on the few who are faithful, and You have compassion on the many. How much longer will we live in a world gone insane, and when, O Lord, will wisdom prevail, and the love of the Lord prevail?

I have been told as an undoubted fact that one of you is living with his father’s wife. This is a case of sexual immorality among you that must be unparalleled even among pagans. How can you be so proud of yourselves? You should be in mourning. A man who does a thing like that ought to have been expelled from the community. Though I am far away in body, I am with you in spirit, and have already condemned the man who did this thing as if I were actually present. When you are assembled together in the name of the Lord Jesus, and I am spiritually present with you, then with the power of our Lord Jesus he is to be handed over to Satan so that his sensual body may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
The pride that you take in yourselves is hardly to your credit. You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

PSALM 5:5-7,12

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

You are no God who loves evil;
no sinner is your guest.
The boastful shall not stand their ground
before your face.

You hate all who do evil;
you destroy all who lie.
The deceitful and bloodthirsty man
the Lord detests.

All those you protect shall be glad
and ring out their joy.
You shelter them; in you they rejoice,
those who love your name.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

LUKE 6:6-11

23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. 2COR 5:19

EZEKIEL 33:7-9

My Soul's Beloved,

Today we are reminded that we must be bold and courageous in calling out evil when we witness it. All too often we keep silent in the face of injustice, or when people sin gravely, especially those we love, family members or friends, out of fear of upsetting them. Correction in love, so that a soul is saved, is always better than having that soul lost forever.

The whole purpose of our life, our final goal, is to be received by You and live with You in glory forever. We must not only correct others when they sin, but we too must gladly receive correction when we stray from the path of goodness, beauty, and truth. We can only repent when we are aware of our sin. True contrition involves humility and a firm resolve, with the help of grace, to sin no more. 

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours.

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man: Wicked wretch, you are to die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life.’

PSALM 94(95):1-2,6-9

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.

Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us:
for he is our God and we
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.’

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

ROMANS 13:8-10

My Soul's Beloved,

True love, the kind of love that does not count the cost, which is sacrificial, and readily pours itself out for the good of the other, is the kind of love with which You have first loved us. As Your disciples, we are commanded to love one another with that self-same love.  We need only to look at the cross to see what authentic love looks like. It is a self-donation that does not stop to count the cost. How little there is of this kind of love in the world, although we do see it. The truth is that this kind of love is the exception, not the rule, but as Christians it ought to be so commonplace that just as it was said of early Christians, 'See how they love one another.' So it should be true of us.

Grant me this grace, O Lord, that every moment of every day I love as You invite me to. It is hard because I am selfish, impatient, and wicked, but with You providing the help I need, I can conquer my sinful nature and try to do better.

Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have carried out your obligations. All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.

MATTHEW 18:15-20

My Soul's Beloved,

We, in the Church, are past masters at discussing people's faults, failings, weaknesses, sins, behind their backs. We shred their reputations, we cover our mouths as we whisper slander to one another, and we take devilish delight in making known to all in our close cliques the latest gossip that knows no boundaries as we allow our imagination to gleefully and maliciously embellish the facts. We talk freely about the Pope, Bishops, Priests, and everyone who has a leadership role in the Church. We criticize freely all and sundry without lifting a hand to volunteer and do our part. We gossip about our neighbors and relatives. We shred reputations to ribbons based on hearsay. Today, Your Word reminds us where our real duty lies. 

If someone is doing wrong, we must have the courage to go to them and speak the truth in love, one-on-one. Not behind their back, not spread salacious gossip, but go to the person and make it known that they are committing sin. All too often, that is all it takes when we gently and lovingly correct someone. If he listens, we have won a soul back to You; if not, we are told what the next should be and the next. After doing all that we could possibly have done, we leave the outcome to You.

It is not only the Church that has a role in reconciling sinners; we too can play a part in leading our fellow sinners back to Confession and to restoration to the life of the Church. The most important thing that we can do is to always pray for one another. Pray for the Church, her leaders, and her people that we might not be a source of scandal but that our lives edify those around us and lead them also to come to know You, love You, and be saved by You, so they too can live with You forever.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’

THE BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, ON SATURDAY OF WEEK 21 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:10

JEREMIAH 1:17-19

My Soul's Beloved, 

When we do Your will, we ought not be deterred by anything, not fear, or doubt. We are to face them and any other challenges with confidence and faith, certain that You will help us accomplish what You ask of us by Your grace and will.

Fear is a terrible thing; it paralyzes us and renders us incapable of doing what we ought. We get bogged down by excuses and second-guessing, and nothing is ever accomplished. Lord, if You command us to do something, we are to do it regardless of our fears and doubts; it is only when we take the first step that You will provide all we need to do all You ask of us. 

Every baptized Catholic must take our faith seriously and not just us as members of Your Body, Lord, but the whole Church. When we do, You will make of us just what You say to the prophet Jeremiah: 

‘I, for my part, today will make you
into a fortified city,
a pillar of iron,
and a wall of bronze
to confront all this land:
the kings of Judah, its princes,
its priests and the country people.
They will fight against you
but shall not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you –
it is the Lord who speaks.’

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God and my Savior, Redeemer, and Bridegroom of my soul, grant me this grace, O Lord, not to allow cowardice or fear to steal from me the privilege You accord me to actively participate in the glorious mission of establishing Your Kingdom on earth exactly where I am.  Thank You, Lord.

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:
‘Brace yourself for action.
Stand up and tell them
all I command you.
Do not be dismayed at their presence,
or in their presence I will make you dismayed.
‘I, for my part, today will make you
into a fortified city,
a pillar of iron,
and a wall of bronze
to confront all this land:
the kings of Judah, its princes,
its priests and the country people.
They will fight against you
but shall not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you –
it is the Lord who speaks.’

PSALM 70(71):1-6,15,17

My lips will tell of your help.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me:
pay heed to me and save me.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,
a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand of the wicked.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your justice
and day by day of your help.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

MARK 6:17-29

My Soul's Beloved,

You are Truth, for this is how You identified Yourself when You said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Truth—the unvarnished truth that reveals our weaknesses, faults, frailties, concupiscence, and cowardice—is unpalatable. Often, instead of taking to heart the truths shown to us and correcting ourselves, we justify our bad behavior, deflect, become defensive and combative, grow angry at the one who has our best interests at heart, and rail against them. This was true of Herodias. She hated John the Baptist because all he said was true; being a wicked woman filled with malice, she sought to destroy him and succeeded.

Evil women without a moral compass are the bane of weak men ruled by their passions. Herod was a weak man. He knew John the Baptist spoke the truth when he called him out not only for breaking the Commandments of God but also because, as ruler of his people, his personal life caused scandal and troubled his conscience.

He had John arrested, but that was not enough for Herodias. Filled with murderous hatred, she would find no rest until she did away with him altogether, so she plotted carefully. She had no compunction about using her daughter in the most repugnant way to seduce Herod into damning his immortal soul, avenging herself against the Baptizer’s public and vociferous denunciation of Herod for marrying his brother’s wife.

Mothers have a sacred duty to raise God-fearing sons and daughters. When we disregard this duty or take it lightly, we will be judged without mercy. That her daughter had no scruples in asking for John the Baptist’s head on a platter at her mother’s behest reveals that she too was morally bankrupt.

All too often we are no better. We make excuses for our bad behavior, use euphemisms to cover our weaknesses, and talk ourselves into believing that whatever sinful activity we are engaged in is acceptable. Lord Jesus, You call us to be saints. While this is not easy, You assure us that You will provide all the grace necessary to walk the narrow way that leads to life.

Help me, Lord, not just today but every moment of every day for as long as I live. Thank You.

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of sickness among the people. MT 4:23

ISAIAH 56:1,6-7

My Soul's Beloved,

Even when You chose Abraham to be the father of Your chosen people, it was always Your intention to extend his fatherhood to all nations. You are God not only of the people of Israel, but You are the God of all the living, for we are all created by You for a glorious and eternal destiny.

Even when Adam and Eve sinned, You did not destroy them and begin again, although they deserved eternal separation from You. You loved them, and Your heart ached that they were so easily beguiled by the Enemy. You had pity on them, and although justice demanded that they be annihilated, Your mercy, tender compassion, and love won. Even then You revealed how You would heal the grave and incurable wound they had inflicted on themselves and on their seed. You would choose a Woman, and she would carry the Seed of the Father and You, O Lord, would be born of Woman whom God created immaculate from the moment of her conception.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God and Son of Mary, for opening the gates of heaven so all who love You, believe in You, and hunger and thirst for You may enter and live in the presence of the all-holy and all-loving God for all eternity.

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

PSALM 66(67):2-3,5-6,8

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

ROMANS 11:13-15,29-32

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul's explanation of how the rejection of God's chosen people makes it possible for him whom You chose to be the Apostle to the Gentiles to now know You, love You, believe in You, and receive the salvation that is possible only through You. God desires that all be saved, and while not all may accept Your invitation to belong to You, many will. Many Jews who seek the Truth in its fullness will find You. Still, those whose hardness of heart and whose deliberate blindness keep them in stubborn denial will never experience the fullness of the Truth that is embodied in You, the Savior, Redeemer, and the Messiah of the world.

Thank You, Beloved, for seeking me out personally, ministering to me, healing all my wounds, and carrying me back to the sheepfold. Keep me and all those I love, those for whom I fast and pray for daily, may all be saved so we can all meet, "merrily in heaven."

Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.
Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.

MATTHEW 15:21-28

ST. CLARE, VIRGIN, ON TUESDAY OF WEEK 19 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shoulder my yoke and learn from me,
says the Lord,
for I am gentle and humble in heart. MT 11:29

EZEKIEL 2:8-3:4

My Soul's Beloved,

You speak to me all the time through Your Spirit, through my conscience, those around me, the Church, nature - if I am open and attuned to the sound of Your Voice, I will always hear You. Grant me the grace to be attentive, to listen, to discern which voice is Yours and which is not. Help me to be obedient as I humbly surrender and do all You ask of me. I am proud, haughty, self-righteous, easily moved to impatience, annoyance, and sometimes even anger. Lord, if I consider Your Word and I allow myself to be consumed in it and allow it to consume my spirit and direct my life and my will, then I will always remain in Your will. 

Your Word is sweet, O Lord, if we embrace it and allow it to direct and shape our whole lives, granting us direction and wisdom.

I, Ezekiel, heard a voice speaking. It said, ‘You, son of man, listen to the words I say; do not be a rebel like that rebellious set. Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.’ I looked. A hand was there, stretching out to me and holding a scroll. He unrolled it in front of me; it was written on back and front; on it was written ‘lamentations, wailings, moanings.’ He said, ‘Son of man, eat what is given to you; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel.’ I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat and said, ‘Son of man, feed and be satisfied by the scroll I am giving you.’ I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey.

Then he said, ‘Son of man, go to the House of Israel and tell them what I have said.’

PSALM 118(119):14,24,72,103,111,131

Your promise is sweet to my taste, O Lord.

I rejoiced to do your will
as though all riches were mine.
Your will is my delight;
your statutes are my counsellors.

The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.
Your promise is sweeter to my taste
than honey in the mouth.

Your will is my heritage for ever,
the joy of my heart.
I open my mouth and I sigh
as I yearn for your commands.

Your promise is sweet to my taste, O Lord.

MATTHEW 18:1-5,10,12-14

My Soul's Beloved,

In a world where everyone is jostling for first place and to get ahead, uncaring of who is pushed aside and thrown down on the way to the top, You remind us to have the disposition of a child. The kingdom of God operates differently from the way the world and the worldly-wise operate. Everything about God and the way He works is contrary to the wisdom and the dictates of the world. The small are great, the weak are strong, the meek, the humble, and the obedient will be first, the poor are rich, and those who give up all for the sake of the kingdom will inherit everything. 

Only those who accept the wisdom of God and live it will experience the treasures that the Holy Spirit will dispense to those who bend their heart and will to Yours.

Thank You, Beloved, that even when I am an obstinate, disobedient child, You will not abandon me no matter how far I stray from the fold. You assure me that You will come to seek me, leaving the 99 sheep until You find me, and You will carry me back to the fold. Undeserving as I am of Your love, I am grateful that You love me anyway.

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.
‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’

ST. LAWRENCE, DEACON AND MARTYR - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12bc

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-10

My Soul's Beloved,

Unlike the widow who dropped her last two coppers into the treasury, we calculate, we contemplate, we hedge, we expend far more energy in wondering if we can give of our surplus, and we would never dream of giving so much that it would hurt us to do so. We are so absorbed by the thought that we may not have enough for ourselves that we wind up giving even less than we had planned to. Is it any wonder that our own lives, especially our spiritual lives, are so impoverished? We haggle with our greed and wind up giving nothing.

Haggling is a way of life with us. We want the best of the bargain, so we often haggle even with poor vendors, which can take away the little profit they would have made if we had given them the asking price, and by saving a few coins we think we have won. We are guilty of being particularly mean-minded and mean-spirited when we rob the poor all the while well aware that we have more and can give far more than we do. 

Lord Jesus, if we are not open-handed and open-hearted in our giving of all that is due to both God and to man in all circumstances, our souls will shrivel, our countenance will sour, and our entire demeanour will reflect our mean-spiritedness, making us particularly unattractive in every way to both God and to neighbor.

Teach me, O Lord, to be a cheerful giver, for this is what You love. Grant me the grace that like You I may not stop to count the cost and to give all, especially of myself, until it hurts. I have You, Mama Mary, and all the saints as models. Help me, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to give all whenever I am prompted to do so.

Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.

PSALM 111(112):1-2,5-9

Happy the man who takes pity and lends.

Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.

The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.

He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.

Happy the man who takes pity and lends.

JOHN 12:24-26

My Soul's Beloved,

There are many ways one can die to oneself. You are the example par excellence. You who are God made Yourself small, poor, humble, subject to Your creatures, and poured Yourself out in total sacrifice, a holocaust, for the salvation of the whole world. I can die to myself, to my flesh and to my will every day, moment by moment, by choosing to do what I ought and doing it cheerfully. 

To deny myself something extra. To walk the extra mile. To give a cheerful and patient answer even when everything within me rebels. To listen attentively even when I do not want to. To understand and remain silent when I am met with opposition, anger, impatience, rudeness, especially when wholly undeserved. Grant me this grace, my Lord, to be aware, watchful, and attentive when faced with numerous instances that come up during the course of the day to choose always to die to myself. The saints have in various ways, some to a greater extent than others, according to their vocation, to be like the grain of wheat that is buried in the dirt and dies in order to bring forth life in its abundance for the greater glory of God.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’

19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word. PS 129:5

1 KINGS 19:9,11-13

My Soul's Beloved,

In a world where the powerful and wealthy believe that the greater the noise they make and the more ostentatious they are, the more they will be noticed with awe and praised. But You, O Lord our God, are unlike mortal men. You who are all-powerful and all-holy, full of glory and majesty, come to us humbly, in poverty, in silence, and in gentleness. You do so that we who are lowly, poor, and unnoticed by the ones who lord it over us are unafraid to approach You and draw very near to You.

You are God; all that is, was, and ever shall be comes from You. Your Eternal Word does all that You command, and Your Holy Spirit of Life and Love makes it possible for us to strive to be like You.

Abba, Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world as one like us in all things save sin, so that in and through Him we who are grafted to Him and who abide in Him can come to You and live with You forever in heaven.

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

PSALM 84(85):9-14

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

ROMANS 9:1-5

My Soul's Beloved,

o some extent I understand St. Paul’s anguish at the spiritual chasm between him and his fellow Jews. You experienced it to a greater extent and for the whole of the human race. This is why the Father sent You into the world that He created, so that You could redeem every man, woman, and child that will ever live, and so that we can be united with God in heaven forever. All separation has the power to wound us grievously; the greatest sorrow that wounds the Heart of God is sin, for it has the power to separate us from You eternally.

Beloved, You understand my great sorrow because those I love so dearly have ceased to live a sacramental life. Cut off from Holy Mother Church, they cannot receive the life of grace that streams from her. They choose to separate from her through ignorance of the Truth, through concupiscence, and by preferring a spirituality that makes no personal sacrificial demands. Your Word is clear, Lord: unless a man is born again of water and the Spirit, he can have no life.

Lord Jesus Christ, accept my prayers, my fasts, and my little sacrifices; unite them with Your own once-and-for-all holy and perfect Sacrifice, and bring them home to the Church You founded, never to be parted from her again. Amen.

What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

MATTHEW 14:22-33

My Soul's Beloved,

The boat is Your Church; those baptized into her and grafted into You are in the boat. The crowds are those who know You, have heard of You, and perhaps even experienced Your touch and Your love, but they go away. You let them go, yet they remain in Your Heart and mind. Going up into the hills alone, You pray for those in the Church and for the vast multitudes outside her. The Church is in the world and is tossed about on every side by the desires of the world, the pride of life, and the wiles of the Enemy. You stand on the shore, and the Church and those in her are filled with terror, for they believe that the demonic forces arrayed against her will destroy her. But even in the darkness of the evening, Your gaze is unweariedly fixed on her. You allow the storm to toss her about, but not for long.

You come to her, walking on the water, Master of the wind, the seas, and the waves. Those in the boat are blinded by the seawater, the sound of the wind is deafening, water is filling the boat, and they are convinced that death is near. It is then that they see You approaching them and are convinced You are a ghost. Reassuringly, You cry out to them, and they hear You over the storm and the wind: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

Peter, filled with bravado, cries out, “Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You across the water.” You respond with one word: “Come.” That is the only invitation Peter needs. He steps out of the boat and walks toward You—walking on the water. It is unbelievable, and for as long as he is looking at You, he is fine. But he can still hear the wind; he can still feel the waves pummeling him, and his fear gets the better of him as he takes his gaze off You for an instant and begins to sink. In deathly panic, he cries out, “Lord, save me!” That one loud cry is all it took; You put out Your hand at once, grasped him, and held him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” Both You and Peter got into the boat; the wind dropped, and the disciples in the boat bowed down before Him and exclaimed, “Truly, You are the Son of God.”

Lord Jesus, You are always in the Barque of St. Peter. Every one of Your vicars, beginning with him, is human, sinful, and errs—some more grievously than others. But we never cease to be Your Church, and they never cease to be the ones You have chosen. Like Peter, they will fail; some will fail staggeringly, but the Church is not theirs; it is Yours, and You will ensure that she comes safely to harbor in the end.

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’

WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 18 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16

JEREMIAH 31:1-7

My Soul's Beloved,

You are God, You are Almighty, You can do all things. Nothing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is impossible for You to do. Those who belong to You, those who are called by Your Name, those whom You have invited to be one with You will be blessed. We might wander far from You, O Lord. We might play the harlot as Israel did over and over again, but when we repent, when our hearts are broken with sorrow, when we lament our past iniquities and are contrite and repentant, resolving to sin no more with Your help—when we come to You in humility and beg Your forgiveness—then You remove our sins from us. You cast them behind Your back. You forget them and remember them no more. And You make us Your virgin people once again. You are God, and with You this is possible. You can make us as joyful as little children who have not lost their innocence. This is our God, the God we love with our whole being and whom we desire to love faithfully all the days of our life.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we are Your Bride. We are members of Your Body. We receive life from Your Holy Spirit, the source and fountain of all grace and goodness. You are the Lord our God who emptied Himself, giving up all in order to restore to us what our first parents lost and destroyed so wantonly.

God’s love for us is everlasting. It is the same yesterday, today, and eternally. We, Your Church, rejoice in You, our Bridegroom, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord and our God. Grafted to You, built on the Rock with You as our Cornerstone, we shall not be shaken. Let the winds blow, let the storms come, let the waves batter us on every side—we shall remain firm because You are our sure foundation.

We are Your remnant people, the people whom You chose from every nation. We heard You call us by name and we responded, and now we are irrevocably Yours in time and in eternity. Here, O Lord, in Your House, You dwell in fullness of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Thank You for establishing us as the New Mount Zion to which all the peoples of the world are invited to ascend to receive every good and perfect gift, so we can navigate this valley of tears yoked to You, so that when our days here are ended You will receive us and present us to Your Abba and our Abba, and we will remain with You forever.

I will be the God of all the clans of Israel – it is the Lord who speaks – they shall be my people.
The Lord says this:
They have found pardon in the wilderness,
those who have survived the sword.
Israel is marching to his rest.
The Lord has appeared to him from afar:
I have loved you with an everlasting love,
so I am constant in my affection for you.
I build you once more; you shall be rebuilt,
virgin of Israel.
Adorned once more, and with your tambourines,
you will go out dancing gaily.
You will plant vineyards once more
on the mountains of Samaria
(the planters have done their planting:
they will gather the fruit).
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen shout
on the mountains of Ephraim,
‘Up! Let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God!’
For the Lord says this:
Shout with joy for Jacob!
Hail the chief of nations!
Proclaim! Praise! Shout:
‘The Lord has saved his people,
the remnant of Israel!’

PSALM JEREMIAH 31:10-12,13

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

O nations, hear the word of the Lord,
proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion,
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord.

Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance,
the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console them, give them gladness for grief.

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

MATTHEW 15:21-28

My Soul's Beloved,

You are God, You are Almighty, You can do all things. Nothing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is impossible for You to do. Those who belong to You, those who are called by Your Name, and those whom You have invited to be one with You will be blessed. We might wander far from You, O Lord. We might play the harlot as Israel did over and over again, but when we repent—when our hearts are broken with sorrow, when we lament our past iniquities and are contrite and repentant, resolving to sin no more with Your help—and when we come to You in humility and beg Your forgiveness, then You remove our sins from us. You cast them behind Your back. You forget them and remember them no more. And You make us Your virgin people once again. You are God, and with You this is possible. You can make us as joyful as little children who have not lost their innocence. This is our God, the God we love with our whole being and whom we desire to love faithfully all the days of our life.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we are Your Bride. We are members of Your Body. We receive life from Your Holy Spirit, the source and fountain of all grace and goodness. You are the Lord our God who emptied Himself, giving up all to restore to us what our first parents lost and destroyed so wantonly.

God’s love for us is everlasting. It is the same yesterday, today, and eternally. We, Your Church, rejoice in You, our Bridegroom, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord and our God. Grafted to You and built on the Rock with You as our Cornerstone, we shall not be shaken. Let the winds blow, let the storms come, let the waves batter us on every side—we shall remain firm because You are our sure foundation.

We are Your remnant people, the people whom You chose from every nation. We heard You call us by name and we responded, and now we are irrevocably Yours in time and in eternity. Here, O Lord, in Your House, You dwell in the fullness of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Thank You for establishing us as the New Mount Zion, to which all the peoples of the world are invited to ascend and receive every good and perfect gift. Thus we can navigate this valley of tears yoked to You, so that when our days here are ended You will receive us and present us to Your Abba and our Abba, and we will remain with You forever.

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said, ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

MONDAY OF WEEK 18 IN ORDINARY TIME - 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

JEREMIAH 28:1-17

My Soul's Beloved,

False prophets in the Church and in the world are the bane of our existence, and they cause many to remain in their sins and die in their folly. 

Grant us many prophets in the Church and in the world, who, like the prophet Jeremiah, speak the word of God in truth, unafraid of the consequence, even if it costs them everything. Grant O Lord that we too, who are members of Your Holy Church, hold fast to the truth as revealed to us by her, for she alone possesses the fullness of Truth, for You are her Bridegroom. 

Pity the ignorant, O Lord, who through ignorance and concupiscence prefer to believe a false gospel that proclaims self-indulgence and the pleasures that the world offers rather than embracing the Cross and the Way of Calvary that leads from Gethsamane, to Golgota, to the grace and to the glory of the Resurrection.

At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, says this, “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. In two years’ time I will bring back all the vessels of the Temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried off from this place and took to Babylon. And I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, I am going to break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”’
The prophet Jeremiah then replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people there in the Temple of the Lord. ‘I hope so’ the prophet Jeremiah said. ‘May the Lord do so. May he fulfil the words that you have prophesied and bring the vessels of the Temple of the Lord and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Listen carefully, however, to this word that I am now going to say for you and all the people to hear: From remote times, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied war, famine and plague for many countries and for great kingdoms; but the prophet who prophesies peace can only be recognised as one truly sent by the Lord when his word comes true.’
The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. In front of all the people Hananiah then said, ‘The Lord says this, “This is how, two years hence, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and take it off the necks of all the nations.”’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke which he had taken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah the word of the Lord was addressed to Jeremiah, ‘Go to Hananiah and tell him this, “The Lord says this: You can break wooden yokes? Right, I will make them iron yokes instead! For the Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: An iron yoke is what I now lay on the necks of all these nations to subject them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They will be subject to him; I have even given him the wild animals.”’
The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen carefully, Hananiah: the Lord has not sent you; and thanks to you this people are now relying on what is false. Hence – the Lord says this, “I am going to throw you off the face of the earth: you are going to die this year since you have preached apostasy from the Lord.”’
The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.

PSALM 118(119):29,43,79-80,95,102

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Keep me from the way of error
and teach me your law.
Do not take the word of truth from my mouth
for I trust in your decrees.

Let your faithful turn to me,
those who know your will.
Let my heart be blameless in your statutes
lest I be ashamed.

Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me
yet I ponder your will.
I have not turned from your decrees;
you yourself have taught me.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

MATTHEW 14:22-36

My Soul's Beloved,

All Your disciples, all those grafted into Your Body, all who belong to Your Church are invited to get into the Boat which is symbolic of the Church that You founded on the Rock of Peter with You as its Cornerstone. You desire us to stay away from the crowds after the work we have done, the works of the Holy Spirit, for the glory is due to You and You alone. Even though we are in the Boat it does not mean that storms will not assail us. That the winds and the waves will not sway us and threaten to take us off course or even drown us. However, our faith is in You, and our gaze is fixed on You alone. You will not allow anything the world, the flesh, and the devil throws at us to destroy us, for we are Yours. Called by Your Name. We eat Your Flesh, and we drink Your Blood, and we are sustained by the Life we have received from the Holy Spirit.

To each of us who are members of Your Body, You say when we are afraid, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ There is no storm, there is no evil, there is no sickness, there is nothing that can separate us from Your Love, O Lord. We are marked and sealed in Your Spirit. As long as our focus and our gaze remain on You, through all the vicissitudes of life, You will bring us safely home to heaven at last. As we navigate with You and the Holy Spirit, we will weather every storm until You come and lead us to the place that the Father has prepared for us from the moment He laid the foundations of the world.

You are not a mirage. You are not a ghost. You are real, and You are present with us, among us, and in us. Thank You, Lord, that all we need to do is to reach out to You, and if all we can manage is to touch the tassels of Your garment, it is enough. You will heal us and make us whole. 

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’
Having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the local people recognised him they spread the news through the whole neighbourhood and took all that were sick to him, begging him just to let them touch the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched it were completely cured.

THURSDAY OF WEEK 17 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

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

JEREMIAH 18:1-6

My Soul's Beloved,

For those who have gladly and willingly thrown themselves into Your tender care and have surrendered their lives to You, there can be only peace and serenity, no matter how great the suffering. The lives of the saints reveal that it is only in the crucible of suffering—only when we allow You to break us and make us anew, no matter how many times it may be required for You to do so—that in the end we will be just what You intended us to be when we were created.

Jeremiah was hated by the people of God because through his mouth You revealed to them how abhorrent they were to You because of their sins, their idolatry, and their wantonness. Yet he never shied from doing exactly as the Lord asked him to. Even if he appeared ridiculous to the people, he did it. All too often our shepherds are anything but good. They are afraid to preach the truth that saves. They make light of the gravity of the sinful and hedonistic culture we live in, and in the process many souls are damned.

Beloved, have pity on our Church and on our world, which has been consecrated and sanctified by Your Blood. Grant us a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Amen.

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’

PSALM 145(146):2-6

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.

Put no trust in princes,
In mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

MATTHEW 13:47-53

My Soul's Beloved,

All are called, all are invited, but some will refuse the invitation. They will do so willfully, refusing to acknowledge that they belong to God and are accountable to Him. Like the fallen angels, they refuse to serve the Living God. They refuse to abide by the Eternal Word of the Father. They deny the power of the Holy Spirit; instead, they make false gods—idols of power, money, people, and possessions—and they bow down before them. They are obsessed with the things of the world, forgetting that a day of reckoning will come for all of us: first the personal judgment, and finally the judgment before the righteous Judge at the end of time.

While it is yet today, Lord, grant us the grace to repent, go to Confession, and begin anew. All we have is this present moment; tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Lord Jesus, God our Father, and the Holy Spirit—our Savior, Redeemer, and Spouse, and our Sanctifier—have revealed all the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven in both the Old and New Testaments, Your Eternal Word. The rich deposit of faith in both Scripture and Sacred Tradition makes its home in the Church You founded on Peter as the Rock and on You as its Cornerstone. Give us a willing heart and spirit to make the best use of the time we have left so that we will be counted as the sheep on Your right. Thank You, Lord.

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’
When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district.