Amos 9:11-15, Psalm 85:9ab, 10-14, Matthew 9:14-19

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Amos 9:11-15, Psalm 85:9ab, 10-14, Matthew 9:14-19

John: 10:27  

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

 

Amos 9:11-15

 My soul's beloved, while it is true that we are living in an age of unprecedented hedonism it is also true as Your Word today assures us that You have redeemed the world. It belongs to You and even though it may seem that evil like a marauding pack of wolves seem to be let loose to devour, rob, and kill yet this is what You say to Your faithful, 

I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel;
they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,
Plant vineyards and drink the wine,
set out gardens and eat the fruits.
I will plant them upon their own ground;
never again shall they be plucked
From the land I have given them,
say I, the LORD, your God.

I believe in Your Word. I know that You are ever watchful and that Your faithful remnant will in the end triumph. The world You have redeemed at the cost of Your Life will slowly but surely hear the Voice of Wisdom. May we never tire of shining Your Light in the world so all who are lost will find their way back to You and to the Father.

Psalm 85:9ab, 10-14

 My soul's beloved, the psalmist sings joyfully because he is filled with hope. He believes in Your Word for He knows that every promise You have made You will fulfill. You will bring back all those who have strayed from the path of truth, goodness and love. You will open the ears of the deaf, You will loosen tongue of the dumb, You will touch the limbs of the cripple and they will leap and dance for joy. You will touch our leprous souls and will restore them to their baptismal purity. This is what You have won for us on the Cross. You lay down You life for us and we will live in the New Life we have received from You. 

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.

Thank You for all You have done for us. You have saved us and we exult with joy.

Matthew 9:14-19

  

“Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?"

My soul's beloved, the Bridegroom of my soul and of the Church. You lay down Your life for her. You have washed her in Your Blood, You have cleansed her in the waters of baptism and You have grafted her to Yourself. What reason then does she have to mourn? She has Your promise that You will come for her so where You are she too may be. 

While You may have ascended into heaven and have taken Your place at the right hand of Your Father, You still remain with us in the Holy Eucharist. You are present in all our tabernacles all over the world. You come to us in Holy Communion and we are united in the same way that we will be united to You eternally in heaven. Only then it will not be through the eyes of faith but when clothed in immortality, we will see You as You are and we will become like You. What a glorious future awaits all who believe. What reason then do we have to mourn? Our days here will be gone in the blink of an eye and You and heaven will be ours forever. Amen.

Amos 8:4-6, 9-12, Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131, Matthew 9:9-13

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Amos 8:4-6, 9-12, Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131, Matthew 9:9-13

Amos 8:4-6, 9-12

 My soul's beloved, this may well be a prophecy for our day and age. We live in a world of rapacious greed for money, position and power and we do not care who we trample on our way to gain these ephemeral things. All the world cares about today is self indulgence no matter how opposed it is to both divine and natural law. The greater our sins the greater our lack o wisdom in perceiving that our aberrations so often arise from the sins of those who were our prime guardians and caregivers, failed us miserably. Sin begets sin and so it goes on an on in a hideous cycle as one generation gives rise to the next who are even more insensate to all that is good, holy, pure and beautiful if it goes against their own selfish desires. The poor get poorer. The migrant is turned into something less than human with a soul for the sake of profit. The most helpless life in the womb of its mother is not safe from the greed and selfishness of one whom God entrusted with His child. 

How can these words of the prophet not apply to us? Commerce and profits are the measure by which value of human life is determined. We waste the most precious of our basic commodities while our brothers and sisters whose skin stick to their skeletal frames and we lack the decency to feel ashamed. 

Verse 9 to 12 spells us clearly what we can expect if we do not heed Your Word received through the mouth of Your prophets. May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131

My soul's delight, may the prayer of Your Church this day be heard and may we return to You with all our hearts.

Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
 

With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.

My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.

The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.

Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.

I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.

Matthew 9:9-13

My soul's beloved, than You for the comfort of today Gospel passage. Yes, You came for the sick, the weak, the lost, the forgotten. God never takes His gaze away from His children so there is always hope. 

Matthew was seen as a public sinner but You saw a potential saint. We do not trouble ourselves to look beyond the surface and so we may rash judgments and we condemn people unfairly. Thank You for eating with sinners and tax collectors - You do so because You want everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of Truth. Thank You for reminding the self righteous wherever they may be, including myself that it is the sick who need a doctor and I am called bear in mid always that I am as great a sinner as everyone else and no one needs my condemnation only my love.

Thank you my soul's beloved for all You have said to me today.