Romans 13:8-10, Psalm 112:1-2, 4-5, 9, Luke 14:25-33

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you. 1 Pet 4:14

Romans 13:8-10, Psalm 112:1-2, 4-5, 9,  Luke 14:25-33


Romans 13:8-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Love is God's nature and we are invited to share in the nature of God by our love both for God and for neighbor. The commandment to love neighbor as myself will ensure that I will always seek the good of the other before my own. In this way the world can enjoy the peace that You came to give. 

Love of neighbor will ensure that I will always put his or her needs before my own and in this I will do my part in establishing Your Kingdom on earth.  It is not easy Beloved, for we have inherited sin and weakness is part of our nature. Thank You for not abandoning us to struggle on our own but for giving us all the help we need to overcome. Most of all thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who helps us to always choose the right, the true, the good, and the beautiful.

Psalm 112:1-2, 4-5, 9

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Your word tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit. If I love You so completely, so reverently, so ardently, then I will fear tremendously to wound You who has loved me before the foundations of the world were laid.

Teach me Beloved, to love as You do, without counting the cost. To love in the face of all obstacles. Sometimes it is hard to love my Lord. When I am selfish and tempted to put my own needs before others grant me the grace to look to You and learn from You for You are gentle and humble of heart.

Keep me always in the shadow of Your Presence and grant that I may always permit the Holy Spirit to guide all my words, thoughts, and actions.

Luke 14:25-33

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Sometimes the words You chose when You spoke can be startling. It seems pretty harsh when You say, 

"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple."

But what exactly do these words mean for me. It means that noble as it is and the right thing to do to love our parents, siblings, spouse, and children we cannot place this love above the love and honor that is due to God and Him alone.

In this world we tend to allow our emotions and feelings to dictate how we act and more often than not we will be wrong. Feelings and emotions are not permanent. However, a decision to love is. To love without conditions, without counting the cost, to love as You did, laying down Your life for us. Very few of us are able to love if it means sacrificing something that we desire ourselves. We are basically selfish. This is why You remind us that true love is demanding and can cost us everything even our lives.

As long as our hearts and our hands are full with our own selfish needs and desires we cannot truly be your disciples.

Teach me Beloved to love as You do. It will be a struggle every step of the way but with Your help it is possible for nothing will be impossible for those who trust You.

Romans 12:5-16AB, Psalm 131:1-3, Luke 14:15-24

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Mt. 11:28


Romans 12:5-16AB, Psalm 131:1-3, Luke 14:15-24

Romans 12:5-16AB

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

St. Paul gives us a blue print of a Christian. One who is Your follower and called by Your Name must be a reflection of You. All who see us must know that we witness to the Truth that God is love. You manifested that love to us who believe and because we have experienced the unfathomable and totally undeserved love of God we in turn love one another as You have loved us.

To each of the baptized who are members of Your Body, the Church has been given gifts that help to build up and strengthen Your Body. We are called to discern what these gifts are with the help of Your Spirit and we are to put them to use. We are called to put ourselves and our gifts at the service of others in humility. Christians are not boastful, they are never proud, they are prepared to suffer all things for Your sake and for the sake of the Gospel. We are called to be cheerful. We are redeemed and we have reason to have a song in our heart, a joyful spirit, and a smile on our face. You ask us to be of good cheer for you have overcome the world. 

You hate hypocrites, the Gospels makes that abundantly clear. As Christians we are called to be sincere in all we say and do. Our love must be genuine. We have experienced the love of God and we are called to witness to that love. We are to anticipate the needs of others and not wait to be called to do what needs to be done. Above all we are called to work zealously for the Kingdom of God. Rejoicing with those who rejoice, sharing in one another's grief, and blessing everyone irrespective of the fact that they actively seek to harm us. We are called to bless always and never to curse. In this way we will give You glory and Your light will shine in this dark world and bring hope and comfort to many. And those who may have otherwise never known You will also come to believe through our witness of Your love and Your real Presence in our lives.

Psalm 131:1-3

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I have learned my Beloved that having You I have all I need. To lie serenely in Your heart knowing that in all things You work for my good, I fear nothing. I am at peace. I know from all the past experiences of my life of both joy and sorrow, that You have the power to draw good from all the circumstance of my life. Even through my worst experiences You have been present and have been mindful of me. You have never abandoned me but stayed with me; helping me, comforting me, leading me gently and even carrying me when I had not strength of my own.

In You my soul's beloved, I have found my peace, my joy, and my rest. Thank You for never abandoning me even when I deliberately chose to walk away from You and strayed from the paths of wisdom and holiness. Thank You for seeking me, for pursuing me relentlessly and for lovingly and persistently leading me back on the path that leads to the Kingdom of God. Stay with me Beloved until I draw my last breath in this life and come into Your glorious Presence in the life to come.

Luke 14:15-24

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Just as You would not tolerate hypocrites, so You would not let anyone get away with platitudes. Those who dine in the Kingdom of God are those that the world despises, has cast aside, has marginalized. There is a blind spot in the sight of the wicked, the selfish, the powerful who are ruthless, selfish and live only to pander to their needs, their wants and those who can serve them. These who exalt themselves in the world will be rejected in the world to come. For the Kingdom values are contrary to their own beliefs.

You came into Your own but were rejected by them and so You turned to sinners, to the outcast, the rejects of society. Those who were outside the Covenant made to the ancestors of God's chosen people were now invited to the Banquet because those who were called refused the invitation making the flimsiest excuses not to accept the call of the King of Kings. 

At the Eucharist feast we are all equal in the eyes of our God. All are nourished at Your table as we eat the Bread of Angels, and drink the Wine that is sweeter that honey in the comb.

Thank You Beloved for the grace that enables so many to come daily and eat our fill and receive grace that strengthens us for the journey on the way that is narrow and hard but will ultimately lead to eternal joy with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.