Exodus 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17, Psalm 19:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, John 2:13-25

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. 
Jn 3:16

Exodus 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17, Psalm 19:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, John 2:13-25

Exodus 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You spoke to me in Your Word today that I must love You above and before all things and once again You confirm that I must love You exclusively and can have nothing and no one taking the place that is Yours and Yours alone in my life. You have set me free from the bondage of sin that threatens to ensnare me constantly. Every other commandment that follows this is a natural expression of this love.

My whole life must be bound in Yours. All I do must express and witness to the world that love for You is the reason why I obey all the commandments for in this is my happiness. In order to live a holy and pure life I must keep myself apart from the world although I live in it. If I don't then my natural concupiscence to sin will be my downfall. Walk with me Beloved all my days so You can steady me when I stumble and life me up should I fall. 

Psalm 19:8-11

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You are the Living Word of the Eternal God. All that is, came into being when God spoke the Word that has always reposed in Him. He uttered the Word and creation came into being. That same Word was Incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became Man while being God.

The Law of God is the Law of Love and You Beloved are the Love of the Father that became visible when You took on a Body like ours. You showed us the way of love, You showed us the power of love, You taught us to love. You desire that we love as You do - placing love for You above and before all else and then loving our neighbour as we love ourselves. 

True happiness in this life can be ours when we place ourselves under the authority of Your Holy Spirit and obey His promptings then we can be certain that we will walk with You in this life and remain with You forever in the next. 

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The only sign we need is the Sign of Love, the Sign of the Cross, the Sign that crushed the head of Satan. The sign that forever took away the sting and power of death to fill with fear and dread. Instead, because of the Sign on which the world crucified the Son of Man, we are now saved. All those who look upon You and believe that You paid the ransom to set us free from the terrors of night, dark, and sin, now have hope. We share in the joy of the Resurrection because You willingly, in accordance with the will of the Father, enter into our eternal death in order that we may be set free from the jaws of night, to live in Easter glory. What was once a sign of shame, ignominy, and horror has now become the Sign of eternal victory. Only God, our awesome paradoxical God could do something that utterly confounds the world, laughs in its face while destroying evil. The Tree of Life is the sign of Victory through which He draws all men and women to Himself.

John 2:13-25

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and this is why You will not tolerate the defilement of this temple just as when You literally drove the money-changers and those who were buying and selling in the Temple area. This is the first time in Scripture we see You filled with righteous indignation, at those who had turned Your Father's house a den of thieves. 
Despite all the signs You had performed in the past the people were not satisfied and demanded for more. You prophesied by saying, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." But they did not understand that You meant Your own Body which would be destroyed and which You would raise on the third day.

You did perform many signs in the days leading up to Your arrest, imprisonment, passion, crucifixion, and death - none of the signs led to their conversion but confirmed the evil intentions of the Chief Priests, Pharisees and those in authority to rid themselves of You permanently. They were mortally afraid that You would upset the status quo. They felt so threatened by You that they plotted to put You to death and they did. You knew it well and this is why You did not trust Yourself to them until Your hour had come to be given up to sinful men.

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I will get up and go to my father and shall say to him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Lk 15:18


Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12, 
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32


Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

You are our Good Shepherd, You lay down Your life for Your sheep, the flock that are Your own. All who believe in You are led from the darkness of sin to the joy of eternal life in You. You lead us to pasture and there You feed us with Yourself. We receive grace, strength, and nourishment from You to help us on our journey in this valley of tears. You constantly show us signs and wonders especially in the Sacraments You instituted. 

Beloved, the Father has placed You between Him and us and His heart is moved with compassion when He sees the price paid for our redemption. It was He who desired that it be so. He asked You to pay the ransom for our sins because we could not and He could not bear to be separated from His poor fallen creatures whom He loved so tenderly.

Thank You Beloved for Your yes to the Father. Thank You for laying down Your life for us. Thank You for becoming the gate into which we enter in to eternal life. Thank You Father for the hope You have given us in Your Son. Thank You Holy Spirit for making it possible for us to lead a life of grace and thus strive to be holy and perfect just as our Heavenly Father is holy and perfect. Thank You for Your promises that are eternal and extends from Abraham to all generations to follow.
Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Thank You for the comforting verses in this psalm. You are kindly and merciful always and the sinner can always find forgiveness in You. Thank You for being our refuge. Thank You for not holding our past coldness and hardness of heart against us but for giving us every opportunity for conversion.

Thank You for healing our wounds with Yours. Thank You for exchanging the Crown for the Cross in order that through the cross we may share Your crown as well. Thank You Father for the magnanimity of Your love unworthy as we are. Thank You for new beginnings in You Beloved and thank You for not remembering our past transgressions and iniquities. If You did no one could stand before You without shame and sorrow. You forgive and forget help us not to wallow in the past once we have been forgiven. Thank You for Your kindness, and compassion always.

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32


Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

It is truly comforting to know that sinners need feel no shame in drawing close to You and receiving healing and restoration from You. You came for us sinners not for the righteous. Forgive me for the times I have forgotten that I am a sinner and have been like the Pharisees who complained that You surrounded Yourself with those they considered unfit to associate with deeming themselves better than they.

To these You tell the greatest parable that has every been heard and is recorded by the evangelist so that all who read it can actually see and know the heart of our Father in heaven.

The parable must have astounded Your hearers at the time. Never had they ever known a father such as the one You described. Fathers were too dignified to ever respond as this Father did with his young, selfish, self-absorbed son.

He gave him what he desired knowing fully well it would do him no good. He loved him enough to let him make mistakes and so come to true wisdom and understanding. The world can never satisfy. People will let you down. God alone is unchanging.

When the younger son came to his senses he returned home but the eldest while being at home was truly a stranger for he did not know his father at all. In his own way he was just as bad as the younger boy. He did not consider himself a son. The sound of rejoicing in the house instead of giving him joy made him suspicious, it was an alien sound to him and when he was told the reason for the banquet his heart which was small, and his vision which was narrow, made him even more bitter, and filled him with self-righteous anger.

Once again the nobility and the generosity of the Father is revealed in the way He addresses the older son who had never strayed from home but never truly considered himself a son. He worked for his father yes, but he never considered that what belonged to his father was his as well. He had the mentality of a servant rather than that of a son.

With both his sons the father should the largeness of heart and spirit and the wondrous beauty of his love for both. They were his sons and each would always have a home in his father's house.

Thank You Beloved for this parable of the Father and His Love for us children whom He loves beyond measure. For the measure of the Father's love is the measure of the Cross.

Than You Beloved for the revelation of the Father and His love for us. Thank You for Your obedience to His will and in this You revealed Your love too for the family You inherited on the Cross.   



'Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.'
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
'Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'
He said to him,
'My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;

he was lost and has been found.'"