Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalm 117:1BC-2, John 20:24-29

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe! 
Jn 20:29


FEAST OF ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE


Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalm 117:1BC-2, John 20:24-29


Ephesians 2:19-22

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I belong to the family of God. I am a citizen of heaven. I have a destiny which will lead me to my destination. I have God as my Father, I have Mary whom You have given me as my Mother, I have the Holy Spirit who lives and reigns in me, He is Your Gift to me. I have You as my Beloved, my Bridegroom, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Forever Friend. 

How blessed I am to call every member of the Church You founded my brothers and sisters; this includes the saints in heaven and the saints in purgatory. This Church is built on the firm foundation of the Apostles, the prophets with You as its Cornerstone who holds the whole together. God dwells in fullness here and I am blessed and privileged to belong to it and to You.

Psalm 117:1BC-2

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I have been commissioned by You to go out into the world and to let the whole world know that we have been created, saved, redeemed, and sanctified by the Triune God. Every man, woman, and child, ought to know this and give glory to God for His mercy, His goodness, and His love.

Thank You, Beloved, that Your love for us is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You, unlike us sinners, who blow hot one day and cold the next, are unwavering in Your unfathomable and never-ending love for us even though we are unworthy of Your love. Grant me this grace my Lord and my God to fulfill the mission entrusted to me as have all those great saints who have gone before me. 

John 20:24-29

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

St. Thomas was not with the Twelve when You first appeared to them. He too appears to have forgotten that You assured them many times before Your death that You would rise again and so he refused to believe that You had indeed risen and that they had seen You. In fact so great was his disbelief that he stated that he categorically refused to believe unless he first not only put his finger into the nailmarks on Your hands and his hand into Your pierced side. 

Strangely, he was not at Calvary when You were nailed to the Cross and when the soldier pierced Your Side with a lance. He was willing to believe this on the testimony of those who were present yet, he was not prepared to believe their testimony when they said You were alive and that they had seen You.

Thank You Beloved for Your assurance to us who have not seen yet believe.

"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24, Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13, 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15, Mark 5:21-24, 35B-43

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel. 1Tim 1:10


Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24, Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13, 
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15, Mark 5:21-24, 35B-43

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

I was created for life - life with You as were we all. I have been given an imperishable soul and I alone determine where that soul will go. Should I desire to seek a life apart from You then I choose death. Sin separates, sin creates a barrier, sin makes it impossible for me to bridge the chasm that it creates between us. Beloved, I wish to thank Your Father, Your Abba, and our Abba as well for bridging the insurmountable breach between us by Your perfect Sacrifice.

It is this very Sacrifice we offer to the Father at every celebration of the Holy Mass that continues to keep us alive, gives us strength, and enables us to choose to walk on the path of goodness, truth, beauty and Love every day.


Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.



2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15

Brothers and sisters:
As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, 
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,

and whoever had little did not have less.


Mark 5:21-24, 35B-43


When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. 
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" 
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this

and said that she should be given something to eat.