MEMORIAL OF THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Give thanks to the Lord, alls hosts,
his servants who do his will. PS 102:21

EXODUS 23:20-23

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We thank our heavenly Father for making every provision for us in our own exodus to the promised land, the Kingdom of God. Thank You for the Guardian Angel appointed to each of us from the moment of our conception and who remains with us all the days of our life on earth. Thank You for this powerful, and personal messenger appointed by God to guard, protect, and serve me in this life who is tasked with helping me reach my journey's end in safety. 

Keep me ever attentive to his guidance and willingly permit him to direct my footsteps away from the snares that evil lays out to trap me.

O my good Angel, whom God has appointed to be guardian, watch over me this day and night, and keep me safe from sin and harm. Amen.

PSALM 91:1-6, 10-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In this psalm, You have laid out clearly how the Angel You have appointed to be my guardian as long as I live, protects me, keeps me safe, prevents evil to overtake me, and provides shade and shelter for me. 

He ensures that should I stumble I will not fall, should I fall, he will pick me up. He is charged by God to keep me safe from the wiles of the enemy. He is always in Your Presence and with me as well and with him, beside me, I can walk without fear of the dark or terror of the night. 

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of my Guardian Angel.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.

MATTHEW 18:1-5, 10

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

At a time when there is a direct and diabolic assault on the most vulnerable and the most innocent of us all, our children, it is appropriate that we are reminded that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children. 

In the final analysis, nothing we achieve in the world - wealth, power, influence, fame, acclaim, matters. Our body will return to the dust from which it came all that lasts is our imperishable soul. Let us heed Your words to us today,  ‘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.

Now is the time to protect God's most innocent and vulnerable who are being attacked on every side - if we refuse to stand with them while we still can we will find ourselves standing before the Righteous Judge and the angels of all these little ones whose life and innocence has been stolen from them will stand as witnesses against us. 

MEMORIAL OF ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, VIRGIN & DOCTOR - 2020

 DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The kingdom of God is close at hand:

repent and believe the Good News. MK 1:15

JOB 19:21-27

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

What a wonderful thing to behold is the faith of Job - if only we trusted You as he did. He was aware that he did not deserve the sufferings and tragedies that were visited on him but through it all he trusted You. Yes, he wondered why You suddenly lay so heavily on him and crushed him afflicting him in every way in which a person can be afflicted, but even while he did not understand he was aware that You are God. He remained steadfast in faith confident that at the end of his life He would look upon the face of God gazing on him with tenderness and he would be content.

Beloved, even Job did not suffer as You did, and You remained steadfast to the end. You endured Your horrific passion and crucifixion, laying down Your life so I may live. No suffering, no cross that is laid across my shoulders will ever be as heavy as the one You carried for my sake. Keep me faithful and courageous to the end. 

PSALM 27:7-9, 13-14

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Grant that I may always seek You in prayer. May I pray constantly, may all my work, and all that I do in my leisure hours be a prayer to Your glory, praise, and honor. May Your Face be imprinted on my soul. May I enter Your Presence each time I gaze inward to the sanctuary of my soul, my inmost being, for You are enthroned in my heart.

Forgive my innumerable weaknesses, forgive my faults, forgive my inability to do anything, have one good thought, without the inspiration and help of Your Holy Spirit. Never permit me to sin so grievously, Beloved, that will cause me to be separated from You. I would truly die if I did not have You within me, beside me, around me - I cannot do anything pleasing to God on my own. Be merciful to me O Lord and remain with me until I draw my last breath in this life and come before Your majesty in the next.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!

LUKE 10:1-12

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

All the baptized are commissioned to labor and bring in the harvest. There is a great hunger in the world, there is great sin, darkness, evil, and gloom. There is a great spiritual emptiness in the lives of many and they are trying to fill that void with anything that might ease the pain and bitterness of a life without purpose or direction. They are ignorant of You, ignorant of Your Word, ignorant of the God of love who can heal and make whole.

Yet, how many among us are prepared to take You at Your Word and step out boldly trusting You so completely that we make no provision for ourselves because You will give us all we need for the journey?  You have said that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed, yet we seem to lack even that. 

You invite us to be like lambs among the packs of wolves unleashed on the world preying on the weak and the ignorant. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. We are accountable for the spiritual wellbeing of those entrusted to us. You have equipped us with all we need to build the Kingdom of God. 

In a world of violence, we are called to be peacemakers. In a world full of suspicion and hatred we are called to love in season and out of season. It seems an impossible task yet You would not ask it of us if it were so. The kingdom of God is here, and You desire that all belong to it not just a select few. You died that all may live and this is the Good News that I am called to proclaim with the witness of my life.