ST. BENEDICT, ABBOTT, ON SATURDAY OF WEEK 14 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:3

PROVERBS 2:1-9

My Soul's Beloved,

You make such amazing promises to those who abide in You and Your Word, and You keep every one of them. It is most reassuring to know, Lord, that those who keep the First Commandment will receive from You all that is necessary to live in serenity and joy in this life and have this unbounded hope of eternal joy in Your Presence.

You are the pearl of great price, You are the treasure in the field, You alone are the one who satisfies all our longings. Having You, Lord, we possess all, for You are the fullness of love, goodness, beauty, and truth.

Stay with us, Lord, when the road is narrow and difficult, when the skies grow dark, and we grow weary. Grant us the grace to never stray from the path that leads to You and to the Kingdom of God. You have assured us that You will remain with us always; give us the faith that takes You at Your Word, for Your Word is truth.

My son, if you take my words to heart,
if you set store by my commandments,
tuning your ear to wisdom,
and applying your heart to truth:
yes, if your plea is for clear perception,
if you cry out for discernment,
if you look for it as if it were silver,
and search for it as for buried treasure,
you will then understand what the fear of the Lord is,
and discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord himself is giver of wisdom,
from his mouth issue knowledge and discernment.
He keeps his help for honest men,
he is the shield of those whose ways are honourable;
he stands guard over the paths of justice,
he keeps watch on the way of his devoted ones.
Then you will understand what virtue is, justice, and fair dealing,
all paths that lead to happiness.

PSALM 33(34):2-11

I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

I will bless the Lord at all times.

MATTHEW 19:27-29

My Soul's Beloved,

Your response to Peter's question, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have then?’ applies firstly to those holy men and women who devoted their whole lives to You by living a consecrated life as priests and religious brothers and sisters, and to embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. However, Lord, we lay people who live out our vocations in the world in different ways, with faith, hope, and love in service to God and neighbor, will also be blessed abundantly, as the lives of so many saints have witnessed to the world.

But now, Lord, I am speaking particularly of those who have turned their back on a life of ease, comfort, and contentment while embracing a sinful lifestyle. Often, it takes courage to turn away from the guile of the Enemy and choose to strip ourselves of what the world and the flesh offer to embrace a God-centered life. Anyone who does so, Lord, will be blessed not just in this life but abundantly in the Kingdom of Heaven. Bless those who have dared to turn their backs on sin and trust that You will supply all they need, both in this life and in the next.

Thank You, Lord.

Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’

TUESDAY OF WEEK 14 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me. JN 10:14

HOSEA 8:4-7,11-13

My Soul's Beloved,

We live in a fallen world; it keeps getting more and more sordid. All nations, even those with a Catholic and Christian heritage, have long given up their inheritance as children of God. Like the people of Israel against whom the prophet speaks denouncing their harlotry, their wickedness, their idolatry, so too are the people of these nations. The world is given over to absorption in trivialities, entertainment of the most gross and titillating kind. They are unwearied in their pursuit of the pastimes of the flesh and the lure of evil. 

How much longer, O Lord, will we try Your patience before the avenging angel destroys us? Like Abraham pleading before God, we too plead, Beloved, that for the sake of the few You have mercy on the multitudes who have forgotten that God is their Creator and their Father and that they have been redeemed at a price that boggles the mind. Undeserving we are, O Lord, of the Father's love.  Yet we plead with You with tears and sorrow to have mercy on us. Father, do not forget the price that Your Son paid at Your behest to redeem us. Lord Jesus, You sent us the Holy Spirit whom we grieve constantly, to help us in our inconstancy and foolishness. Take pity on us, Lord, and bring us back home to the Father's House so we, contrite and repentant, may feast on the Bread and Wine that will assist us on our journey from earth to heaven.

Thus says the Lord:
They have set up kings, but not with my consent,
and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,
which are doomed to destruction.
I spurn your calf, Samaria,
my anger blazes against it.
(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,
the sons of Israel?)
A workman made the thing,
this cannot be God!
Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.
They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;
their wheat will yield no ear,
the ear will yield no flour,
or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.
Ephraim has built altar after altar,
they have only served him as occasion for sin.
Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him,
they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.
They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!
They love meat; right, let them eat it!
The Lord takes no pleasure in these.
He is now going to remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
they will have to go back to Egypt.

PSALM 113B(115):3-10

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

Our God, he is in the heavens;
he does whatever he wills.
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.

They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see;
they have ears but they cannot hear;
they have nostrils but they cannot smell.

With their hands they cannot feel;
with their feet they cannot walk.
Their makers will come to be like them
and so will all who trust in them.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
Sons of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

MATTHEW 9:32-37

My Soul's Beloved,

We see from all the miracles You performed that there is nothing in heaven, on earth, in the universe, in the underworld, and in our individual lives that is beyond Your ability to touch, heal, calm, make whole, and restore. This is most reassuring, my Lord and my God, especially when the troubles of this life overwhelm us, make us anxious, troubled, and afraid. The worldly-wise with power and influence would like us to believe that there is no God and that we are the masters and authors of our own lives. But we know and believe that this is not true. We belong to God. We have belonged to Him eternally before the foundations of the world were laid. Thank You, Lord, for this conviction that brings us peace and rest in Your love.

Today, my Lord, I bring before You my entire family, and I ask that You lay hands on us and fill us anew with Your Holy Spirit. We need You, Lord; we need the courage and strength that only You can give us so we may rest serenely in Your will for our lives. Mother Mary did not understand, but she surrendered completely to the will of God, so may it be for us. 

We are consoled by the fact that You are always sorry for us. You know how weak we are - You experienced it. You were tempted, like us, in every way, the only difference being You overcame it. You can and will help us. You gave us Your Holy Spirit precisely for this reason. He is our Helper, our Paraclete and our Guide. Thank You, Lord.

We have a mission. We are sent. Help us, Lord, to be effective witnesses of Your life in a world that is growing increasingly dark with sin. May we labour in Your vineyard faithfully to the end. Thank You.

A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’