Daniel 13:41-62, Psalm 23:1-6, John 8:1-11

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Ez 33:11

Daniel 13:41-62, Psalm 23:1-6, John 8:1-11


Daniel 13:41-62

My soul's beloved, You will always spare the life of the innocent, those who put their hope and trust in You as we see in the account of Susanna and Daniel. The powerful of the world, those who are called to the honorable task of meting out justice fail miserably and they pervert justice by allowing themselves to bought. A wicked judge deserves the most severe punishment for instead of ensuring that the evil doer is punished he lets them go free while condemning the innocent. In our own world we see how the posts of reason and common sense keep shifting and the lines of morality keep getting more blurred with time. We are living in the age of immoral profligacy, and complete stupidity and idiocy while plain, common good sense is totally extinguished. I pray my Beloved, that You will raise up people like Daniel before it is too late and the ways of the world will be guided by wisdom and reason.

Psalm 23:1-6

My soul's beloved, it would seem that the world is walking on a tight rope in the dark valley of death where evil is rampant on every side. Yet, the psalmist reminds us that no matter how gloomy the world is in our time filled with violence, war, hatred, discrimination, immorality, and depravity You are still the Good Shepherd. Those who choose to walk with You walk in the Light and the darkness will never overcome it. You walk beside us. You keep our hand in You own and gently lead us to ways that give us eternal hope and refreshment to our weary spirits. Those who belong to Your sheepfold will be led safely into the Kingdom of Heaven.

John 8:1-11

My soul's beloved, I am no better than the Scribes and Pharisees who dragged the woman caught in adultery through the town and before You. I can be a self-righteous, judgmental prig and all the while You who know me so well know that I who am too busy casting stones at all and sundry have hands, heart and soul stained with sin. It is so extraordinarily easy to pick at the splinters in everyone else's eyes and forgetting how completely blind I am to my own sins and failures. Today You say very sternly to me,  as You said to those who condemned that poor woman, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

You know all my sins, all my weaknesses, if You cataloged all my transgressions it would be very lengthy indeed. But You have always shown me mercy, compassion and tender love whereas I have often failed in withholding rash judgment. I set myself up as judge, jury and executioner forgetting all the while how absolutely weak I am and how very much I have been forgiven.

Forgive me beloved and from henceforth let me reserve all judgment to You whom God has appointed as the only righteous judge. All I am required to do is show mercy and compassion as I have been shown mercy and compassion. Thank You beloved, that in You there is no condemnation only the command to sin no more.

Ezekiel 17:12-14, Psalm 130:1-8, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die. Jn 11:25, 26

Ezekiel 17:12-14, Psalm 130:1-8, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45

Ezekiel 17:12-14

My soul's beloved, You assure us that You can raise our soul dead in sin to new life in You just as surely as You promise us a Resurrection when we die to sin in Baptism and are raised to again to new life.You command and all You desire is accomplished by the power of Your Word.  You will give us Your Holy Spirits and we will live a life of grace and peace.  

Psalm 130:1-8

My soul's beloved, You are never far from the sound of our cry and when You hear You hasten to come to our aid. Thank You Beloved, that You never leave us orphaned, You never abandon us. As long as we keep our gaze on You we will be able to keep to the path that brings life and leads to peace. In You is always mercy and loving kindness. You forgive our sins and our transgressions when we repent. We can trust in Your Word for Your Word is Truth and Life and all who obey will be saved. Thank You for granting us forgiveness of sin in You.

Romans 8:8-11

My soul's beloved, through Baptism we have received a share in Your life for we are made One with You and we have received Your Holy Spirit who lives in us and gives life. Those who have not been baptized are still in the flesh and in the flesh no one can please God because sin corrupts the body. Without Your Spirit in us we would could not live. When we sin grievously we no longer have Your life in us and the Spirit is no longer active in us. But if You are in us through Your Spirit then although we may sin there is always the possibility of new life when we partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation . You assure us that the same Spirit that raised You to life from the dead is the Spirit that dwells in us and with Him nothing is impossible to those who believe. Born into a life of grace through Baptism we will always have the Holy Spirit dwelling is us.

John 11:1-45

My soul's beloved, only God has power over life and death and in performing this miracle You once again proved definitively who You are, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Many came to believe in You after You performed this miracle. But there were many more who were even more determined to put You to death.  Mary says, "Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died." She had not fully understood that You truly are God. 

We see in these verses Your human side. You were full of sadness and overwhelmed with sorrow when You saw how much Your friends grieved and You too wept. Then You lifted Your eyes to the Father and prayed - thanking Him for always hearing You, certain that He would grant You the power to raise Lazarus who had now been dead and buried for four days. In performing this miracle no one who witnessed it could doubt Your power, power that proved that You are God. You called out his name in a loud voice commanding him to come out of the grave and he did just that.

Restored to life You bid those who were present to untie him and let him go.  This is exactly what You do for us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation - You restore us to life and set us free to begin anew.