1 Kings 19:19-21, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-10, Matthew 5:33-37

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law. Ps 119:36A, 29B

1 Kings 19:19-21, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-10, 
Matthew 5:33-37


1 Kings 19:19-21

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

When God gives us a clear mission we are called to respond promptly. We must be prepared to give up everything for the sake of the Gospel and as far as possible, we must destroy anything that could possibly tempt us to give up and return. We cannot serve unreservedly when we have not given up all, surrendered all, yielded completely to the will of the Father.

Here we have the prophet Elijah, who in obedience to God's will, approaches Elisha to make known to him that God is calling him to be a prophet. Elisha is busy plowing the field when Elijah throws his cloak over him. Elisha understands what has just happened, he knows what God wants of him, so he runs after the prophet and begs to go back and kiss both his parents goodbye. It is a reasonable request one would think. But not so in the eyes of God. The will of God and the mission of God for us supersedes all. No love can be greater than that of doing the will of the Father.

Elijah tells Elisha to go back. God has no use for us if we are unable to cut the cords to our past. We will not be able to serve wholeheartedly if anything or anyone holds us back from serving as we ought. This is why the Church requires her priests and her religious to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  Elisha understands and does what the call demands. He destroys the plowing equipment and slaughters the oxen giving it as food to his people and follows Elijah.

We are called to respond to God's call as Elisha did.

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-10

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The Father loves us so much that He wanted us to know You His Son. He wanted us to be loved by You as He is loved by You. He gave You to those who believe in Him and the One that He sent, His Son, as our inheritance.  He desires that we are grafted to You as members of Your Body. He desires us to have Your Life coursing in us and keep us alive in Your Holy Spirit. He wants to give us food and drink that sustains us in this dark valley of tears and so He desired You to institute the Holy Eucharist. We now eat Your Flesh and drink Your Blood at every celebration of the Holy Mass, the one and only Sacrifice offered on Calvary pleasing and acceptable to the Father.

Your pierced side makes a way for us to find refuge in Your Sacred Heart, to be washed by the channels of grace that flows from Your merciful Heart, and keeps safe the inheritance You share with us.

The Father knows that to know You is to have life and to experience peace and joy no matter what our circumstances may be. He desires that the Holy Spirit makes His home in our heart so we can be one in love with You and the Father. 

The Father desires that we remain One in You Beloved for You will help to keep us safe until the end and we will share Your incorruptible nature when You come again to raise us up and take us to Yourself.

Matthew 5:33-37

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today You remind all who desire to be Your disciples that we are not to live by the standards of the world. We are called to the standard that You have set for us in the Beatitudes which You lived to perfection.

We ought never to forget who we truly are even though God has raised us up from our nothingness to the place where You are. This is love - not that we love God but that He loved us first. It is because we are loved by You that we have worth. Without You, we are nothing, with You we are everything.

Aware of this truth Beloved let us live as we ought - as children of the Father, dependent on Him for every breath we breathe. Giving praise, worship, adoration and above all, all our love to You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, One God, who alone are worthy of our love.

Give us a childlike spirit like Mary's and all the saints, a spirit with no guile. Amen.

1 Kings 19:9A, 11-16, Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14, Matthew 5:27-32

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life. Phil 2:15D, 16A

1 Kings 19:9A, 11-16, Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14, 
Matthew 5:27-32


1 Kings 19:9A, 11-16

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

We are all called to come up to the mountain of the Lord, we are not to hide but stand boldly, visible to all. No matter how many enemies pursue us as they pursued the prophet, Elijah, we can rest assured that no harm will come to God's anointed. You are our refuge, You are our stronghold, with You we will do all things that are assigned to us mightily. If we are faithful God is even more faithful. You keep every one of Your promises We can be serene in the face of all calamities  Nothing will disturb our peace for we rest in Your promises. Each one of them is true. The world makes a lot of sound and we can get distracted and intimidated but the storms will pass and You will come to us softly, silently, gentle as a breeze. Elijah hid his face. We approach You Beloved with our faces uncovered for God has made Himself visible to us in You, one like us in all things save sin.

If we are attentive to the silence the Holy Spirit will speak and will guide us safely through this valley of tears to the Kingdom that is to come. 


Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

The psalmist speaks of the longing of all who have ever hungered and thirsted for the Living God. He pours out the longings of every soul. In every faith other than the one that we are baptized into, it is human beings who continue to pour out their souls crying with anguish and longing for God to make Himself visible to them, to touch them, make Himself known to them and fill them with Himself. 

They continue to make sacrifices to God. They pray, plead, chant, and exhaust their bodies and their spirits clamoring to know You, for help, for peace. 

But to us Beloved, who are called by Your Name, who have received the fullness of Truth and faith in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church You established, we have forgiveness of sins, and we who are grafted into Your Body are privileged to eat Your Flesh, drink Your Blood, receive You in the Holy Eucharist and not only see You with the eyes of faith, but our senses actually taste You as we receive You into our soul. You transform us from within and make us like You. This awesome grace is ours day after day at every celebration of the Holy Mass. Thank You Beloved for answering every prayer - for You are the perfect answer to all our prayers.  

Matthew 5:27-32

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

In today's Gospel, You speak to all Your disciples.

Your Word is Truth. We who are baptized are anointed in the Truth. Truth is unchanging because Truth is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who is the Word of God. Truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

The world's standards are like quicksilver, changeable according to the culture of the day. What was considered the norm in one age is considered archaic in another. What was forbidden in one age, is permitted in another. The meaning of sin is fluid according to the cultural pundits of the world we live in. Truth today is anything that pleases and conforms to the desires of the age.

However, Truth has spoken and His Word is true no matter how unpalatable the world deems it. 

Everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
Whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." God has spoken and we will be judged by the Word that He has spoken whether we believe it or not.