ST. LAWRENCE, DEACON AND MARTYR - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life. JN 8:12bc

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-10

My Soul's Beloved,

Unlike the widow who dropped her last two coppers into the treasury, we calculate, we contemplate, we hedge, we expend far more energy in wondering if we can give of our surplus, and we would never dream of giving so much that it would hurt us to do so. We are so absorbed by the thought that we may not have enough for ourselves that we wind up giving even less than we had planned to. Is it any wonder that our own lives, especially our spiritual lives, are so impoverished? We haggle with our greed and wind up giving nothing.

Haggling is a way of life with us. We want the best of the bargain, so we often haggle even with poor vendors, which can take away the little profit they would have made if we had given them the asking price, and by saving a few coins we think we have won. We are guilty of being particularly mean-minded and mean-spirited when we rob the poor all the while well aware that we have more and can give far more than we do. 

Lord Jesus, if we are not open-handed and open-hearted in our giving of all that is due to both God and to man in all circumstances, our souls will shrivel, our countenance will sour, and our entire demeanour will reflect our mean-spiritedness, making us particularly unattractive in every way to both God and to neighbor.

Teach me, O Lord, to be a cheerful giver, for this is what You love. Grant me the grace that like You I may not stop to count the cost and to give all, especially of myself, until it hurts. I have You, Mama Mary, and all the saints as models. Help me, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to give all whenever I am prompted to do so.

Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.

PSALM 111(112):1-2,5-9

Happy the man who takes pity and lends.

Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.

The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.

He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.

Happy the man who takes pity and lends.

JOHN 12:24-26

My Soul's Beloved,

There are many ways one can die to oneself. You are the example par excellence. You who are God made Yourself small, poor, humble, subject to Your creatures, and poured Yourself out in total sacrifice, a holocaust, for the salvation of the whole world. I can die to myself, to my flesh and to my will every day, moment by moment, by choosing to do what I ought and doing it cheerfully. 

To deny myself something extra. To walk the extra mile. To give a cheerful and patient answer even when everything within me rebels. To listen attentively even when I do not want to. To understand and remain silent when I am met with opposition, anger, impatience, rudeness, especially when wholly undeserved. Grant me this grace, my Lord, to be aware, watchful, and attentive when faced with numerous instances that come up during the course of the day to choose always to die to myself. The saints have in various ways, some to a greater extent than others, according to their vocation, to be like the grain of wheat that is buried in the dirt and dies in order to bring forth life in its abundance for the greater glory of God.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’

19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word. PS 129:5

1 KINGS 19:9,11-13

My Soul's Beloved,

In a world where the powerful and wealthy believe that the greater the noise they make and the more ostentatious they are, the more they will be noticed with awe and praised. But You, O Lord our God, are unlike mortal men. You who are all-powerful and all-holy, full of glory and majesty, come to us humbly, in poverty, in silence, and in gentleness. You do so that we who are lowly, poor, and unnoticed by the ones who lord it over us are unafraid to approach You and draw very near to You.

You are God; all that is, was, and ever shall be comes from You. Your Eternal Word does all that You command, and Your Holy Spirit of Life and Love makes it possible for us to strive to be like You.

Abba, Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world as one like us in all things save sin, so that in and through Him we who are grafted to Him and who abide in Him can come to You and live with You forever in heaven.

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

PSALM 84(85):9-14

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

ROMANS 9:1-5

My Soul's Beloved,

o some extent I understand St. Paul’s anguish at the spiritual chasm between him and his fellow Jews. You experienced it to a greater extent and for the whole of the human race. This is why the Father sent You into the world that He created, so that You could redeem every man, woman, and child that will ever live, and so that we can be united with God in heaven forever. All separation has the power to wound us grievously; the greatest sorrow that wounds the Heart of God is sin, for it has the power to separate us from You eternally.

Beloved, You understand my great sorrow because those I love so dearly have ceased to live a sacramental life. Cut off from Holy Mother Church, they cannot receive the life of grace that streams from her. They choose to separate from her through ignorance of the Truth, through concupiscence, and by preferring a spirituality that makes no personal sacrificial demands. Your Word is clear, Lord: unless a man is born again of water and the Spirit, he can have no life.

Lord Jesus Christ, accept my prayers, my fasts, and my little sacrifices; unite them with Your own once-and-for-all holy and perfect Sacrifice, and bring them home to the Church You founded, never to be parted from her again. Amen.

What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

MATTHEW 14:22-33

My Soul's Beloved,

The boat is Your Church; those baptized into her and grafted into You are in the boat. The crowds are those who know You, have heard of You, and perhaps even experienced Your touch and Your love, but they go away. You let them go, yet they remain in Your Heart and mind. Going up into the hills alone, You pray for those in the Church and for the vast multitudes outside her. The Church is in the world and is tossed about on every side by the desires of the world, the pride of life, and the wiles of the Enemy. You stand on the shore, and the Church and those in her are filled with terror, for they believe that the demonic forces arrayed against her will destroy her. But even in the darkness of the evening, Your gaze is unweariedly fixed on her. You allow the storm to toss her about, but not for long.

You come to her, walking on the water, Master of the wind, the seas, and the waves. Those in the boat are blinded by the seawater, the sound of the wind is deafening, water is filling the boat, and they are convinced that death is near. It is then that they see You approaching them and are convinced You are a ghost. Reassuringly, You cry out to them, and they hear You over the storm and the wind: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

Peter, filled with bravado, cries out, “Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You across the water.” You respond with one word: “Come.” That is the only invitation Peter needs. He steps out of the boat and walks toward You—walking on the water. It is unbelievable, and for as long as he is looking at You, he is fine. But he can still hear the wind; he can still feel the waves pummeling him, and his fear gets the better of him as he takes his gaze off You for an instant and begins to sink. In deathly panic, he cries out, “Lord, save me!” That one loud cry is all it took; You put out Your hand at once, grasped him, and held him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” Both You and Peter got into the boat; the wind dropped, and the disciples in the boat bowed down before Him and exclaimed, “Truly, You are the Son of God.”

Lord Jesus, You are always in the Barque of St. Peter. Every one of Your vicars, beginning with him, is human, sinful, and errs—some more grievously than others. But we never cease to be Your Church, and they never cease to be the ones You have chosen. Like Peter, they will fail; some will fail staggeringly, but the Church is not theirs; it is Yours, and You will ensure that she comes safely to harbor in the end.

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’