Psalm 9:11, Philippians 3:17---4:1, Luke 16:1-8, Psalm 122:1-5

Psalm 9:11

11 Those who cherish your name, O Lord, can rely on you, for you have never forsaken those who look to you.

Beloved, the live long day I cherish Your Holy Name and look to You for help. You have always come to my rescue. May I keep You ever before me and may You rule me all the days of my life.

Philippians 3:17---4:1

17 Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears: 19 they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things.

20 For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. 21 He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glo­ry, through the power which is his to submit everything to him­self.

4 • 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.

Beloved, St. Paul can confidently exhort us to obey him because he was so perfectly conformed to You. This should be true of everyone who calls himself your follower. He reminds us that our home is not here but that we are citizens of heaven. What awaits those those who walk in Your footsteps and imitate You is beyond our imagination. St. Paul boldly tells us that You will make us like Yourself as You make us one in You. Who in their right mind would not do everything possible to attain such a glorious future. May I love as tenderly as St. Paul in imitation of You. Loving concern for those weaker than I must be foremost as I witness to them.

Luke 16:1-8

1 At another time Jesus told his disciples, “There was a rich man whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent ser­vice. 2 He summoned the steward and asked him: ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service for it is about to be terminated.’
3 The steward thought to himself: ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be some people to welcome me into their house.’
5 So he called his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first who came: ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The reply was: ‘A hun­dred jars of oil.’ The steward said: ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write there fifty.’ 7 To the second he put the same question: ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was: ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then he said: ‘Take your bill and write eight hundred.’

8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the people of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light.

How true Beloved, the people of the world can squeeze blood out of a stone but we who follow You sincerely are so poor in our knowledge of spiritual things. The Church has a rich heritage of memories in her 2000 year history and we know so very little, with the result that we are unable to stand our ground and hold our own against the worldly-wise.

We are duty bound to root ourselves firmly in Your Word, in Your Church and in Apostolic Tradition so that we can speak boldly, wisely and with clarity about what we believe in and why. We must be able to give a clear and reasoned account of our beliefs. We need to take the time necessary to educate ourselves. It will be time well spent as we come to understand the riches of our Catholic/Christian heritage.

Psalm 122:1-5

1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem, just like a city,
where everything falls into place!
4 There the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel,
to give thanks to the Lord’s name,
5 There stand the courts of justice
the offices of the house of David.

This is the Church You established - the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We who are cradle Catholics ought to fall on our knees in gratitude at this gift freely given to us. We were born in Catholic homes, of Catholic parents - that is why You warn us over and over again in Scripture, "From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Lk 12:48 And again, "Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.: Mt 13:12 if they make no attempt to foster growth.

Thank You my Beloved for the gift of being in a Catholic home and being raised in a Catholic environment.

Isaiah 65: 17-24 and Isaiah 66:2, Philippians 3:3-8, Luke 15:1-10, Psalm 105:4

Isaiah 65: 17-24 and Isaiah 66:2

17 I now create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind again.
18 Be glad forever and rejoice in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. 19 I will rejoice over Jeru­sa­lem and take delight in my people.  The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard in it any more.
20 You will no longer know of dead children or of adults who do not live out a lifetime. One who reaches a hundred years will have died a mere youth, but one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant crops and eat their fruit. 22 No longer will they build houses for others to dwell in; no longer will they plant for others to eat the harvest.
For as the days of a tree will the days of my people be; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 Their labor will not be in vain, nor will they bear children destined for mis­fortune, for they will be a people blessed by Yahweh, and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call, I will have answered; while they are yet speaking, I will have heard.

66:2
2 My hands have made all this and it is all mine, but what I am looking for is the one who is meek and contrite of heart, who trembles at my word.

I tremble in awe at the majesty and wonder of Your sacred word.


Philippians 3:3-8
3 We are the true circumcised people since we serve according to the Spirit of God, and our confidence is in Christ Jesus rather than in our merits.4 I myself do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be accredited with such qualities, how much more am I! 5 I was circumcised when eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. With regard to the Law, I am a Pharisee, 6 and such was my zeal for the Law that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the Law, I was blameless.7 But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss. 8 Still more, everything seems to me as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have let everything fall away and I now consider all as garbage, if instead I may gain Christ.


Verse 3 and verses 7-8 express beautifully what  Christians experience once they fall in love with You.  We are what we are only through the grace lavished upon us by Your Holy Spirit.  Discovering You, everything else loses its savor.  What was once considered important now has become meaningless.  To know You better each day, to plumb deeper into the treasures of Your infinitely rich and powerful Word, this is joy and gladness beyond imagination.


Luke 15:1-10
15 1 Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. 2 But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, mut­tering. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So Jesus told them this parable:
 4 “Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the nine­ty-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? 5 And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? 6 Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent.
8 What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp and sweep the house in a thorough search till she finds the lost coin? 9 And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost!’ 10 I tell you, in the same way there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

 Beloved, how comforting it is to the sinner to know that all they need to do is be sorry for their sins - that's all it takes and no matter how far that sinner has sunk in the miry depths, You hasten to free him from the misery of sin.  It is quite right for heaven to rejoice  because grace has finally penetrated into the heart of the sinner who would otherwise have been lost - because it is absolutely horrifying that any soul could be lost after the awesome price You paid to ransom our souls.


Psalm 105:2-7
2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
3 Glory in his holy name; let those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and be strong; seek his face always.
5 Remember his wonderful works, his miracles and his judgments,
6 you descendants of his servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7 He is the Lord our God; his judg­­ments reach the whole world.

This psalm tells me what my attitude ought to be.  If I love You as I say I do, then I must sing Your praises, I must proclaim to all, the wonderful things You have done for me.  I must glory in Your Holy Name.  My constant and deeper discovery of Your beauty, power, splendor and majesty must be the reason for my rejoicing always, for You are my source of delight.  My strength must emanate from You alone.  Gazing at You I come to a fuller knowledge of who I am -and this knowledge must increase my love for You.  You take the nothing that I am and You fill it with Your everything.  What do I need my Beloved when I have You?
Beloved, all the verses from 17-24 of this chapter are full of the most beautiful promises and I claim each one of them.  You have heard me even before I make my needs known to You.  You have answered me while I was still speaking.  Lord, God, Creator of all that is seen and unseen I want to be the one who is meek and contrite of heart. 

Psalm 103:13-14, Psalm 104:28-30, Philipians 2:12-18, Luke 14:25-33, Psalm 27:1 & 4

Psalm 103:13-14
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.


Psalm 104:28-30
28 You give it to them,
and they gather it up;
you open your hand,
they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face they vanish,
you take away their breath, they expire
and return to dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit,
they are created,
and the face of the earth is renewed.

In both PsalmsYou remind me who I am. You love as a Father, You have a Father's compassionate heart for me. You know that I am dust and yet You redeemed and ransomed me.  You sustain me, Lord and giver of life. You open Your hands and You spill over all good things into my life, my heart and my spirit.  You give me Your own Holy Spirit who renews my soul every morning and holds me up every moment of the day.  Keep me close to You my God this day and I will be glad.

Philipians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my dearest friends, as you al­ways obeyed me while I was with you, even more now that I am far from you, continue working out your salvation “with fear and trembling.” 13 It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases him. 14 Do everything without grumbling, 15 so that without fault or blame, you will be children of God without reproach among a crooked and perverse generation. You are a light among them, like stars in the universe, 16 holding to the Word of life. I shall feel proud of you on the day of Christ on seeing that my effort and labor have not been in vain. 17 And if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I rejoice and continue to share your joy; 18 and you likewise should rejoice and share my joy.

Beloved, if we followed the exhortation of St. Paul and we all took our faith seriously, Your Kingdom would already be here on earth.  We are called to work at our salvation with fear and trembling, yet how few take salvation seriously.  People live their lives as they please and every now and then they nod in Your direction, acknowledging Your Presnece.  We are called to be witnesses.  We ought not to grumble, find fault, blame, and we should put an end to all the petty bickering that takes up  so much of our time.  We are called to shine like stars in the universe. And like St. Paul we should be willing to pour ourselves out  in love and service for one another.

Luke 14:25-33
25 One day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, 26 “If you come to me, without being ready to give up your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple.28 Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you: 30 Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple.28 Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you: 30 ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’31 And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? 32 And if not, while the other is still a long way off he sends messengers for peace talks. 33 In the same way, none of you may become my disciple if he doesn’t give up everything he has.

Beloved, You tell us plainly in the Gospel the cost of discipleship.  All that I  have and am is what You  have given me or done for me.  Nothing is mine and I cannot cling to anything no matter who or what it may be.  No creature or thing should come between us.  I have to put You above all and before all.  Nothing can have prior clain on me but You alone.  I must first understand what following You will cost before I consent to do so - only when I realise that I must be prepared to give up everything, including my life, only then must I decide or I will give up half way.  Give me a generous heart and an understanding spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 27:1 & 4
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the rampart of my life;
I will not be afraid.
4 One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek –
that I may dwell in his house all the days of my life,
to gaze at his jewel and to visit his sanctuary.

What a beautiful Psalm. How beautifully it describes what You are and mean to me.  You are my light and my salvation.  You are my strong defence - I fear nothing and no one.

I will spend eternity gazing at You Beloved, the precious Jewel of God as well as my Priceless Jewel. I have already begun eternity when I kneel before You each morning before the Blessed Sacrament and gaze at You.  You are my sure hope.  You give me the strength and courage I need to live each day secure in the knowledge of Your love and concern for me.  Thank You.

Jeremiah 20:9, Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 5:5-11, Luke 23;44-46, 50-53, 24:1-6, Psalm 23:1-6

You may find that these readings are different from those who heard at Mass today.  This is the selection that has been chosen in my Bible Dairy

Jeremiah 20:99
So I decided to forget about him
and speak no more in his name.
But his word in my heart becomes like a fire
burning deep within my bones.
I try so hard to hold it in,
but I cannot do it.


Let this verse be true about me O Living Word that gives life and sustains all created things.  May Your Word enclosed in my heart, become a blazing fire.  May its force be so fierce and powerful that it penetrates deep into my bones, marrow, muscles and cells.  Should I try to hold It back may it burst forth like an explosion.  May it be impossible for me not to speak Your holy and mighty word - first, foremost and above all, by the daily witness of my life in all the ordinary ways of daily living, laughing, smiling, working.  May Your Presence, active in my life, spill over into every little thing I say and do. Amen.



Wisdom 3:1-9
1 The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them.
2 In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their going is held as a disaster; 3 it seems that they lose ev­ery­thing by departing from us, but they are in peace.
4 Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope. 5 After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him; 6 after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust.
7 At the time of his coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble. 8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king forever.
9 Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones.


My own true God, my Beloved and my King, how wonderfully consoling are these verses not only for all the souls who are now in purgatory, but also for our own loved ones who after a slight affliction, will be with You eternally.  We do know that nothing  unclean can enter Your Holy Presence and so we need to be thrust into the fiery furnace of Your love and be purified like gold, before we can enter Your glorious Presence and sing Your praises eternally.



Romans 5:5-11
5 and hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God.
6 Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us: when we were still helpless and unable to do anything. 7 Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. 8 But see how God manifested his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us 9 and we have become just through his blood. With much more reason now he will save us from any condemnation. 10 Once enemies, we have been reconciled with God through the death of his Son; with much more reason now we may be saved through his life. 11 Not only that; we even boast in God be­cause of Christ Jesus, our Lord, through whom we have been reconciled.


Luke 23;44-46, 50-53, 24:1-6
44 It was now about noon. 45 The sun was hid­den and darkness came over the whole land until mid-afternoon; and at that time the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus gave a loud cry, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And saying that, he gave up his spirit.
50 Then intervened a member of the Jewish supreme coun­cil, a good and righteous man named Joseph 51 from the Judean town of Arimathea. He had not agreed with the decision and action of his fellow members, for he lived uprightly in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He then took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a yet unused tomb cut out of a rock.
• 1 On the sabbath the women rested according to the commandment, but the first day of the week, at dawn, they went to the tomb with the perfumes and ointments they had prepared. 2 Seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb, 3 they entered and were puzzled to find that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.
4 Two men in dazzling garments appeared beside them. 5 In fright the women bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why look for the living among the dead? 6 (You won’t find him here. He is risen.)

Beloved,  how beautifully the verses in today's passage speak about the time of Your death and Resurrection.  Man killed God and the world was plunged in darkness when You gave up Your Spirit.  The sun hid itself in shame at what man, who had no shame, had done.  There will always be a few good men and women who will do what needs to be done like Joseph of Arimathea and the women who came to the tomb with perfumes and ointment. The verses that give  us the glorious account of the empty tomb gives every believer reason for hope.  Thank You!!!




1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me through the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for you are beside me:
your rod and your staff comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me
in the presence of my foes.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
6 Goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life,
I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.

Beloved, this is the most comforting of psalms.  It has given me hope in times when I needed it most.  I have repeated the first two lines of this psalm over and over again in difficult times and I have drawn consolation and strength from its truth.  I believe that You Lord are my Shepherd, having You,  there is absolutely nothing I shall ever want.  Every soul who believes, hopes and trusts in You can  have the same joy of knowing that this perfect trust in You will lead them safely to their eternal home with You.Psalm 23:1-6

Psalm 141:3, Revelations 7:2-4, 9-14, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12, Psalm 24:3-6

Psalm 141:3
3 O Lord, set a guard at my mouth, keep watch at the gate of my lips.

The tongue can be an instrument causing grave damage to reputations.  It can cause irretrievable harm.  Words once spoken go forth from the mouth and cannot be recalled.  Sometimes they are spoken carelessly, callously and deliberately seek to to wound, to advertise abroad the weaknessess of secrets of another.  Such behaviour cause the angels to hide in shame on our behalf.  Help me my Beloved to never use my tongue to tear down but to build up.  Better to be silent and appear stupid rather than be the cause of another's distress.  May I never wish to seem clever at the cost of the feelings of another's good name or character. 

Revelations 7:2-4, 9-14
2 I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, carrying the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels empowered to harm the earth and the sea, 3 “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.”
4 Then I heard the number of those marked with the seal: a hundred and forty-four thou­­sand from all the tribes of the people of Israel:
9 After this I saw a great crowd, impossible to count, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, “Who saves but our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb?”
11 All the angels were around the throne, the elders and the four liv­ing creatures; they then bowed before the throne with their faces to the ground to wor­ship God. 12 They said,
Amen. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen!
13 At that moment, one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these people clothed in white, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, it is you who know this.”
The elder replied, “They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb.


Beloved, we are created in order to live with You eternally once we  have lived a life pleasing to You here on earth.  You not only taught us how to live but You gave us a perfect example of living and dying in order that we too may be numbered among Your saints.  The saints the Church honors today give glory to God for they have triumphed as we too hope to triumph.  May they all pray for us and encourage us as we pray to them to assist us in our brief sojourn here on earth, until we too can receive the place You have prepared for us.

 1 John 3:1-3
1 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure.


St. John  reminds us of the special love the Father has for us.  God calls us His children.  He also speaks of the glory that we too will enjoy in You Beloved.  All of us who hope for this future must strive to be pure, as You Beloved are pure.

Matthew 5:1-12 (Text from New Revised Standard Version)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely* on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


Beloved, the crowd accompanies You as You go up the mountain.  You always went up the hill or mountain to spend time alone with Your Dad.  This time you let the crowd go with You. They gather around You, You sit down, You make Yourself at home and then You begin to speak the words of life. You invite us to live and be guided by the principles by which You Yourself lived.  In this is our true happiness, joy and fulfillment.  This is a language that is foreign to the culture of the age and yet there are those in the world throughout history and even today, whose lives shine brightly  because they live as You taught us to do. This is the attitude You invite us to have as children of God and as co-heirs to the Kingdom.  The attitude that can bring us happiness as well as persecution in this life and the crown of glory in the next.


Psalm 24:3-6
3 Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure heart,
who desire not what is vain,
and never swear to a lie.
5 They will receive blessings from the Lord,
a reward from God, their savior.
6 Such are the people who seek him,
who seek the face of Jacob’s God.