Daily Readings, Ho̔milíes, and Prayers - 07182022

Peace and All Good!

Today is the 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (𝐈𝐈)

In the Discalced Carmelite tradition, since this Fourthday (Wednesday) has an optional memorial for Saint Apollinaris, that optional memorial is changed to give way to their Father, Elijah the Prophet.

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the book of 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖚𝖘 10:1-11
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗵𝘂
Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord meant when he said,

“Through those who are near me
I will show myself holy,
and before all the people
I will be glorified.”’

And Aaron was silent.

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, ‘Come forward, and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.’ They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not dishevel your hair, and do not tear your vestments, or you will die and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the Lord has sent. You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing-oil of the Lord is on you.’ And they did as Moses had ordered.

And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: I will show myself holy,

I have said yesterday about Charity. Now we are reminded again that what was set apart (consecrated) is never again to be unholy. We are all called to the Kingdom of God and especially to be saints. But it is an effect of the fall, that we are inclined to sin though we are called to holiness. We must remember, that although we are inclined to sin doesn't mean we should sin. I read a part of Francis de Sales' Devout Life Intro, and it said that we all have our temptations, and it is in not entertaining or doing them that we triumph.

Now as I read this, I was glad because finally, there is a story in the book of Leviticus. Honestly speaking, the book of Leviticus, is a boring book filled with outdated laws and statutes that, some are very deep that I don't even understand them. I already knew that it is these laws that helps us to love God better, and I knew that but it just illuminated me as I read that. And I thought, this must be obedience, obedience to the Law of the Lord and careful observance of them.

Though, we do not follow the old law, we can quickly discern which of the law is part of the new law of Christ, when it forms Charity, when it begets love. This disheveling of hair and tearing of vestments we can understand as a metaphor to make ourselves loving and aesthetically pleasing in the presence of God. Now many liberals have the motto, "My body, my choice," and they hate anyone who says them otherwise. They want to wear anything they want. If that is what they want then let them, but propriety to modesty, dressing ourselves not for ourselves but for LOVE of neighbour and God is what matters. Because we ourselves will pass, all of us will die at God's will. All of us are predestined to the afterlife, but where we will go after life is our choice on our bodies.

𝗢 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Let us be selfless, because ourselves don't belong to us, our mortal bodies pass as the psalmist says, "seventy years, eighty for those who are strong"; and our bodies will be made anew in the resurrection and depending on the quality of our souls and our life on earth will we go to a place near God or away from God. And this is different from the case of lusting over anyone, because we have our own moral obligation to keep our hearts, minds, and actions, pure upon the heavenly altar. The Law that inhibits us of worldly pleasures opens to us the gates of heaven. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲.

Lord You are radiant,
You are splendour,
You are majesty and everything that is wonderful and beautiful.
You are my Love and I love You.
But my sins failed me and destroyed the beauty that You have created me,
and with Your Son, You have made me worthy again to be Your lovely bride.
I am thankful for I deserve not these gifts you give.
Yet you have graced me ever abundant of all things.
I desire nothing but Your love, and the flame to immolate that same love on everyone else,
that by burning the worldly affections of our hearts,
we may be now worthy to be filled only with You.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁,
fill the hearts of Your faithful,
and enkindle in them
the fire of Your divine love.
Send forth Your spirit
and they shall be created,
and You shall renew
the face of the earth.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+10%3A1-11&version=NRSVACE
📸:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgDNzwHpp_Y/URaGdkxNUcI/AAAAAAAABGQ/oLxwctLpnu8/s1600/nadab-and-abihu-offering-strange-fire-before-the-lord.jpg

From Blogspot.com

09 February 2013
A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Nadab and Abihu (Part 1)