10/07/2024

It is very difficult for those living in today's overpowering world to raise our hearts and minds to God, "to know, love and serve" with integrity. 

My own life has been lived constantly aware that I am a long way from the "holiness" that is the will of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But I have always been able to avoid the unwavering commitment to the Father that is the way to perfection shown to the world by Mary and her son Jesus.

Mary is created as the perfect woman totally without sin. Jesus is the eternal Word who in perfect oneness with the Father and Holy Spirit is able to enter into created time as the perfect human bodily antithesis to the sin of Adam. 

I say that "I have been able to avoid" holiness because although I search my soul and confess that I am "sinful" my personal sincerity, my integrity is always called into question as I again turn my back on God and choose to disobey the Loving Kindness that is Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

There has always been with me ever since I can remember a longing for holiness and simultaneously an awareness that the total commitment has to be just that and not the "bring me chastity but not now" attitude that has been the story of my life. 

I can see the never ending salvation that is God's gift to us all, but I still cling to the things that are present to me in the here and now even though I know that they are as corruptible as my body and become unusable by me at the moment of my death.

In this morning's Gospel Jesus commissions his first missions that are all entrusted to Jews solely for Jews. My hope and faith is in the Almighty. His total integrity neither deserts any of his faithful followers nor  does he thrust any sinner beyond the scope of his mercy. He chooses both Peter and Judas as missionaries. Both are unable to hide their sins but as are we all, still able to choose to accept the mercy that  is created in the mystery of the events in the garden and on the hill of Calvary.

The message of the first missionaries is to continue the preaching of Jesus, word and deed.

         "The kingdom of heaven is close at hand". Fear not, for God is never far away!

Dear Lord , you know that I am afraid that by choosing you I have set a task that is beyond my ability. I know that saving myself from the power of sin is, indeed, beyond me but there is nothing that is beyond you so "I place all my trust in thee", eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Save me from all my sins  and let my soul be united in prayer with Mary and all the saints that as we praise and worship your Glory our prayers will bring your perfect merciful judgement to us the living sinners and to the Holy Souls secure in their penitential amends in Purgatory.