Daily Mass - Wednesday of Holy Week

Mass was offered this morning for the repose of the soul of Seamus Ring (+). Eternal rest grant unto him, may he gain the companionship of the angels and the Saints of God.

Our readings today, on the eve of Maundy Thursday, follow on from yesterday. Isaias continues to speak of consecration and the effect it has on the strength of the anointed one. Thus, 

"The Lord God is my helper; and that help cannot play me false; meet them I will, and with a face unmoved as flint; not mine to suffer the shame of defeat; here is One stands by to see right done me. Come, who pleads? Meet me, and try the issue; let him come forward who will, and accuse me. Here is the Lord God ready to aid me; who dares pass sentence on me now? One and all they shall be brought to nothing, like garment the moth has eaten!" - Isaias 50: 7-9

The theme is the same as yesterday, for we are preparing ourselves to commemorate the terrible ordeal that Christ had to face in order to make amends for our sins, to bring us to unity with God. The psalm today is Psalm 68 (69), one of the most graphic about Christ's suffering. Here's a part of it:

"It is for Thy sake that I have met with reproach, that I have so often blushed with confusion, an outcast among my own brethren, a stranger to my own mother’s children. Was it not jealousy for the honour of Thy house that consumed me; was it not uttered against Thee, the reproach I bore? What more could I do? I humbled myself before them by fasting; and that, too, was matter for finding fault; I dressed in sackcloth, and they made a by-word of me. Idlers in the market-place taunt me; the drunkards make a song of me over their wine. To Thee, Lord, I make my prayer; never man more needed Thy good will. Listen to me, O God, full of mercy as Thou art, faithful as Thou art to thy promise of aid. Save me from sinking in the mire, rescue me from my enemies, from the deep waters that surround me; let me not sink under the flood, swallowed up in its depths, and the well’s mouth close above me." - Psalm 68: 8-16

I could go on to the gospel reading, which tells of the betrayal of Judas, but I'd rather not. We'll have quite enough of Judas in the next two days, and I have as little appreciation of him as Saint John has in his Gospel.

I hope that many of you will be able to follow the Masses and services of the next four days, online only, unfortunately. The Holy Father in Rome has arranged for televisation form Saint Peter's in Rome, and closer home, the Bishop is making full arrangements at the Cathedral. Find more information about those by clicking this link.