 | St. Catherine of Siena, Open Our Eyes St. Catherine calls us to be on the lookout for God. Each person will discover God in a unique way—an experience of beauty, love, forgiveness, generous sacrifice—the smile of a child, the first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, a donated organ, betrayal, persecution. In such circumstances, we stand in awe and feel infinitesimally small and unworthy. Life then truly becomes gift. Such experiences give access to Catherine's theology. For her, God is great not simply because of God's unimaginable goodness, but because God has chosen in love to share that goodness with creation and the human race. God pours out Godself in creation, incarnation, and Eucharist. God gifts us with every breath in every fiber of our being. — from Accidental Theologians: Four Women Who Shaped Christianity
by Elizabeth Dreyer |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"While the world changes, the cross stands firm."
— St. Bruno † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"You must first have peace in your own soul before you can make peace between other people. Peaceable people accomplish more good than learned people do. Those who are passionate often can turn good into evil and readily believe the worst. But those who are honest and peaceful turn all things to good and are suspicious of no one. ... It is no test of virtue to be on good terms with easy-going people, for they are always well liked. And, of course, all of us want to live in peace and prefer those who agree with us. But the real test of virtue and deserving of praise is to live at peace with the perverse, or the aggressive and those who contradict us, for this needs a great grace. ... in this mortal life, our peace consists in the humble bearing of suffering and contradictions, not in being free of them, for we cannot live in this world without adversity. Those who can best suffer will enjoy the most peace, for such persons are masters of themselves, lords of the world, with Christ for their friend, and heaven as their reward."
— Thomas á Kempis, p.72-73
AN EXCERPT FROM
Imitation of Christ † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods! Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered."
Psalm 40:4-5 |  click to read more | | ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was born in Siena, Italy, the 24th of 25 children born to a wealthy wool dyer and his wife. Catherine began having profound mystical experiences at the age of six which encouraged her in a life of virtue, extreme penance, and total consecration to God through a private vow of virginity. She became a Dominican Tertiary at the age of 16 while continuing to live in the home of her parents. She had regular mystical visits from, and conversations with, Jesus, Mary, and many of the saints. Catherine had no formal education and was illiterate, yet her theological knowledge acquired through prayer astounded learned theologians. She was especially devoted to working for the unity and spiritual health of the Church. Among her most famous accomplishments was that she persuaded the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon in 1377. She also encouraged him to call for a Crusade to the Holy Land. She was an important political figure in her day, often entering into negotiations between warring rulers through personal visits and dictated letters. Her practical wisdom and profound spiritual insight was widely sought both inside and outside the Church. St. Catherine was a great mystic and was granted the stigmata which was made visible only after her death. She died in Rome at the age of 33, offering her life to God for the sanctification of the Church, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. St. Catherine of Siena is the patron saint of Italy and Europe. Her feast day is April 29th. | Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 282
Reading I Acts 13:13-25 From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak." So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'" Responsorial Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever"; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 13:16-20 When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." | Daily Meditation: John 13:16-20 Whoever receives the one I send receives me. (John 13:20) Sometimes we think of the Church like a relay race: one generation hands the baton to the next by passing on the gospel message. Of course, there is truth to that: we want to guard "the deposit of faith" and keep it free from error for the next generation (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 86). But sharing our faith involves far more than this. We're not only passing on information; we are sharing a person, Jesus himself. That is why, in today's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, "Whoever receives the one I send receives me" (John 13:20, emphasis added). We aren't handing on a "thing." We aren't even handing out Jesus' contact information. We're giving someone a personal introduction to our amazing friend, Jesus. Pope Benedict XVI emphasized this when he wrote, "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (Deus Caritas Est, 1). When we witness to Jesus, it's as if we are passing on a precious fire in the dark of night, something life changing and necessary to finding our way forward. What a privilege it is to bring Jesus to another person in a way that could change their life forever! But how can we do this? One way is through humble service. In fact, the Master himself showed us the way. In today's Gospel, Jesus had just finished washing his followers' feet when he told them to follow his example. He wasn't just teaching them something; he was showing them how to do it. This has been the way of the Church from the beginning: we share the message of Jesus through our words and our love. If you want to introduce Jesus to the people around you, begin by serving them. Listen as they share their stories. Offer to bring them a meal or drive them to Mass. It might be easier just to hand them a Bible—like a relay baton—and avoid dealing with their "dirty feet." But there is nothing like the human touch to convey the love of Jesus—through your smile, your voice, or your hands and feet. "Jesus, help me to share your love and presence with the people around me." Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27 |  clickable | Jesus didn't come for the healthy; He came for the sick. Jesus didn't come for the cleaned up and the self-righteous; He came for the dirty and sinful. Jesus didn't come for the self-sufficient; He came for the people who needed a rescue.
— Lisa Benninkmeyer
From the devotional Rest: 31 Days of Peace |  Listen to 2cents Podcast Going4th | | my2cents:
"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak."
If you've been in faith gatherings, or even a regular business meeting, you'll see someone that seems to have some type of fire, an exhortation of sorts that gets the momentum going. In the case of faith, we need more gatherings to stoke the fire. But, some business meetings are unproductive. Believe me, I've gathered managers repeatedly, and I've noticed that if nobody is true, that is, nobody does their part, and if nobody keeps them and holds them accountable, the same ole, same old business pervades and nothing really is ever accomplished, no growth, just the same plateau that can happen spiritually as is in the business world, and in this case, we must be like the 12 year Old Messiah in the temple to His Mother, "did you not know I must be about My father's business"? | We pray in the Psalms: ""My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'" For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord." | Our Lord says in the Gospel:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."
Back to our Father's business. No slave is greater than his master. I'm thinking of an employee and the employer. The employee in a sense, is like a slave, right? The employer has no right to abuse the employee, nor does the employee have the right to be abusive with his employer. I live in a mostly hispanic workforce. The "old school" men, usually older men from Mexico, they are good slaves, always say yes sir to everything. The newer generation of work force, seem forced or sluggish to get to work. I hear complaints of some employers that are really harsh, verbally abusive, always insulting, and degrading. I myself have had to question a manager at work "you know...you really sound condescending" and then he backed off. It just seemed like we weren't on the same page, of business.
I see this at church. The volunteers complain seriously about the pastor or leaders. I see leaders always complaining about the servants. In my mind is like "we are not on the same page here at all!" and it becomes a nasty place of bickering and stand off, and not getting along. So what's the problem here?
Nobody is listening to Father...God. That's why things are haywire. It's not His fault. It's not the fault of evil or the devil either! It's all our own fault, that self condemnation issue we spoke about yesterday. So humility starts to be called for. Humility to our Lord Himself! | Our Lord ended with:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
What? Who? When? Where? What is being received by who, when what? LOL.
We always pray in Holy Mass with Father "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest". I sing that part, and I try to pray hard what I sing, not just say. I'm perplexed. Who comes in the name of the Lord? Who comes in the name of the Father?
Next time someone comes at you with Truth, remember humility. Next time someone invites you to church, remember obedience.
Next time someone someone invites you to faith talk, listen.
Next time someone asks you to speak in His name, they are asking for our Lord Himself into their lives!
Blessed are YOU if you do this.
The Heavens Love to See Jesus in the world.
The world needs to see His Love to guide us to Himself, forever! Let's pray:
Lord, thank you for the blessings of this day. The blessing of receiving Your Word, and especially Receiving You from the Altar into my Soul. I pray that I may bless You with truth and true Love, from here on out, and forever! May we always be about Our Father's business". | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: 1 John 4:20–21 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot1 love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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