 click to read more | | St. Augustine of Canterbury At the end of the sixth century anyone would have said that Augustine had found his niche in life. Looking at this respected prior of a monastery, almost anyone would have predicted he would spend his last days there, instructing, governing, and settling even further into this sedentary life. But Pope St. Gregory the Great had lived under Augustine's rule in that same monastery. When he decided it was time to send missionaries to Anglo-Saxon England, he didn't choose those with restless natures or the young looking for new worlds to conquer. He chose Augustine and thirty monks to make the unexpected, and dangerous, trip to England. Missionaries had gone to Britain years before but the Saxon conquest of England had forced these Christians into hiding. Augustine and his monks were to bring these Christians back into the fold and convince the warlike conquerors to become Christians themselves. Every step of the way they heard the horrid stories of the cruelty and barbarity of their future hosts. By the time they had reached France the stories became so frightening that the monks turned back to Rome. Gregory had heard encouraging news that England was far more ready for Christianity than the stories would indicate, including the marriage of King Ethelbert of Kent to a Christian princess, Bertha. He sent Augustine and the monks on their way again fortified with his belief that now was the time for evangelization. read the rest | Sirach 42:15-25 Now will I recall God's works;
what I have seen, I will describe.
At God's word were his works brought into being;
they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the Lord fills all his works;
Yet even God's holy ones must fail
in recounting the wonders of the Lord,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of their splendor? Psalm 33 R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. Jn 8:12
Alleluia, alleluia. Mark 10:46-52 As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. | Daily Meditation: Mark 10:46-52 He kept calling out all the more. (Mark 10:48) It was not unusual for Bartimaeus to sit begging at the roadside. But today was different. He heard a large crowd. What was going on? The healer Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. It was his big chance! So Bartimaeus held nothing back. He shouted out so that he could be heard above the noise of the crowd. With each call, he became louder: Jesus, Son of David . . . "Son of David" was no ordinary title. It pointed to the Messiah, a descendant of David who would come to establish an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Bartimaeus had likely heard of Jesus' miracles and his teachings. But when he used this name for Jesus, he was professing that Jesus was more than a gifted rabbi or a prophet. He was the fulfillment of God's promises. When Bartimaeus cried out, it was a cry of faith in Jesus, anointed by God, the one who could heal and restore him: Jesus, Son of David . . . We too can call out to Jesus as Bartimaeus did. In fact, take a few moments right now to imagine that Jesus is passing by. Remember, as Bartimaeus did, the healings you have heard about and the prayers he has already answered. Remember the way Jesus preached and taught. But then go further. Acknowledge that he is the Messiah, the one who has come to save and heal you. He is the fulfillment of all God's promises: Jesus, Son of David . . . When you pray today, stand in wonder at who Jesus is. As you cry out to him, let the truths about his power and goodness sink into your heart. Let them give you confidence as you bring your needs to him. He is the one who has forgiven you and made you a child of God. He hears your cries and is filled with compassion for you. Don't give up. Jesus in his kindness is surely ready to stop and call you to his side. Jesus, Son of David . . . "Have mercy on me, Lord! I believe that you are Son of David and Son of God." Sirach 42:15-25
Psalm 33:2-9 |  Bro. Adrian Reads reflection Outloud. Click here | my2cents:
From Sirach:
"All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of their splendor?"
I often wonder as I look to people, how God thinks of them, how much love He has for them, and how come I cannot seem to love like Him? Perhaps, if they were my own children too, I would love like that...can you Love God's children? I bet you can, especially if we ask for God's grace. And that is my aim, daily, to try to get you to open your eyes, your mind, and especially your heart....to the children of God. "See how He loved them".
From John 11:36
"35 Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"
37But some of them asked, "Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?". Let us go to Christ for more... | First let us pray:
"Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made." | On the road to Jericho, Bart found out our Lord was coming by, and we heard the ensuing interaction:
"On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." | Let's reflect on Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus. Who was he? What was his life like BC? Before Christ?
It was a life of faith. When you are blind, you have to depend on others to lead you. When you are blind, you have to imagine the world you cannot see. When you are blind, you must use all your others senses much more than the average person, and you must rely on God much more than the average person. They told him to hush. The world tells us to hush. They said be silent and Bart was not silent. Some accounts say he yelled all the more. You see, the world loves neutrality and silence...of faith. We must never be neutral or silent, and we must sing and we must go tell it on the mountain. Our Lord asks us to go to all nations proclaiming Him, the Good News. Back to Bartimaeus.
From Proverbs 3:5
"Trust in the LORD
…4Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.…"
With that in mind, we read the rest of the encounter with Christ.
Our Lord calls Bart, and we heard:
"He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way."
Our Lord asked Bart to go his way. And Bart decided to follow Jesus. You see, Bartimaeus entered a whole new world, and now life would never be the same...EVER.
I encourage you to encounter our Lord. We are in a sense, blind in the world. We don't see Jesus, we imagine Him, we can sense Him with all our other senses, and we rely heavily on those other senses, hearing, feeling His presence, but we must trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, and always acknowledge Him and then....we will see the Way....Jesus our Lord Himself! Let's pray:
Lord, I want to see! Help us to see! Help us to call out to you in the faith of Bartimaeus! So we can live forever seeing the Way, the Truth, and the everlasting life only You can offer!
Amen | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: Hebrews 13:1–2
Sacrifices Pleasing to God 13
Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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