†Saint Said:
"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
— St. Thomas More † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"God wishes us to be meek even toward ourselves. When a person commits a fault, God certainly wishes him to humble himself, to be sorry for his sin, and to purpose never to fall into it again; but he does not wish him to be indignant with himself, and give way to trouble and agitation of mind; for, while the soul is agitated, a man is incapable of doing good."
— St. Alphonsus De Liguori, p. 259
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful! Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory."
Psalm 149: 1-4 |  click to read more | | ST. DOMINIC HENARES St. Dominic Henares (1764-1838) was born to a poor family in Spain. He joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest in 1790. Ten years later he was sent as a missionary to the Far East. He went from Mexico to the Philippines, and finally to North Vietnam. He became Bishop of Phunhay, Vietnam, in 1803. In 1831 the Vietnamese emperor officially prohibited Catholicism and severely persecuted the Church. Whole villages were sent into exile; priests were arrested and subjected to the most terrible tortures before they were killed. Those who helped capture them were richly rewarded. Bishop Henares was arrested and beheaded in Nam Dinh on June 25, 1838; the soldiers and villagers who participated in his arrest received generous compensation. St. Dominic Henares is one of an estimated 130,000 to 300,000 Catholics martyred for the faith in Vietnam between the 15th and 20th centuries. They were canonized together by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988. St. Dominic Henares' feast day is June 25, and the collective memorial for 117 of the Vietnamese Martyrs is November 24. | Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 375
Reading I Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: "I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless." God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.
This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you
that you must keep:
every male among you shall be circumcised." God further said to Abraham:
"As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai;
her name shall be Sarah.
I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her.
Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations,
and rulers of peoples shall issue from him."
Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?
Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?"
Then Abraham said to God,
"Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!"
God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son,
and you shall call him Isaac.
I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact,
to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.
As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him.
I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly.
He shall become the father of twelve chieftains,
and I will make of him a great nation.
But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year."
When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham. Responsorial Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 R. (4) See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him. Alleluia Mt 8:17 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 8:1-4 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
"Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I will do it. Be made clean."
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them." | Daily Meditation: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 I will give you a son. . . . He shall give rise to nations. (Genesis 17:16) Once again, God was appearing to Abraham to reaffirm his covenant promise: Abraham would become the father of multitudes. This time, he even gave more detail—his son, to be named Isaac, would be born within a year, "and rulers of peoples shall issue from him" (Genesis 17:16)! This seemed so impossible that Abraham couldn't help but laugh. After all, he was ninety-nine years old. Sarah had been infertile her entire life. Abraham couldn't see the end of God's plan when he was in the middle of it. He had to trust and wait—and try not to laugh. That year of waiting probably seemed the longest year of their lives. Even after Sarah became pregnant, they likely wrestled with some fears and doubts. Would the aging Sarah have a safe pregnancy? Would their child be born healthy? But they strengthened their faith by believing in the One who had called them, recalling his protection and provision for them in the past, and choosing to entrust their future to him regardless of the obstacles. That's what makes Abraham and Sarah such wonderful traveling companions for us. We might not have received a specific promise from God as they did, but each of us is waiting for something. We're all in the middle of God's plan for our lives. We can't see fully how everything will work out. When will I find a new job? What will happen between my estranged brother and sister? Will our daughter be blessed with a longed-for baby? We may find it hard to trust that God is taking care of us when we are still in the middle of our stories. But remember Abraham and Sarah and do what they did: believe in the One who has called you. God is all powerful and faithful. Remember the ways he has protected you and provided for you throughout your life. Choose to focus on his love for you instead of on the difficulties you face. And don't be afraid of the waiting. "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, thank you for your perfect plan that continues on in my life." Psalm 128:1-5
Matthew 8:1-4 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: "I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless."
God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages."
What does this mean? It means that forever we are to walk in His Presence and be perfect, so that our future generations will see our call to God. So the light will not be extinguished. For that, we need the Way, our Lord Jesus. | We pray in the Psalms:
"See how the Lord blesses those who fear him. Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him."
Do you fear someone you love?
I do. I fear my wife, for instance. I'm afraid to lose her love, and so I fear her. I will not do anything to offend her. I will not do anything to betray her.
By now, you should be thinking of God. A fear of God. I will not do anything to offend Him, (Or at least I'll try my best), I wish not to make Him angry. I am living a life so as to not betray this love. | In the Gospel we hear:
"...a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I will do it. Be made clean."
His leprosy was cleansed immediately."
These types of miracles are amazing. A body healing immediately, right? But God is showing us what manifests like a Sacrament. What happens on the body, on the outside, is what is happening on the inside. The Man's soul was healed of the ills that were killing him slowly.
By now, you should be thinking of Confession. Our Lord continues: | Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."
When our Lord heals someone, he usually tells them not to tell anyone. Like the time He raises a 12 year old girl from death, he asks the parents not to tell anyone, and this in a house full of people that were already in the know, crying and lamenting. Our Lord says to go to the priest and do what He says to make atonement. This is our Penance. This action completes His will. When He raises the little girl, he commands her to be given something to eat.
And our Lord serves Himself, to eat.
How can I serve like that? Be perfect. Let's pray:
Lord, I wish to be perfect. That is, what You desire. My love shall get what my Love desires, because I will the good of my Love.
I simply pray for grace, the disposition to holiness, to receive from Thee, the openness to Your Righteous will. Life is not life without light, and light is not light without a source. I look to You for the source of all true life...and true Love. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: Ephesians 4:31–32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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