†Saint Said:
"Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength."
— St. Philip Neri †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Like a child who fears no danger in his father's protecting arms, we must cast ourselves into the arms of our Heavenly Father, confident that those Hands which sustain the heavens are all powerful to supply our necessities, to uphold us in temptation, and to turn all things to our profit. And why should we not have confidence in God? Is He not the most powerful as well as the most tender of fathers? ... Do not dwell upon your unworthiness or your failings, but raise your eyes to God and consider the infinite goodness and mercy with which He deigns to apply a remedy to all our miseries. Reflect upon the truth of His words, for He has promised to help and comfort all who humbly and confidently invoke His sacred name. Consider also the innumerable benefits which you have hitherto received from His paternal hand, and let His bounty in the past inspire you to trust the future to Him with renewed hope. Above all, consider the merits and sufferings of Christ, which are our principal title to God's grace and mercy, and which form the treasure whence the Church supplies the necessities of her children. It was from a confidence inspired by such motives that the saints drew that strength which rendered them as firm as Mount Sion, and established them in the holy city whence they never could be moved. (Cf. Ps.124:1)."
— Venerable Louis of Grenada, p. 404
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Sinner's Guide † VERSE OF THE DAY
"After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.""
Revelation 7:9-10 |  click to read more | | ST. JOSEPH THE HYMNOGRAPHER St. Joseph the Hymnographer (816-883 A.D.) was born in Sicily to a pious Christian family. When Muslims invaded the island, his family moved to Greece to escape persecution. At the age of fifteen he entered a monastery and grew in holiness and virtue. St. Gregory the Dekapolite took Joseph with him to Constantinople to defend the traditional reverence of icons in opposition to the iconoclast heresy. Joseph was then chosen by the local clergy to be a messenger to Pope Leo III to obtain the Holy Father's assistance in battling the iconoclast heretics, who were gaining power and influence. On his way to Rome, Joseph was captured by Muslims who delivered him into the hands of the iconoclast heretics. While held a prisoner, St. Nicholas appeared to Joseph and asked him to sing in the name of God. After six years Joseph was freed from prison and returned to Constantinople, where he founded a monastery dedicated to his friend St. Gregory. He also dedicated a church in the name of St. Bartholomew, to whom he had a devotion. St. Bartholomew then appeared to Joseph in a dream and encouraged him to write hymns for the Church. After writing his first hymn in honor of St. Bartholomew, Joseph dedicated other hymns to St. Nicholas, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other saints. During his life he composed nearly 1,000 hymns. When another wave of iconoclasm arose, he again stood steadfast against it and was exiled for eleven years as a result; he was later exiled a second time for defending orthodox Christian doctrine. He finally died full of years in Constantinople. His feast day is June 14. | Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 365
Reading I 2 Cor 6:1-10 Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things. Responsorial Psalm 98:1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd-4 R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation. Alleluia Ps 119:105 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:38-42 Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow." | Daily Meditation: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) We human beings are prone to procrastinate, but that's not God's way. He revealed his name as I AM (Exodus 3:14)—not "I will be" or "I might be." He lives with us in the present, doing his saving work right now, and he invites us to join him in that work. That's right: God is right here with you today, and today has a holy purpose. Today, as Paul wrote, is the day of salvation. Today is the day that God is loving you. No matter who you are or what you have done, he loves you unconditionally, and he always will. He has even sent his Spirit to live in you so that, whatever happens today, you don't have to face it alone. No matter how you might feel, you are never abandoned or unloved. Today is the day that God wants to forgive you. He is eager to wipe your slate clean so that you can make a fresh start with him. Even the most ingrained pattern or embarrassing fault cannot change his mind about you; he still looks upon you with mercy and compassion. So there's no reason to distance yourself from him. Today is the day that God invites you to put him first in your life. In the midst of all the commitments and priorities that fill your day, he invites you to lift your gaze to him. No matter what you have to do today, he is asking you to set your heart on loving him and pleasing him above all else. Today is the day that God is bringing you closer to other believers in the body of Christ. Today you can remember that you are united to other Christians who are praying for you and with you—whether you know them or not! And together your prayers are changing the world—whether you can see it or not! Today is the day that God is pointing out people who need his love. When your heart is stirred toward a stranger on the street or a difficult family member, ask the Holy Spirit to show you a concrete way to love that person. Then do it. Today. "Thank you, Lord, for your presence in my life today. I don't want to miss any opportunity to advance your saving work." Psalm 98:1-4
Matthew 5:38-42 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
"In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you."
Wow.
Wouldn't you like to hear the voice of God?
Me too.
But sometimes...most times, I won't go listen to Him. And when I go, I won't sit still enough to hear Him.
Yet He speaks. And He speaks in ways we rather not hear sometimes, as if in a foreign language. Yet, Love Speaks. | We pray in the Psalms:
"In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. The Lord has made known his salvation."
If at one time, God showed His faithfulness and justice...it is meant now, (through Jesus), for us to show His faithfulness and justice. Keep this in consideration, when love costs something, because it costs the Ultimate Giver the love of His life. | And the Love of His life speaks:
"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well."
If you watch many movies, the happy endings we watch is how a sort of revenge is taken on the bad guys. Yet that is not how the story of our Lord Jesus ended on earth. He was stripped down, beaten down and murdered in front of the whole town.
It was, in hindsight, what they call immolation, and in Spanish the word reminds me of the word "molino" a place where they grind, like a mill, for cereal or grains and of wheat. Crushed, as He was for our offenses. Yet, all of this was the ending of our Lord as our Lord trusted in the Father's Word: "Sit at My right hand 43until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
And now our Lord sits at the right hand of the Father, and the enemies are piling up and becoming a footstool.
Can you imagine being a footstool? Only a slave would do that, a real life one, because Scripture does not speak of slaughered bodies as we like to think.
So how can we subdue the enemy?
Our Lord speaks in a language we have to learn. | "If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
I've heard horror stories of siblings attacking one another for material things, especially after a death of parents. It was the case for my mom when her last parent passed. There was quite a squabble for the cows in Mexico. My mom was one of the younger of 9 kids, she didn't have much to say, as the older brothers fought and the older sisters who had a "vested interest". This is the case when you lose the way and lose sight, that is, to lose Christ, you become blind, and if your Savior is material things, you are in for heartache. Set your sights on what is above, and it is going to cost you something.
Yet, material goods is one thing, and now our Lord speaks about service. And boy oh boy do I hear crying at the slaves' quarters. "I don't have to do that, YOU do it" and then we hear "who died and made YOU king!". I'm exaggerating, but this is the gist of many squabbles of people not willing to serve and serve beyond what is called from us. Why are we not willing to serve...the Lord?
Because it will cost us something. Some, it will cost their pride. Some, it will cost their time. Some, it will cost their love. Oh boy, it is starting to get deep here.
And finally, our Dear Savior speaks about letting people borrow? LOL, but He didn't really say "let people borrow". No. He said GIVE. Oh boy, that's really gonna cost something now. He said not to turn your back...on Him. Oh wait, really? But he said "do not turn your back on ONE who wants to borrow". And I'm having a hard time with that as I speak because a guy just asked me to borrow $10,000 dollars! And this after originally asking for $20,000! Do you think I can really write to you and say things like "let people borrow or else!" without keeping a straight face!
I let people borrow all the time, my cars, my toys, my money, some pay back, and some don't. Some return things broke, some don't return at all. What's up with that? If I love my material things, I'll get really mad and start a fight. But if I love God, things will work themselves out. If you can trust God.
I've had to learn to let go. It hurts. It does. Material things are not that hard to let go. What has to let go is the ego. So in a sense, the borrowers, they are asking of you to let go of your ego-your treasure, your big head (and deflate it some!). Of course I'm not one to let go without binding! LOL. I bind myself to the borrower. So when I let them borrow, I am binding myself to them in a huge debt of love. They owe me Love, and even if they don't pay me with Love, learn this: Giving is GIVING. Giving is a one way street. If you do not get paid back, you've earned coins in Heaven. Let us pray:
You Lord are my light and my Salvation. Of whom or what shall I be afraid? Into Your hands I commend my Spirit, and I ask for your Loving and Giving spirit. Help me learn to love and give like You. To love is to give and to give is to love...all the way to Heaven. Amen. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: John 11:25–26
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.1 Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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