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Friday, July 30, 2021

† " Where Did This Man Get This....."

 
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†Saint Quote
"What is a vocation? It is a gift from God, so it comes from God. If it is a gift from God, our concern must be to know God's will. We must enter that path: if God wants, when God wants, how God wants. Never force the door."
— St. Gianna Molla

† MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Although we feel the humiliation keenly when we are insulted, persecuted, or calumniated, this does not mean that we cannot suffer such trials with sentiments of true humility, subjecting nature to reason and faith, and sacrificing the resentment of our self-love to the love of God. We are not made of stone, so that we need be insensible or senseless in order to be humble. Of some martyrs we read that they writhed under their torments; of others, that they more or less rejoiced in them, according to the greater or lesser degree of unction they received from the Holy Ghost; and all were rewarded by the crown of glory, as it is not the pain or the feeling that makes the martyr, but the supernatural motive of virtue. In the same way some humble persons feel pleasure in being humiliated, and some feel sadness, especially when weighted down with calumny; and yet they all belong to the sphere of the humble, because it is not the humiliation nor the suffering alone which makes the soul humble, but the interior act by which this same humiliation is accepted and received through motives of Christian humility, and especially of a desire to resemble Jesus Christ, who though entitled to all the honors the world could offer Him, bore humiliation and scorn for the glory of His eternal Father."
— Fr. Cajetan da Bergamo, p. 19-20
AN EXCERPT FROM
Humility Of Heart

† VERSE OF THE DAY
"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1:2-4

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ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS

St. Peter Chrysologus (406-450 A.D.) was born in Imola, Italy. He was an adult convert to Christianity and studied under his bishop, Cornelius, who ordained him a deacon. In his day the city of Ravenna was the center of the Roman Empire, making the Archbishop of Ravenna an important position in the Church. When the Archbishop of Ravenna died, a new archbishop was elected by the clergy and the people of Ravenna. Bishop Cornelius of Imola went to Rome with his deacon, St. Peter Chyrsologus, to have the Ravenna appointment confirmed by Pope Sixtus III. When the pope saw St. Peter, he appointed him the new Archbishop of Ravenna instead. St. Peter was an effective shepherd who stamped out paganism, heresy, and ecclesiastical abuses from his diocese, earning the high regard of Emperor Valentinan III who resided in Ravenna. He also organized services to help the poor of the city. St. Peter was renowed for his profound and eloquent sermons, and his skill with taking complex theological truths and putting them in plain language, earning him the name 'Chrysologus' meaning 'the man of golden speech' or 'golden word' as well as the 'Doctor of Homilies.' In 1729, Pope Benedict XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church. His feast day is July 30.

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Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 405
Reading I

Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

The LORD said to Moses,
"These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work."

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.

"Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.

"The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.

"The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD's feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.

"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."

Responsorial Psalm

81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab

R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,

the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,

at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
For it is a statute in Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph

when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
There shall be no strange god among you

nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God

who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Alleluia

1 Pt 1:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever;
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."

And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

agosp
***

Daily Meditation: Matthew 13:54-58

Is he not the carpenter's son? (Matthew 13:55)

Can't you just imagine their eyes rolling and the incredulous tone in their voice? These Nazarenes had known Jesus and his family—and their familiarity led them to reject him and his teaching. Matthew tells us, "They took offense at him" (Matthew 13:57). It's an age-old story: familiarity breeds contempt.

But we shouldn't be so quick to judge Jesus' townspeople. We all know how easily we can be blinded by our own preconceptions. The people in the synagogue had likely watched Jesus grow up. A carpenter by trade, Jesus probably didn't get extensive religious training. So naturally, they wondered where all this wisdom was coming from. They couldn't believe that Jesus was anything more than a carpenter's son. As a result, Jesus "did not work many mighty deeds there" (Matthew 13:58).

What a missed opportunity! Jesus came home, ready to work miracles and explain the mysteries of God, and his neighbors couldn't get past their old ideas of who he was.

Every day, Jesus stands ready to teach us, heal us, and fill us with his love. And some days, like the people of Nazareth, we don't give him a chance. We don't necessarily reject Jesus outright. Sometimes we're just too busy. Other times, we can't accept the way he comes to us, or we feel threatened by what he says. And sadly, we miss the grace that he wants to give us.

You are already trying to listen to Jesus today—that's why you're reading this reflection! But on some level, everyone has preconceptions about Jesus that God wants to clear up. Perhaps you think that God failed to answer a prayer in the past, so you doubt that he would act now. Maybe you still see Jesus as somewhat distant or his teaching as not really related to your ordinary life. Ask Jesus to open your eyes a little bit more today. Ask him to help you see that he is so much more loving, so much more powerful, and so much closer to you than you have imagined. Today, don't let your familiarity blind you to his goodness. Open your heart to him and let him bring you to deeper faith.

"Jesus, I want to know you more. Come, Lord, and increase my faith!"

Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37
Psalm 81:3-6, 10-11

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""These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."
And we continue the feasts and festivals in the Holy Catholic Church. We continue what God has desired, that was all fulfilled in Jesus, His Son, His flesh that is not flesh of the world...but divine. And He becomes one with us.

psalms

We pray today:
"There shall be no strange god among you

nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
Sing with joy to God our help."
And so the people of God fled the land that had many gods, to the promised land, that would have the only one and true God. And our Lord Himself becomes the way to that promised Land, that fulfills the Mosaic journey, that began with Abraham, to Moses, to all the prophets, and to all the shepherds. And it continues in every Christ follower today.

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You've read the holy Gospel, and you've heard what was said:
"Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."

And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

What is peculiar about everyone that couldn't believe He was the Christ?

What happens in the story of His hometown? Not much, right? LOL.
And so the prophet goes unheard. What He said was not really believed. What He proclaimed was not followed. What He offered was not accepted. Who He longed for, did not open their arms in return. His own people. It is the story then, of a true prophet.
And so the question is, have you become this prophet, therefore, this Christ?

Because if you truly follow Him, you too will at some point face rejection. At some point, nobody will really care or listen to you at home, because they know who you are. As if God couldn't speak through people?
I'd advise you today, to listen to people, when they advise you towards God, and holiness, and purity.
Too often we throw the baby with the bathwater.

Too often we dismiss everything by dismissing one thing.
Too often the worldly believe they know better.
Too often then, we are closed to God, therefore, closed to humility.
How can we know when God is speaking?

In my life, His message is bothersome.
In my life, His message seems like that soft voice I don't want to listen to.
In my life, His voice is blocked out by many thoughts and activity.

Oh the devil loves buys (distracted) people. And the devil loves even more, the lazy people, who are most often distracted and busy people.
Does that make sense? It will when we realize, God is speaking and demanding from us something we should strive for; faith.
And so in the end, the people of our Lord's hometown could be said to have been faithless.
Of all the places that should've accepted Him, you'd think it'd be His own people. And now, we can stop pointing fingers, for all of us now are in His hometown.
Do you believe? Do you really believe? I ask because recent polls on the "faithful" say only about 30% actually believe...that He is in the Eucharist.
And if that is the case, then it means everything else can be a wash, everything else can be disbelief.
So what is faith? It is believing in the unseen. It is believing in what we have been told by the prophets. It is stepping out in His name. And this is why this message has reached you...to instill in you the gift of Faith, to open yourself to Faith...to JESUS our Lord, our Christ, and Savior, our everything in life!

Let's pray:
Lord, I desire to see You, in everything and every one today.
I pray that I may be open to receive You with open arms.
I pray that I may find myself in the assembly You call for...of the true and faithful.
Amen

from your brother in Christ,
Adrian

***
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Deuteronomy 6:4–5
4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.1 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

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Thursday, July 29, 2021

† " Need of only one thing....."

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†Saint Quote
"The deeds you do may be the only sermon some people will hear today."
— St. Francis of Assisi

†MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Avoid worrying, then, about anything else for your children except whatever may contribute to bringing them up virtuously. For the rest, having entrusted them to God, try to see what His will for them is, to help them along the path in life He has chosen for them. Never be afraid of relying too much on Him, but rather seek always to increase your trust more and more, for this is the most pleasing homage you can pay Him and it will be the measure of the graces you will receive. Little or much will be given you according as you have expected little or much."
— St. Claude De La Columbiere, p.46
AN EXCERPT FROM
Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence

† VERSE OF THE DAY
"For I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."
Philippians 4:11b-13

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STS. MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS

St. Martha (1st c.) was a pious Jewish woman from Bethany near Jerusalem. She was a close friend of Jesus during his earthly ministry, as was her brother, St. Lazarus, and her sister, St. Mary of Bethany (St. Mary Magdalene - separate feast day on July 22nd). The Gospels tell us that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary and Lazarus." Martha would serve the Lord faithfully when he was a guest in her home, once busying herself so much with her work that she neglected to spend time enjoying his presence, for which she earned a gentle rebuke from Our Lord. Martha had great faith in Christ, especially evidenced in her belief that he could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. In the Gospels we read that St. Martha testified that Jesus was the Son of God even before his Passion and Resurrection. According to tradition, after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, St. Martha gathered a group of women together to live, pray, and do penance in common, one of the early Christian houses of consecrated women. St. Martha is the patron of servers, maids, butlers, servants, single laywomen, homemakers, housewives, and cooks. Together, these siblings share a feast day on July 29th.

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Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Lectionary: 404/607
Reading I

Ex 40:16-21, 34-38

Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
On the first day of the first month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the Dwelling
and put the covering on top of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded him.
He took the commandments and put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded him.

Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the meeting tent,
because the cloud settled down upon it
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey.

Responsorial Psalm

84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines

for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh

cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest

in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!

continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia

Jn 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
"Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you."
Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise."
Martha said to him,
"I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her,
"I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world."

OR:

Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."

agosp
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Daily Meditation: John 11:19-27

I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. (John 11:27)

Have you ever heard of the phrase "no holds barred"? Taken from the world of professional wrestling, it means that there are no kinds of holds or other techniques that are banned from a match. Of course, now we use it to refer to something free from any restrictions or social conventions that may hamper it.

We might call St. Martha, who is the patron saint of cooks and housekeepers, the patron saint of a no-holds-barred friendship with Christ as well.

Martha is best remembered for the way she complained to Jesus that her sister, Mary, wasn't helping her with the housework (Luke 10:38-42). She was confident that their friendship was close enough for her to break social conventions and call out her sister right in front of her guests. And Jesus responded with an equal amount of friendship and openness.

Today's Gospel gives us another view of Martha's "no-holds-barred" relationship with Jesus. Grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus, she runs to Jesus as a friend but also as a devout believer. In a moment of complete honesty, she gently upbraids him for not coming in time. But she also shares her unquestioning faith when she proclaims him as "the Christ, the Son of God" (John 11:27). This statement is one of the most complete professions of faith we have in the Bible. In both cases, Martha didn't mince her words. She felt free to speak directly from her heart, giving voice both to her sadness and to her faith.

What better way to honor St. Martha than to emulate her open, honest friendship with Christ? And what better way to grow closer to the Lord than to be completely transparent with him about our trials and complaints as well as our faith? It's not a sign of disrespect to tell him exactly what we're thinking. On the contrary, we honor Jesus when we let him see what's in our hearts. It's our way of opening ourselves to him and inviting him to live in us as our Lord and Savior.

"Lord, help me to be bold and transparent in my love for you!"

Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38
Psalm 84:3-6, 8, 11

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We heard in today's first Holy Scripture:
"Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey."
And so it happened when our Lord rose from the dead, and rose in the Ascension, and after He rose up, everyone was commanded to go on the journey that He set forth, the life, and the Way of Jesus.

psalms

" How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
When you think of a heavenly dwelling, what comes to mind? In mine, the sensation of serenity, tranquility, of peace, of true joy comes. This is the abode in which the faithful reside. Let us go there.

2cents2

In today's Holy Gospel we hear:
"Martha said to Jesus,
"Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."
And so we have the true disposition of a faithful soul running to the abode of our Lord, running to Our Father's arms. As the faith of the centurion proves "Lord, only say the Word, and it shall be done".

And the conversation continues:
"Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise."
Martha said to him,
"I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her,
"I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die."

And so the definition of life comes into question. What do you believe life is? Now we are talking ideals? Now we are talking philosophy? LOL NO! Life is what God makes it to be, a true being, because He imparted life...from LIFE!
How can you even begin to contain life in a box...or in this case, a tomb!

How can you narrow it down to one word? It can be defined then, as a mystery and a gift, a mysteriously wonderful gift, for each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. Fearful, meaning Holy, and wonderful, meaning capable to amaze. That is you. You my child are designed for holiness, and designed to amaze.

Jesus Amazes always, and people amaze Jesus for the good and for the bad!
The conversation continues:
"Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world."

my child, do YOU believe this?
Do you believe I can raise your loved one from the dead?
Do you believe I have power that can join you to peace?
Do you believe I can give life to the lifeless?
Do you believe I can make something out of nothing?

Yes Lord, we believe, but we also doubt, and it cancels the faith!
I make something into nothing. I do everything contrary.
I believe there is peace, but I don't believe it is attainable. Forgive my disbelief!

Before we end things today, let me divulge a secret if my Lord will forgive me for it. Yesterday, I was not feeling well at all, I believed a fever was coming on, my body ached, I did not have much energy, I even felt nauseous at one point. I tried to lay my head on my desk to rest many times throughout the day. I found enough spunk, to say a small prayer to feel better. But that was it. Evening came, and my wife reminded me of daily Mass, I was so out of it, that I had lost track of time. We went to Mass, with our 8 kids, daily Mass that is. At one point I thought, I bet some people think how lovely it is to see a large family at daily Mass, if they only knew that it is not easy, nothing is easy...at first. How do you get all ready and load up, and hold it together through Mass? Maybe that's the beauty...the sacrifice.
Back to poor me, LOL. I was weak, but was able to sing with my guitar. Tired, but able to stand. Faith is strength. Faith is a desire. Therefore, Faith is to be treasured. And so, as I was about to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, I said to our Lord, "if you wish, you can help me get over this physical malady". And I went back to my spot to kneel and give thanks and prayed for grace. I stood up to sing, and I began to have hot spells, instead of feeling cold. A burning energy surged and I knew that I was purged. Is a miracle to be hidden, albeit, a small one? On the outside, it may seem like nothing to one who is not suffering. On the inside, it brings one ever closer to God, because I believe in one thing my friend...gratitude. Gratitude changes everything in my life. I am grateful, therefore I persevere. I am grateful, therefore, I am loyal. And to receive bread from Heaven is gratefulness. In the most charming charities, people give, expecting you to receive saying thank you. God is giving, and is expecting life changing gratitude. Only then, will we be humbled, as we partake of peace, and true joy.

Let us pray:
Lord, thank You. I see how Lazarus arose, on command, to go on the journey to be a faithful witness. I pray that all of us now can go forth, to be Your living light in the dark. Amen.

from your brother in Christ,
Adrian

***
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Isaiah 32:17

And the effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust1 forever.

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