†Saint Quote
JULY 7, 2021
"Love your children. In them you can see Baby Jesus. Pray for them a lot and every day put them under Holy Mary's protection."
— St. Gianna Molla † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"With regard to evil thoughts, there may be a twofold delusion. God-fearing souls who have little or no gift of discernment, and are inclined to scruples, think that every wicked thought that enters their mind is a sin. This is a mistake, for it is not the wicked thoughts in themselves that are sins, but the yielding or consenting to them. The wickedness of mortal sin consists in the perverse will that deliberately yields to sin with a complete knowledge of its wickedness with full consent. And therefore St. Augustine teaches that when the consent of the will is absent, there is no sin. However much we may be tormented by temptations, the rebellion of the senses, or the inordinate motions of the inferior part of the soul, as long as there is no consent, there is no sin. For the comfort of such anxious souls, let me suggest a good rule of conduct that is taught by all masters in the spiritual life. If a person who fears God and hates sin doubts whether or not he has consented to an evil thought or not, he is not bound to confess it, because it is morally certain that he has not given consent. For had he actually committed a mortal sin, he would have no doubt about it, as mortal sin is such a monster in the eyes of one who fears God that its entrance into the heart could not take place without its being known. Others, on the contrary, whose conscience is lax and not well-informed, think that evil thoughts and desires, though consented to, are not sins provided they are not followed by sinful actions. This error is worse than the one mentioned above. What we may not do, we may not desire. Therefore an evil thought or desire to which we consent comprises in itself all the wickedness of an evil deed."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 142-3
AN EXCERPT FROM
12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation † VERSE OF THE DAY
"In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth."
Ephesians 1:7-10 |  click to read more | | BLESSED POPE BENEDICT XI Bl. Pope Benedict XI (1240-1304) was born in Italy with the name Nicholas Boccasini. At the age of 14 he entered the Dominican Order, and went on to become a theology professor before being named Master General of the Order in 1296. As Master of the Dominicans, Boccasini defended Pope Boniface VIII when the hostility of secular rulers towards the Roman Pontiff grew, especially during the pope's open conflict with the King of France. In reward for his loyalty, Boccasini was elevated to Cardinal and then Bishop of Ostia. When Hungary was torn with civil war, Boccasini was sent there by the Holy See to restore peace. When he returned to Rome, the Pope's conflict with France reached its height; Boniface VIII was seized, beaten, and driven from the Sacred Palace by his enemies, while Boccasini was one of only two cardinals who defended the Holy Father to the end. After Boniface VIII died, Boccasini was elected in his place and took the name Pope Benedict XI. He excommunicated all those who had taken part in the seizure and abuse of his predecessor, while at the same time restoring peace with the French court. In this time of tumult he repaired the damage with leniency, yet without compromising the Holy See or the good memory of the previous pope. His reign was brief; he died suddenly of a suspected poisoning after only eight months in office. Bl. Pope Benedict XI was the author of a volume of sermons and commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew, Psalms, Job, and Revelation. His feast day is July 7th. | Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 385
Reading I Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world. The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations. It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them. With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days. On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
"Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die."
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
"Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us."
Reuben broke in,
"Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood."
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept. Responsorial Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19 R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
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. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Alleluia Mk 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" | Daily Meditation: Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24 Turning away from them, he wept. (Genesis 42:24) The sons of Jacob may have been brothers, but their family bond was not strong enough to overcome the rivalry, jealousy, and greed that had divided them from each other. Now, years after their bitter parting, Joseph and his brothers find themselves together again. Throughout the story of Joseph and his brothers, Scripture makes it clear that God was the driving force behind this reunion. By bringing them together geographically and awakening the brothers' remorse over what they had done, God was preparing them to receive Joseph's forgiveness. When Joseph saw how sorry they were, he wept with a combination of sadness and joy. This story shows us how powerful reconciliation can be—and how deeply God wants to see it happen. Even when we don't want restoration, God finds ways to melt our hearts so that we can forgive. Even when we become willing just to begin thinking about reconciling, it's because God is changing our hearts. It may not seem like much, but it's a start, and many miracles begin with small starts. The call to reconciliation is a tall order, especially if the relationship seems irreparably broken. But even if we feel that it's impossible, we shouldn't give up hope. Why? Because God has not left us to our own resources, just as he did not leave Joseph's brothers to mend their relationship with him on their own! So let God's generosity encourage you. Even a slight turn toward your brother or sister in the Lord can release a generous flow of grace. If you don't know where to begin, try starting with prayer. Spend some time reflecting on the mercy God has shown you. Let the depth of his love for you soften your heart. Pray that Jesus will help you to be just as generous and forgiving toward anyone who has hurt you. He will answer that prayer and graciously give you the opportunity to reconcile when the timing is just right. "Jesus, help me to be generous in extending your mercy to the people who have hurt me." Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
Matthew 10:1-7 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
In the book of Genesis we heard:
"When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world. The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations."
As I meditated before reaching to you, I prayed that our Lord, the New Joseph, the provider that we are all supposed to go to, that I may obtain some food for you in the form of grains, the seeds of life itself. | Let's pray:
"The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you."
Recall that I said to let others say their say, and appear to have the upper hand, and remain in the Truth with confidence. This is how to win with people...Love wins. Compassion is for the meek, and the meek shall inherit the earth. Such is the case of the rejected brother Joseph, when his brothers wanted him, the dreamer, dead, and cast him into a hole in the earth. In the end, Joseph somehow is saved when sold to others for some pieces of silver. Their betrayal, the one who they betrayed, became their savior. Remember what I said yesterday, that it is better to be beaten, for in the end you will become their food. Such is Joseph, and such is our Lord in Heaven and Earth. | In the Holy Gospel, we heard:
"Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness."
This my friend, goes deeper than the surface shows. Jesus gave the Disciples, who are the ones who became bishops, of which we now have bishops, by laying of hands from one to another to give authority and power to heal, from bad spirits and diseases. What if I told you that 50% of maladies where of bad spirits? Would you go for healing? What if I told you 50% of physical healings come from being healed spiritually? | This is where things become concrete, and I share my faith. In my very own state of being, if I get sick, I first seek to get right with God, to reconcile, to cling to Him for salvation, to repent of all my maladies and atrocities. And I do the same if my child becomes sick or another loved one. I turn to Him. I look to Him. I look to the one who is provider of all things Salvation. And we are to look no further than Him in His authority given in our Bishops throughout the centuries where they apostolic succession from our Church Fathers continues to exist and will be forever. What happens next?
Healing, yes. But what happens after the healing is even more mesmerizing...in my life...I am cemented in faith.
It is the purpose of a Holy Sacrament.
it is what I will divulge in my personal belief...the Body of Christ in the Eucharist is the hardener of what is in your soul, so it is better to receive Him more and more purely.
Can everything be healed? There are cases in the world where there is no cure, and a miracle occurs through our Lord.
So the answer is yes, science is not the know all be all and end all. Sciences have too many unknowns and mysteries, it is finite, but God is infinite.
Back to the grain bins that were stored for bad times.
If we are facing bad times, we are to turn to our Savior.
If we are in good times, we are to turn to our Savior in thanksgiving and cement ourselves into His Body ever more! Let's pray:
Lord, I thank Thee for being,
for being everything, our savior, our Father, the Christ, our Shepherd, our healer, our provider, our lover, our friend, our brother, our compassion, our grace, our mercy, our leader, our Master, our King, and still our servant.
Lord, I pray we make Thee our everything, our sole source of pure everything...especially Love! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: Isaiah 40:30–31
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
