†Quote of the Day
"You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to You. Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run."
–St. Augustine †Today's Meditation
"…When the sacrament of matrimony is celebrated at the center of the Eucharistic celebration, during which the spouses receive in Holy Communion the Body and Blood of Christ: the unity of the spouses, who "become one flesh" in the flesh of the Lord, is the image in this world of the unity of Christ the Bridegroom and the Church his Bride, during the celebration of the sacrament of unity par excellence: the Holy Eucharist. In this sense, we can state that the prayer of Christian spouses, whether they are at home or traveling, is always a Eucharistic prayer…"
—Robert Cardinal Sarah, p. 20 An Excerpt From
Couples, Awaken Your Love! †Daily Verse
"And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours."
–1 John 5:14-15 | Blessed John Licci Blessed John Licci (1400-1511) was born to a poor peasant farmer near Palermo, Sicily. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was forced to leave his infant alone at home while he worked in the fields. One day a neighbor woman heard the baby's cries and, in compassion, brought the child into her home to care for him. When she laid the baby on the bed next to her paralyzed husband, he was miraculously cured of his disease. Mr. Licci was unhappy with the woman's meddling and brought his son back into his home. However, when he did so, his neighbor's paralysis returned. Mr. Licci took this as a sign that God wanted the couple to help him care for his son. This was the first of many miracles John Licci would perform throughout his life. He joined the Dominican Order in 1415 and was a friar for 96 years, the longest period known for any religious to wear the habit. His miracles include the multiplication of building materials used for a convent he founded, miraculously feeding a poor widow and her six children, raising a dead boy to life, and curing three people whose heads had been crushed in accidents. Consequently, he has been designated the patron saint of head injuries. He is the longest-living saint in the Catholic Church, dying at the age of 111. St. John Licci's feast day is November 14th. | Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Wis 2:23–3:9 God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect. Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 R. (2a) I will bless the Lord at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times. Alleluia Jn 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 17:7-10 Jesus said to the Apostles:
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
| Daily Meditation: Wisdom 2:23–3:9 As gold in the furnace, he proved them. . . . In the time of their visitation they shall shine. (Wisdom 3:6, 7) Although the Book of Wisdom was written about fifty years before the coming of Christ, the author addressed concerns that we still face today. Why does God allow just people to suffer and experience persecution for their faith? What happens to them after they die? Just like us, the Israelites struggled to reconcile the reality of suffering and death with God's goodness. So the author urged them to hold fast to their hope and trust that God would reward their loved ones who had died in faith. Today's first reading reminds us that death was not part of God's original plan. He created human beings to be "imperishable," but through the wiles of the devil and the sin of our first parents, death entered the world (Wisdom 2:23-23; Romans 5:12). As a result, we now recoil at the painful loss of a loved one or when children are harmed. Our very being cries out, "This should not be!" Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus and showed pity to the widow of Nain by raising up her son (John 11:35; Luke 7:13-15). His whole purpose for becoming man was that we might have eternal life. We may struggle to believe in eternal life, for our loved ones or for ourselves. But this struggle is familiar to Jesus. His prayer in Gethsemane reveals his anguish as he faced the cross (Matthew 26:36-45). But trusting the Father, he offered himself up to death. After passing through this refiner's fire, Jesus arose and shone forth, "as sparks through stubble" (Wisdom 3:7). Risen and glorified, Jesus is our hope! We see that the pain of this life is temporary and the sting of death is fleeting. But even more, we see that all suffering is transfigured—even death, the devil's greatest attempt to sabotage God's creation. It became the very means God uses to bring us into eternity. So bring him your heartaches, confusion, and pain. He will walk beside you and your loved ones through the valley of the shadow of death until the day when his victory will be your own, and "the faithful shall abide with him in love" (Wisdom 3:9). "Lord, help me to trust you in this life so that I may rejoice with you in eternity." Psalm 34:2-3, 16-19 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them..........." end of verse.
. . . We have the book of Wisdom, one of the several that protestants have done away with, and then some say "we added them later". They say these books are "not important". But they are of wisdom, and the purity of wisdom, and they speak of a purgatory that even Jews have believed in.
This Scripture says we are made to be imperishable. Evil considers us as perishable. The dark side calls you disposable. That is why death is so prevalent in sin. But our Father, creator, and lover, is the opposite. He has not made a mistake. You are imperishable He says. You are made in His image and nature. That is terribly good news. This means we are always going to be. This is why His name is I Am who Am. And to say you are, who are, means He is everything in being. In spanish to say "I am who I am" would have a connotation that "who I am is to remain a mystery". Why is it that we are not comfortable with mystery? We just have to know everything, so we don't have to trust or have faith, the lazy way. Someone asked me and my wife what is the one quality we love about one another. I told them after thinking a bit "I love the mystery of her", just when you thought you'd have it all figured out! LOL. Keeps you on your toes. Keeps the work of love going, doesn't it? Then, it could be the same of evil, no mystery, no work, no love. Faithlessness is stagnant and cold. | We pray today:
"The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry. The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. I will bless the Lord at all times.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves......" | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
"So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"...." end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today's Gospel describes the obedience of a faithful servant. Our lives are not about us; they are about the King. We are built not for commanding others but for obedience. In the presence of the awesome lordliness of God—that mind and will whose grandeur we can barely fathom—we bow, we listen, we surrender.
The Lord is the King, the one who commands, directs, and oversees, and who, accordingly, demands obedience. For a military tribe such as the ancient Hebrews, this term had, to be sure, an especially powerful resonance. The proper response to a king is obedience. The king commands, and the servant responds—simply, promptly, unhesitatingly.
A courtier or a messenger might not understand the rationale for, or consequences of, what the king has told him to do, but he does it, trusting in the wisdom and power of the one who sends him. The word "obey" is derived from the Latin obedire, to listen attentively, to heed. In the presence of God the Lord, we his servants should listen, bending our ears and our wills to his word...." end quote Bishop Barron.
The days of servants and slaves are foreign to many of us, although they still exist.
So how in the world can we relate? This is the purpose of writing daily so that we may get a sense from all the readings and reflections of just what our Lord is trying to say to us.
Books upon books have been written about all the things He has said. I do believe that a message though, can enter you as to the degree and point of the message as we are susceptible to His grace and Holy will.
Hard to understand? You only get as much as you put into it, or in the case of the Sacraments, how much you really avail yourself to His graces. We live in a world of hierarchy, whether we like it or not. There is an order of command. But the rebellious world keeps teaching and preaching against it, desiring less and less laws. But the issue is not the laws but the morality, who puts forth the laws. Who is King?
Who is sitting on the thrown? Have we usurped the King?
Nobody likes to have their "name trashed" nowadays, and pride soars at an all time high. Where does one cross the line of dignity and true servitude?
What is our Lord speaking of when He says we are to be "unprofitable servants"? HE says "less of me, more of Him".
Love is above me.
Love is above all.
God is love.
This is the reason. Love must win. Love must reign. God must reign supreme in all our hearts. So what? You got pushed to the side? So what. Let love win. So you got forgotten, you didn't get the credit? So what? You earned points of humility in Heaven! So you feel like you are worthless? Who told you that? God knows the deepest part of your heart! He wants to work with the most forgotten that apply themselves to Him! Because He is the God of the impossible.
Most people envision Heaven as the biggest relaxation vacation spot ever. This is the protestant view.
All I keep hearing is the Lord will give more to whoever has given now...more responsibilities.
Right now, I'm trying to be more and more responsible with the gifts He has given. We are to use our talents for His Kingdom. And everyone has been given a talent...at the very least...the talent of Love. Do not bury His will. Do not bury your head in the sand. We must face this incredible world together. I need your prayers, you need mine. We need each other Lord! Pray with me:
Lord, I feel left behind many times. I know you see me. You know I need you more than anybody. Please, help me serve you with a true, contrite, and humble heart. You are everything and I pray I can make Thee my everything. My Love. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 19:20 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
