†Quote of the Day
"Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume whatever is worldly; there is heavy lead of iniquity in many; let it be molten by divine fire; let the gold and silver vessels be made better, in order that understanding and speech, refined by the heat of suffering, may begin to be more precious."
–St. Ambrose †Today's Meditation
"Let anger be guarded against. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason. The first thing, therefore, to aim at, if possible, is to make tranquility of character our natural disposition by constant practice, by desire for better things, by fixed determination."
—St. Ambrose, p.279 An Excerpt From
A Year with the Church Fathers †Daily Verse
"...it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
–Mark 10:43b-45 | St. Ambrose St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 340–397 A.D.) was born in Gaul (modern France) and became a successful lawyer and governor in Milan, Italy. When the bishop of Milan died in 374 A.D., a movement arose among the people to demand that Ambrose take his place. At the time Ambrose was only a catechumen preparing for baptism; he was not yet a Christian. He went into hiding in an attempt to escape the ecclesiastical appointment. His attempts to hide were unsuccessful; the emperor forbade anyone to give him shelter, which forced him to give himself up and submit to the will of the people to be their bishop. Ambrose quickly received the sacraments, including Holy Orders, and was ordained the Bishop of Milan a week later. He became a very holy leader, giving his property to the poor and his land to the Church, and making himself directly available to the needs of all people. He also worked tirelessly to defend orthodox doctrine, especially against the pervasive Arian heresy which denied the divinity of Christ. St. Ambrose was the saint who introduced lectio divina, the practice of prayerfully meditating on the Sacred Scriptures, into the Latin Church. This informed his eloquent writing, preaching, and teaching, earning him the nickname "honey-tongued doctor." Ambrose was the bishop who converted and baptized St. Augustine of Hippo. He is one of the four original Doctors of the Church, and his statue is one of four that upholds the Chair of St. Peter inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. St. Ambrose's feast day is December 7th. | Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Reading 1 Is 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you." Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor. Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Is 55:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 7:21, 24-27 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. (Matthew 7:24) Earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, and wildfires. We've all seen images of such extreme weather events. And while not all of us have had firsthand experience of such disasters, we've all had to endure the inevitable "storms" of life. Difficulties like chronic illness, unemployment, complicated family relationships, and addictions can surely feel like a torrential downpour or an overpowering wind. We might even find ourselves asking, Where is Jesus in all of this? But if we have built our lives on Jesus, then he is our solid foundation. So even if we don't feel his presence amid the turbulence and uncertainty, we need to do as he says in today's Gospel—we need to listen to his words and act on them (Matthew 7:24). That's true before a storm hits, but it's also important when we are right in the middle of one. One of the best ways to put Jesus' advice into practice when we are experiencing trials is to spend more time in prayer. No doubt, it's harder to pray when we are anxious and discouraged. But as we sit with the Lord and persevere, he may point us to a word in Scripture that we can hold onto. He may gently show us areas in our lives that need to change. He may also shift our perspective on a particular issue, increasing our ability to handle it more peacefully. In all these ways, we are listening to the Lord's words and then acting on them. Jesus assures us that we will not collapse amid storms if we have set ourselves solidly on the rock of his love and mercy. So when these storms of life threaten to overtake you, try to regain your footing. Allow the Lord to remind you that you have built your foundation on him, your rock and safety. He is full of mercy and compassion; he knows full well your situation. So turn to him, and feel the stable ground of his love beneath your feet. "Lord Jesus, you are the rock of my salvation! Help me to cling to you in every storm." Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor....."_ end of verse.
. . . Our Lord tumbles the proud, the almighty, the greatest of the most powerful on earth. And how? The needy, the meek, they inherit the earth. But we are not speaking in financial terms! So much of what we think about is money. Because our Lord speaks about the poor. But it goes for all levels. It can happen to huge countries, or to a monastery. Those in high places disappear, and those in low places appear, and I think of a saint that goes unrecognized, and sometimes they are not recognized until they die. And that's the problem. Good saints are hard to find! They are practically invisible. You really have to search hard. And if you can't find a saint, then be one. If you don't see the light, that hope, then we must be that light and hope in Christ. | We pray today:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord......." end of psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ..." end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, today's Gospel challenges us to act on the Good News. On what precisely is the whole of your life built?
Your heart or soul is the center of you, the place where you are most authentically and deeply yourself. That is your point of contact with God. There you will find the energy that undergirds and informs all the other areas of your life: physical, psychological, emotional, relational, and spiritual. If you are rooted in God at the level of your heart and soul, then you will be following the intentions and commands of God, and you can withstand anything.
But this does not mean that if we follow God's commands, the winds and floods will not come. In Jesus' parable, both builders—the one who follows the commands of God and the one who doesn't—experience the rain and the floods that symbolize all the trials and temptations and difficulties at the surface of your life. If at the very center of your life you are linked to God, the storms and floods will come, but they will not destroy you. . . ." end quote Bishop Barron.
Our Lord said:
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock." What house? What rock? Your very life established on the very faith. And I've often equated faith with love of God.
Do you have very little faith in God? It could be said then, that you have very little love of God our Father!
What words do you trust then? Who's words do you trust more?
Didn't we pray today in the Psalms: "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."?
We can't trust anyone fully, can we? We are all susceptible to fall, and so all we rely on is our faith, our hope, and our trust.
Our Lord is opening our eyes more when it is dark more.
Our Lord is calling us to walk and trust in Him, isn't He?
I remember the story of a shepherd who had a troublesome lamb that kept leaving the flock, jumping fences. He broke its leg. The lamb then had to rely on the shepherd who kept it close by. The shepherd had to carry it. Once healed, the lamb never left the shepherd or the flock.
I noticed that about my dog, I accidentally ran over it as it decided to sleep under the wheels of our van one hot summer day this year. We loaded up the family and as I drove forward cries and whimpers came, and I knew immediately what happened. We took it to the vet and they had to operate and put its leg back together. We fed it by the front porch, and it never leaves the porch now that it is healed.
I feel sometimes our Lord does that with us. We venture off and He breaks us down so that we may learn to stay by Him faithfully. Why? Because, we are His. Pray with me:
(from (lesu dulcissime, Redemptor):
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before You. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart. Many Indeed have never known You; many, too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy of them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 25:15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
