On September 12th the Church venerates the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary because of her unique privilege as the holiest of creatures, the Mother of God, and the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her name is therefore a royal one of the highest order, and as such should be given the greatest honor after that of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Instituted in 1513, the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God, and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation. | † Quote of the Day "When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the first rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases. He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori Today's Meditation "True devotion to Our Lady is interior; that is, it comes from the mind and the heart. It flows from the esteem we have for her, the high idea we have formed of her greatness, and the love which we have for her. It is tender; that is, full of confidence in her, like a child's confidence in his loving mother ... It implores the aid of its good Mother at all times, in all places and above all things: in its doubts, that it may be enlightened; in its wanderings, that it may be brought into the right path; in its temptations, that it may be supported; in its weaknesses, that it may be strengthened; in its falls, that it may be lifted up; in its discouragements, that it may be cheered; in its scruples, that they may be taken away; in the crosses, toils and disappointments of life, that it may be consoled under them. In a word, in all the evils of body and mind, the soul ordinarily has recourse to Mary, without fear of annoying her or displeasing Jesus Christ." —St. Louis De Montfort, p. 54 Daily Verse "True devotion to Our Lady is interior; that is, it comes from the mind and the heart. It flows from the esteem we have for her, the high idea we have formed of her greatness, and the love which we have for her. It is tender; that is, full of confidence in her, like a child's confidence in his loving mother ... It implores the aid of its good Mother at all times, in all places and above all things: in its doubts, that it may be enlightened; in its wanderings, that it may be brought into the right path; in its temptations, that it may be supported; in its weaknesses, that it may be strengthened; in its falls, that it may be lifted up; in its discouragements, that it may be cheered; in its scruples, that they may be taken away; in the crosses, toils and disappointments of life, that it may be consoled under them. In a word, in all the evils of body and mind, the soul ordinarily has recourse to Mary, without fear of annoying her or displeasing Jesus Christ." —St. Louis De Montfort, p. 54 | Saint Guy Of Anderlecht
St. Guy (950–1012), also known as the "Poor Man of Anderlecht," was born to pious parents of humble means in the country village of Anderlecht near Brussels. Having no money for school, from his childhood he served the poor and fostered a great devotion to the Church while praying for the grace to love and accept his poverty. He was regarded as a young saint by those who knew him. One day a priest, who noticed his great reverence while praying in church, invited him to serve it for a small sum by sweeping the floors and keeping the altar and sacred vessels clean. During the day St. Guy would help the poor, and at night he would work and pray in the church; these were his two great loves. He served in this way joyfully and faithfully. One day a shipping merchant from Brussels, prompted by a devil who wanted to take St. Guy away from his holy work as a sacristan, presented him with a lucrative opportunity to invest his small savings into a business venture. Guy, not recognizing the temptation, accepted the job offer under the pretense of making more money to give to the poor, and he left his position as sacristan. When his first cargo ship sunk as it left the harbor, Guy realized his error and the deception he had succumbed to in giving up his happy and humble work serving Christ. He went back to the church and found that the sacristan position had been replaced. Left without a job and no money, Guy was so filled with remorse over his foolish decision that he went on a penitential pilgrimage. He visited Rome, the Holy Land, and other shrines over a period of seven years. He returned to Anderlecht in 1012 and died in the same year. Miracles were reported at his grave, after which a church was built in his honor. His feast day is September 12th | Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 COR 8:1B-7, 11-13 Brothers and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him. So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist. But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled. Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin. Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 23-24 R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. Alleluia 1 JN 4:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 6:27-38 Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." | Daily Meditation: Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies. (Luke 6:27) These three words are some of the most challenging in the whole New Testament! And they are made even more challenging as Jesus goes on to explain how to love our enemies. We are not only to resist hating people who hurt us, but to love them in active, concrete ways. We are to "do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). This command can seem impossible and even unfair. Why should we do good or pray a blessing for people who have harmed us or wish to harm us now? Because this is how God has loved us. And when we do likewise, we "will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked" (Luke 6:35). Jesus himself set the standard as he loved the people who wanted to put him to death. He could have hidden away safely with his disciples, but instead he went to the Temple to share his Father's love with those who were plotting against him (Luke 20:1; 21:37-38). He even prayed for and forgave the people who crucified him (23:34). This is how Jesus loved his enemies; this is how he loved us. As St. Catherine of Siena ministered to the sick, she sensed God urging her to love in this same way. On more than one occasion, some of the women she cared for grew angry and hostile toward her. Despite their hurtful words, Catherine continued to nurse their wounds and cared for them without complaining or defending herself. One woman, Palmerina, was so touched by Catherine's love that it is said that she repented on her deathbed as Catherine prayed with her. So how can you love your enemies? When you show kindness to a family member who complains. When you ask God to bless a person who has slandered you. When you ask God to heal someone who is sick, even though they have mistreated you. Every time you do these things, you're loving the way Jesus loved. Even more, you're becoming a channel of God's grace that heals the poison of bitterness. It isn't easy, but it is possible. Jesus has poured his love into our hearts, and his love never fails. "Jesus, fill me with your love so that I can love my enemies." 1 Corinthians 8:1-7, 11-13
Psalm 139:1-3, 13-14, 23-24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful......"_ end quote. | From Bishop Barron: "Friends, our Gospel today is taken from Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke. It is one of the more puzzling texts in the New Testament. It speaks of loving our enemies. Not tolerating them or vaguely accepting them, but loving them. When you hate your enemy, you confirm him as your enemy. But when you love him in response to his hatred, you confuse and confound him, taking away the very energy that feeds his hatred.
There is a form of oriental martial arts called aikido. The idea of aikido is to absorb the aggressive energy of your opponent, moving with it, continually frustrating him until he comes to the point of realizing that fighting is useless.
Some have pointed out that there is a great deal of this in Jesus' strategy of nonviolence and love of the enemy. You creatively absorb the aggression of your opponent, really using it against him, to show him the futility of violence. So when someone insults you, send back a compliment instead of an insult. When someone conspires against you, work to help him......" end quote Bishop Barron.
I told my RCIA students that we must be like that fish symbol that goes against the current.
We need to be different. The world teaches hatred and revenge and some will even quote scripture to cite reasons to take revenge or that God will avenge them and they lean towards "Karma". But we don't believe in Karma.
We believe in the love of God. We believe in mercy. We shouldn't wait for people to "get what's coming to them".
But this is hard. It takes practice, it takes discipline to practice what we preach, about love and forgiveness.
But do it anyway. Watch what happens when all you do is pray for your enemies, watch what Jesus did as He bled to death on the cross for His loved ones including His enemies. I went to another funeral today, to help as the choir. This will be the 4th funeral in about 7 days. The readings they chose were about the "good thief". He asked for consideration from Jesus when He enters His Kingdom. He suffered with Jesus from that moment on, in a sense giving His life and hope to Jesus.
Jesus struggling to breathe said to Him "today, you will be with Me in paradise". The other guy crucified was screaming "if you are really God then save us now!"
That's how many atheists go to their death, in much bitter pain and anguish.
But they say the believer dies in restful peace.
Who will you die for?
What will you die for?
Our life will live out that statement.
And it starts in all little moments of life.
God loves love. And love goes out one way. The best love is the love you don't get in return some times, because this is truly giving.
Give until it hurts, and then it will count even more.
Give more attention in prayer. Give love and consideration to those who are doing you wrong, like praying for their conversion, and being patient, but firm. Firm in faith and hope in the love of God. "For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
John 4:13–14 13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.1 The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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