†Quote of the Day "Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inflamed with love for us, he came down from heaven to redeem us. For our sake he endured every torment of body and soul and shrank from no bodily pain. He himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love. We, then, are to be patient in adversity."
–St. Francis of Paola Today's Meditation "Let us not fancy that if we cry a great deal we have done all that is needed—rather we must work hard and practice the virtues: that is the essential—leaving tears to fall when God sends them, without trying to force ourselves to shed them. Then, if we do not take too much notice of them, they will leave the parched soil of our souls well watered, making it fertile in good fruit; for this is the water which falls from Heaven. … I think it is best for us to place ourselves in the presence of God, contemplate His mercy and grandeur and our own vileness and leave Him to give us what He will, whether water or drought, for He knows best what is good for us; thus we enjoy peace and the devil will have less chance to deceive us."
—St. Teresa of Avila, p. 147 Daily Verse "On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'""
–John 7:37-8 | St. Julian the Hospitaller (4th c.) came from a wealthy noble family in Europe. Little of his life is known with certainty. According to legend he married a noble widow, and was put under a curse at some point in his life. The curse was that he would one day kill his parents. To prevent this from happening, Julian and his wife moved far away from them. Julian's parents later found their whereabouts and made an unexpected visit while Julian was away. Julian's wife offered them her bed to sleep for the night. When Julian arrived home and found his bed occupied with a couple, he slew them both assuming it was his wife with another man. When Julian learned the truth, he was horrified by his actions and spent the rest of his life in penance. He and his wife went on a pilgrimage to Rome, and on their return established a hospital to continue their penance, dedicating their lives to caring for the poor and sick. One day a leper came to stay in the hospital; after Julian cared for his wounds, the leper revealed himself to be an angel and told Julian that God granted him absolution for his sins. The hospital was built near a river that was often crossed by pilgrims on their way to the Crusades. St. Julian the Hospitaller is the patron saint of hospitality, travelers, innkeepers, boatmen, pilgrims, and knights. His feast day is celebrated on February 12th. | Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 335
Reading 1 Jas 1:1-11 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
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.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76 R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live. Alleluia Jn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore. | Daily Meditation: James 1:1-11 Consider it all joy . . . when you encounter various trials. (James 1:2) All joy? Who talks like that? We can get so used to hearing statements like this one in the Bible that they wash over us without our really noticing how strange they are. Blessed are you, Jesus tells us, if you are poor or hungry (see Luke 6:20, 21). St. Paul says, "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). He even "boasts" about a string of pains, persecutions, and plain bad luck (11:21-30). These paradoxical statements turn our normal way of thinking, feeling, and reacting on its head. And the truth is, when you meet Jesus and believe in him, he does turn your life upside down! This happens in all kinds of ways, but one of the most important is how we view suffering. From a "normal" perspective, suffering is pointless and something to be avoided at all costs. But as Christians, we see meaning in suffering because Jesus suffered and died for us to save us from sin and death. Through his suffering, he redeemed the world. So when we join our suffering to Jesus' suffering on the cross, in some mysterious way, we are joining in his work of redemption. The Lord also can use our suffering to help us grow in holiness. St. James says that "the testing of your faith produces perseverance . . . so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (1:3-4). Suffering provides many opportunities to persevere in turning to the Lord and asking for his help. As we spend time with him, he works in us, giving us strength and grace and building up our trust in him. On the cross, Jesus conquered sin and death. As you take up your crosses and walk with him, he will lead you to the resurrection. Your hardships don't have to ruin your joy; they can be the path to ultimate unending joy with God. A paradox? Yes. But one you can put your faith in every time you face a trial. "Jesus, please rescue me from this trial. But as long as it is mine to bear, I unite it to your cross. I trust that you will use it for my ultimate good." Psalm 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76
Mark 8:11-13 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | In the Gospel today we heard:
"He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore....." end of Gospel verse.
. . . | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven. They are testing him because they have no faith nor trust in him.
Faith is an attitude of trust in the presence of God. Faith is openness to what God will reveal, do, and invite. It should be obvious that in dealing with the infinite, all-powerful person who is God, we are never in control.
This is why we say that faith goes beyond reason. If we can figure it out, calculate precisely, predict with complete accuracy, we're in charge—and by definition, we are not dealing with a person. Would you use any of those descriptors in talking about your relationship with your husband, wife, or best friend? Instead, you enter into an ever-increasing rapport of trust with such people.
One of the most fundamental statements of faith is this: your life is not about you. You're not in control. This is not your project. Rather, you are part of God's great design. To believe this in your bones and to act accordingly is to have faith." end quote from Bishop Barron.
Do you think seeking signs is to put our Lord to the test? Don't we all seek signs? Our Lord works with wonders and signs, that's what He does! But He did tell the Pharisees they were of an evil generation. So evil in fact, that their "tests" they were seeking were just to find the perfect excuse to have Him murdered.
So what about you my child? Are you in need of a sign from God? Yesterday I saw a rainbow, and last week too. That was a sign from God to Noah, and for all future generations. Do you need another sign? I bet you would like a more custom sign, a personal sign, right? "If God does this, then it means this" we say. I did it just the other day I was so excited to get a bus for family and church, and one thing led to another, and I began to feel these people were just trying to avoid me after I had sent them money! I was very anxious! I prayed. I asked the bank to do the impossible, to reverse the wire transfer, and I prayed "Lord, I would really love to have this little bus for family and church, but if I get the money wired back it must mean you don't want me to have it". And the next day I got a call from the bank saying we got our money back. And you know what it felt like? Peace.
As a matter of fact, 9 times out of 10, a surefire way to know God is at work is just that..."Peace". You will have peace, and grace will flow, and I even felt like a weight had come off my chest. Looking back (this was just last week) I tell people I think we avoided a headache, because it seems the bus may have had some mechanical issues anyway, "why was the owner so eager to haul it 7 hours to me and then mentioned he'd haul it on a trailer?" and "why was he working on it the day I sent a wire, as he said he was just tuning it up for me...strange!".
I didn't get what I wanted, a bus, but I got what was better. I got a sign. Sometimes I don't give my kids what they want, and it makes them better for it.
And so, if today you've been seeking a sign, then think of the sacrificial sign of the cross. It's God's message written with His very heart, literally in the Eucharist. God loves you.
How many times have days gone by and you wished someone told you they loved you? Try telling a lonely person you love them, see what happens! Even better, try showing them you love them. This is the reason to go to Church, to show God and the world that you love God! Try to see tests as signs, and make them all point for greater good, for greater glory. Make lemonade with sour lemons, just add sugar which is love...God's love! Let us pray today:
Lord, I'm living day by day, living in the signs and wonders of Your love. Let me live day by day giving YOU signs and wonders of my love for You! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 115:3 [Psalm 115] 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
