† Quote of the Day "The patient and humble endurance of the cross—whatever nature it may be—is the highest work we have to do." — St. Katharine Drexel Today's Meditation "If, then, we wish to persevere and to be saved—for no one can be saved without perseverance—we must pray continually. Our perseverance depends, not on one grace, but on a thousand helps which we hope to obtain from God during our whole lives, that we may be preserved in his grace. Now, to this chain of graces a chain of prayers on our part must correspond: without these prayers, God ordinarily does not grant his graces. If we neglect to pray, and thus break the chain of prayers, the chain of graces shall also be broken, and we shall lose the grace of perseverance." —St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 201 An excerpt from The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori Daily Verse "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." — John 3:19-21 | St. Olivia St. Olivia (448 – 463 A.D.) was the beautiful daughter of a noble family living near Palermo on the island of Sicily. She desired to serve God through her life as a consecrated virgin, and gave her wealth to the poor. When the King of the Vandals invaded Italy and came to Palermo, many Christians were martyred at his hands. The young Olivia would visit and encourage the Christians in prison. Her piety, which was greatly admired, caused the local authorities to send her to Tunis to face the governor. There she converted many to the Christian faith, and as punishment she was banished into the wilderness to starve to death or be devoured by wild beasts. She was later found alive by hunters, and upon being brought back to civilization she continued to convert many pagans with her zeal. She was again sent to the governor for punishment and was cruelly tortured. After being dipped in a vat of hot oil and miraculously suffering no harm, she was finally beheaded. In Tunisia there was an ancient Christian basilica dedicated in her honor and built on the site of her tomb; today a mosque rests on the site, yet it retains her name and the memory of her relics. St. Olivia is a virgin martyr venerated especially in Sicily and Tunisia. Her feast day is June 10th. | Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:1-6 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word."
The LORD then said to Elijah:
"Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there."
So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream. Responsorial Psalm Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Alleluia Mt 5:12a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 5:1-12 Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9) Have you ever noticed that being around anxious people can make you anxious, too? Modern psychiatrists have observed how highly contagious anxiety is. They've discovered that our brains have mirror neurons that not only pick up but also reflect back to us the strong emotional signals of the people around us. If that's the case, just think what being around a peaceful person could do for you! In a certain sense, this Beatitude teaches us that each one of us can be a peacemaker. Yes, we do that by working to end conflicts. But there's another way we can bring peace into our world. By being at peace and maintaining our peace, we can actually help the people around us find peace as well. The Hebrew word that's often used in the Bible for peace, shalom, conveys a sense of safety, soundness, health, perfection, or completion. And ultimately, Jesus, the "Prince of Peace," is the only One who can bring us this kind of peace. So how can you live as a peacemaker? First and foremost, by spending time with Jesus. With every prayer time, with every moment spent with the word of God or in Adoration or at Mass, the peace of Jesus can make deeper inroads into your life. You develop attitudes of trust and surrender to the Lord, and those attitudes can calm your fears and ease your worries. Second, you can ask the Holy Spirit to lead you as you go through your day. He can help you avoid reacting in kind when someone you are with is agitated. He can guide your words and thoughts when you find yourself in a stressful situation. He can help you listen patiently when another person needs to vent their frustrations or let off steam. Through the presence of the Spirit, you can bring Jesus with you, and with him, peace. Just think, you can be a peacemaker! Your attitude is contagious, and you can be a force for good for everyone around you. "Lord, give me your peace—the peace that passes all understanding—so that I can bring that peace to others." 1 Kings 17:1-6
Psalm 121:1-8 |  HEAR it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."......" end quote. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus goes up a mountain and sits down to teach. In the Old Testament, we find Moses, the great teacher, also going up a mountain to receive the Law and then sitting down to teach it. However, Jesus is not receiving a law; he is giving one.
Theologian N.T. Wright has pointed out that the Old Testament is essentially an unfinished symphony. It is the articulation of a hope but without a realization of that hope. Thus, as the fulfillment of Israel's entire story, Jesus begins his primary teaching with the Beatitudes, a title that stems from the Latin noun beātitūdō, meaning "happy" or "blessed."
Through this series of paradoxes, surprises, and reversals, Jesus begins setting a topsy-turvy universe aright. How should we understand them? A key is the Greek word makarios, rendered "blessed" or "happy" or perhaps even "lucky," which is used to start each of the Beatitudes.
And so, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." We might say, "How lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things." Here Jesus is telling us how to realize our deepest desire, which is the desire for God and not for passing things that only bring temporary comfort......" end quote Bishop Barron.
Isn't it amazing that our Lord says these things to all of us on earth this day where, yes, we still experience suffering, some much more than others.
This is where things turn backwards from the world. Jesus talks about suffering, and calls them who suffer as "blessed".
The world hates suffering, and offers only one thing for suffering....death. That is the only answer the world offers. But God comes from Heaven to offer us hope in suffering, love in suffering, and even joy in suffering. It all depends on who or what you suffer for.
And if we suffer for Him, then all the more glory to God in Heaven. Why? How?
You want the answer, really?
Why would suffering for God, like Jesus on the cross, be considered glory to God in Heaven? Even our Lord said that He was going to give Glory to God on the cross, didn't He?
What if our Lord loves you so much that He is counting all the tears you shed, for love?
What if our Lord loves you so much that He is wishing forever to hold you in His bosom, at His chest, for a thousand years for every time you felt lonely? We cannot fathom a love like this on earth, we can't truly experience it on earth, yet, this is the type of thing our Lord is offering, if only, we believe.
And this is the point of the message to you, that I may reach to you in faith and for faith and for Love of God.
Yesterday at the nursing home I told the people, "we can't see love, but we can feel love! Can't we?....and so, we can't see God, but we can feel God, because God is love, amen!?".
Others may come to comfort you when in time of need. It's not just them, it's God through them.
When you comfort and help others, you are helping God be the Body of Christ whom so wishes to do now what He wants to do in Heaven, to truly love you as you ought to be loved and deserve to be loved, because on earth, things are so limited.
But blessed are those too who are the body of Christ. Those who are savior in the name of Christ. Those who go out of their way in their life to reach to you in the name of Love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, be my forever Love! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 31:1–2 [Psalm 31]
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 31 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
