† Quote of the Day "I will glory not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed; I will glory not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me. I will not glory because I have done good nor because someone has done good to me, but because Christ is my advocate with the Father and because the blood of Christ has been shed for me." — St. Ambrose Today's Meditation "Many try to fly away from temptations only to fall more deeply into them; for you cannot win a battle by mere flight. It is only by patience and humility that you will be strengthened against the enemy. Those who shun them outwardly and do not pull them out by the roots will make no progress; for temptations will soon return to harass them and they will be in a worse state. It is only gradually—with patience and endurance and with God's grace—that you will overcome temptations sooner than by your own efforts and anxieties . . . Gold is tried by fire and the upright person by temptation. Often we do not know what we can do until temptation shows us what we are . . . This is how temptation is: first we have a thought, followed by strong imaginings, then the pleasure and evil emotions, and finally consent. This is how the enemy gains full admittance, because he was not resisted at the outset. The slower we are to resist, the weaker we daily become and the stronger the enemy is against us." —Thomas à Kempis, p. 32-33
An excerpt from Imitation of Christ Daily Verse "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it." — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 | St. Bridget Of Sweden St. Bridget (1303-1373) was born into a devout and prestigious family in Sweden. Her father was a governor, judge, and one of the wealthiest landowners in the country. Bridget received an excellent religious education, and from a young age demonstrated a great capacity for holiness. She even experienced mystical visions in her childhood. At the age of thirteen she was given in marriage to a similarly devout young man named Ulf. Together the two had a happy marriage and raised eight children, one of whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. St. Bridget became famous for her sanctity, and she was well-acquainted with the Swedish king and many theologians who sought her counsel. When Bridget and Ulf were in their forties, they went on pilgrimage along the famous Way of St. James. Shortly afterwards Ulf died, and Bridget gave herself entirely to the religious life. Her visions became more frequent, and were written down in a famous work called the Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden. She also founded a new religious order known as the Brigittines. To obtain approval for her Order she traveled to Rome with her daughter Catherine, where she lived until her death. St. Bridget of Sweden is one of the six patron saints of Europe. Her feast day is July 23rd. | Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 396
Reading 1 MI 7:14-15, 18-20 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea
all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old. Responsorial Psalm PS 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8 R. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love.
You have favored, O LORD, your land;
you have brought back the captives of Jacob.
You have forgiven the guilt of your people;
you have covered all their sins.
You have withdrawn all your wrath;
you have revoked your burning anger.
R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.
Restore us, O God our savior,
and abandon your displeasure against us.
Will you be ever angry with us,
prolonging your anger to all generations?
R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.
Will you not instead give us life;
and shall not your people rejoice in you?
Show us, O LORD, your kindness,
and grant us your salvation.
R. Lord, show us your mercy and love. 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 MT 12:46-50 While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother." | Daily Meditation: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 . . . who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency. (Micah 7:18) Micah spent much of his prophetic career warning God's people about the dire consequences that would come because of their disobedience. But then, in a seeming turnaround, Micah's final words—which we read today—are words of intercession directed to God. He asks the Lord's pardon for his people and appeals to his mercy and compassion. That might leave us with a mistaken impression. We might conclude that God is like one of us, easily swayed and subject to shifting emotions. But that would be missing the point. It's not as if God gets mad when we sin, but then after his anger is spent, he comes around and forgives us. God is always offering his mercy, even when we bear the uncomfortable effects of our own sinful actions. Especially during those times, he lovingly offers us his mercy and calls us to return to him. As we look back, we might even be able to see his mercy embedded in those difficult times: the ways he was capturing our attention and urging us back to him. As you consider the people you know or as you look out on the world, you might see this same type of pattern playing out. Loved ones might be suffering as a result of choices they've made. The world around you can seem disconnected from God's priorities. Take that as a prompt to imitate Micah. Lift your eyes to the truth of who God is, and intercede! Remember what the prophet proclaimed: that over the ages, God delivered his people, fed them, and showed faithfulness to them even in their unfaithfulness (7:14-15, 19-20). Look toward our merciful God and recall his promises of restoration, of reunion, and of reconciliation. Put those troubling situations into his hands and trust him with the results. Our God "delights . . . in clemency" (Micah 7:18). So put aside any fears that he is like an impatient, ill-tempered parent, ready to punish at the first misstep. Turn to him, the One who never ceases to offer mercy, and receive his kindness and forgiveness. "Heavenly Father, thank you for your compassion!" Psalm 85:2-8
Matthew 12:46-50 |  Hear AI Read it to you. Updated 7/10/24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother......" end quote. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Family is wonderful. There is nothing in the world wrong with fostering the flourishing of your family. But over and again, the Bible places the goods of the world into question—even something as good as family relationships.
Why? Because family isn't God. It is not that which you should serve with your whole heart; it doesn't belong in the center of your life.
Is family the point around which most of your energies revolve? Is it your primary focus as you make your way through the day? Are there times when you feel your family obligations competing with the will of God?
Then remember Jesus' words: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? . . . Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father." end quote Bishop Barron.
Our only hope for salvation is Jesus the Christ, our Lord from Heaven.
And He comes from Heaven to earth to show us the way...the way God wants us to live.
And so do the Father's will, Our Father's will, we must imitate Christ in every way and do what ever He says, just like His Mother, Our Mother Mary said in the first miracle we heard when she asked Him to make wine happen, then she said to all the servants "do whatever He tells you".
And if we do as the Father wishes, our Lord call us brothers, mothers, and sisters. This is indeed good news.
There is not much good news in the world news headlines, but in the news of our Lord, we take heart, we take courage, we have a true hope.
In Him, we are promised a new life. And this life can start now.
In one gospel account, they said "he has lost his mind!" because he went and got trapped in all the people in that small house.
But there He is, in the middle of the crowd, just like at the moment Mother Mary had lost her boy when He was only 12 years old. Lost in the crowds of the annual Passover feasts. Had the boy lost His way? Or had the family lost Him along the way, with distractions?
We need to take heart because, if we don't watch it, we can lose Him very easily too. Thank God He is a Good Shepherd who can find us though, amen?
I often wonder if I am doing the Father's will. I hate that I'm so focused most of my day with routine and mundane and overloaded work problems, that is all I focus on. I often ask myself, "how am I doing God's will if I'm just stuck here all day long and cannot go out to save souls for God?"
What do monks do all day? The ones I know, they get up and start praying from 3 or 4 in the morning and then work for a few hours and then eat, and work again until the next time for prayer, and so it goes until sunset.
I do the same, as a married man, I get up, I pray before going to work, I don't eat, I write to you all morning between work issues, praying, meditating on and off. It isn't efficient, but it helps me stay focused, on God's work, and by His grace, then tackle the daily fires and challenges. The only times I stop to actually pray is the divine mercy chaplet at 3pm with my family, then the rosary, and daily mass if there is daily mass that day.
So, am I doing God's will? I Am if my heart is with Him and availed to Him. I am with Him if I get presented an issue, and not overwhelmed by it. Because I am with God and God is with me.
For example, yesterday, we were on our way home from a weekend trip. We had the option to take an extra day at a swim park, with a chance of rain. Seeing the chance of rain I said we should just start heading home for the 6 hour drive. That morning, I realized as I meditated on Scripture, that it was my birth day of my spiritual life, St. Mary Magdalene day, which led me to desire a Mass, and so we went to a noon Mass yesterday. There as I knelt, I still wondered, "I'm out of town, a vacation day, am I doing God's will? Am I at the right place right now? Then a vision of Mary Magdalene came to me as if to tell me "look for this stained glass window, you will know you were meant to be here", and the heart conversation with the Almighty even pointed where it would be in the church. So I went after Mass. I passed it, the whole church was covered in stained glass images of the life of Christ. I actually gave up, and made my way around and saw a man in a wheelchair, I decided to go help him open a side door, he didn't want to go out yet, so I came back in, and then I saw the glass I had walked passed by, the risen Lord, by the tomb, and Mary Magdalene on her knees before the Lord.
I knew then, and took heart and peace that this was at the right place to be...for my soul's birthday. It was then, a gift from above, tons of love.
Some will call it nonsense, some will call it a coincidence, but some will just know that God is working in your life.
I was following God's promptings, and that is where I was led.
And this happens time and time again. Being open to Him, His prompts, His invitations, His life, this can happen all day and every day.
Peace is a sure way God works.
Not as the world offers, but as He offers, and we can take the offer by always seeking Him...forever....therefore, loving Him forever, for Himself and in each soul you encounter. Sacred Blood of Jesus, help us love You, and save us all! | Random Bible Verse 1
James 1:13–14 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
