† Quote of the Day "O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me." — St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) Today's Meditation "Natural love is sufficient for earthly parents, but the love which [Joseph] bore to Jesus, as His appointed father, was not a mere human love, it was also a super eminently divine love; for, in loving his Son he was exercising the most perfect love of God; since He whom he called his Son was at the same time his God. As in creatures all is finite, so all is capable of increase. What, then, may we imagine, must have been the growth of this ardent love in the heart of our saint during the long period which he spent with Jesus! Those things which tend naturally to add to human love, in him ministered fresh fuel to the divine flame within him. The constant association with the Son of God made Man and given to him as his own Son, the serving Him and being served by Him for thirty years, and, we must add, their marvelous resemblance created a bond between them which was unequaled of its kind." —Edward Healy Thompson, p. 363
An excerpt from The Life & Glories of Saint Joseph Daily Verse "I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away." — Ecclesiastes 3:14 | St. Jeanne De Chantal
St. Jeanne (Jane) Frances de Chantal (1572–1641) was born in Dijon, France. She was the daughter of the president of parliament, and lived up to her noble status as a refined, cheerful, and beautiful woman. At the age of twenty-one she married a baron and together they had six children. She was strong in her faith, having daily Mass said in her castle, giving alms to the poor, and skillfully managing her household. After seven years of marriage, her husband was killed in an accident. To protect the estate for her children, she was obliged to live with her ill-tempered father-in-law for seven years. When she was thirty-two she met St. Francis de Sales, whom she had previously seen in a vision after praying for a spiritual director. To her private vow of chastity she added another of obedience to his direction, while continuing to provide for her children. At the age of forty-five, after meeting her family obligations, she and St. Francis founded a religious institute for women, the Congregation of the Visitation, which was to exemplify the virtues of the Virgin Mary at the Visitation. The Visitation sisters accepted women who were rejected from other religious orders due to age or illness. They were notable for their charitable works. Aristocrats and the nobility flocked to Jeanne de Chantal's reception-room to seek her counsel. She underwent great trials, including the deaths of many of her close family and friends. She also traveled extensively to found new Visitation houses, having established eighty-six at the time of her death. Her feast day is August 12th. | Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 413
Reading 1 Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,
that is, of King Jehoiachin's exile,
The word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel,
the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.—
There the hand of the LORD came upon me. As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,
a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,
from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)
something gleamed like electrum.
Within it were figures resembling four living creatures
that looked like this: their form was human. Then I heard the sound of their wings,
like the roaring of mighty waters,
like the voice of the Almighty.
When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army.
And when they stood still, they lowered their wings. Above the firmament over their heads
something like a throne could be seen,
looking like sapphire.
Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.
Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum;
downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire;
he was surrounded with splendor.
Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day
was the splendor that surrounded him.
Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. Responsorial Psalm PS 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14 R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See 2 Thes 2:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called you through the Gospel
To possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 17:22-27 As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 17:22-27 Then the subjects are exempt. (Matthew 17:26) It's no surprise that taxation causes controversy. It's one of the two certainties of life, as the saying goes! The tax that is the subject of today's Gospel was assessed on all Jewish adult males for the upkeep of the Temple in Jerusalem. So it would be expected that a well-known religious figure like Jesus would have certainly kept up with that tax. It would be a perfect way for him to express his closeness to the God of Israel. But in today's Gospel, Jesus gives a different perspective: The "subjects" of a kingdom are exempt from taxes (Matthew 17:26). Actually, the Greek word here is huioi, which is usually translated as "sons" or "children." And that word matters. It means that when he arranged for Peter to find two coins for the tax, Jesus was saying that they were both children of the kingdom of God. Isn't that amazing? Not only Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was a child of the kingdom, but Peter was as well. And not only Peter, but every disciple. That title, "child of the kingdom"—and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with it—belongs to everyone who becomes a son or daughter of God through Baptism. It's what St. Paul meant when he wrote that we are "fellow citizens . . . and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). It's what Peter meant when he urged us to "be built into a spiritual house" that gives glory to God (1 Peter 2:5). You may feel that you are a distant cousin of that kingdom. You may have times when it feels as if you're stuck in some wilderness by yourself while the true children of the kingdom enjoy life in the palace. But that's just not true. You belong because your heavenly Father chose you from before time began (Ephesians 1:4). You belong because Jesus died and rose for you (2 Corinthians 5:14-17). You belong because God has sent his Spirit into your heart (Galatians 4:6). Who are you? A child of the kingdom. Never forget that. "Jesus, thank you for making me a child of your kingdom! Teach me how to live in that calling every day." Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14 |  Hear AI Read it to you. Updated 7/10/24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you."......." end quote. | From the end of a Spanish Reflection today from Friar Brother Juan Jose de Leon Lastra: Spanish translated to English:
"Jesus comes to say that he does not have to pay taxes; however, not paying them would generate an invitation to rebellion against that power. And Jesus in his life ignored the confrontation against political power. That was not his mission. The story of how he got the drachma is a parable, which expresses that neither he nor Peter pay from their own.
Human conduct must be governed by prudence. Acting with prudence requires taking into account the repercussion of the way of acting on others. Saint Paul, despite insisting that the choice for Christ did not require conforming to Jewish prescriptions at meals, specifically those that declared some foods impure, he conformed to them in order "not to scandalize the simple". "Be careful that the freedom you use becomes an occasion of stumbling - a scandal - for the weak" (I Cor 8,9; Rom 14,13-15.20). This is what Jesus does. Jesus thinks of others when he acts: his life is based on others.
In light of this episode, it is good to ask ourselves: what do I prefer?: to see myself above others and the laws in force, or to serve others, to do good to them?"
The mouth of the fish.
Before opening his mouth, Jesus knew what was there. Before Simon Peter, our first Pope, ever had a chance to speak about what the temple leaders had told him, our Lord already knew before Simon opened his mouth.
God already knows before you open your mouth, what you are about to say. So why even speak, right? LOL. But we need to speak, so that the rest will hear what is transpiring. Communication is crucial, especially when it comes to the Word of God that should be at the tip of our mouth because it is at the base of our heart.
Was it right that the Son of God be taxed for the very temple He belongs in?
Was it right that these Jews had lost track of God?
I took my boys and a couple of nephews on a hiking trip this weekend.
The first day, we hiked up a mountain, they were excited, and on our way down, two boys, my son and a nephew rushed down the mountain for no real reason other than to get down first, leaving the rest of us behind.
When I finally saw them back at the base, at our RV, I said "boys, you should've stayed so we could've prayed at the mountain, I had plans for us to be together, we should stick together in case something happens and we need help." Their faces said something like "oh, ok" but seemed unsure.
That evening, I cooked for them, and we sat around at night, outside, where they knew this was the time for me to speak of serious growing lessons into manhood. They mostly revolved around being brave when we have to, and being obedient to God, in which humility would be the only way. I had been strumming on the guitar and singing some hymns on my guitar before we gathered in the dark, it is probably the darkest park in the state. When we went to in to go to sleep, a strong knock at the door, the boys moved aside so I could answer, it was a lady asking me to turn off my light because it was "blinding" them. Which was strange, because they were not next to us, but catercorner across the road behind a tree. But I obliged and apologized thinking "that is strange, there are no lights out here why would they want my lights off here too?"
I digress.
The next morning I wake up to the fresh mountain air, and started making breakfast outside for the boys, teaching them to break their own eggs and scramble them then I'd do the rest.
Then we headed to another mountain, only 300 foot tall but nevertheless, it was a hike up rocky paths. I was leading and about three quarters of the way up, there was seemingly a path that could split straight up to the top or go the long way around. I mentioned it and before I knew it, the boys had split straight up. By the time they had split, I was already breathing hard, hard to keep up with young teens as they just sprint up the rocks and I needed to head back down. I was a little dismayed that they had all decided to follow someone else up the top. I wanted to experience that too. But the dismay was not that, but the fact that I had just told them the day before, that we needed to stick together. As they got pretty high up, one nephew looked back pointing down at me on the trail as I was all alone exclaiming "Look, he said he wanted us all together and he's off on his own down that trail!". Truth is, I didn't leave them, they left me. I was silent when they had decided to split. Israel was their first leader, and then his brother took the lead after that. I only say the name because here's where things get interesting. Israel means "wrestling with God", and this could mean "having a hard time to listen and obey" doing your own thing, and these folks in the bible always deviated from following God closely. The people of God are the Israel. I was at a high point trying to make my way back to them, but I just had to find a restroom and I had to go back down. Before I knew it, following closely behind me was my oldest son, Cristian. He remembered I had said "we shouldn't go it alone" and remembers not to leave others behind. So he kept me company as we slid down the mountain rocks. I told him everything I just told you, about leaving the father behind. About trying to be at the top of the mountain without the father, leader. About splitting from the group and then blaming the Father, the God for them being separated. They only went by their excitement and feelings. They didn't want the boring long road and unwittingly, leave the wisdom and protection that I carried. I've hunted in these mountains before, I know the mountains more than any of them, it was all their first time.
Back to the Gospel.
The temple leaders considered themselves atop the mountain.
They denied Christ the divinity. They taxed him. They did not recognize him. They had long left Him behind even though they said they were with Him in the temple. They offered thousands of lambs and bulls as temple sacrifices. They were blood thirsty now, it was all about the sacrifice. They were even money hungry.
And so, they charged Jesus our Lord, and they charged him for all His precious blood. And this after He had given them the money, from a fish that coughed it up at the shore. It was then, the message of Nineveh. Repent. Or else the whole place would be destroyed.
That temple was destroyed after they destroyed the body of Christ.
And so the message is alive and well today.
You are hearing this so that you and your whole household will repent and believe in the word of our Lord.
In the end, it wasn't about money. It never was. It was an attempt to keep the Lord out.
How about you? Did you know that every time you disobey, you try to make your own path and you are saying "I don't need you Lord".
I told my boy Cris at the base "keep an eye out for them, until I return, they have all our snacks and waters, they should be alright to make it back" but I worried about accidents and wild animals, so we waited for their return.
Once they came back, we wanted water, but they had drank it all, and so we made our way to a creek, then headed back to camp, where once again the boys said "Hey, this isn't the way! we need to go back the way we came!" And I was exasperated and finally spoke out "Look boys, I know this place better than any of you, but go wherever you want again, we will see you sometime later". This time, they went silent, followed me, and we got back in half the time, which was good because we had to leave soon and pack. But because we saved so much time with my shortcut, we went and took a scenic drive, and exploring even more, cooling off in the truck and enjoyed our final time there even more. We left, and went to a ranch to ride horses. But that's a whole other story and I won't take more of your time.
Lesson:
Stick with the Father. Obedience is key to humility. Lest, we attempt to keep Him from leading us where He knows best. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 4:12–13 [1 Peter 4]
Suffering as a Christian 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
