† Quote of the Day "The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers." — St. Maximilian Kolbe Today's Meditation "I do not wish the soul to consider her sins, either in general or in particular, without also remembering the Blood and the broadness of My mercy, for fear that otherwise she should be brought to confusion. And together with confusion would come the Devil, who has caused it, under colour of contrition and displeasure of sin, and so she would arrive at eternal damnation, not only on account of her confusion, but also through the despair which would come to her, because she did not seize the arm of My mercy. This is one of the subtle devices with which the Devil deludes My servants, and, in order to escape from his deceit, and to be pleasing to Me, you must enlarge your hearts and affections in My boundless mercy, with true humility. Thou knowest that the pride of the devil cannot resist the humble mind, nor can any confusion of spirit be greater than the broadness of My good mercy, if the soul will only truly hope therein." —St. Catherine Of Siena, p. 94
An excerpt from Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena Daily Verse "He who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust." — Proverbs 21:21-22 | St. Maximilian Kolbe St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941) was born in Poland to a devout Christian family. As a boy he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She showed him two crowns: a white one for virginity and a red one for martyrdom, and asked him which he would be willing to accept. He replied that he would accept both. He later joined the Franciscans. While studying for the priesthood in Rome, he organized a group of friars and founded the Militia of the Immaculata in 1917 to crusade for consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to oppose the evil of Freemasonry. From it came the Knights of the Immaculate magazine that reached a circulation of 750,000, as well as a radio show, both of which became a resource for strengthening faith across Poland. He also established a monastery which grew to 800 friars, the largest in the world at the time. In 1930 he traveled to the Far East and founded another monastery in Nagasaki, Japan. He returned to Poland in 1936. During World War II, St. Maximilian Kolbe housed over 3,000 Polish refugees at his monastery. He was eventually imprisoned because of his effective work, and was sent to Auschwitz in 1941. There he endured special cruelty because he was a Catholic priest. St. Maximilian ministered to the prisoners, and offered his life in place of a father who had been condemned to death. After being starved for two weeks and still found alive, Maximilian was killed by lethal injection on August 14, 1941. He is the patron saint of families, drug addicts, prisoners, journalists, and the pro-life movement. His feast day is August 14th.
Find a devotional for this saint | Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
Lectionary: 415 Reading 1 EZ 9:1-7; 10:18-22 The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer's case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer's case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a "Thau" on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the "Thau"; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city. Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord's house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel. Responsorial Psalm PS 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia 2 Cor 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 18:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them." | Daily Meditation: Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple. (Ezekiel 10:18) Today's first reading contains a graphic vision of God's judgment on his people. Because they had disobeyed his commands and followed the customs of the nations around them, Jerusalem would be destroyed, and they would be exiled. Most dreadful of all, the glory of God—his own presence that had accompanied them since the Exodus—departed from the Temple (Ezekiel 10:18). It looked as if the story of God's chosen people was about to come to an end. But their story was not over. Ezekiel promised that a small remnant of faithful Jews would be spared and that God would begin something new (11:19). Later, the prophet had a vision of God returning and his glory filling a new rebuilt Temple (43:1-3). God would not only bring his people back as he had done in the exodus. He would give them a new heart and his own Spirit so that they could "walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them" (36:26-27). This second vision was ultimately fulfilled when Jesus entered the Temple in the arms of his parents (Luke 2:22-38). God once more visited his people and revealed his glory. Only a few recognized him then—or when he began performing mighty deeds, or at his transfiguration, or when he was glorified on the cross—but those who did were amazed at these glimpses of his glory. Jesus continues to fulfill his promise today. He reveals his glory whenever "two or three are gathered together" in his name (Matthew 18:20). In so many ways, he shows us that he is with his people "always, until the end of the age" (28:20). What a wonderful promise! You are living in the age of the Church, when Jesus dwells "in the midst" of his people. He is reaching out to you through his Church—in the sacraments, in the kindness of a friend after Mass, in the prayers of God's people. You are a member of the family of Christ. Jesus welcomes you, and your brothers and sisters pray for you. Rejoice today, and be open to his loving presence. "Lord, thank you for the gift of your glory, present in your Church and in the world. Help me to see you wherever I go." Psalm 113:1-6
Matthew 18:15-20 |  Hear AI Read it to you. Updated 7/10/24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them....." end quote. | What are we gathering to pray about? Are we even gathering to pray? I'm in a lot of ministries, and I'm noticing, we don't pray as much as we used to. What are we getting together then for? To do things? Where has the main course of action headed towards? Isn't it for the spiritual? Isn't it for a better relationship with our God? With Jesus? Isn't Jesus God? Why are we ignoring, or worse, mocking Him?
Some say that the devil's 100 years of terror is about to end, but I'm afraid there has been a lot of damage. Many have lost faith and love and love is faith, faith is love of God. What do we do with all the destruction of morals of the fabric of the family? What do we do with the ignorance and even hatred of the holy? What do we do with so many so far from the faith that they don't want to even hear about it?
St. Max Kolbe made a magazine. I believe it was the "Immaculata" to publish the message of hope and salvation for the world. He was given the option to die one of two ways, a red martyr that is murdered, or a white martyr of purity, and he chose both.
These are two good steps for me and you to take.
Let's hop in with both feet. The whole of life is a struggle and a battle, and now the heavy lifting is needed. All of our lives, our souls, for the Kingdom of God. St. Max took the place in a death squad, took the place of a family man who cried for his life and wife and kids. St. Max stepped up. That man lived happily with his family because of St. Max. and forever remembered thankfully as a hero for the love of neighbor, and thus the love of God. And many died with him in the communist concentration camps, the places that usurps the love of the true God, the true Love in Heaven.
St. Max, help us love God our Father to the Max! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 4:16 [Hebrews 4] 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
