† Quote of the Day "Let all creation help you to praise God. Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being." — St. Paul of the Cross Today's Meditation "Before processing a situation, let your nerves and the effervescence of your imagination calm down. Recollect yourself: a few days of patience. You will see, thus, by some distance and peace, all things will take back their proper proportions. During the period of agitation, guard against arguing, deciding, and acting. Emotion troubles the reason; passion misleads judgment; self-love renders the situation unjust toward ourselves." — An Anonymous Carthusian Monk
An excerpt from The Doors of Silence Daily Verse "Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."" — John 6:35 | St. Narcissus St. Narcissus (c. 99 – c. 216 A.D.) was a holy and esteemed priest of Greek origin who became the 30th bishop of Jerusalem in the year 180 A.D., about a century after the city's destruction by the Romans. He was known as a miracle-worker, as well as for governing his diocese with vigor and discipline despite being in his 80th year when he was made bishop. Of his many miracles, the one for which he is most famous was turning water into oil on Holy Saturday, as recorded by the historian Eusebius: when the deacons had no oil to burn in the altar lamps for the Easter liturgy, St. Narcissus had them use water instead. After he prayed over the water and it was put into the lamps, it was miraculously converted into oil. In 195 A.D. St. Narcissus was part of a council of bishops who settled the date for the observance of Easter, deciding on Sunday and not the ancient Jewish Passover. Despite his reputation as a holy bishop, St. Narcissus drew opposition. Three enemies accused him of a serious crime and prayed that he might be cursed by God in punishment. This took a toll on the saint, and, forgiving his persecutors, he retired from public life and lived as a hermit for many years. His enemies meanwhile were struck by the calamities that they wished upon him. When St. Narcissus eventually returned to Jerusalem he was exuberantly welcomed by the faithful. He served the people of Jerusalem in many ways until his death at over 116 years old. His feast day is October 29th. | Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 EPH 5:21-33 Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the Church,
he himself the savior of the Body.
As the Church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the Church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the Church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the Church,
because we are members of his Body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.
In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself,
and the wife should respect her husband. Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 R. (1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord. Alleluia See MT 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 13:18-21 Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches."
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened." | Daily Meditation: Ephesians 5:21-33 Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) "Subordinate"? That's such a strong word, and with so many negative connotations. In fact, the Greek word that Paul used (hupotassó) means being subject to someone, as a servant is to his master or as a soldier is to his commanding officer. Where did Paul get the idea that this is how we should relate to one another? From Jesus. Because that's how he lived his whole life. Take a moment right now to close your eyes and picture how Jesus subjected himself to the people around him. Think of him late in the evening and after a long day of ministering, taking the time to explain a puzzling parable to his disciples. Or imagine him patiently navigating yet another run-in with his critics. Or, most dramatically of all, picture him spreading out his arms against the wood of the cross and then forgiving the people who drove the nails into his hands and feet. In each of these scenes, we see Jesus humbling himself so that he could lift up the people around him. We see him, the Lord over all creation, offering himself to the very people he created. The One whose hands formed the stars placed himself into the hands of sinners. And he did it with nothing but love in his heart! This is how Jesus wants all of us to live—as servants, as men and women committed to laying down our lives for one another. In a world that treasures independence and self-rule, he asks us all to tend to each other before we take care of our own comfort and desires. And he does this not to wear us down or to humiliate us, but so that he can reveal his love and presence through our acts of humble service. He does it so that his light can shine through us more brightly and his grace can flow through us more fully. How will you "subordinate" yourself today? That's something only you can answer as you try to listen to the Spirit. Just know that every time you serve someone, you can reveal the face of Christ to that person—and to everyone around you! "Jesus, I dedicate myself to serving your people today. Help me to love as you love." Psalm 128:1-5
Luke 13:18-21 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches."
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened......." end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today's Gospel compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. It seems to be a law of the spiritual life that God wants good things to start small and grow over time.
We're tempted to say, "You're God. Just get on with it. Do it." But why would God work the way he does? We might attempt a few explanations. It is a commonplace of the Bible that God rejoices in our cooperation. He wants us to involve ourselves—through freedom, intelligence, creativity—in what he is doing. And so he plants seeds, and he wants us to cultivate them.
"Francis, rebuild my Church." Now, God could have rebuilt his Church, but he wanted St. Francis to get involved. God could have renewed the spiritual life of Christianity through a great infusion of grace, but he inspired St. Antony the Great to leave everything behind and go live alone in the desert.
There's something else. When things start small, they can fly under the radar for a time while they gain strength and heft and seriousness. And those involved can be tested and tried...." end quote.
The smallest parable is about the smallest of seeds of its kind. But there are truths and mysteries to be unveiled about this perplexing parable from the Lord of Heaven.
And why does our Lord compare this to "The Kingdom of God"?
How can our Lord compare it to the Kingdom of God? How does He know how it is? Right? Did He speak with angels? Like the Pharisees we can ask "where did this man get all of this from?"
Whatever the case may be, however our Father God told Him, or it may have been full on Holy Spirit speaking always in our Lord, an innate knowledge we could never question, and it is the truth.
To answer that, our Lord said in the Gospel of John: "If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven— the Son of Man."
This means He knows. This means He already descended as the Holy Spirit in the flesh. This means that He ascends and descends. Only Angels have been known to do this, and they say He is the Master of all angels.
And angels are supreme beings with powers beyond knowledge.
Yet, He says, the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.
The smallest of seeds yet, grows to be a formidable tree-like bush the greatest I would say.
What does this have to do with you and me?
A man planted a seed, was the first sentence of the parable. The second sentence, the last sentence said "When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches."
It is the development He speaks about, and the purpose of it all. It is a shelter for the angels and the children, a shade, an abode, a dwelling place. All these things we must consider.
Consider the seed in your life. Your little nuances, your little comments, your little smile, your little frown, your little heart and all that it does matters.
And an image just appeared in my mind, a video I saw last night with my boys on TV about a Eucharistic miracle in India, where a little girl was given the Holy Eucharist in 3 different Masses and in all 3 the Eucharist changed to flesh, and one time the flesh and blood formed into a little heart.
I've always told everyone that it seems we are feasting on the heart of God. How precious a gift from Heaven. A little heart, for a little girl, for a great big world, that needs an abode, a shelter....a home for God ...in your own heart.
This is precious. The world is seeing this for the first time, more and more. Now what? It is strange. It is a little miracle. And it is transforming the world. Really, this should be exciting...a feeding frenzy should ensue...feast on this...the very love of God. He loves You more than anybody can. He loves you from an eternity. He is writing secret messages, that are being revealed slowly over time.
He writes with a big pen filled with ink made of blood from His heart.
And all over the world His writing says "I just love you".
No matter where you've been.
No matter where you are.
No matter where you will go.
I'll be there, loving you. With that said, it is left to us to respond.
All over the world, wherever we are, wherever we go, can we just love Him more than anything or anyone?
The world will change. It has to change. It has always changed. Now, can it change for God? Enough of centuries of slaughtering.
How does this happen? It is the people, that don't care, enough. The people who do not love God enough. Enough to surrender all our lives for His holy will to be done, in your heart. Both now and forever. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 25:7 [Psalm 25] 7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
