† Quote of the Day "Guard against anger. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason." St. Ambrose Today's Meditation "How might the sacrament of Reconciliation help us grow in the gift of knowledge? First of all, through a thorough and heartfelt confession, the mortal sins that shut off the channels of graces, including the gifts [of the Holy Spirit] are reopened. Secondly, the gift of knowledge may very well help us to make a good confession if it has prompted us to learn throughly the tenets of our Faith, including the thoughts and deeds that are right and wrong in the eyes of God. The gift of knowledge can also enable us to reflect on the world's effects on us—and our effects on others—that might lead to sin."
—Kevin Vost, PSY.D. p.78
Cover image from the book, The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
An Excerpt From The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Daily Verse "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day." John 6:40 | St. Leonard of Noblac (d. 559 A.D.) also known as St. Leonard of Limoges, was a French nobleman in the court of Clovis I, King of France. He was converted to the Christian faith, along with the King, by St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. After his conversion he abandoned his worldly pursuits, left the royal court, and followed St. Remigius as a disciple. He obtained special permission from the king to release any prisoners whom he deemed worthy of pardon. He declined an offer of a bishopric and entered the monastery at Orleans to live a life of prayer and penance. Desiring greater solitude and penance than what the monastery allowed, he withdrew into a forest to live as a hermit. He built a small cell and lived on herbs and fruits. He soon attracted followers who joined him in his ascetic life. In thanksgiving for his prayers that the Queen of France would safely deliver her child, St. Leonard was given a large tract of royal land in Noblac. There the saint built an abbey where he served as abbot until his death. A village grew around the abbey that still exists today, named Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. Numerous shrines are dedicated to St. Leonard across Europe, and thousands of miracles are credited to his intercession. He is the patron saint of prisoners and women in labor. His feast day is November 6th. | Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 PHIL 2:12-18 My beloved, obedient as you have always been,
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent,
work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
For God is the one who, for his good purpose,
works in you both to desire and to work.
Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,
so that my boast for the day of Christ may be
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
But, even if I am poured out as a libation
upon the sacrificial service of your faith,
I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.
In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me. Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 4, 13-14 R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Alleluia 1 PT 4:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 14:25-33 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
| Daily Meditation: Philippians 2:12-18 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) Wait a minute! If our salvation is a gift from God, then why does St. Paul write that we should "work [it] out" in "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)? Do we have to earn it after all? And should we do it because we are afraid of God? Let's begin with the first question. The answer is a resounding no! Salvation is possible only because Christ died and rose for us, and it's promised to those who believe and are baptized in him. St. Paul made that perfectly clear: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, . . . it is not from works, so no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). But the apostle also made it clear that our hope of eternal life requires us to be serious about our faith. We have to fight temptation, make time for prayer and worship, and sacrifice our comforts and desires out of love for someone else. Each day presents new challenges—as well as joys and blessings—as we fight the good fight of faith (see 1 Timothy 6:12). Fortunately, God doesn't expect us to live out our Christian journey only through our own efforts. As Paul reminds us, "God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work" (Philippians 2:13). He works in us! The Spirit is the One who gives us the desire to pray to him each morning or to receive the Eucharist at Mass. He is the One who nudges us to reach out to an ailing friend or to stand strong in the face of temptation. And when we fall, he is the One who convicts our hearts and leads us back to him. And that leads to the second question: should we be afraid of a God who has been so good to us? That answer is also no! Actually, "with fear and trembling" was a common Hebrew expression that meant that we should have a healthy respect and reverence for God. Paul never wanted us to take our salvation for granted. It's a gift that was purchased for us at great cost. In prayer today, stand in awe of such a great God. Kneel in reverence before the mighty Lord of the universe. Then thank him that as you "work out your salvation," you can count on him to work in you! "Lord, what an awesome God you are!" Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Luke 14:25-33 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple....." end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in our Gospel today, the Lord offers one of the greatest, most "slap you in the face" challenges he ever offered: "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother . . . and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
There is the great spiritual principle that undergirds the entire Gospel: detachment. The heart of the spiritual life is to love God and then to love everything else for the sake of God. But we sinners, as St. Augustine said, fall into the trap of loving the creature and forgetting the Creator. That's when we get off the rails.
We treat something less than God as God—and trouble ensues. And this is why Jesus tells his fair-weather fans that they have a very stark choice to make. Jesus must be loved first and last—and everything else in their lives has to find its meaning in relation to him.
In typical Semitic fashion, he makes this point through a stark exaggeration: "Hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters." Well yes, hate them in the measure that they have become gods to you. For precisely in that measure are they dangerous...." end quote from Bishop Barron.
From a Spanish reflection today:
"Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory (Ps 115:1). We cannot think that it is with our effort and voluntarism that we are going to be able to renounce everything to follow him. The key is in that act of humility of sending an embassy to ask for conditions of peace. We need to humbly recognize that we cannot live those demands, those renunciations, and we cannot carry the cross without Him, without his help. He is our "ambassador," our mediator before the Father, the one who gives us grace and mercy that help us to be able to die to self, carry the cross and be a disciple.
Prayer
Lord, I want to follow you, I want to be your disciple and for nothing to be stronger in my life than you. But I feel my weakness, I am afraid of the cross and I cling to people, to things and even to my own sin, so, "give me what you ask of me and ask me for what you want." end quote from
Sister Mª Montserrat Román Sánchez, OP
There are a few times our Lord said things that would even deter some of his closest followers. Today He said: "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
Another time He said "whoever eats my flesh has eternal life".
Is He being serious in both cases? He is dead serious! He gave His life to make this all true.
He could've saved His life many times over, but He chose to surrender to God's will...as hard as that was.
Remember the night before His death? His sweat became like blood. Even angels had to come help Him in that duress. Then, He was taken, betrayed, and brutally tortured to death. He knew exactly what was coming.
And you? Can we face God's will with such strength? What strength? Strength in humility, and holy obedience.
That's what we need in the world, right? The very essentials to make God's love in life become a holy reality.
Must I hate my family to become His disciple?
Must I hate my own life to become His disciple?
Have we not read 2 reflections with a resounding yes?
Here is the 3rd verifcation. YES! Yes! Wouldn't you give to God everything? Wouldn't you trust God with everything, even your own life?
Isn't this what is being asked of us, this kind of faith? Yes!
The true disciples literally leave everything and many lost their lives for Him.
And you? How much does it hurt to let go of your family to go visit the prisons or hospitals in His name? Or to do something in evangelization for Him? You see, to follow Him, is a yes or a no. To let Him live in you, instead of you in this life, it means the world to God Himself.
The lukewarm will be spit out says the book of Revelation.
This message has reached you so that you will not be lukewarm, but on fire! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 32:17 17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust1 forever. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
