† Quote of the Day "We are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has worked, we too have but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do his work, we must rejoice in ours also." -St. John Neumann Today's Meditation "Yet such are the pity and compassion of this Lord of ours, so desirous is He that we should seek Him and enjoy His company, that in one way or another He never ceases calling us to Him . . . God here speaks to souls through words uttered by pious people, by sermons or good books, and in many other such ways. Sometimes He calls souls by means of sickness or troubles, or by some truth He teaches them during prayer, for tepid as they may be in seeking Him, yet God holds them very dear." —St. Teresa of Avila, p.26
An excerpt from Interior Castle Daily Verse Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him. -Matthew 2:1-2 | Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian feasts and one of the most important. Historically, Epiphany celebrated four things: Jesus' nativity, the Magi's visit to the Holy Family, Jesus' baptism, and Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana. Each biblical event is a theophany, or epiphany, a special manifestation of Jesus Christ to mankind. The relationship between these events is beautifully described in this antiphon from the Divine Office: "This day is the Church joined unto the Heavenly Bridegroom, since Christ hath washed away her sins in Jordan; the wise men hasten with gifts to the marriage supper of the King; and they that sit at meat together make merry with water turned into wine. Alleluia." In the Latin Church the visit of the Three Kings is the primary focus of Epiphany, symbolizing the revelation of Jesus Christ as a light for the Gentile nations and the Savior born for the redemption of all mankind. Epiphany is January 6th, traditionally marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas; in many U.S. dioceses the liturgical celebration is transferred to the nearest Sunday. | Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop • Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop [In the Dioceses of the United States] Reading 1 1 John 3:22–4:6 Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us. Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 2:7bc-8, 10-12a R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, "you are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession." R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice. R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance. Alleluia See Matthew 4:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 On those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. (Matthew 4:16) Can you sum up the whole message of the Scriptures in one line? There are a few contenders, but this verse, which Matthew quoted from the prophet Isaiah, is a pretty good candidate. On those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death . . . (Matthew 4:16). This is the story of humanity. Each one of us lives, in some way, in a land "overshadowed by death." We all have experienced suffering, illness, loneliness, or the loss of a loved one. We do experience joy as well, but even that will eventually fall prey to our own mortality. If this were the whole message, we'd have good reason to feel depressed. But it continues: Light has arisen (Matthew 4:16)! We know what it's like to turn on a lamp. Light floods the place, and the darkness vanishes. This is how Matthew describes Jesus' coming, both to Galilee and to the heart of every believer. His light dispels our darkness! When light shines in a darkened room, it reveals that the darkness was nothing more than an absence—a lack of light. The same is true for us. When Jesus' light shines on us, it shows us that the darkness was just an emptiness in our hearts. It reveals that our sadness is not a "thing," but a lack of joy and trust in the Lord. And it reveals that sin arises only because of an absence of Jesus' goodness. In prayer today, picture Jesus going "around all of Galilee" in your heart (Matthew 4:23). Welcome him into just one area of your life that is in darkness—a wound from a broken relationship, a fear or worry that is keeping you bound up, or a pattern of sin that has you trapped in guilt or shame. Ask him to shine his light on that area. Let the brilliance of his love and the warmth of his mercy dispel the darkness and bring you healing. Even if it's just a matter of taking the next good step into the light, welcome him in and let him shine in you. "Come, Lord, and let the radiance of your light cast out the darkness in my heart!" 1 John 3:22–4:6
Psalm 2:7-8, 10-12 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people. ...." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus says as he preaches, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." We mustn't flatten this out or render it too spiritually abstract, as though he were talking only about becoming nicer people, more generous and more kind. His preaching was about more than that. It was part and parcel of his messianic vocation. What he was saying was something like this: A new order is breaking out in Israel, the tribes are coming back together, and Yahweh is going to reign. Therefore, adjust your lives, your vision, your expectations. Start living even now as members of this new kingdom." end quote.
There is something always happening in the Body of Christ.
Christ wants to move through us, to act through us, even though, not possessing us...unlike the dark side that wants full control and no faith.
If only we would allow our Lord, in faith and free will. How much more powerful is that!
His reign and plan supersedes all. Is there a mission for you on earth? The new year for the worldly calendar has started, and did you make a resolution? And may I ask, did the resolutions include a plan for the Lord? What could the new resolutions look like to include Him? Maybe start helping in a new ministry? Don't see one you like? Maybe start one in the church and community. Maybe a bereavement outreach or home-bound outreach, or maybe an outreach for so many that are becoming anti-social because of social media! The thing is to let Christ enter, let Him do the reaching...His mercy, His plan, His love, His desires, because in the end, it is about His salvation and how we can fit into that saving plan by cooperating with His grace.
And how will I cooperate with His grace if all I think about and worry about is myself? All I think about is my pain, my problems, my short distance sights, and not enough about reaching Him in His grace, right? Isn't that how most of us get short sighted? What new life can we live with Him? What would life look like if we actually cooperated with Him to move about in the world? You would experience hardships, yes. And freedom. Life is not easy as it stands, but it is so much harder when we lose Him, easily doubling or tripling the weight of life onto ourselves if not ten times more.
His yoke is easy, and this is no joke. He is not lying when He speaks, for all that comes out of Him is truth, because He IS Truth. All that He touches is life, because HE IS Life, eternal. And His healing goes beyond physical...but spiritual. Because He knows where true life and healing come from.
So many of us wish we could be on mission for Christ across the world...but fail to realize the mission at hand...the Kingdom at hand, right before us. That person every day at the mill, at work, in public, we meet, and we meet yet another opportunity for salvation.
If only they could see Christ at work in you. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 13:1–2 "Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
. . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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