† Quote of the Day "He took what is mine in order that He might impart to me what is His. He took it not to overturn it but to fill it." St. Ambrose Today's Meditation "Beauty is Life-Giving – Beauty nourishes our souls the way food nourishes our bodies. Search for the beauty that is all around you, and try to see God's face in every person you meet. 'Joy is beholding the beauty of God in all creation' (Blessed Julian of Norwich). Dear Lord, help me to see You in everyone I meet."
—Father John Catoir, p.165 Daily Verse "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14 | St. Hilary of Poitiers St. Hilary of Poitiers (300–368 A.D.) was born in France to noble pagan parents. He was well instructed in philosophy and converted to Christianity after studying the Old and New Testaments. He was baptized into the Church along with his wife and daughter. He was widely respected by the people of Poitiers, so much so that they elected him their bishop. Hilary worked hard to defend the Catholic Church against the entrenched heresy of Arianism which resulted in his four-year exile to Phrygia, and his popular title, "Hammer of the Arians." Although he was a gentle and courteous man, he was labeled a 'disturber of the peace' for defending Jesus' sacred humanity and divinity against the Arian heretics, the only orthodox bishop in his region doing so. He was renowned for his great learning and sanctity, and for defending the Church valiantly in word and by pen. While in exile he wrote numerous and important theological works resulting in his title as a Doctor of the Church. St. Hilary's feast day is January 13. | Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 306 Reading I 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: "O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head."
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
"How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!"
"It isn't that, my lord," Hannah answered.
"I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne'er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery."
Eli said, "Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
She replied, "Think kindly of your maidservant," and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah. When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he humbles, he also exalts."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. Alleluia See 1 Thessalonians 2:13 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 1:21-28 Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Oh Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid . . . (1 Samuel 1:11) Today we meet Hannah, wife of Elkanah. Her husband loved her very much, but Hannah could not conceive children. What's more, Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife, tormented Hannah constantly for being "barren" (1 Samuel 1:1-6). In her pain and bitterness of heart, Hannah came before the Lord and promised, "If you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, . . . if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord" (1:11). You probably can relate to Hannah's plea. How many times during your life have you come to the Lord in distress? How many times have you cried out for his help? Maybe, like Hannah, you have been asking for a child. Or maybe it's healing for your marriage or help for a dear friend. Whatever it is, it looks like the Lord is taking too long to answer your prayers, and your heart starts to fill with bitterness and sorrow. Today's first reading tells us that the Lord answered Hannah's prayer, and she "bore a son whom she called Samuel" (1 Samuel 1:20). But we don't always get exactly what we are asking for. Not every parent who prays for a child will conceive one; not everything that we long for will come in the way we were expecting it. However, with prayerful reflection over time, we begin to see the many blessings that the Lord has given us. It's true that God answers in his own time, even though we may feel that we are running out of patience. Take heart! Your heavenly Father longs to hear your prayers and petitions. He wants you to come into his presence, just as Hannah did, and pour out your heart. And as you do, he will pour out his mercy on you. Remember that God is always listening. He loves you. He has great blessings in store for you. He has a good plan for your life. So come to him with an open heart, ready to receive whatever he wants to give you. And one day, in this life or in the next, you will join Hannah and proclaim: "My heart exults in the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:1). "Lord, I know that you hear my prayers. Help me to trust in you." (Psalm) 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8
Mark 1:21-28 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this?
A new teaching with authority. ...." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez: "Jesus does not dialogue with evil or enter into sterile discussions. He orders him firmly: "Shut up and get out of him." And man is freed. With this gesture, Jesus shows that his word not only teaches, but acts; not only illuminates, but heals; not only interprets the law, but brings life back.
This episode helps us better understand what it means for Jesus to have authority. His authority is that of the one who frees the human being from everything that oppresses him: fear, sin, lies, despair. Where Jesus arrives, evil does not have the last word.
The reaction of the people is one of amazement and of questioning: "What is this? A new teaching with authority". They still don't fully understand who Jesus is, but they sense that something new has burst into their lives. The Kingdom of God is not an idea, it is a force that transforms....Let us ask the Lord that we may know how to welcome his teaching with an open heart. May we let his word have authority over our lives and free us from everything that does not allow us to live as children of God. Like those first listeners, may we know how to recognize in Jesus the Holy One of God who comes to save." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"What God intended from the beginning is for our hearts to be a temple of His presence. But when Christ comes into our world, what does he find? He finds that the temple of our heart is filled with all sorts of things that are not of divine power. Money, worldly success, the esteem of others, sex—whatever it is, they have now taken the rightful place of God. Therefore, when Christ enters your life, He always has a cleansing role to play. Fulton Sheen spoke of the "expulsive power" of Christ. When you place Jesus in the center of your soul, he will expel everything that does not belong to that center and make you find the proper place. And so, Jesus the nonviolent warrior, Jesus the judge, God's own mind, enters our hearts when we invite him through conversion. And he will have authority and purifying power." end quote.
There are some strange things to take note of in the Gospel today.
There in the synagogue, a building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and instruction, right there was a man with an "unclean" spirit.
Does that still happen today in the church? Yep.
Does that still happen in individual people? Yes.
Can it happen to you? If we let our guard down, yes.
Last night, I was teaching OCIA, adults trying to receive Sacraments and become fully Catholic. We were locked out of our classrooms so I asked all to meet me in the chapel in the cold night. At one point, as we discussed the topic of "Church", we discussed that church really isn't a physical building, but all of us as a community, with Christ as our head. I did say that this physical building we were in, was like a hospital,for sinners, in need of healing. And thank God that most of our Holy Sacraments deal with healing. "If only we would go to the Father, Our Father for healing" I said at one point. Yet, people run from the priests. We have very low vocations in our country. The priest is not as admired or sought out for as before. The faith for many decades lately, has been slowly watering down, to the point where, to be a religious is seen as something lower than normal, something humiliating, something that won't help your pride and self esteem. But the opposite is true. A priest sees his role as a father, of the lost, a healer, and he should be seen as someone that has the authority...to dispel the darkness from our lives.
How many believe this? But, we are coming back as a flock. And just in the neck of time. We've been needing to be truly a people of God. We need to do this, before...it is too late. Time is going by fast on earth.
If we only knew how God values our time. We count it as precious, and how do we spend it? With WHO do we spend it?
As we left the class, I had said "Before we leave, let us go to the Blessed Sacrament to visit our Father in the Holy Blessed Sacrament, because we pass by this temple too often, without even saying hello". Class ended. And we were scattering, and I forgot to show all to go pray...and just in the neck of time, I remembered "Oh I forgot we need to go pray!". And we all went before the Lord, as we were entering a student said "it's like a big neon sign" as he spoke about the Blessed Sacrament (which is why I even remembered to go pray). "Yes, all the lights pointing to Him".
How easily we forget Him. How easy we choose other things in our minds...and in our hearts.
We can make it a slow comeback like the prodigal son...or we can start running to our Father who is waiting with open arms.... how many great big hugs are we missing out on. Consolations, yes, but this...is strength...adoration is oxygen for the soul. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse
Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
