† Quote of the Day "Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly, do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God." St. Isidore of Seville Today's Meditation "Reading the holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God. Two kinds of study are called for here. We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood, and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them . . . No one can understand holy Scripture without constant reading . . . The more you devote yourself to the study of the sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled, the richer the harvest."
—St. Isidore of Seville, p. 201
Cover image from the book, Witness of the Saints Daily Verse "God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds' feet, he makes me tread upon my high places." Habakkuk 3:19 | St. Isidore of Seville (560 – 636 A.D.) was born in Carthagena, Spain, to noble and pious parents. After the example of their parents, he, as well as his two brothers and sister, all became saints. Isidore received his early education at the cathedral school in Seville where a group of learned men taught classical education, among them was his brother Leander, the Archbishop of Seville. The cathedral school was the first of its kind in the country and Isidore excelled in his studies there. He became a man of great learning, zeal, piety, and apostolic endeavor, assisting his brother in converting the Visigoths from the Arian heresy. He followed his brother in becoming next Archbishop of Seville, leading his diocese for nearly 40 years. Isidore was an important saint for his time. He was one of the most learned men of the 6th century and is considered the last of the early Church Fathers. He was a prolific writer on the sciences and the classics which in effect helped preserve western civilization during the early middle ages following the barbarian invasions. He composed history books, a dictionary with a structure akin to a database, and an encyclopedia which was used for nine centuries. St. Isidore reunited Spain after the barbarian onslaught, making it a center of culture and learning. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Spain then became a model for similar renewal in other European countries. For his great learning and written works he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV. St. Isidore of Seville is the patron of computers, schoolchildren, and the internet. His feast day is April 4th. | Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22 The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Verse Before the Gospel Matthew 4:4b One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Gospel John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Jesus moved about within Galilee;
he did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where he is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
"You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-3 Jesus cried out in the temple. (John 7:28) Imagine being trapped in a deep, dark cavern. People stagger about, confused and stumbling over rocks. At last a light appears. Someone has found a lamp! Everyone scrambles toward a man holding a burning torch. But instead of rejoicing, they seize him and angrily snuff out the light. What a strange reaction: people stuck in darkness extinguishing the light they had finally found. Yet that is a lot like what happens in today's Gospel. Jesus had worked wonders and proclaimed the good news of salvation, but many people wanted to kill him (John 7:1). Even those who believed in his teaching doubted he was the Christ (7:27). But look how Jesus responds! Against this strange, sad preference for darkness, he cries out with words that proclaim who he truly is: "I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true" (7:28). So many forces are arrayed against him, yet Jesus continues to call out to his people. We are now at a point during Lent when the plot quickens, and our readings begin to point toward the cross. Jesus has already revealed himself as the Messiah. But many in authority not only fail to welcome his light, but they actively seek to extinguish it. Now every time Jesus openly announces himself, his very life is in danger. Yet Jesus cannot seem to keep quiet. One moment he hides himself because his hour has not yet come, and the next he shows up in the heart of Jerusalem, crying out in the Temple. The darkness continues to deepen, but his light still shines. Jesus will do whatever he needs to in order to save his people and fulfill his mission. Do you ever feel as if you're stumbling in the darkness? Jesus is crying out to you! He is calling you by name so that you can come out of the darkness into the light of his love. So listen to his voice. Don't run away or snuff out his light! Welcome him, come close to him, and allow him to bring his light into your heart. "Lord Jesus, I hear you calling me. Come, shine your light in me." Wisdom 2:1, 12-22
Psalm 34:17-21, 23 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
"You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come....." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez: "The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the most important celebrations of the Jewish people, in which they remembered God's protection during the exodus in the desert. Jesus, wisely, does not go immediately to Jerusalem because he knows that his life is in danger. However, he does so afterwards in secret, showing that he follows God's times and not those of men.
• Am I able to wait for God's timing, or do I get impatient when things don't go the way I want them to?
• Do I seek to act according to God's will or according to my own plans?
Jesus teaches us that we must trust in God's Providence and not be carried away by the pressure of the world.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, people question their identity: some believe in Him, but others doubt because they know His human origin and do not understand His true divine nature.
• Do I trust that God has a perfect timing for everything in my life?
• Am I willing to bear witness to my faith, even if I face difficulties or rejection? 'Lord Jesus,
Help me to trust your timing
and to recognize you in my life.
Give me the courage to follow you,
even when I face doubts or difficulties.
May I always seek your will and not mine.'
Amen.
......." end quote Roberto Juarez.
From Bishop Barron: "The Gospels are never content with such a reductive description. Though they present Jesus quite clearly as a teacher, they know that he is infinitely more than that. They affirm that something else is at stake in him and in our relation to him......" end quote.
From brother Adrian:
Those Pharisees, those Sauducees, those group of unbelievers! They truly did not know, truly did not care! God was right there, right in front of them! They could not hear nor see the Lord Himself! Isn't that crazy?
Yet, here He is today, right in front of us, and many of us don't see, don't care.
That's the attitude of an atheist, "don't see it, don't care about it", right?
But why are we like that? Why can't we be a people of faith? And remember what I like to equate faith with? Love. A people of love, because God is Love, and so, we are a people of God, a light for the world, not to be hidden, but to be exposed to the dark world.
Such was the walk of faith of our Lord Jesus.
Such is calling to walk in His steps...so that He might live, through you and me.
Lord, Help us walk in Your way! Live in Your life! Be in Your truth! | WOW Random Bible Verse 1
Jude 20–21 [Jude 1] "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."
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