† Saint Quote:In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will.” -St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) Today’s Meditation"We've been taught that God did not make the world for no reason, but for the sake of the human race. As I said before, he takes pleasure in those who imitate his attributes, and is displeased with those who embrace what is worthless, whether in word or deed." —St. Justin Martyr, p. 324 Daily VerseLet me hear in the morning of thy steadfast love, for in thee I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to thee for refuge! Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God! Let thy good spirit lead me on a level path! For thy name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In thy righteousness bring me out of trouble! And in thy steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am thy servant. -Psalm 143: 8-12
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Justin Martyr
St. Justin Martyr (100–165 A.D.) was a pagan philosopher from Samaria. After meeting a Syrian Christian who convinced him that the biblical prophets were more trustworthy in the pursuit of truth than worldly philosophers, St. Justin renounced his paganism and studied Sacred Scripture. The bold witness of the early Christian martyrs led to his own conversion to the Catholic faith. St. Justin then used his philosophical and rhetorical skills to defend Christianity, the "true philosophy," against rival pagan philosophies and political powers which maligned and persecuted the Church. He traveled throughout Asia Minor teaching, arguing, and persuading others to accept baptism and follow Christ, before arriving in Rome where he settled and started his own school. Justin was arrested for his faith in Rome and ordered to make sacrifice to false gods, which he refused. He was martyred by beheading along with several of his students. Justin Martyr is famous for writing the Church's first "Apology," or defense of the Christian faith, showing that Christianity was superior to the pagan religions, and that Christians were model citizens and should not be mistreated. His writings are a prime source of the history of the primitive Church in worship and sacraments, including the Holy Eucharist. He is one of the first great apologists of the Church, and for this he is the patron saint of speakers, apologists, and philosophers. His feast day is June 1st.
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Memorial of Saint Justin, MartyrLectionary: 353 Reading 12 Peter 1:2-7 Beloved:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance
through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has bestowed on us
everything that makes for life and devotion,
through the knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and power.
Through these, he has bestowed on us
the precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature,
after escaping from the corruption that is in the world
because of evil desire.
For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16 R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
I will deliver him and glorify him;
with length of days I will gratify him
and will show him my salvation.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust. AlleluiaSee Revelation 1:5ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMark 12:1-12 Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: 2 Peter 1:2-7Make every effort to supplement your faith. (2 Peter 1:5) St. Peter seems to be saying two different things in our first reading. He begins by reassuring us that God’s “divine power has bestowed on us everything” we need to become holy (2 Peter 1:3). But then he exhorts us, “Make every effort to supplement your faith” with virtue, knowledge, and the fruit of the Spirit (1:5). So do we just have to rely on God’s “divine power,” or do we have to work at it by “supplementing” our faith? Both. We need to have faith that all the power we need to follow Christ is there for the asking. But we also have work to do! The key is to keep these two seemingly opposing approaches together. If we ask the Lord for the grace to stop a particular sin, for example, but don’t also make the effort to resist the temptations that come our way, we probably will succumb to them. On the other hand, if we just grit our teeth and try to strong-arm our way through temptation without asking the Lord to help us, we will quickly realize that our willpower will get us only so far. Is there some area in which you’ve been asking for God’s help but haven’t seen much change? If so, maybe there’s something he’s calling you to do to work with him. It might mean removing yourself from a tempting situation or spending more time serving others so that you grow in generosity and love. Or perhaps you are trying so hard on your own that you forget that it’s God’s “divine power” that you need each day (2 Peter 1:3). If so, try to remember to ask for his help when you face a temptation or trial. God is so good! He is eager to give us everything we need to live a holy life. But he doesn’t want us to be passive and miss out on all he has for us. It’s the start of a new month—let’s choose to cooperate with the grace and power that God so willingly pours out on us! “Lord, your grace is always sufficient. Help me to do my part!” Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16
Mark 12:1-12
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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Audio of 2 Cents
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From today's Holy Gospel: "....The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away..... ”
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From Roberto Juarez:
"Today the Lord invites us to recognize that life is a gift received and that we are called to make it bear fruit. Let us ask him not to harden our hearts, not to reject his voice, not to want to take his place. And may Christ, the cornerstone rejected by many, truly be the foundation of our lives. Because only on him can a solid and fruitful existence be built." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
Then we hear the event upon which the parable turns: “He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants . . . seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.” After the terrible treatment that his representatives have received, the owner sends his son? Is he crazy? Yes, a little. But this is the over-the-top patience and generosity of God, his crazy love. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,” knowing full well what his fate would be." end quote.
Today, during daily Mass, I noticed my son was perhaps not paying much attention as they read the readings in Spanish. I know he is not fluent in Spanish. After Mass I said if he knew what the readings were about...if he knew what saint of the day they spoke about...if he noticed the lights colored in red for the day and Father dressed in red. He said he didn't know.
I said that I knew that. I said that if he really wanted to know, he would ask questions. If he really wanted to know what the readings were about, what they were saying, he would open up his phone and follow along the daily readings.
I said "son, like that worker that walked out on me talking with him, you saw that, his mind was not in me, what I was telling him, you saw what I see in you too, that yes, your body is there, your heart perhaps attempting...but really, there is a great disconnect with the mind and the heart here. Is all of your heart really there?"
I wanted him to have an eye opening experience with all that I said.
The same is for all of us...we tend to be "absent-minded", in prayer. In serving others. We show up...but what about the heart? Did we forget to bring the heart to work? To HOLY MASS? God sees the heart! I'm serious! He demands fruits of Love. We heard in the Gospel: "What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage".
At a funeral services I was asked to lead, I said "we cannot live life saying "No...no, NO! " to God all our lives, because that is how our eternity will be...an eternal NO to God Himself!
We must turn, little by little, then more and more to the Lord. Or else, we will be like the evil tenants, that took over their lives, and kicked out the King. How? The Son, the WILL OF GOD!
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Random Bible Verse 1
Galatians 3:24–26 [Galatians 3] "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."
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