† Quote of the Day“Human life - your life - and its humdrum, ordinary business, have a meaning which is divine, which belongs to eternity.” -St. Josemaría Escrivá Today’s Meditation"Of all the divine attributes, only God’s omnipotence is named in the Creed: to confess this power has great bearing on our lives. We believe that his might is universal, for God who created everything also rules everything and can do everything. God’s power is loving, for he is our Father, and mysterious, for only faith can discern it when it ‘is made perfect in weakness.' The Holy Scriptures repeatedly confess the universal power of God. He is called the 'Mighty One of Jacob,' the 'Lord of hosts,' the 'strong and mighty' one. If God is almighty 'in heaven and on earth,' it is because he made them. Nothing is impossible with God, who disposes his works according to his will. He is the Lord of the universe, whose order he established and which remains wholly subject to him and at his disposal. He is master of history, governing hearts and events in keeping with his will: 'It is always in your power to show great strength, and who can withstand the strength of your arm?'" —The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 268-269
An excerpt from Catechism of the Catholic Church Daily VerseWe who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves; let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you fall upon me. -Romans 15:1-3
Daily Mass Readings
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Emily De VialarSt. Emily de Vialar (1797–1856) was born in Gaillac, France to an aristocratic family in the years following the French Revolution. Because the Catholic faith was under severe persecution, she was baptized in secret by her parents and her religious instruction was given at home. She was a devout child who displayed an aptitude for prayer, and she shunned the luxuries of her state in life. After the death of her mother, her father arranged to find her a suitable husband when she reached 15 years of age. Emily, who desired to lead the religious life in service to the poor, resisted her father's attempts and endured his anger at her refusal. She desired also to repair the harm caused by the Revolution by catechizing the local children. Emily remained a virgin and privately consecrated herself to God while living in her father's home. When she was 21 she met a priest who helped her set up an out-patient service for the sick in her own home, which heightened her tense relationship with her father. When her grandfather died, Emily inherited a large fortune which allowed her independence in the service of God. She bought a large home in her town and began a religious order in service to the sick and poor, and to the education of children, which quickly flourished. In 40 years her order, called the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, established 40 houses throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. St. Emily de Vialar's feast day is June 17th.
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Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 367 Reading 12 Kings 2:1, 6-14 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two. Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 31:20, 21, 24 R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord. AlleluiaJohn 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
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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: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18Your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. (Matthew 6:18) Reading this one verse in isolation might make us ask some uncomfortable questions: Is this all the Christian life comes down to? Doing the right thing so that God will “repay” us for it (Matthew 6:18)? Whatever happened to the idea that goodness is its own reward? Of course, acts like fasting and giving alms are good in and of themselves. Even if God never rewarded us, we should still do them. But Jesus’ teaching on these acts of piety is not limited to a reward system. It’s more about our relationship with our heavenly Father and with the people around us. In fact, that’s the real “reward”! We know that fasting is good for us. It helps cleanse our mind of selfish thoughts, and it teaches us the virtue of self-denial. It’s also obvious that almsgiving is good for the poor and the hungry. But those are all “practical” rewards. There are even deeper rewards that God gives us when we practice them. Take fasting, for instance. Yes, we grow in self-control and discipline when we fast, but fasting can also draw us closer to Jesus. We can take the time we would have spent preparing and eating a meal and spend it in prayer. Rather than filling our bodies with food, we can fill our hearts with his presence! As for almsgiving, of course it helps the poor. But every time we make a donation, we can also experience the reward of solidarity with brothers and sisters we might tend to ignore. Almsgiving gives us the opportunity to carry their needs to our Father in prayer as if they were our own needs—and that helps soften our hearts and makes us both more generous and more gentle toward others. There’s nothing wrong with seeking the rewards that come from a life of holiness. After all, these rewards reach far more deeply into our hearts and are far more valuable than the rewards that come from selfish acts. In fact, they give us the greatest reward of all: they make us more like Jesus. Who wouldn’t want that? “Father, I am so grateful that you see and reward me, even in my private acts of love and generosity!” 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
Psalm 31:20-21, 24
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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: ".... "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you." ... ”
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From Bishop Barron:
"Well, how should we pray? What does it look like? You have to pray with faith, and according to Jesus’s model, you have to pray with forgiveness. The efficacy of prayer seems to depend on the reconciliation of differences. You also have to pray with persistence. One reason that we don’t receive what we want through prayer is that we give up too easily. Augustine said that God sometimes delays in giving us what we want because he wants our hearts to expand. Finally, we have to pray in Jesus’s name. In doing so, we are relying on his influence with the Father, trusting that the Father will listen to him. "
end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus invites us today to purify our motivations. It's not enough to do good things. It also matters where we make them from. We can do many religious activities and yet be looking for our own protagonism. Or we can live a simple, almost hidden life, full of true love. And that second life has immense value before God. The saints teach us just this. Many of them performed admirable works. But they never sought their own glory. His whole life pointed to God.
Jesus speaks of a reward. But it is not the reward of success. Nor of prestige. Nor of recognition. The real reward is God Himself. Those who live to please the Father discover a joy that the world cannot give. Because he stops depending on the opinion of others. And he finds his peace in knowing that he is loved by God.
Today's Gospel invites us to review our hearts. Not just our actions, but our intentions. Why do we pray? Why do we help? Why do we fast? Do we seek God's glory or our own? Let us ask the Lord for the grace to live a simple, humble and authentic faith. May we learn to do good even if no one sees us. To pray even if no one listens to us. To serve even if no one thanks us. For the Father, who sees in secret, knows our heart and never leaves unfruitful that which is done out of love."
Sometimes I personally have a tendency to rush through prayers. Have you ever done that? Just get it done, and out of the way?
Is that sad?
Is that bad?
What does that say about my heart?
How many people does it bother to pray? It bothers them to have to do stuff in the name of God.
This is completely opposite of Heaven, where people thrive on doing the will of God and hope to do the will of God, and to suffer, oh a cherished moment for them, for a world that is backwards from ours.
Yet we pray "on earth, as it is in Heaven".
Yet we call ourselves citizens of Heaven?
Where are the true lovers of God?
Oh yes, you look the part. Oh yes, you do stuff. But, where is the heart?
There are people that serve God, out of vanity.
There are people that serve God, like the spouse, just to save face and not have problems.
But where are those that truly seek the Sacred Heart of God?
In comes our Lord, into our world.
He comes showing the way to God.
Fasting, Alms-giving, and Praying, always.
How many of us are fasting frequently? Did you know that this boosts the prayer, lifts it up higher to the Heavens? Why?
Sacrifice. How do you fast? Give up something. A meal, in the name of someone or some reason. Give up what you love the most...your hobby for a day, or cursing with your mouth. See what happens....with your heart....as it is united tighter with our Father's Heart.
Give. Time. Talent. Treasure. Oh yeah, most of us don't mind giving...leftovers. But where is the true sacrifice of giving until it hurts? I have to give in my ministries much time, much talent, and my own money, traveling to the places I go. In prison ministry, and cursillo, we have to pay a fee...to just go in and be on a team! Why? Because, it is love. Prisoners are taken aback, when we tell them we give up time, and our own money and family just to be there with them.
God feels the love of sacrifice.
And prayer. Oh, the life and breath of our soul. Prayer is a precious line of love between the Father and His child.
Pray about everything...God is there. He does not speak like Humans. He speaks in thousands of years. He speaks through people and prophets. He speaks in the Word that jumps out at you. He speaks in the heart, not so much in the mind but a combination that makes the soul. So thank you for minding....but much more...thank you for Loving!
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Random Bible Verse 1
Romans 10:9–10 " because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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