† Quote of the Day“Let us stand fast in what is right, and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God's strengthening aid and say to him: 'O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.'” -St. Boniface Today’s Meditation"Teresa [of Avila] is as insistent as [St. John of the Cross] that there is no prayer development unless it be accompanied by purification from faults. Given what a love communion with utter Purity demands, one could not conceive the matter to be otherwise: only the pure can commune deeply with the all-pure One. Obvious as this is to the saint, the lesser of us have difficulty in understanding that we have many defects that need to be rooted out. ... In working actively at rooting out what is amiss, we are to be guided by the principles of revelation, not by a naturalistic common sense. There are people, says Teresa, who desire penance that they may serve God the better, but they are overly careful about not injuring their health. 'You need never fear that they will kill themselves . . . their love is not yet ardent enough to overwhelm their reason.' Going on 'at a snail's pace . . . we shall never get to the end of the road . . . So for the love of the Lord, let us make a real effort.'" —Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 113
An excerpt from Fire Within Daily VerseDo nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 2:3-5
|
EWTN Daily Saint
|
|
St BonifaceSt. Boniface (d. 754 A.D.) was born to a noble Christian family in Devonshire, England. He became a Benedictine monk and devoted his life to the evangelization of the pagan Germanic tribes in what is now Germany. He went there at the request of Pope Gregory II in 719 A.D. and systematically opened up the vast tracks of wilderness to the Gospel, building on the work of the earlier Irish missionaries. St. Boniface organized the Catholic Church in Germany, instructed the faithful, and converted the pagans. He became the bishop of Mainz and founded or restored many dioceses. Working alongside him as evangelists were his nephews and niece, St. Willibald, St. Winebald, and St. Walburga, who all came from England to Germany to assist him. Legend has it that at Christmastime he chopped down a large tree which was worshiped as a god and used in child sacrifice, and the local pagans converted to Christianity as a result. Instead of worshiping the tree, St. Boniface gave them a smaller evergreen tree as a symbol of eternal life in Christ, the origin of the Christmas tree tradition. He was martyred for his faith along with 52 others as he read the Scriptures on Pentecost Sunday. St. Boniface profoundly influenced the course of German history in the Middle Ages and helped to make it a Christian nation. For his missionary work he is known as the "Apostle of Germany." St. Boniface is the patron of tailors, brewers, and Germany. His feast day is June 5th.
|
Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and MartyrLectionary: 357 Reading 12 Timothy 3:10-17 You have followed my teaching, way of life,
purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,
and sufferings, such as happened to me
in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra,
persecutions that I endured.
Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.
In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,
deceivers and deceived.
But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168 R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Though my persecutors and my foes are many,
I turn not away from your decrees.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Permanence is your word’s chief trait;
each of your just ordinances is everlasting.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Princes persecute me without cause
but my heart stands in awe of your word.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I wait for your salvation, O Lord,
and your commands I fulfill.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law. 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. GospelMark 12:35-37 As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,
“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’
David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight.
|
Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
|
From Word Among Us WAU.org
|
Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 3:10-17Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed. (2 Timothy 3:14) By all accounts, Timothy was a hardworking and loyal servant of God. He was so trustworthy, in fact, that St. Paul appointed him as leader of the church in Ephesus. A vibrant city of about two hundred fifty thousand, Ephesus was a hub of imperial power and pagan worship. Given that there were only a few hundred believers in such a huge city, Timothy had his work cut out for him! But despite his diligence, Timothy appeared to be a somewhat anxious, timid young man. He had a weak stomach and was prone to “frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23). Paul felt that he needed to urge Timothy to “stir into flame” his faith and to stop being “ashamed” to be known as a follower of Christ (2 Timothy 1:6, 8). Paul’s answer to Timothy’s anxieties was surprisingly simple. After detailing his own challenges, he counseled his young friend simply to “remain faithful” to the things he had “learned and believed” about the life of a disciple (2 Timothy 3:14). Timothy had received a treasure trove of teaching and guidance from his mother and grandmother—he should lean on that. He also had access to the Hebrew Scriptures, which Paul referred to as “inspired by God” and as being very “useful” in keeping him on the right path (3:16). Remain faithful. Paul’s words to Timothy apply just as much to us. Hold fast. Stand firm. In a world where so much can feel complicated and uncertain, know that in Christ you have all that you’ll ever need to cut through the noise and the worries of life in this world. Remain faithful. When the way seems unsure, take a step back, and ask the Spirit if there is one simple principle of faith—something you have “learned and believed” (2 Timothy 3:14)—that can help you move forward. Is it the call to forgive? To be generous? To speak a difficult truth to someone firmly but with care? Take that one step and see where it leads. Remain faithful. Don’t let the anxieties of life or the complexities of the world hold you back. You are a child of God, an heir to a vast treasury of heavenly wisdom and strength. Hold fast to that, and you can always find the way forward. “Lord, help me remain faithful to you.” Psalm 119:157, 160-161, 165-166, 168
Mark 12:35-37
|
Reflections with Brother Adrian:
|
Audio of 2 Cents
|
From today's Holy Gospel: ".... As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,
“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’ .... ”
|
Bishop Barron: "Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus quotes a psalm where David calls him Lord. It calls to mind a question: Do you also recognize Jesus as Lord? Is Christ commanding your life in every detail? Is he the Lord of your family life? Of your recreational life? Of your professional life? Is he the Lord of every room in your house, including the bedroom? Does your sexuality belong to him? Do your friendships serve his purpose? Are you totally given over to him, under his lordship? When we surrender to the path of love that he has laid out for us, our lives become infinitely lighter, easier, and more joyful, for we are moving with the divine purpose. We will have moved out of what Paul calls the way of “the flesh” and into the way of “the Spirit.” Flesh refers here not to the body as such but to sin. When you are caught up in patterns of self-regard and self-protection, life becomes a burden, and you find yourself taking up the weapons of war all the time. But when you recognize Jesus as Lord, you can let all of that go."
end quote.
Roberto Juarez:
"This Gospel invites us today to review our relationship with Christ. Do we treat him as a character from the past or as the living Lord of our lives? Do we give it real authority in our decisions? Or do we reduce it to certain religious moments? Recognizing Christ as Lord means letting Him illuminate our decisions, our relationships, our work, our way of thinking, our whole life.
Today Jesus invites us to contemplate him in his true identity: not only the son of David, but the glorified Lord. Let us ask the Lord for the grace of a deeper faith, which does not reduce him, but recognizes him in all his greatness. And that we can confess with our lives what the Church proclaims from the beginning: Jesus Christ is Lord."
end quote.
Bro. Adrian: We heard God speak:
"‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’ " Our Lord Jesus did this. In real life. In real time.
Two enemies...sin, and death have subdued to our Lord Jesus.
Now our Lord Jesus has the power of God over sin and death.
If only, if only we would take. If only we would adhere. If only we would listen and not just hear.
The Holy Church is availing the Holy Sacraments for this very reason...our holiness, that we might be Holy as our Father calls us to be Holy, as Saint Paul admonishes and encourages Timothy, our Lord is doing that for us. The Scriptures are for your ears, that you might hear. The Word is something that becomes alive and true, when we make it come alive and true. Such is the purpose of living in community...for God, making Him come alive! If only you would hear. This is vital. Vitality means life. Something to be cherished. And God is the source of this vital sustenance...in the Eucharist, in the Tabernacle, from His heart...to yours. O God, Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us truly love Thee more and more!
|
Click to hear
|
WOW AMEN Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 20:22 [Proverbs 20] "Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."
Word of the Lord!
|
If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace
|
|
|
