† Saint Quote:If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. St. John Vianney Today's Meditation“My dear brothers and sisters, not only is prayer very powerful; even more, it’s of the utmost necessity for overcoming the enemies of our salvation. Look at all the saints: They weren’t content with watching and fighting to overcome the enemies of their salvation and with keeping well away from all that could offer them temptation. They passed their whole lives in prayer, not only the day, but very often the whole night as well. Yes, my dear children, we watch over ourselves and all the motions of our hearts in vain, and in vain we avoid temptation, if we don’t pray. If we don’t continually resort to prayer, all our other ways will be of no use at all to us, and we’ll be overcome. We won’t find any sinner converted without turning to prayer. We won’t find one persevering without depending heavily on prayer. Nor will we ever find a Christian who ends up damned whose downfall didn’t begin with a lack of prayer.”
—St. John Vianney, p. 155 Daily VerseJesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." John 20:29
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. John Vianney (Cure of Ars)Patron Saint of: Parish priests, confessors, pastors, and vocations
Feast Day: August 4 St. John Vianney, also known as St. Jean Marie Vianney (1786–1859) was born in France to a farming family, one of six children of devout Catholic parents. He was baptized on the day of his birth. When he was four years old the French Revolution erupted, and priests were forced into hiding. Every day they risked their lives to give the sacraments, and John looked up to them as heroes. His First Holy Communion and Confirmation were made in secrecy. After the Church in France was reestablished, John studied for the priesthood. He had difficulty in his studies due to his lack of formal education during the turmoil of the revolution, but his great desire carried him through. After his ordination he became a parish priest assigned to the small country town of Ars. There he ministered to the carnage the revolution had left in the souls of the French people. Many were indifferent to, and ignorant of, the Faith. John performed great penances for the people and received many graces for their conversion. He had the gifts of miracle-working, prophecy, hidden knowledge, and discernment of spirits. He was soon known internationally, and people came from afar to see him. Year after year he spent 11-12 hours a day in the confessional, and up to 16 hours in the summer. By 1855 there were 20,000 pilgrims traveling annually to Ars. Because of this St. John Vianney was tormented by evil spirits throughout his life, especially when he attempted to get his two to three hours of sleep a night. He died at the age of 73 after serving 40 years as a parish priest. Over 300 priests and 6,000 people attended his funeral. St. John Vianney is the patron saint of confessors and priests. His feast day is August 4th.
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Memorial of Saint John Vianney, PriestLectionary: 408 Reading 1Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book. For thus says the LORD:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you. Thus says the LORD:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29, 22-23 R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory. AlleluiaJohn 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 14:22-36 Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.” After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed. or: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”
He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?”
He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit.”
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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 14:22-36Take courage, it is I. (Matthew 14:27) If you have ever been caught out at sea when a storm blows up, you know what a frightening experience it is to feel powerless amid gusty winds and thrashing waves. In Scripture, the image of the turbulent sea often portrays the chaos of death and separation from God (Psalm 69:1-3; Jonah 2:2-6). But Scripture also testifies that God stills the “swelling waves” and “treads upon the back of the sea” (Psalm 89:10; Job 9:8). So when Jesus walked upon the water in today’s Gospel, it’s no wonder the disciples “cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). Jesus was demonstrating that he has authority over nature and the forces of evil and death. Approaching the disciples in the boat, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I” (Matthew 14:27). By saying, “It is I,” ego eimi in Greek, Jesus is referring to God’s divine name spoken to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). He’s saying, It’s me, Jesus. I’m here. But he is also making a statement about his divinity and his identity with his Father. The uncreated God, the great I AM—that’s who is with them in the Person of Jesus. And that statement gave Peter the courage to join Jesus on the water. We have even more reason to take courage; we know that Jesus is risen from the dead! We can trust that he is the great I AM with us even today. Even when we feel alone in a boat, tossed by the trials of life and battered by the forces of evil, he still comes to us. He is with us even when, like the disciples, we feel afraid. He comes and says, “It is I. Here I am!” Jesus reigns over everything that frightens and oppresses God’s people! He calls us to look to him and come closer to him. Having started out toward Jesus, you may find that the turmoil in the world or the pressures of work and family shake you. This is the time to cry out to the Lord! Fix your eyes on him as Peter did at first, and take heart that Jesus is more powerful than any darkness. No matter how weak you may feel, you can still proclaim with the disciples, “I believe that ‘you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33). “Lord Jesus, I trust in your divine presence with me today.” Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "... He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?”
He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit.”
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From Bishop Barron: "Whenever we encounter the disciples in a boat, we are dealing with the Church, the barque of Peter. Here we see the beginning of the Church’s journey through time. Winds and waves toss the barque. Anyone acquainted with Church history knows the truth of this—and it’s a special comfort for those enduring our tumultuous times. We are engaged in a spiritual warfare, a battle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. Early in the morning, the disciples see Jesus coming toward them, “walking on the sea.” Terrified, they cry out. But Jesus calms them with the words “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Then Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Peter stands preeminently for the Church across the ages. And here is the Church at its best, reaching out in confidence to Christ. The fruit of that confidence is participation in the Lord’s power: “Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” Relying on our own power, we can do nothing. But relying on him, we can do anything....” End quote.
From Roberto Juarez: " Today's Gospel invites us to look less at our appearances and more at our hearts. Jesus does not want a superficial faith. He does not look for Christians who only perform a few rites. He wants disciples whose hearts are transformed by God's love.
Let us ask him today for the grace of an authentic faith. May our words be born from a heart full of charity. May our works reflect the gospel we proclaim. May our religious practices not be an empty custom, but the expression of a true friendship with Christ. And as we approach the Eucharist, let us ask the Lord to purify our interior, so that we may live with a simple, humble and clean heart, capable of loving as He loves. May Mary, the woman with the Immaculate Heart, accompany us on this journey of interior conversion and teach us to always put God at the centre of our lives....." end quote.
Yesterday, we heard about the time our Lord walked on water asking them to fear not. He is Lord over all. He is proving it. And He can prove it again...if you can come to Him. And trust in Him. And today, we heard about what defiles a person...it is not so much what comes in, but what comes out from a person.
And we should see what is coming out of us.
If foul things are coming out...that is proof of what is hiding within.
If good things are only coming out...then we should take heart...God is living within, reaching out with His love, grace, and mercy. And sometimes that mercy is a firm hand that directs all to God our Father. Such is the life of St. John Vianney (Cure of Ars), the priest for all priests. His focus was to guide souls to Heaven. And he poured out his life for God's people, even though he preferred private prayer, he was pulled to God's service.
And you? What if you are a busy mom, or busy at work, yes, you prefer quiet prayer time, but if you don't make that time happen, then you will need to serve God in your busy schedule...watch how you tend to people, watch with what words and actions you serve God's people day in and day out.
Me and my wife and kids went on a trip this weekend before school starts. We went to Mass in a city. We sat down, and me and my son sat in a separate pew next to a man that sat down in shorts, and was continuously on his phone. My son watched him. I noticed my son watching him. Later on my son mentioned it. I said "yes son, I noticed. And it bothered me at first. But then, I prayed..for him. His body was at church, but his mind was not. He was scrolling. He was on a calculator. He was distracted. And so I prayed for our Lord to have mercy on him. He was restless. He was trying. So I prayed for mercy on his soul."
We should watch what comes out of us. Judging can be a sign, wrong judging is a sure sign. Good judgement is a better sign for the better. For that, we need Christ to reign in our hearts. He needs to be that heart like today's saint that is incorrupt, to be grace and mercy in world that heavily needs it.
I get tired of complaints. I get tired of the whining. I get tired of the little effort that is put into doing God's will. And as much as I'd like to get away...I'm still being called to fight the good fight which is...to surrender to God's will. This grappling with God is the meaning of the word "Israel" , which is God's people...not an actual country (that seems to be fighting with other countries all the time). No, ours is a a struggle to be holy...or die trying.. Amen? Amen!!
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2 Thessalonians 3:5 "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ."
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