†While the world changes, the cross stands firm. -St. Bruno
- - - Today's MeditationWe don’t encounter God’s will in the past, because the past is gone. We don’t encounter God’s will in the future, because the future does not yet exist. God reveals His will to us only in the present moment of our existence, accompanied by the specific graces we need in order to conform ourselves to it. This is the only time we’re given to follow His lead. — Good Catholic Series, Thy Will Be Done
Daily Verse †[There is] one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
- Ephesians 4:4-7
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. BrunoPatron Saint of: Carthusians, contemplatives, and exorcists
Feast Day: October 6 St. Bruno (1030-1101) was born to a noble and prominent family in Cologne, Germany. He was well educated and excelled in his studies, and became a priest around the year 1055. He went on to direct and teach at the episcopal school at Reims for many years, earning a reputation as a learned scholar. After also serving as the chancellor of his archdiocese, he and a few companions left their positions in the diocese in order to follow a path of greater religious observance. In 1084 Bruno settled in the Chartreuse Mountains in France with a small group of scholars who, like himself, desired to become contemplative monks. This was the beginning of the Carthusian order founded by St. Bruno, combining the solitary life of hermits with the conventual life of religious observance. These alpine monks embraced a strictly disciplined life of poverty, labor, prayer, and fasting. After living six years of strict asceticism, St. Bruno was called to Rome by the Pope, who was his former student, to assist with the troubles and controversies rocking the Church. Bruno became a close advisor to the Pope and was allowed to return to monastic life only if he remained nearby within Italy, leading Bruno to establish a second Carthusian monastery there in 1095. St. Bruno wrote many manuscripts and commentaries during his life. His feast day is celebrated on October 6th.
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Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 462 Reading 1Galatians 1:13-24 Brothers and sisters:
You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it,
and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were Apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas
and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
(As to what I am writing to you, behold,
before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea
that are in Christ;
they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us
is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So they glorified God because of me. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. AlleluiaLuke 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 10:38-42 Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
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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: Luke 10:38-42Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. (Luke 10:41) We can probably relate to Martha in today’s Gospel. She was hard at work while her sister sat quietly at Jesus’ feet. Why didn’t anyone seem to see her plight? So, understandably, she came to Jesus, frustrated and looking for his intervention. His response might surprise us. It almost certainly surprised Martha. Jesus doesn’t do what Martha asks of him. He doesn’t solve her frustration by sending Mary to help out in the kitchen. Instead, he gently corrects Martha and tries to open her eyes to see the situation differently. What an unexpected moment of grace! Jesus points out that what Mary has chosen—to sit at his feet and listen to him—is better (Luke 10:42). He gently shows Martha that her irritation with her sister is an obstacle. It is causing her to miss out on the one truly necessary thing: listening to him. He shows her that even a good thing like looking after her guest has the potential to distract from what really matters. We don’t know how Martha responded to Jesus’ words at that moment. But it seems as if they eventually pierced her heart. When her brother, Lazarus, became sick and died, she openly and confidently professed that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world” (John 11:27). Martha’s story shows us that our unexpected moments of grace can come even when we’re not in the best frame of mind. But that might be exactly when Jesus wants to help us see things differently. So let’s invite the Lord to help us recognize those times when we, like Martha, feel so overburdened that we let irritation get the best of us. Or when we are so hyperfocused on a goal that we might neglect the chance to spend time with Jesus. Let’s not miss these opportunities to experience the blessings he offers us. So keep cultivating your friendship with Jesus. Give him the freedom to break through and gently correct you when necessary. That way, you’ll also be giving him room to amaze you with an experience of his grace right in the midst of your busyness! “Lord, help me be willing to listen the next time you want to surprise me.” Galatians 1:13-24
Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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“The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
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From Roberto Juarez: "……This Gospel can be misinterpreted as Jesus pitting Martha and Mary against each other, work and prayer, action and contemplation. But the Lord does not despise Martha's service. What he desires is for his service to be born of a living relationship with Him. Authentic prayer leads us to concrete love; and Christian service needs to be nourished by prayer. If we only act, we run the risk of becoming exhausted, of believing that everything depends on us, or of ending up serving with bitterness. If we only talk about prayer, but never care about others, our faith risks remaining in words. We need both dimensions: being with Christ and working for the Kingdom of God. Mary teaches us to listen; Martha reminds us of the importance of serving. In our Christian life, both attitudes are called to meet: listening to the Lord in order to serve better and serving our brothers and sisters while continuing to listen to the Lord. Apostolic activity, catechesis, care for the poor, care for the sick and the daily tasks of our families will be more fruitful when they are born of a deep relationship with Christ.
Today let us ask the Lord to help us to order our priorities, not to be dominated by worries and to find a moment every day to be at the feet of Jesus. May we not be so busy doing things for the Lord that we forget to be with the Lord. And that, listening to his Word, we may learn to serve with joy, to love with patience and to live each day with the peace that comes from knowing that we are accompanied by Him." end quote.
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From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today's Gospel, almost more than any other, has inspired protests when I have to preach it. "Bishop, I believe that Martha is unjustly accused." For centuries, this story has been interpreted to mean that Martha represents the "active" life and Mary, the "contemplative" life. I would like to emphasize that reading this story of Martha and Mary in terms of active/contemplative life is not very helpful. We have to go a little deeper.
What does Martha reproach her for? "Martha, Martha, you are restless and agitated by many things." It is the quality of a hectic, divided, unfocused life to which Jesus directs attention. And why is Mary praised? Not precisely because she is "contemplative," but because she has chosen the unum necessarium (the only thing necessary). She has sat discreetly at the Lord's feet, not so much to avoid work but to find herself, to understand what she essentially is.
There is a cacophony of voices calling us; there are thousands of influences pulling one way or the other. What is the only thing necessary? To hear the voice of Jesus expressing his love telling you who you are." end quote.
- - - From bro. Adrian: Sometimes, I feel like Martha.
I am in a ton of ministries. And I don't feel like I get enough help in many of them, or enough successes…for the Lord.
So what is our Lord saying here? Even as I type, I'm trying to rush out to meet people from out of state on important catholic matters for the Nation.
So now what?
It is easy to forget the reason for our service. That is the problem. You get wrapped up, and focus on the problem, in this case, those that won't come and help, and our Lord says that THEY have chosen the better part.
So now what? Stop serving?
Be only Mary? A contemplative? Not at all. Our Lord wants us to focus on Him….no matter what we are doing, and in the problem…turn to Him. He makes the burden light….if we truly yoke in LOVE!
We are missing the point, and to miss the mark, can be what it means to sin. Back to the basics….focus on our Lord!
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Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 1:24–25 “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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