†The sacred heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain, and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure. ▪ St. Margaret Mary
“If meekness is not exactly the worldly ideal, neither is it universally correlated with strength. Contrariwise, is not the first connotation of meekness in many minds that of supineness, spiritlessness, weakness? It is strange that this should be so, when Jesus set forth meekness as the expression of His own divine-human heart. It is interesting that Christ asked us to master only one lesson plan in life: “Learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart” (Matt. 11:29). It is certainly not without significance that He never specifically asked us to learn anything else.” — Mother Francis, PCC, p.26
Daily Verse †Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. ▪ Matthew 24:9-14
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Margaret MaryPatron Saint of: Devotion to the Sacred Heart, Visitation nuns, and the sick
Feast Day: October 16 St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) was born in France to a virtuous and distinguished family. As a child she showed great devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and by the age of 9 was practicing severe penances. In her childhood she became sick with rheumatic fever and was confined to bed for four years. She made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to the religious life, after which she was instantly healed. She often had visions of Jesus, which she thought was a normal experience in the spiritual life. When she turned 17 her mother insisted that she establish a place for herself in the world. Margaret imagined that her childhood vow was not binding, and persuaded herself that she could serve God while living at home and continuing her penances and charity to the poor. She then joined her brothers at dances and began considering marriage. One day, upon returning home from a carnival ball, Jesus appeared to her and reproached her for her infidelity, reminding her of her promise. Margaret then entered a Visitation convent at the age of 24. Jesus appeared to her frequently, and entrusted to her the mission of establishing devotion to his Sacred Heart during a time when religion in France had grown rigorous and cold. Because of her visions she was greatly persecuted by those around her, until her virtue under suffering won over her enemies. Her visions were determined to be genuine and officially recognized by the Catholic Church 75 years after her death. Her feast day is October 16th.
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Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 471 Reading 1Ephesians 1:11-14 Brothers and sisters:
In Christ we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13 R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. AlleluiaPsalm 33:22 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May your kindness, LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 12:1-7 At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees. “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
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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 12:1-7You are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7) Think of the great love that God has for his creation. He took such care when he designed the heavens and the earth that he declared that what he created was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He is so involved in his creation that not even something as small as a sparrow escapes his notice! But for all the care that God puts into the smallest birds, we human beings have an even more central place in his heart. He loves each of us individually as a unique, unrepeatable person fashioned in his own image and likeness. As Jesus assures us in today’s Gospel, “You are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). God loves you so much, in fact, that he sent his only Son to redeem you by his death and resurrection. What does it mean that we are worth so much to the God of the universe? Everything! Knowing how much he loves us can: ▪ Give us the courage that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
▪ Lead us to worship him with gratitude and awe.
▪ Fill us with the confidence to go to him for help in times of need and for mercy when we fall short of his commands.
▪ Move us to share the good news about his love with the people around us.
▪ Bring healing to the interior wounds we can experience in life’s ups and downs.
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Give us the courage that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). |
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Lead us to worship him with gratitude and awe. |
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Fill us with the confidence to go to him for help in times of need and for mercy when we fall short of his commands. |
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Move us to share the good news about his love with the people around us. |
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Bring healing to the interior wounds we can experience in life’s ups and downs. |
Isn’t it great news that the deepest longing of our hearts—the longing to be loved and accepted and cherished—finds its true fulfillment in the love of the Lord? We don’t have to go looking everywhere for this love; it’s already in us through the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to worry that we’re not deserving of love; God has already declared that we are. And we don’t have to fear that this love will fizzle out; it flows continually from the heart of the One who promised to be with us “always” (Matthew 28:20). As you begin your prayer today, listen as the Lord tells you, “You are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7)! Then lift your eyes to heaven, and praise him for loving you so deeply. “Heavenly Father, I am in awe of you!” Ephesians 1:11-14
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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“I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
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From Roberto Juarez end of his reflection: "We can also go through moments of illness, loneliness, failure, or uncertainty in which we find it difficult to discover our own dignity. Jesus reminds us that our worth does not depend on success, recognition, social standing, or the opinion of others. We are loved by God. This trust does not mean that everything will turn out as we wish or that we are protected from any suffering. It means that we are never abandoned and that not even pain can erase the love with which God sustains us. If the Father knows even the hair of our head, we can turn to Him with our worries, ask Him for help, and rest in His presence. We are not a number or a forgotten life. We are children called by our name. And this certainty must also transform the way we look at others. If every person has immense value before God, no one can be treated as if he or she does not matter. Trust in the Father's love leads us to respect, care for, and defend the dignity of our brothers and sisters.
Today's Gospel leaves us with a message that unites demand and consolation. Jesus calls us to abandon hypocrisy, to live in the truth and not to allow fear to separate us from the good. But he also reminds us that we are precious in God's eyes and that the Father does not forget us. Let us ask for the grace of an authentic faith, which does not need masks; of a free conscience, which knows how to choose the good; and of a trusting heart, which finds in God its deepest security. May we not live as slaves to what others think, but attentive to what the Lord asks of us. May we know how to recognize our mistakes without despair, defend the truth without pride and accompany others with mercy." end quote.
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From Bishop Barron: "Now think of saints like John Paul II and José Sánchez del Río. The young Karol Wojtyła operated behind locked doors, preserving the great works of Polish literature during the Nazi occupation. That same man, now come of age and newly elected as pope, said to all the world, “Be not afraid!” This from someone who had experienced the worst barbarism of the twentieth century. During the Cristero Rebellion in early twentieth-century Mexico, the young José Sánchez del Río stood for his faith despite enormous opposition, torture, threats, and finally the firing squad itself. He wasn’t afraid of those paper tigers who could only kill his body. So, no matter how much violence is going on, we have a place of safety." end quote.
Your Brother Adrian.
Sometimes, some of us, most probably are ignorant of the immensity of God Almighty Father.
And this then, produces a loss, and what the bible calls a lack or a "want".
And so, the whole of our life should be geared towards the works of getting back to the desire…of God…and this will only happen, if we are working in the Holy Will of our God…willingly, and wholeheartedly.
Someone said in these daily inspirations, that to know God better, we will get to know ourselves better too.
How true is that? It is very true.
I've been studying things of our Lord, in theology, which ties into apologetics (explanations of the faith), exorcist talks, and bible studies, and even more in personal encounters in retreats and daily Mass.
And you know what I am finding? EXACTLY what our Lord says today about our worth.
The world, and the evil darkness says or makes one feel worthless, and like nobody actually cares.
But this is where our Lord comes from Heaven, lands on earth, is taken to the cross by this mantra, and then He ascends to Heaven and transforms it, and then descends back to earth to dwell amongst the billions of souls. How crazy is THAT!
WHY? Why would HE care to care like that?
I have started to tell people, even in last night's class, that our Lord created this world you live in, specifically for you. You have unique encounters. You have unique opportunities. You have this connection with Him that I cannot interfere with, only make you connect with! Isn't THAT amazing too?
And so, back to the fear of the Lord.
This morning, I went to Mass, and received the Lord in the Eucharist, and my soul envisions myself hugging His big tow and I cannot even wrap my arms around the front part of it.
Why do I think that?
Because, I want Him to know, HOW GREAT HE IS in my life, and with my heart and soul.
How many people are trying to show God that they love Him?
The more I study Him, the more I am amazed about His love and mercy. Almost as if He came with the perfect design of Mercy in His mind for a torn up world we see. So we may see hope on the cross. Love from God on the cross. Victory ahead.
Why? Because…you are so worth it. Father God Loves you more than you will EVER know. I invite you into this eternal journey…
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Random Bible Verse 1
Ephesians 6:13 [Ephesians 6] " Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
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Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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