†Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. ▪ St. Teresa of Avila
“Perhaps we do not know what love is, nor does this greatly surprise me. Love does not consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a fervent determination to strive to please God in all things, in avoiding, as far as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the glory and honor of His Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church.” —St. Teresa of Avila, p. 54-55
Daily Verse †If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world. ▪ James 1:26-27
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Teresa of AvilaPatron Saint of: Spain, headache sufferers, and people in religious life
Feast Day: October 15 St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), also known as St. Teresa of Jesus, was born in Spain to a large, devout, and prominent Catholic family. Fascinated with the lives of the saints taught to her by her pious parents, as children she and a brother tried to run away from home to seek martyrdom among the Moors. After an uncle found them and returned them home, they built hermitages for themselves in the family garden. At the age of 14 Teresa was plunged into sorrow upon the death of her mother; to find consolation she asked the Virgin Mary to be her new mother. When she began to exhibit worldly vanities, her father placed her in a convent to be educated with other ladies of her social class. Determined to avoid marriage, and motivated more by the need for security than love for God, at the age of twenty Teresa entered religious life as a Carmelite nun. For two decades she led what she describes as a mediocre prayer life, hindered by too much socialization with visitors. However, an intense prayer experience in her forties helped her to renounce worldly attachments and enter deeper into a life of prayer. She advanced rapidly and taught others to do the same, being encouraged by a vision of the place reserved for her in hell if she was unfaithful to God’s graces. She had many profound mystical experiences for which she was often slandered and ridiculed. After the reform of her own life she worked hard to reform the laxity of many Carmelite convents, and was successful even while being greatly opposed in her efforts. She was a strong and important female figure of her era, and her great progress in the spiritual life led her to write the spiritual classics Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection. For these works St. Teresa of Avila was named the first female Doctor of the Church. Her feast day is October 15th.
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Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 470 Reading 1Ephesians 1:1-10 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the holy ones who are in Ephesus
and faithful in Christ Jesus:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved. In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6 R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation. AlleluiaJohn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 11:47-54 The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
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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: Ephesians 1:1-10Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) There’s something unique about the Letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul begins most of his letters to other churches by rejoicing in the ways the recipients are living out the gospel. But rather than focus immediately on this particular church, Paul begins by lifting his readers’ eyes to “the heavens” (1:3). From there, he virtually explodes with praise for the God who has poured so many wonderful blessings upon all his people. His combination of joy and awe is so great that it can’t be contained! Most commentators believe that Paul began Ephesians this way because he intended for his letter to be read in a number of churches around the Roman province of Asia Minor. So he focused on what is true for any church, regardless of their situation. That means he focused on what is true for you as well. So . . . ▪ If you want to know God’s love more deeply, this letter is for you. It tells you that God loves you enough to give you “every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). In fact, he loved you “before the foundation of the world,” before you did anything to earn that love (1:4).
▪ If you want to encounter his mercy more fully, this letter is for you. You can let Paul show you that God has “lavished” upon you the grace of his forgiveness (Ephesians 1:8). You can encounter the grace that not only forgives you but that raises you up to be with him in heaven (2:4, 6).
▪ And if you want to understand God’s plan and purpose for you, this letter is for you. You can let God show you that it is his “will” that you receive “adoption to himself” as his child. And it’s the great “mystery of his will” to bring all things together, including yourself, “in Christ” (Ephesians 1:5, 9-10).
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If you want to know God’s love more deeply, this letter is for you. It tells you that God loves you enough to give you “every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). In fact, he loved you “before the foundation of the world,” before you did anything to earn that love (1:4). |
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If you want to encounter his mercy more fully, this letter is for you. You can let Paul show you that God has “lavished” upon you the grace of his forgiveness (Ephesians 1:8). You can encounter the grace that not only forgives you but that raises you up to be with him in heaven (2:4, 6). |
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And if you want to understand God’s plan and purpose for you, this letter is for you. You can let God show you that it is his “will” that you receive “adoption to himself” as his child. And it’s the great “mystery of his will” to bring all things together, including yourself, “in Christ” (Ephesians 1:5, 9-10). |
And there is so much more! For the next two weeks, as we hear this letter at Mass, take just one phrase from the reading for that day, and sit with it in prayer. Ask the Lord to fill you with the same joy that Paul knew, the joy of knowing “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Ephesians 1:3). Psalm 98:1-6
Luke 11:47-54
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio Link
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“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.”
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From Roberto Juarez end of his reflection: "St. Teresa of Jesus reminds us that God does not ask us to be self-sufficient. He invites us to live in friendship with him and to find in Christ the strength to continue on the journey. Today we hear anew his call: "Come unto me." Let us draw near to the Lord with our weariness, our questions, and our hopes. Let us learn from his meek and humble heart, and let his love transform the way we live. May St. Teresa intercede for us and teach us to persevere in prayer, to trust in God's mercy, and to serve our brothers and sisters with generosity." end quote.
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From Bishop Barron's ending of his reflection:
"René Girard, the great Franco-American philosopher and social commentator, is best known for his speculations on what he called the scapegoating mechanism. Sadly, Girard maintained, most human communities are predicated upon this dysfunctional and deeply destructive instinct. Roughly speaking, it unfolds as follows. When tensions arise in a group, people commence to cast about for a scapegoat, for someone or some group to blame. Deeply attractive, even addictive, the scapegoating move rapidly attracts a crowd, which in short order becomes a mob. In their common hatred of the victim, the blamers feel an ersatz sense of togetherness. Filled with the excitement born of self-righteousness, the mob then endeavors to isolate and finally eliminate the scapegoat, convinced that this will restore order to their roiled society. The Gospels appreciated the Girardian dynamic long before Girard." end quote.
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From your brother Adrian:
Our Lord said something peculiar today and has caused bible scholars to speculate: "this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building."
And these accusations will continue through Sunday's Gospel. And our gospel studies last night quizzed us on our fidelity. Because these people charging our Lord, with false accusations, they still happen today, especially if you are living an authentic life in Christ.
So what was this murder between the altar and the temple building?
A search pulls up a revelation of how we become polluted and are in need of God's mercy in HIS revelation that comes to a willing spirit: "The Historical and Typological Context: Zechariah When Jesus refers to Zechariah being killed between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35), He is referencing a pivotal moment of desecration. In the Old Testament (most notably identified with Zechariah son of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22), the priest and prophet stood by the altar to warn the people that they had forsaken God. Instead of repenting, the people stoned him to death in the very courtyard of the Lord's house.
As Zechariah died, his final words were: "May the Lord see and avenge!" (2 Chronicles 24:22).
• The Old Altar: A place where human sin polluted the sanctuary, and innocent blood cried out to God for vengeance and judgment.
• The Old Temple: A physical building built by human hands that could be defiled by violence and ultimately destroyed" And so, God has ushered in the new sacrifice, and the new temple. And it gets deep quick. For we become a temple, and He becomes a sacrifice within, and it is culminated in the reality of the Holy Mass. Now we must realize the book of Revelation when it says "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Because the mob mentality is fueled by neutrality. Those who do not choose, have chosen on things of spirituality. And so, if we remain neutral, a mob can form, elections are won, and the scapegoat "for all problems" is targeted, ousted, and even killed.
Sunday's Gospel in Mass will ask us…to render to God what is God's. And our Lord showed His life belongs to God. And we call ourselves this Christ Body.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Romans 5:1 [Romans 5]
Peace with God Through Faith "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we1 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Word of the Lord!
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