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Friday, February 28, 2014

This Commandment

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MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

Created for a Purpose Minute Meditations
Heavenly Father, you created each of us for a purpose, to accomplish something special that will fit into your plan. May we always be free to follow where you lead so that we can be guided and trained by you to fit in with the beautiful tapestry woven from the lives of all of us.
— from Stories of Jesus 


Blessed Daniel Brottier
(1876-1936)

Daniel spent most of his life in the trenches—one way or another.

Born in France in 1876, Daniel was ordained in 1899 and began a teaching career. That didn't satisfy him long. He wanted to use his zeal for the gospel far beyond the classroom. He joined the missionary Congregation of the Holy Spirit, which sent him to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years there, his health was suffering. He was forced to return to France, where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal.

At the outbreak of World War I Daniel became a volunteer chaplain and spent four years at the front. He did not shrink from his duties. Indeed, he risked his life time and again in ministering to the suffering and dying. It was miraculous that he did not suffer a single wound during his 52 months in the heart of battle.

After the war he was invited to help establish a project for orphaned and abandoned children in a Paris suburb. He spent the final 13 years of his life there. He died in 1936 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Paris only 48 years later.



Saint of the Day
Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M. 



Presence

At any time of the day or night we can call on Jesus.
He is always waiting, listening for our call. 
What a wonderful blessing. 
No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.

Freedom

Lord, may I never take the gift
of freedom for granted. You gave
me the great blessing of freedom of
spirit. Fill my spirit with Your peace and
Your joy.

Consciousness

To be conscious about something is to be aware of it. Dear Lord help me to remember that You gave me life. Thank you for the gift of life. Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me.
To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The marvel of mountains, the calmness of lakes, the fragility of a flower petal. I need to remember that all these things come from you.

The Word of God



Reading 1JAS 5:9-12

Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your "Yes" mean "Yes" and your "No" mean "No,"
that you may not incur condemnation.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel MK 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."


Conversation

What is stirring in me as I pray? Am I consoled, troubled, left cold? I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting at my side and share my feelings with him.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.



Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Mark 10:1-12

View NAB Reading at USCCB.org

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7th Week in Ordinary Time

What God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Mark 10:9)

 

If we've been through a divorce or know someone who has, we might have a hard time accepting these words. We might find ourselves thinking, "Doesn't Jesus understand why marriages break down? Why can't he show a little more compassion?" If we know anything of the guilt, anger, and sadness that come with divorce, it might seem as if Jesus is being a legalist here or that he enjoys "arresting" us on the charge of a broken marriage.

But remember who Jesus was talking to: legalistic Pharisees. They were looking for loopholes, trying to trap him by getting him to spell out when it was acceptable to leave one's spouse. In response, Jesus told the truth, as he always did. Yes, marriage is sacred to God, and it is a blessing for us. It's a union between two people that is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and the last thing he wants is for us to go through the agony of having that union torn apart.

Notice, however, that while Jesus said that divorce should not happen, he never said a condemning word about people whose marriages end up failing. He knows that we are human beings who make mistakes; that's why he came to earth! Look, for instance, at how he treated someone who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). The legalists were there, quoting the Law that says that the woman should be stoned. But when Jesus confronted them with their own sinfulness, they walked away. Then, he tells the woman, "Neither do I condemn you" (John 8:11).

If you are going through the pain of divorce, Jesus has the same words for you. He's not asking whose fault it was, and he isn't holding your sin—or someone else's—in front of you. That's what Satan does, and we should never listen to his voice! No, Jesus wants to heal you and set you free. He wants to take whatever is wounded or broken in your life and make it new. So let this be the day that you accept his mercy and healing.

"Jesus, send your Spirit on all those families wounded by divorce. Let them know that your grace can break the chains of hatred, mistrust, and unforgiveness. Shine your light and heal their pain!"

 

 

James 5:9-12 Psalm 103:1-4, 8-9, 11-12


my2cents:
Allow me to translate today's 5minutos:
  "The festivity hall was joyfully adorned with precious flowers and ribbons.  At the width of the front of the hall hung a banner that one could read "Many Congratulations To A Radiant Couple".  They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  Family and friends, that came from near or far, had congregated to render them homage.  Their four children took turns expressing their most tender memories and greatest lessons learned from their parents.  Then, they cut the cake, took photos and enjoyed being together.  In a hurry, the afternoon ended.  The friends said goodbye; the members of the family took memories and retired.  Then at night, one of the grandchildren asked: "Grandma, what is the secret to be happily married for fifty years?".  Without joking, her grandmother responded "We are always disposed to talk about any matter".  Recent investigations support that conclusion.  A study that was done, between couples with more than twenty years of marriage, revealed that the only thing they had in common was that they chatted daily.  Perhaps ever since they discovered how to communicate, they set themselves to talk about their differences when difficult periods came.  How many actual couples live in crisis in their homes for the lack of communication and that is fundamental to renew their compromise, and encounter together as believers a solution; not the work, nor friends, nor family, nor commitments outside the home should be an obstacle."
WOW.  Did you read that?  Nothing should come between you and your lover.  Now, let's focus on our Lord.  Nothing should come between you and Him, especially not sin.  Because today's first Holy Scripture talked about our Yes being a Yes and a No being a No.  In the things of God things are black and white, yes or no.  You either took on a Sacrament, a swearing to God, or you did not.  You either are faithful, or you are not.  Now, that being said, the Pharisees entered into an argument with Jesus.  Can a there be a divorce?  Keep in mind, we just read a Yes must mean a Yes.  What good are promises if they can be broken?  With this, Jesus enters in our lives the Sacraments.  Baptism.  Confession/Reconciliation.  Eucharist.  Confirmation.  Marriage.  Holy Orders.  Anointing of the Sick.  The Holy Sacraments are outwards signs of what is going on within the Spirit.  They are "oaths " as Scott Hahn says in his book "Swear to God".  When we become one with God, it means a blessing, not a curse.  Baptism makes us one body in Christ. Tear it apart and tear apart at the body.  Confession makes us one again reconciled with God; tear it apart and we rupture our union with God.  The Eucharist, is Holy Communion with God, being intimately His, where He actually comes into us and we are one; tear this apart and become something else not one with Him.  Confirmation is an oath to God; tear it apart and you tear apart your promise to be one with Him.  Marriage is a union with not just each other, but each other with God.  Tear apart and you tear apart the Trinitarian love and union that He joined.  Holy orders means you give yourself to God, as priest, clergy, religious, in union with God; tear it apart and tear apart the union you promised to Him and the Church.  Anointing of the Sick unites us to God in healing, especially healing of the soul, not just the body, because we are united to Him in this way; tear it apart and you break the union.  You see, Jesus came to gather, unite us to Him to the Father.  He is the glue, the Truth.  I read a quote from Edgar Cayce "Arguments will seldom change the aspects or the views of any. And truth itself needs no champion, for it is of itself champion of champions - and needs no defense; only for self to live according to that which IS the truth!"  The Pharisees argued with Jesus, the Truth.  How many times do we argue with the Truth?  How about just talking without arguing?  Talk with God and you pray to Him.  He knows how to unite.  He knows the Way.  We often get lost and try to make our own way in this life.  How hard.  How hard a life without purpose.  We were created for a purpose, to be His wholly and Holy His.  What God unites, and He united with Jesus, HIS SON, the Son of GOD is us to Him.  He unites us to Him in 7 Special ways, none of which are meant to be torn apart.  Out of convenience we knick and pick apart at them and all for not.  I am asking for a blessing my child.  Bless God.  Because children can bless their parents, we can bless God.  And because parents can bless their children, God blesses His.  Be His.  Be ALL HIS.  Then the union becomes a communion.  The reciprocating effects produce a light unto the world, much like the moment we are created.
 God Bless you.  
you Bless God
adrian
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Going4th,

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Because You Belong

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MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

Divine Love Minute Meditations
I love myself solely for the sake of God. Now I just appreciate my origin and destiny in God. I am humbled by the incredible gift of divine love and feel my whole life has importance because of God.
— from Christ Our Compass 

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
(1838-1862 )


Born in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, he lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down, probably because of his age, not yet 17. Following the death of a sister to cholera, his resolve to enter religious life became even stronger and he was accepted by the Passionists. Upon entering the novitiate he was given the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Ever popular and cheerful, Gabriel quickly was successful in his effort to be faithful in little things. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, consideration of the feelings of others, exact observance of the Passionist Rule as well as his bodily penances—always subject to the will of his wise superiors— made a deep impression on everyone.

His superiors had great expectations of Gabriel as he prepared for the priesthood, but after only four years of religious life symptoms of tuberculosis appeared. Ever obedient, he patiently bore the painful effects of the disease and the restrictions it required, seeking no special notice. He died peacefully on February 27, 1862, at age 24, having been an example to both young and old.

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was canonized in 1920.



Comment:

When we think of achieving great holiness by doing little things with love and grace, Therese of Lisieux comes first to mind. Like her, Gabriel died painfully from tuberculosis. Together they urge us to tend to the small details of daily life, to be considerate of others' feelings every day. Our path to sanctity, like theirs, probably lies not in heroic doings but in performing small acts of kindness every day.

Patron Saint of:

Clergy

Saint of the Day
Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M. 



Presence

Dear Lord, help me to be open to you
for this time as I put aside the cares of this world.
Fill my mind with your peace, Your Love.

Freedom

God is not foreign to my freedom.
Instead the Spirit breathes life into my most intimate desires,
gently nudging me towards all that is good.
I ask for the grace to let myself be enfolded by the Spirit.

Consciousness

In the presence of my loving Creator, I look honestly at my feelings over the last day, the highs, the lows and the level ground. Can I see where the Lord has been present?

The Word of God


Reading 1JAS 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

Responsorial Psalm PS 49:14-15AB, 15CD-16, 17-18, 19-20

R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
This is the way of those whose trust is folly,
the end of those contented with their lot:
Like sheep they are herded into the nether world;
death is their shepherd and the upright rule over them.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Quickly their form is consumed;
the nether world is their palace.
But God will redeem me
from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
"They will praise you for doing well for yourself,"
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Gospel MK 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed 
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled 
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

"Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."

Conversation

What feelings are rising in me as I pray and reflect on God's Word? I imagine Jesus himself sitting or standing near me and open my heart to him.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.


Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Mark 9:41-50

View NAB Reading at USCCB.org

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7th Week in Ordinary Time

If your hand causes you to sin ... (Mark 9:43)

 In today's Gospel reading, Jesus offers words of hope to repeat offenders—that's all of us who fall into the same sins again and again. We may not recognize it as a hopeful word, though, unless we hit the "pause" button right here in the middle of verse 9:43 (and in verses 45 and 47). So before racing on to what Jesus says about amputating wayward hands, feet, and eyes, let's linger over that verb: to cause to sin.

In the Greek in which the Gospel was written, this phrase means to place an obstacle that causes someone to stumble. That sounds like something an enemy would do, doesn't it? But as we have all experienced, we do it to ourselves. By the way we act (symbolized by the hand), the places we go (the feet), and the things we let into our lives (the eyes, the windows to the soul), we often sabotage our best intentions and go astray from God's plan.

We don't have to remain in this conflicted state! Jesus wants us to know the joy and peace that come from living with integrity—with every part of us working together and open to God's grace. Despite harsh-sounding words like "cut it off" and "pluck it out," he is not telling us to mutilate or abuse our bodies. The human body is his Father's handiwork, and Jesus spent his life restoring people's bodies to wholeness! Remember, he has just healed a withered hand, paralyzed feet, and blind eyes (Mark 3:1-6; 2:1-11; 8:22-26).

So why does Jesus use such strong language? Because he wants to jolt us into getting the message: Sin is deadly. It separates you from the love and life God offers you. Take action! That action might be a small thing, like cutting short a conversation that is tending toward gossip. Or it might involve radical self-denial, a spiritual amputation that's necessary to save a life. Whatever it is, Jesus stands ready to help us see and do the next thing that will bring us closer to him. Let's do it!

"Jesus, your word says, 'Present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness' (Romans 6:13).  Show me how to live that out today."

 

 James 5:1-6; Psalm 49:14-20


my2cents:
Allow me to translate today's 5 minutos:
  "Behind this pruning, made by God or initiated by ourselves, there is a double and noble motiviation: we need to be free, we need only one Lord, we need to be lighter.  The eagles to trap fish in the lakes, fly very high over the lake, and their vision is so acute that they can spot easily a fish they want to fish out.  Upon seeing it, they fold their wings back and launch themselves directly towards it at great speeds.  When they get to the water they spread their wings, open their claws, grabbing the fish and return to the shore.  One eagle dove for a fish, but, the fish was too big.  As it began to try to fly out, it tried and struggled much.  The fish was heavy and she couldn't take the weight.  Finding out it couldn't with its catch, it tried to let go of the fish.  But its claws had penetrated so deep the flesh that it couldn't take them out.  It struggled much, but was not successful.  It began to fall to the lake, drowning, because it wasn't able to free itself of the catch it had trapped.  Many times, we cling to things that are dangerous.  We choose bad friends, bad television programs, bad foods, we are uncontrolled!  The same that happened with the eagle that wasn't able to free itself of the fish and died drowned, can happen to us; and when we remember, it will be too late to abandon evil; certainly we will perish with it."
  We tend to attach ourselves to things right?  The reflections and Holy readings speak to us though, watch what you want.  This is a supreme lesson learned last night in our co-worker bible study group.  I invited 4 new men to join us as we take on the study program a "Quick Journey Through the Bible" Jeff Cavins.  Did any come?  No.  Just the co-workers.  I say this for all of you who become disheartened when nobody takes the bait.  Now that I recall, I actually invited more like 7 or 8 men and none took.  It is no easy feat to be disposed, but it is very good to invite, and pray for others, because there is another realm inviting us continuously, but it invites to hell and not Heaven.  So take courage, what is transpiring are the biblical concepts day in and day out.  I digress.  The bible study said the 1st era of the bible sets the tone for the rest of salvation history.  It is true.  We had the prime example of the will of God's people demonstrated through our earthly parents, Adam and Eve.  Theirs was a heaven on earth until spurned by a doubt that caused the down fall, that weight of the heavy fish that led to their suffering and death, the very things we have to go through in life because of the fall.  Falling into temptation is serious business, because falling for the bait, the bait of detraction from our Lord can grab you and never let you go, like the angler fish that attracts its prey with a false light and then kills and devours its prey, its victims.  Such are the false lights we tend to follow, things we think will make us feel good or happy, things that are merely temporary, making us rich while alive while very dead when we die.  In this life, we are fortunate to live in an abundance of God's grace, it is all there for the taking, but making the world take to this food from Heaven is a daunting task taken on since the fall of man.  LOL, I laugh because we give up all too soon.  We don't know what we get ourselves into sometimes.  We get goofy, like dodo birds and get snared and trapped by the devil sometimes...and it all happens on a whim, or a doubt, with very little effort on evil's part because evil really has no power over us until we give into a whim or a doubt.  Thus produces the atrocities of mankind.  The remedy?  Faith.  Faith that I can enter heaven, faith that it is not impossible, faith that with Christ all things are possible and His will is to be carried out, not mine.  We need the kind of faith that is constantly moving mountains, not just one time, but the kind that is constantly beating down doors for the salvation of trapped souls.  Yesterday I was texted a picture of our priest in Africa and another catholic man I know.  They looked like Rambo with big rifles, it was a funny picture, but I responded to the text in a gist that these men were real warriors, one is a man of very few allowed to do special blessings in our Diocese, and the other is a man that comes from Africa all alone to be despised by many as he toils so much to bring holiness to our people.  There is no laughing matter when it comes to evil, because it is like gangrene, a poison to the soul that rots and kills.  That is why the Lord's prayer says "deliver us from evil" at the very end, because it is about deliverance and salvation, it is all about our Savior Jesus Christ.  Believe in Him and the impossible is suddenly a myth while the world tells you the opposite, even to the point that this whole religion thing is a myth, even though it is more strongly documented in history than any other event in the world...the letters from God, the promises from our Lord, the hope of salvation.  Pray for me as I often do pray for you.  All of us need each other on our way through and out of this world.  I know I was particularly hard on a relative yesterday as her daughter (my little cousin) came in to ask for money for school cookies we bought and I found out through conversation she was no longer enrolled in CCD (Sunday School) catechism classes, so I told her she needed to learn about God and I would pray she does, and then I walked out to my aunt's car and told her through conversation that she couldn't be keeping her daughter from God.  I don't think it set well, but this is a little one that is being taught.  Yet, we are all little ones, we are all God's children.  Teach others to hate, and you teach them to kill.  Put someone down and you condemn as a rich and haughty person you think would do.  What's going on  is a real genuine battle for souls.  We don't see it with our physical eyes, but those eyes bring about good or bad don't they?  And the others are watching you, even the spirits.  All to save or destroy.  I prayed for my relatives, and did something about it, but now begins the pulling them out of the pits of destruction and we need help, we need each other.  Lest they die rich with everything except what is necessary to enter the Kingdom Of Heaven
adrian
 
Because You Belong
Because I Care
Truth Will Be Served


Going4th,