The Son Wishes

Minute Meditations Silent Communication The best kind of friend is the one with whom you can spend time without having to say anything. You can just share the moment and enjoy each other's company, knowing your relationship is deeper than the spoken word. That kind of silent communication is what takes place between you and Jesus when you participate in Eucharistic Adoration. — from Catholic Update Guide to Jesus Our Lady of Mount Carmel     Hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah (northern Israel) in the 12th century. They had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. By the 13th century they became known as "Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel." They soon celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary. In 1726 it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For centuries the Carmelites have seen themselves as specially related to Mary. Their great saints and theologians have promoted devotion to her and often championed the mystery of her Immaculate Conception. St. Teresa of Avila (October 15) called Carmel "the Order of the Virgin." St. John of the Cross (December 14) credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (October 1) believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion, she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life she frequently spoke of Mary. There is a tradition (which may not be historical) that Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a leader of the Carmelites, and gave him a scapular, telling him to promote devotion to it. The scapular is a modified version of Mary's own garment. It symbolizes her special protection and calls the wearers to consecrate themselves to her in a special way. The scapular reminds us of the gospel call to prayer and penance—a call that Mary models in a splendid way. Comment: The Carmelites were known from early on as "Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel." The title suggests that they saw Mary not only as "mother," but also as "sister." The word "sister" is a reminder that Mary is very close to us. She is the daughter of God and therefore can help us be authentic daughters and sons of God. She also can help us grow in appreciation of being sisters and brothers to one another. She leads us to a new realization that all human beings belong to the family of God. When such a conviction grows, there is hope that the human race can find its way to peace. Quote: "The various forms of piety toward the Mother of God, which the Church has approved within the limits of sound and orthodox doctrine, according to the dispositions and understanding of the faithful, ensure that while the mother is honored, the Son through whom all things have their being (cf. Colossians 1:15--16) and in whom it has pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell (cf. Colossians 1:19) is rightly known, loved and glorified and his commandments are observed" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 66). Patron Saint of: Chile    Saint of the Day Lives, Lessons and Feast By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.       Presence The more we call on the Lord the more we can feel his Presence. Day by day he draws us closer to his loving heart. Freedom Everything has the potential to draw forth from me a fuller love and life. Yet my desires are often fixed, caught, on illusions of fulfillment. I ask that God, through my freedom may orchestrate my desires in a vibrant loving melody rich in harmony. Consciousness How do I find myself today? Where am I with God? With others? Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks. Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness. The Word of God Reading 1 is 10:5-7, 13b-16 Thus says the LORD: Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger, my staff in wrath. Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him To seize plunder, carry off loot, and tread them down like the mud of the streets. But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind; Rather, it is in his heart to destroy, to make an end of nations not a few. For he says: "By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples, their treasures I have pillaged, and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned. My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!" Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire. Responsorial Psalm ps 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15 R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people. Your people, O LORD, they trample down, your inheritance they afflict. Widow and stranger they slay, the fatherless they murder. R. The Lord will not abandon his people. And they say, "The LORD sees not; the God of Jacob perceives not." Understand, you senseless ones among the people; and, you fools, when will you be wise? R. The Lord will not abandon his people. Shall he who shaped the ear not hear? or he who formed the eye not see? Shall he who instructs nations not chastise, he who teaches men knowledge? R. The Lord will not abandon his people. For the LORD will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; But judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it. R. The Lord will not abandon his people. Gospel mt 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."   Conversation Sometimes I wonder what I might say if I were to meet you in person Lord. I think I might say "Thank You Lord" for always being there for me. I know with certainty there were times when you carried me, Lord, when it was through your strength I got through the dark times in my life. 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.   Meditation: Matthew 11:25-27 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. (Matthew 11:25) Revelation. This is the core of the gospel. Everything in the Christian life hinges on the revelation of the glory of God to human hearts and the change that occurs as a result. Intellect, willpower, education—none of these can equal what the Holy Spirit can accomplish as he reveals Jesus to us. The Bible and Christian history are filled with stories of men and women of every disposition who have done extraordinary things for the kingdom because they had come to see Jesus in a new way. Revelation is a divine gift. We can't attain it through human wisdom and knowledge alone. The prophet Isaiah saw the Lord enthroned, surrounded by angels proclaiming his holiness. At that moment, Isaiah realized that he was unfit even to stand in God's presence. However, once God purified him, Isaiah spent the rest of his life preaching to the people and preparing the way of the Lord. Similarly, Jesus chose Peter—an uneducated fisherman—to be the leader of his Church. Through a revelation from God, Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16). After the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, Peter became a bold apostle, leading the Church through its turbulent first years. He inspired thousands of Jewish conversions and even opened the door for Gentiles to receive baptism. Peter was a simple, unschooled man, but he became a "rock," someone Jesus could rely on through thick and thin. All it took was an open heart, divine revelation, and human perseverance. As these examples show, God doesn't give us revelation just so that we can have new spiritual insights. He shows us his love and opens our hearts to his truths so that we can share them with the people around us. Even the slightest nudge that we feel, if it helps bring people closer to God, is probably the Spirit revealing something to us and through us. So don't think revelation is beyond you. It's nothing more than God giving you a glimpse into his life so that you can share it with others! "Father, come and open my life to your word. I long to know you more so that I can advance your kingdom on earth."   Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16; Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15 my2cents: I asked people to come up during the funeral vigil if they'd like to say a few words (about the deceased).  A niece of the man Domingo came up and shared a poem and words she had prepared about the man.  The thing that stood out to me was that it was her "padrino" (sponsor/godparent).  He had always pushed her to go to church.  How many of us are padrinos and really have no contact with our godchildren?  Why does this come up?  So that it may be revealed to the "childlike".  Does this make no sense?  The answer is in your answer...to our Lord our Father.  It rightly should reveal the Son and His talk with you right now. In the Bible, Is56 we read: "8 * Oracle of the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel— Others will I gather to them besides those already gathered -------------------------------------- Jer23 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture ----------------------------------- Ez 34 I will appoint one shepherd* over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd. 24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince in their midst. I, the LORD, have spoken. -------------------------------------- What's all this leading to Mr. Adrian?  I don't know.  I don't know most of the time why I say or do things.  They just come out and they apply to many that I do not know.  But what must be made known, that is revealed, is the scripture we just read about the servant David that would be the prince in their midst.  The Son of David is in our midst.  The new David in which all the prophecies are fulfilled, Jesus.  What am I trying to say here?  "Can you dumb it down a little for me sir?"  Sure.  Let it be known that Jesus is among us.  The only reason there are killings is evil still trying to crucify the Lord.  Why do you think Christians are the most persecuted and Catholics among the highest of martyr rates?  Yet martyr means witness.  I don't mean to take your time, I mean to reveal a true and living God among us.  Another one of Adrian's crazy examples:   On Monday, I took my 6 yr. old son to look for a puppy at an animal shelter.  He'd been wanting one for his birthday now for a couple weeks. We found one or two we would like to take, adopt for his birthday.  I went to the front desk to do paperwork, whereupon they asked me for my ID and a utility bill or rent, or mortgage payment, something to prove where I lived.  I couldn't provide, I was from another town, I didn't have anything with me and I tried getting stuff emailed to no avail.  How was I going to prove ownership of my home to get this puppy, I tried really hard and they would not accept the things I presented.  We left dismayed, and the puppy we wanted is scheduled to be killed this very day.  What's sad is another family wanted the same puppy but left because we were trying to do paperwork for it already, maybe they could've saved its little life.  Yesterday was my boy's birthday.  After writing to you, I told the Lord our Father "If you want my boy to have a puppy this day his birthday  (within 2 hours) you will make it happen Lord."  With that being said, I dialed our town's animal shelter.  They said "we'll let you know when the animal control man can meet you at the shelter."  I said Ok and left it at that, in the Lord's hands.  Minutes later I got a call from the city "they are at the animal shelter right now, they want you to meet them if you can".  I immediately drove there.  I said to "Rudy", I'm looking for a puppy for my boy.  As we saw all the big dogs he said "I don't have any, their all big dogs, but let me see back here".  There was a mixed dog with pups, and only one male pup which is what I wanted.  He picked it up and gave it to me.  As I walked outside that morning I picked up the brown pup (German shepherd mix) with a black nose and I raised it to the sky and looked into its eyes and said outloud "you are going to live".  It's eyes seemed to have responded with joy.  Down the road is the vet, I stopped by and saw people waiting in line.  The clock was ticking for the birthday.  I just wanted a groomer to wash the dog to give to the boy.  They gave me ph# of a lady that does grooming. "Do you want to give it vaccination and de-wormer?" asked the assistant.  I mentioned I was crunched for time. She went to the back to see what she could do.  All the while people waiting were listening.  The assistant came back "Ok, the vet said he'd do it right away" she sat down to type "what's the pup's age?"  I said "uhhh, I don't know, about 2months".  "What kind of dog is it?", "Uhhh, not sure, German mix", by now the people were seemingly amused.  She asked "what's the pup's name?"  " I guess we'll have to name him huh?"  By then the people burst out laughing, guess they thought it was cute, the time crunch, the fact that the pup was just rescued/adopted and what not.  Anyways, afterwards, as I drove home my wife asked if the pup was clean, and so I pulled out the groomer's #.  They heard my situation and said "bring him right away".  $23 and Minutes later he came out of the groomer's place smelling good with a new little blue bandana.  With time to spare I kept him hiding until the big reveal at his birthday at lunch at home.  The kids all loved the pup, and the boy never put him down, he named it Spike.  LOL.  It's a long winded story, I'm sorry.  But I wanted you to relive the example of what was revealed.  God's love.  God made it happen.  Sure I did my part, but nothing was of my own hand making which is what God said in today's first Holy Scripture.  It all seems like a coincidence, but when you live a life of faith like I try, you start realizing it is a God-incidence.  My wife decided this weekend that we take our family to a Saturday evening Mass that makes up for Sunday early morning Mass.  We went.  The next morning I went to early morning Mass only to realize that the choir was not there and I had (by coincidence) the guitar in my truck from the funeral I sang at the day before.  I was the choir.  Coincidence we went to Mass the day before?  Coincidence I had my guitar in my truck?  'What are you doing here Mr. Adrian?'  I am making a meager attempt to reveal the Son of God.  It is a daily thing, an every few minutes thing.  This one of thousands of examples and miracles I could write about.  He is being revealed to the childlike.  And if your heart was moved to let God reveal Himself in your life then truly a child of God is being revealed.   GOD IS SOOOOO AWESOME adrian Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list.   

Going4th,