| Minute Meditations
St. Vincent When Jesus deliberately began his "journey" to death, Luke says that he "set his face" to go to Jerusalem. It is this quality of rocklike courage that distinguishes the martyrs. According to the story we have (and as with some of the other early martyrs the unusual devotion he inspired must have had a basis in a very heroic life), Vincent was ordained deacon by his friend St. Valerius of Zaragossa in Spain. The Roman emperors had published their edicts against the clergy in 303, and the following year against the laity. Vincent and his bishop were imprisoned in Valencia. Hunger and torture failed to break them. Like the youths in the fiery furnace (Book of Daniel, chapter three), they seemed to thrive on suffering. Valerius was sent into exile, and Dacian, the Roman governor, now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Tortures that sound very modern were tried. But their main effect was the progressive disintegration of Dacian himself. He had the torturers beaten because they failed. Finally he suggested a compromise: Would Vincent at least give up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperor's edict? He would not. Torture on the gridiron continued, the prisoner remaining courageous, the torturer losing control of himself. Vincent was thrown into a filthy prison cell—and converted the jailer. Dacian wept with rage, but strangely enough, ordered the prisoner to be given some rest. Friends among the faithful came to visit him, but he was to have no earthly rest. When they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, he went to his eternal rest. Comment: The martyrs are heroic examples of what God's power can do. It is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does not come to our rescue at isolated, "special" moments. God is supporting the super-cruisers as well as children's toy boats. Quote: "Wherever it was that Christians were put to death, their executions did not bear the semblance of a triumph. Exteriorly they did not differ in the least from the executions of common criminals. But the moral grandeur of a martyr is essentially the same, whether he preserved his constancy in the arena before thousands of raving spectators or whether he perfected his martyrdom forsaken by all upon a pitiless flayer's field" (The Roman Catacombs, Hertling-Kirschbaum).
Presence "Come to me all you who are burdened Freedom Lord, grant me the grace to be free from the excesses of this life. 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. The Word of God Conversation Jesus, You always welcomed little children when you walked on this earth. Teach me to have a childlike trust in you. To live in the knowledge that You will never abandon me. 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. I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips. (Psalm 40:10) Do you know how a geyser comes to be? Surface water seeps below the earth's crust in some volcanic area and is heated by the molten rock below. As the water temperature rises, so does the pressure, pushing the water against the underside of the crust. Eventually, the pressure becomes so great that water and steam power through mineral deposits, find a crevice in the earth, and shoot high into the air in a spectacular display. Today's psalm suggests this kind of release, as the psalmist says he could not restrain himself from announcing the justice of the Lord. He had to stand up in the "vast assembly" and proclaim the truth of God's redemption and his offer of restoration. Today is a day when many of our readers in the United States feel like this as well. For it was on this day in 1973 that the US Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision paved the way for legalized abortion in the country. Many Americans today are commemorating that dreadful decision by holding prayer vigils and staging peaceful demonstrations both in Washington and in their hometowns. Through these actions, they are releasing some of the pressure of sadness and frustration that has built up over the sin of abortion. Whether we live in Canada or Nigeria or Poland or Japan, we are all aware of the way human life has been disregarded. And it's not just through abortion. Euthanasia lets people dispose of those considered a burden on society. Legalized torture reduces an enemy to an object to be beaten and tormented in the name of justice. Human trafficking turns people into pawns to be used for enjoyment or profit. Around the world and in our own backyards, innocent people are being used or discarded, denied their dignity as children of God. Let's make a difference today. Let's cry out to God in intercession. Let's make our homes havens of peace and mercy. Let's work together to make the world a place where the innocent and the vulnerable are welcomed, protected, and honored. "Lord, come and save your people! Bring your justice to this earth so that no one is ever abandoned again." Hebrews 7:25--8:6 my2cents: Let us recall the Holy Word we heard today of which we heard: "For God says, "See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. "You are the Son of God." These all coincide, because of what is prescribed. There is a pattern, there is a way, to the life of light of salvation. They say the Psalms were written of the life of Christ and suddenly, the pattern is revealed in His Word made flesh by what He did, not just what He said, and His life spoke the pattern on the mountain for us to follow, of healing, loving, and saving, "Here I am Lord, I come to do YOUR will". Not my will be done, by THY will be done, God's will shall be done. This life isn't about me, it is about HIM, because we should take a funky lesson from the evangelists that were being expelled...demons shouting "YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD!". Last night at our co-worker bible study, we began a course in Catholicism with Fr. Robert Barren's program. We ran into a funky question for the group, "who was the first evangelist of the crucified Messiah?" It was Pontius Pilate who declared Jesus the King of the Jews. "Iesus Kyrios" ("Jesus is Lord") Pilate, by putting the sign over the crucified Christ, was, ironically and unwittingly, the first evangelist. The words "Jesus is Lord" were fighting words in the first century, leading to direct confrontation with Rome and Caesar. However, it was through Rome that Christ and his Church would go out to all the world. "Glad Tidings" was an imperial greeting; the good news (Gospel) was not about Roman rulers, but about the King of Kings. The Cross taunts Rome and its successors" . The pattern on the mountain is Jesus on the cross, dying in obedience and for Love...and God is Love. We are called to follow the pattern. Right now, I see people exercising and dieting, trying to get fit, some for health reasons, others for looks, and I would say most for looks, and so they are DIE..ing for self, because look who we are doing it for...self. Now comes the part where people can rear up at me and say "oh no you are wrong because you have to be healthy..for helping others" or some excuse like that, but lets not fool ourselves, but be true, if you are getting fit for God then follow His pattern of self-surrender and obedience of everything He is asking! I'm not dieting or exercising (I'll do that for Jesus in Lent LOL by fasting and moving more for Him), I have no time, either I'm at work, or I'm at church, I make not time for self, it is all for God or nothing. This past weekend, I entered myself and my son into a motorcycle race in the arena. Even that I dedicated to God, Christian riding groups prayed for my son before he raced and gave him a sticker saying "this bike has been Blessed". I evangelized to some onlookers, some took pictures of my quad with decals that say "He Died For Me, I'll Live for Him". It was a plan of God, I had no clue. I made the sign of the cross at the main event before thousands, and I hurt my knees and ankles and bent my wheel trying to land jumps young men half my age were doing. I was indeed out of shape, and that serves as a lesson, you must be in shape but for what (race)? Because you can be physically fit and happy, but your Spirit? They say a young man took his life in our town yesterday, someone told me "I had just seen him at the gym". My dear family, we are of body and soul. Both have to be tended too. Too many will focus on the body, material world, is what I am getting at. Not too many focus on what gives life to the spirit, to our souls. One young man I invited to last night's class didn't go, I said "we're going to eat after class" and he said "oh no thanks I'm on a diet, I'll see if I can make it tonight". What is going on? Why aren't people following the pattern? That of giving up on self and doing what God wants? And so, the people it is up to, they are reading this right now. The world is looking for the light, is yours turned on? This week I've had a couple of eye burning moments, of trying to hold back the tears for the Lord. The first was when I offered to pray the rosary for my pregnant sister at their house, for the birth and health of their baby on the way and living inside the womb, and her husband led the rosary for the first time in his life, I could feel the presence of God as we prayed. The second, last night, after co-worker faith study, when my wife said "let's pray the rosary" and the older kids joined in and got in a frenzy when I introduced them to an interactive rosary app which you move the rosary sorta like the real one called "Touch Rosary", they got to read the prayers and mysteries. They actually took over...for the first time. The birth of the light of life brings tears of joy. Just talking about it is burning my eyes. I want the same for you. I write for the pattern of the mountain of love to be revealed in your life, the way to True life and fitness of the soul is Christ inside our temples, our bodies, and our souls...God Love you And Bless You Get Ready. Get Fit in Christ, By Doing His Will  adrian | |||||||||
Going4th,
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