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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Even The Winds

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Minute Meditations

Trust God's Plan
While the future may be uncertain to us, we can rest comfortably in the loving control and sovereignty of our Heavenly Father. We can trust his plan, and we can rely upon his fatherly design and control.
— from Zealous

First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
(d. 68)
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There were Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after the death of Jesus, though they were not the converts of the "Apostle of the Gentiles" (Romans 15:20). Paul had not yet visited them at the time he wrote his great letter in 57-58 A.D..

There was a large Jewish population in Rome. Probably as a result of controversy between Jews and Jewish Christians, the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome in 49-50 A.D. Suetonius the historian says that the expulsion was due to disturbances in the city "caused by the certain Chrestus" . Perhaps many came back after Claudius's death in 54 A.D. Paul's letter was addressed to a Church with members from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds.

In July of 64 A.D., more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their "hatred of the human race." Peter and Paul were probably among the victims.

Threatened by an army revolt and condemned to death by the senate, Nero committed suicide in 68 A.D. at the age of 31.



Comment:

Wherever the Good News of Jesus was preached, it met the same opposition as Jesus did, and many of those who began to follow him shared his suffering and death. But no human force could stop the power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world. The blood of martyrs has always been, and will always be, the seed of Christians.

Quote:

Pope Clement I, third successor of St. Peter, writes: "It was through envy and jealousy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.... First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and, having thus given his witness, went to the place of glory that he deserved. It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize for perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith...."

"Around these men with their holy lives there are gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures. Through jealousy women were tormented, like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the course of faith and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize."


Daily Prayer

Presence

"Be still and know that I am God."
Lord, Your words lead us to the
calmness and greatness of your presence.

Freedom

I will ask God's help,

to be free from my own preoccupations,

to be open to God in this time of prayer,

to come to know, love and serve God more.

Consciousness

I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord.
I will take refuge in His loving heart. He is my strength in times of weakness. He is my comforter in times of sorrow.

The Word of God

 

Reading 1 Gn 19:15-29

As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom."
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD's mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
"Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away."
"Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied,
"You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It's only a small place.
Let me flee there--it's a small place, is it not?--
that my life may be saved."
"Well, then," he replied,
"I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
That is why the town is called Zoar.

The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD's presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.

Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.

Responsorial Psalm PS 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Search me, O LORD, and try me;
test my soul and my heart.
For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I walk in your truth.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Gather not my soul with those of sinners,
nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes,
and their right hands are full of bribes.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
But I walk in integrity;
redeem me, and have mercy on me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Alleluia Ps 130:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

- - -

  

Some thoughts on today's scripture

 
  • We have already prayed Mark's version of this story on 21st June. Revisiting it gives us an opportunity to experience again the drama, the fear, the relief.
  • Does being in the boat with a sleeping Jesus resonate in any way with situations in my own life? Have there been times of turbulence when Jesus (God) seemed uninterested, uncaring? If so, was my faith weakened or strengthened by having this experience? And today? Am I of little or of great faith?
 

Conversation

Conversation requires talking and listening.  As I talk to Jesus may I also learn to be still and listen.  I picture the gentleness in His eyes and the smile full of love as he gazes on me.  I can be totally honest with Jesus as I tell Him of my worries and my cares.  I will open up my heart to Him as I tell Him of my fears and my doubts.  I will ask Him to help me to place myself fully in His care, to abandon myself to Him, knowing that He always wants what is best for 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.


Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Genesis 19:15-29

The First Martyrs of Holy Roman Church

Early the next morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood in the Lord's presence. (Genesis 19:27)

Abraham lived in tumultuous times. God had told him that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah had grown so great that the only answer was to overthrow them and start all over again. Even though Abraham tried to bargain with the Lord on behalf of these cities, God was resolute. After sending angels to rescue Lot and his family, God went through with his plan and burned the cities to the ground.

When Abraham woke up the morning after the destruction, he traveled, as if by instinct, to the place where he and God had last spoken. It's as if he didn't know what else to do. He wanted to find refuge in the place where he had last connected with the Lord, a place where he could make sense out of what had just happened.

What is your place of refuge? Where do you turn when you are trying to sort through the wreckage of a difficult situation? Some find comfort in family. Some prefer to be alone. Others, sadly, turn to alcohol or drugs for solace.

Turn to the Lord! His arms are open wide, waiting to receive you. He has the wisdom, the consolation, and the guidance you need. He also has the authority and power to help you put things back together and choose the next steps along your path. This is what Abraham did, and he grew stronger because of it.

Oftentimes our first response to difficulties is to imagine the worst, to fret, or to try to run away. These are all natural reactions, but they're usually not the best reactions! The best thing to do is to make a conscious effort to stop, breathe, and seek the Lord in the quiet of your heart. Read a favorite Scripture verse if it helps. Try to get to daily Mass if you can. Make it a point to wake up a little earlier so that you can spend some extra time with the Lord. If you take steps to find God's presence, you'll also find the way through whatever challenges are before you.

"Thank you, Lord, for being my refuge. I know that I can come to you anytime, anywhere, about anything, and be filled with your life."

 

Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12
Matthew 8:23-27



my2cents:
The time that Sodom and Gomorrah was the time of their lives, everyone doing their own thing, until it killed them.  And we still think "we get what we deserve".  Lot had chosen what resembled the "garden of eden" and there...the snake too.  Evil is present in prosperity.  People look for satisfaction, and in pursuit lose their souls.  A beautiful temptation comes your way, and you fall for it, and you pay for it dearly, and this case...with your dear life.  But what is life worth?  Archbishop Fulton Sheen, when he was alive, had a show on TV called "Life Is Worthy Living".  Such a powerful message, and in the late 1960's the devil brought a message that doomed and dimmed that message and ended killing thousands in war, millions in abortions, and hundreds of thousands of souls at once.  Now listen to me, the message is still resounding from Fulton Sheen whom we can only summize is in Heaven praying for us to realize "Life is Worth Living".    A dark cloud cast over our country when 9 judges, several who were Catholic, chose to allow same sex marriage.  These are the exact same laws enacted for Sodom and Gomorrah.  They lived a double god life.  On one hand, they probably claimed to be Israelites, supposedly 'trying to" follow God's laws.  On the other hand, they lived an immoral life, at best, all kinds of sex allowed, pandora's box wide open, and it is just now beginning to open here in our world...like it did back then...here we go again.  Even the angels trying to save Lot were wanting to be devoured sexually by the possessed people, they were devouring all the wrong, seeking for good in all the wrong ways. 
Life is worth living.  Nowadays, you gotta watch it, you shouldn't have "too many kids" and you supposedly should use contraception (even if it hurts you), and you can't "be too religious" and you are supposedly supposed to love and accept everyone's sinful lifestyle (their immorality).  These are lies from the devil.  We are in a wishy washy world.  Going this way and that way.  We can't decide if we even really believe in God or really what God wants, it's too vague and ambiguous, His commands, all susceptible to an analysis by the world.   This is the time in the storm to be faithful to the Lord.  When the homosexuals spat on the priest a few days ago as they celebrated their "victory", the priest said he probably deserved worse.  Now listen to the message.  People look down on priests.  People are now spitting on priests.  Listen to the message of this devouring of God's angels.  Listen to the religious persecution.  People are starting to hate what has always been hating...the truth, and the truth is Jesus.  This is the whole point.  I got relatives that are gay, I think you know some yourself, your friends, family.  As an act of charity, we pray for them.  PRAY as they spit on your face for saying they live in sin.  They spat on Jesus, don't we deserve worse? 
Life is worthy living.  Is life worth fighting for?  We have been fighting the abortion laws for like 40 years, a whole generation, a whole generation of children is gone. Generation Y is the question, why did we lose them?   The garden of Eden in prosperity called for a liberation from God.
The Psalms pray "O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.  Search me, O LORD, and try me; test my soul and my heart. For your mercy is before my eyes, and I walk in your truth.  Gather not my soul with those of sinners, nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes, and their right hands are full of bribes."  These are words from the Bible today.  They are the truth.  Bribes and crimes and sinfulness are at hand mixed and joined together with lies.  "Oh, I'm an old school Catholic, I don't go to that liberal church" a man told me as we prayed for the unborn outside an abortion/murder clinic.  "So you don't go to Mass every Sunday?" I asked him.  "Nope, not unless its...." and he explained the hardships.  And then we have the ultra liberals that want the entire Catholic Church to change to suit their lifestyle.  But let me take it to this level, which is the truth.  Any sin you do is spitting upon the Lord.  Do we stand a chance?  With the Lord there is mercy, and mercy is for those who repent.  Walk in the truth and mercy will be in your eyes!  Life is worth living, can you see...it?
Our Lord is in the rocking boat.  The followers are scared, the clouds are above and the winds are raging, they could flip and drown at any moment.  What did they yell?  "Lord SAVE US!"  and rightly so.  The name "JESUS" means "He Saves".  He saved Lot because Lot listened and never turned back to the world of immorality.  The moral here is...LISTEN.  Listen to what God wants.  It's not that hard a message, "Be Still and Know That I am God" our Lord says.  Jesus was asleep in a boat that was being thrashed.  With the Lord in His heart...there is peace and joy.  Our restleness and anxiety calls upon Him for what He has in His heart...Love and mercy.  There are too many thinkers in our faith, too many chiefs and not enough Indians.  Too many so called and self-professed shepherds, and not enough sheep, all sorts of sheep being led in all sorts of directions.  I talked to a lady after Mass last night and realized she had a son, I asked how come I never seen him.  She said he never goes to church, his wife is willing, but her son is not.  Her son is doing what his friend says about the bible, and that friend doesn't go to any church and wants to start up his own church.  You see, too many shepherds and not enough sheep, everyone...doing their own thing.  Yesterday morning a worker asked me how he could get married by the church, and I encouraged him and his union with God.  I said 'it's not hard to do, just do what is asked".  You see, we make things hard.  We live scared.  We live away.  We live devouring what the world feeds.  I want you to feed from Jesus.  Not do our own thing but His thing, and then you will realize, "wow", Life Is Worth Living.
I invite you to live the LIFE of Christ

adrian
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Going4th,

Monday, June 29, 2015

Bound In Heaven

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Minute Meditations

Infinite Love
It is absolutely essential that we never forget this critical truth: God's power is his love. He has no power but love. And his love is all-powerful. Again, God is love—infinite love.
— from Zealous


St. Peter (Peter and Paul)
(d. 64)


Peter: St. Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.

The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles.

And to Peter only did Jesus say, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17b-19).

But the Gospels prove their own veracity by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus.

He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, "What are we going to get for all this?" (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23b).

Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus's ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears.

Paul: If Billy Graham suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most Pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.

Paul's central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus.

Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children of the promise.

In light of his preaching and teaching skills, Paul's name has surfaced (among others) as a possible patron of the Internet.

 

 



Comment:

We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: "It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church." Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.

Patron Saint of:

Fishermen
Longevity
Popes
Rome

 

Daily Prayer - 2015-06-29

Presence

I pause for a moment and think of the love and the grace that God showers on me, creating me in his image and likeness, making me his temple....

Freedom

Lord you gave me life and the gift of freedom.
Through Your love I exist in this world.
May I never take the gift of life for granted.
May I always respect the right to life of others.

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 1 Acts 12:1-11

In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
--It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.--
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
"Get up quickly."
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals."
He did so.
Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me."
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
"Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting."

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Reading 2 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia Mt 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

 

Some thoughts on today's scripture

  • Our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question as to who Jesus (the Son of Man) is. It is not enough to quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the views of one or other theologian. "But who do you say that I am?" Try to answer not only from the head but from the heart. You might helpfully rephrase the question as: "Who is Jesus for me?" An answer can only be given in prayer.
  • Notice how Jesus stresses that Peter's (and my) faith is a gift from the Father. What is the rock on which Jesus will build his church: the person of Peter or his faith?
 

Conversation

Remembering that I am still in God's presence, I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting beside me, and say whatever is on my mind, whatever is in my heart, speaking as one friend to another.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.


 

Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Psalm 34:2-9

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Saints and Peter and Paul, Apostles

Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name. (Psalm 34:4)

We may wonder why the Church celebrates these two great apostles in a single feast.

Both Peter and Paul were present at the Council of Jerusalem described in Acts 15, where Peter recounted how God had unmistakably opened the door for him to minister to Gentiles. His testimony helped the other apostles embrace a bigger and much broader vision for the Church than they had anticipated. It also cleared the way for all the missionary journeying that Paul would do. Even when the two of them were at odds, as happened in Antioch, they remained committed to the gospel message that had united them in the first place (Galatians 2:11-14).

Tradition holds that both apostles were condemned to death on the same day, even if they didn't die in the same way. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, he was probably beheaded. Peter, however, was crucified upside down.

Despite their different personalities and roles, these two great apostles have been invoked together from the earliest days. Scrawled on the walls of the catacombs are many petitions like these: "Peter and Paul, remember Antonius." "Paul and Peter, pray for Priscilla." (Sometimes one name came first, sometimes the other.) In the Eastern tradition, icons dating to the earliest days portray the two men embracing each other, signifying the Church's love for unity in the midst of diversity.

You may find that you relate to one better than the other according to your personality or where you are on your journey of faith, but don't forget that Peter and Paul were more effective because they both were willing to encourage and correct each other. The Church today is far stronger because they learned how to work in harmony.

Each of us also serves God better when we are accountable to at least one other person, sharing our struggles and joining together in praise and petition. Think about who fills that role in your life right now. It might be a spouse or a chaplain, a friend or a co-worker. How blessed to be able to glorify the Lord together!

"St. Peter and St. Paul, help me open my heart to a true companion in Christ."

 

Acts 12:1-11
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16:13-19

 

 


 


my2cents:
An exerpt from a long text today, actually are excerpts today, from the Bible:
  "Remember that: God heals those who are broken hearted and heals their wounds (Psalm 147,3). For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.e , (2Tim 1:7).   And He says: Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you,...a...Fear not, for I am with you; (Is43:4-5).  With age-old (eternal) love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.b (Jer31:3).  "Do not be afraid; just have faith." (Mk5:36). 
And this is why you can say with confidence:   On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed,j (2Tim1:12).  Trust in Jesus and do not be afraid, because He loves you and says to you in any circumstance of life:  I am with you to deliver you (Jer1:19).  I shall never leave you or abandon you.  So in this way we can say:   "I will never forsake you or abandon you."d  e (Heb.13:5-6).  Never rebel against God for being so.  Who are you to render counts to God?  But who indeed are you, a human being, to talk back to God?r Will what is made say to its maker, "Why have you created me so?"  (Rom.9:20).  Say instead:  Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ;e for when I am weak, then I am strong.* (2Cor.12:10).  I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.k (Phil.4:13).
Observe how others have been able to conquer the false self-image.  If others have been able to, you can also do it with the grace of God, though it does not exclude the help of others..."
  Pretty powerful words.  Words from prophets, many of the words were from today's saint, St. Paul.  Not to forget our first pope, St. Peter who met with St. Paul, and lived and prayed together and would understand precisely St. Paul's words when he said Timothy 2:6-8 "For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7* I have competed well; I have finished the race;f I have kept the faith. 8* From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day,g"
Pretty powerful words.  Are they just words?  Who do you say the Word is?
Have you ever showed up in the faith, just to "see what happens" and to "give it another try"?   You may need to ask yourself, "what am I doing here?".  And this for the solid purpose to wake up.  I've noticed, for instance, some healing miracles.  The people they happen to, well, truth is, they have faith.  In other words, before the miracle has happened, they already knew it could happen, they just had to do their part.  And I have to pick and choose my words here because we could be mixing up a prosperity message, and this is not what it is about.  It is about dying for your faith.  Our greatest treasure in the Catholic faith...the blood of our fathers of the faith.  And it started with the blood of Jesus.  And we drink the blood of Jesus, and become that martyr Father.  Dying for one another, and for what?  LOVE.  God is love.  Today marks a powerful feast, a solemnity, a seriousness that binds, because our Lord told St. Peter to watch what he binds for an eternity.  He gave St. Peter our first pope the keys to the Kingdom.  I want you to realize the seriousness of the message.  Because it is an invitation.  An invitation to live as a slave?  Nahh.  It's an invitation to die for some body and that body is Christ.  "Entregate" is such a beautiful word in spanish.  It means "give yourself" and at the same times means "surrender yourself" and it at  the same time it means to "devote yourself".  "Entregate a Dios" then means to give/surrender/devote yourself to God.  Why?  Question is, why not? 
Why not give to God?
Why not surrender to God?
Why not devote yourself to God?
What will you lose?  For most, you'll have to lose YOUR way of life.  YOUR manner of thinking.  YOUR manner of loving.
And I hope we do.  Because our manner of thinking is twisted.  Our manner of living is not living.  Our manner of loving is not His Loving manner.  Don't think about it.  Don't just "see what happens".  That's like showing up to go swimming with your pants on saying "we'll see if I want to swim", with no shorts.  Is that a real faith?  The real faith says as you show up with your shorts on "Here I am (Lord), I'm ready to dive in!!!"

   

adrian
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Going4th,

Friday, June 26, 2015

If You Wish

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Minute Meditations

Fraternal Love
We all have our likes and dislikes, and perhaps at this very moment we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the Lord: "Lord, I am angry with this person. I pray to you for him." To pray for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and an act of evangelization. Let us do it today!
— from Pope Francis and our Call to Joy


St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer
(1902-1975)


An estimated 300,000 people filled St. Peter's Square on October 6, 2002, for the canonization of Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. His canonization came only 27 years after his death, one of the shortest waiting periods in Church history.

Opus Dei, which means Work of God, emphasizes that men and women can become holy by performing their daily duties with a Christian spirit. In his homily, Pope John Paul II emphasized the importance of every believer following God's will, as had the newly sainted founder of Opus Dei. "The Lord has a plan for each one of us. Saints cannot even conceive of themselves outside of God's plan: They live only to fulfill it."

Born in Barbastro, Spain, Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer sensed early in life that he had a vocation to the priesthood. Following his ordination in 1925, he briefly ministered in a rural parish. He moved to Madrid, where he obtained a doctorate in law. At the same time Father Escriva was beginning to envision a movement that would offer ordinary people help in seeking holiness through their everyday activities. It was officially founded in 1928.

As Opus Dei grew, Father Escriva continued his studies and his priestly work among the poor and sick. During the Civil War in Spain he had to exercise his ministry secretly and move from place to place. Only after the war did he return to Madrid and complete his doctoral studies. He later moved to Rome and obtained a doctorate in theology. Pope Pius XII named him an honorary prelate and a consultor to two Vatican congregations. All the while, Opus Dei grew in size and influence.

When Msgr. Escriva died in 1975, Opus Dei could be found in dozens of places around the globe. Today its membership includes approximately 83,000 laypersons and 1,800 priests in 60 countries. It is a "personal prelature," a special jurisdictional entity within the Church.


 

Daily Prayer - 2015-06-26

Presence

Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence.
Enfold me in your love.
Let my heart become one with yours.

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

Knowing that God loves me unconditionally, I can afford to be honest about how I am.  How has the last day been, and how do I feel now? I share my feelings openly with the Lord.

The Word of God

 

Reading 1 Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: "I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless."

God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.
This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you
that you must keep:
every male among you shall be circumcised."

God further said to Abraham:
"As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai;
her name shall be Sarah.
I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her.
Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations,
and rulers of peoples shall issue from him."
Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?
Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?"
Then Abraham said to God,
"Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!"
God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son,
and you shall call him Isaac.
I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact,
to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.
As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him.
I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly.
He shall become the father of twelve chieftains,
and I will make of him a great nation.
But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year."
When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (4) See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Alleluia Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
"Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I will do it. Be made clean."
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."

Some thoughts on today's scripture

 
  • A simple and uplifting scene! In prayer, become the leper and allow yourself to experience your own need of healing. Have you the faith to say to Jesus, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean"? What is Jesus' response to you? See if he will touch you.
  • Note that leprosy (an unspecified skin disease) isolated the sufferer from contact with other Jews. So Jesus' healing of the leper enabled him to rejoin the Jewish community. (This is the background to the final sentence).
 

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

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.


 

Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Matthew 8:1-4

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12th Week in Ordinary Time

I will do it. (Matthew 8:3)

Lord, how awesome is that little word will. So much greater than "can," so much more hopeful than "shall." You will!

Jesus, I know that you have the power, for by your death you destroyed the one who had held us captive (Hebrews 2:14). By that power, the Father raised you from the dead and seated you in heaven, above all other power (Ephesians 1:19-22). You have the authority, Lord, because God himself has given it to you (Matthew 28:18). And you have the right, for he has put all things under you (John 13:3).

Lord, you will! Not simply because you can or may, but because you choose to! You choose to heal. You want us restored to you. It is your desire to see us happy, at peace, fulfilled in you. When the man with leprosy said, "If you wish, you can make me clean," you rejoiced at the chance (Matthew 8:2). You must have been tired, from having taught and cared for so many people, yet you didn't give a halfhearted "Okay, I'll do it." No, you exulted, "I will! I delight in it! Be healed!"

Jesus, should I expect less? You came to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, a kingdom in which sin and sickness are unknown. You died to usher in—here and now—your reign in that kingdom. Let it come, Lord! Let it be so in me! You are pleased to forgive and heal. Lord, if you wish, you can make me peaceful. You can soothe the anger lodged deep inside me. You can drive out my anxiety and fill me with hope.

Jesus, you care. You cared that this man's skin was covered with sores. You were concerned that he was friendless and alone. You care about the things that trouble me as well. You are pleased to open my ears so that I can hear you speak. You rejoice to open my eyes so that I can see what you are doing in and around me. You delight to touch my life. Lord, if you wish, you can fill me with your divine life and love.

"Today, Lord, let me hear you say, 'I will do it!' "

 

Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
Psalm 128:1-5

 

 


 


my2cents:
Today's 5 minutos ended with the line "Jesus has come to give you a new heart, a new spirit, a new mind, and a new body.  Let Him transform you with His love and in doing so make you capable to receive His love in its totality of His being".
I get these super long group text messages from really a stranger, I think it was a lady that was going to our parish for a little while then moved back to Mexico.  Since I never asked to be removed from them...I read them.  It's either a yes or no, to ignore is to not do anything but compile uselessness.  And I say all this because I am about to translate half of one of the messages, they are priestly reflections on the Gospel of the day, the same ones me and you read every weekday.  Check this out reflection out:
  "Out With The Exclusive Religion-
   Upon coming down the mount, many people followed Him.  In so, one came up, a leper, he kneeled and said: "Lord, if You want, You can cleanse me".  He extened His hand and touched him, saying "I do want, be made clean. And immediately he was healed from leprosy.  Jesus, finishing the sermon on the mount went down to the plains.  Many followed before the sermon had started.  And in weight of His demands, it seemed like the people were not disheartened.  On the contrary, it's like they felt healed against the demands of the Law.  
And the first thing with whom He encounters is preciscely one of those excluded and marginalized by the Law.  Nothing less than a leper.   Also the leper starts acting against the Law that prohibits him to get close to other people.  He gets on his knees and begs with the best style of prayer: ' Lord, if You want, You can heal me'.  It is not the prayer that he wants to impose.  It is the prayer that puts himself in the hands of Jesus.  It is Jesus who has the decision.  It even seems like the prayer of Jesus in the Garden: "Father, if you want, if it is possible, let this cup/chalice pass me".  Is it the prayer of abandonment into the hands of Jesus?  Is it the prayer of resignation?  Is it the prayer of trust that inspires the new covenant of beattitudes?
  With the sermont of the mount, Jesus establishes between the old and the new: "You heard it said, but I say".  "Jesus extended His hand and touched him."  Jesus puts an end to what excludes.  Jesus puts an end to the religion that marginalizes.  Jesus puts an end to the religion that condemns you to loneliness.  Jesus puts an end to a religion that lives off impurities.  Because of this:
The first thing He does is extend His hand to the excluded.
The first thing He does is extend His hand to the marginalized.
The first thing He does is to deny invented impurities by men.
And because so, being Christian also starts:  By extending the hand.  To stretch out for the embrace...."

That is one of the 3 homilies that got cut off in the text message.  But it is important, because Jesus is showing the WAY.  And what of a life that is not on the WAY of Heaven?  Well, the third texted homily I can try to abbreviate to show you what happens with a life not on the Way.  It spoke of a woman that had approached Father Roberto DeGrandis.  She said "My mother had 3 abortions after I was born.  They always reminded me that I could've been aborted, but something didn't happened that I wasn't and I was born.  In our house there were 3 glass jars filled with formalin and inside were 3 aborted babies, in 3 distinct stages of growth.  They were there like pieces of exhibition.  When I would act up, they would quickly remind me that I could've ended up like one of my brothers and sisters. 
I myself had 4 abortions before getting married and, at twenty years old, I was addicted to drugs and alcohol.  I attempted suicide 7 times, at not comprehending why I had to live a meaningless life.  My husband, whom my parents had chosen, was an atheist.  On certain occasion, a priest showed me a prayer that gave upset my life "Jesus, let your being flow in my life: let your body and blood be my nourishment and drink".  After my priest friend died, an evangelic pastor became my friend and taught me to love the Bible.  I was baptized in his church, but I was not satisified, for that congregation did not really believe in the words: Let your Body and Blood be my nourishment and drink.
Meanwhile, they diagnosed me with leukemia.  This along with diabetes, that came along since I was twenty years old.  I knew the secret for my healing would be to encounter a place where I could receive the body and blood of Christ.  I found it in a Catholic Church during a healing Mass, which I attended with a woman friend...I was accepted as a catholic in May of 1985.
When I met Father DeGrandis in 1985, he told me to forgive my father for all the abuse and wounds I had suffered as a little girl.  I started to repeat the prayer of forgiveness.  And, in a retreat, I was healed of diabetes, and the leukemia got notably better.  Today I give thanks to God...."
And the text message got cut off.
Let's focus on the message from our Lord today.  Abraham and Sarah did the Lord's will from day one.  Were they perfect?  Nope.  Were they faithful?  That is the question for you.  Because faithfulness deals with YOUR will.  The Lord asked "If you WILL" which means "do You Want".  That was a powerful question in this weird retreat I went to this spring "school of the cross" (escuela de la cruz).  They said repeatedly throughout "si TU QUIERES" (if you want).  It is a powerful question.  And the power falls on the will.  Do you WANT?  And the prayer is "Lord, if You Want".  That is a humble prayer, that prays in obedience, not defiance, not rejection of the Lord's will that is supreme over ours.  The Psalms pray on "See how the Lord blesses those who fear Him".  Blesses with what the world sees as wrong.  As if wrong to have kids.  As if wrong to go to church.  As if wrong to do what God wants above all.  As if wrong to state that the Lord's ways and creation is better.  As if wrong to speak aloud about our faith.  As if wrong to live our faith in public.  The law of the land normally tries to put itself against the Law of the Lord, and succeeds only to weed out the weak and make the strong, stronger.  This is the Lord's will.  It is out of this world and it is good, for if it were of this world, it would be limited at best.  That is why we have hope.  That is why, as we breathe we can live the Way, and always pray.  The will...to leave you with my dear loved one, the will of our Lord is this....THE CROSS.

Love it, Live it

adrian
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Going4th,

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Act On Them

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Minute Meditations

Overcoming Obstacles
Exclusion, apathy, complacency, worldliness: These are the faults that the pope sees as standing in the way of us going forth and sharing the Good News. As an antidote, he holds forth the importance of listening, inclusion, community, and sacrifice. And ultimately his answer is to hold on to the joy of the Gospel and the joy of sharing that Good News.
— from Pope Francis and our Call to Joy


Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
(d. 1264?)

 

Today's patroness of Prussia began her life amidst luxury and power but died the death of a simple servant of the poor.

In truth, virtue and piety were always of prime importance to Jutta and her husband, both of noble rank. The two were set to make a pilgrimage together to the holy places in Jerusalem, but her husband died on the way. The newly widowed Jutta, after taking care to provide for her children, resolved to live in a manner utterly pleasing to God. She disposed of the costly clothes, jewels and furniture befitting one of her rank, and became a Secular Franciscan, taking on the simple garment of a religious.

From that point her life was utterly devoted to others: caring for the sick, particularly lepers; tending to the poor, whom she visited in their hovels; helping the crippled and blind with whom she shared her own home. Many of the townspeople of Thuringia laughed at how the once-distinguished lady now spent all her time. But Jutta saw the face of God in the poor and felt honored to render whatever services she could.

About the year 1260, not long before her death, Jutta lived near the non-Christians in eastern Germany. There she built a small hermitage and prayed unceasingly for their conversion. She has been venerated for centuries as the special patron of Prussia.



Comment:

Jesus once said that a camel can pass through a needle's eye more easily than a rich person can enter God's realm. That's pretty scary news for us. We may not have great fortunes, but we who live in the West enjoy a share of the world's goods that people in the rest of the world cannot imagine. Much to the amusement of her neighbors, Jutta disposed of her wealth after her husband's death and devoted her life to caring for those who had no means. Should we follow her example, people will probably laugh at us, too. But God will smile.


 

Daily Prayer - 2015-06-25

Presence

Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence.
Enfold me in your love.
Let my heart become one with yours.

Freedom

I will ask God's help,

to be free from my own preoccupations,

to be open to God in this time of prayer,

to come to know, love and serve God more.

Consciousness

I ask how I am within myself today? Am I particularly tired, stressed, or off-form? If any of these characteristics apply, can I try to let go of the concerns that disturb me?

The Word of God

 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gn 16:1-12, 15-16

Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.

The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:

"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.

This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."

Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Or Gn 16:6b-12, 15-16

Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.

The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:

"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.

This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."

Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Responsorial Psalm PS 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5

R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

 

Some thoughts on today's scripture

 
  • St. Ignatius wrote: "Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words". This teaching comes close to that offered by Jesus in today's reading.
  • Ponder the two powerful metaphors used by Jesus: the house built on rock and the house built on sand. Where have I built my "house" (= my life) and what kind of foundations does it have? Am I a wise person or a foolish one?
  • 
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.


 

Catholic Meditations

Meditation: Matthew 7:21-29

 

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12th Week in Ordinary Time

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. (Matthew 7:24)

Aurelius seemed to have everything: a great education, a great job, a lover, and political power at his fingertips. But despite having more than most dream of, he was restless. Then came the day when he opened up Paul's Letter to the Romans and read the first verse that caught his eye: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh" (Romans 13:14). His heart began to burn as divine light came rushing in. Because of this encounter with God's word, Aurelius, also known as Augustine, took one big step toward his transformation from sinner to saint.

St. Augustine would probably identify closely with today's reading. It's a parable about God's word with this central message: building your life on the word of God is like building your home on a solid foundation. It helps you withstand any storm of life.

The Bible contains keys to right living that we can apply immediately: do unto others what you would have them do unto you, turn the other cheek, and honor your father and mother. But it's more than just a self-help book. The most important aspect of God's word is its ability to bring us face-to-face with Jesus, who is the living Word of God.

Augustine was raised by a Christian mother and was probably familiar with many of the stories and teachings in the Bible. But it wasn't until he had a personal experience of God speaking to him through Scripture that his life turned around.

What happened for Augustine can happen for us. If we spend time with the word of God every day—not just reading it but pondering it, praying through it, and listening to it—we'll begin to find Jesus. Our hearts will be stirred by what we read, and the words will begin to come alive for us, as if they were written just for us. We'll hear Jesus speaking them to us, showing us how they apply to our own situations and filling our hearts with freedom and hope.

Do you want to build your life on a solid foundation? Then dive into Scripture!

"Holy Spirit, help me to build my life on your word. Write your word on my heart today."

 

Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16
Psalm 106:1-5

 

 


 


my2cents:
It is a message from Heaven.  Who's will is going to be done? 
In today's 1st Holy Scripture, Hagar is used, the servant is used as if an animal, as if a surrogate mother, as if the soul of one woman could give birth to your own child, but we fool ourselves, and then suffer the consequences, like Sarai.  She would later point the finger "she looks at me with disdain" as if without anymore respect or honor.  But we look into a mirror when we point the finger.  Sarai abused Hagar, the so called mother of "her children".  Hagar runs away probably with the thoughts running through her head "I can't take it, I can't do this anymore", and these thoughts run over and over in one's head, all the abuse, the disrespect, the torture.  And she had to have been praying, because an angel appeared, a messenger, "go back and take the abuse".  SAY WHAT?  This doesn't seem right in a world that says "you shouldn't have to take that".  Yet...Jesus did.  Hagar, like the mother of our Lord, had to take the abuse of those who said she was having a baby out of wedlock, yet the Lord was with her, and provided...salvation.  Jesus did.  The moral of this, the teaching of this...obedience.  Hagar did it.  Mary did it.  And Jesus did it.  And so can you.  You can take the abuse.  You can be obedient.  You can be saved in doing so.
Not everyone who says Lord Lord, listens, nor does the actual will of the Father.
The Psalms Pray on "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD, or proclaim all his praises?...Blessed are they who observe what is right, who do always what is just."
The Holy Gospel speaks with the Word of our Lord Jesus the Christ, "'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'  You see, evil does not fit in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the Heavens.  In the universe, there is life beyond this life, and it is not material, and that is the point of life, to aspire for what is right, and what is right is what God wants.  Oh sure, I want to heal people and Oh sure, I want to help people, and oh sure I want to prophecy, but do I really want to do what God is asking of me?  Not everyone wants to.  We want to do our own thing.   We want to live life according to our own plan...not His.  What happens when life happens?  Someone dies, or evil tears families apart, or check this out that some see as bad...an unexpected pregnancy.  What commotion is stirred.  We cry because it wasn't our plan.  Our plan was to be happy.  Our plan was for nothing bad to happen.  Our plan was to do bad and nothing bad to happen.  Our plan was to be as good as we can be or try to be, and come into Heaven...without really doing everything God wanted..the important thing...doing His will.  So what is His will?  For sure, today's Gospel is telling us that His will is for us to be in Heaven with Him.  Does that help you?  Ok, then the natural order then becomes this..."how can I help our Lord?"  Submit to His abuse?  What is His abuse?  A cross?  Is that what it takes to get to Heaven?  Is that all?  LOL.  Look.  I have a sincere gut feeling, something I have never told anyone.  I believe that a soul that finds itself in Heaven, looking back at the cross would think and say, "yes, the cross was worth it, and so much more" as a matter of fact, it would seem like so little even...offered for God.  This is called "For Greater Glory".  Bravery is submission to God.  Courage is strength from God in prayer.  Remember, He only gives crosses to those He loves.  Those that show up to Heaven's gates without a cross...is like showing up to the border without your identification.  "WHO ARE YOU?"

adrian
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