Whoever Is Not

Minute Meditations Friends in High Places The saints share in God's glory, for they are God's new creation through Jesus Christ. This new creation radiates God's glory, for God fills the saints with his grace. He shares his glory, his divine life, with those who are willing to receive it through the work and person of Jesus Christ. — from Now What? SAINT: OCT. 9: ST. DENIS: DIED 258 St. Denis BISHOP Feast: October 9 Information: Feast Day: October 9 Born: Third century, Italy Died: 258 at Montmarte Major Shrine: Abbey of Saint-Denis, Saint Denis Basilica Patron of: France; Paris; against frenzy; against strife; headaches; hydrophobia; possessed people; rabies Bishop of Paris, and martyr. Born in Italy, nothing is definitely known of the time or place, or of his early life. His feast is kept on 9 October. He is usually represented with his head in his hands because, according to the legend, after his execution the corpse rose again and carried the head for some distance. That, however, while still very young he was distinguished for hisvirtuous life, knowledge of sacred things, and firm faith, is proved by the fact that Pope Fabian (236-250) sent him with some other missionary bishops to Gaul on a difficult mission. The Church of Gaul had suffered terribly under the persecution of the Emperor Decius and the new messengers of Faith were to endeavour to restore it to its former flourishing condition. Denis with his inseparable companions, the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius, arrived in the neighbourhood of the present city of Paris and settled on the island in the Seine. The earliest document giving an account of his labours and of his martyrdom (Passio SS. Dionsyii, Rustici et Eleutherii), dating from the end of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century and wrongly attributed to the poet Venantius Fortunatus, is interwoven with much legend, from which, however, the following facts can be gleaned. On the island in the Seine Denis built a church and provided for a regular solemnization of the Divine service. His fearless and indefatigable preaching of the Gospel led to countless conversions. This aroused the envy, anger and hatred of the heathen priests. They incited the populace against the strangers and importuned the governor Fescenninus Sisinnius to put a stop by force to the new teaching. Denis with his two companions were seized and as they persevered in their faith were beheaded (about 275) after many tortures. Later accounts give a detailed description of the confessors' sufferings. They were scourged, imprisoned, racked, thrown to wild beasts, burnt at the stake, and finally beheaded. Gregory of Tours simply states: "Beatus Dionysius Parisiorum episcopus diversis pro Christi nomine adfectus poenis praesentem vitam gladio immente finivit" (Hist. Franc. I, 30). The bodies of the three holy martyrs received an honourable burial through the efforts of a pious matron named Catulla and a small shrine was erected over their graves. This was later on replaced by a beautiful basilica (egregium templum) which Venantius celebrated in verse (Carm. I, ii). From the reign of King Dagobert (622-638) the church and the Benedictine monastery attached to it were more and more beautifully adorned; the veneration of St. Denis became by degrees a national devotion, rulers and princes vying with one another to promote it. This development is due in no small degree to an error prevailing throughout the Middle Ages, which identified St. Denis of Paris with St. Dionysius the Areopagite, and with the Pseudo-Dionysius, the composer of the Areopagitic writings. The combining of these three persons in one was doubtless effected as early as the eighth or perhaps the seventh century, but it was only through the "Areopagitica" written in 836 byHilduin, Abbot of Saint-Denis, at the request of Louis the Pious, that this serious error took deep root. The investigations of Launoy first threw doubt on the story and the Bollandist de Bye entirely rejected it. Hilduin was probably deceived by the same apocryphal Latin and Greek fictions. The possession of the Areopagitic writings (since 827 in Saint-Denis) strengthened his conviction of this truth. Historiographers of the present day do not dispute this point. All attempts of Darras, Vidieu, C. Schneider, and others to throw some light on the subject have proved fruitless. Patron Saint of: France Daily Prayer - 2015-10-09 Presence Dear Lord as I come to you today Fill my heart and my whole being with the wonder of Your presence Freedom Lord, guide me always to do your holy will knowing that your strength will carry me through. Consciousness I exist in a web of relationships - links to nature, people, God. I trace out these links, giving thanks for the life that flows through them. Some links are twisted or broken: I may feel regret, anger, disappointment. I pray for the gift of acceptance and forgiveness. The Word of God Reading 1 Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2 Gird yourselves and weep, O priests! wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! The house of your God is deprived of offering and libation. Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the elders, all who dwell in the land, Into the house of the LORD, your God, and cry to the LORD! Alas, the day! for near is the day of the LORD, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness! Like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people numerous and mighty! Their like has not been from of old, nor will it be after them, even to the years of distant generations. Responsorial Psalm PS 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9 R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, Most High. R. The Lord will judge the world with justice. You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever. The nations are sunk in the pit they have made; in the snare they set, their foot is caught. R. The Lord will judge the world with justice. But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has set up his throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; he governs the peoples with equity. R. The Lord will judge the world with justice. Alleluia Jn 12:31b-32 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 11:15-26 When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. "When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, 'I shall return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first." Some thoughts on today's scripture The Gospel today gives the story of some people who refused to accept the great good that Jesus was doing and instead accused him of doing this good work as an agent of evil. The logic of this baffles us but people can go to extremes rather than change their convictions. Likewise Jesus reminds us that when we have been helped to make progress under his guidance, we should be careful to stay in his company lest we are tempted to revert to our old ways. I can speak to the Lord and ask him to help me to be open to goodness and to avoid being overcritical of others. 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. Meditation: Luke 11:15-26 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saint Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs (Optional Memorial) When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. (Luke 11:21) Many an interior designer has placed a colorful bowl on a side table as a decoration, only to find later that items like lost keys, a few coins, a lone earring, a ticket stub, a screw, or a button has been tossed in. Before long, the bowl is completely cluttered with litter and junk. But if you put an inch of water and a gardenia blossom in the same empty bowl, the whole house becomes fragrant and attractive. You are like that bowl! On the cross, Jesus removed all your guilt and pardoned all your sins. You are clean and beautiful, a stunning creation reflecting the image of God. So what are you going to do with this bowl? How will you use it? You can fill it with the words of Scripture and the pure desires God has given you. You can fill it with praise and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for you. You can set your mind on things of heaven and your hope on the grace that God pours out every day. You can keep it clean and in order by examining your conscience regularly, confessing your sins, and receiving his deep mercy. You are a perfectly designed vessel of the Lord. You are delightful and important to him. Remind yourself of that often. The truths you read in Scripture apply to you: "I can do all things that I am faced with today. I am blessed when I follow the Lord, like a tree planted near running water. God is mindful of me; he is always eager to fill me with his Spirit. God is good and forgiving and abounding in kindness toward me all the time. He is prepared to do wonderful things for me." Speak like that to yourself, especially when negative thoughts loom. Speaking truths like these can fill the void that negative and weakening thoughts would otherwise occupy. In Jesus, you are loved and worthy to receive God's blessings. Speak these words to the areas of your life that seem lacking. And laugh at the lies the devil whispers in your ear! "Jesus, today I will fill my house with you. Your word is life to me, and because of it, I am blessed." Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 Psalm 9:2-3, 6, 16, 8-9 Podcast Page: http://hipcast.com/podcast/HkfGvSfx my2cents: The bible is full of a message that seems to proclaim and exclaim "Make up your mind!".  Didn't you say you believe?  Joel proclaims a day of darkness, doom and gloom, and righteously so, for he was exclaiming with the Holy Spirit "what are you doing?" for the cleansing will come, and when it happens, do not be surprised but know that the Lord has come to cleanse us from...darkness.  The Psalms pray on "The Lord will judge the world with justice. You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever." To those who say "why does God allow evil in the world" the answer is evident...it is the same as saying "we don't need no one to clean up around here".  How is that the same?  God rebukes, especially those who say they are not violent, as if to say...God is not good!  That's why this is a twisted, demonic statement!  How can you say that about MY MASTER!  OUR FATHER!  I read from a super huge long text just right now in a part of a homily, "...Hell was almost full, but still there was a long line of people waiting to enter.  The devil comes out when there is only one more spot left "Who here is the worst of all of you?...let 's see, you there, what have you done?" -' I haven't done anything. There must be a mistake.' "What do you mean nothing!?" asked the devil. - 'Yes, nothing.  Truth is that I've been to many barbarities; violence, wars, and other worse things.  But I never did anything.." responded the scared man. The devil responded "really, you saw all that you said and you did nothing?...There is no doubt then, the place is all yours!!" Martin Luther King said "more than words of the violent, I am afraid of the silence of the good".  What can be done with the undecided?  The bad can change, and the good can be better, but the undecided go not forward nor backward.  In Revelation 3:15-16, the Lord says He wishes to have you hot or cold, not lukewarm...those that are lukewarm will be spit out. In comes our Lord and our King Jesus, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  This is the basis for the Holy Gospel today, because the rest of the time is spent on a possessed man that was freed, and our Lord saying that a house divided amongst itself can not stand.  Not a country, not a home, not a church divided can survive.  It is the basis because HE is the basis.  Either you have Christ in you, or you do not.  If He is not the center of your love, then evil can come in and set up shop, a place to hang out and invite other evils to join.  I know I've said confessions cleanses you, but it's just like the Eucharist, if you are cleansed, what good is it to leave and say "I'm good" and not lift a finger for the Lord?  This then is fuel for the fire.  I want to see us on fire for the Lord so I can join in and not be the only one living this life for the Lord.  I want you to stop forgetting the libation, the drink, the sacrifice of and for the Lord.  What or who has been sacrificed? And how much do you appreciate it?  That's why the Lord drives with the finger of God.  Doom and gloom is written when the finger of God appears among debauchery, those that have forgotten to adore and praise God as they should.  Today is a day of spiritual awakening, because today you have been revealed the Holy Word of the Lord.  Either you are with Him, or not.  Either you believe, or not. May the Lord bless you and keep you.  Join me in this day we pray "I BELIEVE!" I question not how..."I believe" I question not why for "I Believe" I question not when, because "I Believe" I question not where, because the I Am says "I believe". I question not who is, because I Believe. I am simply going to believe the Lord and by believing, do as He says... LOVE HIM ABOVE ALL adrian Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list.

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