| Minute Meditations
St. Osmund Facts Feastday: December 4 Patron of insanity; mental illness; mentally ill people; paralysed people; paralysis; ruptures; toothache Death: 1099 Bishop of Salisbury who helped compile the Domesday Book. A member of the Norman nobility, he was the son of Count Henry of Seez and Isabella, half-sister of King William the Conqueror of England. He took part in the Norman Conquest and served Williamas his chancellor. In 1078, he was appointed bishop of Salisbury, completing the cathedral there and founding a cathedral chapter of canons regular and school for clerics. Osmund also assisted the king in assembling the massive census which became the Domesday Book. In the dispute over investiture between King William II and St. Anselm of Canterbury, Osmund initially sided with the king, but later he admitted he had made a mistake, and he begged Anselm's forgiveness. Osmund also collected manuscripts for the cathedral library, was a copier and binder of books, authored a life of St. Aldhelm, and was thought to be responsible for drawing up the books governing the liturgical matters for the diocese such as the Mass and Divine Office, the so called Sarum Use. Canonized in 1457 by Pope Callistus III, he was the last English person to be declared a saint until the canonization of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher in 1935.Daily Prayer - 2015-12-04PresenceAs I sit here, the beating of my heart, FreedomLord, you created me to live in freedom. ConsciousnessHow do I find myself today? The Word of GodReading 1 Is 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord GOD: Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 4, 13-14 R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation. AlleluiaR. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:27-31 As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, Some thoughts on today's scripture
ConversationConversation requires talking and listening. ConclusionGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial) Let it be done for you according to your faith. (Matthew 9:29) Google the word "challenge" on the Internet, and more than 1.1 billion results come up. It seems we are a people who crave challenge. Well, Jesus' words challenge us today to ask ourselves, "What do I have faith for?" Perhaps you have the faith to attend Mass on Sundays, but not to move mountains—at least not yet. Maybe you have the faith to pray for healing of fevers, but not restoration of sight to the blind—not yet. You see, it's not a question of what you lack, but of how much faith you already have. Because you do have faith! You read the Scriptures. You want to do better in prayer. You are seeking to know Jesus better. You wouldn't do any of this if you didn't believe that God exists and that it's worth trying to get to know him better. So seeking the Lord, loving him, and serving him—this means that your faith is growing. You are a "work in progress," and that's perfectly fine with God. He is patient and faithful; having begun the work of faith in you, he will keep right on helping you grow in it, just as long as you keep trying to follow him. So embrace the faith you have today! Rejoice in it. Thank God for it. Trust your heavenly Father to increase your faith today, tomorrow, and throughout Advent. Now, ask yourself again, "What do I have faith for?" Sit quietly and reflect. The Holy Spirit will help you see your faith; don't worry if it seems little to you. Remember Jesus' promise that faith the size of a tiny seed can move mountains. Maybe your faith today will seem as basic as believing that you will hear God's voice a little more clearly this Advent. Or perhaps it will help you choose to forgive, even when you don't see any immediate change in the person you are forgiving. You will see yourself growing closer to the Lord as you let your faith, not your feelings or temptations, lead you through your days. If you make mistakes or see what looks like failure, don't worry. That's all part of learning and growing! One day you might actually move mountains! "Lord, thank you for the gift of faith! Help me be as patient with myself as you are with me." Isaiah 29:17-24 Podcast Page: http://hipcast.com/podcast/HQQjlWKk my2cents: From today's 1st Holy Scripture: "When his children see.....the work of my hands.... in his midst". Then they will understand. Then they will receive instruction. "They shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel." Not a day more fitting to adore Christ than the first Friday of the Month, as it is every day of the year. But, many have not. Many today, Do Not. And many will not. The many that have, are they still adoring today? The many that have, will they have instructed others to follow Christ and to adore Christ? If not, then they do not adore today. At my parish church, I see plaques on the wall, donors that helped monetarily build the church. I don't remember any names. One time I seen an old picture, about 30 years ago, of them breaking ground for the new church building. I don't know any of them. But I stand in what they helped build. This is you and me today. What are we building? How are we building? Are we building at all? For Christ builds His church on us, and we have been the Holy Church He founded since the beginning with our first Pope Peter. St. Paul builds upon this, we go out to all the ends of the world we meet. We profess, we acclaim, we proclaim, and to Christ goes all the honor, glory, and fame. Let me fade out and Him fade in, out with the darkness and in with the light!! We pray the PSalms "The Lord is my light and my salvation". I read these exact Psalms sometimes at funerals. We need to hear these words when death prevails around us. We need the light of the Lord. We live for the light of the Lord. We are children of the Light, we seek the light and false lights come around us to distract us. Jesus is simply saying, "I want to be your light" and He will save you, if we will accept. I was happy to see new cursillistas in our parish. One young lady gave her testimony last night "I didn't want to give up all the fun" that's why she would never go to a cursillo. The musician chimed in with his two cents "you don't ever give up anything, you just now live for the Lord!" He said "you can still dance, and have fun, but now, with the modesty and respect and always giving the Lord His due". Because darkness is to simply reject God our Savior, the Messiah. Darkness is to be lost. Some decide to seek the light, with the help of others, and are led to Jesus. In comes Jesus our Lord and savior, how beautiful the Son of Man we await to be revealed: ""Do you believe that I can do this?" This is the most perfect reply to these men crying out "Have mercy on Us! Have pity on us! Have compassion on us!". When the Lord decided to take our Blessed Mother,she was looked upon her with mercy and favor. Even before she was born, she was chosen, the lineage of the son of David was upon her, the priestly King would enter, and among the priests, the Highest. High above all loves and favors, He bestows on the humble with faith. What then is humility? Prostrating yourself before the Lord. No longer hiding in the world, but out there for the world to see. To see humility in action, a true love in action, to see something that the blind men saw for the first time in their lives of being blind...they saw something spectacular, a miracle transpired, because they weren't just seeking to see for themselves, but they were seeking to see GOD HIMSELF. They weren't chasing Him because they heard he was some miracle worker, but they chased Him with tenacity because they knew they were going after the Son of David, the most High Priest, one with the power of God, a King in His own right and world and Kingdom who proposed this for His beloved children. I don't want to be a child without a father. I refuse to be a fatherless child. In the world, there are many suffering fatherless children. Many are motherless. The great divorce has caused great darkness, and the great divorce is sin, from the time of Adam and Eve. Do not be surprised if you find yourself probing around in the dark with your walking stick. And do not be surprised that if, after seeking Jesus the Christ for so many years, you find yourself one day standing shocked, so bewildered and in awe when your eyes finally see who was before you there all along in the dark. Do you believe? Do you want to believe? Do you want to see? Jesus says "Follow Me". And at the appropriate time, in the house of miracles He offers as much as you dare to give and more. At that moment, two will see something amazing. Jesus is amazed and the blind that see are amazed. This is the moment of truth forever. This is the moment you are to seize. No longer shall you live afraid. No longer will we live in anguish, torment, and anxiety. No longer will we look down to the ground. We will look up and see the greatest Gift from God...the Son, the light, and be taken in by all His love. This is a call to live a life unafraid to proclaim Jesus your Lord in every moment of your life. A life of Grace. A life offered. A life of thanks and giving thanks and praise. A life of CHRIST!  adrianSubscribe to this email . | |||||||
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