Asking For You

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Minute Meditations Real Love Real love shows up not only in times of great joy, delight, and fulfillment but especially when life seems overwhelming and incomprehensible, filled with unbearable suffering and sorrow. It is in these times that love has shown me the way, not around the pain but through it. — from Woman of Strength St. Paula Patron Saint of: Widows ---    St. Timothy FIRST BISHOP OF EPHESUS, MISSIONARY, COMPANION OF ST. PAUL, MARTYR Feast: January 26 Information: Feast Day: January 26 Born: 17 Died: 80, Ephesus Patron of: intestinal disorders, stomach diseases A native of Lystra, he was the son of a Jewish woman named Eunice and a Greek Gentile. Converted to the faith by St. Paul, Timothy willingly received circumcision in order to assuage the Jews to whom he and Paul would be preaching, especially as it was known that his father was a Gentile. Paul found Timothy a very valuable assistant and companion, using him on several missions, such as those to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:17) and the Thessalonians (1 Thes 3:2-3). According to tradition, he was the first bishop of Ephesus, the basis for this being his journey to the city at the command of Paul to act as his representative (1 Tm 1:3). He is mentioned with St. Paul in the salutations of seven epistles in the New Testament and was teh addressee of two of three pastoral letters - 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. His martyrdom on January 22, 97 by a mob of angry pagans came about through his opposition to the celebration of the feast of Diana; it was recorded in the fourth-century Acta S. Timothei. (Taken from Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints) Read more: http://ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/T/sttimothy.asp#ixzz3yM8KyzXd Daily Prayer - 2016-01-26 Presence "Be still and know that I am God" Lord, may your spirit guide me to seek Your Loving presence more and more. For it is there I find rest and refreshment from this busy world.< 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 In God's loving presence I unwind the past day, starting from now and looking back, moment by moment. I gather in all the goodness and light, in gratitude. I attend to the shadows and what they say to me, seeking healing, courage, forgiveness. The Word of God Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops Reading 1 2 Tm 1:1-8 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God. Or Ti 1:1-5 Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you. Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10 R. (3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 3:31-35 The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you." But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." - - - Some thoughts on today's scripture We can picture members of the crowd, no doubt more eager to hear what he had to say, ranging themselves in a circle round Jesus. Jesus had already been inviting those who heard him to the totally new life of members of the kingdom of heaven. Then, born into that new life, they would be his brothers and sisters in a new way -- a bond even deeper than the normal ties of family. This is the invitation which he still extends to all of us. Conversation Begin to talk to Jesus about the piece of scripture you have just read. What part of it strikes a chord in you? Perhaps the words of a friend - or some story you have heard recently - will slowly rise to the surface of your consciousness. If so, does the story throw light on what the scripture passage may be trying to say to you? 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: 2 Timothy 1:1-8 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Memorial) Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:2) Today we celebrate two of St. Paul's best-known companions: Timothy and Titus. Both were young men when they began working with Paul, and both grew to become leaders of the Church in their own right. While we don't know all that much about Titus, Scripture gives us a good portrait of Timothy. So let's see what we can learn from this man's life in the Lord. A highly regarded member of the Christian community in Lystra, Timothy had a deep love for God (Acts 16:2). We first hear about him when Paul visits Lystra during his second missionary journey. Paul meets the young man and is so impressed with his faith that he invites Timothy along as a helper. Two things that become evident in Paul's letters to Timothy are the young leader's lack of experience and his tendency to be timid in his leadership. Paul admonishes him to stand firm and not yield to erroneous teachings—essentially, to get some backbone and confront the issues threatening the faith of the Christian community at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:18-20). On another occasion, Paul reminds him to be more assertive when addressing the community (2 Timothy 1:7) and reminds him how to conduct his personal life (1 Timothy 5:1-6). Timothy doesn't sound too good so far, does he? But the positive thing about him is his openness to Paul's teaching and encouragement. As time goes by, Paul begins to have more confidence and trust in him and relies on him more fully (Philippians 2:19-23). Timothy's shortcomings teach us that God can write straight on crooked lines. He can work with imperfect people. Like him, we need to allow ourselves to be formed and transformed over time. As we do, we too will be able to work wonders for the gospel. If God could work in Timothy, he can work in all of us. So hand yourself over to the Lord, and let him turn you into his emissary! "Thank you, Father, for Timothy's example of faithful service. Send your Holy Spirit to raise up men and women like him who have a sincere love for you and who are willing to serve your Church at any cost." Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8, 10 Mark 3:31-35 Asking For You Podcast Page: http://hipcast.com/podcast/HJ7fm17X my2cents: "I am grateful to God" says Saint Paul from a prison cell..."whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did".  Rather be locked up and free than "free" and locked up inside.  This is what it's all about.  Persecutions are a given in a world where there is a prince of darkness to rattle your bones.  Where is your true freedom?  It  is in the heart.  A heart in disaster is an unpeaceful place, because no matter where it goes, it is bleeding.  And today, we have a healing heart offering Himself.  Just read the Holy Gospel, where our Lord is offering Himself as one of us...family, where we are honored to be one with Him as Saint Paul says in Ephesians "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God".  When He joins us to Him, we are united to Him, and can you imagine being united to God?  Saint Paul goes on "I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears", remember, this is the Word of God, not Saint Paul.  God yearns to see us again "so that I may be filled with joy".  When will we see Him?  When we travel outside our box, our comfort zone, and actually go meet Him in a needy world where most are greedy with their time and treasure and talent.  Unknowingly, they wait, the forgotten wait for the Lord, in nursing homes, asylums, prisons, and those straying far from the Lord, lost in addictions of food, of lust, of money, lost in thoughts, consumed with buying and taking in the lies and gossip.  Passions are thwarted and the Passion of Christ is forgotten.  We go to Church, maybe.  Maybe our bodies go, but our spirits are found wanting (lacking).  Wanting of desire.  Wanting of Passion.  Wanting of fulfillment.  Rejection seems to be the addage and a way of life.  A constant rejection of the Lord.   Why?  Because we think we don't belong.  Because we think we don't deserve.  As if to say "I don't belong in Heaven" and "I don't deserve mercy".  I've heard some even say to me "I know I'm going to hell" and they do nothing about it.  Jesus "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands".  In the Holy Sacraments, we have the laying of hands and the priest is in the person of Christ, so it is Jesus laying His hands on us in the Holy Sacraments.  And laying of hands has been passed on from the time of JEsus to this day through our Holy Church, the Bishops, Priests, and the Pope, and on the lay people.  And through it, the gift is given, for you to have, the one of tenacity, and strength, watch what our Lord says next: "For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control."  Control yourself to be able to love.  You can with the grace of God control your tendency to sin.  This then is the power needed and bestowed on each of us.  And the side effect to self control and use of this power is the flowering gift of love, a better love...a better love of God our Father! So announce His salvation, day after day, after day!  Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Sing to the LORD a new song.  What deeds?  That He has defeated all that stuff that ruins and will defeat anything that comes up.  Singing a new song is a song of gratitude, an attitude Saint Paul that exhorts from prison and now in Heaven.  He followed Christ to death and Christ raises Saint Paul to life.  Is this heroic virtue?  Or is it plain and simple love?  You do things in the name of love that seem dumb to the world.  Things like forgiving.  Things like giving until you can not give any more and then find ways to give more.  So don't be stingy with your sorry life, give!  Give it to God!  IF, if you are truly sorry. IF you are even sorry.  And sorry here meaning sinful.  Let Him have those sins, He knows how to fix things.  Do not become despondent.  Do not let others become disconnected from faith, not under your watch, but be a pusher, be pushy, keep pushing, remembering what P.U.S.H. means Praying Until Something Happens Find devotions, find prayers, find new ways to communicate to get through to souls.  So long as we breathe, the one Who is Among us works through us by being one in us.  Found among people, "your mother and brothers are looking for you".  He says the truth "...whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."  They weren't any less and we aren't any more.  Jesus says "I'll be your brother".   If you've never had one, Here I Am. "I'll be your mother", you're never alone. "I'll be your Father" because I know how to give life. I'll be your everything if you let Me. adrian Subscribe to the visit Going4th.com mailing list.

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