| Feeling Grateful Some of us wake up well rested on a Saturday morning. Our mind is alert, the sun is shining, and we feel at peace and grateful. That | | Feeling Grateful Some of us wake up well rested on a Saturday morning. Our mind is alert, the sun is shining, and we feel at peace and grateful. That is a form of prayerfulness in which we can sense God's hand holding ours if we are open to seeing it that way. -from Prayer in the Catholic Tradition |
† "Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do."
— St. Thomas Aquinas ✞MEDITATION OF THE DAY✞ "One of the most formidable obstacles to the conversion of a soul is the fact that God is a hidden God: Deus absconditus. But God, in His goodness, reveals Himself, in a certain manner, through His saints, and even through fervent souls. In this way, the supernatural filters through and becomes visible to the faithful, who are thus able to apprehend something of the mystery of God . . . make no mistake, there is a sort of instinct by which souls, without clearly defining what it is they sense, are aware of this radiation of the supernatural."
— Dom Jean-Baptist Chautard, p. 124-5
AN EXCERPT FROM
Soul of the Apostolate |
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Saint John XXIII Saint of the Day for October 11
(November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963) Saint John XXIII's Story Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one writer has noted that his "ordinariness" seems one of his most remarkable qualities. The firstborn son of a farming family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern Italy, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was always proud of his down-to-earth roots. In Bergamo's diocesan seminary, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. After his ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon worked as his bishop's secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary, and as publisher of the diocesan paper. His service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him a firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921, he was made national director in Italy of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He also found time to teach patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City. In 1925, he became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey, and finally in France. During World War II, he became well acquainted with Orthodox Church leaders. With the help of Germany's ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people. Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome's cathedral, St. John Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world. In 1962, he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis. His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth (1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. At his address at the opening of the Second Vatican Council, he criticized the "prophets of doom" who "in these modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin." Pope John XXIII set a tone for the Council when he said, "The Church has always opposed… errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity." On his deathbed, he said: "It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead." "Good Pope John" died on June 3, 1963. Saint John Paul II beatified him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God's grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God's providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, many people became silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself. |
Sacred Space
Daily Prayer - 2016-10-11 Presence Dear Lord, you have called me by my name.
You have carved me in the palm of your hand.
May I grow in trust and never give in to despair. Freedom Lord, you created me to live in freedom.
May your Holy Spirit guide me to follow you freely.
Instil in my heart a desire
To know and love you more each day. 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 readings audio
Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gal 5:1-6 Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who am telling you
that if you have yourselves circumcised,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised
that he is bound to observe the entire law.
You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;
you have fallen from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love. Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48
R. (41a) Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Let your mercy come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will walk at liberty,
because I seek your precepts. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will delight in your commands,
which I love. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will lift up my hands to your commands
and meditate on your statutes. R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord. Alleluia Heb 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 11:37-41 After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you."
Some thoughts on today's scripture ▪ There is a Pharisee in all of us, big or small, who prefers cleaning the outside of the cup rather than tackle the greed and wickedness inside. The only way to deal with this conflict is to make my own the prayer of the publican in the temple, 'Have pity on me, a sinner'.
▪ Jesus sees a link between almsgiving and purification of the heart. Elsewhere he insists that true almsgiving must be sincere, and not to elicit the admiration of others: it is not what we give but why and how we give it. How do I react to those who ask for my material help? What does my reaction to the current migrant crisis tell me about the state of my heart? I pray for real freedom to love those in need.
Conversation Do I notice myself reacting as I pray with the Word of God?
Do I feel challenged, comforted, angry?
Imagining Jesus sitting or standing by me,
I speak out my feelings, as one trusted 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. |
wau.org
Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 11:37-41 28th Week in Ordinary Time Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? (Luke 11:40) Imagine you have a grandfather clock that has been in your family for generations—only now it has stopped working. You wouldn't take it to just anyone to have it repaired. You'd search out a genuine clock maker, an expert who understands the intricate gears and machinery that make the clock tick. It's the clock maker who knows what the inside of a clock is supposed to look like. In a similar way, Jesus is an expert on our own inner workings. He doesn't need a manual to understand where our hearts are "out of order." He designed us; he made us! For an illustration of this truth, look at how Jesus approached the Pharisee who had invited him to dinner in today's Gospel reading. Clearly, he was deeply offended; why else would he rail against not only this one Pharisee, but all the other Pharisees who were just as closed minded? And yet, as angry as he was, he still showed this man the way to freedom. He told him to "give alms" in order to purify his heart (Luke 11:41). Maybe Jesus saw greed or disdain for the poor in this man. Maybe he saw selfishness. Whatever he saw, the solution he offered was not something he said to everyone. It's something he emphasized with this one person. Jesus can help us in the same way. Out of love, he sheds light on our personal sins and weaknesses, but he doesn't just pronounce judgment. He helps us discover ways to set ourselves right. He has a personal solution set aside for you, just as the clock maker knows exactly what that heirloom needs. It may not be the solution you would have chosen, but you can trust that it's the best answer possible. Jesus hates sin. He hates the way it separates us from himself and from each other. He hates the way it offends his Father. He hates the darkness it brings into our lives. But he also loves each of us deeply, sinners though we are. This is why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is such a blessed gift. In it we find, not only pardon for our sins, but Jesus' handcrafted answers to our needs. "Open my eyes, Lord, to the inner obstacles that I have a hard time recognizing. In your expert way, lead me along my own path to holiness." Galatians 5:1-6
Psalm 119:41, 43-45, 47-48 |
audio-2cents
my2cents: The Word of the Lord said today "For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." Only faith WORKING through LOVE. That is a living and active love, a living and active God!!!! They say that love when speaking of our Lord, love means action, it is not a thought, it is a verb that is eternally active. We prayed today "Let your mercy come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise", and the verbs come forth as promises, check it out:
And I will keep your law continually, forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty, because I seek your precepts.
And I will delight in your commands, which I love.
And I will lift up my hands to your commands and meditate on your statutes.
And the verse before the Gospel confirms this action: "The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart."
They say living waters are flowing waters. On the contrary, stagnant waters are a brooding ground for death. This mean you should always be on the move for the Lord, and seeking Him and asking Him to flow in your spirit. In comes the Living water of our faith..Jesus our Lord. Someone invites Him to eat at their house. That someone that invites Him, judges Him. That's when the Lord says "You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you." I've heard things like "look at how well they keep their shoes clean and you'll be able to tell how they keep themselves clean" or "look at how they keep their house" or "look at how they keep their car". Fools. Rightly judging themselves, but not the heart of God. We act like fools in this world with our own laws. If the Lord came for one reason, it was to reveal the law that God wrote in our hearts. Just because we do not see it, does not mean it is not there.
This morning a worker comes in and kind of sharply and sort of loud said "buenos dias"(good morning) and the boss asks him "why didn't you show up yesterday?". With all the busy things going on, I heard him faintly say "I got
a problem at home". It's easy to criticize, but it is hard to be compassionate. It's easy to criticize what we see and hear, but not easy to judge the heart, "what's going on inside/home". Throughout the many years, I've been learning that some of the most annoying folks in their mannerisms are those actually going through some of the toughest spots in their lives.
That is why Saint Francis says "Oh Lord, help me to understand, rather than to be understood". And if you focus out, it becomes a matter of humility, and how in the world do we get there? This past Sunday, they talked about a hint towards it...gratefulness, appreciation, thankfulness, all things that mean the Holy Eucharist.
So you can keep getting mad all you want. Go ahead. But it won't help you any.
You can keep yelling, go ahead. But it won't be heard.
Rather, let yourself be a living heart of Christ.
I wrote a CD and I usually name the CD the title of one of the songs I really like. This years' title is "WARRIOR". The song speaks of a warrior that fights like no one else has ever fought. A typical person, but great in the eyes of God, strong enough to take on the entire onslaught of the devil all at once. Strong enough to not cry or make a sound while being tortured, not a complaint, just love from the cross "Lord forgive them!"
"Behold your Mother", and "today, you will be with ME in paradise" And the waters flowed from His heart...let it flow into yours NOW and FOREVER |
the CD songs can be downloaded at going4th.com or direct by clicking here. Songs are designed to be prayed along with, and at a higher than normal volume. Focus. Some songs are in spanish. the rest english. About 4 songs were dedicated to 3 family members I lost this year, one "Pachalo" (Lord rest his soul) my cousin is singing by himself in "My House". 14 total songs for the 14 stations of the cross, the passion of our Lord. adrian |
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