| Model of Joy At every Mass we assert that we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is not a better time to re | | Model of Joy At every Mass we assert that we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is not a better time to reflect in joyful waiting than the quiet season of Advent, which comes before the celebration of Christmas. And there is no greater model of joy for us than Our Blessed Mother, Mary. -from A Mary Christmas |
†"Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the most tender of friends with souls who seek to please Him. His goodness knows how to proportion itself to the smallest of His creatures as to the greatest of them. Be not afraid then in your solitary conversations, to tell Him of your miseries, fears, worries, of those who are dear to you, of your projects, and of your hopes. Do so with confidence and with an open heart."
— St. Damien of Molokai ✞MEDITATION OF THE DAY✞ "The fullness of wisdom is fear of the Lord, she is present with the faithful in the womb (Sirach 1:14). Fear of the Lord does not mean to be afraid of God. It means to stand in awe and wonder before the greatness of the Lord. When we recognize that God is God and we are creatures, we develop a healthy sense of humility. We acknowledge our need for wisdom and grace, which are both gifts of the Holy Spirit."
— Rev. Jude Winkler, p. 9
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Saint Clement Saint of the Day for November 29
(d. 101) Saint Clement's Story Clement of Rome was the third successor of Saint Peter, reigning as pope during the last decade of the first century. He's known as one of the Church's five "Apostolic Fathers," those who provided a direct link between the Apostles and later generations of Church Fathers. His First Epistle to the Corinthians was preserved and widely read in the early Church. This letter from the bishop of Rome to the Church in Corinth concerns a split that alienated a large number of the laity from the clergy. Deploring the unauthorized and unjustifiable division in the Corinthian community, Clement urged charity to heal the rift.
Reflection Today many in the Church experience polarization regarding worship, how we speak of God, and other issues. We'd do well to take to heart the exhortation from Clement's Epistle: "Charity unites us to God. It knows no schism, does not rebel, does all things in concord. In charity all the elect of God have been made perfect." Rome's Basilica of St. Clement, one of the city's earliest parish churches, is probably built on the site of Clement's home. History tells us that Pope Clement was martyred in either the year 99 or 101.
The Liturgical Feast of Saint Clement is November 23.
Saint Clement is the Patron Saint of: Marble Workers |
Sacred Space
Daily Prayer - 2016-11-29 Presence As I begin this prayer, God is present,
breathing life into me and into everything around me.
For a few moments, I remain silent,
and become aware of God's loving presence. Freedom Lord grant me the grace
to have freedom of the spirit.
Cleanse my heart and soul
so I may live joyously in Your love. Consciousness My soul longs for your presence, Lord.
When I turn my thoughts to you,
I find peace and contentment. The Word of God Tuesday of the First Week in Advent
readings audio Reading 1 Is 11:1-10 On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea. On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious. Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:21-24 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Some thoughts on today's scripture ▪ This lovely prayer of Jesus tells us something of the relationship he treasured with his father through the Holy Spirit. It is his prayer of thanksgiving for the successful mission of his disciples whom he had sent out to preach. Jesus then tells them that they are indeed blessed to have accepted the good news and to be building their lives on their relationship with God.
▪ A child-like mind of openness and trust is the fertile ground for receiving God's word.
▪ Let us pray that, like the disciples, we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
Conversation Jesus you speak to me through the words of the gospels.
May I respond to your call today.
Teach me to recognise your hand at work in my daily living. 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. |
wau.org
Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. (Isaiah 11:1) Picture a tree stump. It's graying, dry, maybe even crumbling away. It seems impossible that a shoot—or any sign of life—could sprout from something so barren. But if you think about it, this kind of image lies at the heart of many of our favorite biblical stories. For instance, you might think of the act of creation as the original sprouting stump. Out of a formless, shapeless chasm sprang an entire universe! Though they were elderly, Abraham and Sarah produced a bud that would eventually bloom into a whole nation. Mary wasn't exactly lifeless, but new life came from her in an unexpected way. And then there's Jesus. Think of how his life and ministry were cut down on the cross, only to shoot up from the grave three days later! This image of life miraculously springing up from old stumps is deeply embedded in our faith. It has also taken root in you. Take a few seconds to wander through the garden of your heart. Do you see any stumps poking out? We all have them. Maybe it's a wounded relationship with a family member or lingering guilt over a sin you have already confessed. It could be anxiety over the future or a nagging feeling in the back of your mind that tells you God is displeased with you. Whatever it is, know that God can bring new life out of any situation, even something that seems as dead as an old tree stump. He can help you become more loving, more patient, and more compassionate. Don't let these stumps intimidate you. Any time you stumble upon one, or stumble over one, pray, "Father, I believe that you can bring new life here." Statements of faith like this can go a long way in helping you experience God's touch. They can remind you that the Lord is good and patient and loving. They can help you to keep moving forward with the Lord and not get stuck in worry or guilt. There is so much more to your life than stumps! God has planted a forest full of seeds in you. Take a look around, and see how many of them are bearing wonderful fruit. "Here I am, Lord. Let every part of me teem with your life and joy." Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Luke 10:21-24 |
my2cents audio
my2cents:
We heard in the first Holy Scripture from Isaiah: "A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom." Hundreds of years B.C. Before Christ, it was prophesied what the Lord would do and be and say. Fast forward hundreds of years after (A.D.) we read in the book of Revelation: ""I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David,* the bright morning star." From that what was built up and cut down, our Lord proves He will never be taken down into an in infinity. Try as you may, He can not be ignored forever, because an eternal damnation is a loss of knowledge of God. This means volumes, because our Lord will speak on His revelation in today's Gospel. But first we pray
* "Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever."
* Justice shall flower in his days,and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In comes the Lord of whom we just heard about: "No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Back to the revelation. Earlier, I said that eternal damnation was the darkness of having no knowledge of God, and the worst part about it, is choosing to remain ignorant, choosing darkness, choosing to be in the shade, than in the sun. Today's 5 minutos brought up a quote by Louis of Granada who said "Look how you have a better God than you thought". Because the more you explore Him, the greater He becomes. And He is revealed through Jesus. No one comes to the Father except through the Son. He who has seen the Son has seen the Father. That is, through Jesus we are revealed the God of an immense universe that we can not fathom with our feeble minds and hearts...but our souls can. But only in eternity can our souls begin to realize the grandeur of our Lord. This is why they say in Heaven, things are always new. I've noticed people that are suffering from depression, they always want to go buy something, to get something new. It's almost like a consumerism phenomenon. People buy stuff to get a short spurt of joy, kind of like people suffering from lust. I will tell you, all of that is nothing, temporary, a millisecond, lasts no longer than a whim. Trade your sorrows for joy when you trade our sins for Jesus and His mercy.
When our Lord entered the earth, our world, the world changed. Time began. Mercy began. Love like never before began. And He entered 9 months before His birth...already, hidden, the Lord is among us. He is among us in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the womb of the Holy Tabernacle, and when the doors open up from that womb of the tomb for Mass, He is served to the world, this hungry, and thirsty world to devour. He loves us so much. That is why this time of year is special...it is a time of giving and that is the secret to joy in Christ. I was telling loved ones, that my nightly visits to the elderly homeless couple was an eye opener. Because I went to give them, offer them anything they wanted, and they wanted nothing, no hotel, no night stays at my house, not even a portable heater I offered. But I took the heater anyway, but oddly, they seemed to take what they wanted from me...my time, and affection, mercy, and compassion, and prayers as they asked me to hold their hands and pray with them. They must've wanted to see Jesus. So I spent every evening speaking with them. Just like the blind man in the nursing home I visit, he really holds me in the room with endless chatter, as if to say "please don't leave me". In this world, people are hungry for affection. Just like my kids, they yell at the top of their lungs and act up, desiring attention. So do grown ups and teens. Men must give affection to their children, and women must be persistent in their faith as well, basking in the attention God gives when you come to Him. And little by little, with every visit to Him...He reveals Himself.
I AM here |
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