| Pray Fervently Pray to Our Lady—pray the Rosary very fervently, cling to Our Lady, She will surely lead you to Jesus to know His will for you. –Moth | | Pray Fervently Pray to Our Lady—pray the Rosary very fervently, cling to Our Lady, She will surely lead you to Jesus to know His will for you. –Mother Teresa -from Our Lady of Fatima |
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"Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices."
— St. Teresa of Avila ✞ MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"If you wish to explore the Holy Scripture, and you overcome your laziness and apply yourself, thirsting for the knowledge, then every good thing will be yours. You will fill your mind with the divine light. Then, when you apply that light to the doctrines of the Church, you will very easily recognize everything that is true and unadulterated, and lay it up in the hidden treasures of your soul."
— St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 167
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers ✞ VERSE OF THE DAY
"I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power."
Ephesians 1:17-19 |
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Saint Peter Regalado Saint of the Day for March 30 (1390 – March 30, 1456) Peter lived at a very busy time in history. The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) was settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were fighting the Hundred Years' War, and in 1453, the Byzantine Empire was completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter's death, the age of printing had just begun in Germany, and Columbus's arrival in the New World was less than 40 years away. Peter came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid, Spain. At the age of 13, he was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination, he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442, he was appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group. Peter led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor. For example, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry people to feed. Throughout most of his life, Peter went hungry; he lived only on bread and water. Immediately after his death on March 31, 1456, his grave became a place of pilgrimage. Peter was canonized in 1746. Reflection Peter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans, not just to superiors. |
Sacred Space
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Ex 32:7-14 The LORD said to Moses,
"Go down at once to your people
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
'This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"
The LORD said to Moses,
"I see how stiff-necked this people is.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
"Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Why should the Egyptians say,
'With evil intent he brought them out,
that he might kill them in the mountains
and exterminate them from the face of the earth'?
Let your blazing wrath die down;
relent in punishing your people.
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people. Responsorial Psalm Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Verse Before the Gospel Jn 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. Gospel Jn 5:31-47 Jesus said to the Jews:
"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf,
and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept human testimony,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the Scriptures,
because you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life. "I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:
the one who will accuse you is Moses,
in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses,
you would have believed me,
because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?"
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wau.org
Catholic Meditations
Meditation: John 5:31-47 4th Week of Lent You search the Scriptures. (John 5:39) Have you ever picked up your Bible, read a passage from it, and then wondered what in the world God was trying to say to you? Maybe you decided the passage didn't have any application for your life, so you set it aside and moved on with your day. But somewhere in your heart, you sensed that God really did want to say something to you; you just couldn't place your finger on it. As Catholics, we believe that the Bible is not just a historical artifact or a set of rules and guidelines for our lives. No, it is a living word from God that bears the inspiration of the Holy Spirit both for the whole Church and for each person who ponders its messages. But just like everything else in the Christian life, Scripture won't magically make sense to us. We need to cooperate with the Spirit as we read the Bible. And that takes some time, some attention, and some perseverance. The following guidelines may help you cooperate with the Spirit as you open the Bible and ponder its meaning. Try putting them into practice over the next few days and see what happens. • Select a Scripture passage to read. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you as you begin to read the passage. • Slowly read the passage a couple of times, dwelling on the words or phrases that resonate in your heart. • Imagine that you are at the scene described in the passage. Imagine Jesus or Moses or Sarah or Abraham turning from the action and speaking directly to you. What message do you hear? • Notice if some words or pictures come to mind. This may be God speaking to you—especially if the images and thoughts lead you closer to Christ, fill you with hope, or stir your heart to love and forgive. • Write out what you think God is saying to you, and close with a prayer of thanksgiving. God wants to reveal himself to us in Scripture. Through quiet reflection we can learn to hear his voice. "Holy Spirit, quiet my heart. Help me to read Scripture with new eyes. Let your revelation penetrate my life and fill me with peace." Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 106:19-23 |
my2cents: God said to Moses "They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"
The LORD said to Moses, "I see how stiff-necked this people is..."
It happens in our modern day. That things go awry, or things go well, and we forget God. We say that a miracle was not due to God but due to the fact that we took things into our own hands. We see that money fed us and so people worship money, the economy, people themselves are gods even. This is why God is frustrated, or is He? How did He know what was about to happen? LOL. Well, uhh, He is God! He knew Moses would plead for mercy and intercede on behalf of the people. Keep this in mind when our Lord speaks. We pray today "Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt..." In comes the Lord Jesus and confronts those who forgot what Moses did and said, interceding for the people when speaking to God. And here is Jesus stating He is of God "The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me". But so far where they in scripture, and so much further into themselves, that they could not see or hear God. It is the same today, where there are many who read the bible and many are so called theologians, but can not really see or hear God speaking directly to them. They have no clue on what mercy means. They have no clue on what repentance means. Could this be you? Look at those things you don't like about other people, could it be a reflection of you? "Well I don't like how they talk". Exactly. "Well who do they think they are?" Exactly. "Well they don't need to be judging". Exactly! Maybe God is asking you to be holy today.
Maybe He is asking you to listen.
Maybe He is asking you to be still.
When the people of Israel became "Depraved" as God said, they made a calf of gold. What were they depraved of? For sure it was grace. And so sin takes over, and in Spanish "sin" means without. Depraved for sure. So take a deep look into sinful life. It is a depraved life, a life without God.
And so, the sacrifice becomes living flesh. They were hungry, Moses left them and the sheep were depraved of the food. Moses had been their connection and left to their own whims, well, you know what happens. We need Jesus.
Without Him we too become depraved. I feed from this sacrifice almost daily, the flesh of the lamb of God in the Holy Eucharist as He instituted by the Holy Hands of Christ through the apostles and laying of hands to this day. I invite you to this life of God. Some here are priests, some are deacons, some future deacons, and some simply lay people like me. I invite you to a life of God. In Heaven, there are only saints. I Invite you to Heaven, to be an unblemished lamb, these sheep He loves so dearly. Look deep inside yourself right now.
Where is God?
Where is the love of God deep inside that other person's heart? It is deep inside. So deeply He loves that He integrated it into the DNA of the soul. Today's saint gave and that was the only way he survived. I invite you that kind of life. Of becoming poor? Is it worth it? Is it worth losing this life? Many work 2 or 3 jobs to have that car they want, or that house or that lifestyle. Is it worth it? Many live so busy a life that they can not see or hear God. Is it worth it? I try to hold back my tongue of zealousness when I hear something took the place of God in their lives, but sometimes I can't. Jesus speaks. And His words are eternal Life |
adrian
from redeemedonline.com:
Thought for today: God is true to His word. When He says "I love you" He doesn't just mean it because you did something good, or made Him proud or happy or laugh. He means it in the truest sense of the word, and for all eternity. Action for today: Read 1 Timothy 1:15-16 and pray on God's love for you. Prayer for today: God, soften my heart. Let me encounter your Love in a real way, and let me be true to my word to you today, in all I think, say and do. Quote for today: "To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." – GK Chesterton Be a Hero today – #ShareJesus: Who in your life do you butt heads with the most? Offer sacrifices today for that person, and go out of your way to do something kind or helpful for them. |
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