 | God Is Love Since every thing, every person, every situation comes from God, the whole world is Word by which we can live. We need only "taste and see how good God is." We do this with all our senses. Through whatever we taste or touch, smell, hear, or see, God's love can nourish us. For the one creating and redeeming Word is spelled out to us in ever new ways.
God, who is love, has nothing else to say in all eternity but "I love you."
—from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life by Brother David Steindl-Rast | ✞ "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
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations Holy Spirit ✞ VERSE OF THE DAY
"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'"
John 8:12 |  click to read more | | Saint Clement Saint of the Day for November 29 (d. 101) 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. Clement's 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 either in the year 99 or in 101. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Clement is November 23. Saint Clement is the Patron Saint of: Marble Workers
Mariners
Tanners | Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone. Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king's palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked. Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom." Daniel answered the king:
"You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down. "This is the writing that was inscribed:
MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.
These words mean:
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians." Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him. Alleluia Rev 2:10c
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
And I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 21:12-19 Jesus said to the crowd:
"They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."
| Meditation: (Psalm) Daniel 3:62-67
34th Week in Ordinary Time Praise and exalt him above all forever. (Daniel 3:62) This week's responsorial psalm comes from an unexpected place: the Book of Daniel. You might know the story of King Nebuchadnezzar throwing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:14-23). But did you know this psalm is part of the song they sang as they stood in the midst of the fire? Even facing certain death, they found reasons to praise God. It sure puts a different spin on the words "Fire and heat, bless the Lord!" What "furnace" do you face today? It's probably not the flames that these young men experienced, but you can learn from their song of praise. Like them, you can choose to praise God and bring your feelings into alignment with what you believe. So let their song be your model: "Lord, you are the same, no matter what my situation is today. Let every detail of my life give praise to you. Let me praise you in every circumstance, every event of my life! "Joy and sorrow, bless the Lord. My life has its highs and lows. But whether I am up or down, I will sing your praise. You are unchanging and glorious. You are the firm foundation my life is built on. "Cold and chill, bless the Lord. Father, you don't change with circumstances. You sustain me in comfort and discomfort. Even bad weather can show your glory. Heat and humidity, bless the Lord too! "Sickness and health, bless the Lord. Oh Lord, my whole life comes from you. If I am healthy, I thank you for my health. If I am sick, I trust that you are still with me, giving me your strength and comfort. "Loneliness or accompaniment, bless the Lord. If I am surrounded by community, I exalt you in your Church. If I feel alone, I will trust that you stand with me and that my solitude can give you glory. You have a perfect purpose for everything. "Single or married, bless the Lord. Lord, you have given me my vocation so that I can glorify you through it. I will be faithful and fully pursue who you have called me to be. And if I'm not sure yet, I will praise you while I listen for your call." "All you works of the Lord, 'praise and exalt him above all forever.'" (Daniel 3:62) Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
Luke 21:12-19 | my2cents:
The Holy Word spoke in the First Holy Scripture:
"But the God in whose hand is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify."
They, rather, glorified other objects. Fruit of their own handiwork. This points out to me the underlying heresy of modern day times, those so infatuated with sciences, as if our own whims made us who we are today. No. It was the breath of God that made us and allows us to live. What do you glorify? Who do you glorify? Have you ever been so mad that you shake? It is pride. Call it the "pride shakes". You're all fired up...for nothing. Someone hit the right wrong buttons in you. The evil one does that. Realize for your own good, these are the moments to realize the truth, like when the King of kings spoke to a king defiling God by putting others first. A funny example. Last night we had a young man visit our friendship group reunion. He finally found a job, and we said thank God for the blessing. Before we left we said to come again, and he said "I don't know if I'll be able to with my new job". So I left thinking, "my oh my, how we turn blessings into cursings". Think about your own life, your talents, how do you Glorify God? We pray: Give glory and eternal praise to him. Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever". Bless the Lord forever and forever begins right now. Jesus comes in, our Lord, our King. One brother shared saying his 5 yr. old nephew had asked him over thanksgiving holidays "who is Jesus?"
My mind said inside "He is GOD!" Everything about Him is of God, through Him, with Him, and in Him. What is God? What is He made of? These questions are evil. WHAT?? Yeah. Once you figure out God, you have glorified yourself, making yourself greater than HE. Pride shakes. We are being watched. In the debauchery, God sees. In the goodness, He is there. There is no escape. Therefore, watch how you speak, what you say. I notice if I hold someone in high regard and if they say something somewhat negative of someone, I take it to heart. You plant seeds with your words and actions. Why not good seeds then? What good seeds? Good deeds. Yeah, but good deeds aren't that good when Love is not involved. There is a difference when Love is served.
The difference is night and day, light and dark. I write to you in great hopes and expectations of the greater good to take root. I've asked my RCIA students and my close friends in reunion, and now you my beloved in Christ, a simple proposition that the world would slap me about for asking:
"What if only saints get into Heaven?"
It is a loaded question. Purified souls, though, is what I mean. Only the Holy. And how do we "get holy"? You don't. God provides this grace. So now what? Strive to enter the narrow gate. Millions of souls choose otherwise. They choose the "other way". Glorifying "other" gods. Gods of money, sex, power (pride). And there is another extreme. The gods of self. I see people get mad and leave. Some get sad and die. That is the other extreme. There has to be an anchor to a balance and it all rests in the Spirit. Your spirit with His. And here is the battle ground for souls. Be grounded in God. Be anchored to His Hand. Feel the hole piercing as you grip Him tight. His marks a true love. Someone said we should strive to love God more than anyone ever did in this world. And the bar has been set high with our Blessed Mother. A severe affliction happens when He crosses you. At the cross, at the intersection...is the Heart | | |
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