 | We Do Not Have to Give Up Hope Our world is one that is breaking from pain and sin in every direction we look, it seems. But we do not have to give up hope, because we are women who see. If we will set our hearts on the discipline of prayer and give up the things that keep us from living wholly dependent on him, we will see God in action, recognize him at work, and have the courage to go out and proclaim his presence with great rejoicing.
—from the book Who Does He Say You Are? Women Transformed by Christ in the Gospels
by Colleen C. Mitchell | ✞ NOVEMBER 3, 2017 "For a Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a man on fire with love, who spreads its flames wherever he goes. He desires mightily and strives by all means possible to set the whole world on fire with God's love. Nothing daunts him; he delights in privations, welcomes work, embraces sacrifices, smiles at slander, and rejoices in suffering. His only concern is how he can best follow Jesus Christ and imitate Him in working, suffering, and striving constantly and single-mindedly for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls."
— St. Anthony Mary Claret ✞MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Our Lord, by descending into hell, planted (if I may thus express myself), in the spiritual garden of the Church, a mysterious tree, the fruits of which—namely, His merits—are destined for the constant relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory. The Church Militant must cultivate the tree, and gather its fruits, in order to present them to that suffering portion of the Church which can do nothing for itself. Thus it is with all the merits of Christ; we must labor with Him if we wish to obtain our share of them; we must gain our bread by the sweat of our brow. Everything which Our Lord has done for us in time must produce fruit for eternity; but we must gather these fruits in time, without which we cannot possess them in eternity. The Church is the most prudent and thoughtful of mothers; the ecclesiastical year is an immense and magnificent garden, in which all those fruits for eternity are gathered together, that we may make use of them in time. Each year contains sufficient to supply the wants of all; but woe be to that careless or dishonest gardener who allows any of the fruit committed to his care to perish; if he fails to turn to a proper account those grace which would restore health to the sick, strength to the weak, or furnish food to the hungry! When the Day of Judgment arrives, the Master of the garden will demand a strict account, not only of every tree, but also of all the fruit produced in the garden."
— Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, p. 351-2
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Dolores Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ ✞VERSE OF THE DAY
"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10-11 |  click to read more | | Saint Martin de Porres Saint of the Day for November 3 (December 9, 1579 – November 3, 1639) "Father unknown" is the cold legal phrase sometimes used on baptismal records. "Half-breed" or "war souvenir" is the cruel name inflicted by those of "pure" blood. Like many others, Martin might have grown to be a bitter man, but he did not. It was said that even as a child he gave his heart and his goods to the poor and despised. He was the son of a freed woman of Panama, probably black but also possibly of indigenous stock, and a Spanish grandee of Lima, Peru. His parents never married each other. Martin inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother. That irked his father, who finally acknowledged his son after eight years. After the birth of a sister, the father abandoned the family. Martin was reared in poverty, locked into a low level of Lima's society. When he was 12, his mother apprenticed him to a barber-surgeon. Martin learned how to cut hair and also how to draw blood–a standard medical treatment then–care for wounds, and prepare and administer medicines. After a few years in this medical apostolate, Martin applied to the Dominicans to be a "lay helper," not feeling himself worthy to be a religious brother. After nine years, the example of his prayer and penance, charity and humility, led the community to request him to make full religious profession. Many of his nights were spent in prayer and penitential practices; his days were filled with nursing the sick and caring for the poor. It was particularly impressive that he treated all people regardless of their color, race, or status. He was instrumental in founding an orphanage, took care of slaves brought from Africa, and managed the daily alms of the priory with practicality, as well as generosity. He became the procurator for both priory and city, whether it was a matter of "blankets, shirts, candles, candy, miracles or prayers!" When his priory was in debt, he said, "I am only a poor mulatto. Sell me. I am the property of the order. Sell me." Side by side with his daily work in the kitchen, laundry, and infirmary, Martin's life reflected God's extraordinary gifts: ecstasies that lifted him into the air, light filling the room where he prayed, bi-location, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures, and a remarkable rapport with animals. His charity extended to beasts of the field and even to the vermin of the kitchen. He would excuse the raids of mice and rats on the grounds that they were underfed; he kept stray cats and dogs at his sister's house. Martin became a formidable fundraiser, obtaining thousands of dollars for dowries for poor girls so that they could marry or enter a convent. Many of his fellow religious took Martin as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a "poor slave." He was a good friend of another Dominican saint of Peru, Rose of Lima. Reflection Racism is a sin almost nobody confesses. Like pollution, it is a "sin of the world" that is everybody's responsibility but apparently nobody's fault. One could hardly imagine a more fitting patron of Christian forgiveness–on the part of those discriminated against–and Christian justice–on the part of reformed racists–than Martin de Porres. Saint Martin de Porres is the Patron Saint of: African Americans
Barbers
Hairdressers
Race Relations
Radio Social Justice | Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 483 Reading 1 ROM 9:1-5 Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Alleluia JN 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 14:1-6 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
"Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"
But they were unable to answer his question | Meditation:
Romans 9:1-5 They are children of Israel. (Romans 9:4) Why did Paul pray for the Jewish people so earnestly? For starters, he knew how special the nation of Israel is to God. Beginning with Abraham, God promised them a future as his chosen people among the nations. He liberated them from slavery, gave them the Law, and provided a land for them. Time and again, he sent prophets to remind Israel of their unique relationship with him. He even gave them the Messiah—his own Son, who was born into a Jewish family. Paul also saw that the grace God funneled into Israel was meant to flow out to the nations. Through the Jews, the entire world can observe truth about God: God is one. He is faithful. He is rich in kindness and abounding in mercy. He is calling everyone to his side. Finally, Paul was Jewish himself. When he looked at the people of Israel, he saw his own father and mother, who raised him in the faith. He saw neighbors who worshipped at the synagogue with him. He saw heroes like Abraham, Elijah, and Jeremiah as his own ancestors. No wonder he cared so much for the Jewish people! What about us? We know that God still holds the Jewish people in a special place in his heart. We know that his gifts and his calling are "irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Like the nations surrounding ancient Israel, we have been warmed by their light and blessed by the Scriptures entrusted to them. Like Paul, we recognize in the "children of Israel" our forerunners in faith, brothers and sisters who have persevered over the centuries (9:4). So let's pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters today. Let's pray that the children of Abraham will come to know God, the "Mighty One of Jacob," as their Savior and Redeemer (Isaiah 60:16). Let's also pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit on the entire "house of Israel" so that they will be empowered to walk in the light of his love (Ezekiel 39:29). And let's pray for the "peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). Let's pray that a peaceful resolution will be reached in the holy city and that this will become a light shining out to the nations. "Lord, we pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Remember your covenant faithfulness." Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Luke 14:1-6 | my2cents:
From Bisop Barren:
"Friends, in today's Gospel Pharisees and other religious leaders look on with silent disdain as Jesus heals a man. He challenged them by asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?" Some religious leaders get their kicks from burdening people, laying the law on them heavily, making demands that are terrible, exulting in their own moral superiority. At the core of Jesus' program is a willingness to bear other people's burdens, to help them carry their loads. And this applies to the moral life as well. If we lay the burden of God's law on people, we must be willing, at the same time, to help them bear it. When were you cured by Christ and how? What was it like to receive, through the Church, his healing touch? When did you feel ostracized, despised, unworthy—and how did Christ, through his Church, restore you to health and communion? Remember that moment and share it. " Is it lawful?
To what? To heal.
We make the sabbath our own dont we? It is about His desire though...His desire to be one with ours... | Bless the Lord O My Soul!
adrian | | |
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