 from Franciscanmedia.org | | Love Is Never Abstract Love can never be general or abstract—it is only concrete and particular. What we know of other loves we know by analogy because as a creature I must live in the limits of my love. I cannot love forests in general any more than I can love people in general. As the essayist Charles D'Ambrosio has put it, "If you can love abstractly, you're only a bad day away from hating abstractly." For love to work, it must be anchored in the particular or else it is likely to simply float along with the changing currents of emotion. The deeper my love the more particular it becomes and the more limited in scope. It is only through such particulars that we can come to save the creation. God may love the world, but we live into God's image by reflecting such love on a proper scale—among particular places and people. We live into our love when we love our neighbors and, thus necessarily, our neighborhood. —from Ragan Sutterfield, author of the book Wendell Berry and the Given Life | ✞ "You can't go to heaven hating somebody. Forgive now. Be compassionate now. Be patient now. Be grateful now. Love Jesus and Mary now. Accept God's will now."
— Mother Angelica ✞ MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"True devotion to Our Lady is interior; that is, it comes from the mind and the heart. It flows from the esteem we have for her, the high idea we have formed of her greatness, and the love which we have for her. It is tender; that is, full of confidence in her, like a child's confidence in his loving mother ... It implores the aid of its good Mother at all times, in all places and above all things: in its doubts, that it may be enlightened; in its wanderings, that it may be brought into the right path; in its temptations, that it may be supported; in its weaknesses, that it may be strengthened; in its falls, that it may be lifted up; in its discouragements, that it may be cheered; in its scruples, that they may be taken away; in the crosses, toils and disappointments of life, that it may be consoled under them. In a word, in all the evils of body and mind, the soul ordinarily has recourse to Mary, without fear of annoying her or displeasing Jesus Christ."
— St. Louis De Montfort, p. 54
AN EXCERPT FROM
True Devotion to Mary ✞ VERSE OF THE DAY
"You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness."
James 1:19-20 |  click to read more | | Saint Francis Borgia (October 28, 1510 – September 30, 1572) Saint Francis Borgia's Story Today's saint grew up in an important family in 16th-century Spain, serving in the imperial court and quickly advancing in his career. But a series of events—including the death of his beloved wife—made Francis Borgia rethink his priorities. He gave up public life, gave away his possessions, and joined the new and little-known Society of Jesus. Religious life proved to be the right choice. Francis felt drawn to spend time in seclusion and prayer, but his administrative talents also made him a natural for other tasks. He helped in the establishment of what is now the Gregorian University in Rome. Not long after his ordination, he served as political and spiritual adviser to the emperor. In Spain, he founded a dozen colleges. At 55, Francis was elected head of the Jesuits. He focused on the growth of the Society of Jesus, the spiritual preparation of its new members, and spreading the faith in many parts of Europe. He was responsible for the founding of Jesuit missions in Florida, Mexico, and Peru. Francis Borgia is often regarded as the second founder of the Jesuits. He died in 1572 and was canonized 100 years later. Reflection Sometimes the Lord reveals his will for us in stages. Many people hear a call in later life to serve in a different capacity. We never know what the Lord has in store for us. Saint Francis Borgia is the Patron Saint of: Earthquakes | Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jon 3:1-10 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD's bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small,
put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
"Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth
and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive,
and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish."
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out. Responsorial Psalm Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8 R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Let Israel wait for the LORD,
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? Alleluia Lk 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:38-42 Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."
| Meditation: Luke 10:38-42 Mary has chosen the better part. (Luke 10:42) Have you ever thrown a party and been so preoccupied with keeping the punch bowl filled that you missed out on enjoying the company of your guests? That's what happened to Martha! Hospitality has always been central in Middle Eastern cultures, so it's natural that Martha wanted to be a good hostess when Jesus came to her home. She loved him deeply and expressed that love by making a fine meal for him. But she was so busy trying to make the evening "perfect" that she didn't spend any time with her guest. Mary, on the other hand, made Jesus welcome by sitting at his feet and paying close attention to his words. "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?" (Luke 10:40). Yes, these words show that Martha's preoccupation with her work kept her from appreciating Jesus' presence. But they also show how comfortable she was with Jesus, how secure she felt in her friendship with him. Evidently, Martha knew where to go when she was upset—directly to Jesus! Jesus' gentle rebuke was aimed at helping Martha recognize how needless her anxiety was. He appreciated Martha's attentive care, but he told her that he didn't mind if the meal wasn't perfect. What he really wanted was her company. After all, he had come to visit her and her sister, not to have a feast! When you're occupied with the necessary tasks of daily life, remember the lessons of Martha and Mary. Try your best to serve with love, as Martha did. But also be careful not to lose sight of Jesus. Remember that every time you serve another person, you have the opportunity to see the face of Christ, to give of yourself in the same way that he gave himself completely. As Cardinal Anastasio Ballestrero, the former archbishop of Turin, once wrote, "In our house there is room for Martha and room for Mary, and we must occupy both places. We must be Mary because we are welcoming the Word, and we must be Martha because we are receiving the Son of Man." "Jesus, come be my guest! I want to welcome you into the house of my heart and make a home for you there." Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 130:1-4, 7-8 | my2cents:
The first holy Scripture says: "The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
Jesus, before ascending to Heaven commanded all to go out and announce His Word.
God has always commanded a person to go proclaim. I thought about this the other day. For many families, there is a prophet. One will go and proclaim the word. Will it soak in? So we pray today: "If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?" Yesterday, I thought, "...some people keep saying "sorry" and " I love you" but they keep doing the same thing over and over again....then...how does the Lord treat our iniquities?" That is hard to fathom. Justice and righteousness must enter the picture...and it is not of this world. And so our Lord enters our world, the Word of God: "There is need of only one thing. " And says Mary has chosen the better part. You know, I read several reflections, they are all good, and I get an overall pictures with the added sum, sometimes a common denominator. And so I share with you the Good News. That coupled with prayer, I share. Right now, this story of Martha and Mary is tremendous, because it touches every single day of every single life. Some have coined it the "contemplative" vs. the "active" life in Christianity. Well, that has narrowed it and defined it too fast, too easy. And I've been the backwards case, sitting in daily Mass I see people working for the church and I say "why aren't they in here contemplating instead of working?" LOL. So, we have the entirety of the point being missed. Where is your heart? Your mind? Is it not with the Lord, especially if He is right in front of you? The scripture came to mind as I reflected "1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.…" 1Cor.13:11.
Martha and Mary love Jesus, it is apparent, but appearances aren't everything. Martha was doing what was appropriate and "right" but Mary could not be away from the Lord. A true Mary never departs from the Lord's side. A true Mary loves the Lord like no other. Perhaps Martha was whipping up dinner without even asking if they were hungry, she was just doing what is normal and ordinary. But let's do what is extraordinary. Like, never departing from the Lord.
They say, if we sin, we depart, detach from the Lord. Life is too short to play around with salvation. If God needs something, He will let you know. And how? Apply yourself to Him. When Mary chooses the better part, it means "Martha, stop what you are flipping out about and come to Me". We lose our peace and we lose our Lord. We lose Grace and we lose our Lord, we lose sight. But this does not mean He loses sight of us....not so long as we live and breathe.
The invitation is made to you to choose the better part. At the feet of Jesus.
Mary does. | |
