Mother Teresa's Holy Face Mother Teresa's was a face demanding that we look, finally, upon the least among us, who are a bother and a reproach, and whose suffering haunts us, and whose suffering continues not because we lack social programs, or scientific advances, or literary or theological wit, but because very few have the strength to bear the shame of failure, of ineffectiveness. Mother Teresa's was the face of a woman whose eyes were difficult to read, fathomless, as if behind them burned an unseen light: not a soft glow but a fierce, blistering, scorching conflagration of a light that had been endured for a lifetime—for two thousand years—in silence. It was the face of a woman who had so loved the poor that, at last, she became one of them. —from the book Stumble: Virtue, Vice, and the Space Between by Heather King | ✞ "Christ Himself is our mouth through which we speak to the Father, our eye through which we see the Father, our right hand through which we offer to the Father. Without His intercession neither we nor all the saints have anything with God."
— St. Ambrose ✞ MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence."
— St. Faustina Kowalska (741)
AN EXCERPT FROM
Diary of St. Faustina ▪ TODAY'S FEAST DAY
ALL HALLOW'S EVE
All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween, is the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day, which is a major feast on the liturgical calendar and a Holy Day of Obligation. Halloween (October 31st) is connected with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). These three days are the "Days of the Dead," a triduum also known as Allhallowtide or Hallowmas, reminding the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the communion of saints; and our obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. ✞ VERSE OF THE DAY
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."
Romans 12:14-18 |  click to read more | | Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg (c. 924 – August 31, 994) Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, and was educated at a school located at the abbey of Reichenau. There he encountered Henry, a young noble who went on to become Archbishop of Trier. Meanwhile, Wolfgang remained in close contact with the archbishop, teaching in his cathedral school and supporting his efforts to reform the clergy. At the death of the archbishop, Wolfgang chose to become a Benedictine monk and moved to an abbey in Einsiedeln, now part of Switzerland. Ordained a priest, he was appointed director of the monastery school there. Later he was sent to Hungary as a missionary, though his zeal and good will yielded limited results. Emperor Otto II appointed him Bishop of Regensburg, near Munich. Wolfgang immediately initiated reform of the clergy and of religious life, preaching with vigor and effectiveness and always demonstrating special concern for the poor. He wore the habit of a monk and lived an austere life. The draw to monastic life never left him, including the desire for a life of solitude. At one point he left his diocese so that he could devote himself to prayer, but his responsibilities as bishop called him back. In 994, Wolfgang became ill while on a journey; he died in Puppingen near Linz, Austria. He was canonized in 1052. His feast day is celebrated widely in much of central Europe. Reflection Wolfgang could be depicted as a man with rolled-up sleeves. He even tried retiring to solitary prayer, but taking his responsibilities seriously led him back into the service of his diocese. Doing what had to be done was his path to holiness—and ours. | Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rom 8:18-25 Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. Responsorial Psalm Ps 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3a) The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us. Alleluia See Mt 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 13:18-21 Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches." Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened."
| Meditation: Romans 8:18-25 The sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed. (Romans 8:18) Who doesn't like a happy ending? Everyone cheers when the prince rescues the princess or when the bad guy is defeated. In today's first reading, we see another happy ending. Though he has suffered many hardships as a missionary, Paul writes about joy: the joy of being redeemed, the joy of receiving the Holy Spirit, the joy of knowing God's love, and so much more. But the greatest joy Paul talks about is the fact that on the other side of whatever trials he has faced or what he will face in the future, heaven awaits him. His current circumstances—both the good and the bad—are "nothing compared to the glory to be revealed" (Romans 8:18). God has eternal life on the other side of our trials as well. While we will experience challenges in this life, they all work together to produce for us "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17). While we experience sorrow now, our every tear will be wiped away in heaven, and we will never grieve again. While we endure aches and pains now, we will one day dwell with God forever in whole, glorified bodies. While we struggle to forgive and overcome division in our relationships now, the day is coming when nothing will keep us from perfect unity, both with God and with one another. All our divisions will be healed! But as we wait for that glorious day, we can continue pray and work for unity and reconciliation. Today marks the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Christians of all different backgrounds will come together today to pray for unity and reconciliation between the churches. They will proclaim their trust that the suffering caused by our divisions will ultimately give way to glory when all God's people are finally gathered around one altar celebrating our redemption together. What a happy ending! Not just for us, but for all our brothers and sisters in Christ. So let the glory of the Lord, which will one day be yours in full, give you hope for your life as well as the life of the whole Church. God has glorious things planned for us! "Thank you, Lord, for the promise of future glory! Help me keep my eyes on you." Psalm 126:1-6
Luke 13:18-21 | my2cents: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us." If you want some quotes from saints that talked about suffering, check it out: catholicreader saint quotes. Here are just few that popped out at me:
* Blessed be He, Who came into the world for no other purpose than to suffer. --St. Teresa of Avila ▪ All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly. --Saint Francis de Sales
▪ I desire to suffer always and not to die. I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination. It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will. --Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"
| ▪ | All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly. --Saint Francis de Sales | | ▪ | I desire to suffer always and not to die. I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination. It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will. --Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab" | *In suffering love and in loving, suffer! --Blessed Maria Lopez of Jesus *When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly. --St. Sebastian Valfre *He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for His sake. --St. Aloysius Gonzaga *If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love. --St. Gemma Galgani *Pain is never permanent. -- Saint Teresa of Avila We prayed today in the Holy Psalms, the very words that would come out from our Lord's mouth too: "The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing." He must have spoke these especially to His disciples because they were chosen for a special mission...called a cross. And he'd continue "Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." Indeed, it is of a crucifixion, and a resurrection. No pain...no gain. No guts...no glory. And so our Lord speaks to all the incredulous, those who want to see but can not see....His Kingdom: "It is like a mustard seed" and "It is like yeast". One song I sing many times at a funeral in spanish is called "Entre Tus Manos" which means "In Your Hands". It says "Within your Hands, there is my life Lord, in Your hands I put my existence. Let us die...so we can live". It is a touching and moving prayer of a song. Indeed, the mustard seed must die to give life. No longer will it be a seed, but transformed. It was detached from its parent, carried off, and buried in the earth, and it gave life and it gave life in abundance. Such is the marvel and beauty of our Lord. And He teaches us to have confidence in His creation. My kids won't go outside the house much since we got a new puppy. It is such an energetic dog, small, like a chihuahua, so gentle, and we named her Chica. The kids don't seem to trust me that it's Ok. They are scared, or don't like it jumping all over them. It just wants attention, and truth is, it is trained quickly, it would obey, if only my kids would obey me. It is the story of our Lord, He has created us His children and commands us to obey so that all He created would obey us in turn. The cross my brother, my sister, the cross is obedience. The greatest faults I see and failures too, is that of disobedience and it comes by way of pride. As if to say "I just know better than you". Suffering goes out the door. Rejected. The cross then...thrown on the ground. It happens when we say "this ain't working...I give up". I see it all the time. It is a great temptation. To take the easy road, instead of the road less traveled.
I write to you, to encourage you to take to the path of our Lord, and follow His footsteps. Look how big His footprints are! One step print is bigger than the grand canyon! Yet, He was born a baby, with tiny feet, and a human heart to feel what we feel. I told a brother last night "thank God for His mercy". It is the greatest gift....without it, we are nothing. It is love. And the cross is love. My brother said "I want to get engaged and propose, and she knows that in our lives God will be first" and I said "that's good, because you will be saying "Love Comes First".
Now lets take these words and truth, and put them into action...which cause great reactions like yeast, in rising, to feed hungry souls.... | |
