A Diversity of Voices Today, Father, this blue sky lauds you. The delicate green and orange flowers of the tulip poplar tree praise you. The distant blue hills praise you, together with the sweet-smelling air that is full of brilliant light. The bickering flycatchers praise you with the lowing cattle and the quails that whistle over there. I too, Father, praise you, with all these my brothers, and they give voice to my own heart and to my own silence. We are all one silence and a diversity of voices. —from The Art of Thomas Merton: A Divine Passion in Word and Vision
franciscan media | ✞Quote
"Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You."
— St. Brendan ✞ MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Do not suppose that after advancing the soul to such a state God abandons it so easily that it is light work for the devil to regain it. When His Majesty sees it leaving Him, He feels the loss so keenly that He gives it in many a way a thousand secret warnings which reveal to it the hidden danger. In conclusion, let us strive to make constant progress: we ought to feel great alarm if we do not find ourselves advancing, for without doubt the evil one must be planning to injure us in some way; it is impossible for a soul that has come to this state not to go still farther, for love is never idle. Therefore it is a very bad sign when one comes to a standstill in virtue."
— St. Teresa of Avila, p.99
AN EXCERPT FROM
Interior Castle ✞ VERSE OF THE DAY
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23 |  click to read more | | Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort (January 31, 1673 – April 28, 1716) Louis's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the Church. Totus tuus ("completely yours") was Louis's personal motto; Pope John Paul II chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes, France, as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his Baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with Church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion—not the custom then!—and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, for priests and brothers, and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion. Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947. His Liturgical Feast Day is April 28. Reflection
Like Mary, Louis experienced challenges in his efforts to follow Jesus. Opposed at times in his preaching and in his other ministries, Louis knew with Saint Paul, "Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:7). Any attempt to succeed by worldly standards runs the risk of betraying the Good News of Jesus. Mary is "the first and most perfect disciple," as the late Sulpician Father Raymond Brown described her. | Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
"My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." Responsorial Psalm Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab
R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
No one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him,
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
| Meditation: John 14:1-6 Do not let your hearts be troubled. (John 14:1) More and more families are living paycheck to paycheck. The middle class is eroding. Inner-city problems are on the rise. The divorce rate remains at about 40 percent. Four in ten Americans will be diagnosed with some form of cancer at some point. That sure sounds like a mountain of trouble, doesn't it? Yet today's Gospel tells us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1). When Jesus said these words, his own mind was consumed with trouble. He knew that in the next twenty-four hours, he was going to face humiliation, pain, and death on a cross. It must have been an awful moment for Jesus. Isn't it amazing, then, that Jesus could even think to tell his apostles, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1)? So what can we conclude? First, everyone faces some sort of trouble in their lives, not just us. Things won't always go right, and we will feel grief, sadness, and pain. In short, our hearts will be troubled. But there is good news. Jesus knows our troubles because he faced similar temptations and similar troubles in his own life. That's why he is able to sympathize with us. That's why he is able to help us (Hebrews 4:15). Second, in the midst of our troubles, Jesus wants to tell us that he is always with us. The psalmist tells us that there will be times when we will have to walk through some dark valleys, but that whenever we do, God will be with us, comforting us and giving us the courage to make it through. Today's Gospel is perhaps the most comforting word in all of Scripture. It can become a stronghold of safety and reassurance for each of us. So keep repeating Jesus' words: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me" (John 14:1-2). Let these words convince you of who you are and what you believe. Let it fill you with God's peace. You never have to face anything alone! "Lord, help me stay close to you when I face trials and difficulties. Give me the grace to walk through every dark valley filled with faith and trust in you." Acts 13:26-33
Psalm 2:6-11 | my2cents: Saint Paul said "...for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people." These people witnessed to the people. These people who had gone the way got to see Jesus alive again. These people that had followed from Galilee, where He taught them and fed them and they crossed the waters following Him even as He walked on waters eventually to Jerusalem. These people followed all the way to the end of the point of life with Him...truth and faithfulness. And they are living witnesses of God's love and life and life in love. So let us pray: "And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you". God gave us the "begotten Son". From His own heart...to ours. This is how the old has become new. The old Testament, the old Covenant, now has been transformed to be ever new and renewed in our hearts. "My Son. You are to have My inheritance, quite simply the best gift in the world, an eternal life with Me, your Holy And Righteous God, of whom you should tremble and fear and rejoice in." How though, to fear someone so loving and so humble? How can we fear Jesus? He has been given all power and might and authority, but has come as the gentle lamb, that only opened His mouth to utter love and show love and never silenced on truth. Surely though, our Father is mighty, and to tremble before. If He willed it, the world would catch on fire and shake, and lightning would cause many deaths in panic and anxieties. Yet, this kind of calamity exists in the spiritual realm. It is all too real, although unseen. For this, we need our Savior, the Sacred Heart of God. In comes our Holy Lord and Savior: ""Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me." Like a shaking lamb, trembling in the cold and afraid, I come before the Lord, "Lord, I need you, but I'm scared to come to you". And He says again "have faith in Me, have faith in God". But Lord, the world gots me weak, I am so attached to earthly things, how can I let go...of this life? He says: "...if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." I say "Lord, what place is it? What are you offering? What kind of place is it?" "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places". I say "Lord, I want a place in your dwelling, I want to dwell with you forever, that would be my dream come true" and I can imagine, a huge place but so full of love and compassion, a little nook to rest and the view is phenomenal....all I can see is God and I am lost in love, everything else just feeds into this immense beauty, perhaps what they call "the beatific vision". God invites us there. Ohh, it's so exciting yet so scary, and the hardest part? How will we get there? He says "Where I am going you know the way." It is true. It is written in our hearts, of every single soul anointed with the Holy Spirit. We have an interior guiding light. Jesus our Lord says "I AM the way". Jesus is the way to Heaven. The beauty can start this day. This begotten day. Where God imparts Himself to you in a special way. If you like good things in life...there is more. Do you believe? Hard to fathom if you have not experienced it. The beauty? Haven been given the chance to live even this mere morsel of God's goodness this day. And to think He did it by dying on a cross. And to think He'd do it again. As if to say "that's nothing....I love you so much".
Do we deserve this kind of love?
Your eyes have reached this for a reason.
If it were not so, you would not have read it.
Our true Home, and calling to come home, is made. Oh Lord, how precious is your Sacred Heart | |
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