Do Not Squander This Day Do not squander this day, say the mystics. Leave being right behind you, let it go, let it go, let it go. Return to Love. What else would we do? How else will we recognize the light? Love is running through the streets on the heels of the music, running through the pain and above the sky. It exceeds anything it encounters—recognizes all it meets, and changes everything in its wake. —from the book Stars at Night: When Darkness Unfolds as Night | †Saint Quote
"Persevere in labors that lead to salvation. Always be busy in spiritual actions. In this way, no matter how often the enemy of our souls approaches, no matter how many times he may try to come near us, he'll find our hearts closed and armed against him."
— St. Cyprian of Carthage † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Many are heading straight on for purgatory. They live until their last hour, even though they are seriously ill, even on their deathbed, as if everything is all right. Exclusively directed to the earthly, they don't think at all about calling upon the mercy of God. Although by doing so they would be spared at least a severe purgatory. For God is infinitely merciful for all who call upon Him and trust Him."
AN EXCERPT FROM
Hungry Souls ⛪ TODAY'S FEAST DAY †ALL SOULS DAY†
November 2nd is All Souls Day, sometimes called the Day of the Dead. On this day, and during the month of November, the Church prays in a special way for the souls of the faithful departed, and individuals pray especially for those whom they have known and loved. The Holy Souls in purgatory died in the mercy of God, thus they are called "holy." However, because they still had attachment to sin at the time of their death, they must undergo the spiritual purification of their souls before they are able to fully love God with their whole heart, mind, and soul for all eternity. As they are nevertheless part of the communion of saints, they depend upon us to help ease their suffering and quickly advance them through their purification so that they can join the saints in heaven. Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, this is why they are also called "poor." They can no longer merit anything for themselves and rely entirely on living souls to pray and make sacrifices on their behalf. † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."
Isaiah 43:25 |  click to read more | | All Souls Day All Souls Day is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other denominations of Christianity. The Anglican church is the largest protestant church to celebrate the holy day. Most protestant denominations do not recognize the holiday and disagree with the theology behind it. According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go. Purgatory is necessary so that souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter into heaven. There is scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in 2 Maccabees, 12:26 and 12:32. "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out... Thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin." | The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls) Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect. Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me. Reading 2 Rom 5:5-11 Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation. or Rom 6:3-9 Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him. Alleluia Mt 25:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:37-40 Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
| Meditation: Wisdom 3:1-9 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day) Yet is their hope full of immortality. (Wisdom 3:4) Candy skulls, graves blanketed with flowers, and offerings of favorite foods: the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) might seem confusing at first glance. Is it a spooky holiday full of skeletons, or is it a heartwarming tribute to family members who have gone before us? It's no coincidence that the Day of the Dead culminates on November 2. It has a lot in common with today's commemoration of all the faithful departed. The skulls and skeletons remind us of how short life can be. The decorations and food bring back favorite memories of loved ones and celebrate their lives. Like All Souls' Day, the Day of the Dead gives us a chance to remember and pray for those who have died. It can help us be aware that in some way, the dead are still with us as part of the Communion of Saints. It can also remind us of the ways we can help them with our prayers. All of those things are foundational for All Souls' Day. They spring from our human impulse to stay connected and to honor our loved ones. That desire for connection comes from our confidence that even though death cannot be avoided, it's not the end of the story. Losing a loved one can be devastating, but our faith tells us that "the souls of the just are in the hand of God" (Wisdom 3:1). Even if they are "chastised a little," we believe "they shall be greatly blessed" (3:5). That's because we were made for immortality. We all long to share the joy of heaven with God. We remember the dead because our memories keep them close in our hearts—and because it keeps heaven close to our hearts. So if you have lost a loved one, know that they are not really gone. They are still with you, in all the memories you treasure, in all the ways they shaped your life, and in your connection with them in Christ. You can stay "connected" as you intercede that they quickly enter heavenly glory with Jesus. And you can have confidence that you will see them again. "Jesus, bring my loved ones into your heavenly glory. Help them to see you face-to-face!" Psalm 23:1-6
Romans 5:5-11
John 6:37-40 | 2 cents :
"As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself." I read this often in funerals. It's a reading from the book of Wisdom, rejected by protestants. I was talking to a man this week, he said that the prosperity movement, in its most radical sense, is evil, as he sat and listened to the pastor preaching in front of him, mocking sorrow for sin. One thing we all have to remember, is that there is hell to pay for every wrongdoing in our life if lived unrepentant and not reconciled. Little do people know that purgatory is in a sense, confusing, yes, but very well likened to hell. Most say they are going to purgatory, as if no big deal, but it is, most often a burning. But, there is good news to the faithful who have ears. Sorrow for sin can lead us to a truly repented life, making amends and reconciling. Humility begins to show up.
"Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Our baptism unites us with His death. And wow. What kind of death was His right? He suffered immensely, just about all His precious blood was poured out on the streets, as He had to drag His cross. And He tells His followers to take up the cross and follow. Most of us cower at even making the sign of the cross in a free country. In a free country people are scared. In other persecution countries, people still have faith and won't cower. But if they come to the free country, they will cower. Why? Because, too much liberty is a cause for a libertarian attitude. The kind that says you are free to do whatever you want, and do whatever you want, except Adore and Praise Jesus Christ out loud, don't live it, don't preach it, and don't say a thing about it. The ruler of the world rules on. Who is that ruler? You should know by now, that this "ruler of the world" is not God but someone or something else... | Let us pray: "Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage" Turn on the TV and see darkness, in the news, in the shows, they even got shows putting out a prayer against the president, they all point to one another fingers, all being divisive. Turn on the radio and all sorts of things are in the air. But what about Christ? What about the bond of Love in His Precious Body and Blood? If all we see is darkness in our world, imagine for a moment Heaven, where it is opposite, all light, no darkness creeping and lurking around every corner. I am more comfortable walking with the light at night. I'm talking about being one with our Lord in this fallen world. | Let us turn to our Lord, ""Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me...". Our Lord is speaking solid truth. So long as you have breath in you, you have a shot at mercy. Jesus proves it on the cross. But too many live life on the edge to take advantage of mercy. Many think "I'll get to that Jesus stuff later". So our Lord says "Fools!" you do not know the day nor the hour. Simply driving a car, drives people off the edge of our life, and end life in accidents, some even feign an accident and do it on purpose taking their own lives. We should take advantage of grace NOW. "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life...". The issue most people have now is that they...don't know what to believe. Believe Jesus. See the Son. Believe in Him. Can you see Him? Lord, we want to see you! Right? Some people live so intimately with Christ that people see Christ come alive through them. Some even get the stigmata wounds of Christ! My dad was electrocuted to death with a his cousin on a farm a year before I was born. My dad recounts his out of body experience. He comes back to life, in much pain and agony, trying to carry his dead cousin for help, and now my dad, he is a fearless man. God gave him a second chance. Do you believe? If you do not believe, Jesus said that too, "...If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.'" Who are the voices of prophets? Surely those asking us to repent and believe! My dad didn't experience heaven. Once after, he had a prophetic dream where he faced greener pastures. But once he said he saw a vision of hell, a deep abyss that haunted him. But that isn't scary enough. Then, what can entice us to a life of Christ then? God's love is sweet and gentle. So sweet and gentle that when He presented Himself in Jerusalem, they beat Him, mocked Him, and beat Him some more, tore His flesh off, spit in His face, and made Him face death in the most brutal way. Is this what God expects us to do too? Fearless love? Mercy taken advantage of and thrown away? We've been raised as animals until we meet our Lord. I want you to tune into this channel...GRACE. Our Lord in all His gentleness is found there in the Holy Sacraments. You are free indeed. Free to come partake of this free gift from Heaven. A ray of light to carry, to love, and to hold. So the whole world sees, the dead are no longer dead, but alive for Him. I'm speaking or our newness in Him, the old me is no longer me. A new cursillista said he didn't want to speak, was afraid to speak in front of people, our welcoming for him and his speech, and so I said "that old you is talking, that old you is no longer you, the new you can now speak". And so he did, and said things like "I was like in a state of shock for 2 days after my cursillo...was speechless". And now he is learning to talk like a child...of God. What an honor to live for Him | adrian It is First Friday. A most appropriate time for devotion and Adoration, offering the first fruits to our Lord in Heaven | |
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