Everything Is Gift Gratefulness strengthens a sense of belonging. There is no closer bond than the one which gratefulness celebrates, the bond between giver and thanks-giver. Everything is gift. Grateful living is a celebration of the universal give-and-take of life, a limitless "yes" to belonging. —from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life | †Quote
"If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes."
— St. Clement of Alexandria † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Nothing is sweeter than love; nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing more generous, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in Heaven or on earth; for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created."
— Thomas a' Kempis, p. 87
AN EXCERPT FROM
Imitation of Christ † VERSE OF THE DAY
"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 |  click to read more | | Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani (August 6, 1681 – November 29, 1742) Born in Lucera, Francesco entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1695. After his ordination 10 years later, he taught philosophy to younger friars, served as guardian of his friary, and later became provincial minister. When his term of office ended, Francesco became master of novices and finally pastor in his hometown. In his various ministries, he was loving, devout, and penitential. He was a sought-after confessor and preacher. One witness at the canonical hearings regarding Francesco's holiness testified, "In his preaching he spoke in a familiar way, filled as he was with the love of God and neighbor; fired by the Spirit, he made use of the word and deed of holy Scripture, stirring his listeners and moving them to do penance." Francesco showed himself a loyal friend of the poor, never hesitating to seek from benefactors what was needed. At his death in Lucera, children ran through the streets crying out, "The saint is dead! The saint is dead!" Francesco was canonized in 1986. Reflection
Eventually we become what we choose. If we choose stinginess, we become stingy. If we choose compassion, we become compassionate. The holiness of Francesco Antonio Fasani resulted from his many small decisions to cooperate with God's grace. | OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL On November 27, 1830, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in Paris, France and gave her a vision of an image, with instructions to strike the image, front and back, onto a medal. With this medal Our Lady promised that, "All those who wear it will receive great graces; these graces will be abundant for those who wear it with faith." The medal bears an image of Our Lady standing on the world, the serpent crushed under her feet, with arms extended and graces pouring forth from her hands. On the reverse is a cross surmounted by the letter 'M', and beneath it the side-by-side symbols of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all encircled by twelve stars. The medal symbolizes Mary's perfect spiritual union with Jesus' redemptive mission, and, consequently, her intercessory role in salvation history as the mediatrix of God's graces to mankind through her Son. The medal spread widely and became a source of many graces and miracles for its wearers, earning the name "Miraculous Medal." It is traditionally worn around the neck and has become a treasured sacramental of the Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal's feast day is November 27th. | Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rv 14:14-19 I, John, looked and there was a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man,
with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Another angel came out of the temple,
crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud,
"Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth's harvest is fully ripe."
So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven
who also had a sharp sickle.
Then another angel came from the altar, who was in charge of the fire,
and cried out in a loud voice
to the one who had the sharp sickle,
"Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth's vines,
for its grapes are ripe."
So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth's vintage.
He threw it into the great wine press of God's fury. Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13
R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth. Alleluia Rv 2:10c
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 21:5-11 While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."
| Meditation: Luke 21:5-11 Do not be terrified. (Luke 21:9) Time and time again, predictions of the world's end have captured public attention, just as they do now. Even Jesus had to deal with this kind of speculation. When will the world end? How will we know it's happening? Far from offering hints and clues to the answer, Jesus gave people a simple word of advice: "Do not be terrified" (Luke 21:9). It wasn't just questions about the Second Coming that drew this response. At the Last Supper, he told his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1). And in the middle of his ministry, he told everyone, "Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). In all situations, in the face of every worry, Jesus offers the same words: "Don't worry; my Father is with you. I will never leave you or abandon you." Today, as the Church year draws to a close, Jesus tells us not to be scared. You may see troubling things, you may hear frightening news, but don't let it overwhelm you. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could enter into the new liturgical year holding fast to this simple phrase: I will not be afraid? Scripture promises that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Everyone who turns to him finds help in times of need. We are loved by the Faithful One, who is both our Shepherd and our Guardian. We are looked after by One who tells us, "I am your shield" (Genesis 15:1). "Do not be afraid," he tells us, "for I am with you and will help you. I am your strength in every situation. Declare, confidently and boldly, I will not be afraid!" Children trust that Dad and Mom have it covered, whatever "it" is. So does Jesus. One day, the world is going to end. When the time comes, he will make sure you will know all you need to know. In the meantime, try not to worry. Let the peace of Christ settle in your heart so that your peace can help the people around you. Let your own peace tell them, "Do not be terrified." "Father, I give you all my fears. Hold my hand in yours, and I will not be terrified." Revelation 14:14-19
Psalm 96:10-13 | 2 cents :
"So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth's vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God's fury." Ahh, Revelation. What an amazing book, AGAIN! LOL. We like to see things in black and white. But God writes in colors, and hues of colors we'd never experience unless we get out of this world. We'd sing a song but we can't until we are out of this world. They sing an unsung hymn in Heaven. They see things we can not and will not see on earth. Our bodies are not designed to capture other realms as it stands. So I write to you, to have faith. Faith in the unseen. You believe in WiFi, right? Wireless internet? LOL. But you can measure its signal right? You can see the Lord working in your life if you'd stand back for a moment, retreat for a moment. Get your head out of this world for a moment...God is writing. The writing is on the wall, and what did it say? Daniel 5: " Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[g] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed[h] in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ....". For all you are building up, yourself, your ego, your pride, your respect, all you've built up will be turned over. | So let us pray: "The Lord comes to judge the earth. Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy." There is this family member that used to hate my faith. I think he may be softening to it. But in an awkward conversation with him, I do remember him saying one thing I can't forget, "Adrian, I like how you are constant in your faith". Praise and Glory be to God. I'm hanging on to dear life. Jesus. | Let us turn to our Lord:
"See that you not be deceived", for we are easily tricked and fooled, the adversary, the devil is extremely smart, smarter than humans, and I'd say, even more patient than humans, knowing exactly when to pounce. Be always on guard like a little rabbit, ears always perked up, listening, watching, in constant vigil. Prayer is vigil too.
Let us turn to our Lord again:
"Do not follow them!" Do not follow the people saying the end is hear or near. Nobody knows. Not even angels who are a supreme power. Do not follow people too closely, for they will fall. Follow Jesus. The light. Yes we need each other....to follow Jesus ever closer. Amen?
Let us turn to our Lord:
"Do not be terrified". Now this is deep. He is asking us to trust. He is asking us to grab hold of His precious hand tightly. He is asking for faith. He is asking us to live a life of unwavering grace. He is asking us to live joy, for the Kingdom is at hand. His precious hand that can write on a wall.
And He said "awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."
Has this happened? There have been awesome sights, like when our Blessed mother had the miracle of the Sun, people got freaked out, some almost died thinking they were about to die. But that was not the end. It was the end of doubt for many. Some were mesmerized and forgot. Some became Catholic. Some left as they came, weirded out but not converted. Sights from the sky will still come. But I'd be afraid of that day. I'd rather not see the end of the world. I'd rather see the world end in of itself, the way it is. And it starts with you, and with me. Why do you want to know when the end will be? For some it has come, and for the rest it is coming. And for the Lord, it has already been accomplished. For Him, time does not exist, we are not on the same plane.
Have you captured the message? Has God's heart motivated you? Last night, I took my scoundrel of a godson to pray after I heard he ran away from home, left the house in anger. I was happy we went to pray in church. But I was worried His faith was not captured. I hope though, he was touched. So I left with hope. Hope lives so long as we have breath, because Jesus is life.
I pray with you:
"Lord, our Precious Heavenly Savior, Jesus, send us your Holy Spirit, to be strengthened. We need your precious love in our homes, to be homes of peace, to be your temple of righteousness, to be found full with you and not found wanting".
Our Hope Is in YOU | |
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