We Are Only Given This Day What if we could place a meal on the table differently and then hear, finally, the simple things—laughter, rain, and the smell of the sea? What if the dark is spilling the impossible blue on each one who passes by, breaking our hearts open until we see that everything gleams with light—until we are no longer able to "pass by like a dream?" A single sentence, a single word keeps turning life over. We are only given this day. —from the book Stars at Night: When Darkness Unfolds as Night | †Quote
"I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the head belongs to the body. All that is his is yours: breath, heart, body, soul and all his faculties. All of these you must use as if they belonged to you, so that in serving him you may give him praise, love and glory."
— St. John Eudes † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Since Jesus has gone to Heaven now, I can only follow the traces He has left behind. But how bright these traces are! How fragrant and divine! I have only to glance at the Gospels; at once this fragrance from the life of Jesus reaches me, and I know which way to run: to the lowest, not the highest place!"
— St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 153-4
AN EXCERPT FROM
Story of a Soul ⛪ TODAY'S FEAST DAY
PRESENTATION OF MARY
November 21st is the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated to God as a young child; when she reached three years of age her holy parents, St. Anne and St. Joachim, presented her before God in the Jerusalem temple where she was to be educated and raised. This dedication was a result of a promise St. Anne made to God while she suffered from many years of infertility. The liturgical celebration honoring this event appeared in the East much earlier then it did in the West. In the late Middle Ages it was promoted as a feast day for the universal Church. † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4 |  click to read more | | Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mary's presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church. As with Mary's birth, we read of Mary's presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the Protoevangelium of James tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3 years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless. Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary's presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond. Reflection
It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God's saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God's saving work. | Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Rv 4:1-11 I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal. In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming: "Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created." Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God! Alleluia See Jn 15:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 19:11-28 While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
| Meditation: Revelation 4:1-11 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial) . . . an open door to heaven. (Revelation 4:1) Late in his life, the apostle John found himself on Patmos, a desert island on the Aegean Sea that served as a Roman penal colony. The emperor Domitian had exiled him there as punishment for his continued preaching about Jesus. It may have been a dismal setting, but John made the most of it. He took the opportunity of this time of quiet to compose the Book of Revelation. Today's reading contains one of the most fascinating and encouraging images in Revelation: an open door to heaven. Take a moment to think about that: heaven is not locked up anymore. No, it's open to everyone who welcomes the Lord into their hearts. By telling us about heaven's open door, John is inviting us to look in and gaze upon its beauty. He's telling us that God loves to share his wisdom and insights with us. He's assuring us that God won't slam the door in our faces if we try to peer in. Quite the opposite: God wants to reveal himself to us. Now, it could have been enough for God just to give us a glimpse of heaven, but he went far beyond that. By sending his Son to us and by raising him from the dead, God brought heaven down to earth. That opened door is right in front of you—all the time! You might be asking yourself, "How can I possibly look into heaven?" Well, think about John in his solitary exile. If anyone could have felt far from God's reach, it was probably him. But look at what happened. God opened heaven for him. That same door is open for you. Maybe when you are at Mass, you are struck by how great and majestic and powerful God is. Or maybe gratitude for Jesus' love wells up in you as you picture the angels and saints praising God. Or maybe an unexpected kind word from a friend gives you comfort and reassures you of God's provision. Each of these, and so many more, is a glimpse into heaven! So don't be afraid to approach that open door. Go ahead and look in. God has so much he wants to show you! "Father, thank you for the open door to heaven. Open the eyes of my heart to see you!" Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28 | 2 cents :
"They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:
"Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created". WOW. Revelation always does this amazing thing. Again, it is a book on what was, what is, and what will be, all at once! Don't they save the best for last...normally? These saints, these pure ones in white are before God almighty, and what do they do? They throw down their crowns. What powerful symbolism. To lay down your crown. As we are baptized as kings and prophets and priest. Our role here is just that, what was and is and what shall be. He created us for worship, for praising of Him. What an honor. But, many in the world are twisted. They want praise and honor, and all the respect and all the love. Demented. No sacrifice and no sacrificial offering there. So, where do we stand with our crowns? Let us stand before Him and cast our crowns to the grounds. Humility must be the way and the splendid glory of our mighty Lord and Creator. | Let us pray: "Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty."
Where is the Lord's sanctuary? What is a sanctuary? By definition it is a place of refuge and safety. Where you are safe. Right? In Catholicity it is "The space in the church for the high altar and the clergy.". Again, you are baptized a king, we spoke about being humble as king-like creatures. Now we are speaking about being priest-like creatures, all following the role of our High Priest, Jesus. You are indeed in charge of this role in your home. Yet, we are to praise him in HIS sanctuary, from your home to His. His Sanctuary is where we throw down our crowns. Amen? Offerings. Sacrificial. And so we must turn to our Lord. | In the Holy Gospel, our Lord presents us with a story of 10 coins for each person. He leaves to be made King and in the meanwhile commands " 'Engage in trade with these until I return." It is the story of the Ascension, isn't it? Our Lord says "I will be back" and then says "go to all nations" and the list of things goes on, preaching, baptizing, healing and so forth. Right? Is it not similar or the same? The 2nd coming, is coming. Will we live long enough to see it? Not even the angels know the answer. But the key is in remaining. A priest said in his homily that it is like the children left home and the parent says "do these things until I come back". If they are found doing so, they are blessed in themselves and by the parent. If they do not, they curse themselves and the parent can't do much but attempt to help. So, some do well to engage in trade. We already engage in trade, why not for our Lord? We already do business, why not our Father's business? We already invest in things, time, money, affections, why not invest in the Lord? I'll tell you why not, if not. It is because we do not care. Jesus said it: "His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do not want this man to be our king.'". Once again, the king thing. And now, the prophetic message stands true, to you, a prophet. Let us stand on guard. May I remind you we are living in the church militant. This morning, I read stories of how some Catholic churches are being lit up at night with red lights. In memorial of the martyrs. The last 100 years has been the bloodiest for Christians. And another headline of another famous actor slamming christianity and how we are lording over all with our morals. Yes, they want immorality, and they will kill for it. May I implore you, do not give in on this fight. Giving in is giving up. Giving in is letting the other side win. And there are only two sides, light and dark, yes or no. It will come up soon in our Revelation readings. Hot or cold. The lukewarm will be spit out. Only the Holy are in Heaven. You have what it takes inside. As I read the many reflections and readings before writing to you, a writing formed in my mind, let me share it with you:
"God keeps breaking your heart.
It hurts, but it won't come apart.
He takes another hit at it, to no avail,
nothing happens, will love prevail?
Why won't your heart break open and pour forth love?
Has it hardened to the core, what's it made of?
Why can't the God of all things make it open?
He can't. Its yours. And He's inside.
The heart breaks and cracks and hurts, because it is hard.
If it were soft it wouldn't hurt, at least not as much.
If you let what is inside come out, it would soften the shell.
But as it stands, life isn't heaven, it is more like hell.
And that shell must break and give way or forever be locked,
and the seed can never grow and could one day die in your life." My dearest faithful friend in Christ, our Lord poured and dripped every last ounce of what was inside, His heart. The first to die and every martyr there after. Thanksgiving is coming. Fighting families can't unite. Individuals can not bring themselves to break themselves open as Christ, so they suffer hell. Even "good" people. A saint may suffer physical pain, but not spiritual. The church militant holds strong until the end of time. The 2nd coming. The meek shall inherit the world. Jesus comes triumphant. Love wins. May I serve you this promise from Him, and will you rejoice in it? And rejoice in Him.
May you be found engaged, not only in trade, but in battle. The battle of humility. May you be found giving fruit for the one who demands of it. What an honor! As it stands, we are being despised for saying unborn lives matter. We are despised for saying marriage is only for a man and a woman. We are being despised for calling out the cheaters. We are being despised for speaking the truth. We are despised for living the truth. What an honor! Out of the darkness a little life peeps its head...hope.
A 9th grader is pregnant in our little hometown. The whole world tells the girl to kill it, have an abortion, throw it away. She visits our life center, she hears the heartbeat and says "it's mine!" she is keeping the baby. She will bear fruit among the darkness.
Who must pay for your sin? Jesus. He pays with mercy. He pours Himself out in sheer love. You can choose love and life too. When you are merciful, you choose life. Be not hateful. Be careful. Be hopeful. Be grateful. Indeed, Eucharist is thanksgiving. It is Jesus on the altar in the Sanctuary..... | |
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