Hearing the Voice of God Among all the voices that surround and beckon us, we need to discern the unique cadence of God's voice. And we have a number of principles that come to us from Jesus, from Scripture, and from the deep wells of our Christian tradition that can help us discern God's voice among the multitude of voices that beckon us: The voice of God is recognized both in whispers, and in thunder and in storm. The voice of God is recognized in the call to what's higher and invites us to holiness, even as it is recognized in the call to humility. The voice of God is the one that most challenges and stretches us, even as it is the only voice that ultimately soothes and comforts us. The voice of God always invites us to live beyond all fear, even as it inspires holy fear. The voice of God is always heard wherever there is genuine enjoyment and gratitude, even as it asks us to deny ourselves and die to ourselves. —from Prayer: Our Deepest Longing | †Quote
"In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."
– St. Boniface † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"What is time, with regard to myself? It is my present and actual existence. Past time, or my past existence, is no longer anything, as far as I am concerned; I can neither recall it, nor change anything in it. The time to come, or my future existence, has not yet arrived, and perhaps never will arrive. I does not depend on me; I cannot count on it ... No one is ignorant of these two simple truths, but very few draw from them the conclusions they ought to draw ... This present moment, or this actual existence—from whom do I hold it? It is He who has preserved my existence from one instant to another, and who is preserving it at this present moment. Will He preserve it for me in the moment that shall immediately follow this one? I do not know; and nothing in the world can give me the assurance of it. Why has time been given to me? So that by it I may merit a happy eternity. I shall live forever: faith teaches me this; my reason even assures me of another life. The desire of immortality is implanted in the depths of my heart, and this desire, which God Himself has planted there, can never be frustrated of its object. I am, then, born for eternity, but this eternity will be happy or wretched ... My fate for all eternity depends, then, on the use I make of time, and since neither the past nor the future is in my own power, it is quite true to say that my eternity depends always on the present moment. Now, at this present moment, what is my state? Would I like to die just as I am now?"
— Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou, p. 82-83
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Spiritual Life † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 |  click to read more | | Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska (May 16, 1825 – October 10, 1899) Today we honor a woman who submitted to God's will throughout her life—a life filled with pain and suffering. Born in 1825 in central Poland and baptized Sophia, she contracted tuberculosis as a young girl. The forced period of convalescence gave her ample time for reflection. Sophia felt called to serve God by working with the poor, including street children and the elderly homeless in Warsaw's slums. In time, her cousin joined her in the work. In 1855, the two women made private vows and consecrated themselves to the Blessed Mother. New followers joined them. Within two years, they formed a new congregation, which came to be known as the Felician Sisters. As their numbers grew, so did their work, and so did the pressures on Mother Angela (the new name Sophia took in religious life). Mother Angela served as superior for many years until ill health forced her to resign at the age of 44. She watched the order grow and expand, including missions to the United States among the sons and daughters of Polish immigrants. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993. Her Liturgical Feast Day is October 10.
Reflection Like Saints Francis of Assisi and Ignatius of Antioch, Blessed Mary Angela experienced a conversion while convalescing from an illness. The Lord can use sickness as well as other situations to speak to the heart of an individual. This does not imply that God caused the illness; just that he used the opportunity to speak to Blessed Angela's heart. | Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Heb 10:11-18 Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever
those who are being consecrated.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
"I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds," he also says: Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin. Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 4:1-20 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven." Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
| Meditation: Mark 4:1-20 3rd Week in Ordinary Time The sower sows the word. (Mark 4:14) Perhaps when you read or hear this parable, you focus on the different kinds of soils or the environments, in which the seeds fall. Maybe you wonder which one of these soils best fits you, and you hope that you are like the good soil that produces abundantly. But how about seeing yourself as the sower instead? Maybe it's worth considering how you are doing in the call to sow the word of God into the people around you. If there is one word that characterizes the sower in this parable, it is generous. This fellow spreads his seeds everywhere! He doesn't seem all that concerned about where the seed will fall. He just casts it to and fro. Isn't this a great image for how we should view evangelization? Shouldn't we be generous, almost indiscriminate, in the way we share God's word and his promises? We don't have to worry about where the seeds may fall or the "soil quality" of the people with whom we share the word. It shouldn't matter whether we think the ground is too hard, too weedy, too thorny, or just right. It's the Lord who gives the growth, not us (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). All we have to worry about is imitating the generosity of the sower. Think for a moment how many other seeds the devil, the world, and the flesh are sowing. There's nothing stingy in their tactics. Shouldn't we counter all these poisonous seeds with the seeds of the gospel? The need is great, so don't be intimidated. And by all means, don't feel outnumbered or defeated. God has promised to be with you always as you spread his word. So how are you going to sow today? What opportunities will you seize to spread the seeds of the gospel? They're all around. Keep your eyes open, and ask the Lord to help you see ways you can creatively witness to his love. Who knows? He may even give you brothers and sisters in Christ who are just as zealous as you to proclaim the word in season and out! "Jesus, make me a generous sower of your word. Fill me with zeal and courage to spread your seeds all over the world!" Hebrews 10:11-18
Psalm 110:1-4 | 2cents:
In today's 1st Holy Scripture we read, and our Lord said:
"I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,"
He didn't abolish the old but made everything new. Think of a caterpillar and the cocoon, and then it is a butterfly, is it different or is it the same little guy? Now, think Eucharist, is it any different as it changes form? Is it the same. Jesus put all the laws in our hearts. We will be judged by those baptized laws, ultimately in love. | Let us pray today: "The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
In the world, it is obvious who has the Lord as their Lord and savior and it is obvious those who do not. Those who do not practice His law in their heart, they do not carry the Lord. What happens to a person who takes our Lord in the Eucharist and then lashes out at another soul? What happened to our Lord? Did He disappear? What happens when crumbs fall to the floor? Do not the dogs deserve crumbs? No my beloved, it happens that we keep the Lord from growing, that's all, and to our own detriment. | In today's Gospel, our Lord was crowded again, so He got on a boat to scatter seed with His gospel parable of a sower. "Hear this! A sower went out to sow." Hear it. The seeds are coming. In the reflection we read that we are to be the sowers. Always, without discrimination, without judging, just keep sowing, just keep sowing, just keep...going. Who in the world asked you to give up? Now, hear this: His word is not for just those you talk to, it is for you too buddy! LOL. So often we read scriptures and we be all like "man! I wish so and so would hear this, THEY need this"...not me. Point the finger, Mr. or Mrs. Scripture Deflector! You shall not. When a word is being applied, it is for your eyes only, your ears only, your heart only, your soul too at that time for it to take root.
Before you go blabbering how someone needs to shape up, you shape up first, take that log out of your eye, because so often we don't see things right.
At my office, we have a surveillance camera system, have had it for years now. A few times I've been asked to verify some things, someone stealing often being blamed of stealing, or someone not clocking in, I even had a hired safety man say our guys stole his computer after our meeting. I'll tell you, more often than not, the accusations are false. We are so quick to judge and jump to conclusions. The cameras showed that safety guy actually drove off with his computer on the back of the truck and lost it down the road. So, you. You with all your accusations and finding fault in others, aren't you to take today's words to heart? I know I'm tired of finding faults in others.
Jesus sows the Word right now.
In Mass.
In fellow people you run into.
Jesus speaks.
I've made a new CD of inspirational songs, I give them away. This week, I left one for someone on their desk, and later (yesterday) I asked "did you get the CD?" and they said "yeah, I took it right back to you, I'm not going to listen to it, that's not my kind of thing".
Later they asked that I not be offended etc.
I wasn't offended. I'm actually quite used to it. Not everybody likes my music, nor what I say, nor what I write, and in this case, it wasn't about me, it was their beliefs are not like mine, not Christian or whatever. But I keep sowing, this is all I got! This is all my heart being poured out. I have been working on our Church building (plans and fundraising) for about 10 years. We done a survey last week and then I gave the church the results of the survey and we had a discussion after Mass. Some people walked out. Some guy threw his hands in the air and walked out. Another questioned why we are even building if nobody even hardly comes. And truly, I feel like big dumb Noah building an Ark in the dry season. Little doubts come in "why am I doing this again?" Oh yeah, because God is speaking, and we need classrooms and a new kitchen and more room for when we get together and our church is getting old and in need of repairs, yeah, that's why.
So, the seeds are scattered, sometimes rejected. Some are onboard for a while, then they get off when things get rocky. Some eventually give all their focus to something else, don't care. But some will stick with it, and some will be extremely helpful and therefore fruitful.
So join me. Join Jesus. So often these parables are of Jesus and you. Be the sower and be the soil. Just be what God wants you to be....His, all His. Ask yourself: "How can I be fruitful without Him?"
I'm encountering a world that wants to be faithless.
But I'm encountering too, a world that wants to know faith.
There are different soils in different stages. The lava rock is extremely hard and course, blackened, but give it time and it becomes the most fertile of soils. But some soils get worn, lose nutrients and no longer give fruit. These soils need Jesus. Some need time, but always will need seed for that right moment to take root. Jesus provides seed. Grace. Always.
Watch what happens when Grace enters the life.... |  click to hear a verse for today | adrian If you would like a CD, reply with your address to mail one.
Otherwise feel free to listen and pray online: https://soundcloud.com/adriangonzales-music | |
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