God Has Been There the Whole Time Was there a defining moment when Francis realized that it was God he was trying to love? And was it an experience like St. Augustine's in which he realized that God had been there all along loving him, though only now did he realize it? Whenever and whatever happened, Francis fell in love with the love who is Infinite Love, a love that made him cry out: "May the fiery and honey-sweet power of your love, O Lord, wean me from all things under heaven, so that I may die for love of your love, who deigned to die for love of my love." —from Surrounded by Love: Seven Teachings from Saint Francis | †Quote
"By reason of His immensity, God is present everywhere; but there are two places where He dwells in a particular manner. One is in the highest heavens, where He is present by that glory which He communicates to the blessed; the other is on earth—within the humble soul that loves Him."
— St Alphonsus Liguori † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ."
— St. Francis of Assisi, p. 333
AN EXCERPT FROM
Witness of the Saints † VERSE OF THE DAY
"To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble."
Proverbs 21:23 |  click to read more | | ST. BRIGID OF IRELAND St. Brigid of Ireland (451–525 A.D.), also known as St. Brigit of Kildare, was born to a pagan Irish chieftain and a Christian slave mother. Being the daughter of a slave woman, she also was a slave, and worked as a dairy maid. She became known for her virtuous life and her charity to the poor. Recognizing her great piety and special graces, a Christian king convinced her father to grant Brigid her freedom. Once free to follow her own course in life, St. Brigid refused marriage, consecrated herself to Christ, and became Ireland's first nun. She also formed Ireland's first convent at Kildare and became its abbess. She went on to found many other religious communities, as well as a School of Art famous for its metal working and illuminated manuscripts. St. Brigid was known for her extraordinary spirituality, even converting her father to the faith after he witnessed her fashioning the sign of the cross from strands of rushes. She was also a contemporary and friend of St. Patrick. When she died, her sisters kept a fire burning in an enclosure at her Kildare convent. This fire burned for centuries, tended by the sisters and not burning out until the 13th century. It was later re-lit and burned for 400 more years until the Protestant revolt. St. Brigid is the patroness of Ireland and many other causes, most notably of dairy and milk maids, chicken farmers, travelers, and sailors. Her feast day is February 1st. | Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Heb 10:32-39 Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. For, after just a brief moment,
he who is to come shall come;
he shall not delay.
But my just one shall live by faith,
and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him. We are not among those who draw back and perish,
but among those who have faith and will possess life. Responsorial Psalm Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,
for the hand of the LORD sustains him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Alleluia See Mt 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 4:26-34 Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come." He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
| Meditation: Hebrews 10:32-39 3rd Week in Ordinary Time Remember the days past. (Hebrews 10:32) Did you know that the Christian life is a lot like rowing a rowboat? Here's how. Anyone who has ever rowed a boat will tell you that it's a little confusing at first. You have to get used to keeping your destination behind you instead of in front of you as you work the oars. That's because our bodies have more muscle power concentrated in our back and shoulders than in the front. Thus, pulling is a more efficient motion than pushing. So you end up propelling yourself "backward" to get to where you want to go. What does this have to do with the life of faith? Today's first reading explains: "Remember the days past" (Hebrews 10:32). Recall times when you felt especially close to the Lord. Or think back to the days of the early Church or the joy of St. Francis or the humble commitment of Mother Teresa. Casting your mind back, recall how exciting life was, even if it included hardship. You didn't mind because Jesus was with you, and life was full of promise. In other words, the best way to grow in your faith is to look back at all the good things the Lord has done. Let these memories propel you forward through rough waters. Let the lessons from your past guide you as you encounter new challenges. Take the words of the saints who have gone before you as advice for the future that awaits you. And always—always—keep the ancient teachings and stories of Scripture in the forefront of your mind. At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, "Do this in memory of me" (Luke 22:19). Nearing the end of his life, St. Paul told Timothy, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead" (2 Timothy 2:8). St. Peter too promised that he will "always remind" us about Jesus and his love (2 Peter 1:12). So remember. Remember it all. Except the sin, that is. Even Jesus has forgotten that. "Lord, help me to keep looking back so that I can move closer to you." Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40
Mark 4:26-34 | 2cents:
"We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life."
Remember the wife of Lot in the bible? It was prophesied that the great cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be pummeled, fire and brimstone type of prophecy, and it did happen, and right before an angel had told Lot and God's chosen ones to flee and never look back. But. His wife did. She looked back. She stopped. She stopped running. Stopped looking ahead. And she perished. She became as if a pillar of salt. Salvation was unattainable yet had been made available. You are reading this for the words to enter: "Do not draw back now". Have faith and you shall have life. | "The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." Does this mean you will be delivered from physical harm? Probably not. But if you are harmed He comes. And helps. I'd say most people are under some type of stress and duress. This is when and where and how we need our Lord from Heaven. It boils back down to faith. Always has and always will. He delivers us from the wicked, sitting with wickedness, set apart, being kept Holy, and this is good, taking refuge in Him. | "This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land..." And then a second parable is presented by our Lord, "It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground...". Jesus is the seed. Amen? We are the ground, amen? We are humus..humans. Humus meaning dirt, amen? It is interesting that man is created from the crust of the earth. All the ingredients of a human being are found in dirt. From this, man was created. | God chose to infuse Himself in the dirt, make out of dirt a fashion of Himself, so He'd not be alone, He made a wife, and this means life. We were born. Seeds God's seed was put in, just like Blessed Mother Mary. The story of creation and the story of recreation has been unfolded before our very eyes with these "simple" parables. Not simple. Not easy to understand. How will you understand without the Holy Spirit. All those non-believers have simply no Holy Spirit unfolding what is being unfolded before your very eyes. Alas, God speaks. "(it) is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants". It goes to show how big things come from little things. For good or for bad. How did so much evil enter the world? With a little doubt. How did so much good enter the world? With a single Word. A breathe. A seed. And from the seeds we see the fruits. Just as Jesus said we would. So it goes to say, volumes, of your life. Every so called "little" thing you do and say is capable of being a big thing. For sure, they are in Heaven...binding. Every loose word, every bad thought, all are liable to judgement. Your judgement. There is one person you should really love in this world, yes Jesus, but yourself. Yes we try to take care of ourselves, we try to be good and all that, but, do you really love yourself enough to desire perfection, a perfect unity for and with God? I say this because, often, I look at my "neighbor" those whom I come in contact with throughout the day and I wonder "do I really care about these people?". Because if I did, I would desire Heaven for them. And I would truly strive in sincerity for their Heaven's sake. If I don't care, I'll just let them be. Permissiveness can kill. And this is the conclusion of my writing for you this day. Evil works simply with permissions. We allow evil to come in. We allow evil to exist. We allow it to enter our thoughts and therefore, actions. We let that "little" rumor in. We allow that little laziness to enter. We allow that little foul language. We allow faithlessness. We allow those naughty thoughts. We allow a little racial slur. We allow a little mockery and joke at the expense of others. We allow a little doubt in faith, the commencement of evil.
And so, little by little, that takes root. And out comes bad fruit if any at all.
But the inverse is true.
Allow a little Jesus sunshine on every situation.
Allow Him to enter the conversation when it begins to turn south.
Allow Him to give you strength when you are weak.
Allow Him to clean your mouth, the way you speak.
Allow Him to live in your heart so you no longer have bad thoughts.
Allow Him to speak well of others, even raising them above yourself.
Allow Him to work little by little.
Soon, you would have wedged a door opening, just open enough to enter into Heaven....when He enters your heart. |  an audible random bible verse | adrian | |
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