 clickable | | Following the Ways of Jesus Following the ways of Jesus: That was how Saint Francis and his brothers were to live their lives, and they would do it by being poor like Christ; by being men of the road like Jesus and his Apostles; by preaching God's word as Jesus did; by being brothers to one another, to others, and to all creatures; and by the penance of their lives, emptying themselves for love of him who had emptied himself for love of them. And all of it flowed in and out of prayer, the prayer of the mountain, sometimes in darkness, sometimes in light, but always clear in what it moved them to do once they left the mountain. —from the book Francis and Jesus by Murray Bodo, OFM |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place ... Love will be the whole syllabus."
— St. Robert Bellarmine † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Set free from human judgment, we should count as true only what God sees in us, what he knows, and what he judges. God does not judge as man does. Man sees only the countenance, only the exterior. God penetrates to the depths of our hearts. God does not change as man does. His judgment is in no way inconstant. He is the only one upon whom we should rely. How happy we are then, and how peaceful! We are no longer dazzled by appearances, or stirred up by opinions; we are united to the truth and depend upon it alone. I am praised, blamed, treated with indifference, disdained, ignored, or forgotten; none of this can touch me. I will be no less than I am. Men and women want to play at being a creator. They want to give me existence in their opinion, but this existence that they want to give me is nothingness. It is an illusion, a shadow, an appearance, that is, at bottom, nothingness. What is this shadow, always following me, behind me, at my side? Is it me, or something that belongs to me? No. Yet does not this shadow seem to move with me? No matter: it is not me. So it is with the judgements of men: they would follow me everywhere, paint me, sketch me, make me move according to their whim, and, in the end, give me some sort of existence ... but I am disabused of this error. I am content with a hidden life. How peaceful it is! Whether I truly live this Christian life of which St. Paul speaks, I do not know, nor can I know with certainty. But I hope that I do, and I trust in God's goodness to help me."
— Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, p. 99-101
AN EXCERPT FROM
Meditations for Lent †VERSE OF THE DAY
"For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil."
2 Corinthians 5:10 |  click to read more | | Lazarus (? – ?) Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was the one of whom the Jews said, "See how much he loved him." In their sight, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. A church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles, was martyred after making a number of converts, and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146. It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday.
Reflection Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don't share Lazarus' firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless, we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise us, too. | Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Reading 1 Dt 4:1, 5-9 Moses spoke to the people and said:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today? "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Verse Before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Mt 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
| Meditation: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 3rd Week of Lent Hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 4:1) The model for becoming physically healthy is more or less clear. Eat well—take in good nutrients, and avoid processed foods. And exercise—train your muscles and heart through regular activity. Of course, reality can be a little more complicated. And clear doesn't always mean easy! But at least understanding the theory is a good start. In today's first reading, we see another sort of model. It's a model for growing in spiritual health, built around reading the Scriptures. Here it is: "Hear . . . observe . . . live" (Deuteronomy 4:1). If we hear God's word and observe God's word, we will enjoy a richer spiritual life. Let's take a closer look at each of these. First, there's hearing God's word. There really isn't a substitute for reading the Bible every day. Just as we aim to feed our bodies with solid, healthy food, the word of God is like a meal for our spirit. It's best to read prayerfully, too. Ask the Holy Spirit to take the nutrients of God's word and build you up from the inside out. As you read, it may help to ask, "How is this passage revealing the Lord to me?" Then there's observing God's word—that means obeying it. Ask yourself, "In the light of this passage, what could I change about my life?" Just pick one thing, and try to apply it. It could be something like forgiving someone who hurt you. Or saying one encouraging thing to your spouse each day. Perhaps for today, you might simply commit to reading the Bible for a few minutes every day. Little by little, you'll be making changes; over time these will add up to become real transformation. Finally, live—this is a promise of blessing. It doesn't mean you won't face adversity or even sorrow. But it does mean that tough circumstances won't be able to stifle the growth of your inner life. And it means that as you make those little steps in patience, humility, and love, your relationships will become healthier, including your relationship with the Lord. "Lord, thank you for blessing me with your word." Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Matthew 5:17-19 |  clickable | God knows your sins far better than you do. You don't confess them to teach God anything new, you confess your sins so that God can show you something new: not only what you have done, but what Christ has done to set you free from your sins.
—DR. SCOTT HAHN
from Lord Have Mercy |  Click to see the Devotional Calendar | | 2cents:
The Word began "...hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live...".
And out comes the law of the Lord...for life. Eventually scripture says "choose life". | Let us pray: "Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them."
The Lord lays the law on those He chose. Do we choose to follow the Law we have been given...that is the question. And what are the laws of life? Let us turn to our Lord. | Our Lord says "I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." That is God's will. Fulfill His desires. They aren't laws, they are His desire for us. They aren't commands, they more than that. Commands are for tyrants. Like at our company safety meeting, today, I heard smirking remarks that were against our company (our family business). Wait a minute, aren't we here to learn how to be better...together? And as I was trying to write to you, someone said that I had called one of my students a prostitute. WOW. Devil the Liar is still at it. First with false accusations, then with lies about me and what I say. Why would I call one of my precious students a bad name? I pray for these kids just about every day, I did so at 5:30 this morning on my knees before the Blessed Sacrament. The devil with lies and doubts has us quarreling against one another. I see it all the time. People hate each other and quit because of it. BOY. Do we need the commands of the Lord now! | Our Lord continues: "...whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." And the 9th grader's mom reported it to another that told me. Her daughter is pregnant. And what I teach in class is to not have abortions. To be pure. To be holy. To be chaste. I asked the kids "who knows what chastity is? " NOBODY knew. The parents are not teaching them what I am teaching them. I ask if anyone has considered being a priest. NOBODY. I'm probably the only fool that has asked them to consider the religious life. Fool for Christ. I read somewhere yesterday that someone was predicting that religious convents would be extinct in the near future. Why, that's a pessimistic outlook, isn't it? Who is teaching our kids what? The parents? Yes. The internet? Yes. Their friends? Yes. What do I teach my students? To OBEY. To LOVE THE LAW OF THE LORD. And I almost want to cry for my students because I'm teaching them the impossible. Little elementary kids and middle school kids can't drive themselves to Church, and I tell them missing Mass is a MORTAL SIN. But the world is teaching otherwise. "Oh, it's not so bad, if...." and let the lies begin. And let the corrosion get worse. So what did I tell my students? Exactly what I tell you all the time. I told them that God can turn bad to good. We had been speaking of Rahab, a prostitute, and Moses the murderer, and how God used them to change history. I said we all have hope, let no sin keep us from God, being pregnant shouldnt' be a reason to keep us from God I said "I WANT THAT STUDENT BACK IN MY CLASS" I said emphatically, "I WANT THAT BABY IN THIS CHURCH" I want that blessing, nothing shall separate us from the love of God. NOTHING.. .. only you can separate yourself, and I hate separation. I was praying on my way to a liturgical meeting last night, "please God, let the meeting go smooth, I always see someone mad, yelling, causing division". And we had a good overall meeting. But there is always that hint of someone getting mad because why? They don't get things their way. And they wind up leaving.
So, about the law and us teaching.
Will it be God's way?
Or my way?
Rumors are good for nothing. I don't know what all was said to my student, because I only heard the bad. But God gave us 2 ears. One for the grace of God and the other for mercy.
Grace to endure...so listen.
And mercy to be ready to forgive on the spot for being accused of falsely, ready to forgive slander, ready to forgive the sinner, and let the truth speak.
This is now the 3rd time I'm being accused, and persecuted within one week.
I feel at times while I pray at the blessed Sacrament, like someone is waiting to strike me from behind. And then I hear about the priest being stabbed in the middle of Mass. Yes. It is like that. The devil hates with a disgusting vile what you are doing. And for crying out loud, it only means you are doing good. The devil doesn't bother all those couples shacked up and living in sin, practically prostituting themselves and desecrating the act of Matrimony. No. They seem so happy and at peace. This is a false illusion. Let us call sin out. Let us be truthful. Choose life. Choose the truth.
Jesus is the truth we need. Vocations don't seem to go up. Nuns are becoming extinct. In my parish, they became extinct many, many years ago (20-30 years?). We don't know what to do with their vacant house as its been waiting to house the next generation. Dark times call for light.
This is a calling out to you this day.
You are reading this, not to hear a cry baby, but to hear the lion in the desert.
Remember where we are on our journey.
Lent. Repent.
And God is calling us to Himself... |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian 1 Peter 3:10-11 (Listen) 10 For "Whoever desires to love life
and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it." Thank You Jesus | |
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