 clickable | | Come Home When we realize that the road we have been following may not be the one that is best for us, we must have the humility to admit that we have strayed, that we have been mistaken, that God knows better than we the life that will lead us to him. Nothing is more difficult than admitting that we have failed, that we have sinned. We feel haunted by the past. No matter how willing we are to do penance and suffer and take on the heavy burden of our guilt, in the end the greatest humility is accepting the role the Lord has written for us. All that the Lord asks is that we come home. We must accept our roles as daughters and sons and not refuse this great gift of love. We are all children of the Father, we have all sinned, but we are all welcome in our Father's house. We must live as a forgiving and as a forgiven people. —from the book The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis by Diane M. Houdek |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"We ought to speak, shout out against injustices, with confidence and without fear. We proclaim the principles of the Church, the reign of love, without forgetting that it is also a reign of justice."
— Blessed Miguel Pro † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"We've been taught that God did not make the world for no reason, but for the sake of the human race. As I said before, he takes pleasure in those who imitate his attributes, and is displeased with those who embrace what is worthless, whether in word or deed."
— St. Justin Martyr, p. 324
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers † VERSE OF THE DAY
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13 |  click to read more | | St. Nicholas Owen (d.1606) was born in England, the son of an Oxford carpenter. He became a carpenter himself, and joined the Jesuits as a lay brother during the era when Catholicism was outlawed in England. After serving jail time for defending the martyred St. Edmund Campion, Nicholas began working for and traveling with the Jesuits, staying in Catholic houses where he made repairs during the day and secretly constructed well-disguised 'priest-holes', or hiding places for hunted priests, during the night. He was so skilled at his craft that his priest holes saved hundreds of lives over his 20 years of work. While on a trip to London with a Jesuit priest they were betrayed by a household servant, captured, and tortured. After Nicholas' release he masterminded the priest's escape from the Tower of London. Years later, after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Nicholas was again a wanted man. He hid along with a priest in one of his priest holes, and although 100 men searched for them diligently, they were not discovered. After eight days of hiding without food, Nicholas left the hole disguised as a priest in order to protect the real priest who was still concealed. He was captured and tortured on the rack in the Tower of London. Day after day he refused to give up any information about the underground Catholic Church in England. He died a martyr after his entrails burst open. St. Nicholas Owen is one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. Father John Gerard wrote of him: "I verily think no man can be said to have done more good of all those who laboured in the English vineyard. He was the immediate occasion of saving the lives of many hundreds of persons, both ecclesiastical and secular." His feast day is March 22. Reflection- Nicholas was a clever builder and architect who used his skills to protect endangered priests. Without his help, hundreds of English Catholics would have been deprived of the sacraments. His gift for spotting unlikely places to hide priests was impressive, but more impressive was his habit of seeking support for his work in prayer and the Eucharist. If we follow his example, we may also discover surprising ways to put our skills to God's service. | Friday of the Second Week of Lent Reading 1 Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him. One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
"Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them." So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
"We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood," he continued,
"just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright."
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry. They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
"What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh."
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done. Verse Before the Gospel Jn 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. Gospel Mt 21:33-43, 45-46 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
| Meditation: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28 2nd Week of Lent Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons. (Genesis 37:3) Have you ever considered the similarities between the patriarch Joseph and Jesus? They're uncanny, really. Both were beloved by their father. Yet both were betrayed by those closest to them. Both were stripped of their robes, and both were sold for pieces of silver. Finally, both were miraculously raised from a pit so that God could rescue his people. The way that Joseph and Jesus' stories intertwine reminds us that God is a heavenly Author, and all of history is simply "his story." Of course, it's a story full of twists and turns, summits and plummets. But isn't there something beautiful about how, even in Genesis, God is looking forward to the gospel story? Joseph and Jesus also remind us that God is in control—not the rulers of this world. He doesn't get frustrated when people with evil plans show up and use deceit and violence to get their way. He just keeps working behind the scenes, retooling what was meant for evil and bringing about good in the end (Genesis 50:20). Often, when you imagine things couldn't get much darker for God's people, that's the moment when he suddenly delivers them. Think about how God was at work in Joseph's life. Joseph was betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Yet all the while, God was positioning Joseph to soar to the heights of political influence at Pharaoh's side. And consider how God used the cross of Christ, an instrument of death, to rescue us from sin and to raise us up into heaven itself. So what does all of this mean for you? Well, for one, it's comforting to know that God is never caught flat-footed by the evil that comes into your life. Even at your lowest points, he is still in control. He still reigns. It's often during those moments that he is working behind the scenes, preparing your deliverance. It also means that you can fully trust him. God does have a plan for you. Do you have any big decisions looming? Bring them before your heavenly Father. Do you feel like you're at a low point in your story? Keep running to God, and remember Joseph. Whatever happens, you can be sure that God's plan will stand firm forever. "Father, Lord over history, I entrust my life to you." Psalm 105:16-21
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 |  clickable | If you find yourself filled with anxiety, recall the many thorns that Jesus endured, and you will—and with greater calm—bear whatever annoyances may come from others, even serious headaches, and what is usually the most troublesome, the sharp thorns of calumny and slander.
—Thomas á Kempis
from On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists | 2cents:
"When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him." Have you ever felt hated? For your beliefs? Maybe for the color of your skin? I have. My dad recalled how when he was younger a barber told him to get out of the barber shop "we're not going to cut your hair here", so he and his brother had to leave. That was a few decades ago. But Joseph was hated by his own brothers. This week I felt hated by my own sister, and I am the only son. And this morning I felt hatred from another relative towards her. It is a vicious circle of hatred. When will it end? With who will it end? It falls on Jesus my friend. That's where it winds up. All this sin winds up in His face. All this hatred winds up as another strike, and endless onslaught on His precious body, for His Sacrifice is eternal. That is the brute force that happened to our Lord, due to rejection...that is our sin. Will we dare lift another finger against Him with our sin? They sold Joseph, for some cash. They sold out Jesus for some cash. "I would never do that" say our people, yet on the day they are invited they say "I have to work that day", and I say "but it is two months away!" I've even heard a "no" and then ask "when is the date?". Rejection my friend comes in many ways. And it culminates to a bitter hatred. Little by little we let things get worse. | Let us pray: " Remember the marvels the Lord has done. When the LORD called down a famine on the land and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave." That bitter rejection will end when someone remembers our Lord. And that someone could be you, today, and every day. Remember by giving thanks. Remember the goodness of the Lord. "Oh but I don't hate, I just don't want to talk to them, nor be around them". Remember Joseph's brothers that didn't even want to greet him? That is how it is with our Lord. Many don't want to come around, much less greet Him. Oh no, they don't "hate Him", or so we say. But we live otherwise? How? By living how we want to live and not as He says to live. This is where we are leading today. Remember. | In the Holy Gospel, we hear "...Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way." God sends servants and they are all treated the same. And then He sends His only Son saying "They will respect my son.' Do they wind up respecting Him? Do we? No (not always). They seized and killed Him. And don't think it happened once and for all, it is an ongoing dilemma. The unholy protestant thought will make you believe it's a one and done deal, but it is not. Our sins continue to hurt God. He created feelings. He created the heart, after His own image. He knows what is good and righteous, and He feels our pain. | The unholy protestant view is that we can't hurt Him. Is this fact or fiction? Truth or lie? I often write here, that we can not operate with feelings in ministry. It is more appropriate to operate with God's loving grace. Yet we are a dysfunctional people. God created us with a "reset" button. How do you hit it? Return, repent, reconcile. Be one with Him. The story of the "bad tenants" that were allowed the Kingdom (the vineyard) is the story of us all today. Not just the priests, not just the bishops or the Pope. So many times I have sit there and hear "the priest this....and the Bishop should come down here and .....the Pope is not doing what he ought". And I'm talking about obedience, respect, and honor, and doing our part. What does this also say? It says you are saying you know better. This is dangerous, because it is worse than an atheist. At least the atheist isn't in the vineyard calling themselves servants. We must be true servants tending the vineyard. If you borrow something, should you not take care of it more than if it is your own? In an honorable world you would. This is what I have been taught. I don't like to borrow things because I feel supremely obligated to treat it with utmost respect. But I borrow, and I worry. Our bodies are not ours even though the world says it is. The earth is not ours, even though we believe it is. This was an evil temptation our Lord faced in the desert. To be offered the world as you desire...for you to rule...and not God. Lies from evil itself. The story is not about "them people" but about us people. I am also tired of sitting in ministries hearing people complain about "the people". There are real life devils in the world, both poor and billionaires that are in to "control" the world. And the first target? The Holy Church. Christ. Remove God from school. From Government. And then see what happens. If my loved ones that are practicing hatred are a sign, I will tell you what it is...unfaithfulness to God leads to a hatred of neighbor. We have let those in the world tell us to be less faithful. This is the Antichrist: "If you surrender that, I will give you peace". "If you stop talking about God and pushing Him on us, we will not fight". The great silence ensues. And babies are slaughtered, but you must hush to have peace. No more warriors...true servants and prophets of our Lord. "Be silent about homosexual marriage" is now demanded of the Antichrist. And the church is called for the keys, to admit evil, that is...the keys to operate and run the place to the ground. Because without God, we run ourselves to the ground, dig ourselves into a hole. Let us hit the reset button before it is too late. When will we let God be God? When will I truly be susceptible and fully surrendered to Him? I can not answer that for you. I too am a fellow worker in the vineyard. Am I complaining? So many times at work I hear complaints about the boss, how he runs the place and how we are not allowed to control. That boss is my dad, literally my father. Same thing at church, people want control. There the boss is my Father, literally my TRUE FATHER and yours. Same thing everywhere. What's worse than those wanting control though? The devil of laziness. Acedia ensues as a byproduct. What is this "Noonday Devil" as the book says? What are the signs? It is Dr. Killjoy. A sign is "Loss of Joy". Another sign is "Lukewarmness of Comfort". And thirdly "Indifference toward the Nations, including Our Own". This is an infection we are facing today as a whole. How do we heal? You don't sit and let yourself rot, that's how. You turn to the Lord...you persevere. The story of the bad tenants wasn't a bad story, of how wretched people are, but a story of how Good God is. He gave everything...the world and His only Son....the most precious thing He could offer...His very heart |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse Generator:
AMAZING TODAY AGAIN
Hebrews 12:1-2 (Listen) 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Thank You Jesus | |
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