 clickable | | Indebted to God God of life, we are grateful for the many gifts that you have given to us. May we become prudent stewards of your many gifts and not thoughtlessly waste water, food, and other resources. May we respond to your Son's cry of thirst with lives of peacemaking and just action. We make his prayer in your name. Amen. —from The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering by Daniel P. Horan, OFM |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Quote
"When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the first rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases. He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Temptation to a certain sin, to any sin whatsoever, might last throughout our whole life, yet it can never make us displeasing to God's Majesty provided we do not take pleasure in it and give consent to it. You must have great courage in the midst of temptation. Never think yourself overcome as long as they are displeasing to you, keeping clearly in mind the difference between feeling temptation and consenting to it."
— St. Francis de Sales
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Fulfillment of All Desire † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified."
Romans 2:13 |  click to read more | | ST. EULOGIUS OF CORDOBA St. Eulogius of Cordoba (9th c.) was a priest from a prominent Christian family in Cordoba (Cordova), Spain. He was well-educated, humble, gentle, friendly, and a gifted leader with the charism of encouragement, especially towards Christians facing martyrdom. In his time Cordoba was the capital of the Muslim conquerors of Catholic Spain. The Muslim leaders allowed Christians to live in relative peace until a persecution arose when some of the Muslim population began converting to Christianity. They imprisoned the clergy, including Eulogius. While in prison Eulogius read the Bible to his companions and exhorted them to faithfulness in the face of martyrdom. He also wrote to two other young female converts who were facing threats, instructing them that no matter how terribly they were physically abused, it could not harm their souls, and that they must fight for their faith till death and leave God to defend his Church. St. Eulogius was released and later jailed again for hiding a young female convert who fled from her family in fear of her life. St. Eulogius' judge offered him escape if he would weaken the practice of his religion, but instead he preached the Gospel to the presiding court. He was immediately beheaded. St. Eulogius' feast day is March 11th. | Monday of the First Week of Lent Reading 1 Lv 19:1-2, 11-18 The LORD said to Moses,
"Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. "You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD. "You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD. "You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake.
I am the LORD. "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD." Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. Verse Before the Gospel 2 Cor 6:2b Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. Gospel Mt 25:31-46 Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
| Meditation: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. (Leviticus 19:2) Christianity is often viewed as a series of no-no's, and this passage has plenty of them. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't slander. It seems pretty clear and concrete. But notice that all these rules are "bookended" by holiness and love. These two words describe everything God had in mind when he gave us these laws. The call to holiness is based not only on what we avoid, but also—and sometimes even more importantly—on what we do. That's why the passage concludes with a reminder of what the Law is supposed to develop in us: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Isn't this the same thing that Jesus tells us—that the greatest commandment is to love God and our neighbor? How can this perspective affect the way you prepare for Easter? Lent might seem like a time to give things up. You've probably asked someone else the common question "What are you giving up for Lent?" And surely, at least one other person has asked you as well. But don't stop there. As we have already mentioned in previous meditations, Lent is a wonderful season to fast from negative habits like gossip and overeating. But it's also the perfect time to take one or two positive steps that will help you grow in holiness. So look again at your Lenten resolutions. Choose one area of sin or temptation you are trying to overcome, and decide how you can also practice the opposite virtue. If you tend to dwell on negative thoughts about a coworker, stop and think of one good quality this person has, and thank God for it. If you are fighting laziness, choose one project around the house that has been languishing, and make a plan for how you will tackle it. Instead of nursing a grudge against someone, add that person to your prayer list, and intercede for him or her every day. Jesus wants you to become holy and loving. But don't think it all depends on you. He has given you a share in his own holiness and love. He can give you everything you need. "Lord, help me to grow in holiness and love this Lent." Psalm 19:8-10, 15
Matthew 25:31-46 |  clickable | St. Therese wrote that prayer is above all 'a surge of the heart toward God.' That doesn' t mean that we should never use words to pray, but it does mean that true prayer is always an expression of personal relationship in which your heart reaches toward the heart of God.
—Vinny Flynn
from Mass & Adoration Companion |  Food For The Poor (clickable) | | 2cents:
God spoke: ""Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy."
YIKES!! How's that for a message nowadays! Be HOLY. I told my 9th graders "here in my class, you are going to hear some strange things that you don't hear in your normal world or even at home, things like 'being religious is OK', things like "being holy", or to "consider a vocation with God". Today, our Lord tells us very clearly, Be Holy For GOD IS HOLY. But the world tells you "you don't really have to" be Holy. Jesus entered thousands of years after God Spoke "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." YIKES! But the world teaches that you "don't have to be" perfect, nor holy, nor anything else God asks. But here, I stand on His behalf, you may be holy and perfect. For our Lord spoke "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." For that, let us continue on our journey towards holiness and perfection. | Let us pray: "Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple." What we must recall is when Moses received the law from God, it wasn't just a quick experience. He had been fasting for 40 days and nights, not eating nor drinking. Moses was perhaps about to die. Moses was in deep and great prayer for God's will to manifest, for God to speak direction, for our Lord to help on the next leg of the journey. He sought the Word. Moses received the Words of spirit and life. God said:
"You shall not steal." Stealing is an injustice, unless the oppressor is the thief. Think evil. Think of the greater good for our Lord and life. We made a video at our parish retreat. The "Catholic Grinch" was the title, and in the video, the Grinch winds up taking money from the basket rather than putting in. That is to show how we can go to Mass trying to take, instead of giving...thanks. You can view and share the video made with my cellphone and some software here .
"You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another." These matters have grave effects. Words can bring life, or they can kill. Empty words mean nothing too...think of your life and authority for our Lord.
"You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD." For the Lord is most Holy, above all names and loves. | In comes our Lord "He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father." Who will separate the goats and the sheep? Jesus will be the judge. Just as He was judging on earth. He called many Pharisees and scribes hypocrites. He knew when someone was two face person. And he loved the sincere. He loved the ones that were true. For this reason He said "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you." Why do they enter first? Because, their yes becomes a real yes. What happens after 40 days? Jesus is condemned. Jesus is arrested. Jesus is tortured. And Jesus dies. And 3 days later He raises from the dead. That's the new law Jesus commands of us. Ash Wednesday was the kicker to death and to life....with Him. Have you entered into this slow death like Moses? For your people? Do you love them as yourself? Do you love yourself enough to die for the greater good? Would you die then...for the ultimate good? That is the question. I asked the RCIA student yesterday to explain to me what God's will is. He said it was the burdens we carry. I wanted to hear more. The answer left me hungry and thirsty for more. Yes, burdens, but more. Carry GOD's burdens. His will. That is what His will looks like from afar...it's shaped like a letter T, the Cross. That's what God's will looks like. So the mission is great. The cross is the reward and what is necessary to enter Heaven. Sheep gather. Goats scatter. Goats get into things they should not, all the time. Sheep meat is a delicacy, and goat meat, well, you have know how to prepare it to be edible. What God wants, most don't really want to know. In the movie we made about the Catholic Grinch, you will notice that much focus is paid on Him, and Jesus flashes. And He basically misses it, walks out, and fails to gather and be one with the flock. What God wills we fail to see. Because we fail to see His will, we fail to see the cross. What do I mean? For today's mission, we are introduced a thought: "take care of a brother or sister in need today". That there is a tall order. First of all, do you know of someone in need today? The naked? The poor? The homeless? The sick? How can I do that today? Well, truthfully, this shouldn't just be today! It should be a way of life. Tending to the needy. That way when you approach Jesus upon death, He will know you. Because you went to see Him and care for Him, every single day. Mother Teresa had it right. She told an interviewer as she explained the source of her spirituality, she took his hand, and "Touching his fingers one by one as she spoke the words, she said, "You did it to me."
Bishop Barron said at the end today:
"Reflect: Identify a needy person in your life, whether that need is a physical or spiritual one. What can you do in the next week for that person?" |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse
Romans 8:38-39 (Listen) 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You Jesus | |
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