 clickable | | Our Deepest Desires Link Us to the Divine St. Catherine underlines the inviolability of human freedom, a creative counterpoint to God's providence. God says to her: "I created you without your help, but I will not save you without your help." For Catherine, God may test humanity, provoke growth with suffering, and even permit the devil to tempt souls. But God never violates or coerces human free will—an arena that is off-limits to the devil as well. Participation in the incarnation is not automatic but depends on our desires. Catherine warns against purely external and superficial engagement with God. She encourages her followers to attend to their deepest desires because it is precisely these authentic desires within their hearts that make possible the link between the human and the divine. —from Accidental Theologians: Four Women Who Shaped Christianity by Elizabeth Dreyer |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"Commitment is doing what you said you would do, after the feeling you said it in has passed."
— St. Camillus † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The soul, who is lifted by a very great and yearning desire for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, begins by exercising herself, for a certain space of time, in the ordinary virtues, remaining in the cell of self-knowledge, in order to know better the goodness of God towards her. This she does because knowledge must precede love, and only when she has attained love, can she strive to follow and to clothe herself with the truth. But, in no way, does the creature receive such a taste of the truth, or so brilliant a light therefrom, as by means of humble and continuous prayer, founded on knowledge of herself and of God; because prayer, exercising her in the above way, unites with God the soul that follows the footprints of Christ Crucified, and thus, by desire and affection, and union of love, makes her another Himself."
— St. Catherine of Siena, p.1
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 6:14-15 SAINT OF THE DAY |  click to read more | | POPE SAINT PIUS V Pope St. Pius V (1504–1572) was born as Antonio Ghislieri to a poor yet noble family in Bosco, Italy. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14, after which he joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy, spent long hours in prayer, and fasted regularly. Due to his great intelligence and reputation for holiness he rose to a number of prominent positions in the Church, including Inquisitor and Bishop. In 1565 he was elected Pope and took the name Pope Pius V. As Supreme Pontiff he was a great reformer and worked to implement the decisions of the Council of Trent following the Protestant revolt. He reformed the clergy, supported the foreign missions, published a catechism, revised the breviary and missal, and named St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church. In his alliance with Venice and Spain, and with the aid of a rosary crusade among the faithful, he defeated the Ottoman Turks in the famous and decisive Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean sea on October 7, 1571. This miraculous victory saved Europe from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The Holy Father afterwards instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory (now Our Lady of the Rosary) in thanksgiving to Our Lady for leading the Christian forces to victory, and to encourage a greater devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout the universal Church. For this he is known as the "Pope of the Rosary." His feast day is April 30th. | More...
Saint Pius V This is the pope whose job it was to implement the historic Council of Trent. If we think popes had difficulties in implementing Vatican Council II, Pius V had even greater problems after Trent four centuries earlier. During his papacy (1566-1572), Pius V was faced with the almost overwhelming responsibility of getting a shattered and scattered Church back on its feet. The family of God had been shaken by corruption, by the Reformation, by the constant threat of Turkish invasion, and by the bloody bickering of the young nation-states. In 1545, a previous pope convened the Council of Trent in an attempt to deal with all these pressing problems. Off and on over 18 years, the Fathers of the Church discussed, condemned, affirmed, and decided upon a course of action. The Council closed in 1563. Pius V was elected in 1566 and charged with the task of implementing the sweeping reforms called for by the Council. He ordered the founding of seminaries for the proper training of priests. He published a new missal, a new breviary, a new catechism, and established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes for the young. Pius zealously enforced legislation against abuses in the Church. He patiently served the sick and the poor by building hospitals, providing food for the hungry, and giving money customarily used for the papal banquets to poor Roman converts. His decision to keep wearing his Dominican habit led to the custom–to this day–of the pope wearing a white cassock. In striving to reform both Church and state, Pius encountered vehement opposition from England's Queen Elizabeth and the Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Problems in France and in the Netherlands also hindered Pius's hopes for a Europe united against the Turks. Only at the last minute was he able to organize a fleet which won a decisive victory in the Gulf of Lepanto, off Greece, on October 7, 1571. Pius's ceaseless papal quest for a renewal of the Church was grounded in his personal life as a Dominican friar. He spent long hours with his God in prayer, fasted rigorously, deprived himself of many customary papal luxuries, and faithfully observed the spirit of the Dominican Rule that he had professed.
Reflection In their personal lives and in their actions as popes, Saint Pius V and Blessed Paul VI both led the family of God in the process of interiorizing and implementing the new birth called for by the Spirit in major Councils. With zeal and patience, Pius and Paul pursued the changes urged by the Council Fathers. Like Pius and Paul, we too are called to constant change of heart and life.** | Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 4:32-37 The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated Ason of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles. Responsorial Psalm Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R.(1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 3:14-15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 3:7b-15 Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." | Meditation: Acts 4:32-37 Saint Pius V, Pope (Optional Memorial) The community of believers was of one heart and mind. (Acts 4:32) Why did the early Christians decide to share all that they had with one another? The short answer is the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, the followers of Jesus decided to place everything in common—property, possessions, and money—so that no one would suffer from lack. Motivated by love, they wanted to make sure that personal possessions posed no stumbling blocks to their unity. God wants us to live in unity as well—in unity with our spouses, in our families, and in our parishes. We know that this can be hard to attain, even when we earnestly desire it. It can be so easy, even if we don't intend it, to place our needs and wants above other people's or to see things only from our own perspective. That's why it's good to ask ourselves, Where can there be more unity in my life? Maybe an estranged relationship with an adult child or a coworker comes to mind. It could be that you have a gnawing issue in your marriage. Maybe you see divisions at work or among the people in your parish. Once you have settled on a situation, take a few moments to pray for unity. Even a simple prayer such as "Come, Holy Spirit; bring us together in unity" can make a difference. Then, quiet yourself and try to listen to what God may say to you. Maybe he'll encourage you to be more attentive to your spouse's concerns. He may give you a fresh perspective on a troubling relationship at work. He may even prompt you to do something to bring two parties together—over a meal or in a conversation. He is creative, so just try to be open! We probably aren't called to live the way the early Christians did, but we can still strive to have "one heart and mind" with one another (Acts 4:32). We will never achieve perfect unity in this life, but as we pray, the Spirit will give us a greater desire for it—and show us what we can do to help make it happen. "Holy Spirit, show me how I can be an instrument of unity in the lives of those around me." Psalm 93:1-2, 5
John 3:7-15 |  clickable | What feels best for you may not be best for the people around you. For that matter, it may not be good for you either. Someone with genuine self-esteem understands that self-fulfillment is not about self-satisfaction. Thus he is willing to deny his own desires for the sake of the future, for the sake of the people around him, and for the sake of his immortal soul.
—Fr. J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B.
from Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem |  clickable go see food for poor | | 2cents:
"The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own...". There is theology in these words...because it says they were of "one heart and mind". The body of Christ truly alive. When everyone surrendered, when everyone sacrificed, when everyone gave love as they were called. That is what I am praying for, that kind of renewal and metanoia, not Eutopia, but Metanoia, a complete change of heart and mind and soul of the body of Christ, in my family, my parish, in my community, and from there extend. | Let us pray: "The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength." I leave town on Tuesdays, I make a trip on purpose, to make Mass, and I was told today was going to just be a communion service. I go because in my town there is no daily Mass on Tuesday. This past weekend I heard they knew me as the "Tuesday Choir" for that parish daily Mass, because I take my guitar. Truth is, I'm not the choir, the elderly ladies there tell me what they are singing and I try to play and sing along. They just put a picture in their chapel, a picture of our Lord. I intended to take another picture to share. His clothing, His robe is lined with Gold accents, and in the light it really sparkles. But what is gold in Heaven? It is as if it were dirt on earth. When God is robed in splendor, He is robed with humus, humility, that what the world does not want to see. Remember, I'm on a journey to find humility, and now we've been revealed a significant truth. Would I travel the ends of the earth as the Queen from the south to find it? That would take significant effort. | Our Lord said today:
'You must be born from above.'
the man Nicodemus asks:
"'How can this happen?"
Then our Lord replies:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony." | Our Lord speaks of what He has seen and heard, and He has seen and heard things from Heaven itself.
Things like "you better forgive or else, you will not be forgiven."
Things like "the first shall be last and the last shall be first".
Things like "God does not look at outward appearances".
And things like "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".
I write to you, to attempt to give you an eye witness story, a testimony of a living faith. Someone attempting day in and day out to strive to reach our Lord with one hand, and the other to you.
I am the connection.
You are the connection.
And together we are what holds together the Body of Christ.
I need nourishment, a fruitful tree finds nourishment and grows roots towards that nourishment.
Once you tap into a nourishment, how can you let it go?
Once you have decided to follow Jesus, how can you turn back or away?
Tell me where or what are your fears, and I will tell you where to cast them.
Once the power of the Holy Spirit struck the people, they lived in a tight community. It wasn't large, at first. It was a tight nit family. What happens in the household is called economy. Now we deal with the economics of a family. The solution was in the giving. Everyone was to give.
Nowadays, this economy is flourishing in the people of God, but is suffering in the people having strayed from God. Am I talking about money? Funny, in a way, we are. But here, people are giving their lives to God. They are cashing in all their chips. They found the sacred pearl, they found the buried treasure. They know where it's at. They are all in. These are the "one percenters". They are people that are now fighting to be saints. They are people like you reading this today. They are people interested in the house of God and the house of Mercy. They are those who are willing to give what it takes and not afraid to lose tomorrow for the sake of the body of Christ.
Real love was their name, and they followed what they called...The Way |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Proverbs 16:12 (Listen) 12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for the throne is established by righteousness. Thank You Jesus | |
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