 clickable | | Discernment Is Not Checking Boxes But no matter what we do or don't do, no matter if we get it "right" or "wrong," no matter if we figure out what we're "going to do with our lives" or take every moment in stride, God will be there at our side guiding our path. Our goal in discernment is not to answer all of the big questions once and for all, to check boxes off a list and cast them—and God— aside until we have another question; our goal is to journey with God, to be constantly listening for the call that he has for us, the call to be a disciple of his Son in today's world. Our goal, above all else, is to live in the moment with God. —from the book Called: What Happens after Saying Yes to God Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down."
— St. Gianna Molla † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"God gives prayer growth precisely according to our degree of readiness for it. He forces no one. According as we are more or less receptive, He bestows more or less depth of communion. In the same manner, five hundred people in a parish church all hear the same sound waves during the homily, but they profit from it exactly as they are or are not disposed for the message. Jesus taught the same truth in his parable of the sower: from the word of God some hearers yield nothing at all, while others yield thirty or sixty or a hundredfold."
— Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 114
AN EXCERPT FROM
Fire Within † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
Proverbs 9:10 |  click to read more | | Saint Bernardine of Siena (September 8, 1380 – May 20, 1444) Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world. He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis of Assisi's admonition to preach about "vice and virtue, punishment and glory." Compared with Saint Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary. When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt whose parents had died when he was a child, and at her death began to fast and pray to know God's will for him. Support the Friars! At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town. Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek—in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions: for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines. The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine's holiness, orthodoxy, and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness. General of the Friars of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Franciscan Order, Bernardine strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.
Reflection Another dynamic saint once said, "…I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you…. I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes" (2 Corinthians 12:14). There is danger that we see only the whirlwind of activity in the Bernardines of faith—taking care of the sick, preaching, studying, administering, always driving—and forget the source of their energy. We should not say that Bernardine could have been a great contemplative if he had had the chance. He had the chance, every day, and he took it.
Saint Bernardine of Siena is the Patron Saint of: Advertising
Gambling
Italy
Public relations | Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 14:5-18 There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News. At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet."
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
"The gods have come down to us in human form."
They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes,"
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice. The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
"Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts."
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them. Responsorial Psalm Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16 R.(1ab) Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or: R. Alleluia.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:26 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 14:21-26 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
"Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you." | Meditation: John 14:21-26 Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest (Optional Memorial) He will . . . remind you of all that I told you. (John 14:26) Have you ever visited a national monument or museum? These structures and exhibits are there for a reason: to remind us. They might commemorate the work of great inventors or heroic leaders, the service of veterans, or historic movements. But more than that, they embody a country's character, dreams, and aspirations. Scripture tells us that Israel built monuments too. When the people crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land, God told them to set up twelve memorial stones (Joshua 4). He knew that they would need a reminder of the miracles that brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness into safety. We do something similar. Statues, rosaries, mosaics, and stained glass windows in our churches and cathedrals are physical reminders of God's work in our spiritual history. They remind us of God's faithfulness, and they help us to stay faithful. As baptized Christians, though, we have something even more powerful than physical monuments. We have the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised would be our own personal reminder of all that he had said and done. God knows that when life gets tough, we might need a reminder of his great love. Or we might make a big mistake and need the reassurance of his forgiveness, not just once, but many times. In moments like these, the Holy Spirit is there to comfort us and redirect us. How does he do this? Well, his reminders don't usually come as a thundering voice in the heavens. More often, they come in very quiet and simple ways—through a comforting Scripture passage that you hear at Mass, through a favorite hymn, or through a hug from a friend that assures you of how much Jesus cares for you. Any time you feel a nudge to remember what God has done in your life, it is probably the Spirit offering you his grace, power, and comfort. Today let's thank the Holy Spirit for being our faithful reminder. Let's thank him that his reminders are more than thoughts that come to mind. They also carry fresh grace to help us move forward. We can depend on God's love and mercy, no matter what. "Holy Spirit, be my reminder. Help me to remember all that Jesus has done for me." Acts 14:5-18
Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16 |  clickable | Virtue is critical to a happy life because it makes us truly free, not a slave to the impulse of the moment. Virtue is peak performance of all our abilities. A virtuous man functions at his highest, in the way he was meant to function. He is a man of integrity, in the sense that he is integrated. His mind, body, and soul fit together in an integrated whole.
—Sam Guzman
from The Catholic Gentleman | 2cents: "Stand up straight on your feet." And the crippled man stood up. We had a worker fall and I attempted to help him get up. The only way he'd get up was with an ambulance and the ambulance people forced him to get up on his side and then bounce all the way to the hospital. I know this for experience, the ride is super rough when you are broken. Thanks be to God he was ok, no broke bones. But I had given him my hand with faith to get up, but I don't think he saw the same in me. It takes two and three in faith, me, you, and our Lord. In unison, mountains move and people are amazed. | We pray today: "Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy, because of your truth. Why should the pagans say, "Where is their God?" When I see things that I have been a part of, let's say, a miracle, or a conversion, or both, I look back and think "wait, that wasn't me, it was the Lord!" I had nothing to do with it, but they say I do, and thank me for it, but it is not me, remember, it takes two, then three, you the Lord, and me! | Our Lord reminds us today ""Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." Whoever does not, does not...love Him. Does this mean that when you sin you do not love Him? It could be if you are persistent and just will not repent! But God knows more and better. If your child messes up, do you stop loving them? Of course not! But if they are persistent, and hate you, and steal from you and are abusing you and others, do you still want them in the house, as they destroy your house? You would probably reconsider. That's how our sin can destroy, bonds, relationships...hearts. Think Heaven. By far the worst about me is what comes spewing out of my mouth and I thought, how can I stop me ever saying anything negative? I thought, "the only way is if I purify my thoughts and my heart, the only good will spew out of my mouth!", now comes the tough part...purification....working on true love and sacrifice...putting others first and me...last |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Galatians 5:16-17 (Listen) 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Thank You Jesus | |
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