 clickable | | Where Are You? An important step in the spiritual life is simply to answer God's question. God, who created you in love, who knows everything about you, is asking you, Where are you? This is not a question asked by an angry God. An angry God wouldn't care. It is important that we see this question for what it is. By asking such a question, God is out to expose you. Not so that he can show you everything that is wrong with you, or even everything that is right, but simply because God wants to be with you where you are, and whether we know it or not: God's already there. —from the book Already There: Letting God Find You, by Mark Mossa, SJ |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"At the end of our life we shall be judged by charity."
— St. Paul of the Cross † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"How great is the sweetness which a soul experiences, when, in the time of prayer, God, by a ray of his own light, shows to her his goodness and his mercies towards her, and particularly the love which Jesus Christ has borne to her in his passion! She feels her heart melting, and, as it were, dissolved through love. But in this life we do not see God as he really is: we see him, as it were, in the dark. 'We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face' (1 Cor. 13:12). Here below God is hidden from our view; we can see him only with the eyes of faith: how great shall be our happiness when the veil shall be raised, and we shall be permitted to behold God face to face! We shall then see his beauty, his greatness, his perfection, his amiableness, and his immense love for our souls."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 133
AN EXCERPT FROM
Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 2:3-5 |  click to read more | | Saint Boniface (c. 675 – June 5, 754) Boniface, known as the apostle of the Germans, was an English Benedictine monk who gave up being elected abbot to devote his life to the conversion of the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics stand out: his Christian orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome. How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions Boniface found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordinations were questionable. These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful. In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops' elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control. During a final mission to the Frisians, Boniface and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for confirmation. In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, Boniface had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent, where he introduced the Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
Reflection Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.
Saint Boniface is the Patron Saint of: Germany | Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr Reading 1 Acts 20:28-38 At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
"Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship. Responsorial Psalm Ps 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab R.(33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
R. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
"Confess the power of God!"
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia. Allelluia See Jn 17:17b, 17a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 17:11b-19 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
"Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth." | Meditation: John 17:11-19 Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Memorial) As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. (John 17:18) We all know what it's like to let go of someone. Time marches on, situations change, and someone must move away—or is called home by the Lord. Transitions like these can be hard. They can upset the balance in our lives and introduce an element of uncertainty and apprehension. Jesus knows what it's like to let go. He knows how hard it can be. In today's Gospel reading, for example, he is letting go of his disciples. He is letting them move into a new phase of life, a phase in which they must build on what he has taught them but without him standing right by their side. And because Jesus knows what it's like, we can trust him to help us through our own transitions. For example, dropping a child off for his first day at school might be fraught with anxiety. You might wonder if your child is ready to go out into the big world without you; you might treasure the preschool days and not want to see them end. But you can turn to Jesus and pray, Lord, you've helped me so far. I trust that you will help me adapt to this new situation. Help me let go of my child so that he can grow. Retiring from a job can also be difficult. Maybe you've been working for so long that you're reluctant to allow someone else to step into your role. But you can thank God for all you've accomplished and pray, Lord, help me to step aside. Help me to trust that you will work everything out for the good—for both my employer and me. Watching a loved one decline in health is heart wrenching. Your lives have been intertwined for so long that it's hard to accept that her time on earth is approaching its end. When letting go feels like it's tearing you apart, pray, Lord, help me surrender my beloved into your arms. I believe that you love her more than I do, and you will not forsake us. As you approach your own transitions, remember, Jesus knows what you're going through. Ask him for the grace to let go so that you and your loved one can walk unencumbered into the new life that lies ahead. "Jesus, increase my trust in you!" Acts 20:28-38
Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36 |  clickable | The follower of Christ does hear a music which does not reach the ears of other men; he is bound to be out of step with them, for they are out of step with it. But in our world we must listen to that music with unflagging attention—partly that it may not be drowned out of our own ears by all the tom-toms of chaos, partly that others may begin to catch from us first some hint of the rhythm, then some hint of the tune.
—Frank Sheed
from Knowing God | my2cents:
"When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. And then, they all cried and said goodbye. Can you imagine saying goodbye forever to someone? Perhaps a sick person, or someone on death roll. One of the cursillo talks has the story of the cursillo founder talking to a prisoner on death roll. It is a story of conversion. Of repentance. It is actually a good story, and why? Because it is of Jesus and Dismas, the good thief, the very story of a sinner and our Savior, everyone's story now. | Let us pray: "Over Israel is his majesty; his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth." Wouldn't you like to receive power and strength from God? If so, what kind of power and strength are you thinking? How about the kind of power and strength He desires to give? What kind is that? Look at St. Paul. Look at what kind of strength and power he needed to go straight to Jerusalem. How about us? We need strength to speak with truth and truth with grace! I remember once I told an older relative "when is the last time you went to confession?", boy was the answer harsh and awkward, basically saying "that's none of your business!". That was about a year ago. This morning I was talking with him and I mentioned it again "you know...confession is a healing Sacrament we should partake of " and this time he was so soft and in agreement. Hmm. Truth.. and grace...strength and power. | Our Lord said "... keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one."
Our Lord and creator desires to be one with us. Intimate. Tight. United. That is what the Sacraments do, draw us closer and closer with Him and in Him. Let us ponder this great mystery. There are some things we need to respect or fear. First, the evils of evil, and that is not to fear or respect more than God Himself who is greater than all evils. But in the world, people fear evil more than the Lord, some don't fear either. Which one is more prevalent in the world? I'd say the latter. I'd say most like to be gray, and the grays rule the world, for they are not either hot or cold, black or white. And that mentality has poured into sexuality, the very fundamentals of creation. Be on guard and watch out for this gray mentality, the leaven the world offers for at its root, is much darkness meshed and masked with white color, a grain of good. Therefore, be strong, and be empowered with the Spirit on high. This Sunday, ask our Lord in Mass for this spirit to remain white, pure and fully His. Ask for a special grace to be holy. These are the times that call out for saints, you and me. I am in need of you and you are in need of me. We, then, are in need of one another. How precious is every soul in the world. God says so. He desires to be in us and with us. Forever. |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Psalm 118:24 (Listen) 24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You Jesus | |
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