 clickable | | An Invitation to Be Transformed Clare would hear in her contemplation of the cross the invitation to be transformed. And so she would counsel Agnes: Gaze upon Christ, consider Christ, contemplate Christ, imitate Christ and become like the One upon whom you are gazing, not to look for suffering, crucifixion or pain, but to enflesh that same kind of openarmed, self-giving, unconditional love that Jesus' presence on the cross symbolizes. And to know that this is the only power that can transform the world and rebuild life. This is what we are invited to taste, to welcome, to pursue: the open arms of Jesus on the cross, the open heart and life of Francis eager to embrace the cross, the open welcoming gaze of Clare onto the cross. Gaze, so as to taste. Taste, so as to become like the One on whom you gaze, that we might become the incarnation of God's unconditional love. —from the book In the Footsteps of Francis and Clare by Roch Niemier, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love."
— St. Teresa of Avila †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The human soul, by its very nature, is endowed with the faculty of knowing God and the capacity for loving Him. The intelligence of the soul, transporting itself above all that is created and finite, has power to raise itself even to the contemplation of that Being who alone is uncreated and infinite, who is the source of all good and all perfection; it is able to form of Him an idea that is clear and accurate and indelible. The will of the soul is made to love this sovereign Good, which the understanding presents to it. The desires of the soul, which no created object can ever satisfy and which reach far beyond the limits of this life, tend necessarily toward a Good that is supreme, eternal, and infinite, and which alone can content the soul and make it happy."
— Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou, p. 3-4
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Spiritual Life † VERSE OF THE DAY
Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22 |  click to read more | | ST. DOMINIC DE GUZMAN St. Dominic (1170–1221) was born in Spain to a family of noble lineage. His mother, Blessed Jane of Aza, prayed at the church of St. Dominic Silos to conceive a male child, her first two sons being given to the priesthood. In answer to her prayer, she dreamed that a dog leaped from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth which set the world ablaze. At his baptism, his godmother beheld a star shining from his forehead. As a child Dominic showed signs of great sanctity and intelligence, and he was also given to the Church for the priesthood. When famine struck Dominic sold his rare and expensive theology books to feed the poor. As a priest he traveled with his bishop into southern France and discovered that it had been overrun with a heretical movement which led many away from the Church. This inflamed his desire to devote his life to apostolic preaching for the salvation of souls, at the time an office reserved to bishops. With the Pope's approval he founded the Order of Preachers, or the Dominicans, committed to defend the truth of the Catholic faith. St. Dominic's Order was novel in that it combined the active and contemplative religious life with the labor of scholarly study and itinerate preaching. St. Dominic was innovative in meeting the needs of his time to defend the Church against her enemies. To aid his mission, Our Lady appeared to him and gave him a new devotion—the Holy Rosary. St. Dominic is the patron saint of scientists and astronomers. His feast day is August 8th. | Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest Reading 1 Nm 20:1-13 The whole congregation of the children of Israel
arrived in the desert of Zin in the first month,
and the people settled at Kadesh.
It was here that Miriam died, and here that she was buried. As the community had no water,
they held a council against Moses and Aaron.
The people contended with Moses, exclaiming,"Would that we too had perished with our kinsmen in the LORD's presence!
Why have you brought the LORD's assembly into this desert
where we and our livestock are dying?
Why did you lead us out of Egypt,
only to bring us to this wretched place
which has neither grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates?
Here there is not even water to drink!"
But Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly
to the entrance of the meeting tent, where they fell prostrate. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them,
and the LORD said to Moses,
"Take your staff and assemble the community,
you and your brother Aaron,
and in their presence order the rock to yield its waters.
From the rock you shall bring forth water for the congregation
and their livestock to drink."
So Moses took his staff from its place before the LORD, as he was ordered.
He and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock,
where he said to them, "Listen to me, you rebels!
Are we to bring water for you out of this rock?"
Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff,
and water gushed out in abundance for the people
and their livestock to drink.
But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
"Because you were not faithful to me
in showing forth my sanctity before the children of Israel,
you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them." These are the waters of Meribah,
where the children of Israel contended against the LORD,
and where the LORD revealed his sanctity among them. Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 R.(8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tested me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Alleluia Mt 16:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt16:13-23 Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
| Meditation: Numbers 20:1-13 Saint Dominic, Priest (Memorial) Moses struck the rock twice . . . and water gushed out. (Numbers 20:11) Moses is a spiritual giant by anyone's standards. He spoke face-to-face with God and led the Israelites through the Sinai Desert right up to the border of the Promised Land. But even Moses disobeyed God in striking ways. In today's first reading, he scorns God's instruction only to command a rock to bring forth water and literally strikes the rock instead. Admittedly, Moses and his brother, Aaron, were under a lot of pressure. They were grieving the death of their beloved sister, Miriam, and the people's supply of drinking water was running perilously low. Tens of thousands of Israelites were threatening mutiny. As the leaders responsible for the people and powerless to provide for them, Moses and Aaron must have felt desperate. But God promised that he would provide, and he would do it through the power of the words that he would give them. It's a shame that Moses didn't trust God's word, isn't it? That word had the power to heal, to save, and to provide. All he had to do was speak, and it would be done. But Moses didn't, and he faced the consequences of his actions. "Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity," God told him, "you shall not lead this community into the land" (Numbers 20:12). But that's not all that happened. Despite Moses' disobedience, God still provided a massive flow of water to save his parched people. He saved them anyway! Isn't it encouraging to know that God isn't limited by our sins? He can rise above whatever we do and still reveal his goodness. Today's reading tells us that we have the privilege of sharing in Jesus' work, but it's still Jesus who does the work. And he sometimes does it in spite of his servants. It's his word, not necessarily our work, that makes the difference. It doesn't depend only on us. God's word is as living and effective today as it was in Moses' time. He speaks through the Scriptures and in the silence of our hearts. He speaks to our loved ones, and to us. And when he speaks, his word gives life. "Come, Lord, and speak your words of life to me and to the people around me today." Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Matthew 16:13-23 |  clickable | Conversion is the spark that allows a soul to catch fire with God. It strikes the flint and begins the early burning of a passion for God. It is the first leap of flame that can quickly become a fire lasting a lifetime. Conversions are necessary for deeper spirituality, as many saints can testify. It would seem that no one without an experience of a serious conversion will be taken to the more profound depths of a personal encounter with God or invited by grace into a contemplative life of prayer.
—Fr. Donald Haggerty
from Conversion | my2cents:
"From the rock you shall bring forth water for the congregation
and their livestock to drink."
Thank you to the one who provides. To the one who just speaks from Heaven and things come to be.
To the one who asks us to trust in Him and He will provide with a single word "Let it be done according to your wish". | Let us pray: "Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
In the desert, they suffered, and they feared, and God knew what was going to happen, as they came down on their knees before Him. He would teach them that ultimately, HE will provide. It is a lesson of trust. A lesson of faith. A lesson in the desert, never to be forgotten. God Speaks. | "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said ""You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Our Lord said "I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church..."
And here we are today. Drinking from the waters of Meribah. Yes, that stream still flows in the desert. Along that stream are plants of all kinds, even fruit bearing plants, always giving throughout the centuries. Crystal clear and life giving water flows from that rock. Think Holy Church and Baptism. Even though that physical stream does what I said, the stream of the waters of Christ still flow all the more. For in the spirit flows what we can see as a sign in the body. | The Word spoke again telling them how much the Lord would have to suffer, and die and be crucified. Peter rears up "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
Jesus rebukes the devil "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Last night a family was having one of those arguments, and we were called to go pray and be with them. The guy left mad, the wife was crying. We finally prayed after talking with her, and my wife, in prayer was rebuking the evil one. On our way out the husband texted me where he was at, and so I went to talk with him, and I also told him to rebuke the evil one, even in someone's face. I've done it too. Someone spitting vile hatred in my face and I begin rebuking the devil to leave my loved one alone AT ONCE!
Can we do this? Of course! Rebuke evil. Rebuke evil temptations. Rebuke what is against God's plan!
I told the guy "you know, if you leave your wife alone in that house, you'll leave her with the devil" (get back there and be the man of the house!)
Because ultimately, evil works with permissions, you allow things to happen in your watch...or you can not allow evil to take over. But how can we stand against evil if we are weak?
Be strong. Thirst no more, cry no more. Drink from living waters. Living waters always move, they do not stand still. You must be found on the move, on pilgrimage WITH our Lord.
He will hear us and we can hear what He desires. How can we hear Him? Intuition. Conscience. There is though, an external force that speaks to me in my life. Not a voice in my head, but a spiritual gravitational pull, and when God speaks, He speaks to the soul, the entirety of what makes our life flow. It is not easy to explain. It is not audible with human ears. He is not visible with human eyes. But He IS! LOL. He manifests Himself as He desires! He is big and small, visible and invisible. He is quiet and loud. He is GOD!
There are many times evil will speak in your life "you don't have to suffer" and 'you don't have to die". And "you don't need church", and the lies go on and on. People listen to the devil and split, leaving family, leaving ministries, leaving ...God.
Some lies nowadays are "Jesus isn't real in the Eucharist". And more lies continue to grow, the more you listen to them. My friend in Christ, Jesus is more real than we are.
Real love. Real compassion. Real humility.
He is real, and we are hardly ever.
We need to be real, we need to be truly the Body of Christ! AMEN? Lord, we pray that we become truly one with you, help us love you with all our heart, mind, soul, strength, for you are the Son of God, the Christ, our one and only Lord and Savior.
You Words soothe us and heal us. THANK YOU! Let us drink forever of this water! |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Ephesians 4:29 (Listen) 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Thank You Jesus | |
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