 clickable | | God Cannot Be Replaced Anyone who thinks that they are so progressive as to live in a world in which what is said of God doesn't matter is missing what's actually happening. God is alive and well and so are those who want to know God. It didn't work to simply tell us that we should replace God with the values of secularity. There isn't enough stuff in the world to accumulate that comes close to replacing what it feels like to experience what Bernard called God's kiss, and what Peter called the true knowledge of God. —from the book The Saint vs. The Scholar: The Fight Between Faith and Reason, By Jon M. Sweeney |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul."
— St. Teresa of Avila † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"I realize as never before that the Lord is gentle and merciful; He did not send me this heavy cross until I could bear it. If He had sent it before, I am certain that it would have discouraged me . . . I desire nothing at all now except to love until I die of love. I am free, I am not afraid of anything, not even of what I used to dread most of all . . . a long illness which would make me a burden to the community. I am perfectly content to go on suffering in body and soul for years, if that would please God. I am not in the least afraid of living for a long time; I am ready to go on fighting."
— St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 122
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Story of a Soul † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
1 Corinthians 15:21-26 |  click to read more | | Saint Jeanne Jugan (October 25, 1792 – August 29, 1879) Born in northern France during the French Revolution—a time when congregations of women and men religious were being suppressed by the national government, Jeanne would eventually be highly praised in the French academy for her community's compassionate care of elderly poor people. When Jeanne was three and a half years old, her father, a fisherman, was lost at sea. Her widowed mother was hard pressed to raise her eight children alone; four died young. At the age of 15 or 16, Jeanne became a kitchen maid for a family that not only cared for its own members, but also served poor, elderly people nearby. Ten years later, Jeanne became a nurse at the hospital in Le Rosais. Soon thereafter, she joined a third order group founded by Saint John Eudes. After six years she became a servant and friend of a woman she met through the third order. They prayed, visited the poor, and taught catechism to children. After her friend's death, Jeanne and two other women continued a similar life in the city of Saint-Sevran. In 1839, they brought in their first permanent guest. They began an association, received more members, and more guests. Mère Marie of the Cross, as Jeanne was now known, founded six more houses for the elderly by the end of 1849, all staffed by members of her association—the Little Sisters of the Poor. By 1853, the association numbered 500 and had houses as far away as England. Abbé Le Pailleur, a chaplain, had prevented Jeanne's reelection as superior in 1843; nine years later, he had her assigned to duties within the congregation, but would not allow her to be recognized as its founder. In 1890, the Holy See removed him from office. By the time Pope Leo XIII gave her final approval to the community's constitutions in 1879, there were 2,400 Little Sisters of the Poor. Jeanne died later that same year, on August 30. Her cause was introduced in Rome in 1970. She was beatified in 1982, and canonized in 2009.
Reflection Jeanne Jugan saw Christ in what Saint Teresa of Calcutta would describe as his "distressing disguises." With great confidence in God's providence and the intercession of Saint Joseph, she begged willingly for the many homes that she opened, relying on the good example of the Sisters and the generosity of benefactors who knew the good that the Sisters were doing. They now work in 30 countries. "With the eye of faith, we must see Jesus in our old people—for they are God's mouthpiece," Jeanne once said. No matter what the difficulties, she was always able to praise God and move ahead. | ________________________________________ Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Thes 4:1-8 Brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God–
and as you are conducting yourselves–
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you. Responsorial Psalm PS 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12 R.(12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! Alleluia Lk 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour." | Meditation: Matthew 25:1-13 21st Week in Ordinary Time The wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. (Matthew 25:4) One day while St. Francis of Assisi was hoeing his garden, another friar came up and asked him, "What would you do if you knew that Jesus were coming again today?" Francis replied, "I would keep hoeing my garden." Francis could give that answer because he was prepared. He was living his life in such a way that made him ready to meet Jesus whenever he came in glory. The wise virgins in Jesus' parable were also prepared. All ten of them, the wise and the foolish alike, fell asleep while they waited for the bridegroom to arrive at his nighttime wedding celebration. But only the wise ones had enough oil in their lamps, and so they were ready to greet him the moment he appeared (Matthew 25:4). What does the oil in this parable represent? It could be our prayers or the good deeds we do for others. Or it could be the oil of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is, the wise people are the ones who strive to stay open to the Spirit, who refuse to give up on prayer, and who persist in doing good for the people around them. Jesus promises that anyone who follows the example of the wise women in today's Gospel will receive the ultimate reward: they will see him face-to-face. It's not always easy to be kind and loving to your spouse day in, day out, or to be patient with your children when they're acting out. You might find it difficult to carve out time for prayer every day or to accept the Spirit's wisdom and guidance. It takes real effort as well as a generous helping of God's grace. But every act of love and service, every prayer, every act of trust and faith is like a drop of precious oil in your lamp. What are you doing until Jesus comes again? If your focus is on loving God and the people in your life, then you're doing well. Like St. Francis, you'll be ready for Jesus when he comes again—even if you're just hoeing your garden when it happens! "Lord, help me to keep my lamp burning brightly as I wait for your return!" 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 10-12 |  clickable | It is not weakness to desire love. The weakness is when we settle for less than love.
—Crystalina Evert
from Purity 365 | my2cents:
"For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you."
Keep in mind where we are going with the oil, what God expects of us, for the Groom is on His way to meet His bride. | Let us pray: "The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!"
The Lord loves those who hate what He hates. He hates evil. And He loves who? The faithful. Let us turn to the Lord. | Our Lord said "Five of them were foolish and five were wise. " What is foolishness to God? And what is foolishness to men? There are many now that claim the cross is foolishness. But it is foolishness to those who are perishing. What is the cross? Some say it is burdens they have to endure. But that is only half the truth. The other half? Burdens that we must endure...for the Lord...all in obedience. All about faithfulness. | The foolish cried "'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
They died. They could not enter the gates. The narrow gates.
They were foolish and had used up all their talents for themselves.
They used up all their oil, and they did not save themselves for God, the Lord. Think Purity.
Think saving yourself. Your virginity is still possible. It is called total consecration and devotion to Love Love with all your soul, heart, mind, strength, every ounce of your being. |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Romans 8:18 (Listen) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Thank You Jesus | |
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