 clickable | | The Little Flower from Lisieux The "Little Flower" from Lisieux continues to captivate women and men today. St. John Paul II, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Dorothy Day, and many other well-known Catholic figures have had a deep devotion to St. Thérèse. St. John Paul II was so taken with the profundity of her thought that he her declared her a Doctor of the Church, giving her a place alongside such notable women as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Hildegard of Bingen. This is quite an accomplishment for a young woman who regarded herself as a little toy ball tossed aside and forgotten by Jesus. Each of our lives matter to Jesus. Perhaps this is why so many lives still resonate with hers. It is easy to feel insignificant and unimportant. Yet, the clear and compelling language of her story and her letters remains the perfect antidote to such feelings. —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"We should take as a maxim never to be surprised at current difficulties, no more than at a passing breeze, because with a little patience we shall see them disappear. Time changes everything."
— St. Vincent de Paul † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"When we come into church from the outside our ears are filled with the racket of the city, the words of those who have accompanied us, the laboring and quarreling of our own thoughts, the disquiet of our hearts' wishes and worries, hurts and joys. How are we possibly to hear what God is saying? That we listen at all is something; not everyone does. It is even better when we pay attention and make a real effort to understand what is being said. But all this is not yet the attentive stillness in which God's word can take root. This must be established before the service begins, if possible in the silence on the way to church, still better in a brief period of composure the evening before."
— Msgr. Romano Guardini, p. 17
AN EXCERPT FROM
Meditations Before Mass ⛪FEAST DAY
OUR LADY OF RANSOM
St. Peter Nolasco (12th c.) was inspired to establish a religious order for the ransom of Christians from Muslim captivity. On August 1, 1218 the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Peter Nolasco along with his confessor, St. Raymond of Peñafort, and to King James I of the Kingdom of Aragon to verify the Divine inspiration of this mission. Word of the Marian apparition soon spread to the entire kingdom. The new religious foundation, called the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (the Mercedarians), was established and approved by Pope Gregory IX. The order worked to raise money to ransom Christians who had been captured and enslaved by Muslims, and to offer themselves, if necessary, as payment for their release. A feast was instituted under the title of Our Lady of Ransom and observed on September 24, later extended to the entire Church. † VERSE OF THE DAY
"As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:5-8 |  click to read more | | ST. GERARD SAGREDO St. Gerard Sagredo (980–1046 A.D.) was born in Venice, Italy. From an early age he desired to dedicate his life to God, and as a young man became a Benedictine monk. He first served as abbot at a monastery in Venice, but left to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While passing through Hungary he met the Hungarian king, St. Stephen, who asked him to stay in his country to evangelize and minister to his people. St. Gerard agreed, and was named Bishop of Csanád and the royal tutor of the Hungarian prince. He ministered tirelessly among the Hungarian people and helped to convert the whole country to Christianity, for which he is called the "Apostle of Hungary." After the death of King St. Stephen there was a pagan uprising against the Christians, and St. Gerard was martyred for the faith along with two others. His death took place on a hill in Budapest which is now named after him; according to one tradition he was placed in a barrel lined with spikes, and rolled down the hill. He was declared a saint in 1083 by Pope St. Gregory VII. St. Gerard Sagredo is the patron saint of Hungary, and his feast day is September 24th. | Blessed John Henry Newman (February 21, 1801 – August 11, 1890) John Henry Newman, the 19th-century's most important English-speaking Roman Catholic theologian, spent the first half of his life as an Anglican and the second half as a Roman Catholic. He was a priest, popular preacher, writer, and eminent theologian in both Churches. Born in London, England, he studied at Oxford's Trinity College, was a tutor at Oriel College, and for 17 years was vicar of the university church, St. Mary the Virgin. He eventually published eight volumes of Parochial and Plain Sermons as well as two novels. His poem, "Dream of Gerontius," was set to music by Sir Edward Elgar. After 1833, Newman was a prominent member of the Oxford Movement, which emphasized the Church's debt to the Church Fathers and challenged any tendency to consider truth as completely subjective. Historical research made Newman suspect that the Roman Catholic Church was in closest continuity with the Church that Jesus established. In 1845, he was received into full communion as a Catholic. Two years later he was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome and joined the Congregation of the Oratory, founded three centuries earlier by Saint Philip Neri. Returning to England, Newman founded Oratory houses in Birmingham and London and for seven years served as rector of the Catholic University of Ireland. Before Newman, Catholic theology tended to ignore history, preferring instead to draw deductions from first principles—much as plane geometry does. After Newman, the lived experience of believers was recognized as a key part of theological reflection. Newman eventually wrote 40 books and 21,000 letters that survive. Most famous are his book-length Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine, Apologia Pro Vita Sua—his spiritual autobiography up to 1864—and Essay on the Grammar of Assent. He accepted Vatican I's teaching on papal infallibility while noting its limits, which many people who favored that definition were reluctant to do. When Newman was named a cardinal in 1879, he took as his motto "Cor ad cor loquitur"—"Heart speaks to heart." He was buried in Rednal 11 years later. After his grave was exhumed in 2008, a new tomb was prepared at the Oratory church in Birmingham. Three years after Newman died, a Newman Club for Catholic students began at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In time, his name was linked to ministry centers at many public and private colleges and universities in the United States. Pope Benedict XVI beatified Newman on September 19, 2010, at Crofton Park. Benedict noted Newman's emphasis on the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society, but also praised his pastoral zeal for the sick, the poor, the bereaved, and those in prison. The Liturgical Feast of Blessed John Henry Newman is October 9.
Reflection John Henry Newman has been called the "absent Father of Vatican II" because his writings on conscience, religious liberty, Scripture, the vocation of lay people, the relation of Church and State, and other topics were extremely influential in the shaping of the Council's documents. Although Newman was not always understood or appreciated, he steadfastly preached the Good News by word and example. | Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 EzR 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
"Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed." The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses. The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 R.(1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Alleluia Lk 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 8:19-21 The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
| Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Psalm 122:1-5 25th Week in Ordinary Time I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1) Psalm 122 is a "song of ascents," one of fifteen psalms sung by Jewish pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem for the annual feast of Passover. These psalms recall the joy and excitement the Jews felt as they returned to Jerusalem after their exile—a story that we find in today's first reading. So imagine you are a first-century Jew in a caravan, traveling the dusty, arduous road that will take you to Jerusalem for the feast. As you sing this psalm, you rejoice to think of how the Lord worked miraculously to bring your ancestors back to the Promised Land. You recall how lonely and cut off from God's promises these exiles must have felt in the land of Babylon. Separated from the Temple, the house of God, they had nowhere to go to celebrate their holy feasts. But then the pagan King Darius issued an order allowing them to return home and rebuild their Temple—he even financed the effort. Understandably, it was hard for these exiles to contain their joy. The words of the prophets promising return and restoration were being fulfilled. They were finally going home. Of course they rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord! Of course any first-century Jew would have felt that same joy as he made his way to the Temple. His ancestors' story was his story as well, and he was excited to relive it. Have you ever felt this kind of delight? You might think you don't have much in common with the ancient Jews. You have not been in exile; in fact, you probably went to the house of the Lord a couple of days ago to celebrate Sunday Mass. But their story is yours too. Sin had made you an exile from God's presence, but now, through Christ, you have been brought near. So do what the Jews did, and remember: God has fulfilled his promises to you. Your exile is over. God has made his home in your heart. He is present in your family. And even better, he is present when you go to the house of the Lord to join your brothers and sisters in Christ. "Lord, I will rejoice to go to your house!" Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20
Luke 8:19-21 |  clickable | We are meant to live our lives like Jesus. When we live our lives like Jesus, we don't just believe in him as our personal Lord and savior who covers us with his merits...we accept to follow him, to live like him, to live lives of sacrifice.
—ROBERT HADDAD
from The Devil in the Details | my2cents:
"The children of Israel–priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles–celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy."
What made this celebration a joy? I say it was the hard work. Those who put it more receive more. I say to you, if you want to love the church much, then serve the Church much. If you want to love the Lord much, then put much into faith. Those who sow in tears reap rejoicing. And now we are talking about building up the temple of the body of Christ. Self-Mortification. An asceticism that the word does not know. My high school students didn't know what martyr means. Do you know what asceticism means? Sure we do. Right off the cuff and tip of our lips right? Because we do it daily! I joke and digress: asceticism is is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals as good ol' wikipidea said. Catholic.com expounds: Asceticism from the Greek askesis, which means practice, bodily exercise, and more especially, athletic training. The early Christians adopted it to signify the practice of spiritual things, or spiritual exercises performed for the purpose of acquiring habits of virtue. Ah yes, self denial. Why bring this up with the temple joy? Because it is work. Hard work at that! Because nowadays, sensual pleasures, as all time, is all the rage. Music, movies, food, sexual things, and all sorts of "entertainment". What is it like to be stripped of these things? Ask Christ. See Christ. Once stripped, the wounds were revealed. Wounds of death. I got a friendly reminder yesterday when I took a worker to the emergency room. There were the suffering. Temporarily stripped. Yet...is that enough? I told the worker..."offer it up to God". And I made him smile much, take his mind off of the pain, and I can almost promise, with much prayer, that damaged finger tip, smashed between gears, flesh tore off, exploded at the tip. at those moments, I saw healing. I saw a renovation. I saw something being built back up, how God had designed. There is a big difference between suffering for self...and for God. | Let us pray: " Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem." They say there is much rejoicing in Heaven. That's the gist of what we hear. No more death. No more suffering. How can they rejoice in Heaven while we suffer on earth? And even worse, all the damned in hell? Tell me, what were you doing last night while many were suffering in hospitals last night! WHOA! Does that put things into perspective? Does that call for us to always be down and out for those suffering? Can the wedding guests fast while they are with the groom? God knows. I say this because I worry so much about my loved ones that stopped going to Church. And what does that mean? That means they have stopped walking to the gates of Jerusalem. Heaven. That means they have ceased to walk in obedience. I asked a past Jewish man in RCIA on Sunday what he thought about this situation. He said it was on the conscience and the beliefs of the individual. Only God can judge. I said "but we have to admonish the sinner". There is indeed a need to form consciences. Isn't there? Because darkness is an unconscious state of mind, not awake that is, to the things of God and His desires for the world, the very reason He entered our world. | In the Holy Gospel today, they said to the Lord through messengers: "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." At one time, in the Gospel of Mark, they said "they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." Everybody was saying He was crazy, and the scribes were saying He was even possessed by a demon. And how does our Lord respond? First, let us realize when we point fingers, they are often things about ourselves, in projection mode, and watch how people do that when talking to you! Be always on guard. Perhaps some asceticism would help! | He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
AND.......ACTION!
LOL. Back to works! Back to being a family and body of Christ! Amen? Not faith alone as all protestants lean on. ACTION. Hear the word and ACT on it. Do it! Not from the teeth out but from all that is within. Actions change things and build things. Actions mean something and the Holy Catholic Church is full of actions and signs. It has been a difficult past ten years trying to build a new building for the church at my parish, for more classrooms and a renewed facility for gathering and cooking, a home away from home. Many fundraisers. And a festival that I'm in charge of- mind boggling how it all works. Begging for money. And you'd be amazed at how many and WHO actually gives! I call for work. I call for action. I call for movement. I call for active involvement. I call on each on of you, if you are active, remain, and boost it up. If you are inactive, ask the Holy Spirit to ignite your kindling. You are like a lamp that can be lit up! Yes you with all that oil ready to be burned...FOR THE LORD! That is life within you. Be awake and conscious. Be very aware of the traps laid out to ensnare you, keep you from walking to the Gates of the New Jerusalem in Heaven. Know somebody trapped? Help! HELP! These traps often trap their mouths shut, they are mute. The enemy covers their mouth. Be silent no more about your faith, and they say actions speak louder than words. Is that true? Well, then they are like a picture that speaks a thousand words.
Now I am speaking about being a living Christ.... |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse 1 2 Samuel 7:28 28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Random verse 2
Proverbs 17:17
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Thank You Jesus | |
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