 clickable | | God's Presence in Our Neighbors The heart of Christianity is the great and incomprehensible truth that God's true majesty, God's authentic immensity, consists in God's willingness to become lowly and forsaken, to pitch a tent among us and become one of us. God's presence is sometimes revealed in lightning and thunder and smoke on Mount Sinai, but it's much more likely to show up in the faces of our neighbors. And not just our respectable neighbors, either, but those whom we generally go out of our way to avoid: the poor, the ill, the imprisoned, the aged, the weak, and the despised. In their faces, if we but have eyes to see, we encounter God. In their lowliness and helplessness we discover the real majesty of a God of love and self-sacrifice. —from the book Perfect Joy: 30 Days with Francis of Assisi by Kerry Walters |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers."
— St. Maximilian Kolbe † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"There is another reason also why the soul has traveled safely in this obscurity; it has suffered: for the way of suffering is safer, and also more profitable, than that of rejoicing and of action. In suffering God gives strength, but in action and in joy the soul does but show its own weakness and imperfections. And in suffering, the soul practices and acquires virtue, and becomes pure, wiser, and more cautious."
— St. John of the Cross, p. 149
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dark Night of the Soul † VERSE OF THE DAY
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.'"
Luke 1:39-40 |  click to read more | | ST. ANDREW KIM TAE-GON St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846) was born to a noble family in Korea, and was baptized at the age of 15 after his parents converted to the Catholic faith. Andrew's father, great-grandfather, and great-uncle were martyred during the government's staunch persecution against Christianity, leaving the remaining family in poverty. Andrew was later chosen to travel over 1,000 miles to the nearest seminary in China to be trained for the priesthood. He was ordained in Shanghai as the first native Korean priest in the Church's history of evangelizing in that country. He returned to Korea in secrecy to avoid detection by the authorities. Once back in his hometown, he worked to catechize the faithful until his bishop summoned him to Seoul to help smuggle French missionaries from China into Korea, with the aid of Chinese fishermen. During this operation he was caught and imprisoned by the border patrol, and charged as a traitor to his country. He was tortured and beheaded on September 16, 1846, at the age of 25. Pope John Paul II canonized Fr. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, along with 102 other Korean martyrs, on May 6, 1984. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon is the patron saint of Korea. His feast day is celebrated on September 20th. | Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs Reading 1 1 Tm 6:2c-12 Beloved:
Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the religious teaching
is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.
From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,
who are deprived of the truth,
supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains. But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion,
faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life,
to which you were called when you made the noble confession
in the presence of many witnesses. Responsorial Psalm PS 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20 R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
"They will praise you for doing well for yourself,"
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs! Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 8:1-3 Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources. | Meditation: 1 Timothy 6:2-12 Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gǒn, Priest, Paul Chǒng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial) Religion with contentment is a great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) Are you content? It's a surprisingly complicated question. We love Jesus, but sometimes we feel unfulfilled. We have heard, "The love of money is the root of all evils," but it isn't always about money (1 Timothy 6:10). Sure, material things like our possessions, food, or recreation can compete for our love. But the desire for recognition, status, or fame can also make us feel dissatisfied. What are you longing for? Each of us probably has something that feels just out of reach, and we think that if we had it, we would finally be happy. For some, it's money or material possessions. For others, it's recognition, popularity, or respect. Whatever it is for you, know that if it becomes a focal point, it can ensnare you. You can become envious of those who have what you want. Still yearning for something more, you can stray from the foundation of your faith and mistakenly think that you need Jesus and something else. Banish this fiction from your mind! All you really need is Jesus. He alone can give you true and lasting contentment. As you learn how to place everything else in its proper context, you will find yourself receiving more from Jesus. The best way to find this kind of contentment is to bring your attachments to the Lord and ask him to set you free. Remember, you didn't bring anything into this world, and you won't take anything out of it. The only thing that will stand the test of time is knowing Christ and knowing that you have loved and served his people. If you dedicate yourself to advancing these goals, not only will you please the Lord, but you'll also become more and more content. Jesus doesn't condemn anyone for having riches, for taking pride in their accomplishments, or for enjoying their possessions. But he does warn people who find their security in these things more than in him. He wants all of us to set our hearts on things above, not on earthly matters. This is the best way to keep our possessions and our reputations in the right perspective. It's also a great way to build the kingdom. "Lord, help me to overcome the attachments that keep me from you. Jesus, I want to find the contentment of knowing you!" Psalm 49:6-10, 17-20
Luke 8:1-3 |  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 Purgatory and Praying for the Dead | my2cents:
"Teach and urge these things. Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing...".
Ahh that word "religious" has come up. Dr. Brant Pitre spoke about his in one of his video teachings not too long ago. (click to view). The word "religious" is in the bible. And it talks about teachings. The world points fingers. The world doesn't want the word "religious" in front of the word "teachings". For the men's conference, we decided to put an ad on Facebook. All it was, was a picture of Father Larry Richards and Men's Conference and it said "Be A Man". I was given a a snipet of what feedback was being said on the invitation. It was a gross reaction. All sorts of curse words and mockery, all begun with a snarky remark about altar boys. It was really engrossing. It literally felt like pearls thrown to swine. Had these men gone to the conference, they would've heard Father Larry speaking against the atrocities of our sexual culture. They would've heard about how gross our society has become, engrossed with sexual perversions. They would've had an opportunity to repent, to confess, to adore Christ. Yet, perhaps, a small seed was planted. And the word "religious" persists. You can not have religion without being religious, if you are serious. So many tell me they don't go to church, and that they "have their own thing with God". False teachings...leads souls to hell. Most teachings say "don't go with the flow" as they want you to deviate from the "norm". But the "new normal" is depraved, all things dark. Today, let us do what the "norm" does not. Follow Christ through whatever and wherever He leads. | We prayed today: "Why should I fear in evil days when my wicked ensnarers ring me round? They trust in their wealth; the abundance of their riches is their boast. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one's life...". Yesterday, I ate lunch with my godson. And he told me a story he was reading at 3'o'clock in the morning, or it was video. In quick summary he said there was a little boy who asked "how much is my life worth?". The man he asked gave the boy a rock and said, go to the store on the street and sell them this rock, and when they ask you how much for the rock, be quiet and hold up 2 fingers. The boy went, and the lady at the store asked how much, he was quiet and held up 2 fingers.
The lady said "two dollars?" and the boy ran from the store to the master.
-"She said two dollars!".
The teacher said "ok, now go to the museum and do the same, don't speak, just hold up the two fingers". The boy went and offered the rock. The museum collector said:
-"That is a very nice rock, how much?".
The boy held up two fingers quietly.
-"Two hundred dollars?" said the museum man. And the boy ran out to tell the teacher.
- "He said $200!" and the teacher said go now to the collector I send you to and do the same. The boy went. He met the collector, was asked how much and the boy held up two fingers.
-"$200,000?" said the collector. The boy ran to the teacher. And the teacher finally said:
- "If men give this much value to a rock, then, how much more worth is a person?". | In the Holy Gospel, our Lord isn't saying anything, but we are hearing that people are following Him from town to town, village to village as He preaches and proclaiming the good news. Basically, He is teaching religion, Amen? There's a new church that popped up in town and their motto says something to the effect that they don't teach religion or they are not a religion. That is misleading. All sets of beliefs are religion. Even those organized against religion are a religion. There is an organization called "Freedom From Religion". The founder geared towards heavy activism, especially advocating for abortion and found that religion was the culprit of all abuse especially against women. It is then, an organization with a set of beliefs, and their beliefs are death to a child in the womb. So basically their foundation is "Freedom from Life". They are not against life they say, but they are at the same time. Life with death equals death. Life with Life equals life, and Jesus is the Life. | "Mary,... Joanna...,Susanna..., and many others who provided for them out of their resources." These women had a cause too. Provided from their resources, for the foundation of life...Jesus. In spanish I keep hearing what my dad said "maldito el hombre que confia en el hombre". It is a scripture from Jeremiah 17:5 "Cursed is the one who trusts in man" and it goes on to say "who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD." This is exactly what the world and freedom from religion teaches. They ask you to trust them more, to trust science more, to not trust in God. Sadly, many of us fall for that, and our hearts are torn in depression, anxiety, and at a complete loss on where to go next. Why? Because you trust yourself and not God. You trust the weak, frail, and sinful self more. But these followers entrusted their whole lives on God. They followed God. They provided for Him. The women probably washed, cooked, nursed the men on the way...to their crucifixions. I asked my 9th graders if they knew what a martyr is, and none raised their hands.
You see, that word is not taught in schools. They teach everything but what it means to be an authentic follower of Christ. So, whose job is THAT?
The parents? Yes. CCD teachers? Yes. Priests? Yes. All of the religious? Yes.
Are you religious? Lord, I pray that we become religious, adhering to Your holy teachings ever more and ever closer. Lead us, guide us, to be that light in the darkness, to be children of your Kingdom where you reign and where you rain graces on your servants. May your teachings and proclamations be ever on the tip of our mouths and nothing else...for your Word is LOVE |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse 1
1Kings 8:27 27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Thank You Jesus | |
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