 clickable | | The Audacity of the Saints You love St. Augustine, St. Magdalene, these souls to whom "many sins were forgiven because they loved much." I love them too, I love their repentance, and especially…their loving audacity! When I see Magdalene walking up before the many guests, washing with her tears the feet of her adored Master, whom she is touching for the first time, I feel that her heart has understood the abysses of love and mercy of the Heart of Jesus, and, sinner though she is, this Heart of love was not only disposed to pardon her but to lavish on her the blessings of His divine intimacy, to lift her to the highest summits of contemplation. — From a letter to Abbé Maurice Bellière (member, Missionaries of Africa) | June 1897 —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder, as prayer."
— St. Philip Neri †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Now, man is afraid of death by nature, afraid of the decay of the body. But here is a really starling fact: whoever has put on the faith of the Cross despises even what is naturally dreadful, and for Christ's sake is not afraid of death. So if anyone is skeptical even now, after so many proofs, and after so many have become martyrs to Christ, and after those who are champions in Christ have shown scorn for death every day—if his mind is still doubtful about whether death has been brought to nothing and come to an end—well, he's right to wonder at such a great thing. But he should not be stubborn in his skepticism, or cynical in the face of what is so obvious. Let him who is skeptical about the victory over death receive the faith of Christ, and come over to his teaching. Then he will see how weak death is, and the triumph over it. Many who used to be skeptics and scoffers have later believed, and despised death even enough to become martyrs for Christ himself."
— St. Athanasius, p.15
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.'"
Acts 2:38-39 |  click to read more | | GUARDIAN ANGELS October 2nd is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Although Guardian Angels have been venerated since the early days of the Church, it wasn't until the 17th century that Pope Clement X extended their feast day to the Universal Church. Although not a dogmatic article of the faith, it is a firmly established Catholic belief that each individual human being has their own Guardian Angel assigned to them by God to watch over their soul, help them avoid sin and temptation, and lead them to heaven, taken in part from Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." The Church thanks God for our heavenly helpers, the Guardian Angels, who minister to us in our need and guide us on the path of salvation. Feast of the Guardian Angels Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not only for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death. The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. Saint Benedict gave it impetus and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day. A feast in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th century. In 1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.
Reflection Devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of faith in God's enduring love and providential care extended to each person day in and day out. | Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Lectionary: 457/650
Reading 1 Neh 2:1-8 In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,
when the wine was in my charge,
I took some and offered it to the king.
As I had never before been sad in his presence,
the king asked me, "Why do you look sad?
If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart."
Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king:
"May the king live forever!
How could I not look sad
when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins,
and its gates have been eaten out by fire?"
The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?"
I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king:
"If it please the king,
and if your servant is deserving of your favor,
send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves,
to rebuild it."
Then the king, and the queen seated beside him,
asked me how long my journey would take
and when I would return.
I set a date that was acceptable to him,
and the king agreed that I might go. I asked the king further: "If it please the king,
let letters be given to me for the governors
of West-of-Euphrates,
that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah;
also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park,
that he may give me wood for timbering the gates
of the temple-citadel and for the city wall
and the house that I shall occupy."
The king granted my requests,
for the favoring hand of my God was upon me. Responsorial Psalm Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you! Alleluia Ps 103:21 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 18:1-5, 10 The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 18:1-5, 10 The Holy Guardian Angels (Memorial) Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Matthew 18:10) Do you remember Clarence? He's the guardian angel in the classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life. When despair leads the main character, George Bailey, to contemplate suicide, Clarence intervenes to save his life. The movie's wide appeal may stem in part from the fact that it reflects two basic truths of our faith: that guardian angels exist and that they play an important role in our lives. Many people can tell amazing stories of how their guardian angel came to their rescue. These protectors and guides are our constant companions: from the beginning of our lives until our death, we are "surrounded by their watchful care and intercession" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 336). That's why the Church sets aside this day each year to acknowledge and honor them. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) had a name for guardian angels that seems especially appropriate—he called them our "bodyguards." Bernard wrote, "We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God. So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation" (Sermons on Psalm 91, Sermon 12). Certainly we should call on our guardian angel whenever we are in imminent physical danger. But St. Bernard's advice also applies to less serious situations. For example, maybe we're tempted to lose our temper, or we're inclined to speak irritably to a family member or coworker who grates on our nerves. Our guardian angel stands ready to hear us when we call and to help us act in kindness. This helper, says St. Bernard, will "bear our prayers to God in heaven and return laden with graces for us." How great is God's love for us, that he gives each of us such a faithful guide! On this feast of the Guardian Angels, thank your Father—and your guardian angel—for their heavenly care. "Father, help me to be more mindful of the presence of my guardian angel in my life." |  clickable | There's no greater victory for the Devil in the world than to succeed in making people believe that he doesn't exist.
—ROBERT HADDAD
from The Devil in the Details | my2cents:
"...send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves,
to rebuild it."
And the King granted the request, and gave the means and authority. Does this not sound like our Lord and His followers? Where Jesus commands the disciples to go forth and build the Kingdom of God and told them He would provide what is necessary? But one thing is lacking for many...leadership, and zeal, and zeal in leadership. To be zealous for our King and His desires, and His desires meet ours if they are for what is good. | We pray a solemn prayer: "May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, If I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!". And tongues do get silenced when they forget our Lord. No more praising and singing. No more praying. How do we "forget"? Surely, sin leads us to forgetfulness. What else makes us forget? Being ungrateful. What else makes us forget? When we've been led to other things..other pastures, lured into wilderness where the wild beasts are. | Our Lord said "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
Now, wouldn't you like to know that humble child? Wouldn't you like to be like that child? Ever wonder what that child was like? Was it a boy or a girl? How old was the child? What did they look like? None of that seemed to matter as much as what our Lord was saying about a child...its humility.
That was the child's name...Humility. They say, in the Vatican, there is a man who works on people's causes for sainthood. I remember one of these men said that these people that were saints, seemed to have one thing in common....they were more human than most humans. WOW. Does that mean that most then are...inhumane? Holiness stands out in the the dark. | "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."
This is the opening line for what is known as "The Parable of the Lost Sheep". This is when our Lord begins talking about two main characters, a good shepherd and a lost sheep. It was not a lost lamb, a lamb being a yearling sheep. It was already in the know, the age of reasoning. I took my 12 yr. old boy to a grown "men's conference" to drum in our group and he was touched, and Father Larry Richards of EWTN pointed at him and said "you (drummer) are going to be a Priest". And this got something brewing in my boy's head...something good...a vocation. Something nobody else had ever planted in his head (that wasn't me, LOL). You see how we can make an impression? And then my 15 yr. old daughter goes to the grown women's conference a couple weeks ago, whereupon she brings home tons of notes, more than anyone else in the group and brought home joy. Highly impressionable things happen. Good things. Things we attempt to keep kids away from. Because nowadays, in the information age, younger and younger kids are impressed more and more by all the wrong messages. Who then will take the children, to the correct pasture of safety, of good food, of good actions, where they are taken care of by the good shepherd?
Because right after we heard today " whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me." then continues on the Temptations to Sin. "Whoever causes one of these little ones* who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. "
Who is the causation? Let's just pretend that those little eyes are always looking to you. They are learning. They pick up on things you don't even have to say. Either hatred, not forgiving, or love and mercy. Either a sincere faith, or a hypocrite's faith. Either someone walking with the Lord, or someone trying to lead the Lord elsewhere. And this is the daunting task of someone who is incorporated into the body of Christ...that we are the living Christ. Dire consequences ensue for those who stray and lead others away.
And what of their angles in Heaven?
Yes, what of your guardian angel?
Your guarding angel can be speaking and you think it is your consciousness. Your guardian angel could be leading you from harm and temptation.
And how many times have we thanked our angel in Heaven? How many times have we prayed with and for our angel? Thankless jobs they do.
And that is a sign of humility. Living a thankless job and being thankful. Think Holiness and serving our Lord in Heaven. They say our angel looks away when we sin. Away from who? From you? From the Lord in Heaven? Both? An angel smitten, despised? Or an angel that is forced to turn away from its true calling...to always be looking upon the Lord, and to report the abuses on a child. So how do we keep from disgrace? Turn to grace! Prayer! Rosaries! Visit the Blessed Sacrament! Confession! Repent and receive Jesus especially in the Holy Eucharist! Repent and believe! The highest grace has been availed. To have grace to be humble, like a child....a true child of God!! |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse 1
1 Timothy 1:17 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.1 Amen. Thank You Jesus | |
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