 clickable | | Live Without Holding Back St. Francis of AssisiI have lived most of my emotional and spiritual life with a heart condition. Because I have lived cautious and afraid, holding back my heart because of what it might cost, or require of me. Or fearing (running from) my brokenness, not believing that an open and broken heart is an invitation to live my days giving, creating, embracing, connecting, savoring, and celebrating. It is no wonder that, too often, I do not see. Hundreds of years ago, in an era much more fraught than ours, St. Francis learned to live without holding back his heart. His antidote to confusion and paralysis was a return to simplicity, one step at a time, one person at a time, one good thing at a time, the right-in-front-of-you idea of searching for the light even while living with the darkness. His genius was that he saw what was hidden in plain sight. It was so simple it is almost impossible to see; we are wired to be present. —from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment by Terry Hershey |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way."
— St. Francis of Assisi † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy."
— St. Faustina Kowalska, (1059)
AN EXCERPT FROM
Diary of St. Faustina † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."
Matthew 24:9-14 |  click to read more | | ST. MARGARET MARY St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) was born in France to a virtuous and distinguished family. As a child she showed great devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and by the age of 9 was practicing severe penances. In her childhood she became sick with rheumatic fever and was confined to bed for four years. She made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to the religious life, after which she was instantly healed. She often had visions of Jesus, which she thought was a normal experience in the spiritual life. When she turned 17 her mother insisted that she establish a place for herself in the world. Margaret imagined that her childhood vow was not binding, and persuaded herself that she could serve God while living at home and continuing her penances and charity to the poor. She then joined her brothers at dances and began considering marriage. One day, upon returning home from a carnival ball, Jesus appeared to her and reproached her for her infidelity, reminding her of her promise. Margaret then entered a Visitation convent at the age of 24. Jesus appeared to her frequently, and entrusted to her the mission of establishing devotion to his Sacred Heart during a time when religion in France had grown rigorous and cold. Because of her visions she was greatly persecuted by those around her, until her virtue under suffering won over her enemies. Her visions were determined to be genuine and officially recognized by the Catholic Church 75 years after her death. Her feast day is October 16th. | Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rom 2:1-11 You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment.
For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself,
since you, the judge, do the very same things.
We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true.
Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things
and yet do them yourself,
that you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience
in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God
would lead you to repentance?
By your stubbornness and impenitent heart,
you are storing up wrath for yourself
for the day of wrath and revelation
of the just judgment of God,
who will repay everyone according to his works,
eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality
through perseverance in good works,
but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth
and obey wickedness.
Yes, affliction and distress will come upon everyone
who does evil, Jew first and then Greek.
But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone
who does good, Jew first and then Greek.
There is no partiality with God. Responsorial Psalm Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 9 R.(13b) Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works. Alleluia Jn 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 11:42-46 The Lord said:
"Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk." Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
"Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."
And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them." | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 11:42-46 Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Optional Memorial) . . . tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb. (Luke 11:42) According to the Law of Moses, Jewish families were expected to give 10 percent of all their produce and possessions as an offering to the Lord. This tithe was used to help support the Levites, who offered worship in the Temple, and to help care for the poor of the land. Nobody in Israel should go hungry, and it was up to everyone to make sure that didn't happen. This was part of God's command to the Israelites to love their neighbors as themselves. So why was Jesus criticizing these Pharisees? They were paying their tithes, weren't they? Well, yes and no. Many scholars believe that these Pharisees were indeed giving a tenth of their kitchen seasonings but not much more. They were doing just enough to look good, but that was all. Just enough to appear to be obeying the Law. This was Jesus' constant concern about his opponents: by focusing so much on God's Law, they lost sight of the people that the Law was meant to protect. Nobody can live off of garden herbs! But that didn't matter; they just wanted to satisfy the bare minimum. In an April 2016 address, Pope Francis discussed this very issue. He cautioned us against seeing almsgiving as a "burden or an annoyance from which to free ourselves in haste." Rather, he said, we should "stop and look in the face, in the eyes of that person who is asking me" (Jubilee Audience, April 9, 2016). See the people you are helping. Focus on the child of God in front of you. Do this, and you will end up obeying God's commands more fully than if you were to focus only on the commandments themselves. According to St. Paul, "The whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:14). Generosity. Kindness. Compassion. Forgiveness. This is how we fulfill God's laws. Jesus also told us, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). This is the beauty of the gospel message and the heart of all God's commands: by focusing on loving our brothers and sisters, we don't just fulfill God's laws; we also meet Jesus! "Lord, teach me how to love." Romans 2:1-11
Psalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 9 |  clickable | A man remains a Christian as long as he makes the effort to give the central assent, as long as he tries to utter the fundamental Yes of trust, even if he is unable to fit in or resolve many of the details. There will be moments in life when, in all kinds of gloom and darkness, faith falls back on the simple, 'Yes, I believe you, Jesus of Nazareth; I believe that in you was revealed that divine purpose which allows me to live with confidence, tranquility, patience, and courage.' As long as this core remains in place, a man is living by faith, even if for the moment he finds many of the details of faith obscure and impracticable. Let us repeat; at its core, faith is, not a system of knowledge, but trust.
—Joseph Ratzinger
from Faith and the Future | my2cents:
"For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things."
It is a hard thing for me to witness, someone judging someone, because I am witnessing them judge themselves, condemning themselves. But there is such a thing as good judgement, right? It is a gift of God, isn't it? Isn't it one of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit? Yet, do we use the gifts? When did we receive the gifts? When we received the Holy Spirit, amen? And just when did that occur? Baptism. When was that activated? Confirmation. A self awareness of the gifts of God.
Lord, help us ignite the gifts and put them to light the world.
Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, before ascending into heave you promised to send the Holy Spirit to finish your work in the souls of your Apostles and Disciples. Grant that I may be open to the work of that same Spirit within me. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may not be attached to the perishable things of this world but seek the things that are eternal. Grant me the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of your divine truth. Grant me the Spirit of Right Judgement that I may choose the surest way of pleasing God. Grant me the Spirit of Courage that I may bear my cross with you and that I may overcome all the obstacles that oppose my salvation. Grant me the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself. Grant me the Spirit of Reverence that I may find the service of God sweet and attractive. Grant me the Spirit of Wonder and Awe that I may be filled with living reverence towards God and may avoid anything that would displease him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of your true disciples and animate me in all things with your Spirit. Amen. http://www.spiritansphilippines.com/fourth-day-the-gift-of-right-judgement/ | We prayed today: "Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works. Only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all."
We live in the richest country. Most secure. The fattest of all. Yet, it seems so sad. Thirsts are unquenched. Hungers are unfilled. Desires remain unfulfilled. It is perhaps one of the most anxious places to live in, and depressing too, millions and millions are medicated for depression or are self medicating in some way or another. We are anxious about many things Martha, but only one thing is necessary. Remember our prayer today: My soul is at rest only in God, He is my rock and my salvation, I shall not be disturbed". | In the Gospel, our Lord is not approached but reproached. There are two ways to meet someone, with honor, or dishonor. My dad, and boss, went to a junk yard to get parts last week, I had ordered some lights and he went for them as I was busy setting up our community family festival. In our conversation on the phone while he was there, the workers there overheard him talking and told him to not cuss at them. My dad did not do that, especially with me on the phone and him at a store in front of all. He said he didn't and explained. They did not believe him. They did not apologize. The customer, my dad, my father, then left, we didn't get our parts they never ordered, and we didn't even get the honor of being their customer. Double disgrace? LOL. Even a great sinner should be met as if they are loved by God. So where does right judgement fit now? I hate disobedience. I hate it when I do it. I hat to see others do it. But is shunning a sinner shutting the doors to Heaven to them? Disgraced people need God. Amen? They say love covers a multitude of sins. Does that go for the sinner or for loving the sinner? | "You pay tithes,..but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others." - GOD. You do all these "righteous deeds" and fail to do what God truly desires. We fail to pay attention to judgement? That is love for God, right judgement. Yes tithing is good, but you lack and are found wanton in other things that are critical for salvation. "You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk." There is nothing worse in the Church in my eyes than to see someones head inflated. Power trippers. And what happens to these people? I hate what happens to them, they get so hot headed that they blow up. They did all this work and made all these things happen and then they up and leave, disappear, like leaving their own kids abandoned. I don't hate them, I hate what they do. Does that make sense? It hurts my heart, to see them walk away. To see them so hot headed...I can't even talk to them, because they can't hear me. What does that mean? Listen to someone trying to introduce humility into your life...Jesus. What kind of Eucharist are you consuming? It should always be humble pie, the kind ready to accept slaps and spits to the face, and keep on serving like a slave...for Love. ""Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too." LOL. Here we go, another hot head is talking! "You are insulting us!". Well I'll be! See what I'm saying? So what does the Lord say? Get ready for it: "Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them." OUCH! You are good at telling others what to do, aren't you? You like putting others "in their place" don't you? You like to judge, don't you? You like to be right all the time, don't you? You want your authority felt, don't you?
So why don't you help others instead of hitting them on the head...with the bible?
So why don't you help them up to their place from their disgrace?
Why don't you show them how to be right instead of telling them how wrong they are?
So why don't you use your authority to save their souls? Last night, I sent a robo dialer to the local Knights to tell them that the meeting was postponed. This morning I saw a message that said a member had unsubscribed to receiving calls but still wanted to be affiliated with the group.
I kind of laughed inside "well ain't that about right"? LOL Don't we all want to be affiliated with God but don't want to receive His messages? Here I am teaching you to be open to His call. What is it? How do we discern it? Prayerfully. Open to His will. Usually it happens in prayer, in long deep contemplative prayer. God speaks. Today's saint was like Jonah. If today you hear His voice....HAVE NO DOUBT! |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:23–24 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Thank You Jesus | |
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