 clickable | | Hold a Space in Your Heart for the World Hold a space in your heart for the world. We're all ancestors of future generations who hope we'll build the fire that can be seen in the distance. All of us, each one of us, traveling together on the one road. And if we took responsibility for the world into our own hearts, what might happen? —from the book Stars at Night: When Darkness Unfolds as Night |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"Can there be a more fitting pursuit in youth or a more valuable possession in old age than a knowledge of Holy Scripture? In the midst of storms it will preserve you from the dangers of shipwreck and guide you to the shore of an enchanting paradise and the ever-lasting bliss of the angels."
— St. Boniface † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Know that our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ. The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the happiness of the future life. Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in the future. Now is the time for painful struggle; then will come the recompense. Those who are lazy about carrying out their work will be brazenly impudent if they expect the recompense."
— St. Augustine, p. 61
AN EXCERPT FROM
Augustine Day by Day † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God."
Colossians 1:9-10 |  click to read more | | BL. MARIA FORTUNATA VITI Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti (1827–1922) was born in Italy, the eldest daughter of nine children. Her father had a gambling and alcohol addiction, and her mother died when she was 14 years old. Maria then cared for her younger siblings and worked as a housekeeper to earn money for the family as her father sunk deeper into his addiction. Maria rejected an offer for marriage, deciding instead to become a Benedictine nun at the age of 24. Sr. Maria Fortunata, illiterate her entire life, spent more than seventy years in the monastery as a housekeeper attending to the washing, sewing, and other simple tasks, which was her path to holiness. She was admired for her great simplicity of heart, and her confessor testified that she was often accosted by the devil with threats, physical attacks, and vile insults in attempts to break her virtue. She had great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and made frequent visits to the chapel tabernacle as she carried out her daily tasks. She died at the age of 95, and after her death miracles were reported at her grave. She is a patron saint against poverty, temptations, loss of parents, and mental illness. Her feast day is November 20th. | Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne (August 29, 1769 – November 18, 1852) Born in Grenoble, France, of a family that was among the new rich, Rose learned political skills from her father and a love of the poor from her mother. The dominant feature of her temperament was a strong and dauntless will, which became the material—and the battlefield—of her holiness. She entered the Visitation of Mary convent at 19, and remained despite family opposition. As the French Revolution broke, the convent was closed, and she began taking care of the poor and sick, opened a school for homeless children, and risked her life helping priests in the underground. When the situation cooled, Rose personally rented the former convent, now a shambles, and tried to revive its religious life. The spirit was gone, however, and soon there were only four nuns left. They joined the infant Society of the Sacred Heart, whose young superior, Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat, would be her lifelong friend. In a short time Rose was a superior and supervisor of the novitiate and a school. But since hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana as a little girl, her ambition was to go to America and work among the Indians. At 49, she thought this would be her work. With four nuns, she spent 11 weeks at sea en route to New Orleans, and seven weeks more on the Mississippi to St. Louis. She then met one of the many disappointments of her life. The bishop had no place for them to live and work among Native Americans. Instead, he sent her to what she sadly called "the remotest village in the U.S.," St. Charles, Missouri. With characteristic drive and courage, she founded the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi. It was a mistake. Though Rose was as hardy as any of the pioneer women in the wagons rolling west, cold and hunger drove them out—to Florissant, Missouri, where she founded the first Catholic Indian school, adding others in the territory. "In her first decade in America, Mother Duchesne suffered practically every hardship the frontier had to offer, except the threat of Indian massacre—poor lodging, shortages of food, drinking water, fuel and money, forest fires and blazing chimneys, the vagaries of the Missouri climate, cramped living quarters and the privation of all privacy, and the crude manners of children reared in rough surroundings and with only the slightest training in courtesy" (Louise Callan, R.S.C.J., Philippine Duchesne). Finally at age 72, retired and in poor health, Rose got her lifelong wish. A mission was founded at Sugar Creek, Kansas, among the Potawatomi and she was taken along. Though she could not learn their language, they soon named her "Woman-Who-Prays-Always." While others taught, she prayed. Legend has it that Native American children sneaked behind her as she knelt and sprinkled bits of paper on her habit, and came back hours later to find them undisturbed. Rose Philippine died in 1852, at the age of 83, and was canonized in 1988. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne is November 18.
Reflection Divine grace channeled Mother Duchesne's iron will and determination into humility and selflessness, and to a desire not to be made superior. Still, even saints can get involved in silly situations. In an argument with her over a minor change in the sanctuary, a priest threatened to remove the tabernacle. She patiently let herself be criticized by younger nuns for not being progressive enough. For 31 years, she hewed to the line of a dauntless love and an unshakable observance of her religious vows. | Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 499
Reading 1 2 Mc 7:1, 20-31 It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,
who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,
yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.
Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage,
she exhorted each of them
in the language of their ancestors with these words:
"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;
it was not I who gave you the breath of life,
nor was it I who set in order
the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe
who shapes each man's beginning,
as he brings about the origin of everything,
he, in his mercy,
will give you back both breath and life,
because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words,
thought he was being ridiculed.
As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him,
not with mere words, but with promises on oath,
to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs:
he would make him his Friend
and entrust him with high office.
When the youth paid no attention to him at all,
the king appealed to the mother,
urging her to advise her boy to save his life.
After he had urged her for a long time,
she went through the motions of persuading her son.
In derision of the cruel tyrant,
she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language:
"Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months,
nursed you for three years, brought you up,
educated and supported you to your present age.
I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth
and see all that is in them;
then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;
and in the same way the human race came into existence.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them." She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:
"What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king's command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews,
will not escape the hands of God." Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15 R.(15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Alleluia See Jn 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 19:11-28 While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 19:11-28 33rd Week in Ordinary Time He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. (Luke 19:11) Excitement was building. Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, the political and spiritual center of Israel. Like the nobleman in today's parable, he was on a journey "to obtain the kingship" (Luke 19:12). And like this nobleman, he faced strong opposition from people who did not want to acknowledge his reign (19:14). But this parable isn't about the intrigue surrounding whether the nobleman would be successful in his bid for kingship. It's about the people who were already loyal to him, the servants who maintained his household. How would they spend the time while they awaited their master's return? Would they invest in the coming kingdom, confident in their master's claim and in his authority? Or would they hedge their bets, not sure whether their master would triumph? In other words, did they believe in him, and did their faith translate into action? Like the nobleman in the parable, Jesus is still awaiting kingship. He is still waiting for every knee to bow to him and for everyone to accept his rule and reign at the end of time (Philippians 2:10). And like the servants awaiting their master's return, each of us faces the same set of questions: "Will I invest in the coming kingdom? Do I believe in Jesus? Does my faith translate into action?" The two servants who multiplied what was given to them invested their whole lives in the kingdom. They chose to live as if that kingdom were already fully present, even though it wasn't. They chose to take significant risks, and in so doing, they gained tremendous profits for the master—and for themselves. This is how God wants us to live. We can double what God has given to us by treating everyone with mercy and generosity. We can even triple the profit as we devote ourselves to telling people about Jesus in the hope that they too will embrace him as their king. Let's take some risks for this kingdom. Jesus promises great rewards for all who do! "Jesus, I want to follow you, whatever the cost. Help me to live today as a citizen of your coming kingdom." |  clickable | In prayer, do not do all the talking. If you went into a doctor's office, you would not rattle off the symptoms and then rush out … You learned to speak by listening, did you not? … So we are not constantly to be yapping in prayer. Sacred Scripture says, 'Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth.
—Ven. Fulton Sheen
from Prayer is a Dialogue | my2cents:
"Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,
yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord."
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Can you think of a woman, most admirable, worthy of everlasting remembrance, who saw all her son(s) die in a single day, executed before her eyes, yet, bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord?
Yes, Mother Mary, amen?
They endured brutality, all because of what? An earthly king decreed that his law was above God's law! And these faithful perfect number of Sons would not bow down to an earthly king's dissident laws. They would not bow down to unfaithfulness to God. They would not become unfaithful...like that earthly king was unfaithful. They would not be like that king in that way. And that day, the light was shown. A revolution begun. The fight against darkness, for where faith was dwindling, it would now sprout new life, for as they say, the blood of martyrs is the seed of faith, of the church.
We need more women like this mother. We need more men like these men. We need men to be joyfully Christ's. We need women to be stouthearted for the Lord. I go to daily Mass often, and I see one thing missing...men. And it's not about work schedules. I know many men that could...if they wanted to. And these ladies I see in other towns, they are elderly women, so....where are the elderly men? Where are the noblemen? Where are the stouthearted women to bring these men to faith? To martyrdom? To raise men of God? Where Blessed Mother? Where!! | Today we pray: " Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word." | In the Holy Gospel, our Lord brings up the story, the true story even, of "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return."
Was Jesus speaking of Himself as this nobleman? Of course. When Was Jesus Crowned? Only after He obtained Kingship for Himself. And then He promised to return. The 2nd coming. And let's not, please, let's not think of "the end of the world". I grow tired of hearing theories of "end times". THE END IS NEAR. To all. But just as the end is near, JESUS Is near. I had a school friend, since we were altar boys together, stop by our work yesterday. He looked skinny, I was always used to seeing my strong friend bold in everything, and now he is facing deadly disease, unsure of what kind of cancer he may or may not have. I'm praying for him. But why do I say this about my 40 year old friend? Because, the end could be near, as it has come for many at this age, younger, or older. How many years makes a generation in the bible? Typically, about 40. The end of a generation. And what have you done with a generation...for the Lord? And let's not think about Protestant lies that say you don't have to lift a finger for salvation of your soul, much less for the Lord. | Our Lord continues: "He said to him, 'With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
Now, the story talks about a gold coin. A coin used to be likened to a "talent", that was the name of the coin. It is funny that now we think of talents in a different way. But it is our coin from God. In our world, people use their talents for different reasons, use their life to give to different things. And, some take them for themselves and hate any notion of a god. Now, we here, we are not of that notion. You are reading this because you are using your talent. My job is to propel that investment opportunity, to offer you ideas on making a great ROI, a business term, Return On Investment. Now, what I offer is a great opportunity, but it involves a certain amount of risk. Here is where faith comes in.
I want you to invest in a risky option. But I am telling you, I am getting rich here with God's grace. The opportunity is to lose yourself in the love of Christ our Lord and our God. The opportunity of a lifetime awaits. Would you traide your few years on earth, for an eternity with LOVE Himself?
I think of how temporal things are. All creation here is so temporal, so temporary. Where are the magnificent structures and Kingdoms of thousands of years ago? Where are they all? Only one stands today, and it is the oldest, and it is called the HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH.
You are part of the most amazing structure in human history. I didn't say perfect, but I did say amazing. I find myself heavily invested in this organization. It, with the rest of Christianity, has faced millions of deaths from various ideological enemies. And this just within the last century, and this does figure does not include the MILLIONS of unborn killed, future Christians, and future saints, and future lights of the world.
I say this because in this day in age, offers for your soul are being made by the antichrist, the false prince of peace. The antichrist offers peace in trade for your faith. If you have no faith and follow him, he will not persecute you.
Ever wonder why so many non-church goers appear to live so at peace? That's because the devil's got them, the antichrist gots them with duck tape on their mouth. And the threat is there "don't come near me or them, don't say anything that might offend them...stay away with your Christ message".
Now, you have been offered a gold coin A particular talent. It is called faith. I want you to invest your talents in this Kingdom of the Nobleman that died to give you this talent. It was granted at baptism. And you can multiply it by continuously investing in the Holy Sacraments.
He desires souls. He thirsts for souls. Why? Because His love demands it. He has an immense love in Heaven that can not be satiated until it rests inside of each one of us.
Yet, it only enters out of free will. A willing choice to say, "I love you too and I realize I am eternally grateful". Let us pray:
Lord, I want to use my coin(s), I don't want to hide them, I don't want to be afraid, nor ashamed. Help me invest wisely, to offer you in return what is yours from the beginning. And in the end, just let me love you all the more! Randomly opened book IMITATION OF CHRIST: "For interior persons, not being wholly occupied with the things of the sense, can easily fix their minds on God. Their exterior work is no obstacle to them, nor is any necessary employment; they will apply themselves to each in turn and refer all to the will of God.
If your soul is well disposed and disciplined, you will not be surprised or disturbed by the perverse conduct of others. You will be hindered and distracted to the extent that you are taken up with worldly matters.
If you were well purified from worldly attachments, whatever happened would turn to your spiritual profit, and to an increase of grace and virtue in your soul. But because of your excess love of earthly things, many things displease and annoy you.
Nothing so defiles and ensnares a person's heart as the undisciplined love of created things. If you will refuse outward consolations, then you will think of heavenly things and continually give praise to Him with a joyful heart." |  hear it read | Random Bible Verse 1 Proverbs 17:17 17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Thank You Lord | |
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