God Wants to Make You His Coworker God wants to work through you, regardless of your circumstances—in your office, your home, your social circles, your parish—to search for and rescue those who have drifted or are starting to drift away from the Faith. You can reach people in your own daily life who have been put there by God's mysterious providence. Though your own personal temperament, abilities, and circumstances are unique and differ from those of others, God wants to make you his coworker in the vast drama of salvation. He has a vital role for you. —from the book On a Mission: Lessons from St. Francis de Sales | †Quote
"The Cross is the way to Paradise, but only when it is borne willingly."
— St. Paul of the Cross † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"There was much in the Magdalen that she had never used, perhaps never dreamed of, until she came to our Lord. He revealed to her the secret of true self-development, which is another word for sanctity. And she found under His guidance that everything in her had henceforth to be used, and used in a fuller and richer way than she had ever imagined possible. It was in no narrow school of self-limitation, in no morbid school of false asceticism, that this poor sinner was educated in the principles of sanctity, but in the large and merciful school of Him who has been ever since the hope of the hopeless, the friend of publicans and sinners; who knows full well that what men need is not to crush and kill their powers, but to find their true use and to use them; that holiness is not the emptying of life, but the filling; that despair has wrapped its dark cloud around many a soul because it found itself in possession of powers that it abused and could not destroy and did not know how to use. Christ taught them the great and inspiriting doctrine 'I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.'"
— Fr. Basil W. Maturin, p. 40
AN EXCERPT FROM
Christian Self-Mastery † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 |  click to read more | | ST. MARIANNE COPE St. Marianne Cope (1838–1918), also known as St. Marianne of Molokai, was a German-born American immigrant. She worked in a New York factory before entering the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse. She spent her early years serving as a leader in health care and education. When the Hawaiian government was searching for a religious order to run a station for victims of leprosy, the Syracuse sisters volunteered immediately. Mother Marianne and six other sisters left for Hawaii in 1883. She devoted 35 years to caring for those afflicted with Hansen's disease (leprosy) in Molokai, Hawaii. She also opened a hospital and a school for girls on the island of Maui, and took charge of the home St. Damien of Molokai established for men and boys. Mother Marianne changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness, dignity, and fun into the colony. Despite her direct contact with leprosy patients over many years, she was not afflicted by the disease, which some consider miraculous. She was canonized in 2012 and her feast day is January 23. Reflection The government authorities were reluctant to allow Mother Marianne to be a mother on Molokai. Thirty years of dedication proved their fears unfounded. God grants gifts regardless of human shortsightedness and allows those gifts to flower for the sake of the kingdom. | Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Heb 7:1-3, 15-17 Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,
met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings
and blessed him.
And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king,
and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.
Without father, mother, or ancestry,
without beginning of days or end of life,
thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up
after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,
not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. Alleluia See Mt 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 3:1-6 Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up here before us."
Then he said to the Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death. | Meditation: Mark 3:1-6 Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr (Optional Memorial) Grieved at their hardness of heart . . . (Mark 3:5) During Mass one Sunday morning, a teenager chatted with the man seated next to him. The teen had been invited by a friend, and he clearly hadn't been to church very often. His speech was peppered with bad language. His mannerisms seemed rough. And he kept speaking at the worst possible times. Offended by the boy's actions, the man thought, "Doesn't he know this is a church?" But something happened that morning at Mass that led this teenager to have a dramatic encounter with the Lord. He began reading the Scriptures and attending Mass regularly. He met with the pastor and joined the parish. Soon he became an altar server and began singing in the youth choir. When the man saw all of this, he felt ashamed for judging this misfit teen harshly. There's a similar story in today's Gospel from Mark. During a synagogue liturgy, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. But instead of rejoicing at the man's restoration, some of the leaders chafed because Jesus had done it on the Sabbath. Like the first man, they missed the deeper meaning of the Sabbath—that it was a gift from the Lord, a time for healing and refreshment. But unlike the first man, their hard hearts didn't soften. On the contrary, Mark tells us that they began plotting Jesus' death. So why did the religious leaders get angrier, while the man at Mass had a change of heart? The difference was that the first man softened his heart when he saw how God had worked in the boy's life. All the Jewish leaders could see was an infraction of the Law; they couldn't look behind the infraction to see the evidence of God's mercy and love. How do you react when someone rubs you the wrong way? How welcoming are you to the "misfits" in your church? Like the man at Mass and the religious leaders in Mark, you have a choice. You can become annoyed at appearances, or you can look beyond appearances to see a heart being changed. Try seeing things from God's perspective. Maybe that person is nearer to him than you think! The Lord might just use your welcoming, kind words as his instrument of healing. "Jesus, take the callous places in my heart and soften them. Fill me with your compassion." Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17
Psalm 110:1-4 | 2cents:
"Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings and blessed him." When this priest of God Most High meets Abraham, he meets him at just the right time...on his way home in defeat, like a dog with its tail between its legs, hurt, afraid, a defeated king by other kings. Enter now, Jesus, the priest in line with Melchizedek. He comes to the afflicted, the Church, the world in need of a blessing. What does Abraham give back? 10%. 10% for a blessing. I sit on many councils. I sit in many ministries. 10% is a generous number. But, if only 10% would actually give 100% of 10%. But we don't have 10% giving. Not in my church, and this is typical, a microcosm of the greater economy...things of God's household. Do we pay for a blessing? No. We give thanks for a blessing. And 10% thanks, well...that's the very least we should do. And so, honestly, I see how the Church runs...on miracles. Somehow we depend on God's providence. I'm just amazed. That's all. And I want to give proper thanks. | We pray: "You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." God speaks through ages. And through hearts, through prophets. Nowadays, prophets are still around, but being made silent. One of the worst ways of being silenced is in the womb. Shut out. They just passed laws in a state to allow abortions up to birth time. This is an atrocity that can bring God's vengeance. But, who cares? Righteous anger is being called for. Someone to come and intercede for a sick world. | In comes our Lord, and where is He? The temple.
What is He doing? Preaching.
This is where prophets are found, this Holy Catholic Church houses the temple, the tabernacle. Come listen to Him speak. Kneel before Him in the Blessed Sacrament. And the words will not enter your human ears. That's not how He speaks.
Jesus speaks ""Come up here before us." Come Up Here.
Come to Heaven.
I will not shun you or lock you out like people do.
Come up Here.
I will heal your brokenness. Come up Here.
I Am the High Priest.
Come Up Here.
Present yourself and be reconciled with the whole of God's Church. I just randomly received a scripture and its Proverbs 15:31
"He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.…"
The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, to see if Jesus would dare break THEIR law.
And so, the poor withered man goes to Jesus, in front of all, with high hopes but a fearful heart, afraid to cause a commotion, but glad he is being recognized.
God is calling us to not be afraid.
Most of the time, people will not do things for the Lord because they are embarrassed. It is one thing to be humbly shy, but a complete other to be afraid to be a fool, and worry "what will people think about me?".
It is no longer about you my friend. I'm sorry, this is not your own little world.
Enter now Jesus. Listen now, people siding with abortion: ""Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" ▪ Is it lawful to save a life, rather than to DESTROY it?
| ▪ | Is it lawful to save a life, rather than to DESTROY it? | I can't imagine going to my pregnant cow, come full term, and i decide I don't want the calf, so I stick a metal rod in the cow to destroy the baby calf, to kill it, and then yank it out in force. But, on humans, we do. It is modern day terrorism. I can't believe I live in this dark world. The human atrocities of a free world. Is it lawful? To the Pharisees, they had their laws. But God trumps all laws with His. Nobody could heal with all their laws. But God does. He uses His law of mercy to heal.
Nowadays, mercy is only desired in miracles. It is not desired in the human heart for spiritual healings and manifestations.
The Holy Church heals the wounded world. I never said the "perfect church". I said HOLY.
And you are Church. You are called to do simply two things, to preach the good news and to heal the broken world.
But are you silent?
Is your prayer life silent?
And if you are not a praying soul, how can you be a healing agent?
The world needs you my child.
The world won't come to the temple if you will not open your mouth, if you will not call them to come up here, if you will not stand up for them, if you will not reach out in mercy, and stretch out their hand, so it can hold Jesus.
So long as you breathe, you have a Holy Mission. Nothing greater, nothing less.
So how can we not bless, tithing is not enough, we need to go back to battle in prayer and supplication.
Jesus in line with the High Priest, the Supreme Priest Himself, comes to heal the broken.
And we need healing.... |  Listen to this verse, Chosen while Writing to you, randomly | adrian | |
