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Tuesday, September 10, 2019

⛪ ... Power Came Forth . . .⛪

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Where Is God in Human Suffering?

The book of Job reminds us that good people are vulnerable to suffering. The September 11 terrorist attacks tell us that our lives are contingent and finite; we may go to work one morning and never return. While we live in an age of terrorism, we have emerged from one of the bloodiest centuries of history. Where is God in all of this human suffering? Is God indifferent to human suffering? How about the suffering of the earth, the pillaging and stripping of natural resources? Is this of concern to God? Like the challenges of the new science today, the questions of suffering are broad and not easily addressed. However, looking at the question of suffering from the view of God's humble love may give us a better insight as to how God relates to a world of suffering. Bonaventure's profound emphasis on the crucified Christ indicates to us that God is no stranger to suffering and, indeed, the cross is the hope of new life in God.

—from the book The Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective by Ilia Delio, OSF

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† Saint Quote
"Heaven could not span its Creator, but the faithful soul, and only it, becomes its dwelling place and seat, and it becomes so in virtue of charity of which the impious lack."
— St. Clare of Assisi

† MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"In contemplating a beautiful work of creation consider that, in itself, it is nothing. Let your thoughts soar to the great Hand that produced it; place all your delight in Him saying: "O my God! Sole Object of my desires! Universal Source of all good things! How delightful it is to consider that the perfections of creatures are but a faint image of Thy glory!" When you behold the verdant trees or plants and the beauty of flowers, remember that they possess life only through the will of that Divine Wisdom that, unseen by all, gives life to all things. Say to Him: "O Living God! O Sovereign Life! Thou delight of my soul! From Thee, in Thee and through Thee all things on earth live and flourish!" The sight of animals should lift your mind and heart to the Author of sensibility and motion. Say with respect and love: "Great God, Unmoved Mover of all things, how I rejoice when I consider the eternity of Thy existence, incapable of the slightest change!" When the beauty of mankind impresses you, you should immediately distinguish what is apparent to the eye from what is seen only by the mind. You must remember that all corporeal beauty flows from an invisible principle, the uncreated beauty of God. You must discern in this an almost imperceptible drop issuing from an endless source, an immense ocean from which numberless perfections continually flow. How my soul is ravished when I consider that Eternal Beauty, the Source of every beautiful thing!"
— Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, p.68
AN EXCERPT FROM
Spiritual Combat

† VERSE OF THE DAY
They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
John 14:21

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ST. AMBROSE EDWARD BARLOW

St. Ambrose Edward Barlow (1585-1641) was born near Manchester, England, to a noble family. He was baptized Catholic at his birth, but was raised Protestant when Catholicism was outlawed by the reigning monarchy. His grandfather died while imprisoned for his Catholic faith, and his father had two-thirds of his estate confiscated for refusal to conform to the Church of England. Ambrose returned to Catholicism as an adult, recognized his vocation to the priesthood, and traveled to France to enter seminary. He was ordained in 1617 in the Order of St. Benedict. He returned to England to minister to underground Catholics in his native south Lancashire for 24 years, being financially supported with a pension arranged by his grandmother. Ambrose said Mass daily and administered the sacraments secretly to avoid detection by the authorities. He was arrested four times during his priesthood, each time being released without charge. When the king issued a decree that all Catholic priests should immediately flee the country or be arrested and condemned as traitors, St. Ambrose chose to stay, reasoning that he could not die a better death than to be martyred for being a Catholic priest. On April 25, 1631, just as he ended Easter Sunday Mass at Morley Hall near Manchester, he was arrested by a 400-strong armed mob led by the local Anglican vicar. He freely admitted to the charge of being a Catholic priest, and gave a defense of the true faith before his judge. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, quartered, and boiled in oil on September 10, 1641. His dead body was publicly displayed on a pike as a warning to other Catholic priests. St. Ambrose Edward Barlow is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is September 10th.

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Saint Thomas of Villanova

(1488 – September 8, 1555)

Saint Thomas was from Castile in Spain and received his surname from the town where he was raised. He received a superior education at the University of Alcala and became a popular professor of philosophy there.

After joining the Augustinian friars at Salamanca, Thomas was ordained and resumed his teaching–despite a continuing absentmindedness and poor memory. He became prior and then provincial of the friars, sending the first Augustinians to the New World. He was nominated by the emperor to the archbishopric of Granada, but refused. When the see again became vacant he was pressured to accept. The money his cathedral chapter gave him to furnish his house was given to a hospital instead. His explanation to them was that "our Lord will be better served by your money being spent on the poor in the hospital. What does a poor friar like myself want with furniture?"

He wore the same habit that he had received in the novitiate, mending it himself. The canons and domestics were ashamed of him, but they could not convince him to change. Several hundred poor came to Thomas's door each morning and received a meal, wine, and money. When criticized because he was at times being taken advantage of, he replied, "If there are people who refuse to work, that is for the governor and the police to deal with. My duty is to assist and relieve those who come to my door." He took in orphans and paid his servants for every deserted child they brought to him. He encouraged the wealthy to imitate his example and be richer in mercy and charity than they were in earthly possessions.

Criticized because he refused to be harsh or swift in correcting sinners, Thomas said, "Let him (the complainer) inquire whether Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom used anathemas and excommunication to stop the drunkenness and blasphemy which were so common among the people under their care."

As he lay dying, Thomas commanded that all the money he possessed be distributed to the poor. His material goods were to be given to the rector of his college. Mass was being celebrated in his presence when after Communion he breathed his last, reciting the words: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

In his lifetime Thomas of Villanova was already called "the almsgiver" and "the father of the poor." He was canonized in 1658. His Liturgical Feast Day is September 22.
Reflection

The absent-minded professor is a stock comic figure. Thomas of Villanova earned even more derisive laughs with his determined shabbiness and his willingness to let the poor who flocked to his door take advantage of him. He embarrassed his peers, but Jesus was enormously pleased with him. We are often tempted to tend our image in others' eyes without paying sufficient attention to how we look to Christ. Thomas still urges us to rethink our priorities.

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Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 438
Reading 1

Col 2:6-15

Brothers and sisters:
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.

For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
and you share in this fullness in him,
who is the head of every principality and power.
In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand,
by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead in transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 145:1b-2, 8-9, 10-11

R.(9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Alleluia

See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

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Meditation: Colossians 2:6-15

23rd Week in Ordinary Time

See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy. (Colossians 2:8)

How did the Colossians get so off track? They had learned that salvation comes through Jesus' death and resurrection, but some of them were being swayed by false teachings. Paul called these teachings not only "empty" but "seductive" (Colossians 2:8). They had a way of drawing people in.

Every age has its own seductive philosophies that have the potential to lead people away from Christ. We might encounter one as we interact with a coworker or while we're talking with a relative at a family party. So how can we respond?

You may be tempted to overreact to what you hear and start arguing or quoting Scripture verses or Church doctrines. But even if you feel that you have something important to say, this is usually not an effective strategy. It's likely to cause the other person to dismiss you and whatever you have to offer.

What if you tried, instead, to simply listen and ask questions? You could ask how the person came to this conclusion and why they believe it. Or you could try to find a point of mutual agreement between what they believe and your own faith in Christ.

These kinds of conversations, marked by sincerity and kindness, build trust. And trust is what builds bridges between people. If someone begins to respect and trust you, they will be more open to hearing about your own views and beliefs. Who knows? As your friendship grows, that person may actually want to hear about Jesus and how he has changed your life.

Finally, don't forget to pray. Ask Jesus to guide the person and open their mind to him. Pray also that God will help you to grow in love for your friend and in your ability to see him as God sees him. Scholars tell us that Paul probably never met the Colossians, but he still loved them. After all, that's why he wrote this letter to them—because he cared for them.

This kind of outreach is very much one step at a time. It involves sowing what can look like small seeds, where you don't see a conversion in a single conversation. But just think: every seed you sow can bring that person one step closer to Christ!

"Jesus, teach me to treat people who don't yet know you with the same love that you have for them."

Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11
Luke 6:12-19

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There is a very good reason for every Catholic to know the great works of literature—and that is because the great works of literature help us to know ourselves. This is the reason that we should learn the humanities—because the humanities teach us about humanity, both our own humanity and the humanity of our neighbours.
—Joseph Pearce
from Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know

ANF
2cts

my2cents:
"...he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it."
I ask for prayers for this weekend we will have a Men's Conference with keynote speaker Fr. Larry Richards, a frequenter on EWTN and author of the book "Be A Man". The title of the conference is "Triumph of the Holy Cross". And we read today how triumphant Christ walked after being nailed to the cross. He shows us the way to be triumphant. Nailing all things the world wants to do to us...on the cross, and leaving it there.

Let us pray:
"The Lord is compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might."
We hear that the Lord is compassionate...how about you? We heard that all the works give thanks to the Lord...how about you? We hear that His faithful ones bless Him...how about you? How do we bless God? For starters, being thankful, and gracious and compassionate to one another. Want to go deeper? Heed the call.

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In the Holy Gospel today, our Lord did something that we may read over quickly "Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God."
Who spends a whole night in prayer, as in a true vigil? Who stays awake till daybreak and then continues the mission? Navy seals? Warriors? Crazy people? He actually sacrificed the night before He chose disciples. He spent the night in discernment, even fasting perhaps. Who does that nowadays? There are contemplatives who pray at times at night. But this was for a specific reason....God calling.

He chose the 12 Apostles. One for each month! No, but one was a bad apple, right? Or is this how things operate in our world? For greater good, and for greater glory of God? In a world where everything is white, you can not see the good. In total darkness you need light.

And it is important to note the apostles, whom are still alive and their chairs past on to our local bishops!

A few days ago a contractor came to collect payment. Once again conversation turned to his ministry...reaching lost souls in the outskirts in Mexico. He told me on this last trip many came and were freed from a death spirit, seemingly many of them were thinking about suicide. He said many were baptized. At this point I was in a rush to go to an appointment, but I opened a can of worms when I asked "how do you baptize people? By what name?" He said simply Jesus. I said, "what about the Father? The Son? The Holy Spirit? Don't you believe in the Holy Spirit?" He said they were all the same. Eehh, weak theology. I said "what about what Jesus said before ascending and how to baptize people?" He looked confused and replied "we are apostolic...." by then I said I had to go. Enough said. I've dealt with this sort of theology for years with my anti-catholic ex brother in law, who is now trying to start a new church. They claim to be "apostolic" yet, we as Catholics have been Apostolic since day one, the day Jesus Chose the 12 Apostles, and they lay their hands on the next ones to this day. But how are priests and bishops viewed today? In the light of darkness, they are seen pretty grim, as nobodies. They are labeled abusers. They are labeled even worse, for they are called "religious". Oh how the world looks down on religious people. The origins of Protestantism has been to hate the religious too, to the point of killing priests, as in today's saint.
So what does a priest do to me? I've grown up with priests. I've thought about being a priest when discerning my vocation. I deal with priests to this day. My current priest is on his way to the Holy Land today, taking a few on a trip there. Before he went, I confessed. And went to Mass and daily Mass. What does He do anyway beside make around 30K a year and take care of our parish?

Spiritually, He is my father. YIKES!! SAY WHAT? You crazy nut Mr. Adrian! We have only ONE FATHER? Haven't you heard what protestants say? LOL.
By the hands of a priest I was baptized into the body of Christ. I was born again. I've been born again.
But when did I see the light?
As much as I'd like to say it was Confirmation, it was in the Eucharist. That day the light entered my soul. Precious moment never to be taken away.
Confirmation enriched the soul, the soil to be able to serve God with grace, where I was called to be a fire for God.
I took it serious, inasmuch as a teenager in the world could.

I was unfaithful but faithful, if that makes any sense? We are sinners trying our heart out. And guess what?

I've been going to daily Mass for years, not an easy task, especially on days I have to break from work and travel an hour round trip to do so. I've been told "that is a luxury most can't afford". It is true. It is not affordable. And some have said not to be too good because bad things happen to holy people. I said to myself years ago "I'm gonna do it anyway". It's like attempting to silence Bartimaeus. It's not happening. Nothing I was warned about happened. On the contrary, all the opposite has happened. Life happenings still happen, sickness, deaths, trouble at home and abroad, but Christ strengthens a soul in the Eucharist. That is our strength. I promise. The more, the better. The more prayer, the more Sacraments, the more....Jesus.
That's what a priest does as any Good Father, brings home the meat to eat, feeds, provides.

And so Jesus, with the Apostles freshly picked, goes and immediately does what? He taught and healed. ALL of them.

What most people don't know is that we have a soul that can get sick. Spirits make it sick. We need healing. Our world always needs healing...a Savior. Always has, always will. It was God's design that we should need Him.
Is that so bad?

No. I find myself needing Him more than most I know, because my next breath and step depends on Him.

"Where to now my Lord? Where do we go from Here?"

My kids ask me all the time when traveling, they got to know everything, but sometimes I wish they just not ask so much, and be contempt with where I am taking them, for I may have a surprise for them in the end. Is that so bad?

No.
And I am hoping to lead them to a life clutched to the Lord's side

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2cents

hear it read

adrian

Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 12:6–7

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?1 And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Thank You Jesus

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