 clickable | | Our Need for Community Among the proper lessons of culture is that we remind ourselves of our limits, of our need for community, of our ignorance and the tragic realities of living in such ignorance—lessons, in other words, that help us remember that we are creatures. It is through such recollection, being gathered back to ourselves from the diffuse ambitions that draw us away from our roots, that we are able to begin to heal the damage done to the world and ourselves. "The task of healing," writes Wendell Berry, "is to respect oneself as a creature, no more and no less." Humility, by helping to return us to the integrity of our humanity, which involves an acceptance of our particularly human creatureliness, also helps to make our lives more coherent, more integrated. "The more coherent one becomes within oneself as a creature," writes Berry, "the more fully one enters into the communion of all creatures." It is by humility then that we join the membership of creation in acceptance that we are a part of the world rather than an individual struggling against it. There is grace and community for us, if only we would accept the gift of our givenness. —from the book Wendell Berry and the Given Life by Ragan Sutterfield |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice."
— Pope Saint Gregory the Great † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Some people who think themselves naturally gifted don't want to touch either philosophy or logic. They don't even want to learn natural science. They demand bare faith alone—as if they wanted to harvest grapes right away without putting any work into the vine. We must prune, dig, trellis, and do all the other work. I think you'll agree the pruning knife, the pickaxe, and the farmer's tools are necessary for growing grapevines, so that they will produce edible fruit. And as in farming, so in medicine: the one who has learned something is the one who has practiced the various lessons, so that he can cultivate or heal. And here, too, I say you're truly educated if you bring everything to bear on the truth. Taking what's useful from geometry, music, grammar, and philosophy itself, you guard the Faith from assault."
— St. Clement of Alexandria, p. 13
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."
Psalm 100 HOLY NAME OF MARY
On September 12th the Church venerates the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary because of her unique privilege as the holiest of creatures, the Mother of God, and the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her name is therefore a royal one of the highest order, and as such should be given the greatest honor after that of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Instituted in 1513, the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God, and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation. |  click to read more | | Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Saint of the Day for September 12 This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV of Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.
Reflection Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God's infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God's ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title "Queen of Peace," Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights of all peoples. | Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Col 3:12-17 Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him. Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6 R.(6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Alleluia 1 Jn 4:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 6:27-38 Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." | Meditation: Colossians 3:12-17 The Most Holy Name of Mary (Optional Memorial) . . . singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. (Colossians 3:16) It's easy to see why the psalms have been the mainstay of Jewish and Christian prayer for centuries: they are a window into the human heart as well as a window into God's heart. Whatever we are feeling at the moment, there is a psalm that expresses it. And no matter what emotion has taken hold of us, when we pray along with the psalmist, we are reminded of God's strength, faithfulness, compassion, and tenderness toward us. As a devout Jew, Jesus often prayed the psalms. He knew them by heart and drew on them at many different times and occasions, as the Gospels reveal. So when we pray the psalms, we are praying the same words that Jesus used to pray to his Father. In that sense, Jesus' prayer language becomes our own; it is as if Jesus were praying in us. When we pray the psalms, we can also experience Jesus praying with us, as we join him in praying to our heavenly Father. Among the 150 psalms are psalms of lament, thanksgiving, praise, repentance, and petition. Today's Responsorial Psalm, a psalm of praise, ends with this exhortation: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!" (150:6). It sounds a lot like St. Paul's exhortation in today's first reading: he urges the Colossians, and us, to sing "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" to God (Colossians 3:16). Singing psalms and songs of praise is especially helpful for us because they can shift our focus from ourselves to God. They can help us see our lives from God's eternal perspective and not just from our own limited viewpoint. And God's perspective is always far more hope filled and inspiring than ours! The psalms are a rich part of the Church's liturgical prayer, but they also belong to each of us. We can make them a part of our personal prayer as well. Try to spend some time today using the Responsorial Psalm to help guide your prayer. Maybe even try to do this for the next few days, and see how your prayer develops. Whatever you do, you can trust that when you pray the psalms, God's word will be making its home deep within your heart (Colossians 3:16). "Jesus, may your word dwell in me richly." Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 6:27-38 |  clickable | People think of "the family that prays together stays together" as a quaint old saying. But it was a favorite saying of Saint John Paul II and Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and the daily practice of Pope Benedict XVI's family, according to his brother's biographer.
—Tom Hoopes
from The Rosary of Saint John Paul II | my2cents:
"Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another..."
For the most part, most put on a good face. As I've got to know people I encounter, I can dig a little and find a hidden bone of the skeleton. That looming sinfulness that holds us down from flying to Heaven. What is it that I am finding out about many people and I even find it in myself at times!? What is it? What is holding us back from entering Heaven this very day? Failing to go to Mass? That's a big one. Failing to see Jesus? That's a culprit, but is it His fault? But there is a more common one that is hidden from plain sight because people carry it deep in their heart. This horrible culprit is entangled with pride believe it or not. So what is it? What is this hidden atrocity keeping souls from Heaven? Failure to forgive. And to forgive with all their heart, mind, and soul. I don't like to hear the words "I can forgive, but I will never forget". That almost sounds like "I will never let you forget your transgressions". What if God was like that with us? What if He harbored resentment toward you for all the times you failed Him? And they say the holiest soul on earth transgresses the Lord up to 7 times a day! | Let us pray then:
"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. " How can we praise God every day? Forgive somebody. Mother Angelica (founder of EWTN) said once that your enemy is affording you something nobody else can...an opportunity to forgive. And this kind of opportunity is to be taken seriously. Like an opportunity to praise and worship God in Holy Adoration or a visit to the poor and the Blessed Sacrament, especially the Holy Sacraments where God can do the forgiving! Avail Him the opportunity to forgive you. Give Him a chance to love you. I heard a priest say that once you are forgiven in Holy reconciliation, you not only are restored, but you are united even tighter to the relationship. I once heard from my wife, when she went to a conference or some retreat, I believe, an analogy: when we sin, it is like taking a string, that string that connects us to God. If you reconcile, you make a knot with the two ends, and now the distance to God is even closer and stronger. So...the more...the better! I am coming into the habit of continuously asking God for forgiveness in my mind and heart..and as soon as I can...reconcile in confessional. We should all do this, for the good of not only your soul, but the whole world! | In the Holy Gospel, we heard some very strange things from our Lord:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Do you hear? Love your enemies! What if I said that the only reason someone is your enemy, is because you could not reconcile with them? I see this among all sorts of people and relationships. I sadly have seen it at funerals. Siblings can not forgive one another, and even fist fights happen at the funeral (I've heard). Why the cold rift and split? Deep down, I know the hatred stems from a breaking of the string of love. Both ends wish to reunite but...how? Do you hear? Pray. | "To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic."
Are there people literally hitting you? Physically? Is that all the Lord is talking about? It goes deeper. When someone insults you, turn the cheek. There are saints that were ridiculed for giving to people with seemingly total disregard. "They don't need money, don't give to people like that". And so, we don't give to people on the streets. I know I seen this one guy way out of town at a lonely stop light. I can see where he parked his car and he is holding up a sign saying he needs money "hungry" it says. Did I give? No. Did I judge? Yep. Was I right? Not really, I don't carry cash but I knew if I did I probably wouldn't give! Yet...To the one who asks...give, says our Lord. And do not expect to be repaid...not even by God! We will soon begin to see how God loves and gives, if we follow the Way. Turn the cheek. I get made fun of at church by fellow men and women. Things about my absent-mindedness, or my receding hairline, or about my tardiness, and the list goes on and on, about how bad the music sounded when I sung, or how brutal I was with my words, and I can just keep going. These things may seem on the surface rather superficial, but for some, and me even me at times, if caught at the wrong moment, can be really disheartening, and the only thing that saves me from quitting like most would after being trampled? Grace. I live off grace. I live for grace. I have been able to turn the cheek. By God's grace. That's how. Humility is not for the weak. It is for the strong. "and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful." Be merciful, just as God is? But, But God is EXTREMELY MERCIFUL! He prayed for and pleaded to GOD the Father for his persecutors, mercy for them on the cross! How many of us would take things to our grave? That's what I told people last week at the rosary vigil. That's not what God wants. Be children of Mercy. Your last name is therefore, Mercy. Amen, my child Mercy? "Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you". What happens in Gossip? Someone is being judged. Someone is being condemned. Right? "Did you hear about so and so and how she was doing so and so?" Judgements and condemnation. God did not give us one ear, nor one eye. What you hear in one ear and see with one eye could be only half the truth, and half the truth could be half a lie. Do not fall for the juicy bait that doesn't put the condemned to jail, but puts YOU in jail, and I'm talking about paying for sin, and what is the sin? A sin against love. Charity. Hope. All things Christ!
When someone gossips to me without permission, there are many things that go through my mind. First, WATCH OUT. For this person gossiping will soon be gossiping about you too! Secondly, be ready to play the Good Angel's advocate. I'll flip the tables and say something like "well maybe they intended to ..... and that's why they did what they did". Thirdly, if all else fails, I will simply tell the sin to the sinner. For we will pay for every last silly word we ever said!
Give and gifts will be given.
Give love and you will receive love.
Big secret huh?
The more....the better....to God all the praise and glory...forever and ever! |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse generator:
3 the LORD appeared to him1 from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Thank You Jesus | |
