 clickable | | Getting Our Priorities Straight The forty days and nights of Lent are about simplification, purification, getting priorities reestablished and remembering that God, not my ego, is the center of reality. Whatever discipline you take up for Lent (giving up sweets or alcohol, doing spiritual reading, spending more time with your loved ones, helping someone in need) it is about this—simplification and purification. The ancient word for this discipline was ascesis and it was used as a metaphor from the training exercises of athletes. Lent is a time for spiritual ascesis or exercise, shedding some unnecessary mental fat, toning the muscles of attention and patience. —from the book Sensing God: Learning to Meditate during Lent by Laurence Freeman, OSB |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote "Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book."
— St. John Bosco † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"It almost always happens that interior sentiments of pride precede the commission of grievous sins. Peter was not aware of his own weakness. He preferred himself before others; he trusted in himself as though he were incapable of sinning, boasting that no temptation would separate him from Jesus. He would not even believe the assurance of his Divine Master, that he would deny him thrice. Deceived by this vain confidence in his own strength, he neglects to pray, and to have recourse to God; and God, in His justice, permits him to fall, in punishment of his pride. There is nothing more dangerous than to confide in our own strength, and trust to feelings of fervor. We are full of malice, and capable of committing the most enormous crimes, unless God supports us."
— Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, p. 85-6
AN EXCERPT FROM
The School of Jesus Crucified † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 |  click to read more | | BLESSED THOMAS MARIA FUSCO Bl. Thomas Maria Fusco (1831-1891) was born to a noble and pious family in Italy, the seventh of eight children. He was orphaned at an early age and raised by his uncle, a priest, who oversaw his education. He had a deep love for the faith, especially to the Passion of Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows. He became a priest at the age of 24 and opened a school in his own home. He later became an itinerant missionary throughout southern Italy. After traveling for a number of years he opened another school, this time to train priests on how to be good confessors. He also founded the Priestly Society of the Catholic Apostolate to support the missions, which gained papal approval. During his work with the poor he discerned a call to start a new religious order of sisters, the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood, to minister to orphaned children. In addition to all of this, Fusco was also a parish priest, a confessor to a group of cloistered nuns, and a spiritual father to a lay group at the nearby Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He died of liver disease at the age of 59. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 2001. His feast day is February 24. | Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 341
Reading 1 Jas 3:13-18 Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace. Responsorial Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. Alleluia 2 Tm 1:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 9:14-29 As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
Someone from the crowd answered him,
"Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so."
He said to them in reply,
"O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me."
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
"How long has this been happening to him?"
He replied, "Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus said to him,
"'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."
Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
"Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!"
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!"
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
"Why could we not drive the spirit out?"
He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer." | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Mark 9:14-29 7th Week in Ordinary Time This kind can only come out through prayer. (Mark 9:29) Rock climbing can look awfully easy from below. You just find the next place to grab and then hoist yourself up. But anyone who has done serious climbing will tell you how challenging it is—especially the higher you go. One little misstep could be disastrous. You need to be cautious about every hand grasp and foothold you use. This is one way to understand the situation faced by the disciples who were not on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. While Jesus was away with Peter, James, and John, a man brought his demon-possessed son to the others and begged them to heal him. For these disciples, it seemed like a simple task: rebuke the demon just as they had seen Jesus do numerous times before. But the situation quickly descended into chaos: the disciples got into a shouting match with a group of scribes in front of a crowd of people, while the boy was on the verge of another convulsion and his father was beside himself with desperation. Somewhere along the line, they took one or two missteps and ended up falling to the ground. Don't you sometimes feel like these disciples? You try to share your faith with a neighbor, only to have it blow up in your face. Or you offer to pray for an ailing family member, only to be rebuffed in the harshest of terms. It's as if you had put your foot in the wrong place and ended up sliding down the mountain. "This kind can only come out through prayer," Jesus told his disciples (Mark 9:29). There's no easy formula. Sometimes the footholds are hard to find. Sometimes the air is too thin. You have to be careful. You have to be deliberate. You have to be humble. In the end, the best you can do is try to stay close to the Lord and follow his lead—whatever you think that is. There's no guarantee that you will always get it right. The only thing you can be sure of is that, even if you slide down the mountain, Jesus will always be there to pick you up, encourage you, and help you keep climbing. "Jesus, help me to persevere in prayer and in service to your people. Lord, I want to climb higher and closer to you." James 3:13-18
Psalm 19:8-10, 15 |  clickable | We are created to be more than what any job can ask of us; if we grow only to fit the needs of our work, we will be stunted.
—Leah Libresco
from Building the Benedict Option | my2cents:
"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity."
Wisdom is peace. Jesus. Wisdom is pure. Jesus. Wisdom is gentle and compliant. Jesus. Wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits. Jesus. Wisdom is constant and sincere, and this is Jesus. We are to be a wise children. A sincere Christ follower is in essence...and extension of the very being of Jesus. | Today we pray: "The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart." What God commands is pure and forever. It is all true...and forever. We need this truth to be communicated, because the modern culture arising can not find the truth, and so they need to see it to believe it, and this is where you come in the picture, for this specific purpose and task. | Our Lord spoke: "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?"
God walked the earth, first with Adam, and Eve, and now with all of His creation advanced in creation.
Wisdom was far from them, even Satan had induced them on wisdom. But Wisdom was far from them after being tempted...to despair.
Today, our Lord wants us to have faith. Easy to say, right? How!? HOW!? Be faithful. That's how. First be faithful. They had simply forgotten...to pray. They forgot that the one who does all the healing was God, not man. We do nothing without Him. "Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!" | The crowds were coming. Apparently they were alone with the sick. Quickly Jesus our Lord and King healed the mute and the deaf. Had God prayed to God? Yes. How long of a prayer was it? What form? JUST PRAY. Lent will help us if we are faithful. Prayer is the first part of all the trinity things to do, Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving. But first PRAY. Pray about anything and everything. Two kinds of prayers exists as I meditated...petition, and thanksgiving. These two are our means of life with God. Afterall, what can we give to God but thanksgiving, praise, honor, worship, and adoration? What else can we give Him that isn't His already? Obedience. The will to Will the will of the Father.
God came. And He saw what would be necessary forever...His giving of Himself totally.
Thank You Holy Spirit, Father, Son, Creator! THANK YOU |  click to hear a message | Random Bible verse from an online generator: WOW! 2 Corinthians 3:17 17 Now the Lord1 is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit my website Going4th.com, surely you'll find me there. God Bless You! Share the Word. Share this, share what is good | |
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