 |  clickable | | Compassion and Dialogue Compassion and dialogue are essentially vulnerable positions. If we are into control and predictability, we will seldom descend into the weakness of listening or the scariness of dialogue. We will not only be incapable of hearing others, but will also be incapable of hearing God. How we do anything is how we do everything. If we spend all day controlling and blocking others, why would we change when we kneel to pray? Faith, frankly, demands faith—not proof, certitude, predictability, control, or the comforts of authority assuring us that we are always right. Our temptation is often to create a non-relational Christianity and non-relational leadership styles, so we can have all the bases covered by custom and statute, and don't ever have to enter into the scandal of particularity. Prayer, perhaps more than anything, is the school of relationship and particularity. We should be the experts in these areas—if we are people of prayer. —from The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The patient and humble endurance of the cross—whatever nature it may be—is the highest work we have to do."
— St. Katharine Drexel † Meditation of the Day
"While St. Teresa was well acquainted with methods of meditation and wished her young nuns to be instructed in them, she emphatically insisted that the primary need for beginners is not to find the ideal method but to do God's will from moment to moment throughout the day—which is probably the last thing the beginner thinks is primary. Her thought is strong and unambiguous: 'The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer—and don't forget this, because it is very important—should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every effort to bring his will in conformity with God's will'. She then adds that 'it is the person who lives in more perfect conformity who will receive more from the Lord and be more advanced on this road of prayer.'"
— Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 112
An Excerpt From
Fire Within † Verse of the Day
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God."
Ephesians 2:19-22 |  click to read more | | St. William of York St. William of York (d. 1154) was born to a powerful family in England, the nephew of the king. He became a priest and then treasurer of York Minster Cathedral at the time when the English crown was contested by two grandchildren of William the Conqueror. When the Archbishop of York died, William was chosen to take his place. Kind-hearted and generous to the poor, he was well-liked by the people; however, he faced political and ecclesiastical opposition from the rival to the English throne. Because he was consecrated without papal approval, William was accused of wrongdoing by those who wanted their preferred prelate in the position; even St. Bernard of Clairvaux opposed him. Although he eventually confirmed William's appointment, the Pope died before the pallium was given, and the new pope took the side of William's detractors. A new archbishop was ordained in his place while William went to live as a monk with his uncle, a bishop, in quiet prayer and penance. The people of York, upset that their favorite had been deposed, took to rioting. Six years later the Archbishop of York died, and another new pope made William the successor. The people were overjoyed at his return—so many came to greet him as he entered the city that a bridge collapsed under their weight; the fact that no one was hurt was considered a miracle. A few months later, after celebrating Mass on Trinity Sunday, William became ill and died. Poisoning was suspected but never confirmed. Miracles took place at his tomb which gave rise to his canonization in 1227. His feast day is June 8th. | Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 359
Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:1-6 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word."
The LORD then said to Elijah:
"Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there."
So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream. Responsorial Psalm PS 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Alleluia Matthew 5:12a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you." | Today's Meditation: Psalm 121:1-8 I lift up my eyes toward the mountains. (Psalm 121:1) In the Bible, we usually associate mountains with closeness to God because of how mountains seem to stretch toward the heavens. Mountains also have an important place in salvation history: Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, Jerusalem sits on Mount Zion, and Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor. But many Scripture scholars believe that in this particular psalm, the mountains represent danger and a source of anxiety. And that's striking because the psalmist is declaring that even in the face of the most towering of obstacles, God will always help. Look at how God provided for Elijah in today's first reading. The "mountains" that this prophet faced were, first, the drought that he had called down because of King Ahab's wickedness and, second, Ahab's predictable wrath against him. But God protected Elijah and provided him with water to drink from a stream that did not dry up and with food delivered by ravens (1 Kings 17:6). Elijah probably never conceived of help like that, but he looked to the Lord and trusted him for aid. We all have mountains in our lives—seemingly insurmountable obstacles that can obscure our vision of what lies ahead. We wonder how to care for an aging parent or a wayward child, how to find a job or pay the rent, or how to deal with a health crisis. It's in times like these that God wants us to focus not on our "mountains" but on him, the One who is creative and powerful and who "will guard your life . . . both now and forever" (Psalm 121:7, 8). As you look for his answer, persist in praying and searching the Scriptures. Be prepared for the possibility that God will help you through an idea that unexpectedly pops into your mind or through the wise counsel of a friend. He may even prompt you to act in a way you never imagined but that turns out to be the best course. Remember, God always helps, even when the mountains seem enormous. So trust in him and try to follow his lead as he shines his light on you and offers solutions. "Lord, I believe that you want to help me overcome the mountains I face. Help me today to hear and obey you as you come to my aid." 1 Kings 17:1-6
Matthew 5:1-12 |  clickable | Whether we stand or kneel to receive, we can always, in our hearts, minds, and souls, be prostrate in adoration of the living God in the Eucharist.
— Vinny Flynn
from 7 Secrets of the Eucharist | my2cents:
"Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream."
Into the desert he goes. Into trusting he goes. And the birds bring him food, and the stream provides. Bread from Heaven. Just like Moses. The Prophet in the desert and the bread. Today, we are offered the bread and the meat and this is where Heaven meets the Earth...Eucharist. | We pray today: "I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."
These words are used in an older song called Praise You In The Storm, by Casting Crowns. I will praise you in the storm. I will lift my eyes, and I trust in the Lord who made Heaven and earth. | Jesus our King goes up the mountain. The Prophet is about to Have Mass.
He will break Word and then break Bread. And this from the birds from Heaven.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land."
The meek are poor in spirit. It takes much to serve, and often it takes a broken heart to serve. Only when you are broken are you shared, think Eucharist.
"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied."
What do you hunger for? Right now, riots and fights are broken out on the streets, they say they want justice, but they want it by force. What about justice to God? What about righteousness? Remember, the meek will inherit the land. God will take it from the evil forces. And the truth about evil is always being revealed, it cannot hide from the light.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
And this goes to the Lord's prayer, "forgive us as we forgive others". It is telling God to only be as merciful as we are onto others. The other day, my friend went to a garage sale,estate sale. He found an item he liked. He is a darker hispanic, few tattoos. He goes to pay and the lady changed the price on him, from $2 to $20, he said that wasn't fair, and she wound up saying something like "you're kind of people aren't welcome". He was walking out when an older white lady bought the item for $2 and gave it to my friend. Other people reproached the sales lady saying she was in the wrong place in the wrong business. The story is one of injustice, isn't it? Racism? Hatred? Makes one want to go and tell that lady "something", right? That was the first sentiment of my friend's wife, "where is she, I'll go tell her...". My friend told her not to do anything, maybe she was going through a hard time.
What would you do?
Better yet, what would Jesus do?
I told my friend that Jesus endured many such hardships. Injustices. Things not right. And He inherits the land, He is King of the whole world now.
Humility wins. And humility is an action. Humility is a way. I told my new RCIA class "you will have to learn humility if you will get involved in ministries, for there will be much accusations, much talking" and one student was saying how she'd speak her mind.
Well, that's the thing. Where's your mind? Where is your heart?
It must be on Christ first, meek, and humble.
You must take things with grace, make lemonade with lemons, and the sugar is grace. Get you some, in the Holy Sacraments, and a life rooted in Christ alone.
Less of me...more of Him.
And He will feed us in the desert, and we will praise Him in the storm.... |  click to hear | Random bible verse from an online generator:
Proverbs 16:7
7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. | 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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