 clickable | | Gratitude Is the 'Mystical Minimum' G.K. Chesterton spoke of the "mystical minimum," which he defined as gratitude. When we stand in the immense abundance of the True Self, there is no time or space for being hurt. We are always secure, at rest, and foundationally grateful. The grateful response for what is given—seeing the cup half full— requires seeing with a completely different set of eyes than the eyes that always see the cup as half empty. I don't think it's an oversimplification to say that people basically live either in an overall attitude of gratitude or an overall attitude of resentment. The mystical minimum is gratitude: Everything that is given—that we are breathing today—is pure gift. None of us have earned it. None of us have a right to it. All we can do is kneel and kiss the ground—somewhere, anywhere, everywhere. —from The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Act as if everyday were the last of your life, and each action the last you perform."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori PRAYER DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
O clement, O loving, O sweet Mother Mary,
We, your children of every nation,
Turn to you in this pandemic.
Our troubles are numerous; our fears are great.
Grant that we might deposit them at your feet,
Take refuge in your Immaculate Heart,
And obtain peace, healing, rescue,
And timely help in all our needs.
You are our Mother.
Pray for us to your Son.
Amen. PRAYER OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen. MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at this moment is progressing to the one state or the other."
— C. S. Lewis, p. 92
AN EXCERPT FROM
Mere Christianity † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Hebrews 1:1-3 |  click to read more | | STS. PETER AND PAUL St. Peter and St. Paul (1st c.) were the foremost Apostles of Jesus Christ; St. Peter was the leader of the Twelve, while St. Paul followed Christ after His ascension into heaven. Together the two saints are the founders of the Church in Rome through their apostolic preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. They are the solid rock on which the foundation of the Catholic Church is built, and they will forever remain her protectors and guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God's providential guidance that they transformed the capital of the Roman Empire into the heart of the Church, with the mission to radiate the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. Both saints were martyred in close proximity to one another; Peter first, then Paul, though some traditions claim they were killed on the same day. St. Peter was crucified upside down and buried on the hill of the Vatican where St. Peter's Basilica now stands. St. Paul was beheaded on the via Ostia and buried where the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls now stands. St. Peter and St. Paul are the patron saints of Rome and they share a feast day on June 29, a tradition going back to the earliest centuries of the Church. | Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Saint of the Day for June 29 Peter (d. 64?) Saint Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding, and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus. The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life, and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles. And to Peter only did Jesus say, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17b-19). But the Gospels prove their own trustworthiness by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus. He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, "What are we going to get for all this?" (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23b). Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus' ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears. The Risen Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep (John 21:15-17). Paul (d. 64?) If the most well-known preacher today suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate. Paul's central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil, and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus. Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children of the promise.
Reflection We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: "It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church." Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic, and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation, and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.
Saint Paul is the Patron Saint of: Greece | Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Mass during the Day Lectionary: 591 Reading 1 Acts 12:1-11 In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
"Get up quickly."
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals."
He did so.
Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me."
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
"Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting." Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Reading 2 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18 I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia Mt 16:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 16:13-19 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." | Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Through me the proclamation might be completed. (2 Timothy 4:17) Peter and Paul encountered Jesus in very different ways. Peter was fishing, and Paul was persecuting Christians. But both encounters were so powerful that they led these two men to surrender their lives to Jesus and to follow him on a lifelong journey. The Book of Acts shows us their journeys with all the highs and lows. Peter and Paul boldly preached to crowds of people, even when it meant getting thrown into prison. They performed amazing miracles that led people to believe in Christ. Both experienced rejection of the gospel by some of their fellow Jews. And then there was that painful disagreement between Peter and Paul about the role of Gentiles in the Church. In all of this, Peter and Paul had to continually surrender their lives to God. This may have required them to wrestle with their own plans and desires. They may have had to combat the weakness and fear that go along with such surrender. But it made them more open to the Holy Spirit and his guidance. And what fruit was borne because of it! As we continue to surrender our lives to the Lord, we too will become more open to the Spirit. And that will make us more fruitful, just as it did for Peter and Paul. Like a spring flood that flows down river channels with no obstacles or dams blocking it, God's grace can flow through us to the people around us. We can bring the good news of Jesus and the new life he offers to the people of our own day. Whatever your circumstances are right now, ask for the grace to make an act of surrender to the Lord. You could pray, "Jesus, I give my life, and every concern, desire, and hope, to you. Use me in any way you wish to bring your life to other people." You may have to make that prayer day after day—surrendering to the Lord is not always easy. But like Peter and Paul, you can trust that as you offer your life to God, you will see fruit, both in your life and in the lives of those around you. "Lord, give me the grace to surrender my life to you." Acts 12:1-11
Psalm 34:2-9
Matthew 16:13-19 |  clickable | The Sacraments are not what we do to get God to do our bidding. They are what God does for us, and what God does in us, and what God can accomplish in us, and—quite frequently—in spite of us.
— Dr. Scott Hahn
from A Father Who Keeps His Promises | my2cents:
The last thing the angel said to Saint Peter was: " "Put on your cloak and follow me."
And Peter was set free. No further instructions. He was just dropped off at an alley. Freedom. Now what? Peter is still the rock. Everything he did, set things in stone. What do you think? Does this apply to you? God is calling you to follow Him...to freedom, to give, freely your life. | Today we pray: "Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him."
The poor call, and He answers. Who are the poor? I don't know that there is a one worded answer to that. The poor in spirit are sincere, humble, and most often, but not always, righteous. Grace has much to do with the poor. Let us begin a life of grace through this all. | St. Paul said today: "The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it."
An angel stood by St. Peter, and the Lord stood by St. Paul. Who is standing by you today? We have a guardian angel. We have a call to the Lord and He is there. It is better to be poor. What can afford you poverty? Giving. Self surrender. All things we find hard to do often. Social distancing has a disconnect feeling to it. People are not meant to be disconnected. I think this is the hardest part about those in prison and hospitals, and nowadays the one in nursing homes, they used to be just hospitalized, kind of abandoned, now they are hospitalized and really abandoned. I say this because I spoke on the phone with one last night and that is the feeling I got as he spoke of the "4 walls" he was in, never heard him say that before, in the years of being his friend. Imagine, being elderly, really no blood family connections, alone, and blind, and locked up, nobody can come in, and nobody can go out. He speaks of a day though, when he will go out. It's hard being a phone friend. It's not the same, like zoom meetings, there seems to be missing a real connection. This is a test my friend. Who will stand by you through it all? | Our Lord speaks today: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church..".
Jesus says MY CHURCH. It's not your Church, it's HIS Church. I asked my RCIA class "who is the head of the body of Christ?" They said God, but I said "who in the person of God is the head?" It is Jesus Christ. It is HIS church. God gave Him the world. He is KING. We are in a Kingdom. We are baptized citizens. What are you doing in the Body of Christ, for the Body? What is your duty? Firstly, to work the field, but how? By Loving God first. If you love God you will take care of his sheep.
Jesus says to our first Pope: " the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven". It will seem as though that darkness is winning, but take heart. It will seem as if the world is ending, but take heart. The gates of the netherworld will not prevail. Jesus prevails, life wins. In the meantime, there are things to do. What you do has eternal ramifications, repercussions. What you do has the possibility to affect generations, for the good, or for the worse. It is not only true of the Pope, or bishops and priests, but every single one of us. You can be the voice in the desert, you can be that little light in the darkness. You can lead the way, not by being you, but being CHRIST. This is your duty in the body. While we are in the body, we are giving life, called to give life, but if you are not giving life, does the body need dead cells? Eventually dead cells are expelled. Inside the Body we are being renewed day by day. God regenerates, perpetually, no matter the circumstances. Heaven cannot be described, but we know what is true of Heaven...there is life. Let us lift each other up to Heaven, in word, in deed, and prayer and in supplications.
Lord, you have words of everlasting life.
Let your Word be on us as we place our hope and trust in you.
St. Peter pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us. | Random bible verse from an online generator: Ps 121: 5 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. | 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 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment