 clickable | | Where Earth and Heaven Meet So preoccupied had I been with Assisi that I couldn't see beyond it to the goal of everything, that other threshold, that border where earth and heaven meet. The mountain is the symbol of that apogee in the soul where we meet God. This is not to denigrate or dismiss what is below, but to lift it up and give thanks to God for all that God has made; to bless it and praise God and see that everything is good because it comes from God and ultimately leads us beyond itself to the God who made it and redeems it. What is below makes the mountain. It does not rest on air, on spirit, but on matter, which is the mountain's way to the heights of union with God. The mountain affirms incarnation, the entering of God into all that God has made. —from Enter Assisi: An Invitation to Franciscan Spirituality by Murray Bodo, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"I will glory not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed; I will glory not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me. I will not glory because I have done good nor because someone has done good to me, but because Christ is my advocate with the Father and because the blood of Christ has been shed for me."
— St. Ambrose † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"After the events of the Resurrection and Ascension, Mary entered the Upper Room together with the Apostles to await Pentecost, and was present there as the Mother of the glorified Lord. ... Thus there began to develop a special bond between this Mother and the Church. For the infant Church was the fruit of the Cross and Resurrection of her Son. Mary, who from the beginning had given herself without reserve to the person and work of her Son, could not but pour out upon the Church, from the very beginning, her maternal self-giving. After her Son's departure, her motherhood remains in the Church as maternal mediation: interceding for all her children, the Mother cooperates in the saving work of her Son, the Redeemer of the world. In fact the Council teaches that the 'motherhood of Mary in the order of grace . . . will last without interruption until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect'. With the redeeming death of her Son, the maternal mediation of the handmaid of the Lord took on a universal dimension, for the work of redemption embraces the whole of humanity."
— Pope St. John Paul II, p. 129-30
AN EXCERPT FROM
Mary: God's Yes to Man †VERSE OF THE DAY
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this."
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 |  click to read more | | ST. BRIDGET OF SWEDEN St. Bridget (1303-1373) was born into a devout and prestigious family in Sweden. Her father was a governor, judge, and one of the wealthiest landowners in the country. Bridget received an excellent religious education, and from a young age demonstrated a great capacity for holiness. She even experienced mystical visions in her childhood. At the age of thirteen she was given in marriage to a similarly devout young man named Ulf. Together the two had a happy marriage and raised eight children, one of whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. St. Bridget became famous for her sanctity, and she was well-acquainted with the Swedish king and many theologians who sought her counsel. When Bridget and Ulf were in their forties, they went on pilgrimage along the famous Way of St. James. Shortly afterwards Ulf died, and Bridget gave herself entirely to the religious life. Her visions became more frequent, and were written down in a famous work called the Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden. She also founded a new religious order known as the Brigittines. To obtain approval for her Order she traveled to Rome with her daughter Catherine, where she lived until her death. St. Bridget of Sweden is one of the six patron saints of Europe. Her feast day is July 23rd. | Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 398 Reading 1
Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-1 3 This word of the LORD came to me:
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear! I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD. When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
"Where is the LORD?"
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols. Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water. Responsorial Psalm 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11 R. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord. Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 13:10-17 The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them. "But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 13:10-17 They look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. (Matthew 13:13) What if we could use a time machine to convince our neighbors that Jesus is really the Son of God? If only you could take those doubters back two thousand years so that they could hear Jesus preach and see his miracles. Then they would believe in him, right? Maybe. But maybe not. Look at all the people who met Jesus, who saw him do so much but still didn't believe in him. Looking but not truly seeing and hearing but not truly understanding, they questioned the validity of his miracles (Matthew 13:13). They accused him of being in league with Satan. They were scandalized when he said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:54). Well, what if we could use that time machine to bring Jesus to the present day? Maybe if people saw him in their own setting, they might be convinced to follow him. After all, when he performed a miracle, there would be cameras all around to capture the event. Plus, his words could be recorded, so there would never be any doubt about what he said. But it's not hard to imagine what could happen. His words would be misinterpreted. He would be called too liberal or too conservative. People might say that he's a magician or that videos of his miracles were hoaxes and the result of computer manipulation. In short, Jesus would likely be as misunderstood today as he was in his own time. The truth is, we don't need a time machine. We have the Holy Spirit. He can help anyone come to know Jesus even better than the people who heard him in Galilee. People today may not be able to touch him, but they can receive him in the Eucharist. They may not hear him, but they have his living word in the Scriptures. And most important, they may not see him, but they have you standing right in front of them. Jesus has commissioned you and promised to be with you always. The witness of your life and the testimony of your words really can change people's lives. "Here I am, Lord! Teach me how to be your ambassador to the people around me. Help me to show them your humility, your mercy, and your love." Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
Psalm 36:6-11 |  clickable | Though they come to us through ritual forms, the seven Sacraments are not mechanical processes or magical manipulations. The Sacraments give grace only to those who don't impede it. That means we have to do our best to prepare for them and treat them for what they are: God's masterworks; amazing gifts to his beloved children.
— Matthew Leonard
from The Bible and the Sacraments | my2cents:
"Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water."
What does forsaken mean? The dictionary says ' to renounce or turn away from entirely." Abandoned. They went to things that are temporal, fleeting goals and dreams and claims of life. Who are those people that abandoned Him? Who went to temporal things and looked to them as life? Surely not I? | We pray today:
"With you is the fountain of life, O Lord. How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house; from your delightful stream you give them to drink."
Our Lord provides the fountain of life that so many look for. It started pouring out of His side, and the source of water was His Precious and Sacred Heart. | Gross is the heart of those who hardly see or hear Him, they will hardly be converted...and healed.
And our Lord said ""But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." | The other day I was speaking with a loved one, and I shared my vision story about having seen Our Father on the cross. I said that I feel this is not fair, I didn't ask for this. Many times I've given things freely without me asking, whether people offering to pay for me and my kids food, or being born into a family that is faithful or doing well, that is not fair to many who do not receive. It is not fair, and because it is not fair, I admire those who are not born into faith yet develop themselves and become fruitful, in their families, in their work, and most importantly....in their faith. I said " the heavens rejoice to see someone with true faith". There is much admiration. To this day, I admire one who repents and converts, and has complete faith in our Lord. This faith is love. True love trusts. True love....Loves. I ask to see this of many.
In a world that seemed lost, there is a way, the signs are very clear.
We must turn from doubt, and turn to faith.
We must turn from anxiety and take His yoke.
We must turn from depression and experience His joy.
We must turn from fear, and be courageous.
Only in the Lord can we defeat, only in holiness can we see, only in persevering will we receive the crowning gift. The incessant knocking of the poor is heard in Heaven.
Let us storm Heaven with a beautiful prayer...a sincere heart completely surrendered to His Precious Heart... | Random Bible verse from an online generator:
Prov. 25:15
With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. | 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