 clickable | | The Power of Pilgrimage For the last few days of the Camino, I felt a yearning in my heart that I could not explain. It was a tugging deep within me that was always present but vaguely outside of me. I felt I was being drawn in or pulled to something. The feeling was odd, and I could not fully understand it. As I drew closer to Santiago, it became clearer to me what was happening. I felt that I was being beckoned, as if someone was waiting for me. I instinctively knew that someone was Christ. I am not able to explain exactly what was taking place in my heart. It was both a longing for and a being called to. While I was experiencing Christ as I walked, I was increasingly being consumed by the reality that he was waiting for me in Santiago. I have never since had such a genuine sense of God waiting on me. −from Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles with Jesus |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully."
— St. Ignatius of Loyola †Meditation of the Day
"Without doubt, Jesus Christ could have abolished pain at a single stroke, and, by virtue of the infinite grace of the Redemption, restored man to the state of complete, unmixed bliss that he enjoyed in the paradise of innocence. He did not so wish. He judged that, for some, suffering would be a source of merit, a gain, a source of glory, and a means of renewal and triumph; that, for the greater number, it would be a necessary expiation. He therefore maintained suffering, but purified, ennobled, and transfigured it by taking it upon Himself. He became the man of sorrows, virum dolorum, in the strict and absolute sense of these words."
— Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 276
An Excerpt From
The End of the Present World †Verse of the Day
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:6-7 |  click to read more | | Saint Gregory Grassi and Companions Saint of the Day for July 8
(d. July 9, 1900) Christian missionaries have often gotten caught in the crossfire of wars against their own countries. When the governments of Britain, Germany, Russia, and France forced substantial territorial concessions from the Chinese in 1898, anti-foreign sentiment grew very strong among many Chinese people. Gregory Grassi was born in Italy in 1833, ordained in 1856, and sent to China five years later. Gregory was later ordained Bishop of North Shanxi. With 14 other European missionaries and 14 Chinese religious, he was martyred during the short but bloody Boxer Uprising of 1900. Twenty-six of these martyrs were arrested on the orders of Yu Hsien, the governor of Shanxi province. They were hacked to death on July 9, 1900. Five of them were Friars Minor; seven were Franciscan Missionaries of Mary—the first martyrs of their congregation. Seven were Chinese seminarians and Secular Franciscans; four martyrs were Chinese laymen and Secular Franciscans. The other three Chinese laymen killed in Shanxi simply worked for the Franciscans and were rounded up with all the others. Three Italian Franciscans were martyred that same week in the province of Hunan. All these martyrs were beatified in 1946, and were among the 120 martyrs canonized in 2000.
Reflection Martyrdom is the occupational hazard of missionaries. Throughout China during the Boxer Uprising, five bishops, 50 priests, two brothers, 15 sisters and 40,000 Chinese Christians were killed. The 146,575 Catholics served by the Franciscans in China in 1906 had grown to 303,760 by 1924, and were served by 282 Franciscans and 174 local priests. Great sacrifices often bring great results. | Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 385
Reading 1 Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 Israel is a luxuriant vine
whose fruit matches its growth.
The more abundant his fruit,
the more altars he built;
The more productive his land,
the more sacred pillars he set up.
Their heart is false,
now they pay for their guilt;
God shall break down their altars
and destroy their sacred pillars.
If they would say,
"We have no king"—
Since they do not fear the LORD,
what can the king do for them? The king of Samaria shall disappear,
like foam upon the waters.
The high places of Aven shall be destroyed,
the sin of Israel;
thorns and thistles shall overgrow their altars.
Then they shall cry out to the mountains, "Cover us!"
and to the hills, "Fall upon us!" "Sow for yourselves justice,
reap the fruit of piety;
break up for yourselves a new field,
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain down justice upon you." Responsorial Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (4b) Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or: R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
Mk 1:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" | Daily Meditation: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 It is time to seek the Lord. (Hosea 10:12) Idolatry was everywhere. Israel had begun to place their faith in military strength and foreign alliances instead of trusting in God. At the same time, they began erecting altars and offering sacrifices to honor Baal, the pagan god of fertility (Hosea 10:1). How could God's precious chosen people have fallen so low? The truth is, we all have a tendency to worship "false gods," sometimes without even realizing it. It happens when we let anything take priority over the Lord. When we allow other things to grab our attention or our hearts more than God, or when we seek our joy and comfort in things God has created more than in God himself, we have in essence made them idols. What's the solution? Hosea tells the people, quite simply, "It is time to seek the Lord" (10:12). Seek the Lord when you cling to your own strength instead of relying on God's grace. Seek the Lord when you find yourself rearranging your schedule to fit in more screen time and end up squeezing out your prayer time. Seek the Lord when you realize you are doing things to please other people because you care more about their opinion of you than what God thinks. Seek the Lord when you are tempted to place career success above time with your family. Today, make time to seek the Lord. Ask him, "What things am I tempted to place before you? What can I do to put you first?" When you ask these questions on a regular basis, you give God the opportunity to open your eyes and heart to show you what steps you might need to take to knock those "gods" off their pedestals. It might mean easing up on Netflix for a few weeks to spend extra time in prayer. It might mean making it a point to go to Confession on a regular basis. Or it might mean putting a little extra money into the poor box after Mass. It is always a good time to seek the Lord. As you do, he will show you how you can place him at the center of your life. "Lord, what am I tempted to place above you? Show me how to make a change." Psalm 105:2-7
Matthew 10:1-7 |  clickable | The Catholic Faith is defensible. Learn it, and live it! Don't be Sunday Christians. Look to Jesus not only as your savior but as your Lord. Help him make the difference in your money and your time and your talents and your body. He wants to be Lord of every facet of our lives.
— Kimberly Hahn
from A Pastor's Wife's Journey Home | my2cents:
""Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety; break up for yourselves a new field, for it is time to seek the LORD..."
Break up a new field. I've heard of one that said they died and they believe they saw heaven, and there they speak of a beautiful field, and there see a healed person, not like they were on earth, suffering and paralyzed, and that person was running across the beautiful field. Make yourselves a new field our Lord says. And these messages are for always. In the new fields, there are healed souls. In new fields, there is Heaven. In new fields many beautiful things exist with life. Break up the dry ground and prepare the way. God will come with life giving water. | We pray today: "Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
Seek always the face of the Lord."
Seek to serve. They say that most industries are service industries. Ours here (yours and mine in Christ), is the service to God. We serve God first. Love comes first. | Our Lord enters: "Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness."
Sounds like our Lord Jesus ushered in Heaven. Perhaps that is why He always said "the Kingdom is at hand". What we tie here ties in Heaven, just like our First Pope. What you do matters. Everything matters. There is nothing that does not matter in the eyes of our Lord. What you consider waste, becomes life. What you consider useless, becomes useful. Think of how diamonds are made, or oil, or food, and most importantly...every human life that has ever existed. In the eyes of grace and love, every person is a child of God. Let us never forget that. And so, our Lord goes to healing, forever, through His chosen ones. Aside from providing food and shelter for my children, I'm also their doctor. Healing. I'm tasked with being a healer. And I'm tasked with being their priest. And that's what I do always. I wrap up their wounds, and I pray for them. And then we gather round and pray. I always open prayer with thanksgiving. First give thanks. Then petition. That is my advice. Thanksgiving means something. Being thankful means something. It puts us in a humble position before the giver, "I owe you" or "I could never repay" and for that you are forever indebted, forever grateful. And that's me, and that's you, we are forever grateful, and that can only be paid one way...by being Christ, mercy, healing, doing and being what He says. | He said ""Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Why not go to the pagans? Why just to the lost sheep of God? That's how His fire works. Kindling the fire of His love takes to the right kindle. I cannot start wet wood on fire, it's much easier to catch paper, or cotton, or twigs on fire. Little soft things, not hard things. So who are the lost sheep? Take a look around. You know who they are. Those who lost their way. Those who are seeking something. Those who are trying perhaps. And sometimes, me and you get lost, don't we? We lose focus, or become disheartened. We let big heads make us blind. My friend, our Lord said something very powerful and we shall never forget: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"
It is at hand. It is made available. It is here for the taking. It is in a sense here already, by being made available. Where God reigns, He is King. Where he does not reign, he is not. You see, KINGdom is dominion of the King. No matter what life you choose, He is King. For the world has been handed to Jesus, and this is phenomenal. Billions of lives, billions of stars, worlds and worlds that centralize on His every last word.
And His Word is hope, mercy, and love everlasting.
Let us take to His every Last Word.
Let us live out His Word.
In doing so, the Word is made flesh.
He dwells among us. The KINGDOM IS AT HAND | Random bible verse from an online generator:
WOW!
Gal 6:1
Bear One Another's Burdens 6
Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. | 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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