 clickable | | Prayer from within the Heart I wondered why Francis did not pray on the mountaintop contemplating this awesome panoply below, but instead prayed in the mountain, inside, within? It was, I concluded, because that was where the treasure was buried, beneath the surface of the mountain. And as beautiful as all of nature was, it couldn't really be seen, except with eyes in-Spirited by the journey into the dark cave whose lack of an external light source, somehow facilitated another light that, like the light of a medieval miniature illumination, began to glow from within. —from Enter Assisi: An Invitation to Franciscan Spirituality |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Every grace granted to man has three degrees in order; for by God it is communicated to Christ, from Christ it passes to the Virgin, and from the Virgin it descends to us."
— St. Bernardine of Siena †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Thus, brethren, God has loved you from eternity, and through pure love, he has selected you from among so many men whom he could have created in place of you; but he has left them in their nothingness, and has brought you into existence, and placed you in the world. For the love of you, he has made so many other beautiful creatures, that they might serve you, and that they might remind you of the love which he has borne to you, and of the gratitude which you owe to him."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 218
AN EXCERPT FROM † VERSE OF THE DAY
"When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14:12-14 |  click to read more | | ST. BONAVENTURE St. Bonaventure (1221–1274) was born with the name Giovanni in Tuscany, Italy. As a child he became seriously ill and was in danger of death until his mother brought him to St. Francis of Assisi, who was then living in the region as a mendicant friar. It is said that St. Francis healed the child and afterward exclaimed, "O buona ventura (O good fortune)!" when he prophetically perceived how great the child would one day become, and this is how he began to be called Bonaventure. He joined the Franciscan order at the age of 22 and went on to study theology at the University of Paris, where he became famous friends with the Dominican friar St. Thomas Aquinas. The two friends graduated together, each insisting that the other be the first to receive honors. St. Bonaventure is regarded as one of the great philosophers and theologians of the Middle Ages, earning the name "Seraphic Doctor." In addition to his many writings, including a Life of St. Francis of Assisi, he was elected to serve as head of his order, and was appointed a cardinal-bishop by the Holy Father. St. Bonaventure died while assisting at the Second Council of Lyons, which worked for the reunification of the Catholic Church with the Eastern Orthodox churches. His feast day is celebrated on July 15th. | Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 391
Reading 1 Is 10:5-7, 13b-16 Thus says the LORD:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few. For he says:
"By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!" Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire. Responsorial Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15 R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.
Your people, O LORD, they trample down,
your inheritance they afflict.
Widow and stranger they slay,
the fatherless they murder.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
And they say, "The LORD sees not;
the God of Jacob perceives not."
Understand, you senseless ones among the people;
and, you fools, when will you be wise?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Shall he who shaped the ear not hear?
or he who formed the eye not see?
Shall he who instructs nations not chastise,
he who teaches men knowledge?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people. Alleluia 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 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 11:25-27 You have revealed them to the childlike. (Matthew 11:25) Having a one-year-old sure keeps parents on their toes. At this stage of development, a child thinks he can walk and climb before he is quite ready, so there are quite a few falls. Whenever he's hurt, through tears and cries, he looks straight at his parents. Of course, they pick him up, make sure he's all right, and comfort him. And this is true not just with injuries. As much as a young toddler likes exploring solo, she often wants to climb up into her parents' arms, whether to reach something high, to read a book, or just to snuggle. A child's relationship with their parents is a precious thing. A child's boundless trust leads them to turn instantly to Mom or Dad. This is precisely the image Jesus uses in his prayer to his Father in today's Gospel. There was something about the people who accepted Jesus, something that made them open to receiving the word of God. Jesus calls these people "the childlike" (Matthew 11:25). If God reveals himself to the childlike, then how can we become like children in relation to God? It's easy to think that in order to know God, we had better begin a long course of study and a rigorous program of virtue building. We might also think, "Gosh, look how far behind I already am!" But that's not being like a child. We can learn from a one-year-old here: I need, I want, I hurt. We begin with, "Help me, God!" And think of how Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father. This kind of innocent trust, turning to God in our pain as well as our joys, reaching up our hands and trusting that he will pick us up—that is childlike. That is the attitude we are all invited to adopt. When we turn to God like children, he does much more than pick us up and comfort us. He reveals himself to us. Like a good parent, he shows us how much he loves us and opens our eyes to his mercy. He teaches us right from wrong and shows us how to live. Best of all, he assures us that he is always our Father. "Jesus, teach me to be childlike and trust in God my Father." Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16
Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15 |  clickable | In the light of Mary, the Church sees in the face of women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the self-offering totality of love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words of support and encouragement.
— St. John Paul II
from Redemptoris Mater | my2cents:
"And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire."
Isaiah prophesied much....about Christ....about the Holy Spirit. When you hear a prophecy, will it happen now, or in 70 years, or in 700 years? Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years B.C., before Christ. At the foot of the fall of the Davidic Kingdom. But from the stump, a shoot is born, and we are ushered new life. But first the stump. God demolishes kingdoms, and nations He moves as He sees fit. And they move according to our faithfulness. False faith is squandered, proven as if gold purified through fire. This is purgatory now, and there is a purgatory that is greater. The purgation and burning flames with no time. Notice the chatter about fire. Notice the talk about the Holy Spirit. Notice the conversation about the Kingdom. This is God talking. | We prayed: "The Lord will not abandon his people. Your people, O LORD, they trample down, your inheritance they afflict. Widow and stranger they slay, the fatherless they murder."
There are severe injustices today. It is not a problem of race, but a problem of pride. The injustice extends to the unborn. They say a big church in Turkey was handed over to the Muslims. They say that at one point in history, of the centuries of the church, that Muslims murdered about a thousand women and children and fatherless in this church. Was this prayer fulfilled from Psalms? The same happened in the Holocaust. Was it a fulfillment of Scripture? Is it fair to turn over this church At the onset, it was Orthodox, and Catholic, and then slaughtering, and then turned into a secular museum, and now going backwards. If the backwards trend continues, could it go back to being Catholic? The real battle is not a battle of flesh, that is an outwards sign, it is an inward reality. What is going on inside, with the message... | Our Lord said "... you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike."
Becoming childlike, is wisdom. Not a child minded kid, but childlike. Like a child that is willing to learn, willing to obey, willing to...believe. I was joking with my kids before prayer time last night about our boy who is turning 13 today "you know tonight a fairy godmother will visit him before he turns 12" and the little kids eyes and mouths opened up "whoa, really?" I said joking "yeah, when he gets a visit, tomorrow he'll wake up with a big mustache" and they all started laughing. And seeing their belief I had to say that I was just kidding. But I did tell my boy "you will always be a child...of God". Now, shall we be susceptible and gullible? We must be susceptible, capable of change for God, and not always gullible, believing everything you hear...especial when it comes to worldly news and gossip. | "... such has been your gracious will."
That the meek inherit the earth.
That the world will be taken from the unrighteous.
That the prayers of the righteous will be heard.
That God is in our midst. That we are being proven for purity, and this is good. Lord, help us be yours truly and truly forever..... | Random bible verse from an online generator:
Col: 3:12
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. | 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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