 clickable | | Prayer Takes Us Outside Ourselves Prayer begins through our recognition of ourselves as creatures, finite and yet aware of something greater. It is an impulse that takes us outside of ourselves, inspired by the expectation of some deeper meaning or the longing for an infinite existence. Prayer doesn't issue from a sense of resignation about our condition but rather from a sense of hope: There must be something more. Through the act of prayer, a person attempts to reach beyond the boundaries of space and time and touch something transcendent, some ultimate Other who is responsible for everything that exists. Prayer expresses an all-pervasive longing for happiness, not in terms of emotional satisfaction but in terms of personal fulfillment. The impulse that grounds the act of prayer is an unconditional and sensitive openness to that which transcends all the ins and outs of everyday life. Prayer addresses the basic questions of human existence. —from the book Inspired: The Powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
JULY 1, 2020
"Never will we understand the value of time better than when our last hour is at hand."
— St. Arnold Janssen 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
"'The Lord measures our perfection not by the number and greatness of the works we do for Him, but by our manner of doing them. And this manner is only the love of God with which, and for which, we do them. They are more perfect as they are done with more pure and perfect love, and as they are less mingled with the thoughts of pleasure or praise in this life or the other (St. John of the Cross).' When St. Bernard was assisting one night at Matins, he saw some angels who were carefully noting down the merit of each of the monks. The merit of those who were praying with much fervor, they set down in golden characters; of those with less fervor, in silver characters; of those with good will, but without affection, in ink; of those with sloth and drowsiness, in water; but as to those who were in mortal sin or voluntarily distracted, they wrote nothing, but, standing motionless, they lamented their blindness."
— Anonymous, p. 292
AN EXCERPT FROM
Cultivating Virtue: Self-Mastery With the Saints
placeholder † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law. I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees, O Lord; let me not be put to shame. I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding."
Psalm 119:27-32 |  click to read more | | ST. JUNIPERO SERRA St. Junipero Serra (1713 - 1784) was born to a farming family on the Spanish island of Majorca. He was baptized the same day he was born, and was later sent to be educated by the Franciscans. In 1730 he joined the Franciscans and was ordained to the priesthood. St. Junipero was considered brilliant by his peers; he was well-trained in philosophy and theology, and taught at the university. In 1750 he traveled to the New World and began ministering to the people of Mexico City. In 1768 he moved north and began working in the Californian missions. As a result of his tireless missionary efforts, he is largely responsible for the spread of Catholicism along the western coast of the United States—as testified by the many Californian cities with Spanish Christian names. He founded the first nine of twenty-one Catholic missions that spread along the California coast. He converted thousands of Native Americans to the Christian faith and taught them new methods of agriculture, animal husbandry, and craftsmanship. He died from tuberculosis at the age of 71. The Native Americans he ministered wept at his death out of their love for him. Junipero Serra was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988 and canonized by Pope Francis during his trip to the United States in 2015, the first canonization Mass to ever take place on American soil. His feast day is July 1st. | Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 379 Reading 1AM 5:14-15, 21-24 Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts,
be with you as you claim!
Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will have pity on the remnant of Joseph. I hate, I spurn your feasts, says the LORD,
I take no pleasure in your solemnities;
Your cereal offerings I will not accept,
nor consider your stall-fed peace offerings.
Away with your noisy songs!
I will not listen to the melodies of your harps.
But if you would offer me burnt offerings,
then let justice surge like water,
and goodness like an unfailing stream. Responsorial Psalm50:7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 16BC-17 R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"For mine are all the animals of the forests,
beasts by the thousand on my mountains.
I know all the birds of the air,
and whatever stirs in the plains, belongs to me."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"If I were hungry, I should not tell you,
for mine are the world and its fullness.
Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls,
or is the blood of goats my drink?"
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. AlleluiaJAS 1:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMT 8:28-34 When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
"If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine."
And he said to them, "Go then!"
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. | DAILY MEDITATION: AMOS 5:14-15, 21-24
Let justice surge like water. (Amos 5:24) Paris in the 1830s was rife with poverty and homelessness, but through the work of one young man, justice and kindness began to "surge like water" through the city (Amos 5:24). The man was a university student named Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853). A devout Catholic, Ozanam had organized a debate among fellow students to discuss the value of the Church. But one student in the crowd called out, "What is your Church doing for the poor? Show us your works and we will believe you!" With these words, the "dam" of mild indifference in Frédéric's heart began crumbling. Guided by a local nun, he and a few friends started visiting the slums of Paris. They spent time with the people living there: listening, serving, and sharing love in whatever simple ways they could. That's when justice began to flow. Together, Frédéric and his companions founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a way to promote acts of charity and spiritual renewal among Catholics. New chapters quickly opened, and they soon spread beyond the borders of France. What began as a trickle eventually swelled into a network of thousands of streams flowing around the globe. Right now, try to imagine Jesus' love for everyone who is suffering. Let that love soften your heart and break down any barriers of comfort and indifference within you. Picture Jesus' mercy flowing like a gentle stream toward the homeless woman living under a nearby bridge or a local couple grieving a miscarriage. If you don't know how to help, just be present. Listen more than you speak. Then see where it leads. Even small acts of mercy can grow into something powerful. Frédéric believed that when we sit with the poor, feel the same cold that pierces them, and listen, justice will surge like water within our hearts. "Lord, let your love for the poor surge within me." Psalm 50:7-13, 16-17
Matthew 8:28-34 |  clickable | Faith is a force, one so powerful that it cannot tolerate anything next to it. How weak in faith we are: we are constantly letting things outside of God take up space in us!
— Adrienne von Speyr
from Lumina and New Lumina | my2cents:
"Seek good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts, be with you as you claim!"
The Lord hears the cry of the poor, the just man. Even though he dies, he is remembered. And we are talking about a holy man. What used to cause outrage was an injustice, like killing a holy and innocent man. Now the news puts the death of a criminal on front page. Death is on front page. Doom and gloom makes all the news. The faces of all those who commit atrocious crimes are posted. Very rarely will you see on the front page of national news, the good of a Holy Man. But even if your mother forgets you, God will never forget. | We heard and prayed: ""Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?" To the upright I will show the saving power of God."
Why are you Christian from the teeth out? Why aren't you doing what Christ does? Yes we are little less than angels, but we are called to do great things, and many great things are little things, and many little things become great things! | The demons spoke out: ""What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"
You see, demons work in the dark, they want lights out to be able to move freely. Truth is torment. Jesus speaks and truth becomes flesh. They ask to be put into pigs flesh, and once they do, they go crazy and commit suicide, mass suicide.
Nowadays, people do what the citizens of that pig town said to Jesus "Please leave". Blindly they ask Jesus to leave. Blinded by the economy. They see their failing economy and blame...our Lord. Pigs where their gods, their money, their livelihood. Filth, because swine were said to be unclean, yet, that's what they wanted, and valued. They wanted no more trouble, so they wanted Christ out. You see, the false prince of peace in the world offers a peace, a false peace. If you do what he says, you have peace. If you do not follow its ways, you will have trouble. So, do not be amazed if you choose to be Christ and you encounter trouble! Let's take for example, an unplanned pregnancy, an "accident" they say. If you want peace, and save your pride, go "take care of it", in an abortion mill. Then you have false peace, but this peace is unsettling, it causes rifts, divisions, psychological problems, and more often than not, physical problems, but above all, Spiritual problems. You see, false peace is temporary, like the satisfaction of sin. False peace is very expensive, it comes at a high price. Back to the pigs. They got what they wanted. And a swift death came. Not that the spirits died, but it is an example of how evil works. | We are undergoing a pandemic that's been centuries in the making. It comes from man. Man made pandemics. There is a price to pay for unruliness, for being unfaithful. Perhaps we will become more faithful now, or die in our sin. Perhaps we will not be Christian from teeth out anymore, and live in true joy, and Life which means eternity. I still hear of violence, I still see debauchery, but what I see most is pride. It has been the hardest thing to wear a choking mask, especially as a choir guy, suffocating while singing. But I've seen some that refuse to step into Church because they refuse to wear a mask. And countless more choose not to come because, well, "they don't have to". That's true, obligation has been dispensed. You don't HAVE To, go. You don't HAVE TO go to confession weekly, or monthly. You don't HAVE to do anything really, unless...you desire holiness and the Body of Christ above all. Then you need to. Then you want to. Mass hasn't been taken away, like in Mexico when they were murdering all the priests less than 100 years ago, hanging them on telephone poles and chasing them more than criminals. Then the Eucharist became rare...
But today, it is not rare...the case is worse now than then. You see, in spiritual matters, they are comparable to exercise. It is not always easy to start exercising, not for most. Prayer and holiness takes much effort.
By chance yesterday, I decided to stop by the church to visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, I was having a late lunch and was driving by for some strange reason I was led to go pray, visit.
As I pulled up, I noticed another vehicle kind of circling like me and pulled up. I waved at the man and he caught me at the door asking if he could come in to pray. I said yes, he shook my hand and I didn't want to shake this stranger's hand but it was automatic. I showed him in and immediately went for the hand sanitizer in the church, I think he did the same as he followed me. I explained in spanish "you can pray anywhere, or kneel before the body of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament" which where I went, he followed. I knelt on the ground, and he knelt on the kneeler at the Blessed Sacrament. A few moments before His Holy Presence and I decided to pray aloud, "Lord, I pray for this man's intentions, and for peace in the world, and for abortions to end, and for this parish", I got up and as I made my way out...I kept praying whispering, praising God...and I only do this when I feel His Holy Spirit moving, it especially happens in every Mass after Consecration.
Which leaves me asking "was this an encounter with our Lord?"
Last time I encountered a man praying early in the mornings before the sun came out was last year as I prayed there daily for 40 days in Lent. That particular man would pray, get up, kneel before the altar, and then prostrate and kiss the floor and then walk out in reverence. I too prayed for the man's intentions, whatever they were. That man was said to have died last week with the ongoing custom virus, the first death we experienced in our town. What was he praying for? It must've been serious. Regardless, I still pray for his intentions, for God's mercy. For LIFE | Random bible verse from an online generator: Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | 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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