 clickable | | God's Little Gifts There is no closer bond than the one which gratefulness celebrates: the bond between giver and thanksgiver. Everything is a gift. Grateful living is a celebration of the universal give-and-take of life, a limitless "yes" to belonging. Can our world survive without it? Whatever the answer, one thing is certain: To say an unconditional "yes" to the mutual belonging of all beings will make this a more joyful world. This is the reason why Yes is my favorite synonym for God. —from the book The Way of Silence by Brother David Steindl-Rast |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves."
— St. Thomas Aquinas † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Action relies upon contemplation for its fruitfulness; and contemplation, in its turn, as soon as it has reached a certain degree of intensity, pours out upon our active works some of its overflow. And it is by contemplation that the soul goes to draw directly upon the Heart of God for the graces which it is the duty of the active life to distribute. And so, in the soul of a saint, action and contemplation merge together in perfect harmony to give perfect unity to his life."
— Dom Jean-Baptist Chautard, p. 62
AN EXCERPT FROM
Soul of the Apostolate † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account."
Hebrews 4:12-13 |  click to read more | | ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was one of seven children born to a noble family in Burgundy, France. All seven children, six sons and one daughter, were offered to the service of God by their devout mother. Before St. Bernard was born, a holy man foretold of his great sanctity. As a child Bernard was given an excellent education. He excelled at his studies, and also possessed a personal charm that attracted many people to him. He prayed about his vocation, and at the age of twenty-two left his worldly wealth to become a Cistercian monk. Four of his brothers joined him at the monastery in Citeaux, along with many others belonging to the Burgundian nobility. He later founded and became abbot of the Abbey of Clairvaux, which rapidly grew to over 700 monks and 160 daughter-houses. Bernard, with his natural charisma, was also a skilled arbiter and counselor who proved to be instrumental in the support of the true pope of Rome against the schism of a rival anti-pope. Bernard's reputation for holiness and piety was widely known. He traveled throughout Europe as a preacher and became one of the most famous and influential men of his century. He was a man of reform, and was effective in opposing the appointment of unworthy men to episcopal offices, while others reformed themselves at his censure. St. Bernard composed many theological works and wrote tenderly on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is a Doctor of the Church, and the patron of beekeepers and candlemakers. His feast day is August 20th. | more...on ....Saint Bernard of Clairvaux's Story Man of the century! Woman of the century! You see such terms applied to so many today—"golfer of the century," "composer of the century," "right tackle of the century"—that the line no longer has any punch. But Western Europe's "man of the twelfth century," without doubt or controversy, had to be Bernard of Clairvaux. Adviser of popes, preacher of the Second Crusade, defender of the faith, healer of a schism, reformer of a monastic Order, Scripture scholar, theologian, and eloquent preacher: any one of these titles would distinguish an ordinary man. Yet Bernard was all of these—and he still retained a burning desire to return to the hidden monastic life of his younger days. In the year 1111, at the age of 20, Bernard left his home to join the monastic community of Citeaux. His five brothers, two uncles, and some 30 young friends followed him into the monastery. Within four years, a dying community had recovered enough vitality to establish a new house in the nearby valley of Wormwoods, with Bernard as abbot. The zealous young man was quite demanding, though more on himself than others. A slight breakdown of health taught him to be more patient and understanding. The valley was soon renamed Clairvaux, the valley of light. His ability as arbitrator and counselor became widely known. More and more he was lured away from the monastery to settle long-standing disputes. On several of these occasions, he apparently stepped on some sensitive toes in Rome. Bernard was completely dedicated to the primacy of the Roman See. But to a letter of warning from Rome, he replied that the good fathers in Rome had enough to do to keep the Church in one piece. If any matters arose that warranted their interest, he would be the first to let them know. Shortly thereafter it was Bernard who intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it in favor of the Roman pontiff against the antipope. The Holy See prevailed on Bernard to preach the Second Crusade throughout Europe. His eloquence was so overwhelming that a great army was assembled and the success of the crusade seemed assured. The ideals of the men and their leaders, however, were not those of Abbot Bernard, and the project ended as a complete military and moral disaster. Bernard felt responsible in some way for the degenerative effects of the crusade. This heavy burden possibly hastened his death, which came August 20, 1153.
Reflection Bernard's life in the Church was more active than we can imagine possible today. His efforts produced far-reaching results. But he knew that they would have availed little without the many hours of prayer and contemplation that brought him strength and heavenly direction. His life was characterized by a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. His sermons and books about Mary are still the standard of Marian theology. | Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 EZ 36:23-28 Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Responsorial Psalm PS 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 R. (Ezekiel 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. Alleluia PS 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 22:1-14 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying,
"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen." | Daily Meditation: Ezekiel 36:23-28 I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you. (Ezekiel 36:26) The prophet Ezekiel was facing a great challenge. The Israelite people had abandoned the ways of God. They had profaned the name of the Lord through their idolatry, and they were also committing a host of injustices against one another. Given how far they had strayed from him, this chosen people clearly must have either doubted or ignored God's power to save them and protect them from their enemies. Yet in the midst of this bleak scenario, Ezekiel proclaims a message of hope. God will transform the hearts and spirits of his people. This will be his initiative, not theirs. And through it, God's holiness will shine forth; it will "prove the holiness of my great name" (Ezekiel 36:23). When he poured out the Holy Spirit on us at our baptism, God gave us a new heart and a new spirit as well. But he is always seeking to renew and recreate us, and just as in Ezekiel's time, it is his initiative that brings about this change. How does he do this? One way is by allowing us to see ourselves as we really are—with all our sins, failures, and weaknesses. As he reveals to us where we have gone wrong, he also softens our hearts. He helps us see how deeply we need to rely on his grace and mercy in our lives. Admittedly, this can be a painful process. It's not a superficial repair job; think of it like a heart transplant of sorts. Like any serious surgery, it cuts deep, causing us to confront our sin. But this is precisely what makes it so effective, especially as we cooperate with God's grace and take steps to repent and change. We might be tempted to react to God's "heart surgery" with discouragement or despair. But instead, it should give us great hope and encouragement. God loves us so much that he is always seeking to change our hearts so that he can form us into the people he has called us to be. "Lord, place within me a new heart and a new spirit. Take from me any hardness of heart that limits your action in my life." Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19
Matthew 22:1-14 |  clickable | [Mary] not only wants to hear the word; by listening she wants to receive the Lord into herself, she wants to be His vessel. Martha received Him into her house externally. Mary receives Him into the house of her own self. This space is free and available within her because her love makes it so and because she herself is drawn into it.
— Adrienne von Speyr
from Three Women and the Lord | my2cents:
"For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities..."
This is how our baptism is accomplished. Water, even sprinkled is enough.
One drop of blood is enough. One particle of the Eucharist is enough.
Enough for what? Oh, just....SALVATION!
"you shall be my people, and I will be your God." | We pray today: "A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins."
Do you see a trend here? Clean. A requirement to not be cast out, where the Holy Spirit is not. | Our Lord says:
"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come."
Why do people refuse to come? How could they refuse their king? Ahh. Isn't that the answer? Who is your King? Who tells you what to do? Who do you follow? And so, they refused to come. | The King said "Behold, I have prepared my banquet". Jesus our Lord came and said to eat of His Body. The ultimate banquet. The King offers Himself totally. And what did the people do with the message and the messenger? "The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them." Jesus was talking about the prophets, but today, we are still mistreated, and many unborn future prophets are killed. I wonder how many "Christians" opt for abortion? You see? We're opening our eyes to the reality. The one you follow is your king. I do believe there are many of us that need to improve our relation with our King Jesus.
King Jesus doesn't force Himself on us. He has though, mandated already. The invitation is there for all of us. To the Heavenly Banquet. And in Heaven, this Banquet is the center of Life. Every Sunday, and daily Holy Mass, we commemorate this life event. And the celebration is true on earth as it is Heaven. We celebrate the Passover, and we celebrate the resurrection. And beyond all this..we celebrate Jesus our King, the giver of all things.
Beware out there, people do not want the King. They are saying the pledge of allegiance to who now? Lately one party has eliminated the words "under God". So who does that leave? No King? Then the god is humans and their whims which always lead to death and destruction...not life.
Beware this prophecy that Archbishop Fulton Sheen proposed. And in your eyes it is revealed.
Let us then, make Jesus our King, and then the nation will be blessed. Pray with me for this to be a reality.
Then we heard: "..when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment." And without an answer, unable to reply why he didn't make an effort to honor the ceremony, he was bound up, and thrown out into a world of suffering.
Let us honor God. The wedding garments are to be purchased, like oil for our lamps. How do you purchase a garment? You purchase what is important. You trade in everything if necessary. Now we are getting into faith.
There are some that risk everything to venture into business, or on a gamble, and this is a decision.
And so it should be when we are speaking about none other than SALVATION.
Can someone be kicked out of Heaven? Protestant new ideas say "once saved always saved". If the most illustrious angel Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven, how can we even think about a human not being susceptible to the same treatment?
They say that in Heaven, the citizens are terribly afraid to sin...that is, to offend God.
Things are completely opposite in Heaven than on earth. That is why Jesus is treated the way He is treated until today. And until doesn't change the state of being.
I am speaking to your heart. The banquet is familial. The relation is much more. Father God wants His child there at dinner, where He serves HIMSELF | Random Bible verse from online generator: WOW
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | 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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