 clickable | | Confidence Leads to Love How I would like to be able to make you understand what I feel! It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love…Does not fear lead to justice? Since we see the way, let us run together. Yes, I feel it, Jesus gives to us the same graces, He wills to give us His heaven gratuitously…I am sure that God would not give you the desire to be POSSESSED by Him, by His Merciful Love if He were not reserving that favor for you…or rather He has already given it to you, since you have given yourself to Him, since you desire to be consumed by Him, and since God never gives desires that He cannot realize. —From a letter to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart (one of Thérèse's novices) | September 1896 —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"God loves those who thank Him even in suffering."
— St. Arnold Janssen † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"I believe that if those souls that tend towards sanctity were instructed as to the conduct they ought to follow, they would be spared a good deal of trouble. I speak as much of people in the world as of others. If they could realize the merit concealed in the actions of each moment of the day: I mean in each of the daily duties of their state in life ... they would indeed be happy. If, besides, they understood that to attain the utmost height of perfection, the safest and surest way is to accept the crosses sent them by Providence at every moment, that the true philosopher's stone is submission to the will of God which changes into divine gold all their occupations, troubles, and sufferings, what consolation would be theirs! What courage would they not derive from the thought that to acquire the friendship of God, and to arrive at eternal glory, they had but to do what they were doing, but to suffer what they were suffering, and that what they wasted and counted as nothing would suffice to enable them to arrive at eminent sanctity: far more so than extraordinary states and wonderful works."
—Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 18
AN EXCERPT FROM
Abandonment to Divine Providence † VERSE OF THE DAY
"It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens."
Jeremiah 10:12 |  click to read more | | ST. JEROME Sept 30
(345 – 420) Most of the saints are remembered for some outstanding virtue or devotion which they practiced, but Jerome is frequently remembered for his bad temper! It is true that he had a very bad temper and could use a vitriolic pen, but his love for God and his son Jesus Christ was extraordinarily intense; anyone who taught error was an enemy of God and truth, and Saint Jerome went after him or her with his mighty and sometimes sarcastic pen. He was above all a Scripture scholar, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. Jerome also wrote commentaries which are a great source of scriptural inspiration for us today. He was an avid student, a thorough scholar, a prodigious letter-writer and a consultant to monk, bishop, and pope. Saint Augustine said of him, "What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known." Saint Jerome is particularly important for having made a translation of the Bible which came to be called the Vulgate. It is not the most critical edition of the Bible, but its acceptance by the Church was fortunate. As a modern scholar says, "No man before Jerome or among his contemporaries and very few men for many centuries afterwards were so well qualified to do the work." The Council of Trent called for a new and corrected edition of the Vulgate, and declared it the authentic text to be used in the Church. In order to be able to do such work, Jerome prepared himself well. He was a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic. He began his studies at his birthplace, Stridon in Dalmatia. After his preliminary education, he went to Rome, the center of learning at that time, and thence to Trier, Germany, where the scholar was very much in evidence. He spent several years in each place, always trying to find the very best teachers. He once served as private secretary to Pope Damasus. After these preparatory studies, he traveled extensively in Palestine, marking each spot of Christ's life with an outpouring of devotion. Mystic that he was, he spent five years in the desert of Chalcis so that he might give himself up to prayer, penance, and study. Finally, he settled in Bethlehem, where he lived in the cave believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. Jerome died in Bethlehem, and the remains of his body now lie buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
Reflection Jerome was a strong, outspoken man. He had the virtues and the unpleasant fruits of being a fearless critic and all the usual moral problems of a man. He was, as someone has said, no admirer of moderation whether in virtue or against evil. He was swift to anger, but also swift to feel remorse, even more severe on his own shortcomings than on those of others. A pope is said to have remarked, on seeing a picture of Jerome striking his breast with a stone, "You do well to carry that stone, for without it the Church would never have canonized you" (Butler's Lives of the Saints).
Saint Jerome is the patron Saint of: Librarians
Translators
Scholars | Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 JB 9:1-12, 14-16 Job answered his friends and said:I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words. Responsorial Psalm PS 88:10BC-11, 12-13, 14-15 R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord. Alleluia PHIL 3:8-9 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all things so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 9:57-62 As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
| Daily Meditation: Job 9:1-12, 14-16 I could not believe that he would hearken to my words. (Job 9:16) Job was at the point of complete hopelessness when he uttered these words. Even if God should answer him, Job still wouldn't believe that he was actually listening to his needs. Nothing Job could do or say would change his lot. God had all the power, and he was leaving Job in the dust. Or so it seemed. So it might also seem to us, especially when sickness strikes our loved ones or when our bank account runs into the red. As Job's story shows us, these are age-old crises, just as old as the tendency to question whether God is listening when we cry out to him. But before jumping to the same conclusion that Job did, turn your attention to today's Gospel. Jesus is traveling with his disciples, and amazingly, he is listening to them and answering them. And what's even more impressive is that he is responding to them based not only on the words they say to him but on the intention of their hearts. His words may seem harsh at first, but they are exactly the right words to help these disciples discover deeper freedom by following him. Jesus listens to you on a level that is deeper than you might expect. Like a perceptive friend or spouse, he knows what is behind your words. Out loud, you might say, "I'm sick of living in uncertainty" (or pain, or rejection), but in your heart, he hears you saying, "I'm afraid" or "I'm sleep deprived." He will answer you. Sometimes he will answer directly, as he did in today's Gospel. Sometimes he pours out comfort and encouragement. And other times, he answers in silence—only to show you later that he was walking with you through your trials. What a blessing it is that God can withstand our frustrations and accusations! He understands us so deeply. He knows exactly what you are going through today—you don't even need to tell him. So trust that he knows your heart. Believe that he hearkens to your deepest thoughts and concerns. And know that he will shed light, one way or another, that will guide you closer to him. "Jesus, thank you for not only listening to me but for understanding me and ministering to my deepest needs." Psalm 88:10-15
Luke 9:57-62 |  clickable | If you wish to have peace and true wholeness, you must set aside everything else and tend to your own affairs. Let nothing seem great, high, pleasing, or agreeable to you except God alone and what comes from God. Consider it hollow comfort whatever comes from anything else. God alone, eternal and measureless, fills all. He is the soul's comfort and true joy.
— Thomas à Kempis
from the book The Imitation of Christ | my2cents:
"If I appealed to him and he answered my call, I could not believe that he would hearken to my words."
Job shows us why God chose him above all, even to be tested by Satan. It was said that Job "never complained". Eventually we will hear lamentations, but never will we hear Him complain to God. His cries would be more of a child who has hurt himself, not a child blaming daddy for his hurts. And this is a just man, living for just cause. This holds Father God in the highest esteem, no matter the circumstances. It's funny how we blame nowadays, everything on our Lord, rather than blaming man or evil. It's easy to blame the boss for everything at work. I've seen and heard of parishioners blaming everything on the priest, and even the bishop. It's all their fault, bad leaders. But bad leaders are made up of grassroots my friend. Even in government. They take root in what we have founded. Do you understand this? It is me and you my friend. | We pray: "Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
Let my prayer come before you, Lord."
Once we need something, we call out, to our Lord, don't we? Some don't. Some will not. Some will not to call upon Him. Many will wake up in the pandemic, and many will fall asleep. Some that were awake will fall and some that were dead will arise. Do you understand this my friend? It is me and you. | In the Gospel, we heard people tell our Lord: ""I will follow you wherever you go."
But.
I will follow you...but.
There are too many Catholic Buts. I believe, but. I would do it, but. And the excuses begin. The first one spoke of a man that said he had to bury his father. Sounds noble, right? We all hear "noble" excuses out there. I will not begin on this rant, because I will leave it to your heart, what "honorable" excuse you and I have made up not to take the next step in our faith and our cross in following our Lord. The thing is, that the man was buying time, whether he cared to admit it or not. Apparently the father was not dead, or he wouldn't be there talking with our Lord about things. To that, our Lord said "let the dead bury the dead", that is, if he turns around to bury his father, he is turning his back on the call. Right? Remember the huge stock inventory of seeds Satan presents to us for temptation? The seed is called "procrastination" leaving things for later. | ""No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
You're not even allowed to go say goodbye to your family! Even in material wars we are allowed a time to say farewell. But because of the urgency of the Kingdom, we are not allowed to go back. It is the parable of the treasure. The value. The worthy. The Sacrifice. Isn't it? It is a story about your heart and His calling. My friend, time is flying fast. What have you done? Where have you been? Where are you going? Where I was before, I wish not to return.
That is my testimony. Google asks me frequently to "look back" at old photos of this date, so many years ago. Do I wish I was still there back in that time? Never have I said yes. Today, I progress in faith. Today, I love God more than I did back then. Today, I know more about God than I did back then. Therefore, I wish not to go back into oblivion. I have tasted His mercy. I have tasted His blood. You see, there is no looking back when it comes to faith my friend.
Once we take to this task, you must see it through to the end.
Do you understand? Lord, help us understand your calling so that we may take to it with great tender loving care. It is about me and you, my Friend, my all, how can I love you as I ought? So tremendous, I can hardly fathom the thought.... | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Romans 5:1 Peace with God Through Faith 5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we1 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | |
