 clickable | | Jesus, Our Friend This is what I think of God's justice; my way is all confidence and love. I do not understand souls who fear a Friend so tender. At times, when I am reading certain spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown through a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires; I close the learned book that is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons, perfection seems simple to me, I see it is sufficient to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself as a child into God's arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds the beautiful books I cannot understand, much less put into practice, I rejoice at being little since children alone and those who resemble them will be admitted to the heavenly banquet. —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Consider God's charity. Where else have we ever seen someone who has been offended voluntarily paying out his life for those who have offended him?"
— St. Catherine of Siena † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world—mercy triumphed over justice. My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant."
— St. Faustina Kowalska, (1572)
AN EXCERPT FROM
Diary of St. Faustina † VERSE OF THE DAY
"So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
Colossians 2:6-7 |  click to read more | | ST. CLEOPHAS St. Cleophas (1st c.) was one of Jesus' seventy disciples, and one of the two disciples who were traveling along the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem, as recounted in Luke's Gospel. The resurrected Jesus appeared and walked along the road with St. Cleophas and his companion, explaining the events of his Passion and how they fulfilled the Holy Scriptures. According to one tradition, Cleophas (also known as Alphaeus), was a relative of Jesus; he was the brother of St. Joseph, and therefore was Jesus' uncle. Cleophas was the husband of St. Mary of Cleophas, and they had three sons we know by name: St. Simon, St. James the Less, and St. Jude. St. Cleophas, through his daughter Mary Salome, was also grandfather to St. James the Greater and St. John. Therefore three of his sons and two of his grandsons were among the Twelve Apostles. According to tradition, St. Cleophas was martyred by the Jewish authorities in the same home in which he received Jesus as a guest. His feast day is September 25th. | Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin (August 22, 1823 – July 29, 1894; December 23, 1831 – August 28, 1877 Born into a military family in Bordeaux, Louis trained to become a watchmaker. His desire to join a religious community went unfulfilled because he didn't know Latin. Moving to Normandy, he met the highly-skilled lace maker, Zélie Guérin, who also had been disappointed in her attempts to enter religious life. They married in 1858, and over the years were blessed with nine children, though two sons and two daughters died in infancy. Louis managed the lace-making business that Zélie continued at home while raising their children. She died from breast cancer in 1877. Louis then moved the family to Lisieux to be near his brother and sister-in-law, who helped with the education of his five surviving girls. His health began to fail after his 15-year-old daughter entered the Monastery of Mount Carmel at Lisieux in 1888. Louis died in 1894, a few months after being committed to a sanitarium. The home that Louis and Zélie created nurtured the sanctity of all their children, but especially their youngest, who is known to us as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Louis and Zélie were beatified in 2008, and canonized by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015. The liturgical feast of Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin is July 12.
Reflection In life, Louis and Zélie knew great joy and excruciating sorrow. They firmly believed that God was with them throughout every challenge that married life, parenting, and their occupations presented | Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin (August 22, 1823 – July 29, 1894; December 23, 1831 – August 28, 1877 Born into a military family in Bordeaux, Louis trained to become a watchmaker. His desire to join a religious community went unfulfilled because he didn't know Latin. Moving to Normandy, he met the highly-skilled lace maker, Zélie Guérin, who also had been disappointed in her attempts to enter religious life. They married in 1858, and over the years were blessed with nine children, though two sons and two daughters died in infancy. Louis managed the lace-making business that Zélie continued at home while raising their children. She died from breast cancer in 1877. Louis then moved the family to Lisieux to be near his brother and sister-in-law, who helped with the education of his five surviving girls. His health began to fail after his 15-year-old daughter entered the Monastery of Mount Carmel at Lisieux in 1888. Louis died in 1894, a few months after being committed to a sanitarium. The home that Louis and Zélie created nurtured the sanctity of all their children, but especially their youngest, who is known to us as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Louis and Zélie were beatified in 2008, and canonized by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015. The liturgical feast of Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin is July 12.
Reflection In life, Louis and Zélie knew great joy and excruciating sorrow. They firmly believed that God was with them throughout every challenge that married life, parenting, and their occupations presented | Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 ECCL 3:1-11 There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man's ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done. Responsorial Psalm PS 144:1B AND 2ABC, 3-4 R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! Alleluia MK 10:45 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 9:18-22 Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."
| Daily Meditation: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 . . . a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. (Ecclesiastes 3:5) What a challenging year we've had! The coronavirus has turned our lives upside down. What we used to take for granted—that schools and businesses would be open, that we could go wherever we want whenever we want to—we suddenly can't assume any more. Hugging or shaking hands has been replaced with a simple nod of the head from a safe distance. It's been a time of social distancing from friends but drawing closer to the people with whom we are sheltering in place. Isn't it remarkable how appropriate this reading from Ecclesiastes is for this particular moment in history? It describes the common ups and downs of life, but it takes on a special resonance this past year. This has been a time of fear and suffering for those sickened by the virus, a time of mourning when loved ones have died, and a time of gratitude for those who remain healthy. Yet as Christians, we know that Jesus is still in charge of the situation. He has "made everything appropriate to its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). He is with us in this pandemic, just as he has been with us in all our other trials. And because he is with us, he continues to pour out his blessings, even amid the challenges. He gives us the grace to deal with the obstacles we face. He invites us to unite our sufferings to his on the cross. And he holds out the promise of new life, both now and forever. Today, acknowledge what you have been though these last few months—the ups and downs, the moments of joy and the moments of sorrow. Allow Christ to enter into each of these areas. He won't judge you for feeling discouraged or frightened or alone. He understands the discomfort and distress of having your life disrupted in so many ways. Let him accompany you day by day through this "appointed time" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). He longs to heal you and unite himself to you. Know that even when embracing is difficult, you can always rest in his embrace. "Lord, thank you for being my stronghold during life's ups and downs." Psalm 144:1-4
Luke 9:18-22 |  clickable | God had to show me: you are not going to always know why I do what I do, just trust and that is it.
— Fr. Bob Lombardo
from the series Restored: Stories of Encounter | my2cents:
"He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts, without man's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done."
We are a living creation. We can choose to eat from the leaven, the bread we choose. In this Holy Scripture, we are asked to consider how unfathomable His creation is and how we work in it. The free spirit, the free gift, and what we do with that gift. | We pray: "LORD, what is man, that you notice him; the son of man, that you take thought of him? Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!"
Can God really notice you? Uhm, let me think for a second...
Out of billions of possibilities for your existence to come to be, and for you to ponder Him, then, the answer is yes. He notices you. I have a statue in my garden, it is of Jesus our Lord with a child on his lap and another awaiting ...maybe their turn? But all around Him. For the mere fact of your creation He loves You, but even more so, because He calls you...His. What a gift to ponder, the life. | Our Lord asks: ""But who do you say that I am?"
And this question is meant for all, not just His disciples 2,000 years ago. Who do you say He is? And the question is meant to go personal. Just like in these reflections, they are meant to go deep inside your heart. Who is He my child? Who is Jesus? The answer reveals your relationship with Him. Some generic answers are said "Son of God" I've heard mostly.
But that, as true as it is, doesn't answer the question personally, does it?
Who is Jesus? What has He been in your life? What role has He played in your life?
I can't answer that for you, but I can share my answer. | Jesus has revealed Himself to the poor and the lowly. I honor those who He has revealed Himself to. I believe those who He revealed Himself to.
The answer, personally, is that He has revealed Himself to me like no person I've met personally. In a vision, I saw Him on the last moments of His breathe of life on earth...or was that moment caught in eternity? Because at that instant, it was real, and it was at that very moment, and thousands of years after having transpired.
All I can tell you, again, is that what my eyes saw was in a realm that I cannot understand, but all that came into focus was that figure on the cross, suffering, a disfigured soul on the cross, and in darkness. And daddy Father looked towards me and it all was very real, daddy, our Father was giving His life for us, it had to be.
And so, I see Father in Mass, offering Himself to us on the altar, in a glorious state of resurrection. It is the Eucharist, it is His very body.
In a nutshell, He is the Son of Life, but much more.
He calls us to be confident and unafraid...to do God's will.
To be pure and holy.
To be that saint you are meant to be.
My job my friend, my sibling in Christ is to assist you in this revelation, and it will come to be... Lord, for everyone reading this now, your child awaits to see you anxiously, to behold your face, to touch your beard, to hold your hand, and to feel your embrace.
Lead us Lord always to that place... | Random Bible verse from online generator:
1 Cor 13 7 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. | 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 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment