 clickable | | Exploring Options From an early age, Daniel Comboni believed he was called to missionary work in Africa. And indeed, within three years of his ordination at age twenty-two, Daniel and five other missionaries were in Sudan. There, his dream collided with reality. The climate was far different from that of his native Italy. The Sudanese were leery of the men, regarding them in the same light as slave traders. The work was hard with little fruit. Daniel returned home in 1859 and spent a few years teaching and rethinking his missionary strategy. He then was inspired to refocus on creating disciples within Central Africa. At that time, it was a novel approach. He called the effort "Save Africa Through Africa." Daniel founded communities of men and women religious to support Christian disciple-building that continue to do good work today. He died in Sudan. Sometimes, we're on the path the Lord desires, but we're not using the right vehicle. Daniel's example shows us the importance of embracing humility and exploring options when we feel stuck, rather than giving up. — from Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration,
by Melanie Rigney |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Don't spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary: Lift up your spirit, and love God."
— St. Padre Pio †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"We should recall that no man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, and do, and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better or for worse. So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death."
— Pope Benedict XVI
AN EXCERPT FROM
Pope Benedict XVI †VERSE OF THE DAY
"In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory."
Ephesians 1:13-14 |  click to read more | | ST. ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ St. Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532–1617) was born in Segovia, Spain, the son of a wool merchant. He was prepared for his First Holy Communion by St. Peter Faber, one of the first Jesuits. When his father died, Alphonsus had to leave school at the age of 14 to take over the family business, which eventually failed. He married and had three children, and was left a widower at the age of 31 when his wife died in childbirth. In subsequent years he also lost his mother and all three of his children. Alphonsus developed a life of prayer, intense piety, and rigorous penances, with a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother under her title of the Immaculate Conception. His desire for the religious life increased and he attempted to join the Jesuits as a late vocation, but his lack of education made him a poor candidate. To amend his deficiency he went back to school, while begging alms to support himself and enduring ridicule from his much younger classmates. After a long delay he was finally admitted to the Jesuits when he was nearly 40 years old, but only as a lay brother. He was given the humble job of a porter (doorkeeper), a job which he served with dedication for 46 years. Many people within the religious community, as well as many visitors, recognized his holiness and sought his advice and spiritual council. St. Peter Claver was one of his disciples, and St. Alphonsus is credited for directing him in his mission to African slaves. St. Alphonsus was known for his rigorous obedience and discipline, and for suffering from scrupulosity, temptations, and attacks from the devil. He took his final vows with the Jesuits at the age of 54. He continued to serve and even preach sermons into his 80's. He is credited with popularizing the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, copies of which he stockpiled and distributed. His feast day is October 30th. | Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 483
Reading 1 PHIL 1:1-11 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God. Responsorial Psalm PS 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia JN 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 14:1-6 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
"Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"
But they were unable to answer his question. | Daily Meditation: Luke 14:1-6 Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day? (Luke 14:5) "All you need is love." We could sing this song to the Pharisees and scholars in today's Gospel. That's what sums up the heart of the law, not "All you need is rules." We know that the goal of all the commandments is to help us love God and his people. When Jesus likens the man with dropsy to a scholar's son in today's Gospel passage, he is trying to help the people see how all of the law is at the service of these two great commands to live in love. This fellow suffering with dropsy wasn't some random person; he was a son of God, a brother in the family of God. Healing him was loving him, and loving him was keeping the law. It may seem obvious that helping someone on a Sunday wouldn't displease God. But sometimes we can lose sight of the bigger picture of how to live God's commands in everyday life. For example, let's say we get frustrated when we show up late to church because we were struggling to get our kids out the door. While it's good that we want to get to Mass on time, it's not so important that we should lose our cool with our family. It's good to take time to pray each day, but when a troubled friend calls in the middle of our prayer time, we may need to spend the time listening to that person instead. Working things out like this can be messy and humbling. It's not easy to be peaceful when our expectations are upended. It certainly wasn't easy for the Pharisees to surrender their expectations and ideas about what it meant to keep the law. It was challenging for them to receive Jesus' teaching; it revealed that they still had room to grow in understanding and implementing the heart of the law. Jesus wants to keep teaching us how to live out the law—with love—in our everyday lives. If we're humble, teachable, and open to receiving fresh understanding, he will keep guiding us so that we can love as he loves. "Jesus, what new 'lesson' do you want to teach me today? Open my heart to receive it." Philippians 1:1-11
Psalm 111:1-6 |  clickable | It all depends on having a quiet little corner where you can talk to God on a daily basis as if nothing else existed… and regarding yourself completely as an instrument, so that you treat your most frequently demanded talents, not as something that you use, but as God working through you.
— St. Edith Stein
from "Edith Stein" by Waltraud Herbstrith | my2cents:
"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus."
And St. Paul explains the good work: "that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God." | We pray: "I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
How great are the works of the Lord!"
We are to assemble. Many have taken the bible and ran, and I've heard that there is no need for church on Sunday, its just you and Jesus. More lies. And then the evil one is scattering many so they will not assemble. Churches are voluntarily closing for pandemics. And terrorists are causing terror and churches are closing for "safety" reasons. What is it about assembling that? It is a great fire of community. But the desolate island modern world through computers is causing isolation and abominations. We must gather with our Lord. Somehow, we must begin gathering in prayer, for the common purpose, to be the light of Christ. | Our Lord asked: ""Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
They were all gathered, assembled in a home. And there our Lord cured a suffering man. These are the things that happen in assembly and gatherings. Healings. Conversions. Hardened hearts become soft. Those who would not believe, begin to believe.
Our Lord shows us that the good we do on the Sabbath must be better. That the gatherings we do must be in the name of true love. | Everyone says we are in challenging times. I look back at history, and I cannot see a period that did not have challenges. Our Lord calls it a struggle. We struggle to understand, but it is not all in understanding. We struggle to find answers, but we must be looking at all the wrong places for answers. If you want immunity from harm, then fight for Heaven. If you care not, like I've met many that care not about voting, or vote out of hatred, then you care not about suffering to the innocent, when it comes to religious freedom, or the children in the wombs who are being killed in various forms. Now we are to the numbers over the 100's of millions of slaughtered innocents worldwide. And the news focuses on the wrong murder. Barabbas is freed and Jesus taken in for slaughtering. How much further do we have to look for the good fight? Where is your armor of God? Find it. Put it on every day. Fight for righteousness, that is purity, and truth, and obtain grace as food for the soul. Be silent no more, the world needs the healing words of Christ, for the world is suffering, even though it will deny it. Lord, help us be your healing agents, the bonds of great and true love that bring about the peace that you desire, righteousness from above | Random Bible verse from online generator: Heb: 13:5
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | |
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