 clickable | | The Little Flower from Lisieux "Little Flower" from Lisieux continues to captivate women and men today. St. John Paul II, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Dorothy Day, and many other well-known Catholic figures have had a deep devotion to St. Thérèse. St. John Paul II was so taken with the profundity of her thought that he her declared her a Doctor of the Church, giving her a place alongside such notable women as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Hildegard of Bingen. This is quite an accomplishment for a young woman who regarded herself as a little toy ball tossed aside and forgotten by Jesus. Each of our lives matter to Jesus. Perhaps this is why so many lives still resonate with hers. It is easy to feel insignificant and unimportant. Yet, the clear and compelling language of her story and her letters remains the perfect antidote to such feelings. —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote "[Jesus'] body was for Him not a limitation, but an instrument, so that He was both in it and in all things, and outside all things, resting in the Father above. At one and the same time—this is the wonder—as man He was a human life, and as Word He was sustaining the life of the universe, and as Son He was in constant union with the Father."
—St. Athanasius of Alexandria † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Prayer, for me, is simply a raising of the heart, a simple glance towards Heaven, an expression of love and gratitude in the midst of trial, as well as in times of joy; in a word, it is something noble and supernatural expanding my soul and uniting it to God. Whenever my soul is so dry that I am incapable of a single good thought, I always say an Our Father or a Hail Mary very slowly, and these prayers alone cheer me up and nourish my soul with divine food."
— St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 141
AN EXCERPT FROM
Story of a Soul † VERSE OF THE DAY
"So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.""
John 18:37 |  click to read more | | ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) was the last of nine children born to Saints Louis and Zelie Martin in Alencon, France. Her family was devoutly religious, and all five surviving siblings, all daughters, entered the convent. From an early age Therese desired to give herself totally to Jesus. Her happy childhood gave way to trial following the death of her mother when she was four years old. This event changed her personality from merry and bright to withdrawn and sensitive. She also suffered a strange illness that brought her near death. Her sisters prayed for her recovery, and Therese was completely healed after she saw the Virgin Mary statue in her room smile down on her. Just before her 14th birthday, on Christmas Eve, Therese had a mystical experience of the Child Jesus. Her sensitiveness disappeared and her faith was greatly fortified. She attended daily Mass with her father and cultivated her strong desire for the salvation of souls. At the age of 15 she obtained special permission to enter the Carmelite convent in Lisieux where two of her sisters were professed. Recognizing her youth and weakness, and unable to do the great things for God in the world that her heart desired, she determined that she would follow the path of spiritual childhood at the feet of Jesus, as his "Little Flower", and instead focus on small acts of kindness for love of Jesus and interior acts of self-denial, a spirituality called "The Little Way." Therese died of Tuberculosis at the age of 24, and her high degree of holiness was discovered through her autobiography, Story of a Soul. Her "Little Way" became profoundly influential around the world, and although she was not a learned scholar, her deep theological life caused Pope St. John Paul II to declare her a Doctor of the Church. She is the patron against sickness, tuberculosis, and loss of parents, as well as of pilots, air crews, florists, missionaries, and the sick. St. Therese of Lisieux's feast day is October 1st. | Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 JB 19:21-27 Job said:
Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me!
Why do you hound me as though you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?
Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another's, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing. Responsorial Psalm PS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14 R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Alleluia MK 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 10:1-12 Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day
than for that town."
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church Lectionary: 649 Below are the readings suggested for today's Memorial. However, readings for the Memorial may also be taken from the Common of Virgins, #731-736, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious, #737-742. Reading 1 Is 66:10-14c Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
That you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like
an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her son,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
The LORD's power shall be known to his servants. Responsorial Psalm Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3 R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace. Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 18:1-4 The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." | Daily Meditation: Job 19:21-27 My own eyes, not another's, shall behold him. (Job 19:27) Was God punishing Job for his sins? That's what Job's friends told him. Why else, they reasoned, would he be in such torment? But Job knew that he was innocent. Even if God had allowed his suffering, Job just couldn't accept that it was because of his sins (Job 19:21). He even declared that someday he would be vindicated and that he would "behold [God]" with his own eyes (19:27). When something bad happens, like a natural disaster or the recent coronavirus pandemic, we can be tempted to see it as a sign of God's judgment against us. That's especially true when something tragic happens to us personally, like the loss of a child or a debilitating illness or accident. One of the problems of linking our suffering with God's punishment, however, is that it can skew our perception of who God is. We may begin to see him as angry and vengeful, not as the compassionate merciful Father that Jesus revealed to us. It may also make us fearful, afraid that our every sin or misstep will bring on misfortune. But of course, that's not who God is. He is a good God who wants only what is good for us. So what are we to think when disaster strikes? First, remember that some things that may look like punishment are simply the natural consequences of sin. If we fail to forgive, for example, we may grow hard and bitter. If we overeat, we may end up with a chronic disease. God allows such things, but he doesn't actively will them. Second, we need to keep in mind that we live in a fallen world. Illness, death, and natural disasters were never God's intention for us; they came into the world through sin. One day, when Christ comes again, God will be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28). And what a day that will be! There will be no more suffering and no more tears. Like Job, we will behold God with our own eyes—along with the beauty of his perfect creation. "Father, I praise you for your mercy and faithfulness." Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14
Luke 10:1-12 |  clickable | Simply believing in the existence of God is not exactly what I would call a commitment. After all, even the devil believes that God exists! Believing has to change the way we live.
— Mother Angelica
from her book Mother Angelica's Answers, Not Promises | my2cents:
"And from my flesh I shall see God; my inmost being is consumed with longing."
This song was written by Job, and it was written hundreds of years before Psalms were written. But they sound much the same in parts.
You see, the Holy Spirit has permeated from the beginning. And the song and psalms continue to this day, from woe, to joy, to praising God, and His love and His law. | We pray today: "I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD."
Wait. Oh boy, we don't like to wait. I know I don't. When I take my wife to eat, if there are long lines, I say "we're going somewhere else, no food is worth waiting 1 or 2 hours". Or is there a food worth waiting for? You see, in this waiting, for the Eucharist, it means joyful expectation, and it means to be found persevering. Wait, with faith. Wait earnestly. Remain. And the food we receive is from Heaven, God does things with the wheat we provide...our sacrifice. | Our Lord speaks:
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on..."
There is always that command, that commissioning, that co-mission we take with Him. This is the importance of remaining. For example, remaining faithful always, like waiting til the end of Mass for the commissioning from the Father, the final blessing. And then we are off to spread the Word of God. Consider how important it is to have Father's blessing. For everything. | "Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand." There will always be those who oppose. How? Not choosing is a choice. If I offer you something and you do not take it, it means rejection.
And I move on to the next that will take it. I will always offer what I have until it is gone. What does this mean for you, and for today?
The Kingdom of God is at hand. It is offered. Every day it is offered to you my friend, my sibling in Christ. This was not something of yesterday or something for tomorrow, but it is of today.
They say of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, when she was a child, she was spoiled by daddy, and daddy always took her to church, and she loved loud kisses he'd give on her head. One day she grew up, she had a vision of our Lord. But she still loved daddy so much and when he passed, she desired to have his loud kiss, and her sister in a convent kissed her head like so to alleviate her pains as she was dying. Her daddy was a watchmaker. He was keenly aware of time. He knew time is precious, and this taught his daughter to value time. This is why I don't like to waste time in long lines. I don't even want to waste time in long lines in purgatory. One time I told our Lord that I didn't want to wait long to see Him and then I was in a serious accident. WOOPS! Better watch out what we pray for. But that accident brought me closer to our Lord, and our sufferings on earth are our way of getting ahead in the line to Heaven. St. Little Flower, she suffered much. Much ridicule, she was made fun of in her local newspaper. She took it pretty hard, and the suffering brought her closer to our Lord. You see, this is the way to learn humility. Put yourself out there. Let yourself get humiliated. And then, we learn, and it all comes through time. There is a time for everything. And these are times for learning.
Learn what it will take to obtain the Way of our Lord. Lord, we are your laborers. Send help. Send more laborers. Send some hardworking ones, yes, but, send the good ones, the ones like slaves, true servants, those that want to serve with great love, all things beautiful humility. In your Most Holy Name we pray.
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Little Flower, pray for us. | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Proverbs 3, 5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | |
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