 clickable | | Where the Lord Calls "I propose to go wherever the Lord calls me." (St. Martin of Tours) Martin's choices in life had been limited. His parents were pagans, and his father was a Roman army officer, so of course that was the plan the family insisted he pursue. Martin had begun studying to become a Catholic but had not yet been baptized when he saw a shivering beggar. Martin ran his sword through his cloak, and gave the beggar half. A mystical experience resulted, hastening Martin's conversion. He was imprisoned for his refusal to fight; after his release, he eventually made his way to Hilary of Poitiers, who ordained him and provided him with land for a hermitage. Martin continued to live as a monk throughout his twenty-five years as bishop of Tours. He is believed to be the first non-martyr the Church considers to be a saint. Becoming a Christian freed Martin from a need to live up to the expectations of his parents or his military commanders. His story reminds us that even if people have financial control over us, it is God, not them, who we serve and who we must put first. Today invite God to help you make the decision with which you've been wrestling. —from the book Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration,
by Melanie Rigney |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face. If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of external things."
— St. Anthony of Padua † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"All, however, cannot attain to the same degree of sacrifice. There are chosen souls whom God has raised above the ordinary callings of life, who, true to their vocation, show their love for God in heroic self-denial, in total surrender to His will, exulting in the use of all their powers to spread His kingdom. But regardless of disparity of calling, all can be led by the same spirit. It is the spirit, not the measure, of sacrifice that will decide our eternity."
— John A. Kane, p. 81
AN EXCERPT FROM
How to Make a Good Confession † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life."
1 Timothy 6:17-19 |  click to read more | | ST. MARTIN OF TOURS St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397 A.D.) was born into a pagan family in what is now Hungary. He was raised in Italy where his father, a senior officer in the Roman army, was stationed. At the age of ten Martin joined the Church as a catechumen soon after Christianity was legalized across the Roman Empire. Taking after his father, he joined the cavalry at the age of fifteen and was stationed in Gaul. At one point during his time of service he encountered a poor beggar who lacked adequate clothing on a cold winter day. St. Martin took his sword and cut his heavy woolen officer cloak in half, and gave the other half to the beggar. Following this act of charity, St. Martin had a vision in which he saw Jesus wearing the portion of his cloak he gave to the beggar, while telling the angels that it was Martin who had clothed him. After this vision Martin sought baptism, at the age of eighteen, and proclaimed himself a soldier for Christ. He left the military and adopted the penitential life of a hermit, attracting followers which eventually resulted in the founding of a monastery. St. Martin gained a reputation for holiness and performing miracles so that, when the bishop of Tours died, the people demanded that Martin take his place. As bishop he continued his austere life, took great care to train holy priests, destroyed pagan worship sites, and worked to spread Christianity throughout his diocese. St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of cavalry, soldiers, innkeepers, horses and riders, beggars, and those in need. His feast day is November 11th. | Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop Lectionary: 493
Reading 1 Ti 3:1-7 Beloved:
Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities,
to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.
They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate,
exercising all graciousness toward everyone.
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded,
slaves to various desires and pleasures,
living in malice and envy,
hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
he saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life. Responsorial Psalm 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6 R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Alleluia 1 Thes 5:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you." | aily Meditation: Luke 17:11-19 Stand up and go. (Luke 17:19) In the Gospels, we often see a theme of rest—sitting at Jesus' feet, soaking in his teaching, finding peace in him. But not today. There is a lot of "going" and not a lot of "resting" in this story of healing. Jesus is going to Jerusalem; ten lepers go to the priests; one grateful healed leper goes back to Jesus; and Jesus responds with a command to go. All of this movement can help us see how our Christian life involves going to Jesus and then going out on mission: • Jesus was on a mission from his Father when he met ten lepers: he was heading for Jerusalem, where he would begin his passion. By stopping to heal them, he revealed the Father's compassion. The "big story" of salvation is not so big that our struggles become insignificant. God is always interested in our lives. • The lepers set off for the priests. It's likely that they had already tried every possible remedy; now they obeyed Jesus and went to present themselves to the priests. Once they realized they were healed, nine of them continued on. They were doing what Jesus said—getting their certificate of health and starting their lives as soon as possible. Our first steps need to be steps of obedience to do what Jesus tells us to do. • But there was deeper movement in the one fellow who returned to Jesus. Filled with gratitude for his healing, he decided to go back; he saw his healing as an invitation to draw closer to Jesus. Every time Jesus works in our lives, he is inviting us to come to him, to bow before him in love and gratitude. With the Holy Spirit's help, we can learn to hear that summons. • Finally, Jesus gave the man a mission: he didn't just say, "Your faith has saved you" but also "Stand up and go" (Luke 17:19). Once we have gone to Jesus with our needs and received his healing or mercy, he tells us to go out and share what we have received. Imagine yourself in this pattern of "going." How do you need to go to Jesus? Where might he be sending you today? "Lord, let me journey with you. I believe you are present in the going." Titus 3:1-7
Psalm 23:1-6 |  clickable | It would be a strange God who could be loved better by being known less. Love of God is not the same thing as knowledge of God; but if a man loves God knowing a little about Him, he should love God more from knowing more about him: for every new thing known about God is a new reason for loving Him.
— Frank Sheed
from Theology and Sanity | my2cents:
"Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise. They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone."
My friend, we must do what we are told. In the world, we see the complete opposite, disobedience, close to good things, they slander, they do not seek peace, are inconsiderate, and are not gracious. Are we inconsiderate? Are we obedient? What does all this consist of? In a moment, the Holy Gospel tells us. | We pray: "You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want."
He spreads a table? What does this reference? The prodigal son? The life of our Lord and offering in Mass? Who gets anointed with oil? In the Holy Sacraments, we all do. Even in confession? Reconciliation? The Spiritual healing oil is there. For more on this, let us turn to our Lord. | In the Holy Gospel we heard:
""Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
And off they went. And ALL of them were healed. Ten. Like the ten virgins. Ten to reference the whole. Like the ten commandments. 7 is the number for the Covenant. But 10, all who presented themselves received, pity, mercy, and grace. And this brought healing. A spanish reflection made me think of what they did afterwards. They said may be some reunited with their loved ones, and some went on with a "normal" life. But we heard of only one that returned to give thanks. | Consider thanks. Only one was grateful we hear. Who was this story for? Just for the Pharisees? No. It is for you. When I went to help at prison retreats, I remember that seeing these men tugged at my heart strings, some, not all. Some refused to acknowledge their sin. Some acknowledged their wrongdoing, but some reminded me of myself. Recall a moment in your life when you were down, let's say, like a severe sickness, or physical condition. I remember those days, I'd have big puppy eyes, looking to God for healing. Once healed, I'd be back to the wild life. It's like the thunderstorm Catholics, that only when things go bad do we turn to Him. Right? Recall the good times. Was God thanked then? What were the good times anyhow? When were they? They asked a couple in therapy, "recall when you were not fighting" and they remembered it was when they were trying to be faithful and going to church.
What does gratefulness look like in Heaven? Holiness. Purity. Faithfulness naturally.
I'd like to ask a favor from you, and this is going to take heart. Share the Gospel with someone new. Not a totally new person, but someone you have been thinking about talking to them about Jesus. Right now, you may be thinking of someone that could use this message. Maybe a teenager, maybe a person that just lost a loved one. Or maybe someone that has left the faith, the Church in a sense. Because, really, we don't lose it completely. I say this because, at times, the lost simply need a constant beacon, as they are found on the harbor, and on the peripheries (outskirts) and aloof.
In case you don't know, you are being asked to be that beacon.
But how? Be grateful. I told you yesterday, that our Lord answered a prayer to which, I don't know how to be grateful, and I find myself wondering if I am ungrateful.
And this is how it is.
In the Gospel, the one who returned to give thanks, simply gave thanks.
In Mass, we give thanks. God loves it. He loves the thank yous. I always teach people to pray, by first giving thanks, and then go off in pleas. God loves a cheerful giver, because He is a cheerful giver. This coming Sunday's Gospel speaks about a man that gave talents (monies so to speak) and it was lots of monies/talents for the people to invest. And one did not. Instead, that one called the giver of talents a mean guy and that was the reason he was afraid to lose the talent in investments.
What can we give to God? Thanks.
What kind of thanks? Sincere thanks. Life surrendering thanks. The kind that Jesus our Lord gave to God. Could you? Yes. If you really wanted to.
Scary huh? The crucifix? And the world is ready to crucify anyone who dares to walk the walk...to Calvary. The walk To Jerusalem. And the early Christians were called the followers of the "Way". They lived life a certain way. They talked a certain way. They walked a certain way. And that way is illuminating steps.
I'm asking you to walk the walk. The grateful person went to confession. He walked away in penance. And came back to give thanks. When's the last time you went to confession and came back to give thanks to God for healing your soul? I just went to confession Saturday. The thought of giving thanks hasn't even crossed my mind! Last night, upon finishing rosary and night prayers, I have a curly hair little boy that is about 4 years old that gives thanks for the cutest things; "...I want to give thanks for Adonai's shoes (his 6 year old brother)...I want to give thanks for Cris motorcycle...I want to give thanks for..." and I make a face to the other boys when he does it, as a sign "when's the last time you gave thanks for your things like that?". Allbeit, this has been the same prayer of thanksgiving for about 2 weeks, LOL. I always wonder though, how much can we thank God? How much did it cost for one gift we received? One answered prayer? One life? One life saved? One heart changed? One soul saved? Costs depend on values. Values are what make us in a sense. How much do you value the precious and Holy Body of Christ? Would you like to become the Body of Christ? What will it cost?
Be not afraid to show the world how much you love God. Love don't cost a thing they say, but there's more, true love will cost you everything. Be not afraid to show the world how much you love God. Lord, today we learn something invaluable. To return to Your precious feet, to give thanks for restoring our souls.
Help us restore your entire Body Lord. And in doing so, making a triumphant return of mercy and Love in a life of grace. | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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