Eating Is a Moral Act Christianity is one religion that places upon us the obligation to care for the least of our sisters and brothers here on earth if we want to share the banquet the Lord of hosts has prepared in heaven for those who believe. The image of an overflowing cornucopia reminds us that eating ought to be not only an obligation but a celebration. Such a table is a sign of hospitality. When a cook prepares everything from scratch for her guests, no one doubts the efficacy of her loving care for each ingredient. Everyone leaves the table in a jovial mood, satisfied in body and soul, having been the happy recipients of another's hospitality. We leave the table with a full stomach but, more important, our spirit feels bathed in the warmth of love. —from the book Table of Plenty: Good Food for Body and Spirit
by Susan Muto |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"A word or a smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul."
— St. Therese of Lisieux † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The beatitude of the saints is immutable, like that of the Son of God. . . Add ages to ages; multiply them equal to the sand of the ocean or the stars of heaven; exhaust all numbers, if you can, beyond what the human intelligence can conceive, and for the elect there will be still the same eternity of happiness. They are immutable, and this immutability excludes weariness and disgust. The life of an elect soul is one succession, without end, of desires ever arising and ever satisfied, but desires without trouble, satiety or lassitude. The elect will always see God, love God, possess God and always will wish to see Him, love Him and possess Him still more. This beatitude is the end destined for all; God has given us time only in order to merit it, being and life only to possess it. Reflect seriously on this great truth, and ask yourself these three questions at the foot of the crucifix: What have I done hitherto for heaven? What ought I to do for heaven? What shall I do henceforward for heaven?"
— St. Ignatius of Loyola, p. 179
AN EXCERPT FROM
Spiritual Exercises †VERSE OF THE DAY
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
John 6:51 |  click to read more | | St. Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), also known as Gertrude of Helfta, was born on the feast of Epiphany in Thuringia (modern Germany). She was sent to be educated at the Benedictine monastery in Helfta at the age of four or five, possibly as an orphan or as a child dedicated to God by her parents. She proved to be an extremely bright and determined student who became engrossed in her secular studies, but was negligent of her prayer life. She remained in the monastery and made her profession as a nun. At the age of 26 she entered a time of spiritual crisis, after which she began to receive visions of Christ who chastised her for not leaving room for God in her academic pursuits. This caused Gertrude to abandon her secular studies in total devotion to Sacred Scripture and the works of the Church Fathers. These theological studies, along with continued visions and messages from Jesus, became the basis of her work as one of the great writers and mystics of the 13th century. St. Gertrude had a lasting impact on the Church in an age where academic and religious literature was dominated by men, and she is the only female saint to earn the title "The Great." She was one of the early saints who, along with her companion in the monastery, St. Mechtilde of Hackeborn, spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Teresa of Avila chose St. Gertrude the Great, the patron saint of nuns, as her model and guide. Her feast day is November 16th. | Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 497
Reading 1 RV 1:1-4; 2:1-5 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show his servants what must happen soon.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who gives witness to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting what he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud
and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message
and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near. John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace
from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne. I heard the Lord saying to me:
"To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this: "'The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand
and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:
"I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,
and that you cannot tolerate the wicked;
you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not,
and discovered that they are impostors.
Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name,
and you have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you:
you have lost the love you had at first.
Realize how far you have fallen.
Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent."'" Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6 R. (Rev. 2:17) Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life. Alleluia JN 8:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 18:35-43 As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me!"
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. | Daily Meditation: Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5 The appointed time is near. (Revelation 1:3) It's probably no surprise that many people shy away from the Book of Revelation. It's full of graphic language about cosmic events that we find hard to understand, let alone identify with! We are dimly aware that some religious leaders have associated certain world leaders and institutions with the evil forces portrayed in Revelation. Others have used this book to make specific predictions about what will happen in the future. And when these predictions fail to materialize (at least in the anticipated way), new theories are born. So how could ordinary believers like ourselves hope to make sense of this puzzling book? Actually, Revelation wasn't so puzzling to John's first readers. Most of them were familiar with imagery like the moon turning to blood and stars falling from the sky. Earlier writers like Isaiah and Joel had used word pictures like these to talk about God's action in bringing down power-hungry empires and upending a status quo in which the rich continued to exploit the poor. Because they themselves were being persecuted for proclaiming Jesus as Lord rather than Caesar, John's readers knew that he was using language that could both veil and reveal. A pagan reader might have dismissed Revelation as little more than an imaginative story. But a faithful Christian would have found assurance in it that God had not abandoned his people. He was very much at work, moving history forward to its climax when Jesus would return in glory. This vision of a world totally renewed in the love of its Creator gave them hope in their darkest hours. As we turn again to the Book of Revelation at the end of the Church year, let's catch the spirit of those early followers. Let's look up to see the Lamb enthroned, eager to transform us and our world in the light of his glory. He is coming soon! Let's be sure our preparations for his return are motivated by that "love [we] had at first" (Revelation 2:4), the love that Jesus had for us before we even began to respond to him. "Come, Lord Jesus! Make me ready and eager to welcome you, both in my day today and when you return to bring me to your heavenly home." Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 18:35-43 |  clickable | God uses the least of us to accomplish his work and to show his mightiness. God does not make mistakes. There is a reason for everyone. We have been hand-picked in heaven by God.
— Deborah Lipsky
from Confessions of an Ex-Satanist: A Message of Hope | my2cents:
"Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent."
Go back to the once made saint you were made to be. Go back to being the child of God.
I hope these words find you and you find our Lord, I hope you seek. Only then will you find. | Today we pray:
"Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life."
Again, who are "those" who are victorious? Who are "those" who will feed from the tree of life? Those who delight in God's laws. A quiet revelation for you faithful soul: The world grows restless without Christ. And the reason it is growing more averse, is simply the fact that the attack is punishment, for us not doing what we are called to do. Can you fathom the revelation? It is natural. Stagnant waters grow algae. We must start moving. | The blind man outside Jericho heard our Lord was coming.
How do you react when you are told our Lord is coming?
The blind man filled with faith exclaimed "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
This is a beggar's call. Mercy. Pity. "look at me". And our Lord does not turn away from doing the good. | There is though and interesting verse we heard: "The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more..."
This people hushing him thing made him grow more and more adamant. The same thing should happen with us. Whence someone is attempting to silence your pleas and your faith, do what the blind man at Jericho did... never give up.
How can I translate this. I've been accused of some really strange things. So has our priest lately. And so have many in the church. It is an onslaught of lies, accusations, and outright hatred. I'll spare you the cursing I've heard. How can I say this? Because anything from darkness is from...darkness! Once you know it is a lie, then relax, why get worked up? Those who yell and attack, they are those voices asking you to step down. And the only step down you should take is one of humility. Realize you are being asked to be humble at this moment. It doesn't feel good to be silenced. Many saints have been accused of lies and silenced forcibly with violence, to the point of martyrdom. They never give up. What's more, their martyrdom speaks volumes of the failed attempt of darkness to silence the truth. Jesus is the ultimate example. If anything, it makes for a megaphone for truth to be spoken even louder.
Never give up. The blind man yelled out for...mercy.
We too shall seek mercy. So we can see...the goodness of the Lord.
Our Lord speaks:
""What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
Now what happens next is the twofold product and byproduct of a miracle.
"and (the healed man) followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God."
A soul was converted, transformed, and saved and oh so very grateful, and began following our Lord immediately.
And next, all the people gave praise to God, so amazed at what had just happened. That is the purpose of a miracle. What happens when a blind man can see for the first time?
It is scary, but super exciting.
And so it shall be. We are, in a sense, blinded in this world. What is to come no eye has seen, no ear has heard.
We've had glimpses in testimonies, some that match, some that don't make sense, and many atheists remain skeptical. This is where faith must come in.
I'm writing to you, so you may have words enter your ears, the kind that bring hope to your soul and salvation and restoration to life. Jesus is coming LORD! I Want to see! I want to see your beautiful face and Kingdom come! Lord Hear us! Lord graciously Hear us! | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Isaiah 55:8-0
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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