Prayer Ebbs and Flows Prayer has a huge ebb and flow. When we try to pray, sometimes we walk on water and sometimes we sink like a stone. Sometimes we have a deep sense of God's reality and sometimes we can't even imagine that God exists. Sometimes we have deep feelings about God's goodness and love, and sometimes we feel only boredom and distraction. Sometimes our eyes fill with tears and we wish we could stay in our prayer-place forever, and sometimes our eyes wander furtively to our wristwatches to see how much time we still need to spend in prayer. —from the book Prayer: Our Deepest Longing
by Ronald Rolheiser |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me."
— St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The Spirit of God is a spirit of peace, and he speaks and acts in peace and gentleness, never in tumult and agitation. What's more, the motions of the Spirit are delicate touches that don't make a great noise and can penetrate our spiritual consciousness only if we have within ourselves a sort of calm zone of silence and peace. If our inner world is noisy and agitated, the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit will find it very difficult to be heard. If we want to recognize and follow the Spirit's motions, it is of the greatest importance to maintain a peaceful heart in all circumstances."
— Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 37
AN EXCERPT FROM
In the School of the Holy Spirit † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!"
Psalm 27:13-14 |  click to read more | | ST. ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769–1852) was born in Grenoble, France, to a wealthy and prominent family. At the age of 18 she joined the Visitation nuns against the wishes of her family, taking her religious name after St. Rose of Lima and St. Philip Neri. During the anti-religious fervor of French Revolution, the "Reign of Terror," her convent was shut down. She then took up the work of providing care for the sick, hiding priests from the revolutionaries, and educating homeless children. When the tensions of the revolution subsided, she rented out her old convent in an attempt to revive her religious order, but the spirit was gone. She and the few remaining nuns of her convent then joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since childhood St. Rose Philippine had had a strong desire to do missionary work in the New World, especially among the Native Americans. This was realized in 1818 when she and four nuns traveled across the Atlantic, a journey of eleven weeks, and another seven weeks up the Mississipi river to serve in one of the remotest outposts in the region in St. Charles, Missouri. St. Rose Philippine was a hardy pioneer woman ministering in the Midwest during its difficult frontier days. She opened several schools and served the Potawatomi Indians who gave her the name "Quah-kah-ka-num-ad," meaning, "Woman-who-prays-always." Her feast day is November 18th. | Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 499
Reading 1 Rv 4:1-11 I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal. In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming: "Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created." Responsorial Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God! Alleluia See Jn 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 19:11-28 While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. | Daily Meditation: Revelation 4:1-11 I, John, had a vision. (Revelation 4:1) Human language can scarcely describe the reality of heaven. The images John uses here—a sparkling throne, an emerald-like halo encircling it, flashes of lightning and peals of thunder—give us some idea of heaven's glory and majesty (Revelation 4:2-5). The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel had a similar vision of heaven (see chapters 1 and 10). But in the end, no one can really describe the Lord God almighty and his dwelling place. It is something that we one day hope to experience, but until then, we can only live in faith, trusting that we will be filled with joy when we finally see God our Father face-to-face. That's what's so amazing about the Eucharist. At every Mass, ordinary bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, right before our eyes. When the priest raises the Host and Chalice at the consecration, the bread and wine don't look outwardly different. But Jesus is present in them, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. God is really with us in all his majesty and glory—and in his mercy, he has provided us a way to see him, touch him, and even consume him. In John's vision in today's first reading, whenever the four living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to God, the twenty-four elders also fall down before their own thrones to worship him (Revelation 4:9-10). Praise and worship is the only appropriate response to God. It will surely be our response as well when we meet him in heaven. Isn't it awesome that we don't have to wait until we get to heaven? Every day in prayer, as well as at every Mass we attend, we have the opportunity to give God thanks and praise. We may be sinners, but God is so generous, so gracious and merciful, that he holds nothing back from us. In his great love, he reveals himself to us and allows us to receive him into our own bodies and souls. So how will you respond? By joining the heavenly choir that is singing even at this moment: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!" (Revelation 4:8). "Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power" (Revelation 4:11). Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28 |  clickable | The Old Testament, like the New, is about Jesus. It is the beginning of the story of salvation, the same story Jesus completes, the same story we are in now.
— Peter Kreeft
from You Can Understand the Bible | my2cents:
"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."
And John was taken to see God's throne. And we hear of all the symbolic happenings of Heaven.
We hear of His omniscience and omnipresence.
We hear of those who have been faithful, and they remain ever more faithful, throwing their crowns down, laying them down before our Lord. For more on that, the Holy Gospel will come. | We pray: "Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!"
We pray these prayers with the Heavens in every Holy Mass. There we are to lay our crowns to the Master, to the Lord, to the King, to Our Father. | Our Lord speaks a parable and issues a command inside for all of us: "'Engage in trade with these until I return."
It is the story of the talents, and the investment. I always wonder how the protestants read these parables that speak about investing talents because many believe faith alone saves, but we need works, we need investments, we need to be fully vested in Christ, to take on His body, allowing HIM to work through us. This is a reason that bothers me when something great happens and I am thanked, well, I'm not really the one to thank but God. Then I heard "well thank you for letting God work through you"....hmm, that's maybe ok. Most greater things in Heaven are those things that we are not thanked for. Simple things that you are forgotten about. These are returns on your investment. Being recognized shouldn't be the means to the end nor the end for them means. If you are recognized, let God have the platform, like when Mother Teresa was speaking upon receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, she simply spoke about God and the poor, and the unborn children, the forgotten, all who she loves dearly. Now I wonder how many cities she is in charge of with her crown that she lays down before God Almighty Father. | Lord, we want to invest everything in You. Help us not be afraid. Help us realize what it means to give truly like Mother Mary, and you Lord Jesus! | Random Bible verse from online generator: 1 Peter 2:11
1 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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