 clickable | | What the Desert Monastics Knew Clearly one of the pillars of the spiritual life, as far as the Desert Monastics were concerned, was a time and place for reflection. A cell. A place to which we can retire in order to find our way back to our best ideals, our fullest selves, our life with God. A physical place, not a mental one, where we are truly alone and truly in peace. The cell is the place where clamor and chaos stop at the door. It's the place where we get back in touch with our best selves. It's the center of our very own, private, spiritual universe. —from the book In God's Holy Light: Wisdom from the Desert Monastics by Sister Joan Chittister |  MorningOffering.com | †Holy Quote
"If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord's presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed."
— St. Francis de Sales †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"This great power of grace over nature appears at first sight as unnatural, for which reason nature strives against it and does not even wish to hear of the necessity of penance and mortification. But the obligation of penance remains, and precisely because of nature's opposition, it cannot be emphasized often enough or earnestly enough. Softened, wounded nature, moreover, makes difficulties greater than they really are. Grace does not wish to destroy nature, but only to elevate it, that is, to drive out the evil that makes it sick and then to introduce a new and better life. By taking away all that nature loves to its own detriment, and thus wounding it in its innermost depth, it at the same time pours such a healthful balsam into this wound that it is a delight to be wounded in this way. Ask the Saints if they have ever experienced any greater delight than in those moments when they offered themselves, body and soul, as a victim to God. ... Ask yourself if you have ever enjoyed a deeper or more genuine delight than when you suppressed a violent desire of proud, angry nature, or performed any other act of heroic mortification with the help of grace. If, then, grace could give the Saints such a wonderful, superhuman and heroic courage as to elevate them above themselves and make them lead an angelic life already in the flesh, can it not enable you to live at least as a man, in harmony with your natural dignity, and not as a slave of the flesh, of the passions, of your own will and opinion?"
— Fr. Matthias J. Scheeben, p. 260
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Glories of Divine Grace: A Fervent Exhortation to All to Preserve and to Grow in Sanctifying Grace † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18 |  click to read more | | ST. FELIX OF NOLA St. Felix of Nola (d. 250 A.D.) was born in Italy near Naples, the son of a Syrian soldier. After his father's death, Felix gave his goods to the poor and entered the priesthood. He was ordained by his bishop, St. Maximus of Nola, and served as his assistant. When persecution against Christians increased under Roman Emperor Decius, St. Maximus hid in the desert while St. Felix was captured, tortured, and thrown into prison. While in prison an angel appeared to Felix and freed him from his chains, bidding him to go to the aid of his bishop, St. Maximus, who was at the point of starving to death. After assisting the bishop, Felix fled from his captors by hiding in a hole. Miraculously, a spider quickly spun a web over the hole and prevented St. Felix from being caught by his pursuers. Felix continued hiding in a dry well for six months until the persecution abated. Afterwards he declined an offer to become the bishop of Nola following the death of St. Maximus. Felix's property was confiscated in the persecutions, so he lived his remaining years farming a few acres of rented land for his own sustenance as well as alms for the poor. His feast day is January 14. | Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 306
Reading 1 1 Sm 1:9-20 Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: "O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head."
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
"How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!"
"It isn't that, my lord," Hannah answered.
"I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne'er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery."
Eli said, "Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
She replied, "Think kindly of your maidservant," and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah. When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he humbles, he also exalts."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. Alleluia 1 Thes 2:13 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 1:21-28 Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 1st Week in Ordinary Time I was only pouring out my troubles to the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:15) Communication is vital to good relationships, but we don't tend to think about communication when it comes to our faith. That's too bad, because Christianity is all about relationships, beginning with our relationship with God but also including our relationships within our church and among our loved ones. Some saints have been blessed to hear God speaking to them in visions, burning bushes, or angelic interventions. But in today's first reading, we see Hannah communicating with God the way that most of us do, through prayer—and hearing him speak in a way that most of us can relate to, through another person. In the story, Hannah was praying so fervently that the priest Eli believed she was drunk and chastised her for it. Eli's mistake is a classic case of poor observation leading to poor communication. Just a quick glance gave Eli all the information he thought he needed to know about Hannah, so he blundered in, embarrassing both himself and this poor woman. Fortunately, Eli's blunder was short-lived. He listened humbly when Hannah corrected him and offered her his blessing. What could have been a contentious confrontation became a moment of connection and grace. Hannah returned home and "no longer appeared downcast" (1 Samuel 1:18). Hannah's ability to connect with Eli and find compassion from him brought peace |  clickable | When we have a headache or a backache, we run straightaway to the medicine cabinet and pop open a bottle of pills. But when we're lost, confused, or in need of spiritual healing, so few of us run to the nearest tabernacle with the same confidence. We forget that the small white Host contains a healing power infinitely greater than the healing power in any pill. But it does. There is greater grace in Christ's Eucharistic presence than our created minds can begin to fathom.
— Emily Stimpson Chapman
from The Catholic Table | my2cents:
"Eli said, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
She replied, "Think kindly of your maidservant," and left."
Two things, a prayer, and a thanksgiving.
A false accusation, and redemption.
Does one have to go through the cross?
Is there another way? An...easier way? How many crucifixions have we witnessed lately? An innocent person is falsely judged and sentenced to death? Called a liar. And forced to brutal torture. And to this day, the accuser desires to tarnish the name. | We must pray: "He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage."
The magnificat, the words of our Blessed Mother say "He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant..." Basically Mary spoke in scripture verses, just like Jesus did. Theirs is a beautiful language. One that exalts God above all. And they teach us to speak this language, to live this way of exalting God above all. To be then, God centered, Christ at the center of the...cross. | The evil voice came out "Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Was this voice speaking out for all of Israel? Had this people decided they were the means for all? Had they forgot the true center of ...being?
An anti-christ message was put out...a nativity scene that be-rid of the Blessed Mother, and put another man in her place. Two men and a baby. It was a deplorable scene, and why? Because, it makes out man to be creator and this is false, as if we can make a man out of nothing? We ourselves were made from nothing, all you could do is copy and call it your own if you were even able to accomplish such a feat. But then you'd have the question of matter. The vineyard was full of thieves. God's vineyard was stolen. The thieves called it their own. | How does this apply to me? Today. How does this matter? So let's get to the matter. Do you try to live life your own way...without a cross? What's the matter? What's the matter with the cross? Mater means mother. Materia is "The Latin word also is the source of Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian materia, Dutch, German, and Danish materie, vernacular Spanish madera, Portuguese madeira "wood". And the mother of God was found by the wood, at birth and at the death of the God child. The Creator created something amazing in Mother Mary. And we destroyed it on the piece of wood.
What does this destruction look like today? It looks like abortion. God creates, and we destroy.
God created you, to be a beautiful soul glorifying and exalting God, for His purpose, for His redemptive purpose, yet, we destroy His dream and goal for our lives.
How do we destroy it? Pride.
Pride destroys God's vision for our lives.
To say we are all. Auto-sufficient. To say "we are self sustained" is a lie.
To call God evil is a lie from the devil.
God, Jesus, if you notice did not hurt a single soul. Devil's pride got real hurt. When He'd exorcise a spirit, he'd tell it to go away, never killing it. Yet, we, on earth, desire to kill things forever, like dictators, trying to squash something that cannot squash.
"Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
Two things:
BE QUIET.
Get Out!
Super grace is speaking. God is speaking. Today, in a little while, I will be singing in a funeral for the old neighbor I was afraid to visit in the nursing home, chickened out, remember? I have decided to sing "Be Still " by David Kauffman. The song says "Be Still...know that I am God".
A terrible convulsion happened, and a man was saved. The man had peace now. The creator desired Him to be made clean, to be made whole.
Hopefully, you are learning one thing: a holy fear of God.
I am in many ways distressed in faith. Someone asked me a few days ago "do you get discouraged Adrian", looking back, I should've said "get behind me Satan, you are thinking as humans do, not as God does".
But I am constantly being tempted to be discouraged, sometimes from the moment I wake up, and sometimes all day long and into the night.
To those voices let us say "BE QUIET" and "GET OUT"
and let Jesus' grace pervade my entire being...and let the soft light glow.... Random from Imitation of Christ:
"Time is precious now, and now is the day of salvation, the acceptable time.
...
If you will have a life with Christ, you must learn how to die to the world, and if you are to go freely with Christ, then you must learn now to despise all things. Chastise your body now by penance, so that you can face death with sure confidence that God will forgive you". |  click to hear a message | Random Bible Verse 1 Psalm 30: 2
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Thank You Lord | |
