 clickable | | Leisure Is a Virtue We tend to think that the opposite of work is leisure. Leisure is not the opposite of work; play is the opposite of work, if you have to have a polarity like that. And leisure is precisely the bridging of this gap between the two. Leisure is precisely doing your work with the attitude of play. That means putting into your work what is most important about playing, namely, that you do it for its own sake and not only to accomplish a particular purpose. And that means that you have to give it time. Leisure is not a privilege for those who can take time for leisure. Leisure is a virtue. It is the virtue of those who give time to whatever takes time, and give as much time as it deserves, and so work leisurely and find meaning in their work and come fully alive. If we have a strict work mentality we are only half alive. —from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life by Brother David Steindl-Rast |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand."
— St. Anselm of Canterbury †Meditation of the Day
"So when we pray, we must stand in His presence, on His level. We must see His suffering in the same way that we see His greatness, and as we picture His compassion. But we must also remember that that suffering, that greatness and that compassion will one day judge us. We shall be weighed in the balance by them; and if we are found wanting in any way, we shall hear the words: 'Depart from me. . .' 'Go elsewhere; go to those who refused to be my friends.'"
— Dom Augustin Guillerand, p. 53 †Verse of the Day
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation."
Psalm 68:19 |  click to read more | | Saint Anthony of Egypt (Saint Anthony the Abbot)
Saint of the Day for January 17
(251 – 356) The life of Anthony will remind many people of Saint Francis of Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so moved by the Gospel message, "Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor" (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis in that most of Anthony's life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with snares, and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism, great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial, and Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance. At 54, he responded to many requests and founded a sort of monastery of scattered cells. Again, like Francis, he had great fear of "stately buildings and well-laden tables." At 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the renewed Roman persecution of 311, fearlessly exposing himself to danger while giving moral and material support to those in prison. At 88, he was fighting the Arian heresy, that massive trauma from which it took the Church centuries to recover. "The mule kicking over the altar" denied the divinity of Christ. Anthony is associated in art with a T-shaped cross, a pig and a book. The pig and the cross are symbols of his valiant warfare with the devil—the cross his constant means of power over evil spirits, the pig a symbol of the devil himself. The book recalls his preference for "the book of nature" over the printed word. Anthony died in solitude at age 105.
Reflection In an age that smiles at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a "rat race," one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony's hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God's good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
Saint Anthony of Egypt is the Patron Saint of: Butchers
Gravediggers
Skin Diseases | Memorial of Saint Anthony, abbot Reading 1 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, "Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us."
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
"Grant the people's every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king."
Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
"The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you."
The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel's warning and said,
"Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles."
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
"Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them." Responsorial Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
For you are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our King.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Alleluia Lk 7:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." | Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Mark 2:1-12 Saint Anthony, Abbot (Memorial) Unable to get near Jesus. . . , they opened up the roof above him. (Mark 2:4) Four men carried their friend to the house where Jesus was preaching. Foremost in their minds was getting as close as possible. No matter what the obstacles, they would push through and not give up. "If we can just get to Jesus," they told each other. They weren't sure what to expect, but all the stories of healing they had heard filled them with hope and expectation. They wanted Jesus to heal their friend. What a beautiful image for intercessory prayer! When we intercede, we bring ourselves into the presence of Jesus—and we bring the person or situation we're praying for right along with us. Filled with hope that Jesus can do anything, we lay the person at his feet and ask him for help. But how do we get ourselves into the presence of Jesus? One way is to start your intercessory time with worship. Set aside everything else that's on your mind and focus on how wonderful Jesus is. Praise him for his power and mercy and love. Thank him for everything he has done for this person or in this situation already. Fix your heart on all that is good and holy and beautiful about Jesus, and you'll drive out the fear, doubt, and anxiety that can keep you from knowing his presence. If you find doubt or worry creeping in because it looks like no answer is coming, imitate the men in today's reading: don't give up! They went so far as to climb the roof and take off the tiles so they could lower their friend in front of Jesus. Try to persist as well! Remember, Jesus knows the situation or the person completely; he won't abandon you. Also, as you intercede, stay confident that Jesus is at work, even if it's behind the scenes. It was that kind of confidence that drove the men to do whatever it took to reach Jesus. When Jesus sees your persistence, your confidence, and your faith, he will be moved with compassion. You can make a real difference. Your prayers can move Jesus' own heart. That's the promise of today's Gospel—a promise that God wants you to never forget. "Jesus, I bring my loved ones into your presence. I believe that you can change everything." 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22
Psalm 89:16-19 |  clickable | It doesn't matter who you are, where you've been, what you've done. All that matters is where you go from here, and that God can restore you. God can make you new. He loves you! Your past mistakes cannot define your future!
— Crystalina Evert
from Women Made New | my2cents:
""Grant the people's every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king."
They say "be careful what you ask for".
And it comes to being, that daily message comes from above.
What are you asking for?
You know that by sinning, you are "asking for it"? Inadvertently, and naturally, the consequence comes- something else takes the place of the King.
I wish, there were more people, more devoted. People like you, yes, devoted to this devotion of daily motivations, so, how can we make more devoted people? For sure, I don't want a carbon copy of myself. So how do we instill the message into the hearts of the unfaithful, and blind, and lame, and crippled in faith? | Let us pray: "For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk. At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."
Memento mori. Remember you too will die. EESH! Our priest always says something similar at funerals. "We don't know our time, the hour". How can you sing forever the goodness of the Lord? If, we do not start today. A joyful shout exclaims the goodness of our Lord. All day long there is rejoicing in a person that exults the name of our Lord. And death takes it a step further. And so, we leave our former self behind, when we rise...so let us turn to our Lord. | In the Holy Gospel we heard "They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men."
It took 4 men to take a man to salvation.
One was on a reconnaissance mission, they found out where exactly Jesus was. The others were charged with carrying the paralytic on his pallet and mat. Have you ever gathered with 3 others to carry someone? It is not that easy. Carrying someone a long distance is not that easy, especially someone that cannot walk or move much. It is a struggle, all the way. | Have you ever got with 3 others and came up with a plan to carry someone to Jesus? At a men's gathering, 4 of us decided to invite this one other man to a Cursillo, an encounter, a learning experience with God. Our plan failed, we did not meet the man the date we set. It is now pending.
I have invited many throughout the years, and many have been turned me down many times. But, a few have gone, and life has never been the same for them.
Now, let's keep on track on this note: have you ever invited someone that needed Jesus, maybe, to confession? To Church? To the Blessed Sacrament? These are all ways to help a paralyzed soul. But what about a soul that refuses ...help? Those are hard to move. If a paralyzed soul does not want healing, they see no need for it. What then? A good salesman will sell a customer by producing a need, right? But should it be that way with our Lord? Convince someone of salvation, taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
How do we make people convert? Answer: We don't convert people. God chooses people, people like you, as He sees fit.
So do we give up on those who see no need? I don't. Jesus don't. Why should anyone give up on a soul...why should we give up on hope?
Today's Gospel was an inspirational one.
The men did whatever it took to pass all the ones who found no other way. These men found a way. Where there's a will, there is Jesus.
What is my motivation? What drives me? I'm driven by hope, not stopped by despair, or discouragement. What makes me full of hope? Jesus. With Jesus in my life, I can see where I lack and fail. That's what happens with light. They said everyone was amazed at what Jesus did. So what were the people amazed about?
Was it the miracle?
Was it the forgiveness of sins?
Did anybody see Jesus bringing a man to salvation...in the four men?
Were they amazed that Jesus could read their hearts and minds?
We should be focusing on the coming season...of Lent. What are we going to do about bringing souls to Jesus? Send someone to find out where Jesus is exactly. The goal is then to get yourself and one needy soul to Jesus. There, forgiveness is given...and there healing begins.
The man on the stretcher no more. A man carrying his own pallet and mat now focuses on carrying another soul to Christ our Savior. |  click to hear a message | Random Bible Verse 1 1 Peter 5
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Thank You Lord | |
