 clickable | | The Only Self We Bring to Christ Despite being a finite creature in the midst of an all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present Being—an absolute nothing next to God, in every way dependent and with no reason to boast—I never feel insignificant or unwanted. I am God's child, chosen and adopted out of love, called to love and serve in his kingdom. What could ever matter more than knowing this? Truly, everything else is straw. Everything else is the working of a false self, an ego that knows nothing of reality. It is why in his admonitions St. Francis writes, "As much as [one] is before God, that much he is and nothing more." Nothing in all of existence matters at all except what God thinks of us. What we say about ourselves, what others think of us, who we wish were are—these are all useless questions, false selves that keep us from who we truly are before God, and prevent us from following after Christ with our whole hearts. If we want to be his disciples, the only self we can bring is the one that he created and redeemed. Everything else, we must let go. —from the book Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship by Casey Cole, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."
– St. Boniface † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"What is time, with regard to myself? It is my present and actual existence. Past time, or my past existence, is no longer anything, as far as I am concerned; I can neither recall it, nor change anything in it. The time to come, or my future existence, has not yet arrived, and perhaps never will arrive. I does not depend on me; I cannot count on it ... No one is ignorant of these two simple truths, but very few draw from them the conclusions they ought to draw ... This present moment, or this actual existence—from whom do I hold it? It is He who has preserved my existence from one instant to another, and who is preserving it at this present moment. Will He preserve it for me in the moment that shall immediately follow this one? I do not know; and nothing in the world can give me the assurance of it. Why has time been given to me? So that by it I may merit a happy eternity. I shall live forever: faith teaches me this; my reason even assures me of another life. The desire of immortality is implanted in the depths of my heart, and this desire, which God Himself has planted there, can never be frustrated of its object. I am, then, born for eternity, but this eternity will be happy or wretched ... My fate for all eternity depends, then, on the use I make of time, and since neither the past nor the future is in my own power, it is quite true to say that my eternity depends always on the present moment. Now, at this present moment, what is my state? Would I like to die just as I am now?"
— Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou, p. 82-83
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Spiritual Life † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 |  click to read more | | ST. MARTINA OF ROME St. Martina of Rome (d. 228 A.D.) was born to a noble Roman family and orphaned at a young age. She was zealous in the practice of her faith, remained a virgin, and, in preparation for the Christian persecutions sweeping the city, gave much of her inheritance to the poor. She was martyred under Roman Emperor Alexander Severus. According to the accounts of her martyrdom, she was discovered praying in a church and was arrested by Roman soldiers. She was ordered to pay homage to the pagan gods, which she refused. She was then cruelly tortured over several days. She was raked with iron hooks and scourged, and when a bright light enveloped her, some of her torturers were converted to the Faith amid her fervent prayers. She was then taken to the temple of Diana to be forced to offer sacrifice, but at her presence the temple's demon left with a scream. They next tried to throw her to a lion (it showed no interest in her) and to burn her alive, but she would not catch fire. Finally, she was beheaded. St. Martina's feast day is January 30. | Thursday of the Third Wek in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 320
Reading 1 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29 After Nathan had spoken to King David,
the king went in and sat before the LORD and said,
"Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house,
that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD;
you have also spoken of the house of your servant
for a long time to come:
this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD! "You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever,
and you, LORD, have become their God.
And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
concerning your servant and his house,
and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
'The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,'
and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel,
who said in a revelation to your servant,
'I will build a house for you.'
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth;
you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
that it may be before you forever;
for you, Lord GOD, have promised,
and by your blessing the house of your servant
shall be blessed forever." Responsorial Psalm 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14 R. (Lk 1:32b) The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
LORD, remember David
and all his anxious care;
How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
"I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
The LORD swore an oath to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
"Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne."
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
"If your sons keep my covenant,
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne."
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he prefers her for his dwelling:
"Zion is my resting place forever;
in her I will dwell, for I prefer her."
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father. Alleluia Ps 119:105 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 4:21-25 Jesus said to his disciples,
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
He also told them, "Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." | Meditation: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29 3rd Week in Ordinary Time Who am I, Lord God, . . . that you have brought me to this point? (2 Samuel 7:18) David was a man of many gifts. He loved God with all his heart. He was a talented musician. He had the courage to face Goliath, and after becoming king, he captured Jerusalem and brought the ark of the covenant there. A wise ruler, he eventually united the tribes of Israel and reigned over them for nearly forty years. With a résumé like this, it's a bit surprising to read David's prayer in today's first reading. It's a beautiful reflection of his humility and his desire for God's glory to be made known. David shows no signs of pride in his own work or the dynasty that he is establishing. He sees only what God has done, and he gives God the glory for it. In addition, he is overwhelmed that God is promising even more: that David's kingdom will last forever. Throughout his prayer, David is aware that God has given him the gifts he needs precisely for this purpose: to advance God's plan, not to build up his own ego. God has given us many gifts as well. They might be gifts for leadership like King David, gifts for ministry in the Church, or gifts for caring for people. God wants us to receive these gifts gratefully and then, like David, decide how we can use them to care for his people and build up his kingdom. This is the key to true humility. It's about confessing that all we have accomplished is due to God's generosity and goodness. It's about believing that he is the One who lavished us with gifts in the first place. It's about understanding that he is the One who gives us the vision and the grace to use them. Today, take some time to thank the Lord, both for your gifts and for the opportunities you have had to use them for his glory. Then offer these gifts back to him, and ask him to use them in whatever way he chooses. Remember, you have a part to play in the kingdom that God is establishing. He needs you—and the gifts he has given you—to do it! "Father, help me to recognize my gifts and use them for your glory." Psalm 132:1-5, 11-14
Mark 4:21-25 |  clickable | When I was getting ready to be confirmed, the priest said, 'Saints aren't just holy dead people. Every one of you can be a saint.' And I thought, 'There's somebody who has just given me a challenge. I'm going to be a saint.'
— Connie McEldowney
from Restored: Stories of Encounter | my2cents:
" Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant."
All we have then...is God's promise? His Word?
Then, faith comes in. | Today we pray:
"LORD, remember David and all his anxious care; How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob."
David Swore To God.
Do you know you swear too? We do in the Holy Sacraments. Each one has a special oath to God. And they are binding, forever. | Today our Lord said: "For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light."
Don't you love everything our Lord says? There is NOTHING secret. Why then do you have anxiety, or doubts? Most dictators kill many of their own because they have doubts. Most rumors (anxieties) in your life are all about secrets, and gossip, and pride, and ego and well, have I gone too far? Or not far enough? Trust in the Lord.
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed". It is a rhetorical question, for a purpose. The purpose of the light is truth. The truth shall not be hidden, but be made known. Jesus. | On a peculiar note, I have under my bed automated LED lights that I bought a couple years ago, cheap on ebay. They turn on when a sensor senses motion. Why did I buy lights for under my bed? For temporary lighting while one goes to bed or gets out of bed in the dark? Yes. But that's not all. I have had in my house snakes. One was a little rattler. I have then, a tool to help me see what's there, hidden dangers. In this same light, our Lord wants us to always have lights on, to see what's out there in your world, to see dangers, to see snakes, to see traps laid out to ensnare you or others.
Remember that person I said randomly texted me a vile message that hurt me to end a horrible week last week?
Well, he sent me another message last night. This time, it was a long text apologizing, and he laid out all his life troubles, and ultimately it sounded like he hated his life. I told him in reply, that I had immediately prayed (seriously hardcore prayer) for him when he sent that ugly message. I said "I can read between the lines". I knew something was up, something horrible. My prayers lately, and because of some things these emails have (inspirational quotes etc), they make me wonder more and more, what more can I do? Surely, I am not allowed to give up. I'm still in the discernment. Helping an addict is super difficult from the outside, because the door to healing is on the inside.
Now you know I'm talking about spirituality, and moreover, yours.
These examples I use are meant to open our eyes to the reality that is bestowed upon us.
How does God live in people? How do demons live in people too? That is a whole realm we may never fully comprehend. But the reality is, we are, precious. A home is precious. We are like buildings. That's why we read about a temple with King David, and King David wanting to provide an adequate dwelling place for our Lord.
Your body is a temple. Make it sacred. Make it a lovely place for our Lord to dwell. Make it smell good with roses laid out for Him our Lover. What roses? The kinds that Momma likes in Heaven, offerings to God. He promises things that are out of this world. And these hold no time, it is a matter of BEING.
Let us be totally His. Love you God!! |  click to hear a message | ->Random Bible Verse 1< Psalm 119:11 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Thank You Lord | If one day you don't receive these, just visit my website Going4th.com, surely you'll find me there. God Bless You! Share the Word!! Share this, share what is good! | |
