 clickable | | Strive for Clarity and Compassion Clarity grows with the spirit of acceptance and the purifying of the mind. With this vision that is the result of a pure heart, we can see with clarity through all the illusions and self-deceptions, all the games the ego plays. But this clarity separates the one who sees with it from the crowd. Don't we like to feel that we are right and better and then to feel our little ego magnified by the self-righteous people around us? We reinforce and flatter each other by targeting someone weaker who may be innocent or who has been caught doing something wrong. Our anger at the victim hides our own shame. It takes the courage of such clarity to break with the crowd and stand for the truth. But the Gospel reminds us, perhaps warns us, that being clear and being compassionate doesn't equate with social success. —from the book Sensing God: Learning to Meditate during Lent by Laurence Freeman, OSB |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote "Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices."
— St. Teresa of Avila † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"If you wish to explore the Holy Scripture, and you overcome your laziness and apply yourself, thirsting for the knowledge, then every good thing will be yours. You will fill your mind with the divine light. Then, when you apply that light to the doctrines of the Church, you will very easily recognize everything that is true and unadulterated, and lay it up in the hidden treasures of your soul."
— St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 167
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power."
Ephesians 1:17-19 |  click to read more | | ST. FERGUS OF SCOTLAND St. Fergus of Scotland (d. 730 A.D.), also known as St. Fergustian or Fergus the Pict, Bishop of the Gaels, was a bishop serving in the north of Scotland. Little is known of his life. He is believed to have been trained as a bishop in Ireland, ministering there for many years before traveling as a missionary to Scotland. He went throughout the Scottish countryside preaching the Gospel, setting up churches dedicated to St. Patrick of Ireland, and working to convert the pagan people to Christianity. He also traveled to St. Peter's Basilica to participate in the Council of Rome in 721 A.D. He died around the year 730 A.D. and is buried in Glamis, Angus, in Scotland. Nearby is St. Fergus' Well. The site is believed to be where St. Fergus presided over religious services before the first church of Glamis was built. His feast day is March 30th. | Saint Peter Regalado (1390 – March 30, 1456) Peter lived at a very busy time in history. The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) was settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were fighting the Hundred Years' War, and in 1453, the Byzantine Empire was completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter's death, the age of printing had just begun in Germany, and Columbus's arrival in the New World was less than 40 years away. Peter came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid, Spain. At the age of 13, he was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination, he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442, he was appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group. Peter led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor. For example, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry people to feed. Throughout most of his life, Peter went hungry; he lived only on bread and water. Immediately after his death on March 31, 1456, his grave became a place of pilgrimage. Peter was canonized in 1746.
Reflection Peter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans, not just to superiors. | Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Reading 1 Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62 In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.
That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, "Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges."
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband's garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.
One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
"Bring me oil and soap," she said to the maids,
"and shut the garden doors while I bathe."
As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
"Look," they said, "the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you."
"I am completely trapped," Susanna groaned.
"If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord."
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.
When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
"Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim."
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.
In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
"As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this."
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
"O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me."
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
"I will have no part in the death of this woman."
All the people turned and asked him, "What is this you are saying?"
He stood in their midst and continued,
"Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her."
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
"Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age."
But he replied,
"Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them."
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
"How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
'The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.'
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together."
"Under a mastic tree," he answered.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two."
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
"Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together."
"Under an oak," he said.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both."
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.
or
The assembly condemned Susanna to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
"O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me."
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
"I will have no part in the death of this woman."
All the people turned and asked him,
"What is this you are saying?"
He stood in their midst and continued,
"Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her."
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
"Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age."
But he replied,
"Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them."
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
"How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
'The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.'
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together."
"Under a mastic tree," he answered.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two."
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him, "Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together."
"Under an oak," he said.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you also your head,"
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both."
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day. Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. Verse Before the GospelEz 33:11 I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Gospel Jn 8:1-11 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
"Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?"
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
"Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
"Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?"
She replied, "No one, sir."
Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more."
| Today's Meditation: Psalm 23:1-6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6) What is it like to be "followed" by goodness and kindness? One sense of the Hebrew word for "follow" is "to chase after." That can sound pretty negative. It can make you think of a policeman chasing a criminal or a dog chasing a cat. But "follow" can also mean "to pursue" or "to attend closely to." While "chase after" might enkindle dread, God's pursuit produces hope. He is relentless only in his desire to bring goodness to us. He is in ceaseless pursuit of us with only the best of intentions. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that truth, especially when we are facing difficult situations or trials. At those times, fear and anxiety seem to be the only things following us. Or we can fail to see God's goodness and kindness attending closely to us when the confusion and demands of daily life seem overwhelming. In today's first reading, Susanna is falsely accused and facing execution. Feeling powerless, she cries out, "O eternal God . . . " (Daniel 13:42). And the eternal God answers her. His goodness and kindness pursue her in the person of Daniel, who speaks wise words, conducts a shrewd examination, and obtains her pardon. Susanna hadn't been alone in that garden when two scheming old men trapped her; God's goodness and kindness had been right behind her, following her every move. God's goodness and kindness are following closely behind you too. Perhaps they will reach you through another person, as they used Daniel to help Susanna. You might see them in a kind word spoken to you at just the right time, or a small token of affection from your spouse, or wisdom that suddenly dawns on you for a pressing situation. Even if the difficulty you are facing doesn't get resolved in the way you had hoped, you can still trust that you will see God's goodness and kindness manifested at just the right time and in just the right way. Above all, know that whatever happens, you can count on the Lord to attend to you closely—not just in desperate situations, but all the days of your life. "Help me, Lord, to recognize your goodness and kindness in the events of my life today." Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
John 8:1-11 |  clickable | The family of God is what makes sense out of all the Catholic Faith. Mary is our mother, the Pope is the spiritual father, the saints are like brothers and sisters, the Eucharist is a family meal, the feast days are like anniversaries and birthdays. We are God's family! I'm not an orphan. I have a home!
—Dr. Scott Hahn
from Testimony to Truth | my2cents:
""O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be..."
I think it was yesterday, my dad was telling me that long time ago, he knew this man, or my grandpa knew this man, anyway, the man was super sweet, so gentle and kind with his wife and his kids, couldn't ask for anyone better, "so humble" were his words. One day, someone told that man that his wife was cheating on him. That husband was enraged, took a gun and went home, there he shot his wife three times in the head in front of the kids. What was the point of this story being told to me? I think it went along the lines of our conversation about seeming humility in our world. Susanna was a victim, two against one. She had no recourse but tears to God. Psalm 23 comes to mind, especially when Jesus falls victim to false accusations. Next time you are being falsely accused, think of two things: Our Lord and His humility and what He did enduring everything, and then realize how the persecutor works, the accuser is always the devil. What can one do in light of a horrible situation? Have recourse with tears, true lamentation, all this means ultimately...true prayer, contrition, and even humility. | We prayed today: "He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff that give me courage. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side."
I AM the good shepherd says our Lord. He guides to what is good, and not always what we see and think is good. He shows us the way, all the way. Can we trust in Him? | In the Holy Gospel, they catch a woman in adultery, and drag her to Jesus to judge her as they have judged in the law. They brought up the Mosaic laws. Now, many of these laws had compiled so thick, that you could no longer see God in them. Our Lord says then the most famous line that all sinners love: ""Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her." Let the sinless one throw the first rock, and lead the charge of death. There are many fronts on this battle, on this mount. First, we must consider what judgements do. And then we must consider what God must do. | In the first Holy Scripture, we have judges, wicked judges ruling. What happened that they became wicked? They simply represented the people. The people were going to watch an innocent woman die, and not lift a finger. The wicked representation comes again at the time of Jesus. They were constantly trying to catch Jesus "doing wrong". They were constantly on the side of accusations. An innocent person was being falsely accused. God comes at the right time. Mercy enters the scene. He is found writing on the ground. What a strange notion, and when they leave, dropping stones, He starts writing again on the ground. It's as if the Father was being approached by His squabbling kids and He tells them to settle down.
The most important conversation ensues after they leave Him alone with her...and He tells her ""Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?"
She replied, "No one, sir."
Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more."
So judgement has been given from every angle but God.
His is mercy, the peoples' is condemnation, turned forced mercy.
The worst condemnation is one we bring about on ourselves.
Right now, there is much fear and a life disruption has occurred with a pandemic in the world. Pandemonium. Have we brought the curse on ourselves? What's going on? Can we turn to God like Susanna?
Or are we remaining obstinate in our train of thoughts, judging wrongly our lifestyles and choices? Because those are two words the world has chosen to promote "lifestyle" and "choice". And they both mean death. Right now is a good time to look inside our hearts. Right now is a good time for a metanoia. Right now is a good time to make recompense and even a promise. Right now is a good time to repent and to go, and sin no more. What would your last days on earth look like? What would people say you died for? I'm a funeral vigil kind of guy, those are my gigs. When I see a family speaking of the deceased, I can begin to see what the people lived for...very few do I see what they died for. You see, there's a difference between living for and dying for. Mercy would ultimately cost something to Jesus....every last drop of blood. And here we are, abusing mercy. ' Go and sin no more' means so much. Judge it rightly. And stop throwing stones at one another, behind their backs. We know what sin is, but sin is also constantly bashing others. I know for lent, I'm trying super hard not to be critical of any soul. It is very tempting to be critical. But you know what? I'm becoming someone different now that I'm giving that up. It used to cause me much anxiety, and frustration. But the ways of mercy are more pure, more light, more joyful. These are joyful mysteries brought about first by sorrowful mysteries, and then we become mysteries of light. All because God chooses glorious mysteries for our lives. Lord, thank you. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for the trials and misfortunes. Thank you for the air we breathe and the prayer we have. Thank you and help us be your extension of mercy, your embodiment of charity. And lead us not into temptation, but into the confessional, where we will be left alone with you, only to hear your words of absolution, and pray contrition, to better honor your crucifixion. It was for no other reason you shed your blood on that cross than for that intimate moment with you.....
God help us love you more and more... |  click to hear a message | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." | 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 | |
