 |  clickable | | Turning Pain into Praise St. Anna Schäffer wanted to be a missionary. Falling into a boiling laundry vat took away any possibility of that happening; she was bedridden for the rest of her life. It didn't seem right. Hadn't God put on Anna's heart that she had a calling as a missionary? For two years, she struggled to see the purpose in this tragedy. With time, she adjusted her thinking, and she began to see her disability as a cross to be picked up and carried daily. Anna said she had three tools with which to bring souls to the Lord: her suffering, her needle, and her penholder. With her needle, she did embroidery, sewing, and knitting for others, including churches and chapels. With her pen, she kept journals about her suffering and responded to letters and prayer requests. She also listened to the stories of those who came to visit her. Anna came to realize that she was indeed a missionary, just in a different way than she had expected. Her radical example of adjusting her God-given vocation to meet her life circumstances is an example to all of us who question why things happen that seem to take us off course. Anna shows us that where there's a vocation, there's a way—even if we're bedridden. —from Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century, by Melanie Rigney |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Let every knee bend before Thee, O greatness of my God, so supremely humbled in the Sacred Host. May every heart love Thee, every spirit adore Thee and every will be subject to Thee!"
— St. Margaret Mary †Meditation
"Oh, how sweet and pleasant to that soul and to Me is holy prayer, made in the house of knowledge of self and of Me, opening the eye of the intellect to the light of faith, and the affections to the abundance of My charity, which was made visible to you, through My visible Only-begotten Son, who showed it to you with His blood! Which blood inebriates the soul and clothes her with the fire of divine charity, giving her the food of the Sacrament . . . that is to say, the food of the Body and Blood of My Son, wholly God and wholly man, administered to you by the hand of My vicar, who holds the key of the Blood."
— St. Catherine of Siena, p. 92
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena † VERSE OF THE DAY
"My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."
Proverbs 23:26 |  click to read more | | Blessed Angeline of Marsciano (1377 – July 14, 1435) Blessed Angeline founded the first community of Franciscan women other than Poor Clares to receive papal approval. Angeline was born to the Duke of Marsciano near Orvieto. She was 12 when her mother died. Three years later, the young woman made a vow of perpetual chastity. That same year, however, she yielded to her father's decision that she marry the Duke of Civitella. Her husband agreed to respect her previous vow. When he died two years later, Angeline joined the Secular Franciscans and with several other women dedicated herself to caring for the sick, the poor, widows and orphans. When many other young women were attracted to Angeline's community, some people accused her of condemning the married vocation. Legend has it that when she came before the King of Naples to answer these charges, she had burning coals hidden in the folds of her cloak. When she proclaimed her innocence and showed the king that these coals had not harmed her, he dropped the case. Angeline and her companions later went to Foligno, where her community of Third Order sisters received papal approval in 1397. She soon established 15 similar communities of women in other Italian cities. Angeline died on July 14, 1435, and was beatified in 1825. Her Liturgical Feast Day is July 13.
Reflection Priests, sisters and brothers cannot be signs of God's love for the human family if they belittle the vocation of marriage. Angeline respected marriage, but felt called to another way of living out the gospel. Her choice was life-giving in its own way. | Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 356
Reading 1 2 Tm 2:8-15 Beloved:
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself. Remind people of these things
and charge them before God to stop disputing about words.
This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,
a workman who causes no disgrace,
imparting the word of truth without deviation. Responsorial Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14 R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord. Alleluia 2 Timothy 1:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 12:28-34 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions. | Today's Meditation: 2 Timothy 2:8-15 The word of God is not chained. (2 Timothy 2:9) As Paul sat in chains, he could have focused on how hopeless his situation seemed. But instead, he held on to hope—not the hope of being released, but hope in the power of the word of God. He trusted that even though he was in prison, the word of God could never be imprisoned. What was the word of God for Paul? The message that Jesus Christ has been "raised from the dead." "Such is my Gospel," he says (2 Timothy 2:8). Paul believed that this gospel message had practical implications for his life and for the lives of everyone else. That's why he was determined to preach that gospel, even in prison. It was the mission that God had given to him, and he would carry it out until his last breath. Paul trusted that even if he never got out of prison, the message of the gospel would still go forth because it is a living message. He believed that this message wouldn't die with him. Truths like these gave him great hope, along with the freedom to keep preaching the word of God. A word of caution: the message of the gospel may be powerful, but it's a power that we need to take hold of. It won't just come upon us on its own. When you hold fast to the truth of Jesus' resurrection and all that his resurrection promises, you become more secure in him and his love, not in your circumstances. Suffering, anxiety, guilt over past sins, fear for the future—none of these have the final word. Jesus has the final word, and it is a word of freedom from sin and the promise of eternal life for all who believe. So lean on the Lord and trust in his gospel. Believe that this "word of God" can flow from you just as it did from Paul (2 Timothy 2:9). Even when you are not openly sharing your faith, the word can still go out through the witness of your life. Whatever might be "chaining" you—even if it is a real prison—you can trust the word of God will not be chained. That word is alive in you, and it has the power to change lives. "Yes, Lord, may the word of God go forth from me." Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Mark 12:28-34 |  clickable | I carry two suitcases. One is mine, full of debts, the other is full of the merits of Jesus. As soon as I am at heaven's gate, I will cover my debts with the merits of Our Lady, and then I will open the other suitcase and say: 'Eternal Father, now judge according to what you see.'
— St. Josephine Bakhita
from Bakhita: From Slave to Saint | my2cents:
" I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory."
Have you ever sacrificed for others? Once? Twice? How about always? Perseverance makes you learn a couple things, humility, and endurance. Persevere in the faith my friend. Do things for others even if others do nothing for you. For years I'll do things like set up meetings. And one or none will show up. I've had many failed attempts at starting prayers groups and bible studies. Over and over, and I wonder if I just have no personality or am doing things all wrong. How can one continue sacrificing? Some give all their time. Some give much of their fortune. Some give their lives if necessary. St. Paul asks us to give all, as he writes in chains. | We pray today: "All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. Teach me your ways, O Lord."
Our Lord calls us friends. Friends if. Friends if you are faithful, because He is faithful. And this is a faithful friendship. And if you are not faithful, it is you, not Him. We are called to be always faithful. | Our Lord issues a direct command: "The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."
Is God asking for the impossible? Can a person really love God with all their heart?
And how do you love with all your strength?
I think we can love with all our mind.
I believe our Lord says things in order for a reason.
He begins with the heart. This takes heart. It takes heart to love. Back to sacrifice. Laying down one's life for ... one's friend. And Jesus calls us friend. Have you ever had a really good friend? Right now, you're probably thinking of childhood friends, but as adults? Are there any real good friends as adults? I hear of war stories, of how a fellow soldier gave up their life for another. That other is severely afflicted, and lives forever grateful to that friend, wishing so much to give thanks and honor. That other friend my friend...is Jesus.
The mind though, how to love with all your mind? Isn't your mind always occupied? Mine is. But remember the order? Heart. Your soul follows, then your mind. And it begins with the heart. What is on your mind is what is on your heart. Foundations. | "The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
God is not even asking that you love your neighbor MORE than yourself, he said just as yourself, but there is the clue. Love your neighbor He says. Love as you would love to be loved. "But my neighbor doesn't love me". Right? Love the unlovable as you would love to be loved when you are unlovable. I love that I've been treated with mercy after being a complete idiot. Mercy came and I'm forever grateful.
Mercy is my friend.
Mercy calls me and I run.
Mercy asks for mercy, and I give mercy.
Mercy asked for mercy when I felt the other person didn't deserve it, and I gave it, and things changed. I did it yesterday, and the day before. I treated a horrible situation with mercy, and mercy came. Jesus enters the scene of Mercy.
On the cross.
Sacrifice forever.
Love forever. Thank you Lord, I love you Mercy |  click to hear | Random bible verse from an online generator:
Romans 6 3-4
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. | 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 | | |
