 |  clickable | | Providing Care with Courage Marianne Cope listened only to God, accepting and caring for people others feared or found distasteful and putting her own health at risk. Hansen's disease, in those days called leprosy, struck fear in the hearts of most people. It was believed—later disproved—that the infection that strikes the skin, nervous system, and more was highly contagious. As a result, in Hawaii and elsewhere, those suffering from Hansen's disease and sometimes their family members were cast out from society. And based on the information available at the time, anyone working with those stricken put his or her health at severe risk. What she and the others found when they arrived in Hawaii was challenging. Conditions were deplorable. But instead of turning around and leaving on the next boat, Mother Marianne and the others chose to stay. Mother Marianne became a tireless advocate for those she served. Mother Marianne and Fr. Damien, known as the apostle to the lepers, met after she had been in Hawaii only a few months. When he himself was diagnosed with Hansen's two years later, she courageously nursed him and took on his work among men with the infection. Despite thirty-five years in ministry on the islands, Mother Marianne never contracted the disease. Her insistence on strict sanitary and hygiene procedures generally are credited for this. She died of natural causes in 1918. Her remains currently reside at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. —from Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century, by Melanie Rigney |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"At the end of our life we shall be judged by charity."
— St. John of the Cross † Meditation of the Day
"How great is the sweetness which a soul experiences, when, in the time of prayer, God, by a ray of his own light, shows to her his goodness and his mercies towards her, and particularly the love which Jesus Christ has borne to her in his passion! She feels her heart melting, and, as it were, dissolved through love. But in this life we do not see God as he really is: we see him, as it were, in the dark. 'We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face' (1 Cor. 13:12). Here below God is hidden from our view; we can see him only with the eyes of faith: how great shall be our happiness when the veil shall be raised, and we shall be permitted to behold God face to face! We shall then see his beauty, his greatness, his perfection, his amiableness, and his immense love for our souls."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 133
An Excerpt From
Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori
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Recommended Reads † Verse of the Day
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." |  click to read more | | St. Boniface St. Boniface (d. 754 A.D.) was born to a noble Christian family in Devonshire, England. He became a Benedictine monk and devoted his life to the evangelization of the pagan Germanic tribes in what is now Germany. He went there at the request of Pope Gregory II in 719 A.D. and systematically opened up the vast tracks of wilderness to the Gospel, building on the work of the earlier Irish missionaries. St. Boniface organized the Catholic Church in Germany, instructed the faithful, and converted the pagans. He became the bishop of Mainz and founded or restored many dioceses. Working alongside him as evangelists were his nephews and niece, St. Willibald, St. Winebald, and St. Walburga, who all came from England to Germany to assist him. Legend has it that at Christmastime he chopped down a large tree which was worshiped as a god and used in child sacrifice, and the local pagans converted to Christianity as a result. Instead of worshiping the tree, St. Boniface gave them a smaller evergreen tree as a symbol of eternal life in Christ, the origin of the Christmas tree tradition. He was martyred for his faith along with 52 others as he read the Scriptures on Pentecost Sunday. St. Boniface profoundly influenced the course of German history in the Middle Ages and helped to make it a Christian nation. For his missionary work he is known as the "Apostle of Germany." St. Boniface is the patron of tailors, brewers, and Germany. His feast day is June 5th. | Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 357 Reading 1 2 Tm 3:10-17 You have followed my teaching, way of life,
purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,
and sufferings, such as happened to me
in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra,
persecutions that I endured.
Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.
In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,
deceivers and deceived.
But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work. Responsorial Psalm 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168 R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Though my persecutors and my foes are many,
I turn not away from your decrees.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Permanence is your word's chief trait;
each of your just ordinances is everlasting.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Princes persecute me without cause
but my heart stands in awe of your word.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I wait for your salvation, O LORD,
and your commands I fulfill.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law. Alleluia John 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 12:35-37 As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,
"How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
'Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.'
David himself calls him 'lord';
so how is he his son?"
The great crowd heard this with delight. | Today's Meditation: Mark 12:35-37 David himself calls him 'lord'; so how is he his son? (Mark 12:37) Are you a fan of brainteasers and riddles? You know, the ones that go like this: if the only sister of your mother's only brother has an only child, what is that child's relationship to you? (Answer: that child is you.) The point of these puzzles is to get you thinking outside the box. And that's the point of Jesus' question in today's Gospel: how could he be the son of David if David calls him Lord? If you were one of the scribes, you could answer part of the riddle. The scribes taught that the Messiah would indeed be the son of David, meaning "descendant" of David. But that didn't explain how Jesus could also be David's Lord. Unless you dared to think differently. Unless you understood that Jesus is more than a man—that he is God incarnate. By asking this question, Jesus was trying to get the crowd and the scribes to see that the Messiah was more than they expected. He wasn't an earthly king. He didn't come to free Israel from Roman oppression. He came to free everyone from slavery to sin. Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Scriptures, not just the ones that spoke of Israel's future freedom and prosperity. What are your expectations of Jesus? What kind of box have you tried to confine him to? Maybe you think of him as a loving and forgiving God but one who is also carefully tallying up all your transgressions. Maybe you want a closer relationship with him, but you can't help but picture him as unapproachable or distant. Maybe you believe Jesus can heal people, but you don't think he would ever heal you or any of your loved ones. God cannot be put into a box—and that's really good news! Today, spend some time asking him to show you how you might be placing limits on him. He wants you to know him in a way that goes far beyond all your preconceived notions about who he is. Only as you lay aside your own ideas about the Lord can he show you just what a great, loving, forgiving, wonder-working God he truly is! "Lord, I want to know you. Come and reveal more of yourself to me." 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Psalm 119:157, 160-161, 165-166, 168 |  clickable | St. Joseph was the first missionary. Today, he desires again to bring Jesus to the nations. In order to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground, and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons!
— Fr. Don Calloway, MIC
from Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father | my2cents:
"But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,
deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed...".
I grow sick of the tongue. What does that mean? It means that the wagging of heads and gross talk goes on and on. Take for instance, the riots and mobs we see broadcast. Worldly news loves this kind of stuff. The love to instigate trouble to make money. The more trouble, the more money. How did they do so? Propaganda. You choose what you want people to hear. One cop, one bad incident, now those protesting against violence are bringing more violence, burning churches, looting, stealing and beating up police officers, cursing them and so forth. It reminds me of what happened to Catholic priests when the abuse cases came out, most from decades ago. Charlatans go from bad to worse. Talkers, instigators, accusers, and remember evil is called the accuser. But you are called today, to remain faithful amidst it all. Remain. | We pray today: "Princes persecute me without cause
but my heart stands in awe of your word. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law."
It's funny, faithfulness is not normal, it takes work, like sacrifice. Be faithful. Remain. Today, we need to see that more, more as ever and forever. Because there are children of the dark that are not in favor of children of the light. And that will always be the case. Until the end of the world. Take heart. Stir up the Holy Spirit. Revive! | "The Lord said to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.'
Hasn't our Lord done this? Hasn't he placed the snake at our feet? There is a snake with an apple in its mouth at the feet of Mary. And Mary is found on Mt. Zion at the foot of the cross, the holy mountain. Why then do we become afraid, and despondent? Are we duped? Are we wooed into other desires? Yes. We lose sight and sink into the waters instead of walking on waters. This faith thing takes faith. It's a complete surrender and trust in God. Today, our Lord focuses our sight on Him. He has taken His seat at the right hand of God. He says "I will take care of it". And that helps me, that soothes me. Because I can't handle it on my own. There are forces not too far asking to overtake your faith, all they need is your signature. What does that mean? Permission. Darkness operates with permissions. What you allow to happen. | What are you allowing to happen...in your home? In your heart? You have authority in the name of Jesus. You can overcome weakness with strength, and this brings us to faithfulness. That's what the world needs to see. It begins with you and it begins with me. |  click to hear | Random bible verse from an online generator: Romans 12:13 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. | 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 | | |
