 |  clickable | | Saint Anthony and the Child Jesus The image of Anthony holding the Divine Infant is a symbol and model for each of us. The image inspires us to go through life clinging to the wonderful mystery of the humble, self-emptying Christ, who accompanies us as a servant of our humanity and of the world's healing. This is the kind of love that radiates from the Christ child so often pictured in St. Anthony's arms. Would it not be a good idea for all of us to go through life carrying an imaginary God-child in our arms—and holding him up to the world? The child, however, is not really imaginary or fictitious. Two thousand years ago, thanks to the Virgin Mary's "Yes," the Son of God left behind his divine condition and came to dwell as a human child among us. Our faith tells us that he does accompany us each day like a humble servant—like a vulnerable child. Like St. Anthony, we do well lovingly to carry this image with us on our journey through life. —from the book Saint Anthony of Padua: His Life, Legends, and Devotions edited by Jack Wintz, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Viva Cristo Rey! — Long live Christ the King!"
— Blessed Miguel Pro PRAYER DURING CORONAVIRUS †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"To love God's will in consolations is a good love when it is truly God's will we love and not the consolation wherein it lies. Still, it is a love without opposition, repugnance, or effort. Who would not love so worthy a will in so agreeable a form? To love God's will in His commandments, counsels, and inspirations is the second degree of love and it is much more perfect. It carries us forward to renounce and give up our own will, and enables us to abstain from and forbear many pleasures, but not all of them. To love suffering and affliction out of love for God is the summit of most holy charity. In it nothing is pleasant but the divine will alone; there is great opposition on the part of our nature; and not only do we forsake all pleasures, but we embrace torments and labors."
— St. Francis de Sales, p. 76
AN EXCERPT FROM † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? The God who has girded me with strength has opened wide my path. He made my feet like the feet of deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your help has made me great. You have made me stride freely, and my feet do not slip."
2 Samuel 22:32-37 |  click to read more | | POPE ST. LEO III
Pope St. Leo III (d. 816 A.D.) was a Roman cardinal who was unanimously elected pope on the same day his predecessor was buried. He lived during a time of tension between the popes and emperors and their respective rights, powers, and responsibilities. Unlike his predecessor, Leo recognized Charlemagne as the protector of the See of Rome, which won him many enemies among the Roman nobility. As a result, Pope St. Leo III was attacked by a mob who cut out his eyes and tongue so that he could no longer serve in his office. He survived the attack, but was imprisoned by his attackers and deposed from his office under false accusations. Leo's eyes and tongue were miraculously restored, and he was able to escape his captivity and flee to Charlemagne for protection. Charlemagne in turn took up the Holy Father's cause, escorted him back to Rome, and put his enemies on trial. A few days later, at the Christmas Mass of 800 A.D., Pope St. Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor. As the Roman Pontiff, Pope St. Leo III was known for being an effective administrator and for improving the Roman churches. He also paved the way for a more unified Europe, and for greater cooperation across national borders between the Church and the secular European nations to maintain their collective Christian identity. His feast day is June 12. | Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16 At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.
But the word of the LORD came to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"
He replied, "I have been most zealous for the LORD,
the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down your altars,
and put your prophets to the sword.
I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."
The LORD said to him,
"Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.
Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,
and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,
as prophet to succeed you." Responsorial Psalm 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
R. (8b) I long to see your face, O Lord.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord. Alleluia Phil 2:15d, 16a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:27-32 Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
| Daily Meditation: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 There was a tiny whispering sound. (1 Kings 19:12) Israel was at a critical juncture. The weak King Ahab, along with his pagan wife, Jezebel, had led the people into deep idolatry and sin. What's more, the prophet Elijah had just overcome the false prophets of Baal and fled to Mount Horeb to seek help from the Lord. First a strong wind, then an earthquake, then a fire passed before Elijah—each one seeming to bear the kind of majesty that befitted Israel's need. But God was in none of them. Instead, Elijah heard the Lord through a "tiny whispering sound" that was so intimate and so intense that it made him hide his face in his cloak (1 Kings 19:12). We may think that heroes like Elijah found it easy to hear God, but history shows that they were ordinary people just like us. They too had to learn the art of discernment. Was God speaking in the whirlwind? Or was that just the prophet's emotional turmoil? Was that faint whisper in the back of his mind the Holy Spirit? Or was it just wishful thinking? Only trial and error could sharpen their skills. The same is true for us. Over the course of our lives, God will speak to us in many different ways: in the events of the day, in the Scriptures and teachings of the Church, in the words and actions of friends, and, yes, in powerful manifestations of his presence. Our challenge is learning how to discern his voice in each of these situations. So how do we begin? It's really quite simple. Jesus once said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). We typically apply this verse to how we think about other people, but it applies to our spiritual lives as well. For instance, if a thought in your mind helps you love God more or be a little kinder to someone, it's probably from the Lord. But if something makes you anxious, fearful, angry, or resentful, it's probably not coming from God or his Spirit. Never doubt that God wants to speak to you. In fact, he's probably trying to tell you something right now. Take a moment to quiet your heart and listen. "Holy Spirit, open the ears of my heart. Teach me to hear you clearly so that I can follow your plan for my life." Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14
Matthew 5:27-32 |  clickable | Freedom, we can say, is a springboard from which to dive into the infinite sea of divine goodness, but it can also become a tilted plane on which to slide toward the abyss of sin and evil and thus also to lose freedom and our dignity.
— Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
from Signs of New Life | my2cents:
""I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword."
A voice spoke, and God was there. Did Elijah hear with physical ears? One can rightly wonder how God speaks, because we all would like to hear Him speak. The key though, is the disposition, the listening. Notice how God chose not to speak with thunder. Notice how Jesus chose not to respond to violence in the way violent people want you to respond...an invitation to evil. This terrified Elijah, and this did not resonate well with Jonah the prophet either. What if you heard Him speaking, and you knew it, but did not like what He said? Would you turn your back? Or would you go back into the enemie's lair as He requests? | We pray today:
"I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. I long to see your face, O Lord."
And so one wonders, how long did Elijah wait for the wind to appear, or the earthquake to happen...and then, how long did he wait to hear God's voice? Was it hours? Days? Weeks? From what I'm gathering...patience answers prayers, some things happen in an instant, and others in years. | In the Holy Gospel, our Lord speaks about what happens in an instant, and in years:
""You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." It would be better to make lust, a disgust. In Spanish, disgusto means to be uncomfortable, or to not like. In English, disgust is an emotional response of rejection or revulsion to something potentially contagious or something considered offensive, distasteful, or unpleasant. It would be better to hate the worldly flesh and desires, to attain the righteousness of Heaven in our hearts.
"It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna."
Gangrene comes to mind, an infected part of the body could kill the rest of the body, if you do not cut it off. What part of your body is infected? Wouldn't it be better not to be infected in the first place? YES. If you were shrewd, you'd do whatever it takes to come to terms with our Almighty Father, and so He leaves us with:
"whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery..."
Lust comes back. They say half of marriages end in divorce. Lusting for other things comes to mind. People want to change others, but people themselves don't want to change. We want to be the boss, we don't want to be the sub-servant. We should learn humility. When a loved one was faced with a choice about her accused husband of cheating, I told them both "FIGHT FOR YOUR MARRIAGE".
Ours is a covenant with God.
Your marriage to God is more important.
Even if He is unfaithful, we remain faithful, but He is always faithful.
Even if we had no promises from Him, we shall be faithful, but He has promised much to the faithful.
Today, we are learning what love is...to seek the better good of the other, and GOD loves us MORE. |  click to hear | Random bible verse from an online generator: John 14:2–3 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?1 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. | 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 | | |
