 clickable | | Listen with Your Whole Heart There is a whole dimension of life to which we have to listen with our whole heart, mind-fully, as we say. Mindfulness is necessary to find meaning—and the intellect is not the full mind. The intellect, one has to hasten to say, is an extremely important part of our mind, but it isn't the whole mind. What I mean here when I say "mind" is more what the Bible calls the "heart," what many religious traditions call the "heart." The heart is the whole person, not just the seat of our emotions. The kind of heart that we are talking about here is the lover's heart, which says, "I will give you my heart." That doesn't mean I give you part of myself; it means I give myself to you. So when we speak about wholeheartedness, a wholehearted approach to life, mindfulness, that alone is the attitude through which we give ourselves to meaning. —from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life by Brother David Steindl-Rast |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man."
— St. John Vianney † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Jesus Christ could have appeared among us, radiant with joy and encompassed by divine splendor, amidst the glitter and pomp of His sovereign majesty. He deemed it more worthy of His glory and more profitable to the salvation of men, to show Himself to them girt with a diadem of thorns, clothed in purple and stained with blood, His face bruised, the gaping grimace of death on His lips, bearing the bloody unction of the nails imprinted on His hands and feet. In uniting Himself closely with suffering, Jesus Christ assuredly did not smooth all its severity and all its pangs; but He removed part of its bitterness, corrected and destroyed its poison. He made the chalice of His Blood fruitful. Like the brazen serpent set up by Moses in the desert, He implanted Himself in the center of the world as an inexhaustible instrument of mercy, life, and health. Owing to this transformation, His divine wounds, like fountains ever gushing, remain eternally open to all straying and fallen souls who are eager to escape from their coarse, sensual aspirations, wanting to immerse themselves anew in the joys of sacrifice and the honor of purity."
— Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 276-77
AN EXCERPT FROM
The End of the Present World † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
John 20:29 |  click to read more | | ST. JOHN VIANNEY (CURE OF ARS) St. John Vianney (1786–1859) was born in France to a farming family, one of six children of devout Catholic parents. He was baptized on the day of his birth. When he was four years old the French Revolution erupted, and priests were forced into hiding. Every day they risked their lives to give the sacraments, and John looked up to them as heroes. His First Holy Communion and Confirmation were made in secrecy. After the Church in France was reestablished, John studied for the priesthood. He had difficulty in his studies due to his lack of formal education during the turmoil of the revolution, but his great desire carried him through. After his ordination he became a parish priest assigned to the small country town of Ars. There he ministered to the carnage the revolution had left in the souls of the French people. Many were indifferent to, and ignorant of, the Faith. John performed great penances for the people and received many graces for their conversion. He had the gifts of miracle-working, prophecy, hidden knowledge, and discernment of spirits. He was soon known internationally, and people came from afar to see him. Year after year he spent 11-12 hours a day in the confessional, and up to 16 hours in the summer. By 1855 there were 20,000 pilgrims travelling annually to Ars. Because of this St. John Vianney was tormented by evil spirits throughout his life, especially when he attempted to get his two to three hours of sleep a night. He died at the age of 73 after serving 40 years as a parish priest. Over 300 priests and 6,000 people attended his funeral. St. John Vianney is the patron saint of confessors and priests. His feast day is August 4th. | Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest Reading 1 JER 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
For thus says the LORD:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.
Thus says the LORD:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God. Responsorial Psalm PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23 R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory. Alleluia JN 1:49B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 14:22-26 Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come."
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God."
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
or:
Mt 15:1-2, 10-14
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal."
He summoned the crowd and said to them, "Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one."
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
"Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?"
He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one. (Matthew 15:11) What is Jesus saying here? Maybe he's challenging his opponents' obsession with ritual cleanliness and table manners. Or he might be encouraging us to clean up our language. While both may be true, Jesus is also addressing something much deeper. Underlying his statement is the truth that the words we say reveal the attitudes of our hearts. We have all been around people who seem to complain and grumble a lot. We might not want to admit it, but sometimes we ourselves are the complainers! But when our speech is peppered with expressions of resentment, negativity, or disappointment, it can be a sign that we are not at peace with God. The same thing can be true when we compare ourselves with other people or speak enviously of what someone owns or has accomplished. Fortunately, what's true for the negative is also true for the positive. You have certainly known times when you've felt particularly close to the Lord. Maybe you've had an especially good time of prayer. Or maybe you've felt deeply forgiven after Confession. Perhaps you've experienced an inner peace following an uplifting conversation with a brother or sister in Christ. These attitudes will also come out of your mouth! Your rejoicing heart will speak words of praise and forgiveness to the people around you. The fruit of the Spirit—love, peace, patience, joy, kindness, gentleness, and self-control—will manifest themselves both in your thoughts and in your conversations. Jesus' insight into the close connection between the heart and the mouth is a good one to hold onto. It's a simple way to keep track of where your heart is during the day. When you hear yourself speaking kind and loving words, give praise to God! When you are complaining or lashing out verbally, stop and look at what's going on inside you. As you become more sensitive to these inner attitudes, the Holy Spirit can help you become a brighter reflection of his joy, light, and love. "Holy Spirit, help me to be attentive to my words and thoughts. May they always be pleasing to you." Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
Psalm 102:16-23, 29 |  clickable | We are all so conscious of the gentleness of Jesus that we tend to forget His great determination. It was at times demanding, but never overbearing. For example, He was determined not to use His Divine Power to alleviate any of His personal sufferings or problems.
— Mother Angelica
from Christ and Our Lady | my2cents:
"All your lovers have forgotten you, they do not seek you." Has this ever happened to you? Ever felt struck by God? Forgotten? I know of some that have. I think of the forgotten. Prisoners. Elderly in nursing homes. But also, of those who have abandoned the faith. "They do not seek you". All those that say they loved you..forgot you. Does this make you think of the afterlife? There, they are truly forgotten...forever. It is a message to an evil-doer.
God ends the Scripture with a command: "You shall be my people, and I will be your God." | We pray: "Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: "The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die." | In the Holy Gospel we heard: ""It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
They cried out saying He was a ghost. They were right...in a sense...the Holy Spirit is one with God. They call Him the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Spirit is the encourager, asking you to have courage "do not be afraid". And Peter wants to walk to Jesus on water. He wants to go where God is. And God wants Peter where Heaven is. The invitation to walk on water is open for those who dare.
He said, "Come."
Peter began the walk, and soon began to sink.
Isn't that the story of a follower? We begin the walk and begin to fail.
Watch what happens next:
Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Why would a life long fisherman that has swam all his life, and after the resurrection swims hundreds of feet to Jesus on the shore, why would he cry out SAVE ME!!?
A strange phenomenon was taking place. Perhaps the feet of Peter were stuck. Perhaps the waves were bashing his face, and the wind was tormenting him. Perhaps he was sinking quickly and wanted to walk again like Jesus.
Watch what happens next: | Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
IMMEDIATELY.
This shows what happens to a person who is trying and finds themselves in great distress...immediately He comes.
That is how the Holy Spirit works. He works immediately. Try it.
Say "Holy Spirit" when invoking Him into your life. I do it all the time, before talking to others about Christ. Before taking on a confusing task. Before beginning to sing or to write to you. If it is important, then involve Him..soon you'll find yourself involving Him in all aspects of your life....all your life. Yoke to the one who can save.
Let us bind ourselves to Him and this will give us courage.
Hold Daddy's hand.
Feel the firm grip. Feel Him and the surge of salvation that courses through His veins. | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Eph 1:3 Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, | 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 | |
