 clickable | | We Depend on God and One Another Saint Clare of AssisiClare of Assisi did not elaborate on the poverty of the human person but she knew it in the depths of her soul. She fought for the "privilege of poverty" because she knew that if she failed to be dependent on others, she would ultimately fail to be dependent on God. Like Francis, she firmly believed in a God enfleshed in fragile human nature— Incarnation. Had she sought a nice, clean, fresh, minty type of God in heaven, she might have opted for more autonomy. But she believed that God has come among us and revealed to us, in the poverty of being human, how to live united in love, to God and to another. She realized that only the poor and humble can share in the poor and humble love of God. Clare's path to God through the depths of poverty impels us to admit that real relationship with God requires true humble humanity. Only when we come to the truth of who we are (and who we are not) as poor persons can we come to that place of vulnerability in our lives where God can enter in. Only then can we know what it means to be a human person embedded in a world of goodness. —from the book Clare: A Heart Full of Love by Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"To convert somebody, go and take them by the hand and guide them."
— St. Thomas Aquinas † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful to him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake—a mistake which may cost us our life—and protest when God sets to work on us. If we could see all He sees we would unhesitatingly wish all He wishes."
— Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, p. 90
AN EXCERPT FROM
Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1 |  click to read more | | ST. CLARE OF ASSISI St. Clare (1194–1253) was born in Assisi, Italy, to an aristocratic family, the daughter of a wealthy count. From childhood she was pious after the example of her mother, and as she grew up her longing for God increased. When she was eighteen she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach a Lenten mission in the local church. His holy example kindled her desire to renounce the world and follow Christ. She secretly begged Francis to help her live as he did, in simplicity according to the Gospel. St. Francis agreed. On Palm Sunday, Clare attended High Mass in all her finery for the final time. There she received a mystical experience which confirmed her desire to renounce the world and follow Christ after the example of St. Francis. That same night she secretly fled her father's house, along with two companions, to a chapel where St. Francis awaited her with his friars. She exchanged her fine clothes for a rough tunic and veil, and had her hair cut off. Francis placed Clare for a time with Benedictine nuns to escape the wrath of her family. She was soon joined by her sister, Agnes, and other young women whom St. Francis inspired. He permanently housed the women, with Clare as abbess, in the Church of San Damiano outside Assisi. This became the first foundation of the Poor Clare nuns. St. Clare lived there for the next forty years in prayer, penance, and fasting. She is the patroness of eyes and eye diseases, the telephone, and television. Her feast day is August 11th. | Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin Reading 1 EZ 2:8—3:4 The Lord GOD said to me:
As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:
be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,
but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,
in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.
It was covered with writing front and back,
and written on it was:
Lamentation and wailing and woe!
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;
eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.
So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Son of man, he then said to me,
feed your belly and fill your stomach
with this scroll I am giving you.
I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel,
and speak my words to them. Responsorial Psalm PS 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth,
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! Alleluia MT 11:29 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."
| Daily Meditation: Ezekiel 2:8–3:4 I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3) We've always told our children to swallow their medicine, no matter how bad it tastes, because we know it's good for them. But even so, how can we explain Ezekiel's vision? The Lord gives him a scroll with nothing but "lamentation and wailing and woe" written all over it and tells him to eat it (Ezekiel 2:10; 3:1). When he does, it becomes "sweet as honey" in his mouth (3:3). Knowing that Ezekiel is told to prophesy judgment on Israel, we might wonder what God is up to here! The Lord certainly didn't want Ezekiel to gloat about delivering a harsh message, and neither did God take any pleasure in it. He never rejoices in our sins or the consequences they bring about. No, whenever he warns, rebukes, or chastises us, it is always because he wants to heal us and restore us. His one central goal is to bring us back to himself—and he often uses his word to do it. We have all felt the bitter effects of sin in our lives. However, we can counteract those effects by letting God's word transform us. Sometimes that word is like an antiseptic that stings. "Sharper than any two-edged sword," it can penetrate our defenses and reveal issues we might not want to face (Hebrews 4:12). But when we accept God's word and apply it to our situation, it brings us only goodness. The writer of Proverbs tells us that the Scriptures are "life to those who find them, bringing health to one's whole being" (Proverbs 4:22). There is nothing better for us than the medicine of God's word—and it's absolutely free! But for it to take effect in our lives, we need to make it our own by digesting it every day. That means not only reading it but letting it soak into us. His word will give us the joy, strength, and peace we need to live in him. Then we can become his word of gentleness and mercy, blessing others through what we say and do. "Father, thank you for sending me your word. Help me to read it every day so that it sinks deep into my heart." |  clickable | The Catholic Church of the New Evangelization—which is the Catholic Church of the truth of revelation— lives. The Catholic Church of cultural accommodation— the Church uncertain about the truth of revelation and therefore incapable of proclaiming the Gospel fearlessly— is dying or dead.
— George Weigel
from his book The Next Pope | my2cents:
"As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:
be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you."
What words did the prophet eat? Lamentation, wailing, and woe. And it tasted sweet. Do you understand this? Just punishment is God's mercy. Are you ready to be punished for the evil you have done? Can the world take one more calamity? Already it is struck with great anxiety and depression, and now with a global pandemic that has seized many with fear and paralyzed economies, where is your god of money now? Where are the gods of sports and movies? Where are they now to console you? To make you feel better? Where is the god of technology to produce miracles now? No vaccine is in sight, and if it comes, the evil will devise the next incurable venom to inject into the world. Who will you turn to in a world that is unbecoming of the face of Our Lord of Creation? | We pray: "How sweet to my taste is your promise! The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces."
God's laws make for sweet life. The world hates His laws. More and more laws are passed to counter His desire. But they are all countered from number one to number 10. All commandments find a counter-law in our Nation. 1. Love God above all things, have no other false gods. -world says you are not free to love him as you wish, keep it quiet and don't show it. But you are free to show your love for anything or anyone else. 2. Do not take His name in vain. -world encourages to use His name in vain, you see it all over tv, internet, people's daily language, "oh my G#*", rendering Him as if nothing. No reverence, no piety, no fear of the Lord. 3. Keep Holy the Sabbath. -world encourages work on this day, sports, and to take the day off for yourself, not for Him, not to honor Him, not to come worship Him in assembly, not to spend the whole day on Him. 4. Honor Thy Father and thy Mother ▪ world says What father? They don't exist in lesbian couples. What mother? They don't exist anymore in homosexual men couples. In hetero couples, most couples are split and most that are together are not officially married in the church. These couples do not honor Thy Father nor mother in Heaven. So goes the world.
| ▪ | world says What father? They don't exist in lesbian couples. What mother? They don't exist anymore in homosexual men couples. In hetero couples, most couples are split and most that are together are not officially married in the church. These couples do not honor Thy Father nor mother in Heaven. So goes the world. | 5. Thou shall not kill. -world says you may, especially the innocent babies in the womb. And you also may kill someone judged in courts. You also may kill in suicide and assisted suicide called Euthanasia. You may kill off all the undesriables. This is called Eugenics. So teaches the world. Need we go on? 6. Thou shall not commit adultery. -world says "LOL" and "YOLO" you live only once, laugh and be merry (all the way to hell). Adultery is a mortal sin. Fornication, sex before marriage and outside of marriage. Having an affair against God. Laughing at His laws. But adultery is pushed all over media and TV and music. Prime examples are soap operas and shows and hip music on being sexual. So teaches the world. 7. Thou shall not steal -world says this is ok. How? Being greedy. Forgetting God's law on charity. Stealing from the poor by not giving to the poor. How else do we steal? We steal from God when we have no time for Him, when all time belongs to Him. We rob Him of talents by taking them for ourselves. God says to give, not take. Look at the cross. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor -world says you can lie. Just the other day a politician lied about St. Damien of Molokai, called him a white supremacist. All in the name of some ideal. Freedom to lie teaches the world. And lies cost lives. Many lost souls. Gossip can be lies many times. Rumors. Be careful of your little lies, for there lies the souls of God's children. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife -world says "look but don't touch". World says nothing wrong with coveting, lusting for other spouses. It teaches polygamy now, and "open marriages" and a state is allowing for 3 to be married now, an evil trinity. 10. Thou shall not covet thy neigbor's goods -world teaches to covet, and avarice takes over. I read a whole reflection on this topic today, on the Grace Force fasting for 40 days for the nation., where they say "nothing is ever enough". Another pride and greed sin intertwined. And so you desire what you don't have, and it kills you. | Our Lord spoke.
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven."
Become like children? Yes. What age of child? 2? 4 or 8? What age was the child He spoke of? Wouldn't you like to know, so you can enter Heaven? Seek then to become a child of God. That is the answer to entering His Kingdom.
God created a child..of Himself. Jesus. Jesus gave His life to the Father and cried on the cross "Daddy!". That is a child of God. The world knows it. It will never be denied. | "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?"
What if that lost sheep...is our world...that had gone astray? The world lost its way when evil lies lured to the poison of death.
So there are 99 other worlds? If the Lord desires it to be. But this one needs a Shepherd forever.
God has granted His Son to be King and shepherd.
We are under His rule and Kingdom...we are of His Kingdom by proclaiming our faith. Does God search for the stray? Yes.
Does the stray search for God? Not always.
Some sheep are severely wounded.
Some have been brain washed.
Some are lost in the dark.
But when they call out, God can hear.
I'm inviting you to pray like never before, this time with faith.
Pray and be found.
The wolf takes the lamb by the throat so it does not make a sound as it drags it off to devour.
You must always pray. You must come to the Lord. Come, taste. Don't like the taste of truth? Soon enough you will acquire a taste if you do not stop. Do not stop prayer and coming to the Lord.
I'm not just saying it. I used to hesitate going to confession. Once a year is the mandate, but I tried once a month, and it was awkward at best as I tried to avoid it. Now I go weekly for grace force. Now it is natural. Like the rosary, extremely awkward for years, now it is natural. Strive to enter the narrow gate. Why is it narrow? LOL, not because Heaven is stingy my friend. The law of supply and demand? No need for a huge gate? Because so few come by? Perhaps. But a small door is an intimate door, not commercial. God invites us to an intimate relationship with Him, as a true Father.
Luckily at my parish, I don't wait in line to see Our Father. There are no lines to confessional. Just a small open door to a small tight room.
The Lord asked me to invite some to healing prayers last week. I went to church, invited many, and none of the invitees came to be healed.
Heed the call of the shepherd my friend. I had no doubt that healing had been granted. The day came, and the day left. Will there be another day?
Heed the true need. Lord help us love you so much more.... | Random Bible verse from online generator: WOW John 15:9–11
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. | 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 | |
