 clickable | | Grace Is WD-40 for the Soul We are blessedly human, and we do indeed walk one another home. Befriending our woundedness is not a solo act. Yes, I know. It doesn't always feel that way. I look, but don't see any gift. Because I see brokenness and woundedness as impediments or disabilities, to be tidied up, overcome or prayed away. What I don't see is that in the invitation to befriend my "untidy" self, is the invitation to embrace the beauty and the wonder. I will admit that there is comfort donning my cape, morphing into Mr. Tidy OCD, an emotional life fix-it hero. And I know why. It distracts and protects me, because there's a part of me that is afraid to pause, to befriend my scattered and wounded self. To let myself be loved for being this wonderfully messy imperfect me. Grace, it turns out, is WD40 for the soul. There are significant issues in our world (in my world) that invite and require investment and healing; and I want to show up. And I want to bring my real self, my whole self, and spill light in any small way that I can. But today reminded me that I cannot forget, in my fixation to "make sense" of everything… along the way (even the messy way)… I don't want to miss the small gifts of life, the serendipitous gifts of grace, the presence of the holy, and the gentle does of the sacred reflected in our everyday, and extraordinarily ordinary world. —from the book The Gift of Enough: A Journal for the Present Moment by Terry Hershey |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Preserve the warmth of the family, because the warmth of the whole world cannot make up for it."
— St. Charbel Makhlouf † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Reading the holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God. Two kinds of study are called for here. We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood, and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them . . . No one can understand holy Scripture without constant reading . . . The more you devote yourself to the study of the sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled, the richer the harvest."
— St. Isidore of Seville, p. 201
AN EXCERPT FROM
Witness of the Saints † VERSE OF THE DAY
"O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."
Psalm 95:6-7 |  click to read more | | ST. HYACINTH OF POLAND St. Hyacinth (1185-1257) was born of noble lineage and reared in a Polish castle. His parents took great care of the development of his mind and soul, entrusting his education to his uncle, a priest who became the Bishop of Krakow. Hyacinth excelled in his studies and was sent to the best universities in Europe. After earning two doctorates, he visited Rome in 1220 and met St. Dominic, who had recently received papal approval for the founding of the Order of Preachers. Hyacinth became one of the first Dominican friars and was sent to establish the order in Poland. He was so effective in his preaching for the salvation of souls that he also preached in many other countries including Austria, Prussia, Lithuania, Bohemia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, and China. He founded many monasteries and churches, and multitudes were converted to the faith through his astounding miracles, even the extraordinary feat of raising a dead boy to life. One day he was saying Mass in Kiev when enemy Tartars invaded the city. After Mass he fled with the Blessed Sacrament, but he stopped when he heard a voice from a statue of the Virgin Mary asking that he take her with him. Although the statue was much too heavy to carry, he found that it became so light that he lifted it with ease. When he came to the Dnieper river with the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Mother in his arms, he, along with his companions, walked dry-shod across the river as they fled from the Tartars. Worn out from his labors, he died on the Feast of the Assumption. St. Hyacinth is the patron of Lithuania, Krakow, and Poland. His feast day is August 17th. | Saint Joan of the Cross An encounter with a shabby old woman many dismissed as insane prompted Saint Joan to dedicate her life to the poor. For Joan, who had a reputation as a businesswoman intent on monetary success, this was a significant conversion. Born in 1666 in Anjou, France, Joan worked in the family business—a small shop near a religious shrine—from an early age. After her parents' death she took over the shop. She quickly became known for her greediness and insensitivity to the beggars who often came seeking help. That was until she was touched by the strange woman who claimed she was on intimate terms with the deity. Joan, who had always been devout, even scrupulous, became a new person. She began caring for needy children. Then the poor, elderly, and sick came to her. Over time, she closed the family business so she could devote herself fully to good works and penance. She went on to found what came to be known as the Congregation of Saint Anne of Providence. It was then she took the religious name of Joan of the Cross. By the time of her death in 1736 she had founded 12 religious houses, hospices, and schools. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1982.
Reflection The downtown areas of most major cities hold a population of "street people." Well-dressed folks usually avoid making eye contact, probably for fear of being asked for a handout. That was Joan's attitude until the day one of them touched her heart. Most people thought the old woman was crazy, but she put Joan on the road to sainthood. Who knows what the next beggar we meet might do for us? | Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 EZ 24:15-23 The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, by a sudden blow
I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.
Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,
bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,
do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.
That evening my wife died,
and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, "Will you not tell us what all these things
that you are doing mean for us?"
I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another. Responsorial Psalm DEUTERONOMY 32:18-19, 20, 21 R. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you.
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!"
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god'
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them."
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth. Alleluia MT 5:3 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 19:16-22 "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?"
He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
He asked him, "Which ones?"
And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
The young man said to him,
"All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 19:16-22 If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor. . . . Then come, follow me. (Matthew 19:21) Jesus invited many different people to "Come, follow me." Some answered with excuses, while others answered by giving up homes and jobs. But it wasn't just to the people of first-century Israel that Jesus extended this invitation. He's inviting you too. Today. Could Jesus be asking you to walk away from a deeply held dream or a successful career? Maybe. But more likely, he is asking you to make him a greater priority than these things so that you can serve and please him before taking care of your own desires. Maybe he's expecting you to sell what you have and give to the poor. That too is possible. But more likely he wants you to be detached from the things you own so that you can care for other people's needs first. No matter what the specifics of Jesus' call are, at its heart it's a call to greater detachment. It's a call to hold the various elements of your life loosely so that you can be more open to whatever path God has marked out for you. How do we get to this kind of detachment? One good way is to understand that all we have is, ultimately, a gift from God. As we come to appreciate his generosity and kindness toward us, we will become more convinced that he will continue to take care of us in the future, no matter what lies ahead. Today, ask the Spirit to open your eyes to some way God has helped you in the past. Write down what comes to mind. Then, if you feel yourself "going away sad" at some point in the day, reread what you wrote. Thank God for it. Tell him that while you cherish what he has done, you are also willing to give it up in exchange for more of his love and his grace. Tell him that you want to follow him no matter the cost. Jesus promised that, like a good earthly father, your heavenly Father would never give you a stone when you ask for bread (Matthew 7:9). In the same way, he will never ask you to give something up if he didn't have something even better in mind for you. "Lord, thank you for all I have! Help me to trust more." Ezekiel 24:15-23
(Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:18-21 |  clickable | Who more than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her "yes" she opened the door of our world to God himself; she became the living Ark of the Covenant, in whom God took flesh, became one of us, and pitched His tent among us (cf. Jn 1:14).
— Pope Benedict XVI
from Spe Salvi | my2cents:
"I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears."
It took much to be in exile. An exiled nation was punishment. Punishment for what? Forgetting God our Father.
We must be as if those in exile before going into exile. We must repent. We must pray every day for our Lord's mercy. The world has been launched into a despondent state. I've never seen churches so empty. I've never seen so many people sad. I've never felt so disconnected from community. I've never heard that 25 to 30% of youth are considering self murder. I've never seen the likes of what we are facing. But you are faithful. Do not mourn. Be strong. Be courageous. Just as our Lord was and is strong and courageous. Do you believe? | We pray today: "Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god' and angered me with their vain idols, I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them." You have forgotten God who gave you birth."
What are idols? Those you trust in for life. Those loves you give your life to.
I seen a man wilt after his parents died. Apparently they were what kept him alive. That is why we cannot have our hearts set on what is below. We must love God above everyone and above all. | Our Lord said today: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
Keep the commandments in your heart, mind, and soul.
Keep them and keep the love of the Lord.
Have you kept them and still wonder what else it will take?
" "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
If you ask anybody about this, they will say our Lord wasn't serious.
They will say it was a figure of speech.
I asked a man to a conversion retreat, Cursillo, and he said he couldn't because he couldn't do what Jesus asked for like the rich young man that turned away sad....for he had many possessions. He was then, possessed by possessions.
His security is his arsenal. His security is his work. His security is his health. What if God takes all of that away? What if your health deteriorates? What will happen to work? What good is all your possessions?
What good is life without the source of life, Christ Jesus? | "When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions."
You see, when you choose to follow yourself, you will turn sad.
In the world, things are never enough.
In the spiritual world, it is opposite. There is something offered that is enough.
Christ offers Himself.
Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. What would you give for this? | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Heb: 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | 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 | |
