 clickable | | Is Your Work a Vocation? It doesn't take much looking in our economy to see that in fact there is a great deal of work that doesn't pray, work that disconnects us from our sources of life rather than moves us toward wholeness. For work to pray, it must have a sense of vocation attached to it—we must feel some calling toward that work and the wholeness of which it is a part, that there is something holy in good work. Vocation is a calling and prayer is a call and response, deep calling to deep. For work to pray, to be vocation, it must be brought into a larger conversation. "The idea of vocation attaches to work a cluster of other ideas, including devotion, skill, pride, pleasure, the good stewardship of means and materials," Wendell Berry writes. It is these "intangibles of economic value" that keep us from viewing work as "something good only to escape: 'Thank God it's Friday.'" —from the book Wendell Berry and the Given Life by Ragan Sutterfield |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Three things are necessary to everyone: truth of faith which brings understanding, love of Christ which brings compassion, and endurance of hope which brings perseverance."
— St. Bonaventure
† MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces."
— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 367
AN EXCERPT FROM
Diary of St. Faustina
placeholder † VERSE OF THE DAY
"But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame."
1 Peter 3:14-16 7th. |  click to read more | | ST. REGINA Saint Regina (d. 286 A.D.) was born to pagan parents in France. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father gave her to the care of a Christian nurse who secretly baptized her and raised her in the Christian faith. As Regina grew older her embrace of Christianity became evident, and her father disowned her as a result. Regina then went to live with her Christian nurse. They lived in poverty, and Regina tended sheep to help support the household. This solitude allowed her time to pray and meditate on the lives of the saints. When she was fifteen years of age, a Roman proconsul by the name of Olybrius was determined to marry her. He became greatly disturbed when he discovered that she was a Christian. He asked her to renounce her faith in order to save her life and secure a prosperous marriage with him. Regina staunchly refused to deny her faith, having already taken a vow of virginity to Christ. For her defiance she was cast into prison. Hoping that her resolve would gradually weaken, Olybrius visited her in prison and asked her once more to renounce her faith. Regina's determination only increased with time, and she again refused. Olybrius, angered, had her severely tortured with her body being scourged, burned, and raked. Finally, she was beheaded. Her resolve under torture and the appearance of a dove above her head caused witnesses to convert to Christianity. After her death many miracles were attributed to her relics. St. Regina is the patron of poor people, shepherdesses, and torture victims. Her feast day is September | Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
Saint of the Day for September 7
(April 23, 1813 – September 8, 1853) Blessed Frédéric Ozanam's Story
A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being, Frédéric served the poor of Paris well, and drew others into serving the poor of the world. Through the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, which he founded, his work continues to the present day. Frédéric was the fifth of Jean and Marie Ozanam's 14 children, one of only three to reach adulthood. As a teenager he began having doubts about his religion. Reading and prayer did not seem to help, but long walking discussions with Father Noirot of the Lyons College clarified matters a great deal. Frédéric wanted to study literature, although his father, a doctor, wanted him to become a lawyer. Frédéric yielded to his father's wishes and in 1831, arrived in Paris to study law at the University of the Sorbonne. When certain professors there mocked Catholic teachings in their lectures, Frédéric defended the Church. A discussion club which Frédéric organized sparked the turning point in his life. In this club, Catholics, atheists, and agnostics debated the issues of the day. Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity's role in civilization, a club member said: "Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very particular. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?" Frédéric was stung by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in action. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance as best they could. Soon a group dedicated to helping individuals in need under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul formed around Frédéric. Feeling that the Catholic faith needed an excellent speaker to explain its teachings, Frédéric convinced the Archbishop of Paris to appoint Dominican Father Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire, the greatest preacher then in France, to preach a Lenten series in Notre Dame Cathedral. It was well-attended and became an annual tradition in Paris. After Frédéric earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University of Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each student. Meanwhile, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout Europe. Paris alone counted 25 conferences. In 1846, Frédéric, Amelie, and their daughter Marie went to Italy; there he hoped to restore his poor health. They returned the next year. The revolution of 1848 left many Parisians in need of the services of the Saint Vincent de Paul conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government asked Frédéric and his coworkers to supervise the government aid to the poor. Vincentians throughout Europe came to the aid of Paris. Frédéric then started a newspaper, The New Era, dedicated to securing justice for the poor and the working classes. Fellow Catholics were often unhappy with what Frédéric wrote. Referring to the poor man as "the nation's priest," Frédéric said that the hunger and sweat of the poor formed a sacrifice that could redeem the people's humanity. In 1852, poor health again forced Frédéric to return to Italy with his wife and daughter. He died on September 8, 1853. In his sermon at Frédéric's funeral, Fr. Lacordaire described his friend as "one of those privileged creatures who came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in order to enkindle the world." Frédéric was beatified in 1997. Since Frédéric wrote an excellent book entitled Franciscan Poets of the Thirteenth Century, and since his sense of the dignity of each poor person was so close to the thinking of Saint Francis, it seemed appropriate to include him among Franciscan "greats." His Liturgical Feast Day is September 9. Reflection
Frédéric Ozanam always respected the poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman, and child was too precious to live in poverty. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere. | Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 COR 5:1-8 Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father's wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Responsorial Psalm PS 5:5-6, 7, 12 R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord. Alleluia JN 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 6:6-11 On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
| They became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:11) How is it that Jesus wasn't afraid to do the things he did, including the healing in today's Gospel? Think of the level of hostility he faced—not just in the episode in today's passage, but in many other circumstances as well. This hostility continued to build until some of the Jewish leaders actually began plotting to kill him (John 11:53). Why was he not afraid? Because he lived in deep communion with his Father. After another sabbath healing, he explained, "A son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing. . . . For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does" (John 5:19, 20). Jesus' relationship with his Father overcame any temptation to worry or fear, to avoid discomfort or suffering. It's also what gave him the strength to choose the cross: "Not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). Today, take a few minutes to consider your relationship with your heavenly Father. In what ways might you become more aware of his love for you? How might you grow in trust so that you can follow his will, even when it puts you in an uncomfortable or hostile situation? Listening to our fears instead of trusting in our Father can close the door to what he wants to do through us. For example, if Jesus had given in to fear of what the scribes and Pharisees thought of him, that man with the withered hand may not have been healed. If Mary had allowed her concern of what others might say about her take precedence over the angel Gabriel's words, she might not have said yes to becoming Jesus' mother. The temptation to fear is normal and only human. But that is why God offers us a relationship with him. He knows that the more we come to know him and experience his love for us, the more we will trust to do what he asks. As we seek him and his will for us each day, he will help us step out in confidence and trust. "Father, help me to trust you and to follow your leading." 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Psalm 5:5-7, 12 |  clickable | In the postrevolutionary world, sex is easier had than ever before; but the opposite appears true for romance. This is perhaps the central enigma that modern men and women are up against: romantic want in a time of sexual plenty. Perhaps some of the modern misery of which so many women today so authentically speak is springing not from a sexual desert, but from a sexual flood—a torrent of poisonous imagery, beginning now for many in childhood, that has engulfed women and men, only to beach them eventually somewhere alone and apart, far from the reach of one another.
— Mary Eberstadt
from Adam and Eve after the Pill | my2cents:
"Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?"
A little thing you do or say can become a great big deal, for the better or the worse. Therefore, we should, like St. Therese of Avila, do all small things with great love, and this is in the name of Sacred Charity. Sinners can be purified, and they will, if our Lord sees fit to put us to the test. Worthy of a test? Today we must learn what this will take. Faith. We will never be ready mentally, but we will have grace to endure. | We pray: "For you, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers. Lead me in your justice, Lord."
Most of my inner fight for holiness is to fight off arrogance. I see arrogance when talking bad about others. It's gross. It is disgusting. God hates this. This is not a fit for Heaven. And we see arrogance all over the place, especially among the wicked. And at the gates our Lord says "Get away from Me you evildoers". | We heard our Lord ask: ""I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Is it right to commit an abortion? Is it right to live in fornication? Is it right to live unmarried? Is it right to live as if there is no God? Is it right to make up your own laws? Is it right to believe you are more important...than others? | Nobody said anything. In a neutral world, you are asked to be quiet and never say a word. We have preachers of evil that are proud proclaimers of the worLd. They are huge on tolerance and neutrality, but they are also hypocrites, because they go against the very worLd they preach. At their core, they hate. This is the reality that Jesus found Himself in, and the reality that persists to this day because of the presence of evil. Our Lord teaches though, to not follow the worLd protocol. As you can see, with the perpetrated pandemic, the worLd has issued an impacting protocol, for you to silence about your faith, for you to stop going to church, and for you to bow down to their orders. In some parts of the world, you are not allowed to sing praise to God in public, and in other parts you are not allowed to even speak about God in public. Unless, it is their gods, of politics, or their ideals, money, or things that make them happy, like happy hour, drunk in foolishness and debauchery.
But our Lord spoke up.
I wrote a 4 page letter to read at my friend's funeral vigil service. I had a feeling that little or nothing would be said about my classmate, whom I met in church as altar boys. Things needed to be said, and prophesied. I had asked clergy for permission, but nothing was said, silence. And the wake service ended, and the floor was not opened for anyone else as in a normal eulogy. So I sat there with my thousands of words burning to be said, and I prayed, and I got up, asked for permission from his brothers and father, and I said what had to be said. In the end, I hope the message was clear, about forgiveness, about living a pure life for God, a message for each and every soul that is born to live and die for God.
Jesus got up and spoke...and what happened? Healing took place. You see, in the end, it is not about you. Life is not all about you my friend. It is about Christ. That is the light in Heaven. For us creatures made in His Divine image, we are to base our lives on the King of Life. I encouraged my friend's kids to have faith, to find Christ and never let go. And I hope...there was healing, I may never know, but that is my part in faith, to never know, but to trust in the Holy Spirit.
My attempt to be a living Christ is to offer you encouragement. Not to boast, but to offer a real life example of what it could mean to take a step in a direction that the world does not take to. Step this way. Speak this way, with charity. Speak with tenderness. The Sabbath was made for man, I've heard. But that is incomplete until we realize it in full. The Sabbath was made for man to honor God, and honoring Him is loving Him among us, being true and good shepherds, and the Good Shepherds know how to heal each lamb, the flock of our Lord.
"Stretch out your hand...so you can grasp mine, and help you to Heaven." | Random Bible verse from online generator: Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 | 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 | |
