 clickable | | Sanctity Is for Everyone Thérèse helped people understand that sanctity was not for a limited few, but for all the baptized. Her childlike confidence and abandonment to Jesus led her to offer up to the Lord the simple duties and obligations of her religious life. She believed that nothing was too little to give Jesus, and nothing done out of love for him was insignificant. St. Thérèse was confident that Christ longed to lift everyone up to the height and depth and breadth of holiness. —from the book The Way of Simple Love: Inspiring Words from Therese of Lisieux by Father Gary Caster |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Let us make up for lost time. Let us give to God the time that remains to us."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"What are we to say of the charity and compassion of the Blessed Virgin, who for nine months bore, and still carries in her heart, the only Son of God, the uncreated charity which knows no bounds? If, as often as we approach a fire, we are affected by its heat, have we not reason to believe that whoever approaches the heart of the Mother of Mercies, ever burning with her most ardent charity, must be profoundly affected in proportion to the frequency of his petitions, the humility and confidence in his heart?"
— Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, p.151
AN EXCERPT FROM
Spiritual Combat † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."
Ephesians 4:1-3 |  click to read more | | ST. WENCESLAUS St. Wenceslaus (907–935 A.D.) was the son of the Duke of Bohemia. His grandfather was converted to Christianity by the missionaries Sts. Cyril and Methodius. His mother, Dragomir, was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief who was baptized at her marriage. After the death of his father, Wenceslaus received a Christian upbringing from his grandmother, St. Ludmila, while his mother reverted to her pagan ways. Dragomir reigned as regent, had St. Ludmila killed, and worked to oppose the spread of Christianity in Bohemia. When St. Wenceslaus was 18 he took control of the government and exiled his mother. St. Wenceslaus was described as a pious, humble, and intelligent ruler who worked to established Christianity in the land that would become part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was known for his vow of virginity, his many virtues, and his life of prayer and good works. After a political dispute arose, his mother and his younger brother, called Boleslaus the Cruel, plotted his murder along with a group of disaffected nobles. Boleslaus invited his brother to celebrate the feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, and arranged to have him assassinated on his way to Mass. St. Wenceslaus muttered words of forgiveness as he died, and his body was buried at the murder site. His brother succeeded him as Duke of Bohemia. Three years later Boleslaus repented of his crime, and had his brother's remains transferred to the Church of St. Vitus in Prague. Wenceslaus was considered a saint by the people at the time of his death. His feast day is September 28th. Reflection
. . .
"Good King Wenceslaus" was able to incarnate his Christianity in a world filled with political unrest. While we are often victims of violence of a different sort, we can easily identify with his struggle to bring harmony to society. The call to become involved in social change and in political activity is addressed to Christians; the values of the gospel are sorely needed today.
Saint Wenceslaus is the Patron Saint of: Bohemia | ________________________________________ Monday of the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 JB 1:6-22 One day, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the LORD,
Satan also came among them.
And the LORD said to Satan, "Whence do you come?"
Then Satan answered the LORD and said,
"From roaming the earth and patrolling it."
And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job,
and that there is no one on earth like him,
blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"
But Satan answered the LORD and said,
"Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?
Have you not surrounded him and his family
and all that he has with your protection?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
and his livestock are spread over the land.
But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has,
and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."
And the LORD said to Satan,
"Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only do not lay a hand upon his person."
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And so one day, while his sons and his daughters
were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
a messenger came to Job and said,
"The oxen were ploughing and the asses grazing beside them,
and the Sabeans carried them off in a raid.
They put the herdsmen to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Lightning has fallen from heaven
and struck the sheep and their shepherds and consumed them;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and said,
"The Chaldeans formed three columns,
seized the camels, carried them off,
and put those tending them to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
when suddenly a great wind came across the desert
and smote the four corners of the house.
It fell upon the young people and they are dead;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair.
He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said,
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I go back again.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!"
In all this Job did not sin,
nor did he say anything disrespectful of God. Responsorial Psalm PS 17:1BCD, 2-3, 6-7 R. (6) Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
From you let my judgment come;
your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night,
though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word. Alleluia MK 10:45 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 9:46-50 An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."Then John said in reply,
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him,
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."
| Daily Meditation: Luke 9:46-50 The one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest. (Luke 9:48) Jesus had called the twelve apostles together and given them power to heal and set people free. They fed five thousand people. Some of them had witnessed the Transfiguration. It was a pretty heady time for them, so it's understandable that the disciples were thinking about greatness and how special they were. They had been specially chosen by Jesus, after all. Probably because the disciples knew that they had been called by Jesus, they wanted to stop a man casting out demons in his name (Luke 9:49-50). This demonstrated a mindset still bent toward greatness and exclusivity. Their thinking probably went something like this: Who do you think you are? We follow Jesus, not you. We're his closest companions; we're the ones who have the authority to heal and cast out demons. Jesus didn't reject or rebuke his disciples for thinking and feeling as they did. He redirected them to the heart of the gospel instead. Unity, love of neighbor, a tender heart, and a humble mind are the dispositions that should mark followers of Christ. That is what makes a person "great" in God's eyes. We have to be on guard not to fall into the same mindset as the disciples. The truth is, Jesus calls everyone, not just those we might perceive as "great" or worthy of following him. Furthermore, he has called each of us to fulfill a specific role in his kingdom. That could be as the leader of the meeting or as the one stacking the chairs. To him, it's not what we do that's as important as how we do it—with a loving heart and a sincere and humble desire to serve in whatever way is needed. Talk to Jesus today about the way you think about greatness. Do you frame it in terms of power, wealth, or achievements, or do you take on Jesus' way of looking at it? His values are different from the world's. He just might redirect your thinking, as he did with the disciples, by helping you to view the "least" among you differently. Who knows? He may even help you change the way you view yourself! "Jesus, teach me how to treasure the 'smallest' and the 'least' in your kingdom." Job 1:6-22
Psalm 17:1-3, 6-7 |  clickable | This is an easy monkish practice for anyone to adopt, and I highly recommend it. At the end of the day, take an inventory of all the people who have angered you, and forgive them. Say it out loud. Then you can go to bed.
— Fr. Augustine Wetta
from Humility Rules | my2cents:
"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!" In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God."
Easily Job could've damned this and damned that and even use our Lord's name for damning. Nowadays, some folks damn just for the sake of saying it. Right? A small frustration? Some anger? But Job did not. And that was the aim of Satan, to get Job to blaspheme.
I encourage you to watch your words, mind your words. They all carry weight, every last word you utter will carry a justice weight. I encourage you to help others mind their words, especially when it comes to charity, and the love of our Lord, and His precious name. Job shows us the true way of a true child of God. More on that. | We pray today: "From you let my judgment come; your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night, though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me. Incline your ear to me and hear my word." What if all of this life were a test, huh? Job was tried. Jesus our Lord was tried, so who are you not to be tried? And true. | Our Lord broke up an argument about who was the greatest, and we have a lesson to learn:
""Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."
A child in those days had no word, they were to be servants until they reached the appropriate time. Think of who is a servant and slave today. In our backwards world, we let children be boss. Authority is usurped. What does this mean? It means we need authority but the right authority...humility to teach humility. This is Christ our Lord. He speaks, and the Truth comes out.
Treat those with authority, with respect? No, not just respect...but with humility. That my friend is a hard pill to swallow, especially when authority shows no respect.
But, this is what Christ calls us to. Think of His passion. Always think of His Passion. They say Mother Mary always did, after the Passion, she became passionate about what Christ our Lord did. As if daunted and mesmerized by His great love offering, the greatest love story in the world. | Let us mind Christ, mind His Word, and mind our words.
Every spiteful word will be weighed against you.
Every harmful word you said in a fit of rage will have weight.
Every heart that cannot put first a child of God, cannot enter the Kingdom of such souls, of the least, of the forgotten, of the abused, of the neglected. And modern abuse is the abolition of marriage, Holy Marriage. Children are made to endure hardships they did not call for. They are trampled. They are forgotten, and this is abuse. And the world takes it a step further with abortion, and abortion says "children are not important, they don't get a say". And this is where it all hinges in today's message. Who comes first? The child before you and who before the child? The very love of God comes first.
You see, if you love God, you will love neighbor.
If you do not love neighbor...you cannot love our Father. Lord, help us to make you first. In our heart, mind, soul, every last bit of our being...our very person. | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Luke 12:29
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his1 kingdom, and these things will be added to you. | 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 | |
