 clickable | | Everything Is Gift Gratefulness strengthens a sense of belonging. There is no closer bond than the one which gratefulness celebrates, the bond between giver and thanks-giver. Everything is gift. Grateful living is a celebration of the universal give-and-take of life, a limitless "yes" to belonging. —from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life
by Brother David Steindl-Rast |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The true measure of loving God is to love Him without measure."
— St. Bernard of Clairvaux † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Voluntary poverty restores to man the nobility of his condition, liberating him from vile servitude and reinstating him his noble freedom and mastery of all things. The soul is never more a mistress than when she despises them, and only then has she the more firm possession and makes the more excellent use of riches, when she gives them away or leaves them of her own free will; only then her appetite for them is best satiated, when she does not care to possess them. Then above all is the heart set free and made capable of the treasures of the Divinity, for which it is furnished by the Creator with almost infinite capacity."
— Ven. Mary of Agreda, p. 85
AN EXCERPT FROM
Mystical City of God † VERSE OF THE DAY
"But thou, O Lord, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my mind toward thee."
Jeremiah 12:3a |  click to read more | | POPE ST. LEO THE GREAT Pope St. Leo the Great (c. 400–461 A.D.) was born in Tuscany to an aristocratic family. After serving as deacon under two popes he became the Roman Pontiff from 440 to 461 A.D. He was one of the greatest Holy Fathers the Church has known; he was the first pope, and one of only two, to bear the title "Great." He guided the Church through the turbulence of the collapse of the Roman empire, waves of barbarian invasions, widespread disintegration of morality, and many dangerous heresies including Pelagianism and Manichaeanism. His feats include persuading the Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome; preventing a doctrinal split in the Eastern churches; persuading Attila the Hun to turn back and forsake his invasion of Italy; and convincing the Vandals under their leader Genseric not to pillage the city of Rome or harm its inhabitants. He championed the Church and the Catholic faith in an uncertain era by maintaining unity, defending orthodox doctrine with clarity, and preaching vigorously against false teaching. By his strong influence he changed the course of European history; he was known not only as a leader of the Church but also as the protector of all of Rome. Pronounced a Doctor of the Church in 1754, many of his writings survive today. St. Leo the Great's feast day is November 10th. | Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 492
Reading 1 Ti 2:1-8, 11-14 Beloved:
You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine,
namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified,
self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.
Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink,
teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women
to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,
under the control of their husbands,
so that the word of God may not be discredited. Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,
showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect,
with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech
that cannot be criticized,
so that the opponent will be put to shame
without anything bad to say about us. For the grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of the great God
and of our savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good. Responsorial Psalm 37:3-4, 18 and 23, 27 and 29 R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
The just shall possess the land
and dwell in it forever.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Alleluia Jn 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 17:7-10 Jesus said to the Apostles:
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'" | Daily Meditation: Titus 2:1-8, 11-14 Showing yourself as a model of good deeds. (Titus 2:7) Paul certainly had lots of advice for the young bishop Titus on how to lead God's people. But the key to all of it seems to be grace. God's grace has appeared, it has saved us, and it teaches us how to live our lives for him (Titus 2:11-12). Today is the memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, who served the Church from AD 440 to 461. So let's take today's first reading as an occasion to look at how St. Leo responded to the grace of God and how he can show us what it means to serve the Lord with our lives. First, Leo was a peacemaker. He is well-known for having stood up to Attila the Hun in 452 and for convincing him not to attack Rome. But did you know he was a peacemaker long before that? He was not immediately available to accept his election as pope. Messengers were sent out, and they finally found him in present-day France, where he had gone to resolve a conflict between a Roman general and a local magistrate. Throughout his time as pope, Leo sought to keep the Church together in what St. Paul called "the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). And that leads to Leo's other great virtue: his gift as a unifier. One of the most important ways Leo kept people united was by his gift for teaching and preaching. Careful to "say what is consistent with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1), Leo tried to bring believers together by clearly explaining the Church's understanding of who Jesus is, what it means that he became a man for us, and the role of Peter and his successors in leading and serving. He taught about the sacraments and refuted heresies that threatened believers' faith—most notably, the Manicheans and the Pelagians. He was determined to not let divisions tear the Church apart. You don't have to be a pope or a learned theologian to follow Leo's example. You can dedicate yourself to bringing peace and reconciliation to the people in your life. You can work to bring unity to your fellow parishioners by speaking the truths of your faith with love. By relying on God's grace, you can become a model of good deeds for the people around you. "St. Leo, pray for us." Psalm 37:3-4, 18, 23, 27, 29
Luke 17:7-10 |  clickable | The truth is that if we had only the God of philosophy, God as the exploring mind can discover Him by its own powers, most of us would probably always feel Him just too remote… Fortunately man's seeking for God is not the whole story. God has also sought man, a seeking with a long history that culminated when God became man and dwelt amongst us. Nothing could be less remote than Jesus Christ.
— Frank Sheed
from Theology and Sanity | my2cents:
"For the grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ...".
We await. There is a difference in how we wait. Some are forced to wait. And some wait patiently. So, let's dive into what kind of waiter we are and what kind of waiter we are expected to be. | First we pray: "Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart's requests. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord."
Take delight in the Lord. Have you ever sat down and meditated on the grand marvels of our Lord? Someone said as I was pondering today's Scriptures, that they heard a priest had been zoomed into Heaven, I think his name was D'orio, in a book saying he saw how in Heaven they feasted...on music. The delight of life, then, it's not this or that, but everything that the Lord provides. He is Master. Master designer. Master provider. Master in every sense of the Word. | Our Lord ended today's teaching with: "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
During this pandemic, I have had to witness some horrible things. A turning from God, due to pride. I've seen it before, but not to this degree. It is disgusting. I don't get to see the suffering servant that God presents on the Crucifix. At least, not very often. Am I an expert on humility? No. But can we see humility? Yes. I always tell people that I get to see the most humble man on earth in daily Mass. In a church where it is 90% women in the daily Mass, because who knows where the men have gone, there is one humble man still there, always there.
It is Christ. He hangs on the crucifix. He, who could've said anything to change the course of His destiny, surrendered to God Almighty His body, blood, soul, and divinity, to Our Father in Heaven. Never complained. Never retaliated. He did ask at the Garden of Gethsemane if the cup could be passed, but in the end He accepted the mission command. | I remember when I was a teen living at home with my parents, my dad had a few horses and cows. I remember that I'd sit down to eat, and he asked if I had fed the animals, and I said no. He told me to get out there and feed them before I sit down and enjoy myself. He made it seem like the animals were more important than me. I don't know why I always remember that. But it is so with the flock of God. Yes, we are savages it seems sometimes, but they must be tended to. They must eat what God provides.
We like to be tended to. Don't we?
We like to be fed, right?
We like to have others wait on us.
But you are called to wait. Wait patiently.
I mean, the servant was slaving all day, and he gets home and the master says "cook for me and wait on me until I finish". how would you feel?
Well my friend, in a true honor relationship, you don't feel a thing. If anything, you feel it an honor to serve a Good and Great Master.
Only a wretched soul would take offense. Only a soul with pride would be like "this isn't fair". And the world says God is not fair.
That is because the world must taste and see, the goodness of the Lord.
Here's a bit of advice from a guy that's trying the faith thing and writing to you.
You should be your own worst critic. That way, when someone says "hey, you should do things like this instead of like that", or "you aren't doing a good job", and by that time you can say like me "I already know that, I need help, I'm working on bettering".
And it is true. We are working on our perfection, aren't we?
But if you don't have humility, I could say "you know what? I don't need this! Take this job and..." LOL, the first inkling is to give up, throw the food in their face! What kind of servant is that though? The Master speaks. And so, lately I just say "yes sir, or yes ma'am" and work on improvement for the greater good.
Thank you for putting up with me, even in these writings, I'm a work in progress. I use personal testimony, of my experiences in faith to present a real life faith, in action.
Let me tell you something that happened this weekend that makes a point in the end.
It was a great weekend, but on one night, I was presented with a struggle, an incomprehensible struggle out of the blue, the kind that flips your world upside down. I searched everywhere for answers, and I wound up at our church at night, in the dark, I reached for the doors and I was shocked, they were locked! (Reminds me of the nursing home doors locked for months, I seen a man talking through the window to his loved one a couple days ago). And so, my heart was racing, my mind was going 100 mph, and there exasperated I saw through the glass doors where I wanted to be, kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and there I prayed, wailing. Lord HEAR ME!
I sat in my truck, and I received the answer to my prayer. By the end of the night, the storm left, the waters where calm. And I walked in the dark later that night, with a prayer on my lips...the words of St. Peter "depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man".
In other words, I was awe struck, and my heart and soul was saying 'I am not worthy- to have an answered prayer.'
Who am I that the Lord should turn His face towards me?
I am nothing. You are nothing. Who do I think I am, that I should deserve God to smile at me? Who am I and what am I called to be?
Nothing but an "unprofitable servant" as our Lord calls us to be.
Jesus owned nothing. He claimed only one thing...the will of the Father, Our Father, to reign supreme. Lord, Thy precious and amazing will be done. | Random Bible verse from online generator:
Romans 5:3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
