A Mystic Activist for Our Time The first day of my pilgrimage to Assisi was dawning and I wanted to get the lay of the land and reorient my spiritual GPS after three hectic days of sightseeing in Rome. No one stirred, not even a stray cat or dog in search of bounty from a trash can, as I passed the majestic Basilica di San Francesco, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the abbey of San Pietro, and the Basilica di Santa Chiara. Too early even for morning mass, I walked the cobblestones and heard sounds of a new day dawning. As I gazed at the verdant Umbrian countryside in the distance, my imagination went back to a simpler time. I visualized the hilltop village eight centuries ago, without lights or power, phones or internet, insular and isolated, a place where most of its citizens lived and died without traveling more than day's walk from their Umbrian birthplace. In the still, crisp morning, I experienced the simplicity of a time before climate change, global travel, the novel coronavirus, and the 24/7 news cycle. For a split second, I forgot the machinations of political leaders and the spirit of unrest that has enveloped the globe as I pondered the journey of another pilgrim like myself, trying to make sense of his own inner stirrings and the challenges of his own time and place and looking for a way of life that would nurture his spirit and serve the world. I was looking for a world-affirming way to become a mystic activist for our time. —from the book Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism
by Bruce Epperly |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will."
– St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Prayer is, as it were, being alone with God. A soul prays only when it is turned toward God, and for so long as it remains so. As soon as it turns away, it stops praying. The preparation for prayer is thus the movement of turning to God and away from all that is not God. That is why we are so right when we define prayer as this movement. Prayer is essentially a 'raising up', an elevation. We begin to pray when we detach ourselves from created objects and raise ourselves up to the Creator."
— Dom Augustin Guillerand, p. 91
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Prayer of the Presence of God † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it."
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 |  click to read more | | ST. ANGELA MERICI St. Angela Merici (1474 – 1540) was born in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Her deep piety drew her to make a private vow of virginity at a young age. Her parents died when she was ten, and soon afterwards she lost her sister with whom she was very close. Angela went to live with her uncle, and, despite lacking a formal education, she grew in wisdom and virtue. She committed herself to prayer, penance, and serving the poor, eventually joining the Third Order of St. Francis at the age of fifteen. When her uncle died she returned to her home, and, seeing a great need for the education of young girls in the Christian faith, began a school for girls in her house. She daily gathered all the little girls of her village and taught them the faith. St. Angela became known for her holiness, and soon she was invited to establish another school in a neighboring town. One day while in prayer she received a vision that she would start a religious order intended for the religious education of girls. This was realized when St. Angela founded the Ursulines under the patronage of St. Ursula. St. Angela Merici is the patron saint against illness, death of parents, and of the disabled and handicapped. Her feast day is January 27. | Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Heb 10:11-18 Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever
those who are being consecrated.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,"
he also says: Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin. Responsorial Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 4:1-20 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."
Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." | Daily Meditation: Mark 4:1-20 Some seed fell on rich soil. (Mark 4:8) "A sower went out to sow" (Mark 4:3). This classic parable is no doubt familiar to our ears. So let's try to look at it from a different angle. Let's consider how it can apply within us—so that we can improve our "inner soil." Think about a farmer tending his fields. In order for seed to bear the greatest yield, he has to do a lot of preparation—digging up rocks and pulling out brambles, turning over packed-down soil, maybe analyzing the soil to see what nutrients it needs. In the same way, we can prepare the soil of our heart so that it's more receptive to the seeds of God's word. First, clear the field. Ask the Spirit to help you uncover any rocks or thorny brambles. Are there some areas of the Christian life where you cannot seem to sink deep roots? It's possible that a recurring vice or a worldly way of thinking is thwarting your growth. Perhaps it's a long-standing resentment or another area of your life in which the gospel does not guide your actions. Next, fertilize the field. Jesus led by example in always turning to his Father, especially before important actions. Follow his example by spending time in prayer and reading Scripture each day—that's where you can connect with Jesus and receive the nourishment you need to bear spiritual fruit. He said it himself: "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The graces of the Eucharist and Confession are also a powerful fertilizer. You might be surprised by how attending a weekday Mass can help you become a more peaceful, loving person. These efforts please the Lord because you are making an effort to receive his love—which is his greatest desire. But it's not all about what you do. God goes before you, sowing seeds and watering them, sight unseen. Even your hard work and preparation are the result of his grace at work within you. The promise of this parable is that "a sower went out to sow" (Mark 4:3). Imagine the harvest of love and good works that will grow as you open your heart to receive the word God has already sown in you. "Like a parched land, my soul thirsts for you, Lord." Hebrews 10:11-18
Psalm 110:1-4 |  clickable | Not all saints have the same sort of holiness. There are those who could never have lived with others saints. Not all have the same path. But all arrive at God.
— St. John Vianney | my2cents:
"I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds," His laws are in us all, automatically, and this is good news indeed.
And there's better news: "he also says: Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin." This hits me personally, because all I can think of is my Holy Confession last night. The priest, Jesus Himself in the Sacrament said "your sins are about to be totally forgiven" and something spiritual began to happen, as the world He owns and His hands came over and my mind and heart began spewing out all the sins I could remember and they were all disappearing, dissolving into thin air. This is good news. Because if one sin is "remembered", just one, we would be doomed. | We pray: "The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek."
We pray to Our Father, and Our Father says "take my side, and watch what happens" and our Lord steps into Heaven. | Our Lord asked today: "The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven." Always in the world, His words are disputed, misread, and thrown back in the face of a Christian. And what do you do with twisted words? Before we go into twisted words, let's discuss the Word.
"The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them."
What is it about the Word? Right? It is Christ, the Word becomes flesh in the Holy Incarnation, and then becomes one with us. The Word was in the beginning. | How does Satan take away the Word from those on the path? These are what we can call, an easy catch. The Word bounces off the beaten path. Satan takes away the word with ease, because they have been beaten by sin, and the thought of the world.
I think about our world, and about the Word, the Holy Scriptures. I think how amazing it is for a man to tell me all the statistics of sports, finances, and engineering, but when it comes to knowing the Word and the history...nothing. The Word has bounced off of this man, and when I say man, it means mankind, and this is Genesis, it is not gender confusion and ideology that is being introduced as a euphoric pandemic by Satan to take away the seed. Man does not know the Word as the Word desires the WoMan to know Man, and we are speaking of the Son of Man. And because we do not know Man (God Himself) we read more failures: "... they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."
No roots my friend. We need roots. Today's "cancel culture" wants to re-write history by cancelling history, our very roots that have made us the most powerful nation in the world. You see, Rome caved, it imploded and killed its own people. And there are many worldly prophets declaring doom on themselves out there. People don't listen to prophets of old, they listen to cartoons, or movie actors, or money gods on finances and economics, but they will not take root in the very root of life...the Word of God, the Son of Man.
This is why our Lord said: "Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit." In other words, these decide not to surrender their lives for God, to invest themselves totally in Him. They crave...other things...and thus...other gods. The biggest iconic statues in New York, are the statue of liberty and the bull (bull market stock trading). Two gods. That what is a picture for America, money and liberty, and these are false idols and gods. But is that all? Most people are not rich. Most people are happy, with a little bit of knowledge of the Word, but not too much, because it will cost something, like humility, surrender to His will. An old bull god in the old Testament was "Ba'aal" and the derivatives of this god called for child sacrifice, liberty now, from what? Surrender to humility.
And so in the end our Lord said: "But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." What is acceptance of the Word? Ultimately, it is to accept Him totally. No more excuses. No more pleasure desires. Think of what one sin would cost you...the entirety of Heaven itself. The Word in the Beginning has Spoken. Lord, You are the Word. May Your Word become flesh incarnate in me, and may this Holy Word give life eternal....in Your Precious name we pray. Amen. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian | Random online bible verse:
WOW!
AMAZING!! Psalm 130:5
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment