Jesus Turned to the Psalms How many times have you, or someone you know, pressed down the overwhelming grief inside them, judging their own lament? Betraying the truth of their own sorrow, their need to cry? It happens so often—but what if we think of these expressions as love songs? I think we'd accept, even welcome, their expression. Jesus quoted the psalms, and I've been moved by the assertion that Jesus sang the psalms as he grew up. A part of daily Jewish life, people knew them by heart. I let my imagination wander. What did Jesus sound like when he sang? You know his voice was beautiful. But not at that end. Not at that hour of torment. It was undoubtedly a gruesome and gut-wrenching sound. The lesson for us is this, I think—if Jesus turned to the psalms in his deepest hour of pain, why wouldn't we? — from the book What Was Lost: Seeking Refuge in the Psalms by Maureen O'Brien |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction."
— St. John of the Cross †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"From the natural point of view we come to know God from the vestiges of Himself that He has left in the splendors of the visible universe: the blazing red sunset, the snow-covered mountain peaks, the graceful flight of a bird, the breathtakingly magnificent complexity of a single living cell. On a still more exalted level we know Him in the loveliness of the saints – but it remains a knowledge of the infinite through the finite."
— Fr. Thomas Dubay, p.188-89
AN EXCERPT FROM
Fire Within †VERSE OF THE DAY
"Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever."
1 John 2:15-17 |  click to read more | | ST. MACARIUS OF JERUSALEM St. Macarius of Jerusalem (4th c.) was the Bishop of Jerusalem from 312-335 A.D. Little is known of his life before this time. He took part in the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and vigorously opposed the Arian heresy, which greatly threatened the early Church. It is believed that he was one of the bishops who helped draft the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius, his contemporary, refers to Macarius as an example of "the honest and simple style of apostolical men." After the council, St. Macarius accompanied St. Helen, the queen mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, in her successful search for the True Cross that Jesus was crucified upon. It was he who suggested to St. Helen that she would identify the real Cross by touching all three of those she found to a seriously ill woman, and observe which one brought immediate healing. Following the discovery of the True Cross in this miraculous manner, Constantine wrote to Bishop Macarius requesting that he oversee the construction of a magnificent church in Jerusalem, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, to commemorate the sites of the Crucifixion and Burial of Christ, which still exists today as one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites in the world. His feast day is March 10th. | Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Lectionary: 239
Reading I Dt 4:1, 5-9 Moses spoke to the people and said:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today? "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Responsorial Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Verse before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Mt 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 5:17-19 I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17) Sixty years old. That's the age, according to Canon Law (1252), that Catholics are no longer required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. But when a friend joked that now that Bill had turned sixty, he could go to a fancy restaurant for lunch just before Easter, Bill replied, "Why would I stop now? I've gotten into the habit of fasting. Instead of eating lunch, I spend an hour in church on Good Friday, and I'm loving it. I feel so much closer to Jesus on Easter because of it!" Bill's answer can help us understand Jesus' words today about his mission to fulfill the Law and not abolish it. Jesus was speaking primarily about a fulfillment that comes from the heart, not from reluctant but dutiful acts of sacrifice. As we know, it's easy to get into a "rules" mentality during Lent. We focus on checking off the boxes of prayer or fasting or almsgiving. But that's not what Jesus is looking for. He wants sacrifices that come from the heart, not just through gritted teeth. That's why we observe Lent in the first place—to draw closer to God and to grow in love for his people. The beauty of this season is that the more we try to follow Jesus and know his love, the more we will end up following his rules. In other words, loving Jesus and knowing Jesus will increase our desire to follow him and to make sacrifices for him. In the story above, Bill fasted from his lunch and spent time in prayer instead. And that act of sacrifice helped him love Jesus and want to continue this practice even though he didn't have to. That's sacrifice from the heart. Let Jesus do something similar for you this Lent. Yes, he loves to see you striving to stay faithful to your sacrifices. But even more, he wants to bless each step you take toward him so that you are doing them more and more out of love. "Lord, thank you for this season of Lent! Let me be moved by my love for you in what I do." Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 |  clickable | When we are sent out of Mass, carrying Christ within us in the Eucharist, when we spend time in silent prayer, asking God to fill us with His Spirit, we are sent forth to communicate that glory and grace to others.
— Leah Libresco
from her book Building the Benedict Option | my2cents:
""However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children."
The most important place to teach is in the home. And that is the new age attack on the home. With widespread divorces in the last few decades after the sexual revolution of the 60's and 70's, and now the rapid prolification of pornography through the information age, the attacks are at an all time high. Not directly against the church, but indirectly into sin. And now, Holy Marriages have just about disappeared off the face of our country. People just shack up and live in sin. And how are we to make saints out of that? Believe it or not, there is a way, for with Christ, all things are possible. | We prayed today: "He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem."
God has spoken through the ages, and now to us. He has made His desire known. And it continues today. Through you and me. | And the Word of God will always be; our Lord said: "Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place."
How does that make you feel? To hear that His word will always be, that His law will always stand. That what He has said will always be fulfilled. That He is more than time itself, for time can cease to exist if it is so His will. It should give you comfort. This should help us grow in faith. "Take heart, I have conquered the world", says our Lord. | Our Lord said: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven." So, there are degrees in Heaven? Right? Levels of what? What does it mean to be the least. In the inspiration I receive, it means they are the least happy, the least joyful, the least with grace.
So what do I teach others? To break commandments? "Surely not I Lord", said Judas. How difficult it is to live truth. Mostly, truth to self. What commands do I break? What commands do I teach others to break? That's where your consciousness comes in. That's where we need to form and inform our consciousness of God's graces. That's where the battle for holiness comes in all backwards, with self surrender to God. Instead of fighting it, we are to give into it...into His grace, mercy, and love.
And so our Lord ends:
"But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
Ahh, again with the least and the greatest. Let's talk about greatness in Heaven. The only one I can think of that is great, is Mother Mary, but then again, she is more than great. But she was poised to show us the way a person can live and die for Christ. And she caressed her baby with great tender love on the wood, of the crib and the cross. And she speaks so fondly of Him to this day, as if she can't help but love Him dearly with all her heart mind and soul. And for this, she is great. So great...is her love. So great is her gift of grace. So great is her joy. So great her desire to do God's will. So...what about you? Lord, I desire to be least in order to be the greatest. May others be held above me and I serve Thee with all my heart, mind, and soul. I will raise others up and I will take their abuse in order to show them just how GREAT Thy Holy Love really is! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian | Random online bible verse from a random verse generator: 2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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