† “Have You Come Here To....."

†Saint Said: "Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume wh

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   †Saint Said: "Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume whatever is worldly; there is heavy lead of iniquity in many; let it be molten by divine fire; let the gold and silver vessels be made better, in order that understanding and speech, refined by the heat of suffering, may begin to be more precious." — St. Ambrose † MEDITATION OF THE DAY "Joseph's virtue was sublime and exceptional; therefore it was subjected to a great and singular trial. But, as he heroically surmounted this trial, so God was pleased, not only to console him, but to exalt him to a dignity of extraordinary glory. ... Jesus, the Son of God ... willed to recognize this virgin spouse as His father in affection, adoption, government, and education, and to be constantly obedient and subject to him. The Holy Ghost, who had operated the incarnation of the Son of God in the womb of Mary, willed that to Joseph this His spouse should be entirely confided. He was to be the zealous guardian of her virginity, her guide, her aid, her support, and her inseparable companion through all the vicissitudes of life. And where, apart from the Divine Maternity, can so great a dignity be found upon earth as that which was conferred on Joseph by the Three Divine Persons of the Most Holy Trinity?" — Edward Healy Thompson, p. 197 AN EXCERPT FROM The Life & Glories of St. Joseph TODAY'S FEAST DAY ⛪ FIRST MARTYRS OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH A great number of Christians perished at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero during the terrible persecution that lasted from 64-68 A.D. This was the first of many major persecutions of the newly founded Church at Rome. The holy men and women who first died for the Gospel of Jesus Christ are also called the "Protomartyrs of Rome." Some were burned as living torches in the Emperor's gardens; some were crucified; others were fed to wild animals. Many died even before Sts. Peter and Paul, and therefore it is said of them that they are the "Disciples of the Apostles ... whom the Holy Roman Church sent to their Lord before the Apostles' death." God used the sacrifice of these holy men and women, who suffered like their savior Jesus Christ, to lay the indestructible foundation of His Church. Their bold witness for the Christian faith as they endured a brutal death won many converts and caused the Church to grow and spread throughout the world. The feast day of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church is June 30th. See More About Today's Feast > †VERSE OF THE DAY "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." Matthew 7:21 click to read more SABLESSED GENNARO SARNELLI Bl. Gennaro Sarnelli (1702 – 1744) was born to a noble family in Naples, Italy. He was very well educated, and completed his doctorate in civil and canon law at the age of 20. He gave much of his time to caring for the incurably sick, through which he discerned a call to the priesthood. He was ordained in 1732. He became good friends with St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists. Shortly afterward, Blessed Gennaro became a Redemptorist priest. Gennaro's special work was preaching to those who were the most spiritually deprived, while also caring for the temporal needs of impoverished children. He was a great defender of the dignity of women, and worked intensely to free women and girls from forced prostitution. Blessed Gennaro was also a talented writer, penning over 30 books ranging in subjects such as theology, law, prayer, spiritual direction, and contemporary moral issues. He worked so hard that his health suffered, and he died when he was only 42 years old. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1996. His feast day is June 30. Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 379 Reading I Gn 21:5, 8-20a Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning Abraham held a great feast. Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: "Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!" Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring." Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba, the water in the skin was used up. So she put the child down under a shrub, and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away; for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die." As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry. God heard the boy's cry, and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven: "What is the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his. Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. Responsorial Psalm 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13 R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Which of you desires life, and takes delight in prosperous days? R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Alleluia Jas 1:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia. The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 8:28-34 When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. Daily Meditation: Matthew 8:28-34 Go then! (Matthew 8:32) The people were in awe: this man, Jesus, had authority over demons! The two men had been possessed, maybe for a long time, but with just a few words, Jesus set them free. This same man—Jesus, our Messiah—has authority over the parts of our lives that, like those demons, are opposed to the Lord and afraid of his power. Jesus has authority over Satan and his lies and deceptions. He has the power to come and drive out whatever is enticing us to sin. He even has authority over patterns of sinful behavior that we have fought for years to overcome but thought we could never be rid of. Jesus sees it all, and he wants to come to our aid. How do we enlist Jesus' help? By calling on his name. The name of Jesus is a powerful weapon because when we say it, we are invoking his authority over sin and evil. It's the same authority that he used to drive out the demons in the two men in today's Gospel. And because you were joined to Jesus in Baptism, you have this authority as well. When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are praying with him. So remember to call on the name of Jesus in the midst of temptation, like when you're fighting the urge to reach for another dessert or when you want to pick a fight with your spouse. Invoke his name when you have doubts about your self-worth and think that God couldn't possibly love you. Cry out to him when you feel guilty for a sin you've already confessed or feel like you are drowning in worry. In those moments, pray, "In the name of Jesus, I renounce this anxiety . . . or evil thought . . . or sinful urge. Jesus, help me!" You might find immediate relief. But even if you don't, keep praying in Jesus' name. Believe that he has the power to drive out Satan and every sin and temptation in your life. Jesus doesn't want anything to hinder your ability to love him and other people. Just as he freed the two men coming from the tombs in the Gadarenes, he wants to free you. "Jesus, I call on your name. Come and set me free!" Genesis 21:5, 8-20 Psalm 34:7-8, 10-13 Listen to 2cents my2cents: "God heard the boy's cry, and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven: "What is the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his. Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink. God was with the boy as he grew up." We pray in the Psalms: "Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing. The Lord hears the cry of the poor." In the Holy Gospel we heard: "The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district." From a Spanish reflection today, allow me to translate: "Of course, we don't always like to be taken out of our safety and comfort. The Gerasenes lived very peacefully. Their demoniacs were a problem but they had it localized by having them chained at the cemetery. The Gerasenes lived in peace. They had not thought that to Jesus, the envoy of God, the health, the life, of those demonized was much more important than all the pigs of the town. Perhaps it was possible that the Gerasenes wanted to be rid of the demonized. But not at the price of losing your wealth, your comfort, your security. It was preferable for these men to suffer if that was the price to pay for living well. What Jesus does they don't like. That's why they kick him out of the country. Without contemplations, without a second thought. It would be interesting to examine in which areas of our life we do not want Jesus to enter because, although a bit demonized, we prefer not to move from where we are." I have a tendency to speak crass, rough, not political with finesse or sugar coating things. And so today, I may have another one, our Lord sees and demands for us to care for the ones nobody wants to care about. This hits me personally. There are some people I'd rather not talk to, or deal with (too deep). Are they demoniacs? Are they locked up? Are they out of people's way and where they cannot harm others? Am I speaking of prison ministry? Is that what our Lord sees? I have a feeling our Lord is going deeper. Think of those you have in chains, locked out of your life in your heart. The ones you rather not mention. The ones that are completely crazy. Now, lets think about the encounter the demoniacs have with our Lord. How did that happen? Someone cared and dared...to tell our Lord about these lost souls. You too can be the one that dares to care. Tell our Lord about these souls, and bring the Lord to them (as hard as it may be, let's try this gently and never stop). I'm speaking of your loved ones, and the ones you cannot love. Let's pray: "Lord, I am afraid to rock the boat of peace. I am afraid to speak about You openly and to deliver some from oppression and depression because I am afraid to ruin our relationship or in some cases, I'm just afraid of them period! Please Lord, give me Grace and I pray for them to have grace, so as to be open to You and so we can connect with You together...and so be it forever! In Your Precious name we pray...." from your brother in Christ our Lord, adrian click to hear Random Bible Verse from online generator: Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2021 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®

† “Whatever you bind on earth shall be..."

†Saint Said: "Act as if everyday were the last of your life, and each action the last you perform." — St. Alphonsus Liguori † MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   †Saint Said: "Act as if everyday were the last of your life, and each action the last you perform." — St. Alphonsus Liguori † MEDITATION OF THE DAY "People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at this moment is progressing to the one state or the other." — C. S. Lewis, p. 92 AN EXCERPT FROM Mere Christianity †VERSE OF THE DAY "In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Hebrews 1:1-3 click to read more STS. PETER AND PAUL St. Peter and St. Paul (1st c.) were the foremost Apostles of Jesus Christ; St. Peter was the leader of the Twelve, while St. Paul followed Christ after His ascension into heaven. Together the two saints are the founders of the Church in Rome through their apostolic preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. They are the solid rock on which the foundation of the Catholic Church is built, and they will forever remain her protectors and guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God's providential guidance that they transformed the capital of the Roman Empire into the heart of the Church, with the mission to radiate the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. Both saints were martyred in close proximity to one another; Peter first, then Paul, though some traditions claim they were killed on the same day. St. Peter was crucified upside down and buried on the hill of the Vatican where St. Peter's Basilica now stands. St. Paul was beheaded on the via Ostia and buried where the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls now stands. St. Peter and St. Paul are the patron saints of Rome and they share a feast day on June 29, a tradition going back to the earliest centuries of the Church. See more about St. Peter. See more about St. Paul. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Mass during the Day Lectionary: 591 Reading I Acts 12:1-11 In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, "Get up quickly." The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals." He did so. Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me." So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting." Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Reading II 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18 I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia Mt 16:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia. You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 16:13-19 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) Have you ever heard of sports psychologists? One of their main roles is to help athletes recover from a big mistake during a game. They help the athlete acknowledge the problem, analyze what went wrong, and make the necessary adjustments so that they can regain their confidence. Today we celebrate the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul. The New Testament is filled with stories about how these men heroically devoted themselves to building the Church, but it doesn't shy away from recounting times when they made their own mistakes. All we have to do is remember the story of Peter denying Jesus three times and Paul's violent persecution of Jesus' early followers! Those early failings could have made these two apostles feel too ashamed to take up roles of leadership in the Church. But they were able to let go of that shame and move forward with confidence in God's mercy and love. They may not have had a sports psychologist to counsel them, but they had something even better: the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the memory of your own past failings has been holding you back. Maybe you think that there are other people better suited to serve at your parish or in your neighborhood. If that sounds like you, remember Peter and Paul. Let their examples inspire you to move beyond your past. Let them convince you that you don't have to be defined by your sins or your weaknesses or your failings. Covered in the mercy of Christ, you can serve and make a difference. Remember also the Holy Spirit. Ask him for the courage you need to step out in faith. Ask him to give you a double portion of God's love and to help you grow in confidence. Part of what separates saints like Peter and Paul from the rest of us is their humble ability to learn from their failings and their willingness to keep serving the Lord in spite of them. May we all learn how to keep moving forward, no matter what! "Holy Spirit, help me grow through my mistakes as I serve your people." Acts 12:1-11 Psalm 34:2-9 Listen to 2cents my2cents: Today's first reading ended: "They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting." We pray in the Psalms, the Lord's language: " The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him." Sin brings shame and it is the devil's duty to shame you and keep you in shame...until...one repents, until one comes clean with our Lord, and then, your face becomes radiant, with light, the light of God, no more shame, no more guilt, just living in mercy in a humble attitude. Our Lord speaks: "When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Pause for a moment to reflect. Again. "Who do people say that He is?". Ask people in the world and you'll get strange answers. From weird, to bad, to really bad. Let's keep reading: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." So there's a couple of takeaways here. First, Jesus built a church. On a man. And He gave Him authority, in what seems ultimate say and authority. Anything outside this church is susceptible to failure beyond the failures of Peter's own failures and by this I mean the Church, the Catholic (Universal) Church Jesus built. What is the greatest failures as of late, especially with the 50,000 splits from the Catholic Church called protestant denominations? And new splits happening so many times per year!? What are we to make of all this mess? We need unity. The latest and furthest denominations teach more and more against the Catholic Church, claiming THEY have the authority. This is the problem of all problems, claiming authority. There are some officials in governments that claim they are even above all churches, and the church therefore must do as they say. What does the Catholic Church say about all this? We are obedient. We do everything governments ask, except...to betray our Lord and His commandments, and the first being that God is our Lord and Father above all. And so once again, the question is "Who do YOU say that I AM?" Yesterday, I was interviewed by a local Catholic Radio station, to share my faith. Click to see: https://youtu.be/QuVe3SSVKhs. There, I was asked about my faith, and I responded at one point that "I needed to realize who I am before God". Meaning, who we are and what we are when we come to Him. Once we realize who we are before Him, we then can answer who He is. I am second. I am last. I am least. I am of God. I am His. I am made in His image. I am a child. I am His child. Keep reading this and saying this to yourself, and believe. We are His creation, we are His children, we are of God, we are His. We are made in his image. So what does God look like if we are made in His image? Take a good look at yourself and others. Who do you say He is? I'm not taking any chances with sin. I'm going to take my chances in loving the least among us...and perhaps tend to God Himself! Let's pray: Lord, I look to see Thy holy face, and I wonder, am I accepting, of Your needs? Am I accepting Thy Holy will? Do I love Thee as I ought? And so, I'm applying myself to Your precious will in Thy precious Church that holds You at the center as the source and summit of our Faith. To behold You in ways not known to the wise or the proud. To behold You My Savior and King, for that is Who You Are. Amazing! from your brother in Christ our Lord, adrian click to hear Random Bible Verse from online generator: Ephesians 4:31–32 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2021 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®