†Saint Quote
"Put up willingly with the faults of others if you wish others to put up with yours."
— St. John Bosco † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"My dear brothers and sisters, not only is prayer very powerful; even more, it's of the utmost necessity for overcoming the enemies of our salvation. Look at all the saints: They weren't content with watching and fighting to overcome the enemies of their salvation and with keeping well away from all that could offer them temptation. They passed their whole lives in prayer, not only the day, but very often the whole night as well. Yes, my dear children, we watch over ourselves and all the motions of our hearts in vain, and in vain we avoid temptation, if we don't pray. If we don't continually resort to prayer, all our other ways will be of no use at all to us, and we'll be overcome. We won't find any sinner converted without turning to prayer. We won't find one persevering without depending heavily on prayer. Nor will we ever find a Christian who ends up damned whose downfall didn't begin with a lack of prayer."
— St. John Vianney, p. 155
AN EXCERPT FROM
Manual for Spiritual Warfare †VERSE OF THE DAY
"We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit."
1 John 4:6 |  click to read more | | POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II Pope St. John Paul II (1920–2005) was born in Poland and was a vibrant, athletic, and intelligent child. His deeply religious father played an important role in his spiritual formation after his mother's death when he was 8 years old. He studied literature, poetry, and theater before his studies were interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. He answered the call to the priesthood, and after entering a clandestine seminary was ordained in 1946. He completed his doctoral studies in Rome and returned to Poland where he ministered in a special way to young people. He was ordained a bishop in 1958 and attended the Second Vatican Council in 1962. He is well known for his leadership in encouraging a spiritual and cultural resistance to the Communist occupation of Poland. He was elected Supreme Pontiff in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years, and had the second-longest pontificate in history. He was a remarkable theologian and philosopher and a guardian of orthodoxy. During his time as Holy Father he gave a multitude of important contributions to the Church including his teaching on the Theology of the Body, his emphasis on the Universal Call to Holiness, and his strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. He is also known as the "Pope of the Family." During his pontificate he beatified 1338 people and canonized 482 saints. He also visited 129 countries, making him one of the most well-traveled world leaders in history. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014. His feast day is October 22nd. | Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 477
Reading I Rom 7:18-25a Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Responsorial Psalm 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94 R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful; teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts, for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:54-59 Jesus said to the crowds,
"When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time? "Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny." | Daily Meditation: Luke 12:54-59 Why do you not know how to interpret the present time? (Luke 12:56) Carpe diem; seize the day! In literature, film, even advertising, this well-known phrase exhorts us to take hold of life with passion. Make the most of today since tomorrow is not guaranteed. We often associate this saying with seeking pleasure or living selfishly, but for Christians, it can remind us to follow Jesus today lest we miss the grace that God offers us. Jesus echoes this attitude in today's Gospel as he concludes a heated conversation with a crowd that has gathered around him. He warns them to avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, to prioritize the things that truly matter to God, and to ready themselves for the day of his return (Luke 12:1, 20-21, 40). Finally, he addresses their apparent inability to perceive what is happening right before their eyes. They could read the signs of the weather and react accordingly. Why couldn't they perceive the spiritual importance of the present time ? Jesus himself was standing right in front of them. This was their opportunity to repent and accept him as the Messiah. Were they blind? Or did they just prefer not to see? Perhaps they were a little bit of both. These people had followed Jesus and listened to his preaching, but they hadn't yet chosen to change their lives. Even Jesus' disciples were struggling with his call to "sell your belongings" and store up lasting treasure (Luke 12:33). Like them, we can struggle to take hold of God's call for our lives. St. Paul describes it in personal terms: "I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want" (Romans 7:19). Like the disciples and like Paul, we are ready to grab hold of the grace Jesus offers us at one moment, but we don't even notice him in the next. Even so, Jesus stands before us, just as he stood before the crowd—with grace for today. Wherever you are, today is your moment of visitation (Luke 19:44). Jesus says, "I am with you. Let me help you. I have grace that will open your eyes, change your heart, and help you take the next step in following me." The time is now. Seize the day. "Lord, help me to seize the grace you offer me today." Romans 7:18-25
Psalm 119:66, 68, 76-77, 93-94 |  Listen to 2cents | From Today's Holy Scripture:
"Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me."
Notice how you do evil.
Notice it so you can identify the problem.
Notice it, so we can now apply the solution.
Now we must truly face ourselves, the duplicity we have encountered must be dealt with rightly.
I know when I see my own sin before me, I know there are evil roots that must be addressed, and I ask myself "how did I get myself to this spot? How can I avoid the next near occasion of sin?" And the solution is a blood bath, a co-mingling of my own with His precious Grace. Think Sacraments. | We pray in Psalms:
"Never will I forget your precepts, for through them you give me life. Lord, teach me your statutes." Te be taught, we must be open, so let us always, ALWAYS be open to teachings, for we do not know the hour...in which He will come to you, and teach you Himself. | Our Lord speaks, the TRUTH speaks:
"You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
"Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way". | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, the famous call of the Vatican II fathers to "read the signs of the times" is grounded in Jesus' exhortation in the Gospel for today. Followers of Jesus are meant to look at the world with clear eyes, to see what is happening, to be attentive. But this attention is of a particular type. It is not the attention of the scientist or the philosopher or the politician—though it can include those. It is an attention to the things of God.
I have often argued that many of us today are still enthralled to a Deist view of God, whereby God is a distant and aloof first cause of the universe, uninvolved with the world he has made. But Thomas Aquinas taught that God is in all things "by essence, presence, and power," and that God providentially cares for every aspect of his creation. Therefore, we should expect to see signs of his presence and activity in nature, in history, and in human affairs.
And once we see, we are meant to speak! In a way, followers of Jesus are not looking at the signs of the times for their own benefit, but rather that they might share their prophetic perspective with everyone else. So look around, look with attention, look with the eyes of faith!" How often, if you are Catholic, have you gone to receive the Eucharist, and failed to make amends, peace with someone you argued with, fought with, had bad terms? How many of us have gone to receive Him, having immersed ourselves in sin? What does that say about our relationship with our Father and our neighbor? It doesn't say, stop coming to Holy Communion, but it says make amends, before receiving Him. They say that to root out evil in your life, go to confessions as soon as the sin happens, that is, go to the next available Confession. ASAP
Now, we are discerning the times.
Our Lord calls us hypocrites. I used to be baffled to hear Him call us fools, or stupid. But now, I'm getting it. For I have been fooled. This Pharisee has been fooled. And having been fooled, and living the fool, you are automatically a hypocrite. For you live a double life. And if you are living this foolish life, we are simply stupid. Sin makes us stupid. I see how our country has been falling for stupidity for the last generation, over 40 years. Sin is made to be gods. Disorder seems to be the call for order. And so city's destroy themselves. We destroy ourselves. It is not God's fault. We are being stupid. We are being sinful. We have decided to NOT follow Jesus, closely.
Too many of us want to follow far away, where you can barely tell if you are even following Him at all at the end of the tail of the line.
Learn then, humility. The greatest humility? To fall on your knees before the Lord, right now, for you have failed to do what you know you could do. Render your entire life to God Our Father. Let's pray:
My Lord, My Father,
You have created me for love, and to love what is right.
Create in us a pure heart to love You rightly, right now, not later, but this VERY MOMENT.
I will say it outloud now, (say it) I LOVE YOU GOD My Father.
Help us be Yours both now and forever...for the sake of Thy Precious blood from Thy precious Face! St. Pope John Paul II
Pray for us! Mother of God, pray for us and for the healing of the Body of Christ! | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Psalm 55:17
7 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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