†Saint Quote
"Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the most tender of friends with souls who seek to please Him. His goodness knows how to proportion itself to the smallest of His creatures as to the greatest of them. Be not afraid then in your solitary conversations, to tell Him of your miseries, fears, worries, of those who are dear to you, of your projects, and of your hopes. Do so with confidence and with an open heart."
–St. Damien of Molokai †Today's Meditation
"The fullness of wisdom is fear of the Lord, she is present with the faithful in the womb (Sirach 1:14). Fear of the Lord does not mean to be afraid of God. It means to stand in awe and wonder before the greatness of the Lord. When we recognize that God is God and we are creatures, we develop a healthy sense of humility. We acknowledge our need for wisdom and grace, which are both gifts of the Holy Spirit." — Rev. Jude Winkler, p. 9 An Excerpt From
Daily Meditations Holy Spirit, p9 †Daily Verse
"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
–John 8:12 Daily Mass Readings |  click to read more | | Bl Denis of the Nativity Blessed Denis of the Nativity (1600-1638) was born as Pierre Berthelotin in France and became a sailor at the age of twelve. He had a successful career as pilot-in-chief and cartographer in service to the Kings of France and Portugal, even being knighted for bravery. He later chose the religious life and became a Carmelite friar, taking the name Dionysius (Denis) of the Nativity. He was sent by his superiors on a diplomatic and missionary mission to the Sultan of Aceh (Sumatra). Once there, all the members of his party were seized at the instigation of the Dutch authorities. They were tortured by their Islamic captors and were told to renounce their Catholic faith and become Muslims. They refused and were martyred. St Denis was martyred last, as he desired, in order to be able to strengthen the others. He was killed by a scimitar blow that split his head in two. His last words were: "Jesus, Mary." | Monday of the First Week of Advent Lectionary: 175
Reading I Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD! Responsorial Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Alleluia See Ps 80:4 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 8:5-11 When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven." | Daily Meditation: Isaiah 2:1-5 They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. (Isaiah 2:4) The prophet Isaiah envisions a future when the havoc wrought by wars and violence will be stilled. At that time, God will usher in his reign of peace across the world. This peace, or shalom, is meant as a state of wholeness, tranquility, and delight, and the word appears nearly thirty times in Isaiah's prophecies. We know that the era of peace Isaiah described will be fulfilled completely at the Second Coming, when Jesus returns in glory to establish a new heaven and a new earth. But we also know that this age of peace actually began on that first Christmas, when Jesus came to us as a child. He came to bring peace to our hearts through the forgiveness of our sins. He came to teach us to show each other mercy, not hatred. He came to show us how to live with each other in humility and unity. Jesus knew that if we wanted to see peace in the world, it had to start with each of us finding peace in our own heart. Can you imagine a world at peace? A time when all family relationships will be reconciled? A time when people no longer hurt each other? A time when everyone will know and share the love of God? At that time, even nations will put aside the practice of war for good. When he returns to fully establish his kingdom, Jesus will not only end all wars. He will heal all of the wounds of war. Soldiers and civilians alike, everyone who has suffered from violence of any kind, will be mended by his healing love. In fact, we see a sign of that healing love in today's Gospel. There, a Roman centurion, a seasoned warrior, encounters Jesus. With just a few words, Jesus cures his servant's suffering—an act that the centurion could never accomplish with his sword. So as we long for the day when Isaiah's prophecy comes to pass fully, let's pray for peace. Let's pray for every person touched by hatred or division or war, that they will know the healing love of Jesus. And this Advent, let's embrace Jesus, the Prince of Peace, in our hearts. "Lord, bring the peace of your kingdom to every corner of the earth!" Psalm 122:1-9
Matthew 8:5-11 | From Today's Holy Scripture:
"One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again." The King shall come. With shouts of joy. He came as a child, to live, to fight, and die. Such were the words of a song we sang in Holy Mass.
And are we alone in church? No. Christ Died So He could live in us, through the Holy Spirit. And His mother hears us, and the Saints pray for us.
You are not alone. Grace has been availed. | We pray in Psalms:
"I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem." What does Jerusalem mean? In the old Hebrew language, "Salem" means peace. Jeru means "They will feel the awe, and see".
And our Lord Jesus promises peace, but not as the world offers it. In the world, you have to trade, make a deal, and compromise for peace. But God's peace is availed with no compromise...simply open your heart...and this is the compromise within...can you? Will you? Is it too much to ask? Thank God for grace. | We heard our Lord in the Gospel today:
""Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed." | Our Lord is amazed by this Roman soldier who knew something in particular about a Sacrament. Biblical Scholar, and a convert to the Catholic faith, Dr. Scott Hahn writes a book called "Swear To God". At first take, it would seem a blasphemous title, but if you read the book, you understand the depth and gravity of a Sacrament. The very root word of Sacrament was a root word from the Roman times when soldiers would swear their every last bit of lives to the Roman military. And so it is with the Word of God.
Have you been sworn to God's Kingdom?
Have you lived up to the Word's expectations?
God only needs to speak one word for something like the world to be created. Our minds cannot fathom who or what exactly God is, but this becomes the mystery of Love. Trust. Worshiping our creator, our Father.
Our world was presented an information age. Forget the stone ages, forget the bronze ages, now we have entered a superhighway of information that grows in speed every day. And as fast as it ushered in speed of information, the concupiscence entered at an irresponsible speed, showing exactly where we stand in our desires. Preliminary numbers a few years ago showed upwards of 35-40% of internet usage was for pornography. This filth distributed across the world as the worst virus to ever hit our people. I would dare say that most of our violence of the last 40 years has been due to this fact. Our world needs peace. Peace can be achieved through purity. Purity can be attained through grace. Grace can be attained through openness to Jesus Christ, His blood, soul, and Divinity. Our Lord speaks to the Centurion:
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven." We go from the Centurion's words, to Jesus speaking about a feast, a banquet in Heaven. He-Ave. He Praises. Heaven is a place of praise. And it starts now. And the Banquet and offerings begin now. The Prince of Peace will come. And we await in joyful anticipation, those of us who have the light on for Christ to Come into our Home...our very HEarts. Let's Pray:
Lord, Only Say The Word, and I shall be healed,
And I shall heal the world with Thy precious Word.
I shall be an angel, I shall evANGELize, I shall tell the world that You are here, a whisper away, a breath away, a prayer away.
Thank You for the gift of faith. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Luke 12:15
And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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