†Saint Quote
""Persevere in labors that lead to salvation. Always be busy in spiritual actions. In this way, no matter how often the enemy of our souls approaches, no matter how many times he may try to come near us, he'll find our hearts closed and armed against him."
— St. Cyprian of Carthage † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Many are heading straight on for purgatory. They live until their last hour, even though they are seriously ill, even on their deathbed, as if everything is all right. Exclusively directed to the earthly, they don't think at all about calling upon the mercy of God. Although by doing so they would be spared at least a severe purgatory. For God is infinitely merciful for all who call upon Him and trust Him."
AN EXCERPT FROM
Hungry Souls † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."
Isaiah 43:25 |  click to read more | | BLESSED JOHN BODEY Blessed John Bodey (1549-1583) was born in Wells, England, the son of a wealthy merchant and former mayor. He studied at Oxford and became an Oxford Fellow in 1568 at the age of 19. Later he, along with seven others, was deprived of his fellowship for being a Roman Catholic by the Anglican Bishop of Winchester. Bodey, a married layman and schoolmaster, was arrested in 1580 for continuing to practice the Catholic religion and rejecting England's newly-established heretical Church of England. He was kept in iron shackles for three years, which he called his "school of patience." In 1583 he was tried for treason, both for being a faithful Roman Catholic and for repudiating King Henry VIII's claim of supremacy of the Church in England over against the Holy Father. Bodey wrote that his iron chains were earning him glory in heaven, even kissing the chain halter around his neck. He was executed under Queen Elizabeth on November 2, 1583 by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Andover. He died with the name of Jesus on his lips. His mother rejoiced that her son persevered to the end and won the crown of martyrdom; she gave a feast in honor of him being numbered among the saints in heaven. John Bodey was beatified in 1929 and is one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is November 2nd. | TODAY'S FEAST DAY ALL SOULS DAY November 2nd is All Souls Day, sometimes called the Day of the Dead. On this day, and during the month of November, the Church prays in a special way for the souls of the faithful departed, and individuals pray especially for those whom they have known and loved. The Holy Souls in purgatory died in the mercy of God, thus they are called "holy." However, because they still had attachment to sin at the time of their death, they must undergo the spiritual purification of their souls before they are able to fully love God with their whole heart, mind, and soul for all eternity. As they are nevertheless part of the communion of saints, they depend upon us to help ease their suffering and quickly advance them through their purification so that they can join the saints in heaven. Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, this is why they are also called "poor." They can no longer merit anything for themselves and rely entirely on living souls to pray and make sacrifices on their behalf. | The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Lectionary: 668 The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day.
Reading I Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me. Reading II Rom 6:3-9 Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him. Alleluia Mt 25:34 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:37-40 Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day." | Daily Meditation: John 6:37-40 I will not reject anyone who comes to me. (John 6:37) On the feast of All Souls, we remember our "faithful departed." This term can sound so remote and impersonal. But the death of a loved one is anything but remote. These are our spouses, our parents, our children, our friends. These are our beloved dead, and our sense of loss can be profound. We may feel as if we have lost all connection with them, and in our grief, we can even doubt God's goodness. That is why today's feast is a gift, both for us and for our deceased loved ones. All Souls' Day reminds us that because of our baptism, we are members of the body of Christ. Through Jesus, we are eternally united with all our brothers and sisters, both living and deceased. This means that our love and our prayers can reach beyond the grave. By our prayers, we can help those who have gone before us and who are now being purified (CCC, 958, 961–962). And as we pray for them, our own faith can grow stronger. In today's Gospel, Jesus makes a remarkable promise: "I will not reject anyone who comes to me" (John 6:37). His mercy is so great that if we come to him with humble faith and sincere repentance, he will cleanse us and heal us, no matter what we have done. How comforting! In this promise, we find the courage to pray that our loved ones will experience this healing, even after death. Not only that, but we find the courage to trust that the Lord who welcomes them will also heal and welcome us when we see him face-to-face. Today, we pray for all who have died, that God's holy and perfect love will continue to purify them so that they can be fully united with the Lord. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote, may they "become fully open to receiving God and able to take [their] place at the table of the eternal marriage-feast" (Spe Salvi, 46). May nothing hinder them: no sin, no fear or shame, no wounds from the sins of others. Let nothing keep them from Jesus and his healing love. "Lord Jesus, have mercy on us sinners." Wisdom 3:1-9
Psalm 23:1-6
Romans 5:5-11 |  Listen to 2cents | From Today's Holy Scripture:
"Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"
Baptized into death?
Our Lord said on the blessed night before He was taken, "indeed you shall take the chalice".
What is this cup? Before we go there, let's talk about the Scripture from Wisdom, a book ripped out of protestant bibles and now they claim we simply added books. I digress. The Word says: "The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction." Back to death, that the bible speaks about, and our Lord speaks about. What is this foolishness about?
In the eyes of the world, we are a foolish people, us who follow Christ. To lose our lives for Him, utter dismay, like the parents dismayed to find out their daughter or son will be a religious nun or a priest. How many wag their heads and their tongues to see one totally devoted to God, and are religious (totally devoted)?
Back to death we are about to hear about...this abandonment of the world.
I just prayed and randomly opened the book "Imitation of Christ" by Kempis: CHRIST (speaks): My child, when you feel the desire for eternal happiness give to you from above, so that you wish to abandon this mortal body in order to behold clearly and without any shadow the brighntess of My glory, open wide your heart, and with all the desire of your soul receive this holy inspiration.
Give greatest thanks to the good God, who deals so generously with you, mercifully visits you, fervently stirs you and powerfully raises you up, so that you do not revert back to the things of earth. | We pray in Psalms:
" The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage." | We heard from our Lord:
"Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me." | Will God have mercy in the after life?
Yes, and no.
For those that seek mercy, it is found, on earth for sure. But they say in the after life, you can't pray your way out of hell, or even purgatory.
So, why yes? Because our prayers are heard for those who cannot pray for themselves.
Think of a hardened sinner that refuses to pray with you or to listen to you about God stuff. Your prayers can supersede an impenetrable heart. Who am I thinking of? Those in hell or purgatory? For sure this applies to them, but I'm thinking right now of St. Augustine, and his mother's prayers, Saint Monica.
He ran away from her because she was a nagging nuisance about converting to Christ. He loved the worldly life and philosophies.
But how about you? Are you a nagging nuisance for Christ?
Modern theology and thoughts preach that we should not burden others, and not bother them anymore once they reject you.
But this is not true. Yes dust off your feet. But if I stopped preaching to my drunkard beloved family member, about 17 years ago, he threatened to beat me up, and fast forward 16 years of my fasting and praying for him, he finally is softening up to the message of coming to our Lord. Mercy comes. Mercy will meet you to the degree you desire mercy. And I desire mercy for all.
Now. How often do you pray for a deceased soul?
In a protestant world, you don't pray for the dead. They ripped out all preachings about purgatory. And they say we added it, made it up, lies. We are simply following what the Jews, the people of God already believed, about the dead, those who have passed on before us.
This day is special, the third day of the Death Triduum, three days, Hallow's Eve (All Holy's Eve), All Saints Day, and All Souls day.
We get to remember the saints and the dead, and for the dead to become saints, because only saints are in Heaven.
Tall order. Impossible? No. With CHRIST all things are possible. The following line of "Imitation of Christ" says:
from Christ: "It is not by your own thought or effort that you attain this, but only through the gift of grace and God's loving regard for you; so that you will grow in humility and virtue and prepare yourself for future conflicts, to labor with all the love of your heart to remain faithfully close to Me." Let's pray:
Lord, I pray that we grow closer to You and let your purifying love burn us to perfection.
Help us be on fire, a blatant and blazing fire in the world... a light in the darkness. A hope where there is none, and life, where death seems to gloom so attached to sin.
We pray for our loved ones who have passed on, and for those who have no one else praying for them right now....to be purified quickly, to develop a true sense of purity...for You to enter and dwell and be made the greater Body in all the Worlds Thou Hast created.... | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: 1 Peter 2:2–3 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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