†Saint Quote
"Would that I could exhaust myself in acts of thanksgiving and gratitude towards this Divine Heart, for the great favor He shows us, in deigning to accept our help to make Him known, loved and honored; He reserves infinite blessings for all those who devote themselves to this work." St. Margaret Mary Alacoque †Today's Meditation
"If you stay united with Christ, each one of you will be able to do great things. This is why, dear friends, you must not be afraid to dream with your eyes open of important projects of good and you must not let yourselves be discouraged by difficulties. Christ has confidence in you and wants you to be able to realize all your most noble and lofty dreams of genuine happiness. Nothing is impossible for those who trust in God and entrust themselves to Him." — Pope Benedict XVI Cover image from the book, Pope Benedict XVI
AN EXCERPT FROM
Pope Benedict XVI †Daily Verse
"But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful." Luke 6:35-36 |  click to read more | | St. John Berchmans St. John Berchmans (1599-1621) was born in Flanders, Belgium, the eldest of five children of a shoemaker. He was a virtuous and well-liked child who would often rise early to serve at two or three Masses a day before he reached the age of seven. On Friday evenings he had a custom of making the Stations of the Cross outdoors while barefoot. When he was nine years old his mother suffered from a long and terrible illness, and John faithfully attended her bedside until she died. As a pious young person devoted to the things of God, he enrolled in a Jesuit college where he was known for being an energetic and outgoing student with great academic potential and leadership qualities. He also joined the Society of the Blessed Virgin and prayed her Office daily. He discerned a vocation to the religious life and began priestly formation as a Jesuit. His way of holiness was to perform his ordinary duties with extraordinary fidelity and perfection even in the smallest details, believing that, "If I do not become a saint when I am young, I shall never become one." He died tragically of a fever at the age of twenty-two while studying for the seminary in Rome. Many miracles were attributed to him after his death. St. John Berchmans is the patron saint of altar servers and young people. His feast day is November 26th. | Lectio Divina of the Gospels 2021-2022
Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Dn 7:2-14 In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle's wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind.
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, "Up, devour much flesh."
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched, Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was snow bright,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
---------‐-------
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!"
"You springs, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him! Alleluia Lk 21:28
--‐------------
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 21:29-33 Jesus told his disciples a parable.
"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away." | DAILY MEDITATION: LUKE 21:29-33
Consider the fig tree. (Luke 21:29) Jesus had just described the cataclysms that would come before his return in glory: portents in the night sky, an unnatural roaring of the seas, and the "powers of the heavens" shaking (Luke 21:25-26). And now he's comparing these catastrophes to something as peaceful and lovely as the flowering of a fig tree. It seems out of place, doesn't it? You would think a locust invasion might be more appropriate. Or at least a thornbush! But Jesus is talking about the coming of his kingdom, not the end of all creation. He's talking about that great day when all our deepest hopes and dreams are finally fulfilled. This is the kingdom of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). What better way to describe its arrival than by talking about life bursting forth into full flower? What about all the upheaval Jesus described? Isn't that part of the picture as well? Absolutely. But it's not the end of the story. Just as we know that a thunderstorm on a humid afternoon will usher in a cool, breezy evening, we know that these trials and disasters will come to an end when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, returns. So yes, Jesus is coming back. And yes, his coming will be marked by some frightening events. We don't know when it will happen, but when it does, whatever period of darkness precedes it will give way to the brightness and the glory of a new creation. All suffering, fear, pain, and sorrow will be wiped away. Robed in the dignity of the children of God, we will stand before Jesus, the Son of Man (Revelation 21:3-4). Jesus promised us, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Luke 21:33). Everything around us that we can see and touch today will ultimately fade or dissolve or burn away. But remember the hope and promise contained in that image of a fig tree in full flower. Because in the end, Jesus' word will still be with us: a word that saves, a word that brings new life, a word that welcomes us into his eternal kingdom. "Jesus, help me to be ready for your return. Come, Lord, and fill me with eager expectation!" Daniel 7:2-14
(Psalm) Daniel 3:75-81 | From Today's Holy Scripture:
"One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed." Welcome to the Kingdom....you baptized soul and child of God! | We pray in Psalms:
"Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever." Give glory and eternal praise to him! "Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever." | We heard our Lord in the Gospel today:
""Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near." What bud has burst open? Recall the stump of Jesse. Recall the tree...dead tree...becomes alive...from the very bursting of the Side of Christ. Know that He is near and very near. And where He is...so is His Kingdom. | "Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."
These words perplex me..."this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place." These words are spoken as a present tense. So did they take place already? Yes. Are they taking place today?
Yes. The bud bursts open in Mass.
Our Lord has eternally set His body for the body. Holiness for all of us.
Grace is availed. The substance needed to conquer the world. Partake and share. Let's pray:
Lord...thank You.
Thank you for Your Word and your Word turned into Body and into our body. Help us realize the tremendous gift. And when realized...let us realize true Thanksgiving...sacrifice for the Body if Christ. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: 1 Jn 4:7
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment