Shaped by What We've Been Given No doubt, despite his personal generosity, Francis of Assisi, like many in our society, took his privilege for granted as God-given. Only later did Francis let go of his social and economic privilege so he could live in solidarity with all creation—rich and poor, human and nonhuman. I have come to recognize that privilege can insulate as well as isolate. Despite our relative wealth and comfort, the realities of privilege can spiritually harm both the privileged and the marginalized, whose poverty is often the shadow side of our abundance. We who are privileged can gain the world and lose our souls. Our sense of entitlement and alienation from those who struggle contracts our spirits and renders us oblivious to the voice of God speaking through our human and nonhuman neighbors. We fail to realize that many of our greatest achievements are the result of advantages we neither deserved or earned just as many persons' poverty and failure come are the result of factors beyond their control. Initiative and hard work matter, but achievement is shaped by what we've been given, not just what we've earned. Tragically, the poverty of others is often connected to our own economic wellbeing. —from the book Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism
by Bruce Epperly |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Without a doubt, obedience is more meritorious than any other penance. And what greater penance can there be than keeping one's will continually submissive and obedient?"
— St. Catherine of Bologna † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"So, if God has not resolved to cast His work back into nothingness forever, if this earth, sanctified by the footsteps of Christ, is destined, once radiant and renewed, to remain forever, then man must rise again in a future life to reconquer its scepter and kingship. Hence, once more, it follows that death means not ruin but restoration. If God has decreed that our earthly abode shall one day be dissolved, it is not for the purpose of despoiling us of it, but to render it subtle, immortal, serene. His aim may be compared to that of an architect, says St. John Chrysostom, who has the inhabitants leave his house for a short period, in order to have him return with greater glory to that same house, now rebuilt in greater splendor."
— Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 84
AN EXCERPT FROM
The End of the Present World TODAY'S FEAST DAY ⛪
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD February 2nd is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Candlemas. It is based on the Scripture passage in Luke 2:22-40 where the Holy Family journeys to Jerusalem forty days after the birth of Jesus to present him to God and offer sacrifice in the temple. At this time Mary completes the ritual purification required of women after childbirth, and Joseph offers the sacrifice for the redemption of the firstborn, as required by the Law of Moses. The Holy Family offered two turtledoves, permitted to the poor instead of a whole lamb. During their time in the temple Simeon gave his famous prophecy about the Christ Child being a light to the Gentile nations and a sign for the Jews, and that a sword would pierce Mary's soul. On this day the Church has a special ritual involving a procession and the blessing of candles, a symbol of Christ whose birth illumined the world's darkness. †VERSE OF THE DAY
"Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known."
Jeremiah 33: 2-3 |  click to read more | | ST. LAWRENCE OF CANTERBURY St. Lawrence of Canterbury (d. 619 A.D.) was among the original band of missionaries sent from Rome to evangelize England with St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. As a fruit of their labor the region's most powerful ruler, the King of Kent, became a baptized Christian along with many of his countrymen. When Augustine died, Lawrence became Canterbury's second Archbishop. He was a zealous leader and urged the Celtic bishops to keep peace and unity with Rome. When the King of Kent died, his pagan son caused great damage to the faith of the people and the mission work which had been done among them; because of this, some of the missionaries fled to Gaul. Lawrence was so upset by the abandonment of Christianity among his flock that he considered abandoning his bishopric as well. In response, St. Peter the Apostle appeared to him in a vision, rebuked him, and scourged him so badly that Lawrence had physical marks on his body from the encounter. St. Lawrence then relayed his vision to the king and showed him his wounds, causing the king to convert to the Christian faith as his father did. St. Lawrence's feast day is February 2nd. | Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Lectionary: 524
Reading I Mal 3:1-4 Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by. Responsorial Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10 R. (8) Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Reading II Heb 2:14-18 Since the children share in blood and flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested. Alleluia Lk 2:32 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A light of revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32 When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
-and you yourself a sword will pierce-
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him. OR: When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." | Daily Meditation: Luke 2:22-40 The Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25) One of the Church's great mystics, St. Bridget of Sweden, once received a revelation from Mary about her Son, Jesus. "There is the same humility in my Son now," Mary told her, "as there was when he was laid in the manger." Jesus had humbled himself by coming as a child and giving his life for our sake. But even now, Mary told St. Bridget, he continues to humble himself toward "all who speak to him with love," and he does it by sending his Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. These beautiful insights can help us understand how Simeon came to recognize Jesus in the Temple when Joseph and Mary brought him there for his presentation. They can also give us a sense of what can happen in us when we speak to Jesus "with love." Simeon was a devout Jew who loved God and ardently awaited the Messiah of Israel. He had faith. He studied the Scriptures. And he prayed constantly to see the fulfillment of God's promises. Here was a man who spoke to God with great love and great longing. Here was a man who yearned to see the face of God. And because of Simeon's love and faithfulness, God gave him the privilege of being able to recognize Jesus when his parents brought him to the Temple that day. Perhaps it was Simeon's practice of conversing lovingly with God that enabled him to receive clear guidance from the Holy Spirit. All that time spent praying and meditating on the Hebrew Scriptures helped Simeon open his heart to the Spirit. It helped him recognize the Spirit's voice. It made him open to the Spirit's guidance, which led him directly to Jesus. The same can be true for you. Every time you reflect on God's promises in Scripture, every time you look for him in prayer, every time you join in the celebration of Mass, you have an opportunity to speak to Jesus with great love. And no matter how lowly you think you are, no matter how much sin has clouded your heart, Jesus will do what he has always done: he will humble himself and come and show himself to you. "Jesus, I love you. Let me follow the Holy Spirit into your presence." Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7-10
Hebrews 2:14-18 |  clickable | Of course, the critical question is: Why do we not have true friendships? The answer is startlingly simple. We cannot have true friendships if we are not striving to be virtuous. The kind of life required for friendship is a virtuous life.
— John Cuddeback Ph.D.
from his book True Friendship: Where Virtue Becomes Happiness | my2cents:
"And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire."
These words were written perhaps 300 years BC, before Christ entered in flesh.
Imagine if a prophet today said something like that, "there He will come unexpectedly", and it is a good and valid prophecy, because it is meant for the ages. For all ages. To be aware, to be ready, to be waiting, although in darkness, but with hope inside...and they say our body is a temple. And for this purification of the temple, our Lord has done His will: "He will sit refining and purifying silver" and only for a reason...for the purity. For the sake of authentic being, above any material good.
"Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD...". It is fulfilled in our Lord, in His Body. | Today we pray: "Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle." Do you remember, 40 days ago when our Lord was born in Holy Scripture. And I wonder when the 3 Kings came? Was it after the 40 days? Some say yes. And it would make sense. Because after these Trinity Kings depart, a worldly king comes into the scene to ATTEMPT to destroy the King of Kings. And now the battle is on, as ever before. Thousands per day die, murdered in the womb. Why? It is the wages of war and the wages of sin. Collateral damage they say. Innocent bystanders abused. Why is the violence so bad? Why would Sister Faustina call this a "murder in the womb"? Because, it is the truth. How can our Lord stand this? Truth is, He can't. So what is our Lord doing about it? Truth is, what are WE going to do about it? I pray, every single day for the unborn. This battle for souls ends up being a battle for souls. It is highly hidden, from plain sight. I'd like to make a video of how an abortion happens. A girl goes with a young man into a room and shuts the door. She comes out with a big belly. And then goes into another room, with another (older) man, and shuts the door. And then, she walks out the second door, without a belly, but holding a little bag, a bag of pain pills, and tissues, and emptiness. What happens behind closed doors? Who is behind those doors? It is dark when you open those doors. Willful murder happens, at the first door of sin, swindled by who knows what. Common denominator? There is not a real man in this girl's life. That is, a man of God. Sure she has much of the blame, sure she made poor decisions, but look at the men behind the scenes, what kind of men are they? | In the Holy Gospel we heard about some men, and a woman: "Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord" and soon enough we heard about Simeon, and his prophecy. There were no closed doors in this story of the Presentation. It is all out in the open. I like to think that anything I say and do will be heard completely on the other side. If I speak of someone behind their back, I want to speak as if I were in front of them, telling them myself. We should speak uplifting words. We should speak praises, as hard as it may be. Find the narrow way. | Simeon speaks: ""Now, Master...my eyes have seen your salvation...which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."
Simeon had waited for this moment his whole entire life...for the promise to see the Lord Himself with his very eyes...and there HE was...presented as a baby. A precious new born baby. How else do we expect to see Him? Pure and innocent. Mother Mary said to a saint that to this very day, our Lord is as humble as the day He was in the manger, that very baby. Perhaps we fail, as a society, to see what this means. Mother Mary presented herself in accordance with the Mosaic Law, and really this is supposed to be all about her and her obedience. And it is. But the fruit of obedience is justice and actual grace. And the light becomes real.
A woman enters with a man of God to a man of God, St. Joseph to Simeon. The Divided Kingdom had reconciled in Mary and Joseph and the fruit was offered to God. 3 men are in the scene, and that woman that gave fruit is a symbol of who we are as humanity with our children who are lights in the world.
I am thinking of my 8 kids. I am teaching my oldest girl to drive, she is 16, and I'm basically teaching her how to be independent. And it hurts. It hurts to think that everything I'm doing is to let her out into the world, to live alone, to find her way. And my hope is that she will take the day serious when I told her as I tucked her into bed when she was a little girl "I don't care what your vocation is, I only care that you love God above all". And when she leaves, there will be a robust voice and joy that leaves the house, and that tears away at me, of what it will cost me, but it will be good for the world for her to spread the love of God in places and people that I couldn't enter with...directly.
And so my friend, my family, this is how it is with our Lord. He awaits in our Heavenly Home. He has the warm fire going. He has the banquet table ready for all us His kids. He has sacrificed the joy of His life, His Son for us, to return with Him the entire flock. And I pray we are His true flock. Lord, I wait for You like Simeon. And in my waiting, I carry the message to the world, knowing that the truth will come to my encounter. May I find You Lord, in the most humble, the most vulnerable, the most hidden in plain sight, right in front of me, Your beautiful Light. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian | Random online bible verse: Mt. 6:34
34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
