Don't Harden Your Hearts Jesus tells the crowd, "If you make my word your home, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They respond '"We are descendants of Abraham and have never been the slaves to anyone! What do you mean by 'We will be free?'" Jesus answered them, "I tell you sincerely, anyone who chooses a dead-ended life and stops growing, is in sin, and that is slavery" (see John 8:31–35). We have all experienced it. When someone wants to dislike us, no matter what we do, it will be interpreted in the worst possible fashion. As we often say, "You can't win." When someone's heart is hardened already, you could be Jesus himself, and they will seriously see you as wrong, inferior, dangerous, and heretical—which is what is about to happen in Holy Week. At that point, no matter what evil a person decides to do to you, it will be deemed virtuous and praiseworthy by hardened or paranoid people in the hostile camp. "He is a terrorist!" they might say. Never having the humility or honesty to admit that to someone else, looking from a different perspective (which is deemed totally wrong), he probably looks like a sacrificial and dedicated freedom fighter. John had to make a clear villain here for the sake of the debate, so he safely chose his own race and people. There are claims and counterclaims of truth, freedom, lineage, tradition, killing, and divine illegitimacy. Jesus fights back well, but he does not have a chance. Their hearts are already hardened in place, which in this archetypal story is really not a statement about Jews as much as it is about all of humanity. "I have my conclusions already, do not bother me with any new information that might make me change my judgment." Most Christians would probably be slow to admit that by these criteria almost all of us would have opposed Jesus. "This is not our tradition, he is not from our group, and he has no credentials!" "God of perfect freedom, open spaces inside of our minds, our hearts, and our memories, so we can just begin to be free. Do not let me be hardened against anyone of your creatures, so that I cannot hear and respect their truth." — from the book Wondrous Encounters: Scriptures for Lent by Richard Rohr, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharistic Table as often as possible. Feed on this Bread of the Angels from which you will draw the strength to fight inner struggles."
— Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Who is Lucifer? He is a pure spirit, and was the most enlightened of all pure spirits, but is now at war with God and with His rule. The mystery of sin is merely the result of this conflict, which manifests itself in every possible way. Lucifer, as much as in him lies, will leave no stone unturned to destroy what God has made and ordered. Wherever he enters, there is the work of God defaced."
—Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 114
AN EXCERPT FROM
Abandonment to Divine Providence †VERSE OF THE DAY
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Isaiah 61:10 |  click to read more | | ST. CATHERINE OF SWEDEN St. Catherine of Sweden (1331-1381) was the fourth of eight children born to St. Bridget of Sweden and her husband, Ulfo. As a child she was sent by her parents to be educated in a convent, and was later given in marriage to a German nobleman. Catherine was able to persuade her husband, a virtuous young man, to live together in a mutual vow of perpetual chastity. They lived happily together in complete devotion to God. After the death of her father, and with her husband's consent, Catherine accompanied her mother to Rome. While there, Catherine's husband died. She continued to be a companion to her mother and rejected further offers of marriage. Her mother worked to establish a new religious order, called the Order of the Holy Savior, or the Bridgettines. After her mother's death, Catherine took her body back to Sweden for burial while continuing the work of establishing the Bridgettines. She later traveled back to Rome to advocate for her mother's canonization and for Pope Urban VI to ratify her Order. While in Rome she became great friends with St. Catherine of Siena. St. Catherine of Sweden finally returned to Sweden and became abbess of the newly founded Bridgettines, living the rest of her days as a model of prayer and penance. St. Catherine of Sweden is the patron saint against abortions and miscarriages. Her feast day is March 24th. | Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Lectionary: 253
Reading I Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 King Nebuchadnezzar said:
"Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
"There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up." King Nebuchadnezzar's face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace. Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
"Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?"
"Assuredly, O king," they answered.
"But," he replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God."
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God." Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim; praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever! Verse before the Gospel See Lk 8:15 Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance. Gospel Jn 8:31-42 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father." They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me." | Daily Meditation: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God. (Daniel 3:92) Do you have any furnaces in your life? Not the literal, helpful kind that warms your home in the winter, but the figurative, destructive kind that burns everything around you. These "furnaces" could be tragedies, trials, or challenges in your life—anything that requires an extraordinary amount of strength to overcome or endure. Well, today's first reading assures us that no matter how hard the task before us may be, God will be with us. He can give us the strength and courage to face those flames and to come out even stronger than before. For some of us, just getting out of bed each day can be a "furnace" experience. People who live with depression and anxiety might live in dread of each morning and the uncertainties of the day ahead. People struggling with a terminal disease might resent the dawn of another day of pain. But even in these situations, if we call out to the Lord, he can wrap us in his love, calm our fears, and give us courage we never knew we had. For others of us, a wounded relationship can feel like a furnace that burns away the peace and security we once found in that other person's friendship. But God is in the midst of those flames as well, offering us his healing love and helping us decide when and how to seek reconciliation. Identifying and stopping sinful patterns of behavior can also be hard as the flames of temptation draw closer and closer. But God is even there, standing right beside us as those foul thoughts and desires flare up. They can't chase him away; he is always ready to give us his strength and determination to keep fighting. God never promised that life would be easy, but he did promise that he would be there in the fire to help us. Always remember that when you are faced with a difficult decision or a fiery situation. He will give you the courage to move forward in faith. He will be right there to support you and sustain you. "Jesus, help me to stand tall and confident in the midst of whatever flames come to threaten me today. Lord, I trust that you are standing next to me!" (Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56
John 8:31-42 Comments |  clickable | If a little flower could speak, it seems to me that it would tell us quite simply all that God has done for it, without hiding any of its gifts. It would not, under the pretex of humility, say that it was not pretty, or that it had not a sweet scent, that the sun had withered its petals, or the storm bruised its stem, if it knew that such were not the case.
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux | my2cents:
"... we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up."
Wow, aren't we glad we don't have to face a king that forces us to worship their ideals and false gods, right?
Well...slow down there a minute. There is a prince in the world that does force himself on you constantly. The dark prince is given a type of formidable power over people that if left unchecked could become not only reckless, but deadly, a self poisoning if you will. And it is none other than allowing oneself to become a slave to sin, a bondage that is harder to let go than drugs. And if you've ever met an addict, what I have said is very scary. But have you ever met an ex-addict? They exist. Not too many, but they do exist. There is hope. And the hope is that we do not even dabble with the slavery of darkness. Do not be afraid with the threats that darkness throws, which are basically fear of losing yourself...to God. And so we shall pray: "I will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up." | We prayed: "Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Glory and praise for ever!"
Have you seen the movie, "For Greater Glory"? It was about the times of persecution against Catholics in old Mexico, about 100 years ago. They would hang (Catholic) people on telephone poles as if being crucified, and among the biggest targets, just like in old England, they hunted priests. Priests are always the biggest target. That is why you should lay your life for your priest. But sadly, I see the very parishioners hunt their own...Father. Children become rabid with the sin of...pride, fueled by hidden sins. And what I am about to say, should shake every soul to the core: Jesus is THE PRIEST from Heaven. What if you show up to see Him properly dressed, and you see Him wearing a white collar like priests should and do? And that is your Father. Keep this in mind as we dive into the Holy Gospel today. | Our Lord from Heaven speaks:
"A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham.But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence; then do what you have heard from the Father."
Why is our Lord and Father speaking about children, and the Father? Why is He speaking of illegitimate children? Because, children of the dark fail to accept our Father as their true father. Our Lord said something that remains true for children of the dark, and beware of this in your own life, "...you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you." In a communist society, the lies are sold "if you give up your gods, you will be happy". And so the atheists and agnostics soon drop in, one by one, ultimately making humans the gods. All false lies. Yet, this is exactly what Israel had become, and this is exactly why our Lord came as if to say "Why don't you love me anymore?" What happens with sin? We become illegitimate. We become alienated. We become un-social monsters. We become haters, not lovers. If you turn on the news, all eyes are on evil, glorifying and glamorizing evil, with sex and death as top stories. And sadly, sensation sells. And soon, more slaves of sin join the chain gang, chained up, being dragged to hell. What? What hell? Communists don't believe in hell, and that lie is now being sold too. The nonexistence of everything. | And the last words of our Lord come: ""If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here;I did not come on my own, but he sent me."
Jesus is a priest. He is THE Priest. Priest of Priests. The highest of all Priests and Angels. He is super holy. He is the Good shepherd we can only dream of.
Yet, He becomes Holy Spirit. And with the faintest of unheard prayers He comes at our every beckoning call.
Priests are expected to be servants at our every beckoning call...right? If they aren't there for you, then what?
But, the inverse is true too. Priests expect us to come at their every last beckoning call...after all, we are the flock, and of all of us...the Flock of Jesus. Lord, You came so that we might see Your love from the cross. You came so that we might be healed and saved. You came so that we might open our hearts to you in truth, mercy, and compassion. I pray that we can make a holy return for your great holiness bestowed on us through grace. Help us love Thee more and more! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian | Random online bible verse from a random verse generator:
WOW
2 Corinthians 3:4–6
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
