†Saint Quote
"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle."
— St. Francis of Assisi † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Many men keep the commandments in the way sick men take medicine: more from fear of dying in damnation than for joy of living according to our Savior's will. Just as some persons dislike taking medicine, no matter how pleasant it is, simply because it is called medicine, so there are some souls who hold in horror things commanded simply because they are commanded . . . On the contrary, a loving heart loves the commandments. The more difficult they are, the sweeter and more agreeable it finds them, since this more perfectly pleases the Beloved and gives Him greater honor."
— St. Francis de Sales, p. 20
AN EXCERPT FROM
Finding God's Will for You † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe."
Proverbs 18:10 |  click to read more | | ST. MARIA GORETTI St. Maria Goretti (1890–1902) was born in Italy to a humble farming family. Her father died from malaria when she was 9, leaving the family destitute. Her mother and older siblings worked in the fields while Maria managed the household chores and cared for her younger siblings. One summer day while the family was in the fields, Maria was attacked by their neighbor, a 19-year-old boy named Alessandro, who attempted to rape her. Maria wasn't yet 12 years old. She fought back, yelling to him that it was a sin and that he would go to hell for his actions. In a rage over her refusal, Alessandro stabbed Maria fourteen times. Doctors operated to save her life, without anesthesia, and Maria lingered for two days after the attack. She verbally forgave Alessandro for his crime, offered her suffering to God, and died while holding a crucifix. Alessandro went to prison for murder, full of hardness of heart. One day in prison Maria appeared to him in a dream. She placed 14 white lilies, one at a time, into his hands; one for each of the times he stabbed her. This stunning experience of forgiveness brought him to repentance, and Alessandro was converted. Upon leaving prison he sought reconciliation with Maria's mother and with the Church. Alessandro called Maria "his little saint" and prayed to her daily. He also attended her canonization Mass in 1950. Alessandro joined the Franciscans as a lay brother until his death in 1970. St. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of children, youth, young girls, the poor, martyrs, purity, poverty, chastity, rape victims, and forgiveness. Her feast day is July 6th. | Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 384
Reading I Gn 32:23-33 In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,
with the two maidservants and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he had taken them across the stream
and had brought over all his possessions,
Jacob was left there alone.
Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,
he struck Jacob's hip at its socket,
so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.
The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."
The man asked, "What is your name?"
He answered, "Jacob."
Then the man said,
"You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed."
Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please."
He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?"
With that, he bade him farewell.
Jacob named the place Peniel,
"Because I have seen God face to face," he said,
"yet my life has been spared." At sunrise, as he left Penuel,
Jacob limped along because of his hip.
That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat
the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,
inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle. Responsorial Psalm 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15 R. (15a) In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
From you let my judgment come; your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night, though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies, O savior of those who flee from their foes.
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
I in justice shall behold your face; on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord. Alleluia Jn 10:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:32-38 A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
"Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said,
"He drives out demons by the prince of demons." Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 9:32-38 The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. (Matthew 9:37-38) Have you ever wrestled with God? In today's first reading, we read about how Jacob wrestled a man all night long, not knowing until the end that the "man" was really an angel of God. This wrestling match might seem like an endearing side story in Jacob's life, but it actually came at a decisive moment in his life. He was about to meet his estranged brother, Esau, after years apart, and Jacob knew he had to face up to the way he had cheated his brother out of his birthright. Just as Jacob experienced in today's first reading, we can have our own wrestling matches with God, especially when it comes to accepting his plan for us. There are probably many times when we have felt "moved with pity" for someone who is struggling in life (Matthew 9:36). But we feel a conflict between wanting to do more and fearing that it would be too demanding. Or we feel a conflict between reaching out and helping someone and staying at a safe, uninvolved distance. We don't want to risk our comfort or our reputation or our status—or any number of things. When you find yourself wrestling with God, try to remember that you are called only to try your best and to leave the rest to him. You won't solve world hunger overnight, and you certainly won't mend a decades-old feud with just one email. But you can do something. You can step forward in faith and make an attempt. God has plans for you, just as he had plans for Jacob. Sometimes those plans include a wrestling match with him. Sometimes he lets you wrestle with his calling so that, when you're finished, you are more convinced than before that this is truly his will for you. So go ahead and put up a bit of a fight if you want. Just know that in the end, God's way is always the best way. "Lord, sometimes your will for me is hard and I don't want to do it. When that happens, help me to wrestle with you in faith and trust." Genesis 32:23-33
Psalm 17:1-3, 6-8, 15 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
"The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."
The man asked, "What is your name?"
He answered, "Jacob."
Then the man said,
"You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed."
Jacob becomes Israel, the wrestling with God, which is where we come from in Jewish tradition. Do we continue to wrestle with God? And why does God injure Jacob at the hip? Sends him limping away...it is good to never forget. The ultimate good then supersedes our physical good. | We pray today: "From you let my judgment come; your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night, though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.
In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord." | In the Gospel we heard:
"A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
"Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said,
"He drives out demons by the prince of demons."
It's funny how something good, like the healing of a demoniac, is turned into something bad, like them accusing our Lord of being the prince of demons. Yet, this exists in the world in the mix of pagan religions, especially the famous agnostics and even the gnostics. The gnostics hidden secret beliefs, deep down ask all to be contra Christ, because they believe everything is evil, even the Gospels and our Lord Jesus. Sadly, many who are not faithful, and fall away, tend to lean to agnosticism and then gnostic. From Wikipedia it says: "Defining agnosticism Agnosticism is of the essence of science, whether ancient or modern. It simply means that a man shall not say he knows or believes that which he has no scientific grounds for professing to know or believe. Consequently, agnosticism puts aside not only the greater part of popular theology, but also the greater part of anti-theology." And about Gnosticism it says: "These various groups emphasised personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) above the orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of the church". Whoa and woe to the the ones who know, for in the beginning in Genesis it became the downfall of all. | And so, we find ourselves in a quarrel in the world, with those who believe and those who do not believe. And guess what happens to those who decide not to take sides? They are allowing all of this to happen! That is why in the book of Revelation it says God would rather have us be hot or cold, but not lukewarm, for the lukewarm will be vomited out. It is better to be like Jacob, engaged with God, fighting to remain faithful, than to stop the fight of faith.
Ok, enough with the broad talk, you like to hear concrete examples, no? I'm in a constant fight myself, this is my testimony bit. A few days ago, right before going to Holy Hour adoration, I received a text asking if it was true that I had pushed out all the other previous existing choirs. Boy that got my blood boiling. Lies from the pits of hell! As if I wanted to take over! I was always filling in for the days other choirs wouldn't make it, I'm second string! And now I'm stuck filling for all masses as we have no more choirs! This put tremendous amount of stress on me and my family, do you know how hard it is to leave your wife with 8 kids to get ready for Mass by themselves and load up? Do you know how hard it is to do two choirs, spanish and english preparations alone through the week can take us about 6 or 8 hours out of the week, including slideshow presentations we use. It is not for the faint of heart, and to top things off, I get accused of all sorts of wrongdoings! Give me a break, I wish all choirs returned and I was not even second string, but as long as I'm asked to, I will sing! Boy, I think I know how our priest feels now, a Nigerian Priest continuously being accused of ridiculous things, his first few years I had to witness him crying at meetings, and now he is afraid to talk to anybody or get too close, because of how mean people have treated him. He is very humble, I invite him on camping trips, and take him out to eat. He is very human. But he tries to be a good father that does what is right in piety.
Why do I bring up these horrible stories?
To bring up Jesus, the suffering servant. "He does this by the prince of demons!" they said as He healed people from demons and physical maladies.
So what did I do when I was being induced and seduced into fury and rage before entering our Lord's presence in Eucharistic Adoration?
I prayed, with a broken heart and offered it to God. "Do with me as you please"....we prayed, "with all that I have, and all that I am", and then we can enter the world of humility. Others are first, and let them proclaim they are right, in the end, Truth wins.
Let the lashings begin, by those who believe they are holier and greater. An act of mercy is to let the scourging begin. "Better me to receive this than you, because I will become a gift in the end for you".
Top Secret: Last time some lashed similarly, I noticed them whipper snappers started coming to church! LOL, so by all means, let it be! No need to engage in bickering and fighting. All for Christ, puro pa delante, nada para atras, "only forward, no turning back". St. Maria Goretti, pray for us, and for the world to be more pure for God our Father. Let's pray.
Lord, we are all still wrestling with You.
And it comes from doubts, and it comes from being weak.
Help our faith, help our strength in faith.
My Master of the harvest, send out laborers for Your harvest. and use me and my Labors for Your Greater Glory. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: James 1:13–14 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
