†Saint Quote
"You must not abandon the ship in a storm because you cannot control the winds . . . What you cannot turn to good, you must at least make as little bad as you can."
— St. Thomas More † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Finally—and this is perhaps the most difficult aspect of what concerns the practice of conformity to the will of God—we should desire virtue itself and the degrees of grace only insofar as God wishes to give them, and not desire more. Our whole ambition should be to attain the degree of perfection that has been appointed for us, since it has not been given to everybody to reach the same height. It is obvious that however well we may correspond with the graces given us, we can never equal the humility, charity and other virtues of the Blessed Virgin. And who can even presume to imagine that he can reach the same heights as the Apostles? Who can equal St. John the Baptist whom Christ called the greatest of the children of men? Or St. Joseph to whom God entrusted His Son? In this we must as in all else submit to the will of God. He must be able to say of us, My will is in them; it rules and governs everything. So when we hear or read that God in a short time has brought some souls to a very high degree of perfection and shown them signal favors, enlightened their understanding and imbued their hearts with His love, we should repress any desire to be treated likewise so as not to fall short in pure love of conformity to His Will. We should even unite ourselves still more closely to His Will by saying, 'I praise Thee, O Lord, and bless Thee for deigning to show Thyself with so great love and familiarity to the souls Thou has chosen ...'"
—Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, p. 75-76
AN EXCERPT FROM
Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence † VERSE OF THE DAY
"For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good."
Titus 2:11-14 |  click to read more | | ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH
St. Margaret (289-304 A.D.) was born in Antioch, the daughter of a pagan priest. Her mother died when she was an infant, and she was raised by a Christian nurse who baptized her and gave her a Christian education. St. Margaret grew into a pious and virtuous young woman under her nurse's care, to the delight of her father. When she came of age, Margaret returned to live with her father. She quickly angered him, however, when she refused to take part in offering sacrifices to idols. Furious at her steadfast refusals, he drove her out of his home. Margaret then returned to live with her nurse as a household servant. One day a Roman prefect noticed Margaret's beauty and desired to have her for himself. Margaret declined, citing that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ, a reply for which she was severely persecuted. She was brought to trial for her Christian faith, scourged, tortured, and thrown into prison by her suitor. In her moment of weakness, the devil appeared to her in the form of a dragon to intimidate her and break her faith. Margaret trusted in God and made the Sign of the Cross, and the dragon fled defeated. At this triumph over her enemy, Margaret's cell was filled with light and her wounds were miraculously healed. Enraged to find her healed, her suitor had new tortures applied to her body, which did her no harm and caused many witnesses to convert to the Christian faith. She was finally killed by beheading. St. Margaret of Antioch was one of the saints who appeared to St. Joan of Arc. She is the patron saint against sterility, of the dying, and of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. Her feast day is July 20th. | Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 396
Reading I Ex 14:21—15:1 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left. The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians. Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers."
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army
that had followed the children of Israel into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the children of Israel had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea. Responsorial Psalm Exodus 15:8-9, 10 and 12, 17 R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
At the breath of your anger the waters piled up, the flowing waters stood like a mound, the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy boasted, "I will pursue and overtake them; I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them; I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!"
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
When your wind blew, the sea covered them; like lead they sank in the mighty waters. When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance— the place where you made your seat, O LORD, the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands established.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. Alleluia Jn 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 12:46-50 While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 12:46-50 Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:50) Is Jesus putting conditions on membership in his family? That's what we might assume from this verse. And yet Jesus loves each one of us unconditionally, and the only "condition" to becoming part of God's family is that we accept his love and receive the gift of being baptized in his name. But is that the only thing Jesus is asking of us? Think about an earthly family. Just as parents who love their children have certain expectations of them, so God expects us to do his will by loving him and our neighbor and by building his kingdom on earth. We need to be careful here. The fact that God has expectations of us doesn't mean he is like a taskmaster doling out chores. Not at all. We are his sons and daughters and not servants or slaves. And that means that God longs for our good actions to come from a place of love, not fear. He wants us to be like children who, secure in the love their parents have for them, want to please them and do what they ask. God knows that if we're receiving his love and grace and feel secure in that love, then we'll naturally be motivated to do his will and to serve him in whatever way he asks of us. Of course, none of us are perfect. Just as we don't always live up to our family responsibilities, we will sometimes fail to live up to the daily challenges of doing our Father's will. Even when that happens, there is no room for fear. Our heavenly Father is not only loving but merciful as well. He will forgive us and give us every opportunity to try again. Today, reflect on the fact that you are a beloved member of God's family. Your heavenly Father cares for you more than the best earthly father ever could. He has an amazing plan for your life: as his son or daughter, you're given the privilege of helping to build his kingdom on earth. May you always remember who you are and to whom you belong! "Holy Spirit, help me to know in my heart that I am the Father's child!" Exodus 14:21–15:1
(Psalm) Exodus 15:8-10, 12, 17 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
"When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea." Soon after, in the night (scary), God's glance on the wicked caused great fear and panic, and they died trying to run from the Lord, for they were obstinate in their sin, and did not repent. We must let go of our attachment to sin, and learn to pull away from our tendency to sin. It takes sacrifice to make it across in the Exodus, and we celebrate this in the Catholic Mass, because the Sacrifice our Lord did now becomes the Ultimate Sacrifice and Exodus from death into life, I say this because it was revealed to me during Holy daily Mass yesterday. | We pray in the Psalms:
"When your wind blew, the sea covered them; like lead they sank in the mighty waters. When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them! Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory".
As I speak, I'm overcome by a fear of God. I am afraid of Him. And this is good. Because it draws me closer to our Father. And this is good, because I turn to Him and walk to Him, instead of turning away and walking away. And this is good news for you, because we are joining and encouraging each other to Him. | Our Lord was speaking to crowds when we heard:
"Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother." | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, someone tells Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." Jesus stretches his hand toward his disciples and says, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Family is wonderful. There is nothing in the world wrong with fostering the flourishing of your family. But over and again, the Bible places the goods of the world into question—even something as good as family relationships.
Why? Because family isn't God. It is not that which you should serve with your whole heart; it doesn't belong in the center of your life.
Is family the point around which most of your energies revolve? Is it your primary focus as you make your way through the day? Are there times when you feel your family obligations competing with the will of God?
Then remember Jesus' words: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? . . . Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father." I was glad to hear Bishop Barron say these words today, it brought me a sight of relief, because I am so often countered when I say what he said, (that family is not the center of life), NO! JESUS is to be the center of our lives! What am I showing my kid? That they are the most important part of my life? They will become ego maniacs! What am I showing my spouse? That they are the most important part of my life? NO! IT"S JESUS!
Only then will salvation come to the household. Only then will true love enter the scene, because if we follow the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will love each other in the right order and manner...a sacrificial love, a love with grace, a love with tremendous MERCY! Once we all focus on the same center, we will walk harmoniously. Let's pray:
Lord I praise Thee and I thank Thee.
You My Lord Jesus, are the center of my life.
I will always hold You, I will always adore You,
so long as You give me the strength and grace to love You completely with all my heart, mind, and soul...every being of my Soul. O My Jesus, help us love Thee more and more! |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: Zephaniah 3:17 17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
