Thursday, July 22, 2021

† "I HAVE SEEN"

†Saint Quote
"Let us thank God for having called us to His holy faith. It is a great gift, and the number of those who thank God for it is small."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori

†MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"God loves everyone with unique love; he wants to lead them all to perfection, but at the same time has very different paths for different people. This means that the frequency and characteristics of the inspirations of grace will differ from one person to another. We cannot force the Spirit, God is the master of his gifts. That said, it cannot be doubted that God will grant each person at least the inspirations he needs for his own sanctification."
— Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 26
AN EXCERPT FROM
In the School of the Holy Spirit

† VERSE OF THE DAY
"Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen."
1 Peter 5:8-11

click to read more

ST. MARY MAGDALENE

St. Mary Magdalen (1st c.) was a friend and devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Formerly she had been a woman of ill repute out of whom Jesus exorcised seven demons. Mary Magdalene has a special place among the Lord's disciples and is mentioned several times in the Gospels. She stood at the foot of the Cross with St. John and the Blessed Mother, and went the next morning to Christ's tomb to anoint his body. As a reward for her great love and faithfulness, she is the first recorded witness of Jesus' Resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene who informed the twelve Apostles that Jesus rose from the dead—for this she is called "Apostle to the Apostles." After Jesus' Ascension into heaven, Mary Magdalene continued her mission as an evangelist, contemplative, and mystic in the heart of the Church. According to the Eastern tradition, she went to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary and died there. St. Mary Magdalene is the patron of women, repentant sinners, penitent women, reformed prostitutes, contemplatives, converts, pharmacists, perfumers, hairstylists, and against sexual temptation. Her feast day is July 22nd.

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Reading I

Sgs 3:1-4b

The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves–
I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves.
I sought him but I did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me,
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?
I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves.

OR:

2 Cor 5:14-17

Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 20:1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him."

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
"Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
"Rabbouni," which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he told her.

Daily Meditation: Song of Songs 3:1-4

I sought him whom my heart loves. (Song of Songs 3:1)

Looking for someone we cannot find: we all know what that feels like! We might go around the house or a store or a shopping mall calling out their name. We might text or call them until we get a response. The longer they're missing, the more anxious we feel. What relief when we finally find them!

We can only imagine what Mary Magdalene might have felt—her anxiety as well as her relief—when she encountered Jesus after his resurrection. She might have felt like the bride in today's reading from the Song of Songs, who couldn't sleep but instead "sought him whom my heart loves" (3:1). Just as the bride who finally found her bridegroom, Mary Magdalene found her divine Bridegroom, Jesus, at the end of her persistent seeking.

Of course, as a disciple, you've already "found" Jesus. Yet we all have times when God seems hidden from us—or times when it's hard to recognize him in our everyday comings and goings. That's when it's helpful to follow Mary Magdalene's lead. She shows us that seeking the Lord is an active endeavor. When we feel far from God, the last thing we should do is just resign ourselves to doing without him. Jesus wants to be found!

So how do you seek the Lord when he seems distant? Mainly by praying persistently. Pray as soon as you wake up each morning. Send up short prayers as you do your work during the day. Carve out some extra time to get to daily Mass. Meditate on Jesus in the Scriptures. Just as Mary Magdalene did, keep searching until you find him again.

And like Mary Magdalene, you will find him. Of course, you won't see him face-to-face as she did, but you will become more aware of his presence or his peace in other ways. You'll experience a deepened appreciation of his love for you and a greater confidence in his mercy and grace.

On Mary Magdalene's feast day, let her example encourage you. As she herself would tell you, those who seek the Lord find him.

"Jesus, help me to seek you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength."

Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9
John 20:1-2, 11-18

Listen to 2cents

my2cents:
Watch how this scripture from the book of Song of Songs comes into fruition through Saint Mary Magdalene:
"I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves."

But first let us pray the Holy Psalms:
"O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God."
Our Lord says "come to me all who are thirsty..." and He says I AM the living water. Saint Mary Magdalene, make us thirsty as you were thirsty for Jesus!

We heard in the Holy Gospel:
"On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him."

And so Saint Peter ran to the tomb. Mary was thirsty, and she was leaking water, she needed more water because her soul was torn to pieces, she needed Jesus.
I was baptized this day, the day of Saint Mary Magdalene. It could be said that this is my real birthday. And the only people that will celebrate this are angels who know. On this day, I was made one into the body of Christ. My parents brought me here as a baby, it is a great gift. In a discussion this morning with my fallen away nephew, as he wants to get baptized as a protestant now, I said "you were already baptized" and he said "I wasn't conscious then". I thank God I can baptize my babies unconscious into the body of Christ! I thank God I can vaccinate them against potentially deadly diseases against their will! I thank God I can offer them eternal life with Baptism! I thank God that this confused young adult I'm arguing with is my own GODSON that I witnessed becoming infused with the Holy Spirit as a baby! (This the reason he invited friends to church). He is bringing souls to churches after going with us to a protestant conference at a football stadium. I told him that I wanted to bring him closer to Jesus, and he is on fire, looking for him, reading books every day, going to other churches and telling the world by how he is living. I see though still, an unconscious soul, because he doesn't know yet, what I have learned after 20 years of studying theology as a lay person. First things first, desire, thirst, and then eternal hunger for holiness.
And so, my friend, I can relate to my godson, and I can relay to you where I find myself most often...like Mary Magdalene, thirsty at the tomb, seeking hope where all others in the world had said that hope was gone, she clung to hope until hope arrived...Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Hang on my friend.
She will always be remembered as the Apostle to the Apostles, the evangelists, bringing the good news to the world, but still finds herself thirsty. And it is good to be thirsty for Jesus. It is said that Mary our Mother in Heaven was thirsty to the next degree. She too would've gone to the tomb at dawn, to add spices and perfumes to the body, and she had-had a long, LONG night before that early dawn, for it is said that she walked the streets of Calvary, the way of the cross, following the blood trail to the cross, and the vigil begins, 24 hour adoration of the body of Christ. Who's watch is it now?
Did you know that the Catholic Church has perpetual adoration of the body of Christ? That means 24 hours of non-stop praying and adoring and worshiping His Precious Body in the Holy Eucharist. Not only that, but from sun up to sun down, from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun there are continuous Holy Masses offered all day every day throughout the world!
Malachi 1:11
"For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts." KJV (LOL)

This means something if you know why I go to daily Mass...Jesus comes from Heaven and feeds us from Heaven His Body. That's why I go, and for no other reason...this is where Heaven meets the Earth. It's that serious and so many are unconscious to that very FACT. I cling to hope until hope arrives, and then I go out to the world to tell the Good News. Jesus came. Jesus is Here. Jesus is coming!!!

Let's pray:
Lord, this world would totally convert if you so desired. But you left us to seek and to find. To knock and to open doors. You left us to decide on our own, from Genesis to Revelation...where we would stand for Your Kingdom. I pray that all who are hearing this now, to come to worship You and adore You as You deserve...all of our being...as it belongs to You, it is not mine, for I am Yours and Yours I wish to be! My Love. My All! I LOVE YOU!

from your brother in Christ,
Adrian

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for US!