†Saint Quote
"If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive."
— St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Natural love is sufficient for earthly parents, but the love which [Joseph] bore to Jesus, as His appointed father, was not a mere human love, it was also a super eminently divine love; for, in loving his Son he was exercising the most perfect love of God; since He whom he called his Son was at the same time his God. As in creatures all is finite, so all is capable of increase. What, then, may we imagine, must have been the growth of this ardent love in the heart of our saint during the long period which he spent with Jesus! Those things which tend naturally to add to human love, in him ministered fresh fuel to the divine flame within him. The constant association with the Son of God made Man and given to him as his own Son, the serving Him and being served by Him for thirty years, and, we must add, their marvelous resemblance created a bond between them which was unequaled of its kind."
— Edward Healy Thompson, p. 363
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Life & Glories of Saint Joseph † VERSE OF THE DAY
"I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away."
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 |  click to read more | | St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891–1942) was born as Edith Stein in Prussia, the youngest of eleven children from a devout Jewish family. She was a bright and gifted child, and as she matured she became an atheist. She went on to receive a doctorate in philosophy, studying under the famous philosophers Heidegger and Husserl. Despite her atheism, she was affected by several friends who displayed a great passion for the Catholic faith. One day, while staying at a friend's home, she saw the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. She read it from cover to cover, and after finishing it she exclaimed, "This is the Truth." Edith was baptized in Cologne, Germany in 1922. From there she taught for a time at a Dominican school and studied St. Thomas Aquinas and other Catholic philosophers. When the rise of anti-semitism forced her to resign from a teaching post, she wrote to Pope Pius XI asking him to publicly denounce the Nazis. Discerning a call to the religious life, she became a Carmelite nun in Cologne 1934, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross after her special devotion to the Cross of Christ. When the Nazi threat grew in Germany, her Order transferred her to a convent in the Netherlands for safety. There Edith grew in her desire to offer her life for the salvation of souls. The Nazis eventually came for her, and she, along with her sister Rose, who was also a convert, were sent to the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz. They were both killed in the gas chamber. St. Edith Stein is the patroness of martyrs and Europe. Her feast day is August 9th. | Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 413
Reading I Dt 10:12-22 Moses said to the people:
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you
but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly,
to love and serve the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul,
to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD
which I enjoin on you today for your own good?
Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens,
belong to the LORD, your God,
as well as the earth and everything on it.
Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them
as to choose you, their descendants,
in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.
For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods,
the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
who has no favorites, accepts no bribes;
who executes justice for the orphan and the widow,
and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him.
So you too must befriend the alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve;
hold fast to him and swear by his name.
He is your glory, he, your God,
who has done for you those great and terrible things
which your own eyes have seen.
Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong,
and now the LORD, your God,
has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky." Responsorial Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Alleluia See 2 Thes 2:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called you through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 17:22-27 As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you." | Daily Meditation: Deuteronomy 10:12-22 The Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky. (Deuteronomy 10:22) This is a curious passage, isn't it? In one breath, Moses tells the Israelites that God has chosen them "in preference to all other peoples" of the earth (Deuteronomy 10:15). But in the next breath, he commands them to "befriend the alien" and treat foreigners with special love and care (10:19). You would think that if Israel were so special to God, they wouldn't need to be concerned about other people; they would only need to focus on their own relationship with the Lord. Actually, these two commands go hand in hand. God took special care of Israel in order that they might fulfill a vital mission: to be a light to the other nations. They needed to preserve their special relationship with God, but they also needed to remember their call to welcome the "outsiders" and treat them with compassion. This is how their light would shine—by showing the nations that God is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity" (Exodus 34:6). Most of us are Gentiles. In fact, most of the Church is made up of Gentiles. That means we are here because of those faithful children of Israel who embraced their calling to welcome the stranger. We are here because of Jesus, a Jew whose death and resurrection revealed just how "gracious and merciful" his Father is. And we are here because Jesus empowered his first followers—all of whom were Jewish—with his Spirit. That enabled them to welcome Gentiles—"strangers" and "aliens"—into the Church. Always remember who you are and where you came from. You have received the blessings that flow from the faithfulness of your spiritual ancestors. At the same time, you have received the same Spirit that filled the apostles. That means you have the same calling as they did: to show kindness, patience, and compassion to the "strangers" in your midst. It also means you have the same promise: that every time you do, the light of God's love shines through you. So embrace your inheritance—and your calling! "Jesus, teach me to love everyone with the same humility that your apostles had." Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Matthew 17:22-27 |  Listen to 2cents | my2cents:
"Moses said to the people:
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you
but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly,
to love and serve the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul,
to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD
which I enjoin on you today for your own good?
Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens,
belong to the LORD, your God,
as well as the earth and everything on it.
Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them
as to choose you, their descendants,
in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done." There then, could be the story of a lover. God the Father. He is a Lover. A Lover is one who loves. That's what He does. That's WHO He is. That's what Heaven declares. My job then, is to receive love to become a Lover in the same manner. And the more I fall in love with God, the better I am at loving you, and all whom I encounter in life. This my friend, is the supreme of all religions. For in no other is true love shown as it is shown by Our Father in heaven. Oracle of the Lord, I declare this with my life. | We pray in the Holy Psalms:
"Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem."
There is indeed, a Lord and it is THE CHRIST. And He dies in Jerusalem for and with Israel. To this day, everyone looks to try to keep peace in the country of Israel, but that my friend, is not the true Israel, for Israel is not just a place, but a body of people. We are now that body in Christ Jesus, our Lord and of and with the very Father Himself. The Lover speaks. | Our Lord speaks and drops a bombshell on His followers:
"As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief." All their high hopes of their image of a Messiah, a warrior that would liberate all from evil governments and regimes, in a physical place, all went down as their heads went down with their hopes and dreams of a self made god and savior. They wanted their heaven on earth. You see? We can't rely on ourselves. We will fail, and fail miserably. I have never had a dream that came true that was for my sake, but for God's sake? Yes. Want a clue? I was at a football stadium once, few years ago, and in my prayer (as if under a fig tree) I wondered "how in the world would this place be, 100,000 people flocking to come for the name of Jesus". And the dream became true last month, to a degree, as perhaps 40,000 men came together at that very stadium, and there the name of Jesus was proclaimed for two days. You think God does not hear your prayers and desires? Do you think He cannot do this and more?
Yet the Gospel continues and watch for God's 2 cents! | When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you." And so, the temple gods demanded money, thus declaring Jesus and His disciples not one of their own. In the name of money, and thus prestige, many atrocities are happening, to this very day. That is why we should wash our hands after handling money. It can be detrimental, as the washing should become an outward sign of an inward reality, like the Holy Sacraments. Thus declaring "I am not attached to this and I detest and reject everything it offers". Think now, of sin. Think of how we are to reject sin, because of the dangers.
But our Lord sends Simon, not yet the rock, to go fishing.
What would happen if our Lord sent you fishing?
He says basically "drop a hook, and bring back the coins in the mouth of the fish".
What would your reaction be? You could be, doubtful. And you'd probably bring back nothing if so! You could be joyful with anticipation, but in much extremities, you are over confident, and that too can be detrimental. So what was Simon's reaction? We don't know. We just know He went, did as the Lord said, and proved God's word to be true. So what is the proper attitude in faith? Just that, do as He says and He does the rest, however He sees fit. Go get those coins.
Therefore, recall God's word to Moses today:
"So you too must befriend the alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve;
hold fast to him and swear by his name." The people in the "church" temple, did not befriend the alien...the Christ. How far had they veered in their man made traditions? As if you could contain Him? And so He is disguised as an illegal alien. And He purchased His way into our church, our world, our temple of the body of Christ. He only paid with every last drop of blood in Him. This is amazing my friend. For Catholics, be even more amazed, for we partake of this in the Eucharist. In Holy Mass, before writing to you, it was revealed to me the purpose then of my focus...to reveal the Body to the Body. The Lover awaits, and how beautiful is a wonderfully kept body, precious, and purely His. And therefore, I propose to you, to do this in His name, surrender. There were new deacons this weekend in El Paso, Tx. I told someone that brought it up, they have dressed in white, they have surrendered to God. And in such a life giving matter we are all called to live. Surrendering totally to Him, trusting Him, believing Him, following Him...giving our lives to Him, but first....the heart. Let's pray:
Lord, You are the most precious Lover.
I want to love You like You deserve to be loved.
I pray that all of us hearing this, become true love and true light...one with God, with all our soul, all our might! | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Ephesians 1:13–14
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee1 of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,2 to the praise of his glory. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
