†Saint Quote
"Patience smooths away lots of difficulties."
— St. John Bosco †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"In this valley of tears, every man is born to weep, and all must suffer, by enduring the evils that take place every day. But how much greater would be the misery of life, if we also knew the future evils that await us! 'Unfortunate, indeed, would be the situation of someone who knows the future', says the pagan Roman philosopher Seneca; 'he would have to suffer everything by anticipation'. Our Lord shows us this mercy. He conceals the trials that await us so that, whatever they may be, we may endure them only once. But he didn't show Mary this compassion. God willed her to be the Queen of Sorrows, and in all things like his Son. So she always had to see before her eyes, and continually to suffer, all the torments that awaited her. And these were the sufferings of the passion and death of her beloved Jesus. For in the temple, St. Simeon, having received the divine Child in his arms, foretold to her that her Son would be a sign for all the persecutions and oppositions of men. ... Jesus our King and his most holy mother didn't refuse, for love of us, to suffer such cruel pains throughout their lives. So it's reasonable that we, at least, should not complain if we have to suffer something."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 222
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with Mary † VERSE OF THE DAY
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"
Isaiah 52:7 TODAY'S FEAST DAY⛪ OUR LADY OF SORROWS (MATER DOLOROSA) Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa - Mother of Sorrows) became widespread in the Church around the 14th century. It was revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) that devotion to Our Lady's Seven Sorrows would bring great graces. Mary, in a unique way, willingly suffered alongside her Divine Son as he gave his life to save the world, and she felt the bitterness of his passion as only a mother can. This devotion is especially remembered during September, the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows, and during the season of Lent. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are the Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, the Loss of Jesus for Three Days, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus Being Taken Down from the Cross, and Jesus Laid in the Tomb. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) is September 15th. |  click to read more | | ST. CATHERINE OF GENOA St. Catherine (1447–1510) was born into an aristocratic family in Genoa, Italy. She was a quiet, obedient, physically beautiful, and holy child who devoted herself to prayer and penance. At the age of 13 she made an attempt to enter a convent, but was rejected. At the age of 16 she consented to a marriage arranged by her family for political and financial gain. Her husband was faithless and violent, and their marriage was miserable. Catherine did not bear any children, and for the first five years lived as a hermit in her fine home. After this time, upon her family's rebuke of her solitude, she began to engage in the kind of social activity expected for her state in life. This only increased her weariness and depression, and led to the loss of her religious fervor. Catherine prayed earnestly for assistance in her trouble. Taking the advice of her sister, who was a nun, Catherine went to confession, and through the sacrament had a profound mystical experience in which she clearly saw the depth of her sinfulness contrasted with the depth of God's love. From that point on she renewed her commitment to rigorous prayer, penance, and works of mercy, and God continued to favor her with mystical visions. Catherine later won the conversion of her husband, and they were received into the Third Order of St. Francis. Together they cared for the poor and sick in the Genoa hospital, over which Catherine became administrator. St. Catherine's mystical visions were recorded by her confessor toward the end of her life, the most famous being her Treatise of Purgatory. Her feast day is celebrated on September 15th. | Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Lectionary: 445
Reading I 1 Tm 3:14-16 Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. Responsorial Psalm 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord! Sequence
(Optional) At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed. Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother's pain untold? Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent. For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent. O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord. Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord. Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified. Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live. By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give. Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine. Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours. Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day. Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory. While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen.(Alleluia).
Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;
without dying you won the Martyr's crown
beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. OR: Lk 2:33-35 Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." | Daily Meditation: John 19:25-27 Behold, your mother. (John 19:27) If you enter St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican through the doors on the right, you won't go far before you pass by one of the most beautiful, moving sculptures in Western art: Michelangelo's Pietà . The sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary looking down at the dead body of her son as he is draped over her lap. Her expression is a mixture of sorrow and contemplation, of mourning and acceptance. She isn't weeping; she is gazing intently, as if she were waiting for something to happen. This combination of sadness and anticipation is a perfect way to understand today's memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. By the time we come to this scene in the Gospels, Mary has become intimately familiar with suffering and loss. For a time, she wondered whether Joseph might leave her to raise her child on her own. Then she had to give birth in a cave. Then she and her new family became refugees in the land of Egypt. She also endured a three-day search for her missing son, became a widow at a young age, and had to learn to live alone after Jesus began his public ministry. So Mary was no stranger to sorrow when she received the lifeless body of her son on Good Friday, and Michelangelo's sculpture captures this familiarity beautifully. For Mary had learned the secret to sorrow and grief—that it is not permanent. Her near divorce ended with Joseph deeply committed to her and her son. In the cave, she was surrounded by shepherds telling of angelic choirs. When Jesus left to preach and teach, she found a new role in a large family made up of everyone who "does the will of God" (Mark 3:35). Somehow Mary knew—she believed—that her son's death on the cross was not the end. So even as she grieved all that he had endured, even as she felt each of his pains as if it were her own, she trusted that God would not leave her and that her grief would eventually turn to joy. So will yours. And as you wait, you can lean on Mary as your own tender, compassionate Mother. "Holy Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!" 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Psalm 111:1-6 |  Listen to 2cents | From Saint Paul:
"...you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory."
The Church of the living God, says saint Paul.
The Church is a real institution founded by Jesus Christ, and it is in the Catholic Church, the mother of all. And it is suitable to read this, for the Mother is to be honored, and we are to comport ourselves in the manner Mother has showed. | We pray in the Psalms:
"I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.
How great are the works of the Lord! Back to assembling. Back to Church. Back to comport of self. Back to the Mother. | In the Holy Gospel, we heard:
"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home."
There have been many books written about this Holy Scripture. And we find ourselves at a standpoint, with the standing Mother. Today, we must take a good look at this scene. Mother of God, at his side. God directing her to take the disciple thus followers of God, to be taken with her and for her to take him in too. John received a new mother, God's mother. He received the sorrowful mother into his home. It is said that she was forever sorrowful from that moment on, according to Blessed Sister Anne Emmerich. She was never known to fully smile, just a hint perhaps. She was known to have been basically praying and walking the "Stations of the Cross", commemorating the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, daily. She was there in what we know as the Mass, every day, at the breaking of the bread.
And so, we are told by St. Padre Pio, that in order to have a more fruitful Mass, we are to remember our Mother at the foot of the cross.
This is deep my friends. The Mass is a sacrifice. It is Christ at the cross forever. We are not sacrificing again and again. It is a forever sacrifice. And there, then, forever...is the Mother of God, and the beloved disciple, the followers of God.
We are there at the pivotal moment of life, the last moments...all of us, forever, precious moments, and there, with our Mother of God.
This world preaches happiness, at all costs. This means selfishness.
The Church teaches solemnities, and feasts. Mother of God becomes a look to me.
A statue weeps at my house, of our Blessed Mother. It is not a happy statue to look at.
I can hardly stand her crying anymore. There was a moment a few months ago, where one eye had cleared up, but it is back to weeping.
The sorrow, the face, even the Guadalupe depictions, they have a solemn look as if she gazes at Jesus with a solemn love of hope and faith, and tenacity. | The Gospel also says:
""Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
What a gift... a sword that pierces Mary, so that the thoughts of many hearts are revealed." What does this mean?
She was pierced when HE was pierced. When HIS heart was pierced on the cross, she felt it enter her heart.
What does this mean?
It means she was intimately united with Christ.
Our Mother is what we should be, the true Church of Christ.
We should sorrow when Christ sorrows. We should hurt when Christ hurts. And so a prayer came to me as I had a vision in adoration of a wound of Christ alive "Mother of God, pray for us and for the healing of the body of Christ".
We are the body. We are in need of healing. There is a great sadness that people are covering up with thrills, entertainment, and drugs. They are attempting to sedate themselves, as is evident by the millions upon millions using legal and illegal drugs to cope with so called "pain". What's worse? The drugs make things worse. WE need true healing. I knew a guy that would take 21 different pills per day, prescribed by doctors to cope with depression. Imagine that!
Now imagine this, he went to a retreat with a brother that begged him, a brother in church. The guy said "I will go if you go with me" and the brother had to go 3 days with him. What happened next is unbelievable. The guy said something happened inside of him, Christ entered his life in an inexplicable way, and from then on, he knew he no longer needed drugs, but Christ. Fast forward years later, he becomes our first deacon in decades in our parish. And now serving in a larger parish. The body of Christ needs healing my friend.
Tend to His wounds.
Walk with Him. DO WHAT HE SAYS, is what Mother tells us to do. She always asks in apparitions for repentance. She asks for purity. She asks for a Church to be built to honor God.
And she heals and gives grace, as a loving mother should do.
And today? Mothers turn against their children, in abortion. Mothers raise children to make up their own gods. Mothers make children feel like gods and that they are the center of the world.
This is not a true mother.
We need the Mother of God to be the true model of Christians and especially Christian Mothers.
What child kisses the hands of its mother and serves the mother with honor and respect?
Mother Mary kisses the wounds of Christ and serves Him, but that child has given up its life for His Mother...Christ. He already served her completely, Love beyond measure.
This is the co-mingling that happens in Communion.
Blood and water.
Love and Grace.
And the conglomerate is mercy for the world.
We ought to be true to God. Let's pray.
Lord, My God, My Father,
I find myself at the foot, at Mass,
I look up to You, My Lord, My Love,
Your memory is forever engraved in my Soul,
that I should Love You tenderly, that I should tend to You,
That I should help You heal.
Mother of God, pray for us and for the healing of the body of Christ...Christ in the world, Christ in the flesh, in those around me in great need...my neighbor, who is suffering...and many dying...both physically and spiritually....
In the name of our Lord Jesus...
Amen. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: 2 Corinthians 4:16
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self1 is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
