†Saint Quote
""Faith and love are like the blind man's guides. They will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden."
— St. John of the Cross † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Therefore, when God gives spiritual comfort, receive it with thanksgiving, but know that it is the bounty of God, not thy merit. Be not puffed up, be not overjoyed, nor vainly presume, but rather be the more humble for this gift and the more cautious and fearful in all thine actions; for this hour will pass away and temptation will follow. When comfort shall be taken away from thee, do not presently despair; but wait with humility and patience for the heavenly visit, for God is able to restore thee a greater consolation. This is no new thing, nor strange to those who have experienced the ways of God: for the great saints and ancient prophets have often felt this kind of variety."
— Thomas à Kempis, p. 64
AN EXCERPT FROM
Imitation of Christ †VERSE OF THE DAY
"Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him."
Psalm 91:14-15 SAINT OF THE DAY |  click to read more | | ST. LUKE St. Luke the Evangelist (1st c.) was a well-educated Greek physician and a native of Antioch in Syria. He was one of the earliest converts to Christianity, believed to have been one of Jesus' seventy disciples. He was a follower of St. Paul the Apostle and spent most of his life evangelizing with him in Asia Minor up until the time of Paul's martyrdom in Rome. Luke wrote a canonical account of his apostolic journeys with Paul (the Book of Acts) as well as a biography on the life of Christ (the Gospel of Luke). The two books of Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles were originally a single work. The intimate accounts contained in Luke's gospel of the early years of Christ's life (the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, etc.) lead many scholars to believe that one of the eyewitnesses he interviewed was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. According to tradition he was also a skilled artist and painted the first icons of Our Lady with the Child Jesus. Several of these icons are still venerated today, the most famous of which hangs in the Church of St. Mary Major in Rome. St. Luke is the patron saint of many trades including artists, painters, doctors, surgeons, and bachelors. His feast day is October 18th. | Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist Lectionary: 661
Reading I 2 Tm 4:10-17b Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it. Responsorial Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom
Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Alleluia See Jn 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
| Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 4:10-17 Luke is the only one with me. (2 Timothy 4:11) What made Luke stay? Paul's imprisonment in Rome was tough going—and not just for him but for his companions as well. Many had already left to pursue other ventures. How easy it would have been for Luke to slip away too! He could have returned to practicing medicine. He could have done some tangible good for people, not just tend to Paul each time he nearly got himself killed. Who would blame him? But he stayed. Why? Clearly, Luke was fully invested in Paul's ministry and wanted to help him keep preaching. Certainly, he loved and respected Paul for his brilliance and his boldness. But more than that, Luke believed that the gospel Paul preached was true and that the world needed to hear about salvation through Christ. Paul had been preaching and ministering for years already, but he needed coworkers like Luke to help people see and understand the full truth that was changing the world. The truth of the gospel is still changing the world. True, many voices vie for influence over us, but whenever the truth about Jesus is proclaimed, all these other voices are silenced for a time. It's tempting to think that we need to be practiced in our presentation in order to win people's attention. While it never hurts to always be ready, nothing can replace the appeal of a person whose own life has been transformed telling another person about Jesus. This must be what Luke saw in Paul, and it must have rubbed off on him. Luke went on to write his own Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, providing his readers with a compelling picture of the Christian faith he loved so much. All around the world, there are missionaries risking their lives for the gospel. We can help care for them through our prayers of intercession. We can stand by them in spirit, just as Luke stood by St. Paul in his trials. Even more, we can become witnesses to Christ in our own neighborhoods, proclaiming the gospel by our words and actions. "Jesus, give me the strength to stay the course as Luke did so that I can continue spreading the good news about you." Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
Luke 10:1-9 |  Listen to 2cents | From Today's Holy Scripture:
"At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it." It is believed that the followers of Christ have endured much of the same that Christ Himself endured. Much betrayal. Many who deserted Him. Has this happened to me in my ministries? I guess it happens so often, that I'm used to it. And in every ministry. People go off and do their own thing, and the ministry is left deserted, with one person manning the position, until they return, or new faces emerge, and I am to hold the position in obedience from Heaven. Until then, one has to endure slander, lies, betrayal, and physical things happen to many too. It is strange, but the lesson of fidelity shines forth the light of Christ. The message of the Passion (of Christ) becomes evident. God comes first. All else is second. | We pray in Psalms:
"The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom." Are you His friend? His friends, the true ones, speak about Him fondly, and quite often, if not all the time, nonstop. His friends are there for Him when He needs them. His friends would die for Him. | Our Lord speaks, the TRUTH speaks:
"He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves." I have friends that aren't there anymore in ministry. But I know that if I call them, they will come at once. What a weird friend, right? You see, our Lord too, had friends that weren't there at His crucifixion, but they ultimately gave their lives for Him. What does this message say to you? Patience. Fidelity. We need each other in the world of wolves. Because they exist. And they hunt quietly. And they hunt in packs many times. Be astute. Be alert..to sin and death. The signs are clear, their traps become evident, for nothing hides from the Truth, and the light it brings to the forefront. | Our Lord said:
"Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' What a strange notion...bringing peace to the world. It's the very first thing our Lord asks us to do when entering the households. Bring peace. Whether it is accepted or not...is not on you. You are to bring peace. Are you at peace...with the Lord? Sin does not let us rest. Sin makes us uneasy. Sin robs you of true peace and joy. Are you at peace right now? Or are you sad? Are you worried? Are you anxious? Are you just living day by day? How do you know you have true peace? Grace is the answer. I want peace. I want faith. I want joy. I want fidelity.
And here is the secret to it...you must give in order to receive.
If you want mercy, then give mercy.
If you want peace, then give peace.
If you want life...then give your life.
If you want Jesus...then open up. Let's pray:
Lord, what You offer is out of this world and inexplicable.
And the only way to accept is to follow the Way.
The Way of humility. The Way of obedience. The Way of giving, almsgiving and charity. And it all points to sacrifice! May we learn to Give You truly what You deserve...this internal love from the heart...and let there be no other way! | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: 1Jn 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
