†Saint Quote "The human soul has so much likeness to God its creator that I surely know of no other way by which one can more easily mount to a knowledge of God than from reflection on one's own soul."
–St. Robert Bellarmine †Today's Meditation
"Let us pass on now to the other question—namely, what you can do to strengthen your resolutions and make them succeed? There is no better mean than to put them into practice. But you say that you are still so weak that, although you often make strong resolutions not to fall into the particular imperfection of which you want to cure yourself, no sooner does the occasion present itself than down you go. Shall I tell you why we are still so weak? It is because we will not abstain from food that does not agree with us. It is as if a person who wished to be free from pains in the stomach were to ask a physician what he should do. The doctor replies, 'Do not eat such and such food, because it brings you pain'; and yet the person will not abstain from it. We do the same. For example, we should like to love reproof, and yet we obstinately cling to our own opinions. That is foolishness. You will never be strong enough to bear reproof courageously while you are nourishing yourself with the food of self-esteem. I wish to keep my soul recollected, and yet I will not restrain all sorts of idle thoughts: the two things are incompatible. Ah! How much I wish that I could be steadfast and regular in my religious exercises; at the same time I wish not to find them so trying—in fact, I want to find the work done for me. That cannot be in this life, for we shall always have to labor."
— St. Francis de Sales, p. 97 An Excerpt From
The Art of Loving God †Daily Verse†
"So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin."
–James 4:17 |  click to read more | | St. Thomas Becket St. Thomas Becket (1118-1170), also known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, was the son of a prosperous London merchant. Being a well-educated youth, he was appointed as clerk to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was later made Archdeacon. In this role he met and became close friends with King Henry II of England. The King promoted Becket to the office of Lord Chancellor, and, when the Archbishop of Canterbury died, made Becket the new Archbishop in 1162, the most powerful ecclesiastical position in all of England. King Henry II supposed that having his close friend in such a position would enable him to enforce his will on the Church. However, in his new role as priest and archbishop, Thomas Becket experienced a religious conversion and transferred his ultimate allegiance to the Church. This led to frequent conflicts over the rights of the Church between the King of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, resulting in Becket's exile. When Becket returned to England, he was murdered by four knights, the king's lackeys, as he was offering Mass at the Canterbury Cathedral altar on December 29, 1170. St. Thomas Becket's feast day is December 29th.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas • Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr Reading I 1 Jn 2:3-11 Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus
is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.
Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Responsorial Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6
R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty go before him; praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Alleluia Lk 2:32 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A light of revelation to the Gentiles
and glory for your people Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 2:22-35 When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel."
The child's 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: Luke 2:22-35 The Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25) Today our Gospel leaps ahead from Jesus' birth to forty days later, when Mary and Joseph presented their firstborn to the Lord. Simeon surely saw many families at the Temple that day, but something stood out about Jesus. How did Simeon know? Today's reading gives us a clue: the Holy Spirit is mentioned three times (Luke 2:25, 26, 27). It was by the Spirit that Simeon recognized Jesus, and it's by that same Spirit that we can see the Lord more clearly. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit "was upon" Simeon (2:25). Scripture often uses this expression to describe the way someone experienced God empowering them for a mission. Similarly, the Spirit equipped Simeon to perceive that Jesus was the Christ and to prophesy to his mother about her own role in salvation history. The Spirit also "revealed" to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Messiah (Luke 2:26). That revelation gave him the faith to wait confidently for God's promise to be fulfilled. The Spirit kept Simeon alert, on the lookout for the answer to his prayers. So even though Jesus looked like any other newborn, Simeon was able to see in him the promised Messiah. Finally, Simeon "came in the Spirit into the temple" (Luke 2:27). Simeon didn't only listen to the Spirit in prayer; he was already attuned to his promptings before he even entered the Temple! He had learned to stay close to the Spirit in the ordinary events of the day. As a result, he was in the right place, at the right time, with an open heart and ready to see and testify to the work of God. Simeon teaches us to follow the Spirit. We received the Spirit in Baptism; he already lives within us. We need only practice the discernment, faith, and obedience that Simeon showed. As we do, the Spirit will help us take up our role in God's story. He can help us hear the voice of Jesus in our prayer and daily tasks. He can give us faith to wait in hope for the answer to our prayers. And he can help us follow Jesus in obedience. It's a process, but it begins as we ask the Spirit to open our eyes and our ears. He will do the rest. "Holy Spirit, help me to follow you today." 1 John 2:3-11
Psalm 96:1-3, 5-6 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked." We need to walk the walk, they say. Many of us have talk, to talk, but few can follow as He asks, with a cross, with sacrifice.
Everything I do in ministry, I realize is a sacrifice. I sacrifice what most cannot sacrifice...time to God. But what about the heart? "Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall."
And darkness is blindness. If we only knew how far one disgraceful act goes in hurting others. God calls on the heart with our Lord Jesus. | We pray in Psalms:
"Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. Let the Heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!* | We heard in the Gospel today:
"When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord..."
When we pray this mystery, we always remember the fruit of the mystery, the virtue we pray for...obedience. | ""Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel."
When Simeon saw the Lord, he says he has seen the light. And then He prays that he can go in peace.
And then the sword comes to Mary, as Simeon says to her:
""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."
Wow. What a prophecy, a sword to pierce Mary? Truth is, a lance pierced our Lord Jesus. That is why we have a devotion to the sorrowful hearts, and to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Once this heart was pierced, many things were revealed. The soldier that pierced His side converted on the spot, he believed. Once all the blood and water came out of our Lord's heart, we began to believe. But look how much it too to believe.
It took the crucifixion. It took the most extreme abuse, to be able to see the light.
And you? How much darkness have you been living in?
Once the crucifixion means something to you, things begin to happen in great prophetic revelation. I think of Padre Pio, gazing at a crucifix, being lost in contemplation, and then he himself receives the wounds of Christ. Painful wounds.
And all we can do is offer them up, right? But how hard it is when you are down and out, to look up, to pray, to offer up.
But we have to reach out for strength. For grace. I write with bodyaches, little headaches, praying for my dad, my boss, his covid, so many infected with the pandemic and other flus right now, in my family.
In all things, we are to honor our Lord, this is the cross too, bearing with grace, and we pray for grace. Let's pray:
Lord, Father,
we need grace in turbulent times, to look up, for hope, for salvation. May we learn obedience and never again rebel against Your holy laws. May we better honor you from here on out. May we love You as You love us...both now and forever. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Psalm 121:5–6 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
