†Saint Quote
""Humility, obedience, meekness, and love are the virtues that shine through the Cross and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. O my Jesus, help me imitate you!"
–St. Anthony Mary Claret †Today's Meditation
"Some people imagine that in order to be holy you have to cultivate the sad side of life, choosing the darker prospect whenever the alternative comes up. Surely what holy people choose is the will of God, whether it happens to be dark or light. Holy people know—and know it better than others—that suffering must anyway occupy a fair slice of life. They accept this as normal, meeting their sorrows as calmly and cheerfully as they can."
—Fr. Hubert van Zeller, OSB An Excerpt From
The Mystery of Suffering †Daily Verse
"Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace."
–Acts 20:24 |  click to read more | | St. Margaret of Hungary St. Margaret of Hungary (1242–1271) was the daughter of King Bela IV of Hungary, and niece of the famed St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Her royal parents made a vow to God that if Hungary was saved from the Mongol invasion they would dedicate Margaret to religion. God heard their prayer and the country was saved. The king and queen then entrusted four-year-old Margaret to be raised and educated in a Dominican convent. At the age of ten Margaret was transferred to the Convent of the Blessed Virgin founded by her parents, built on an island her parents named after her. Margaret spent the rest of her life there, dedicating herself to prayer and severe penances. She opposed her father's attempts to arrange her political marriage with the King of Bohemia, even though her suitor obtained a dispensation from the pope to release her from her religious vows so that she could enter into matrimony. Margaret made her solemn vows as a Dominican nun at the age of eighteen. Although a beautiful princess, she took the most menial tasks in the convent and dedicated her life to serving the poor and sick. She was considered a saint during her life and after her death. Many miracles, especially the curing of illnesses, were attributed to her intercession. She died at the age of 28. Her feast day is January 18. | Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading I 1 Sm 16:1-13 The LORD said to Samuel:
"How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons."
But Samuel replied:
"How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me."
To this the LORD answered:
"Take a heifer along and say,
'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you." Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
"Is your visit peaceful, O seer?"
He replied:
"Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet."
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
"Surely the LORD's anointed is here before him."
But the LORD said to Samuel:
"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, "The LORD has not chosen him."
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
"The LORD has not chosen this one either."
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
"The LORD has not chosen any one of these."
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
"Are these all the sons you have?"
Jesse replied,
"There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep."
Samuel said to Jesse,
"Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here."
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
"There–anoint him, for this is he!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah. Responsorial Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 27-28 R. (21a) I have found David, my servant.
Once you spoke in a vision, and to your faithful ones you said:
"On a champion I have placed a crown; over the people I have set a youth."
R. I have found David, my servant.
"I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong."
R. I have found David, my servant.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'
And I will make him the first-born, highest of the kings of the earth."
R. I have found David, my servant. Alleluia See Eph 1:17-18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 2:23-28 As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
"Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
He said to them,
"Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them,
"The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."
| Daily Meditation: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Spirit . . . rushed upon David. (1 Samuel 16:13) Today's first reading begins the story of David, the great king who united the twelve tribes of Israel. As we read his story over the next few weeks, we'll see that David had his work cut out for him. Not only did he have to deal with division and infighting between the tribes, but he also faced external threats from the Philistines. How did David do it? On one level, he was a very talented man: a skilled tactician on the battlefield, a cunning diplomat, and a charismatic leader. But David's natural gifts paled in comparison to the supernatural gift we read about today. In short, David was anointed for the task God had for him. When Samuel poured the oil over him, David was filled with the Spirit of God and received a special grace to lead and unite his people. Today begins the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It's a whole week dedicated to praying Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper: "That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you" (John 17:21). What better way to begin this week than with a reading about a king anointed to unify God's people? As we look around the world, we see Christian churches divided into camps: Catholics and Protestants and Orthodox. And within those general categories lie many other divisions, both political and religious. A lot of these divisions are centuries old, and the prejudices supporting them may seem to us to be too deeply entrenched to ever be rooted out. Wouldn't it be great if we also had an anointed leader to bring us all together? We do: Jesus, the Christ—the Anointed One. As Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa once said, "If we will turn to Christ and go forward together toward him, we Christians will draw closer to each other until we become what he prayed for: to be 'one with him and with the Father' (see John 17:9)" (Lenten Sermon, March 18, 2016). If we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not on our divisions—if we can ask the Spirit to soften our hearts toward each other—we will find the grace to come together again in love and unity. "Come, Lord Jesus, and give us the Spirit of unity!" Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28
Mark 2:23-28 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"The LORD said, "There–anoint him, for this is he!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David." The Spirit rushes on the anointed. We are anointed in the Holy Sacraments. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us and among us. | We pray in Psalms:
""He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.' And I will make him the first-born, highest of the kings of the earth." I have found David, my servant." David, My servant. David was anointed...as God's servant. Think of your anointing. You too are God's servant. | Our Lord speaks in the Holy Gospel:
"Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?" Why was our Lord Jesus talking about David? Because...He is the son of David, of His lineage, of the blood line of Kings anointed by God. What's more, this proves what He is about to say: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."
The Sabbath had become something outrageous in our Lord's eyes. So many laws for that day. So many laws that trumped man, that hurt man. Like the Sabbath Jesus healed a man. This would cost our Lord's life.
A brother in Christ once told me that his mom said "if you're going to Mass and you see someone in need of help on the way (like stranded on the road), you stop and help that person first, before going to Mass."
In the same manner, we should first reconcile with God and neighbor before going to Mass to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist can wait, for you aren't doing God any favors by receiving Him and deceiving Him. For the act comes back to the receiver, the deceiver. We cannot fool God Almighty. The Sabbath was made for man, for Love. And God is Love, God overrules all laws when they act against His Holy Will. | Let's pray:
Lord, Father, God, We have been anointed, and so we pray for Your Holy Spirit to rush upon us to be given the holy desire of accomplishing Your Holy will...both now and forever. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian Yesterday's prayers were heard, dad was calmed with meds in the hospital, and did well settled, and today he doesn't want those meds, and so we pray he calms in other ways with our prayers, so He may be healed and walk away healed, by feeling God's touch of serenity and love....I'm noticing there is much fear, in all of us, so pray that we may have faith to move mountains...let us reach into the realms of God in Heaven...Lord graciously hear us. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Psalm 103 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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