†Saint Quote "It is better to be a child of God than king of the whole world!"
–St. Aloysius Gonzaga †Today's Meditation
"It is necessary to have an absolutely sure intention in all our actions, so that the generous fulfillment of our daily duties may be directed toward the highest supernatural ideal. Thus, our life, apart from moments of prayer, will be a prayerful life. It is clear that the habit of giving an upward glance to God at the moment of action is a great assistance in aiding us to behave always with a pure intention and in freeing us from our natural impulses and fancies, so, that, retaining our self-mastery, or rather, God becoming the sole Master, all our movements become dependent upon the Holy Spirit. We see in the Gospel that whenever our Lord was about to undertake some important step, He always paused for a moment to raise His eyes to Heaven, and only after this moment of recollection did He take up the work He had to do. 'He lifted up His eyes to Heaven' is a phrase that recurs with significant frequency. And doubtless, when there was no outward sign of this prayer, there was the inward offering. The ideal is the same for us. The constant subjection of self to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is made easier from the fact of His presence in the soul, where He is asked explicitly to preside over all our doings . . . We shall not submit wholeheartedly to the invisible Guest unless He is kept in close proximity to us."
— Raoul Plus, S.J., p. 37-8 †Daily Verse
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
–Psalm 19:14 |  click to read more | | St. Genevieve of Paris St. Genevieve (c.422-512 A.D.) was born to a respectable family in a small village outside Paris, France. When she was seven years old a famous bishop, St. Germain, spotted her in a crowd and prophesied to her parents about her future sanctity. At his invitation, St. Genevieve expressed her desire to live in a state of perpetual virginity and made her vows under him, after which St. Germain gave her a brass medal engraved with a cross as a reminder of her consecration to Christ. In her teens she received the religious veil under the Bishop of Paris and lived a devout life of prayer, charity, and austerity. She was especially known for her gifts of prophecy and reading consciences. When her parents died she lived with her grandmother in Paris, often visiting other cities where she would perform miracles. This led to her persecution, with a plot against her life, but when St. Germain came to her defense she was afterwards greatly revered by the people. St. Genevieve became venerated as the patron saint of Paris after she helped avert an attack against the city by Attila the Hun, and for saving the city from famine during a siege, when a boatload of grain overcame a military blockade due to her intercession. St. Genevieve is also the patron saint against fever, plague, and disasters. Her feast day is January 3rd. | Lectio Divina of the Gospels 2021-2022
Monday after Epiphany Reading I 1 Jn 3:22–4:6 Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us. Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. Responsorial Psalm 2:7bc-8, 10-12a
R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession."
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance. Alleluia See Mt 4:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 4:12-17, 23-25 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him. | DAILY MEDITATION: MATTHEW 4:12-17, 23-25
He withdrew to Galilee . . . to live in Capernaum by the sea. (Matthew 4:12, 13) Jesus left his hometown of Nazareth for the larger city of Capernaum to begin his ministry. Why Capernaum? On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, it was well connected to the surrounding cities by land and water. Some of his first disciples lived there as well. And not least of all, it fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy that in the "Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light" (Matthew 4:15-16). These are all strategic factors, but one other factor puts everything else in context: Jesus went where there was need. Capernaum was a hub from which he could reach the most people. Jesus healed and preached repentance in Capernaum, but he didn't stop there. He went wherever people needed him, bringing the light of his presence "around all . . . Galilee" and beyond (Matthew 4:23). Now Jesus is sending you out to be a light in the darkness around you. As he did so long ago, he is asking you to do: go where there is need. Make your home your "hub" as Jesus did, and move out from there. Let your light shine through your words and your actions, and you'll be able to push back the darkness. What kind of darkness? It might be simply that people haven't heard the good news about Jesus. Or they might be suffering the darkness of loneliness or isolation. Or the darkness might come from difficult circumstances, like a job loss or sickness. God's life in you is like a light that you can take wherever you go. It's not as complicated as you might think. Your faithfulness to your daily prayer time or Mass attendance can inspire the people that you live with. When you take the time to visit someone who is infirm or elderly, you can ease their loneliness. Even sending a note or email to a friend in tough circumstances can help lift their spirits. So start with the needs you see close to home. And like Jesus, work your way outward. "Jesus, thank you that you bring your light wherever it's needed. Help me to do the same." 1 John 3:22–4:6
Psalm 2:7-8, 10-12 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." Think of the saints that people run to for prayer...because God hears the prayers of the faithful. We need then to do God's will. We are all called to be saints. | We pray in Psalms:
"The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession." | We heard in the Gospel today:
"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen." Hope rose from the dark. Genesis was revealed in Christ. Light came to change the world.
We are continuously facing darkness.
But should not our faces turn to light? | ""Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people." Our Lord cured every disease.
We need that today...right?
Right now I'm at home with my wife and kids isolated with covid.
My dad is at a hospital too with covid...on oxygen.
We need this curing from Jesus.
We need healing.
What's it going to take?
It will take God's grace.
It will take faith.
Repent. Let me be less. Let God be more.
Our world changes fast. But our Lord remains steadfast.
Our world gets rocked. But He is our anchor.
Jesus at this point was on a mission.
It was now God's time.
Time to let the world know just who Jesus the Christ..the Savior is.
In Spanish Reflections today they say today is the Holy name of Jesus.
I plan on invoking the very name that means salvation. HE SAVES. Let's pray;
Lord, Father, Jesus...
You are my King...I repent for having so often offended your goodness. Help us by Your Grace never to offend thee again.
Heal us from the inside out. We breathe in your name: Jesus
We breathe out your essence: Christ.
We breathe in: Holy
We breathe out: Spirit
Holiness...grace...purity....life for the world...light to the dark. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Isaiah 40:26 Isaiah 40:26
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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