†Saint Quote
"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially your family. Be holy."
–St. Teresa of Calcutta †Today's Meditation
"God loves everyone with unique love; he wants to lead them all to perfection, but at the same time has very different paths for different people. This means that the frequency and characteristics of the inspirations of grace will differ from one person to another. We cannot force the Spirit, God is the master of his gifts. That said, it cannot be doubted that God will grant each person at least the inspirations he needs for his own sanctification."
—Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 26 An Excerpt From
In the School of the Holy Spirit †Daily Verse
"For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me."
–Galatians 2:19-20 |  click to read more | | St. Rafqa / Rebecca St. Rafqa / Rafka (Arabic for Rebecca) (1832–1914) was born in Himlaya, a Maronite village in the Lebanese mountains. She was an only child, and her mother died when she was seven. After her father's remarriage there was much family discord as to whom Rafqa should marry. Not wanting to wed any of the men in question, she turned to God and entered religious life at the age of 21. She had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary which she learned from her mother. She studied and served as a teacher for many years, but, after witnessing and surviving a massacre of Christians, she decided at the age of 39 to become a cloistered contemplative nun living under a strict rule in a monastery. Here, Rafqa prayed earnestly that she might share in the sufferings of Christ. Her prayers were heard almost immediately. She became blind and paralyzed, and over the course of 30 years she struggled with deteriorating health and incredible pain. All of her sufferings she united to the sufferings of Christ without complaint. Under obedience to her superior she worked on an autobiography near the end of her life. She died at the age of 82, and her grave is credited with many miracles. St. Rafqa is a Catholic Maronite saint canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2001. She is the patron of sick people, bodily ills, and loss of parents. Her feast day is March 23rd.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Reading I Dt 4:1, 5-9 Moses spoke to the people and said:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today? "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Responsorial Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Verse before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Mt 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 5:17-1 I have come . . . to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17) Many of the Jewish religious leaders believed that Jesus was rejecting the Law of Moses. They attacked him for healing on the Sabbath and for not always observing the prescribed rituals for handwashing. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the true meaning of the Law. It was not just an outward observance but an inner change of heart. And he showed this not just by his teaching but by the way he lived. However, that's not all Jesus did. By his death and resurrection, he fulfilled God's plan to save us from sin and death and empowered us with his grace to overcome temptation. Though we may still stumble, our sins don't have to keep us separated from God; we can be forgiven and reconciled. Now when we struggle to obey the Lord's commandments, we can call on the power of the Holy Spirit who has been poured into us. This is the kingdom Jesus ushered in, and we are blessed to have been invited into it. What does that mean for each of us when it comes to living out the Sermon on the Mount? Not only can we not commit adultery, but we can repent, be forgiven, and be empowered by the Lord when we struggle with lustful thoughts. Not only can we refrain from murder, but we can ask for the Lord's mercy and help when we wrestle with angry thoughts and actions of any kind. Not only can we not take revenge on those who have hurt us, but with God's grace, we can forgive them and pray for them. This is how Jesus wants us to live and what God always intended by giving his people the Law. So when you struggle with living this law of love, remember that Jesus has already made a way for you. He has given you the Holy Spirit so that you can go beyond the letter of the law to the very heart of it—and change your own heart in the process. And when you fail, you can repent, be forgiven, and try again. All of this is possible because of Jesus' sacrifice of love. Today, spend some time praising the Lord for all he has done for you! "Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life for me so that I could live how you desire." Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Never forget, the Lord, and His statutes, His will, and what great act of love He did on the cross. He came. Must He come again? He lived. Must He live again? He does. He repeats the death on the cross forever in Mass. Padre Pio would be lost in ecstasy in Mass, reliving the Holy Sacrifice of our Lord. He'd be in a trance for minutes on end. A great silence ensues. God enters. Teachers, take note, children are watching you when you least expect. Therefore, live an extraordinary holiness, that you may not be caught off guard and unaware. Angels are watching. | We pray in Psalms:
"Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has trengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem" | In today's Gospel we heard:
"Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." When our Lord entered the world, He was accused of breaking the law. And the Pharisees had turned the law into their god. Anything against THEIR law was against THEIR god.
What is wrong here? Who made the laws? How did God's 10 laws turn into over 600 Jewish laws? You see, small traditions and teachings were suddenly held even higher than God's 10 commandments.
Our own ideas get the best of us. This is a fair warning to all of us who think we know better than our Lord our Father in Heaven. This is the first and greatest downfall.
What do you know? In a humble spirit, you know nothing.
What do you care about? I hate what I see in the world. People just care about their own cares. If they remember to pray, it is just for self and self preservation. I hate it in me too. Where has the world gone wrong? Nobody is really risking their lives for God. And when I say nobody, I mean very, VERY few, so few that it appears that nobody is doing it.
But I write so you may take courage.
I write to you so that you may risk your life for Him as He did for you.
He not only risked everything but gave everything.
How little can we give in return. Obedience, honor, and glory are what saints do.
A saint obeys, for love.
A saint honors God the King and Father.
A saint gives glory through all their works and sufferings.
A saint does not complain.
A saint only knows how to give.
A saint then...is a true child of God. Yes, that is your calling. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: 17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust1 forever. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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