†Saint Quote
"Never will we understand the value of time better than when our last hour is at hand."
–St. Arnold Janssen †Today's Meditation
"The will of God gives to all things a supernatural and divine value for the soul submitting to it. The duties it imposes, and those it contains, with all the matters over which it is diffused, become holy and perfect, because, being unlimited in power, everything it touches shares its divine character. … The entire virtue of all that is called holy is in its approximation to this order established by God; therefore nothing should be rejected, nothing sought after, but everything accepted that is ordained and nothing attempted contrary to the will of God. … When God requires action, sanctity is to be found in activity."
—Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 15 An Excerpt From
Abandonment to Divine Providence †Daily Verse
"Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to thy word! Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me thy law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set thy ordinances before me. I cleave to thy testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my understanding!"
–Psalm 119:27-32 |  click to read more | | St. Junipero Serra St. Junipero Serra (1713 – 1784) was born to a farming family on the Spanish island of Majorca. He was baptized the same day he was born, and was later sent to be educated by the Franciscans. In 1730 he joined the Franciscans and was ordained to the priesthood. St. Junipero was considered brilliant by his peers; he was well-trained in philosophy and theology, and taught at the university. In 1750 he traveled to the New World and began ministering to the people of Mexico City. In 1768 he moved north and began working in the Californian missions. As a result of his tireless missionary efforts, he is largely responsible for the spread of Catholicism along the western coast of the United States—as testified by the many Californian cities with Spanish Christian names. He founded the first nine of twenty-one Catholic missions that spread along the California coast. He converted thousands of Native Americans to the Christian faith and taught them new methods of agriculture, animal husbandry, and craftsmanship. He died from tuberculosis at the age of 71. The Native Americans he ministered wept at his death out of their love for him. Junipero Serra was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988 and canonized by Pope Francis during his trip to the United States in 2015, the first canonization Mass to ever take place on American soil. His feast day is July 1st. | Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 381 Reading I Am 8:4-6, 9-12 Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
"When will the new moon be over," you ask,
"that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?"
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!" On that day, says the Lord GOD,
I will make the sun set at midday
and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
and all your songs into lamentations.
I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth
and make every head bald.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end. Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it. Responsorial Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131 (Matthew 4:4) One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Alleluia Mt 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:9-13 As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." | Daily Meditation: Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 When will the new moon be over? (Amos 8:5) We've all been impatient. Maybe we've found it hard to get through those last couple of days of work before a vacation. Or we face a difficult chore and wonder, "When will it be over?" That seems to be the Israelites' attitude in our first reading. But what they were waiting to "be over" was the new moon festival, a celebration at the first of every month when the people put aside their work to spend time in worship with their families. The feast was supposed to help God's people put him first, but that pause in trade seemed to be bothering them. They saw it as an inconvenient "speed bump" that hindered their goal of making money. Not only that, but such a religious festival stood in stark contrast to the dishonesty that many of them practiced. Can you see why this would have displeased the Lord? The very celebration that was supposed to help his people learn to love God and one another had become burdensome to them. We can all relate, can't we? We know that God loves us and wants us to love him and put him first in our lives. We also know that he wants us to love and care for one another. But sometimes the "requirements" of faith seem burdensome. They become something to "get through" so that we can do what we really want. Think of those times when you hoped for a short homily at Mass or fidgeted during Adoration because you just wanted to get home! At times like these, remember what a privilege and a blessing worshipping God can be! Remember how lifting your heart to the Lord also lifts your burdens. Remember how much he loves you and how worthy he is of your praise. Above all, remember that God is giving you a chance to encounter him. And that can soften your heart and change the way you approach your whole day. "Lord, thank you for the privilege of worshipping you!" Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
Matthew 9:9-13 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD." Is there a hunger nowadays for our Lord's word? Yes and no. It is a hidden hunger...we must all discover. | We pray in Psalms:
"One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands." And so we innately hunger for order. Kids thrive on order, although not at first. We expect things then, a certain way, in behaviors. And so, to be in righteous order, we order ourselves to God, as He has ordered. | In today's Gospel we heard our Lord:
"He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him." In social media, many people that want to grow in recognition (even power), many seek to have "followers" and to have a "following". And so, we must watch what and who we follow. Are these folks leading you closer to Christ? Or to some other ideal? Watch how many try to blend it all together...and the blender often is evil itself, trying to mix black and white, into a dull grey, and mostly dark grey matter. We cannot be neutral. We cannot be intolerant like the dark side is to the things of light. Therefore, they seek not total destruction, but a diffusing of the light, to be dimmer and dimmer...that is, less and less faith...less purity of light. | "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice." More than all your obedience to God's laws, God desire mercy, charity, yes, and Love. What good is it to go to Mass every Sunday and hate your neighbor? Now let us not go into extremes of saying "only love matters and not obedience" which is the modern mantra of the world. The homosexual movement has claimed supposedly what they know is true love. But this is a twist of the truth, and lies in the end. What we know of love is truth and truth is Jesus our Lord. He is the way to true Love...and we see His love of the Father, in obedience to God's will, and coupled with our free will....to sacrifice ourselves for the good of the other. All the way is Love to Heaven, let us follow the blood trail to Himself. Sacred of Jesus pray for us. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator:
Proverbs 28:22
22 A stingy man1 hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment