†Saint Quote
"A soul which does not practise the exercise of prayer is very like a paralyzed body which, though possessing feet and hands, makes no use of them."
–St. Alphonsus Liguori †Today's Meditation
"Oh, what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass, and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us. O Jesus, my Jesus, with what great pain is my soul pierced when I see this fountain of life gushing forth with such sweetness and power for each soul, while at the same time I see souls withering away and drying up through their own fault. O Jesus, grant that the power of mercy embrace these souls."
—St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 914 An Excerpt From
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul †Daily Verse
"But for thee, O Lord, do I wait; it is thou, O Lord my God, who wilt answer."
–Psalm 38:15 |  click to read more | | St. Bartholomew St. Bartholomew (1st c.) is one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles who, together with his friend and fellow Apostle Philip, came from Cana in Galilee. All we know of St. Bartholomew (also called Nathaniel) is what is mentioned of him in the synoptic Gospels and the book of Acts. Philip told Bartholomew that he had found the Messiah, and, despite Bartholomew's incredulity, the two went together to see Jesus. When Jesus saw Bartholomew he exclaimed, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him!", indicating that Bartholomew possessed great purity of heart. Bartholomew then asked Jesus how he knew him, and Jesus explained that he saw Bartholomew sitting under the fig tree. This secret between Jesus and Bartholomew caused Bartholomew to immediately exclaim that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. According to the Roman Martyrology, Bartholomew became a missionary in the East, preaching and evangelizing in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India, and finally Armenia, where he was flayed alive and beheaded by King Astyages. St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of nervous and neurological diseases, butchers, leather workers, tanners, cobblers, trappers, and shoemakers. His feast day is August 24th. | Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629
Reading I Rv 21:9b-14 The angel spoke to me, saying,
"Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Responsorial Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Alleluia Jn 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 1:45-51 Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man." | Daily Meditation: Revelation 21:9-14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation. (Revelation 21:14) St. John's vision of the holy city of Jerusalem coming down from heaven must have taken his breath away. The angel called this city "the bride, the wife of the Lamb"—that is, the Church (Revelation 21:9). And what held up this radiant, massive city gleaming with precious gems? Twelve foundation stones "on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb" (21:14). Just think: twelve ordinary men, including St. Bartholomew, whose feast we celebrate today, are the foundation stones of the Church. Our faith is built on their witness of Jesus' preaching, miracles, and resurrection. It's built on their understanding that he was the fulfillment of the Scriptures. It's built on their proclamation that Jesus is the God who became man in order to save all people from their sins. And so they preached this good news. Through their missionary journeys, they carried the name of Jesus to others, who in turn preached the good news to even more people. In this way, the apostles' proclamation and teachings have been preserved through two millennia. This is the foundation on which our own faith rests. Popular philosophies and worldviews might sound more enticing at times, but they lack a true foundation and therefore come and go. But Jesus "is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He does not change, and neither do the truths of our faith. According to tradition, St. Bartholomew preached in India and was martyred there. He and the other apostles gave their lives to ensure that we would have the teachings of Jesus and his bride, the Church, for all time. So build your life on this foundation. Let it guide your decisions and sustain you in hard times. Let it protect you against the temptations that assail you and the confusion that surrounds you. And be confident that this sure foundation will never let you down. "Jesus, let me never stray from the firm foundation you have given me." Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
John 1:45-51 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
The bride? A city? A holy city of Jerusalem? That doesn't compute in our terms of groom and bride, right? And so it is. His love, the one He is faithfully devoted to...is the very dwelling place and the people...and our Lord is devoted to His Love. | We pray today;
"The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom." The Lord is near to those who call upon Him...in truth. And it becomes evident in the Holy Gospel today. | Our Lord speaks;
""Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" In a reflection today, it asked "what was Nathaniel doing under the fig tree?". The answer was not known they said, but it tells us in the Gospel in context clues...Nathaniel was calling out to the Lord, perhaps even saying "do you see me Lord?". Because the answer came to him when our Lord said he saw him. | Nathaniel believed from then on, because of the answer. Now, how about you? Right where you are reading this, the Lord sees you reaching out to Him. He sees you when you are praying...in sincerity. No words need be said even. He knows. It is in the knowing that is everything in being. And wouldn't it be great to know, that God can be trusted? They say most in the world are suffering some type of anxiety or depression, and many don't even know they are suffering from it.
What if there was an immediate cure for this...like faith? But if no one takes to the cure...then other remedies are lurking in the world to take its place. I'm realizing that faith is precious in the eyes of the Lord. And it can be so hard to be precious, if we fail to trust, if we fail to believe, and therefore..fail to love. "Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this." They say that this life is the tip of the iceberg of what is to come in the next and the very real life. Do you believe? They say the Father sits on a throne that seems like fire, burning fire, rays of light. Can you imagine looking into His eyes? You would get lost! And would you believe that the Lord can appear any day now, and to you personally? How would you have treated Him? With grace? Or disgrace? Have you ever treated someone disgracefully? I think I have, and I believe it hurt me more than it hurt them. Back to the eyes of God. They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Be careful what you see, for what you see could be something way more, and opposite of what you believe to see. They say beautiful people are graceful people. And it is even more the case in Heaven, where God is everything and we are meant to be His everything. Lord, I am at a loss, especially at the cost of love.
St. Bartholomew, Apostle and martyr for Christ, pray for us to love God as He wills. Pray for us and the whole world. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Proverbs 12:18
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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