†Saint Quote
"Quote of the Day
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."
–St. Therese of Lisieux - The Little Flower †Today's Meditation
"When we generously accept God's Word, especially in the Commandments, we are doing God's Will in all things. To live the Will of God is the greatest sacrifice and personal denial."
—Rev. Thomas J. Donaghy, p. 17 An Excerpt From
Inspirational Thoughts for Every Day †Daily Verse
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be."
–John 14:1-3 |  click to read more | | St. Lawrence of Rome St. Lawrence of Rome (d. 258 A.D.) was likely a Spaniard by birth who lived in Rome while Christianity was outlawed under pain of death. He was appointed by Pope St. Sixtus II as archdeacon over the seven deacons of Rome, and held the sacred duty of tending to the Church's wealth and distributing alms to the poor. After Pope St. Sixtus II was beheaded by Roman Emperor Valerian, along with the six other deacons, Lawrence was left as the highest-ranking clergy in Rome. He was ordered by the Roman authorities to appear before the tribunal—a summons to his execution—along with the treasures of the Church that were in his possession. St. Lawrence then quickly distributed the Church's wealth to the poor so that the government could not confiscate it. On the appointed day, August 10th, Lawrence responded to the summons by bringing with him a multitude of the poor and crippled of Rome; these he proclaimed to be the true treasure of the Church. This angered the authorities so greatly that Lawrence was ordered to be burned alive on a gridiron. He was bound to the metal grate and slowly roasted to death over hot coals. During his torture Lawrence famously mocked his torturers by saying, "I am done on this side, turn me over." St. Lawrence is the patron saint of many causes including cooks, chefs, comedians, deacons, librarians, students, and the poor. His feast day is August 10th. | Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Lectionary: 618
Reading 1 2 COR 9:6-10 Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9 R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Alleluia JN 8:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel JN 12:24-26 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me." | Daily Meditation: John 12:24-26 Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies . . . (John 12:24 If any of the apostles had understood that Jesus was speaking about his own death here, they would have been stunned. "How could dying make you even more fruitful?" they might have asked. "You've healed multitudes and preached throughout Israel. We've never seen anyone do as much good as you!" But from our perspective, we can see that Jesus was right: his death did bear great fruit. It opened the possibility of salvation for all people! Jesus then went on to say, "Whoever serves me must follow me" (John 12:26). Every one of his disciples shares the same call that he had: to "die" so that they can produce great fruit. But how? St. Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today, shows us one very heroic way. Lawrence was a deacon in Rome during the persecution of the emperor Valerian in AD 258. When the prefect of Rome commanded him to hand the riches of the Church over to the emperor, Lawrence produced the widows, the orphans, and the poor whom the Church had been supporting. "These are the treasures of the Church," he declared. The prefect promptly arrested him and had him burned to death on a gridiron. As for us? We may not be facing arrest or martyrdom, but each of us has many opportunities to "die" for our faith in the course of our day. Saying no to a particularly strong temptation, being patient or generous with a difficult person, maintaining honesty in a dishonest climate, or just facing a dreary day with hope in the Lord—these are just a few of the ways we can lay down our lives and choose God above our immediate desires. Jesus promises that every time we "die" in this way, we bear fruit. Our witness might inspire a person facing a battle we know nothing about. Our humility might defuse a tense situation. Our faithfulness might move someone to seek the Lord for themselves. And over all of this, we will bear the sweet fruit of a deeper relationship with God. "Lord, I offer you my day. I trust you to make it fruitful." 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Ever been lavished by someone? Like, they go above and beyond the normal help, or hospitality? I mean, there's no explanation on how it feels, and if this is God at work, wow, it is amazing. I'm not saying I've experienced it lately, but I do remember what grace and mercy feel like in instances in the past. And so, what can we do to repay? Payment is not expected! But can we live on and pass it on, paying it forward? God loves those who know how to give, with all their heart, mind, and soul...how to love. | We pray in Psalms:
"Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need"
Can a poor person out-give a rich person? Can a rich person out-give a poor person? Yes in both cases. Because the measure is in the heart. With what percentage, perhaps...but more importantly, with what heart? I'm seeing in the world heartlessness, in government, on all sides. I'm seeing heartlessness in how nations treat each other. What can I say? It begins here and now, in you and me. We can't fix today's problems, but we can fix tomorrow's, because seeds take time. | In today's Gospel we heard our Lord:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit." | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, just after announcing that he was about to be glorified on the cross...
A seed can exist for a long time—they have found seeds in the tombs of the Pharaohs. But unless they fall into the soil and crack open, nothing further comes of them. Their life is inside, but it's a life that grows by being given away and mixing with the soil around it. Paradoxically, when you look at a great tree, you simultaneously see none of the original seed and nothing but the original seed, now flourishing.
What does the prince of this world, the devil, tell us? Hang on to yourself. Aggrandize yourself. Stay safe, protected. But Jesus has come to throw out that prince, that principle. He proposes himself as the new prince. His sign is the sign of the cross. The death that leads to transfiguration: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life."_
........ "Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life." It is fitting for St. Lawrence to be remembered with these Holy words. That he gave his life to the poor. They asked him for his riches, and he gave them all the riches of the church...the poor people, lame, and broken. The world accuses the Catholic Church of being too rich. I'm on the flip side, I can see inner workings. The church purse is designed to help the church. And we are the church. Aside from the church side...then we have to help the poor ourselves. The church gives to the poor, but it's not all on them. Remember, WE are the church. They can only help so much with the money we give. But let's stop talking money, the tool used to help poor. What do you love? Who do you love? What moves you? What motivates you? In a cursillo, in a talk I will give, I talk about the "ideal". We have to realize what ideal we are living in all aspects of life.
Everyone who loves their life will lose it. This means, the life they've made up for themselves, as if you will live only once. Everything will be lost.
And whoever hates his life will preserve it. And so, the question is, can you hate rightly? What does God hate? We better learn what He hates so we can learn to hate it too. He hates sins against His will, and invariably, sins against Himself, that aim to cause greater harm than good. For God is Good and He is righteous and lavishes on the poor. He pours Himself over the poor. It is evident on the cross. I've noticed a trend after tons of funerals; that only the good tends to be remembered. The bad is diminished when we speak of the person. And we cannot ever cease speaking about our Lord's death because we can never finish speaking on how good He was, and is...forever. Lord, it is forever that we will praise Thee for Thy holy sacrifice. The countless wonders that are done in deed, now more than in human flesh, but in the Spirit to thrive in the willing flesh. Let us be Thy willing body, even to the cross, a mount of love. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Proverbs 12:1
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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