Monday, October 31, 2022

† "...When YOU hold a ... . "

†Saint Quote
"Christ Himself is our mouth through which we speak to the Father, our eye through which we see the Father, our right hand through which we offer to the Father. Without His intercession neither we nor all the saints have anything with God."
–St. Ambrose

†Today's Meditation
"Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence."
—St. Faustina Kowalska (741)

An Excerpt From
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul

†Daily Verse
"Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all."
–Romans 12:14-18

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St. Wolfgang

St. Wolfgang (934-994 A.D.), also known as the Great Almoner, was a Benedictine monk, reformer, and Bishop of Regensburg, Bavaria. He was born into the noble class and had an excellent education. As bishop he worked to reform the monasteries and convents in his diocese. He is remembered for his teaching abilities, his oratory skills, and his charity towards the poor. He was also integral in the missionary efforts to evangelize the Magyars in what is today modern Hungary. Towards the end of his life he withdrew to a solitary spot to build a church and hermitage at what is now called St. Wolfgang's Lake in Austria. Before settling he prayed and threw his axe into the wilderness, and built his cell on the spot where it landed. A town grew around the saint's hermitage which still exists today. According to legend, St. Wolfgang tricked the devil into helping him build the church, promising him the first soul that came through the church doors. The devil agreed, and after the construction was completed, a wolf was the first to cross its threshold, thus tricking the devil. St. Wolfgang's life was foundational to Bavarian and Austrian civilization. Many miracles occurred at his tomb, especially those related to stomach ailments. St. Wolfgang is the patron saint of carpenters, stroke victims, and the paralyzed. His feast day is October 31st.

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 485
Reading 1

Phil 2:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also everyone for those of others.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Alleluia

Jn 8:31b-32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Daily Meditation: Philippians 2:1-4

Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love. (Philippians 2:2)

Has this ever happened to you? You're cheering for your team at a football game, or you're dancing with everyone at a wedding, or you're singing a moving hymn at Mass—and you begin to feel a strong, loving connection with everyone around you. The people nearby may even be strangers, but you still feel a closeness to them. It's as if, even just for a few moments, you had "the same mind" and "the same love" and were "united in heart" with all these people (Philippians 2:2).

Wouldn't it be wonderful if that feeling could last beyond a football game or a wedding reception? Well, if St. Paul's words are any indication, this is exactly what God wants for us. Just as any earthly father does, our heavenly Father loves seeing all his children enjoying each other's presence and living with the same purposes in mind.

So how do we get there? Or at least, how can we get closer to that goal of a constant, stable, life-giving unity? Again, Paul points the way: "Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). In other words, serve one another. Place the needs of your family, your fellow parishioners, and even strangers you may meet, ahead of your own. Imitate the apostles and the first Christians who were "of one heart and mind" and who made sure that "there was no needy person among them" (Acts 4:32, 34).

This may sound difficult, but remember two things. First, this kind of self-giving unity is a goal to strive toward; no one expects us to achieve it immediately. And second, single-hearted unity is ultimately Christ's gift to us. It's the reason he sent the Holy Spirit to live among us. We shouldn't think we can achieve it on our own.

Is there someone who needs you right now? Is there some way you can lift up a brother or sister in the Lord? Then go and do it! It doesn't have to be something grand or important. Every act of love and service brings you one step closer to the unity of heart that is God's desire for all of us.

"Jesus, teach me how to serve just as you did. Lord, make us one in heart!"

Psalm 131:1-3
Luke 14:12-14

From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves..."
Regard others as more important than you.
How hard is that? This message is deep. How can I regard a homeless person, a drug addict dying on the streets as more important than me? Truth is, if you do as God says, you will not let that poor soul die in that condition, or at least you'll stretch out your hand to help to the degree your heart tells you. You see, we have no excuse in this short life, not to listen. Oh we can make excuses, but they won't get us out of severe punishment...for offending Love, and God is love.

We pray today;
" In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me."
What are proud and haughty eyes? I see it, and I hope people don't see it in me. What is a haughty soul? I've been haughty, and this has been terrible...for God's Kingdom. Within the last week I've let people have a piece of my mind, or I've reared up my ugly head by saying what the world says "you don't like it? Then I'm leaving!". Oh boy, how stupid I've been my friends. Oh yes, I have great excuses, I've got stress like no other, with the passing of the boss at work, my dad, now I'm on top of all the headaches, and I'm in charge of many things at church, oh yes, and at the family level, I'm expected to be that perfect and "world's greatest dad" as my shirt says I wear at home. Oh yes, I been the fool. But in all my failures, I bow my head and say two words we don't hear enough, especially to God in the confessional..."I'm Sorry". And then to actually BE sorry. This can lead us to sacrificial love. A repented, truly repented soul can become a most wonderful soul...doing God's will. I speak with words of testimony. I owe all those who I reared my ugly head...I owe them my life. So be careful who you hurt, for your life will be at stake and demanded, either on earth...or in eterntiy...and we should be wise to know discern the times.

In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher:
"Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you."

At daily Mass today, the message hit me from the Gospel..."God is trying to tell us something on how to be a giver...of love, hence the word...Lover". God shows us on the cross, the very message of today. He not only says the words but actually becomes the words He says and does them. What's funny about the Book Of Heaven, is that our Lord still seems to suffer for souls for atonement...like a forever thing. The message I received in Mass was then of phenomenal comprehension.
God knows we will NEVER be able to pay Him back (fully). God knows HE will have to pay dearly for our sins that we think are stupid little sins. I've not sinned mortally. I've just gotten angry. But do you know how far that silly little sin goes? Only God truly knows. Many stupid things happen in anger. Many wounds are opened up that were trying to heal. Many souls get involved. How many have gotten divorced in anger? How many have left the church in anger? How much if this is tied with pride?

Let's go back to our Lord's words.
Give to the degree that you will NEVER be able to be repaid. This is how God gives. We are called to be God's body on earth through Jesus Christ our Very Lord and King. We are built to do something for Him together. I flipped through TV channels on Sunday, and I saw much sports on all channels, even spanish channels.

I saw in the soccer stands thousands screaming their heads off, waving huge flags and dancing in unison. They were like a body, moving in waves and singing the same chants, giving life to something. In a similar but much more profound way, we are called to be the very body of Christ. Why can't we wave the flag of His message? Why can't we sing the chants of His moves? Why can't we make Him something great? Why can't we blast our message to Heaven, WE LOVE YOU GOD! And then show Him our life's love by living the very message we proclaim?

.................
Lord, help us love you with all our mind, heart, and soul. Help us be Your living body. Help us pour our blood with your Blood forever...a light that flows and gives light to the world!
...............................................

adrian

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Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:43–45

[Matthew 5]
Love Your Enemies

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace

Going4th

For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com

Friday, October 28, 2022

† "...When Day Came ... . "

†Saint Quote
"The Holy Bible is like a mirror before our mind's eye. In it we see our inner face. From the Scriptures we can learn our spiritual deformities and beauties. And there too we discover the progress we are making and how far we are from perfection."
–Pope St Gregory the Great

†Today's Meditation
"Just as God's creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church's preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth. Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different—for no one is above the Master—nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it."
—St. Ignatius of Antioch, p. 194

An Excerpt From
Witness of the Saints

†Daily Verse
"To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen."
–Jude 1:24-25

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Sts. Simon & Jude Thaddeus

St. Jude Thaddeus (1st c.) was a blood relative of Jesus Christ and one of his Twelve Apostles. He was known for his preaching, healing, exorcisms, and his appearance was said to have closely matched that of Jesus'. He is the patron of impossible causes, desperate situations, and hospitals. He also wrote the book of the Bible that bears his name. St. Simon the Zealot (1st c.) was also one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, but one of the most obscure. He earned his name for being zealous for the honor of Jesus, showing a holy indignation towards those who claimed Christ with their lips while dishonoring him with their manner of life. After the Ascension of Jesus, towards the end of his life, it is believed that St. Simon joined St. Jude to preach the Gospel in Persia, where they were both martyred in 65 A.D. St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude Thaddeus share a feast day on October 28th.
See more about St. Simon.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Reading I Eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,

and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse

whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,

and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Daily Meditation: Luke 6:12-16

He called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve. (Luke 6:13)

Jesus had a big decision to make. Who should he choose to be his apostles and carry on his mission? He knew his disciples well, but he also needed to ask his Father for guidance. After a long night in prayer, Jesus chose twelve men, including Simon, called the Zealot, and Jude, also known as Thaddeus. These two lesser-known apostles, whom we honor today, followed Jesus until his death. Then, after witnessing Jesus' resurrection and receiving the Holy Spirit, they went on to proclaim the good news as far as modern-day Turkey, where they died as martyrs.

But notice that before he set apart the apostles for their special purpose, Jesus called all his disciples "to himself" (Luke 6:13). He called all of them to be with him and to learn from him. Their relationship with Jesus had motivated them to leave behind career and family to follow him. His words had captured their hearts. He had given them hope that God's promised Messiah had finally come. Knowing Jesus, hearing him preach, and seeing him heal people and set them free had changed them. So they all gladly chose to spend their lives following in his footsteps.

We admire these first disciples, who made the bold choice to follow Jesus. And of course, we honor the apostles, who carried Jesus' message to the ends of the earth and became the foundation of the Church. But don't forget that Jesus also calls us to be "fellow citizens" with Sts. Simon and Jude and "members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).

Jesus calls you to himself, just as he called his first disciples. He wants you to be with him and learn from him. Every day you have a choice. As you spend time with him, your heart will be warmed by his love. Your desire to share his love with other people will grow. Little by little, Jesus will shape you into a living stone so that you can do your part to build up the Church.

"Jesus, thank you for calling me to yourself. Use me, Lord, to proclaim your love."

Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 19:2-5

From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God..."

The evil one really tries to make you feel useless, and worthless. But the opposite is true. You are useful, and you are worth something special to our Lord. He calls us family in His Baptism. And that there then, is a calling to be what we are called to be...a holy family from Heaven on earth.

We pray today;
_" The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. Their message goes out through all the earth"

Light from light, right? Let us go to the light, to receive the light, and this means life. What if light is life in the next life? It is an interesting thought. I recall Albert Einstein or Dawkins, said that it is possible to have in the universe or universes other living beings made of light.

It is true, because, once I envisioned our Lord's face, super beautiful in a stark background as of a universe and I could zoom in very close and see all his skin, eyes and hair and streaming and alive were beings of light, running in a beautiful pattern as if His blood and atoms were made of light. A body is not needed in this realm, but the body still assumes it's souls' DNA.

In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher:
"Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself"

Notice what our Lord does...He spends a night in prayer, before choosing His 12 tribes, the new 12 tribes to replace the broken past tribes of the old Testament, to take from the old, and to now form the new. The new wine to new wine skins, the very skins of the Apostles that would in turn become so rich that they would burst their skins in martyrdom as they were murdered by children of the dark. And this still happens today. And why does this happen? Because, most, wish they had what the others got, and since they can't find a way, they say, then nobody should have that. And this is a reflection on all of us on...what we should have done. Share. Share the light of Christ. Or else, it will be taken, and given to someone else to share. Does this make sense? It is the story of the talents still. It is the very story of our lives...our loves, and the direction we are heading at every moment, in every thought and move we make...that matters...on earth, as it is in Heaven.

.................
Lord, You have chosen me too, through our baptism, to be one with You. I pray we do You justice in our way to be Your Way, this life to be Thy Life. Forever and ever.
...............................................

adrian