†Saint Quote
"May the Holy Spirit enkindle you with the fire of His Love so that you may persevere, unfailingly, in the love of His service. Thus you may merit to become, at last, a living stone in the celestial Jerusalem."
–St. Hildegard von Bingen †Today's Meditation
"The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience, and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others. Actions speak louder than words . . . it is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions. But the apostles spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself! … We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit give us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments. "
—St. Anthony of Padua, p. 492 An Excerpt From
Witness of the Saints †Daily Verse
"The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God." Psalm 92:12-13
–Psalm 92:12-13 |  click to read more | | St. Juan Diego St. Juan Diego (1474–1548) was a poor and humble peasant of the lowest class of Aztec Indians living in what is today Mexico. His native name was Cuauhtlatoatzin, meaning, "eagle that talks." He was baptized at the age of fifty by a Franciscan missionary priest and received the Christian name of Juan Diego. It was he to whom Our Lady appeared as a pregnant Aztec princess on December 9, 1531—at that time the feast of the Immaculate Conception—on the hill of Tepeyac, in present-day Mexico City, as he was on his way to Mass. To help Juan Diego prove to the bishop that she had truly appeared, the Virgin Mary miraculously left her image on his tilma. This image is now famously known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. St. Juan Diego's tilma still bears the image of Our Lady (miraculously, as the plant fibers normally disintegrate in 15-20 years) and it hangs in one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites of the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II as the first indigenous saint from the Americas. His feast day is December 9th. | Friday of the Second Week of Advent • Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Reading 1 IS 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence. Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6 R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 11:16-19 Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 11:16-19 Wisdom is vindicated by her works. (Matthew 11:19) We are familiar with short sayings that carry a lot of punch. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." "Don't judge a book by its cover." "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." While these may be pertinent at different times in our lives, their overall practical value is limited. By contrast, Jesus' short saying, "Wisdom is vindicated by her works" (Matthew 11:19), carries a lot of punch and is a truth that applies to the whole of our lives. His entire life, especially his cross and resurrection, proved that his gospel message is the truth. And now he calls us to respond to that message by letting its wisdom rule our lives. There is nothing hit-and-miss about the Christian life. Jesus made it clear that if we remain true to him, we will not be disappointed. Instead, his wisdom will be vindicated in us just as it was in him. Following the Lord and his ways always brings its own deep rewards. Even when we have to hold fast against all odds, we will experience the Holy Spirit strengthening, encouraging, and comforting us. His life itself can become the source of power energizing us, no matter what situation or challenge we face. We may come up against those who dispute fasting or feasting, just as John the Baptist and Jesus faced those who doubted their different approaches to godliness. But no matter what kind of criticism you face, don't give up. By holding on to God's wisdom, remaining flexible and humble, and doing your best to stay faithful to the Lord, you will find the strength you need to continue on day after day. We are beloved sons and daughters of God. He will put his arms around us during times of difficulty. He will spur us on when we are disheartened. He will revitalize us when we are weary. How can we be sure of this? Because God never changes. Because once he makes a promise, he keeps it. Because he is always faithful to fulfill his purposes and intentions in our lives. And because his wisdom will always be vindicated in those who cling to him! "Lord Jesus, help me to rely upon your wisdom so that I can remain faithful to you." Isaiah 48:17-19
Psalm 1:1-4, 6 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go." There's something to be said about believing...it is trusting. When I teach my kids, they trust me. When I teach others...well, judgement starts forming. And this is where conscious forms...and your attempting to form yours here. And this is where I am fasting and praying for you and asking the Lord to work through me to you. This is where purpose happens. And life can be what God wants it to be. | We pray today;
"Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life." | In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher:
""To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'" When I'm leading in prayers and songs and talks, I look to the people I'm relaying the message to. Often, and most often, I see minds wondering. And I can't blame them, for I sit often and do the same, thinking about other...cares. Restless hearts. Restless people. We are restless when we are led astray. We are restless when other things have captivated our attention. And often it begins with the senses, the mind, then the heart, and then, it clenches the soul. This is where we must catch things upfront.
And this is the reason I made the infographic of our Lord looking to the world we live in, to try to capture an image of what our Lord sees perhaps; A people unmoved, and indifferent. What would finally motivate us to move and sacrifice and act on His Holy Word and Holy Will? What serves as motivation?
I have to sacrifice myself. It took me much longer than expected to do that graphic. It took much of my precious time. When I record songs, it takes hours for one song. When I write to you daily, it takes at least an hour of attempting to stick to it. This is sacrifice. I choose to do what I believe is important, and often times this supersede the temporal feelings of "love". Why do I say this?
My beloved, my child, Love is a choice. This then becomes an easy obedience. I have chosen to believe in love...God. And the world would be that much better to see Love In Action, through You. The Book of Heaven has revealed that you matter. You are not forgotten. I'm noticing the great deficit of love in the world. Time to make it grow, and farming this takes much work, if you only knew what it means to sow in tears. | ........................................
My Lord, My Love, My God, My all, how can I love You as I ought?
............................................... adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1
2 Corinthians 3:17 [2 Corinthians 3] 17 Now the Lord1 is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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