†Saint Quote
""I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him."
–St. Frances Xavier Cabrini †Today's Meditation
"Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever."
—C.S. Lewis, p. 74 An Excerpt From
Mere Christianity †Daily Verse
"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace."
–James 3:16-18 Daily Mass Readings |  click to read more | | Blessed Fra Angelico Bl. Fra Angelico (1387-1455) was born Guido di Pietro in Tuscany, Italy. Little is known of his early life, but he became a famous early Italian Renaissance master painter. Fra Angelico would pray earnestly before he painted, being convinced that in order to paint Christ perfectly, one must also be Christlike. His paintings then became tools for contemplating the theological mysteries hidden in the biblical events he depicted. He joined the Dominican Order in 1407 and was given the name Brother John, often called "Angelic Brother John", or Fra Angelico (Angelic Friar) because of his holiness. He lived and worked in several friaries until moving to the Friary of San Marco in Florence. While in Florence he was surrounded by an artistic community, and, due to his great talent, gained the patronage of the famous Medici family. In 1445 he was summoned to Rome to work on St. Peter's Basilica in various chapels. From 1449 until shortly before his death, Fra Angelico was also prior of the convent in Fiesole. He passed away while working again in Rome and is buried in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Fra Angelico was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II and is the patron saint of Catholic artists. His feast day is February 18.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Jas 2:14-24, 26 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,"
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead. Responsorial Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (see 1b) Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
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 greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands. Alleluia Jn 15:15b R. Alleluia, alleluia
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:34–9:1 Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." He also said to them,
"Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power."
| Daily Meditation: James 2:14-24, 26 You see that faith was active. (James 2:22) Imagine giving a bicycle to your daughter for her birthday, but she never takes it out for a ride. She has received the gift of the bicycle, but because she has yet to ride it, she isn't using it for its intended purpose. In a sense, she hasn't experienced what a bicycle is. Neither has she experienced it as the gift you wanted to give her. In some ways, faith is like this bike. It's a gift that each of us has received from God, and it comes fully alive and fulfills its intended purpose when we put it into motion. This is what James is trying to get at in today's first reading. He tells us that "faith without works"—some evidence that what we believe is being exercised and lived out—"is useless" (James 2:20). As we know from experience, putting our faith into action can sometimes feel as if we are riding that bike up a steep mountain! It's so much simpler to say we believe and leave it at that. But that can make our faith into a private affair, something only between us and God. It isn't necessarily something that others can see making a difference in our lives or in the lives of the people we encounter each day. So how might God be asking you to make your faith more active? James uses the example of providing food and clothing to those in need (2:15-16). That's one way, but there are many other ways as well. You already believe that God can heal the sick, but you can put your faith into action by stepping out and offering to pray with someone for healing. You believe that God wants every human being to know him personally, but you can put that belief into practice by sharing with a struggling coworker how much you've experienced God's love and mercy in your life. God offers us chances to "ride the bike" of our faith every day and throughout our lives. As we learn to "hop on"—by taking advantage of opportunities to exercise our faith more and more—we find that it grows even stronger. Not only that, but we even learn to enjoy the ride! "Holy Spirit, help me to ride through life with faith!" Psalm 112:1-6
Mark 8:34–9:1 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
""You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works." There are some that believe faith alone will save you. That you can just say something and never show it. And this is false, because what is inside must manifest on the outside. And it does. | We pray in Psalms:
"Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance." | Our Lord speaks in the Holy Gospel:
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it." Many choose not to be a faithful Christian, because they know the cost. They will have to sacrifice...themselves. No partying, no "good life" they call it, no more self indulgences and pleasures, no more splurging on oneself.
But there are some who become deep Christ followers, and for Catholics who take Holy Sacraments to heart, the fruit of the Spirit begins to dwell and show. Modesty, humility, kindness, temperance, fortitude, and the list goes on and on.
But to attain this, it takes a giving, yes...to God. And then, the giving becomes a losing of oneself to Him. | Let's pray: Lord, Heavenly Father,
We lose our focus on Heaven when we lose our focus on You.
Let us only desire You and where You are, and not merely on what is temporal below. Give us all grace to honor and love You as we ought. And I pray for my dad, Martin, Your son, that You may open the gates of Your heart and receive Him with pure love...as Martin was pure love on earth for Your sake. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian Today is the viewing and tomorrow the funeral, and some say it's worse after that. I hope not, but if so, then we will need prayer, to be able to offer the sacrifice to God. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Romans 1:16–17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,1 as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."2 | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
