†Saint Quote
""This is the great work of man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath."
–St. Anthony of the Desert †Today's Meditation
"My daughter, love has brought Me here, and love keeps Me here. My daughter, if you knew what great merit and reward is earned by one act of pure love for Me, you would die of joy. I am saying this that you may constantly unite yourself with Me through love, for this is the goal of the life of your soul. This act is an act of the will. Know that a pure soul is humble. When you lower and empty yourself before My majesty, I then pursue you with My graces and make use of My omnipotence to exalt you."
—St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 244
An Excerpt From
The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina †Daily Verse
"Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; at the same time, pray for us, too, that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak of the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I must speak. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one."
–Colossians 4:2-6 |  click to read more | | St. Matilda of Saxony St. Matilda (895-968 A.D.) was born in Prussia, the daughter of a Count, and was raised and educated in a monastery by her grandmother, who was the abbess. A political marriage was arranged for her to Henry I, the future king of Germany. Henry and Matilda enjoyed a happy and blessed marriage. As the Queen of Germany, Matilda became the mother of five important historical figures: Holy Roman Emperor Otto I; Henry, Duke of Bavaria; St. Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne; Gerberga, wife of King Louis IV of France; and Hedwig, mother of Hugh Capet. Matilda was a holy and virtuous woman known for her generosity to the poor. The king adored his queen and attributed his success in battle to her prayers. They reigned seventeen years, and their eldest son succeeded the throne and became Emperor Otto I. After her husband's death, Matilda's two eldest sons chastised her for her generous almsgiving. St. Matilda then took the possessions left to her by her husband and turned them over to her sons, and retired from court. Her sons immediately suffered misfortune, which was attributed to their poor treatment of their holy mother. In order to repair this injustice and regain God's favor, St. Matilda was begged to return to court, which she did, forgiving her sons for their ill will. She continued to help the poor, build churches, and support many monasteries. St. Matilda was a celebrated monarch and was venerated by the people immediately after her death. Her feast day is March 14th. | Monday of the Second Week in Lent Lectionary: 230
Reading I Dn 9:4b-10 "Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets." Responsorial Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13 R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. Verse Before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Lk 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." | Daily Meditation: Daniel 9:4-10 Yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! (Daniel 9:9) Have you ever driven through a puddle of water only to discover that it was covering a deep pothole? Depending upon how deep the hole is, you may find that you have caused real damage to your car. Our journey with the Lord can sometimes resemble that unfortunate encounter with a pothole. Think about it: you start the day with a perfect plan of how you want your walk with the Lord to go, but then you stray from the path. Maybe you lash out at a family member, or you engage in gossip during lunch with a friend. Maybe you tell a "white lie," or you look at someone lustfully. Suddenly, your whole plan is thrown out of alignment. You might feel trapped in guilt and shame. Even though you know you are trying to grow closer to God, your inability to follow your own goals weighs you down. In today's first reading, Daniel is in a similar place. He is distraught over how the sins of his people, as well his own sin, have resulted in their exile from Jerusalem. In these seven short verses, Daniel mentions shame, abandonment, and rebellion six times. But even in the face of so much sin, Daniel doesn't get stuck in shame or guilt. Instead, he recalls God's steadfast love and mercy. And he doesn't just recall it; he clings to it. He holds onto it so tightly that it gives him the strength to keep serving the Lord despite all the sin. Remember this whenever you feel ashamed for having fallen into a pothole. Yes, your initial plan may have been derailed. Yes, it may feel as if you'll never get out of that hole. But God is still with you. He hasn't forgotten you, and he certainly hasn't given up on you. He is waiting for you to take hold of his mercy. He's offering you the grace not just to be forgiven but to change as well. You don't ever have to resign yourself to guilt. You don't ever have to feel helpless in the fight against sin. Embrace God's infinite mercy. Ask him for forgiveness—and then forgive yourself. Let him pull you out of that hole and set you back on the road. "Lord, I believe that you are a God of compassion and forgiveness!" Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land." Why is there so much evil in the world?
Answer: So we wake up and turn to the Lord.
Prophets are speaking, and the primary one is Mother Mary who is with us, calling us to repent, or else. Is this a threat? If a mother warns her kids about playing with fire...it is an act of love.
And what is the fire in this case? More than fire expected to come down from Heaven to purify the earth? Or fires that can burn eternally? Either case, they hurt. We must heed the call. The time is right and right now to be on our knees. To plead and to be holy. | We pray in Psalms:
_"Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. Let the prisoners' sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins."_
I relayed a story to the prisoners about having found out who was busting windshields on old trucks at our workplace. I found it was my nephews and my own boys playing with BB guns. When I got home I rounded up the boys and sorted out who it was. I took the guilty one and pulled him aside for a paddling. I've never done that before, and I believe I gave him more of a love tap. The point is, the boy dont' know how much 6 windshields and one side window of a big truck will cost, or how HE would ever be able to pay, he's only 10 years old! So I punished him, but the great price is not paid fully...the rest...was mercy. And so our sins, even the little ones really cannot be paid fully. There is punishment, but much still relies on mercy. We must make amends by giving our entire life to God as of right this moment. | Our Lord speaks:
"Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful...
"Stop judging...
Stop condemning...
Forgive..." | Right now, we are seeing countries at war. What is the cause of the war? Fear? Greed? Avarice? Lust? Selfishness? What is causing loss of life, these murders and injustice? Egos? Pride?
What is causing anxiety? Is it anxiety itself? Why aren't people happy or secure?
What change would you like to see in others?
Shouldn't this change begin within you?
I heard a TV guy "Dr. Phil" say once "I don't like in you, what I see in me". Often we point the finger, and most fingers point back at yourself.
Why do others have to change first?
Why do others have to apologize to you first?
Why does everyone have to listen and understand you and cater to your feelings?
Have we not learned the prayer of St. Francis? Has anyone prayed the litany of Trust and litany of humility lately?
Here's the deal: Whatever happens, the day for atonement and conversion is today. The present is what matters. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and so God gave us the Present.
What do you do with a present? What do you do with a gift? You give thanks. You live thankful. You are reminded that there is at least something to be joyful about. God looks at you with Love. God is sending messengers.
Today we are learning what it means to be merciful, that we may not condemn others with our tongues with slander and pride.
That we may give mercy.
I've a long ways to go, because I see unwed couples and those living in sin and my heart immediately goes into "that ain't right" mode. How in the world will I help those souls with that kind of attitude? I sing a song in Mass in Spanish and even sang it while massaging my dad's feet in the hospital before passing "Dios no quiere la muerte del pecador...sino que viva, que se convierta". "God does not what the death of a sinner, but that he may convert...and live". I'm realizing that it is hard to get to Heaven.
But only as hard as we make it on ourselves.
Question is:
Is it worth it? Is Heaven and Love-God in Heaven worth every last drop of it? Jesus said Yes. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian O Lord My God, You Are Very Great 104 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
