.: 04/04/22

Monday, April 4, 2022

† ". While Teaching In The .... ."

†Saint Quote
"O Holy Mary! My Mother; into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, I this day, and every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To thee I commit all my anxieties and sorrows, my life and the end of my life, that by thy most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my actions may be directed and governed by thy will and that of thy Son."
–St. Aloysius Gonzaga

†Today's Meditation
"There is good reason to be astonished that men should sin so boldly in the sight of Heaven and earth and show so little fear of the most high God. Yet it is a much greater cause of astonishment that while we multiply our iniquities beyond the sands of the sea and have so great a need for God to be kind and indulgent, we are nevertheless so demanding ourselves. Such indignity and such injustice! We want God to suffer everything from us, and we are not able to suffer anything from anyone. We exaggerate beyond measure the faults committed against us; worms that we are, we take the slightest pressure exerted on us to be an enormous attack. Meanwhile, we count as nothing what we undertake proudly against the sovereign majesty of God and the rights of his empire! Blind and wretched mortals: will we always be so sensitive and delicate? Will we never open our eyes to the truth? Will we never understand that the one who does injury to us is always much more to be pitied than are we who receive the injury? . . . Since those who do evil to us are unhealthy in mind, why do we embitter them by our cruel vengeance? Why do we not rather seek to bring them back to reason by our patience and mildness? Yet we are far removed from these charitable dispositions. Far from making the effort at self-command that would enable us to endure an injury, we think that we are lowering ourselves if we do not take pride in being delicate in points of honor. We even think well of ourselves for our extreme sensitivity. And we carry our resentment beyond all measure . . . All of this must stop . . . We must take care of what we say and bridle our malicious anger and unruly tongues. For there is a God in Heaven who has told us that he will demand a reckoning of our 'careless words' (Matt. 12:36): what recompense shall he exact for those which are harmful and malicious? We ought, therefore, to revere his eyes and his presence. Let us ponder the fact that he will judge us as we have judged our neighbor."
—Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, p. 49-51

An Excerpt From
Meditations for Lent

†Daily Verse
"God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds' feet, he makes me tread upon my high places."
–Habakkuk 3:19

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St. Isidore of Seville

St. Isidore of Seville (560 – 636 A.D.) was born in Carthagena, Spain, to noble and pious parents. After the example of their parents, he, as well as his two brothers and sister, all became saints. Isidore received his early education at the cathedral school in Seville where a group of learned men taught classical education, among them was his brother Leander, the Archbishop of Seville. The cathedral school was the first of its kind in the country and Isidore excelled in his studies there. He became a man of great learning, zeal, piety, and apostolic endeavor, assisting his brother in converting the Visigoths from the Arian heresy. He followed his brother in becoming next Archbishop of Seville, leading his diocese for nearly 40 years. Isidore was an important saint for his time. He was one of the most learned men of the 6th century and is considered the last of the early Church Fathers. He was a prolific writer on the sciences and the classics which in effect helped preserve western civilization during the early middle ages following the barbarian invasions. He composed history books, a dictionary with a structure akin to a database, and an encyclopedia which was used for nine centuries. St. Isidore reunited Spain after the barbarian onslaught, making it a center of culture and learning. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Spain then became a model for similar renewal in other European countries. For his great learning and written works he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV. St. Isidore of Seville is the patron of computers, schoolchildren, and the internet. His feast day is April 4th.

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading I Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, "Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges."
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband's garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.

One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
"Bring me oil and soap," she said to the maids,
"and shut the garden doors while I bathe."

As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
"Look," they said, "the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you."

"I am completely trapped," Susanna groaned.
"If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord."
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
"Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim."
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.

In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
"As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this."
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
"O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me."

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
"I will have no part in the death of this woman."
All the people turned and asked him, "What is this you are saying?"
He stood in their midst and continued,
"Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her."

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
"Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age."
But he replied,
"Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them."

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
"How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
'The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.'
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together."
"Under a mastic tree," he answered.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two."
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
"Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together."
"Under an oak," he said.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both."

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Verse before the Gospel Ez 33:11

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.

Gospel Jn 8:12-20

Jesus spoke to them again, saying,
"I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."
So the Pharisees said to him,
"You testify on your own behalf,
so your testimony cannot be verified."
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,

because I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
Even in your law it is written
that the testimony of two men can be verified.
I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me."
So they said to him, "Where is your father?"
Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
He spoke these words
while teaching in the treasury in the temple area.
But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Daily Meditation: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62

O eternal God, you know what is hidden. (Daniel 13:42)

Have you ever followed a scandal that played out in public? Usually someone accuses a prominent person of a misdeed, and the accused denies any wrongdoing. Maybe you read a few news stories and discuss the incident with friends. You try to decide who is telling the truth. Your opinion is based not just on facts but on impressions as well. A person's wealth, politics, job, marital status, and other factors may influence you—even when you don't recognize it.

That describes the drama in today's first reading. Just about everyone made judgments about Susanna based largely on impressions. Susanna was a beautiful woman, so you could imagine the men assuming that she had a secret lover. The two judges who accused her were respected in their community. Their position was enough to make people take their side, and it appears to have influenced the decision not to allow Susanna to testify. She didn't stand a chance!

Then came Daniel, a man of integrity and justice. By questioning the men individually, he allowed the truth of Susanna's innocence to come out.

Scripture tells us, "God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). That's exactly what Daniel exposed: the deceitful, selfish hearts of these judges.

What do you think the world might look like if we weren't so quick to judge? What would happen if we took the time to listen and to ask questions instead of assuming we knew what other people were thinking? And more to the point, what do you think the world might look like if we all looked at each other as being created in God's own image? Imagine the respect and dignity we would show everyone! We would take the time to get to know people who seem different from us. We would refrain from making hurtful comments about people we disagree with. We would learn from every person we encounter.

In short, we would act the way God has called us to act—with humility, a sincere desire for truth, and loving hearts.

"Father, help me to be quick to listen and slow to judge."

Psalm 23:1-6
John 8:12-20

From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"But Susanna cried aloud: "O eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be"

We can safely assume that God our Father sees what is hidden, hears what is hidden, and probes the mind that thinks and sees what it thinks. It is even more evident when we hear of near death experience people who say they don't even use voices in the next life, it is communication of minds. Now, think of your thoughts, and are they holy? What are you thinking? Are your thoughts making God's Kingdom Come, with His holy will?

We pray in Psalms:
"He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff
that give me courage. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side."

There is something strange that I go through, missing my dad and his physical presence. And to think that God is saying "I AM with you...always". But we need that physical interaction...don't we? Or do we really? What of the mind communication? Now I'm talking prayer and life...eternal.

In today's Gospel we heard:
"I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me." So they said to him, "Where is your father?"
Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

So, where is this invisible father of yours...right? On whose behalf do you speak? Where are you getting all this from? This is what they ask our Lord. Because they couldn't believe.

And so everything boils down to our disposition to God and our faith, to the level of humility and our willingness to accept...the truth.
And what of truth? It can be hard to accept. It can be a hard cross to carry. Perhaps being ridiculed. Perhaps suffering. But truth is liberating. Most people living in lies, living in darkness are always on the run, and have heavy burdens that they have assumed with living a lie. This is why reconciliation is crucial.

Now we are speaking of reconciling with God, making things right. And there, the truth will set you free. Are you now hungry for the living God who has living waters streaming in Heaven as we speak? Do you desire these living waters? I know I do, as I live in a dry part of the world, and I so wish our yellow dry pastures and beaten fields were plush and green. I see old pics of rainy years and it looks like a different world...when there is water.
And this is how Heaven is. It is a different world with water. Jesus is that water.
everything is different...with holiness and truth in charge.
I know the truth can live and reign. And I desire the age of restoration, and I want to see it in my lifetime. If not, I'll have to work for it til the end. And for that...you come in to help God our Father with His desire...to live His Truth and purity forever.