†Saint Quote
"Quote of the Day
"Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a saint, in spite of his present weakness."
–St. Thomas of Villanova †Today's Meditation
"Know this: just as the wood of the ark saved the just from drowning, so too, by the mystery of His wooden Cross, does Christ, the Church's God and King, save us from drowning in the sea of this world. In the symbol of a thing made of wood He gave human beings a foreshadowing of both the judgment to come and the salvation of the just."
—St. Augustine, p.136 An Excerpt From
Augustine Day by Day †Daily Verse
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord."
–Psalm 40:1-3 |  click to read more | | †St. Julie Billiart St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) was born in Cuvilly, France, to a large and prosperous farming family. By the age of seven she knew her catechism by heart, and would gather her playmates together and teach it to them. Her spiritual progress was so remarkable that her parish priest allowed her to make an early first communion at the age of nine, at which time she took a vow of chastity. As a teenager she already had the reputation of being a living saint. When financial ruin struck her family she worked in the fields alongside the reapers. At the age of twenty-two she became paralyzed and remained a bed-ridden invalid for the next twenty-two years. However this did not prevent her from having an active life. She received Holy Communion daily, made altar laces and linens, catechized the village children from her bedside, and spent many hours in contemplative prayer. When the French Revolution erupted she gave aid to priests in her home, and soon after was smuggled to safety while hidden in a hay cart. She took refuge in the home of a countess, and due to her sanctity soon had a company of young, noble ladies gathered around her bed to whom she taught the ways of the interior life. From this St. Julie founded and led the Institute of the Sisters of Notre Dame dedicated to the Christian education of girls and the training of catechists. After making her vows in 1804, she was cured of her paralysis. For the next twelve years she made over a hundred journeys as she founded fifteen convents of her order. St. Julie Billiart's feast day is April 8th. | Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Lectionary: 255
Reading I
Jer 20:10-13 I hear the whisperings of many:
"Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!"
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him."
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked! Responsorial Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7 R. (see 7) In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The breakers of death surged round about me, the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me, the snares of death overtook me.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. Verse Before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Jn 10:31-42 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God."
Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
"John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true."
And many there began to believe in him. | Daily Meditation: Jeremiah 20:10-13 He has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked! (Jeremiah 20:13) Known as the weeping prophet, Jeremiah spent his life grieving over Jerusalem and Judah, even as he warned them of the coming punishment for their sins. For generations, Israel had disobeyed God's commandments and worshipped other gods. Time after time, God sent messengers to call his people to repent, but for the most part, they ignored these warnings. Now time was running out, and it was up to Jeremiah to give them one final warning. Needless to say, Jeremiah was not very popular. He endured ridicule and even physical abuse for his efforts. Yet in the face of such persecution, he still proclaimed that God rescues those who call on him. Doesn't this seem like a contradiction? But perhaps Jeremiah was describing a different kind of rescuing. God's rescue wasn't the obliteration of all his problems. It didn't mean his physical safety or that Judah would turn back to God. But it did mean that the Lord would preserve Jeremiah and strengthen him to continue preaching an unpopular message. Like the psalmist, Jeremiah could proclaim, "The Lord . . . heard my voice" because even in the midst of trouble, he finds grace to persevere (Psalm 18:7). Just as he did for Jeremiah, God will rescue us and sustain us even through our most difficult circumstances. His "rescuing" gives us the strength to endure and the faith to trust him. Whether he provides a moment of peace when anxiety is overwhelming or the power to carry on when a family member is struggling with his health, God is there to lift us up. This happens in small and big ways—and we may not see it except in hindsight. God may use a Scripture verse or a conversation with a friend to comfort us. A walk outside may refresh our spirit, or a moment of clarity may give us wisdom. God is present in all these ways. Whatever you are facing today, you can call on the Lord. Bring your concerns to him, and ask him to intervene. Whether his answer comes in obvious or subtle ways, whether it comes immediately or later, you can be sure that the Lord has heard you and that he is with you. "Lord, hear my prayer today. Rescue me in your love." Psalm 18:2-7
John 10:31-42 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
_"For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!"+ What life was rescued? Let's think about our life...with the Lord. His life was rescued. After He died. Can you trust God the Father that much? Our Lord did. | We pray in Psalms:
"In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears." I read in the book "Get us Out of Here" that tears don't do much for souls that have passed on...but prayers do. Yet, God can still hear tears, albeit, more faintly. You see, He hears the heart more true. | In today's Gospel we heard:
"Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?" In the Stations of the Cross prayers, our Lord asks many such questions.
"My people, what have I done to you
How have I offended you? Answer me! I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom,
but you led your Savior to the cross. My people, what have I done to you?
How have I offended you? Answer me!" and they go on for a long time, like: "I opened the sea before you,
but you opened my side with a spear. My people, what have I done to you?
How have I offended you? Answer me! I led you on your way in a pillar of cloud,
but you led me to Pilate's court." | Does God deserve ill treatment for good treatment?
It boils down to the word made flesh...Eucharist.
How thankful are we and for how long?
This morning I ran across the thousands of promises of prayers and such if my dad would've survived.
And I thought, perhaps it was an act of God that He passed...not sure I would've been able to fulfill the things you would not believe that I promised. It would have been then...detrimental.
Therefore, we've only mercy. Mercy pays. Mass pays. Mass prayers for us and for our deceased loved ones pay. It is Jesus that pays. How thankful are you for THAT?
He pours Himself out, blood, body, soul, divinity, and how do we receive Him?
How grateful and holy and sacrificial do we become? Lord help us be true.
Truly Grateful, and solely Yours because You are Love above and have us here to show one another to You in Heaven...the light above all for all, and forever. | from your brother in Christ,
Adrian |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: WOW
1 John 4:14
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
