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Friday, June 17, 2022

† "....If Your Eye Is Sound . .. ."

 
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†Saint Quote
"Quote of the Day
"In the first place it should be known that if a person is seeking God, his beloved is seeking him much more."
–St. John of the Cross

†Today's Meditation
"[The] ultimate end of man we call beatitude. For a man's happiness or beatitude consists in the vision whereby he sees God in His essence. Of course, man is far below God in the perfection of his beatitude. For God has this beatitude by His very nature, whereas man attains beatitude by being admitted to a share in the divine light."
—St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 119

An Excerpt From
Aquinas's Shorter Summa

†Daily Verse
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one."
–Luke 12:4-5

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St. Emily de Vialar

St. Emily de Vialar (1797–1856) was born in Gaillac, France to an aristocratic family in the years following the French Revolution. Because the Catholic faith was under severe persecution, she was baptized in secret by her parents and her religious instruction was given at home. She was a devout child who displayed an aptitude for prayer, and she shunned the luxuries of her state in life. After the death of her mother, her father arranged to find her a suitable husband when she reached 15 years of age. Emily, who desired to lead the religious life in service to the poor, resisted her father's attempts and endured his anger at her refusal. She desired also to repair the harm caused by the Revolution by catechizing the local children. Emily remained a virgin and privately consecrated herself to God while living in her father's home. When she was 21 she met a priest who helped her set up an out-patient service for the sick in her own home, which heightened her tense relationship with her father. When her grandfather died, Emily inherited a large fortune which allowed her independence in the service of God. She bought a large home in her town and began a religious order in service to the sick and poor, and to the education of children, which quickly flourished. In 40 years her order, called the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, established 40 houses throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. St. Emily de Vialar's feast day is June 17th.

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Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I 2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,
saw that her son was dead,
she began to kill off the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,
took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,
from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.
She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.
For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,
while Athaliah ruled the land.

But in the seventh year,
Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians
and of the guards.
He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD,
exacted from them a sworn commitment,
and then showed them the king's son.

The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.
Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath
and those going off duty that week,
came to Jehoiada the priest.
He gave the captains King David's spears and shields,
which were in the temple of the LORD.
And the guards, with drawn weapons,
lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,
surrounding the altar and the temple on the king's behalf.
Then Jehoiada led out the king's son
and put the crown and the insignia upon him.
They proclaimed him king and anointed him,
clapping their hands and shouting, "Long live the king!"

Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,
and appeared before them in the temple of the LORD.
When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,
and the captains and trumpeters near him,
with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,
she tore her garments and cried out, "Treason, treason!"
Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains
in command of the force:
"Bring her outside through the ranks.
If anyone follows her," he added, "let him die by the sword."
He had given orders that she
should not be slain in the temple of the LORD.
She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,
where she was put to death.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party
and the king and the people as the other,
by which they would be the LORD's people;
and another covenant, between the king and the people.
Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the LORD.
All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,
now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword
at the royal palace.

Responsorial Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

R. (13) The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
The LORD swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
"Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
"If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
"Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
"In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

Alleluia Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be."

agosp
adailycatholic
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Daily Meditation: 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord as one party and the king and the people as the other. (2 Kings 11:17

All week long, the first readings at Mass have told the story of the prophet Elijah and his clashes with the leaders of Israel. They have shown us Elijah fulfilling his mission to call Israel back to God. Many times along the way, Elijah experienced dejection, but each time he learned something new about the Lord: who he is, what place his people have in the world, and what his plan of salvation looks like.

In fact, Elijah's biography reads almost like a pattern of obstacle and revelation. A widow who shelters him loses her son to a serious illness. Elijah cries out and discovers that God answers prayers and raises the dead. The wicked queen Jezebel pursues Elijah ruthlessly. He slumps dejectedly under a tree and discovers firsthand God's provision and protection.

After Elijah was taken up to heaven, a righteous king reclaimed the throne and got rid of idolatry. Great news? Well, not really. Before long, Israel and their leaders went back to their sinful ways.

Does this mean that Elijah failed? Not at all! Everything he had learned about God taught him to trust in God's plan, even if that meant that this plan would unfold well beyond his own lifetime. He learned that God would continue to build his kingdom, no matter what kingdom earthly rulers try to build. He learned the difference between earthly treasures and heavenly treasures. And though he fought for the conversion of Israel his whole life, we can see that Elijah himself experienced an ever-deepening relationship with God: he learned to listen to God more deeply and to follow his word more faithfully.

Do you worry that you will fail in what God is calling you to do or maybe that you already have failed? Remember, God is more interested in faithfulness than success. By staying close to him, even in the face of discouragement, you will come to know him more. And with that deepening relationship will come the hope, joy, and peace that Elijah experienced.

"Lord, give me confident hope in your plans for this world."

Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18
Matthew 6:19-23

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From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and demolished it."

Baal has always been a major "competitor" for attention and adoration. What is this god all about? Right? We need to study history so it will not repeat itself, right? And today's anti-christ wants us to re-write history, so it appeases itself, and not let us learn from our mistakes, so we keep living in them, never truly repenting. What does the whole Ba'al mean? The word itself means 'owner' or even 'Lord' and so it means to turn to something or someone else as Lord and center of your life...the whole trust thing in of itself. Has one made up a false god then? I believe many do. Many moderns say "I don't need no church, I can pray from my couch or in nature and worship how I want, when I want", and this means totally turning from the God who has introduced Himself to our forefathers, the message that remains true to this day.

psalms

We pray in Psalms:
"The LORD swore to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw: "Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne." The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling"

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In today's Gospel we heard our Lord:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven"
In our country, we live mostly with the goals of "financial independence" and "economic growth" and "security" for the future. Some of this is ok, but when it becomes the end of the means, the one thing to strive for, we've lost everything. Our country has been losing focus on God. Are we doomed? Only if we fail to get back on track. It won't be other countries knocking us down, but us ourselves letting it happen...within.

And this is all to point to you on how you can get back on track...focus on what is within and what is important. Parents are lost at work, they lose themselves at work. Many choosing two jobs "to make ends meet". Many choosing to work long hours and through the weekends even missing Mass to keep that money flow coming. Meanwhile, the child is raised by others...or worse...alone, or worse...raised by social media.

When will the child learn to love God in a world like this?

And so, lately, polls on people have even chosen death as a way out...for unborn, for elderly, and now, even polls say 30 or 40 percent say it is ok to kill "certain politicians".

How far is the death god going now? When is this going to stop?
There are certain staples of peoples and families in church that have stopped going to church for XYZ reason. Death begins in the heart when one chooses any other thing or god beyond the True God Our Father.

Therefore, our Lord speaks as Light:

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness."

Your lamp is the eye? Your eye must be sound? What does this mean? We must have a good eye? What's that all about?

We must know because our Lord asks at another time that our lamp must not be hidden but give light.

Our souls must be vessels of God, and God is true light, and true light means truth and life. The opponents, the enemy then, is easy to spot, for they stand for darkness and death.

So, our Lord is asking for us to have a sound, a healthy eye, and we are speaking of a soul that is set for life. Then our WHOLE body will be filled with light, and remember, all of us make the WHOLE of the body of Christ that desires to be light on a mountain to illuminate the world.

I must ignite your fire, and you must ignite the fire of the one next to you. Every person then must be the light of Christ. It is not the sole job for a select few....but for every baptized soul and every soul that is in need of this baptism into LIFE.

Lord, help us be what you designed us to be in Your holy image...forever.

Your brother in Christ our Lord and Savior, our Love in Heaven,
adrian

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Random bible verse generator:

2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

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God Bless You! Peace

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