†Saint Quote
"The poor have much to teach you. You have much to learn from them."
–St. Vincent de Paul †Today's Meditation
"Consider that the love of divine charity is so closely joined in the soul with perfect patience, that neither can leave the soul without the other. For this reason (if the soul elect to love Me) she should elect to endure pains for Me in whatever mode or circumstance I may send them to her. Patience cannot be proved in any other way than by suffering, and patience is united with love as has been said. Therefore bear yourselves with manly courage, for, unless you do so, you will not prove yourselves to be spouses of My Truth, and faithful children, nor of the company of those who relish the taste of My honor, and the salvation of souls."
—St. Catherine Of Siena, p. 10 An Excerpt From
Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena †Daily Verse
"And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
–1 John 5:11 |  click to read more | | †St. Laszlo St. Laszlo (c. 1040-1095), also known as St. Ladislaus I of Hungary, was born to a royal family in Krakow, Poland. His father became King Bela of Hungary, and his mother was the daughter of the King of Poland. He was raised as a Christian, spending his childhood in the court of the Polish king. After the death of his father and brother, he became the King of Hungary in 1077 and also later the King of Croatia in 1091. He was a beloved king, highly regarded as a moral and pious man and a great leader. He is remembered for his accomplishments in bringing peace and stability to his country following the strife of civil war, for his success in defending the kingdom of Hungary against the invading Cumans, and for politically and financially supporting the spread of Christianity in his kingdom. According to legend, while in battle he witnessed a Cuman warrior abducting a Hungarian girl. He pursued the enemy, defeated him, and liberated the girl. Because of his skills in military and diplomacy, as well as his religious devotion and chivalry, St. Laszlo was chosen to lead the first Crusade to the Holy Land, but died before the mission commenced. He was canonized by Pope Celestine III. His feast day is June 27. | Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 377
Reading I Am 2:6-10, 13-16 Thus says the LORD:
For three crimes of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke my word;
Because they sell the just man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their god. Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were as tall as the cedars,
and as strong as the oak trees.
I destroyed their fruit above,
and their roots beneath.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and who led you through the desert for forty years,
to occupy the land of the Amorites. Beware, I will crush you into the ground
as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD. Responsorial Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23 R. (22a) Remember this, you who never think of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
"When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,
and with adulterers you throw in your lot.
To your mouth you give free rein for evil,
you harness your tongue to deceit."
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
"You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother's son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes."
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
"Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R. Remember this, you who never think of God. Alleluia Ps 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 8:18-22 When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
Another of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But Jesus answered him, "Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 8:18-22 The Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. (Matthew 8:20) When Jesus said he had nowhere to lay his head, he wasn't just talking about a physical place to sleep. Though he traveled from town to town and probably slept in a different location every night, he was giving up more than a comfortable bed. In order to preach the good news, he and his disciples had to leave behind family, friends, and jobs for an unpredictable life. Ultimately, they would be rejected and persecuted by many of the people in their hometowns. This is why Jesus' words to the would-be disciple are so poignant. Following Jesus might mean losing the sense of belonging that we associate with the idea of "home"—a place of family, traditions, and refuge. In order to follow Jesus today, some people still have to give up their sense of home, or even their physical homes. They might experience suffering and isolation, and they might even be arrested or killed. Though that's not the situation most of us face, being a believer still means experiencing a certain sense of not belonging. You might be the only one in your family to practice your faith or the only one in your neighborhood who attends church on Sundays. You might have different moral values than your coworkers or a different approach to raising your children—all as a result of your faith. For the disciples, giving up the security and comfort of home was worth it because they had found the Messiah. They wanted to be as close to him as possible. Like them, you also have found the treasure of being with Jesus every day. You can hear from him through the Scriptures and feel his presence in your times of prayer. You have the knowledge and assurance of a God who loves you, as well as the hope that one day you will be with him in your true home, heaven. Today, renew your commitment to follow Jesus, even if it means not quite fitting in. Ask him to strengthen you and give you courage. Above all, remember how blessed you are to be walking with him each day. "Lord, give me the courage and strength to follow you." Amos 2:6-10, 13-16
Psalm 50:16-23 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way." What happens when the lowly get forced out?
And who are the lowly? What if I told you that the lowly are the holy? And the lowly make room for the holy. I'll let you ponder that as we continue. | We pray in Psalms:
"You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother's son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes." Remember this, you who never think of God." How quickly we push out the lowly...with our own words. And our Lord lives among the lowly. All in name of our priorities in life. | In today's Gospel we heard our Lord:
"Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But Jesus answered him, "Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead." We read these Holy Scriptures yesterday in Mass and our visiting priest spoke about how our Lord Jesus was rejected as a heretic for saying stuff like "let the dead bury the dead" among other things.
And since His word is a double edged sword, it can be taken for the good or the bad. Like the time I invited co-workers to have a bible study, and I read where our Lord said we must love Him above all, even family and spouses, and a worker stormed out upset with the teaching, and basically rejected it.
And this same mentality was used to contradict our Lord. Instead of prying into what He really means, like when He says "This is my body you must chew on", when He speaks about Himself as the temple, "destroy this temple and I will raise it up in 3 days", and so on and so forth.
And I find myself today, trying to lead a family business, and I say things that gets people messed up and mad, but they are not trusting, rather, they are distrusting and trying to quit. All the while, I mean full well for them...IF they are faithful. I intend to buy a worker a mansion even, or another to start up his own trucking company. But, instead, they are wanting to do things on their own, their own hard way, without me. All because they choose faithlessness.
But I stand for the faithful. I ask people to bless God and perhaps we will be blessed. Not an eye for an eye. We don't bless God to be blessed but we do it in faith that He will be honored. So what does it mean to let the dead bury the dead?
A theologian, bible scholar I follow once said that this very well could've meant that the would-be disciple would follow Christ only after the parent died, and who knows when that would be. And so, they would be choosing an alternative to true life...which is God Himself, Jesus.
And so, I hear similar things nowadays: "Once I retire, I'll have more time for the Lord". (Often untrue)
"Once I get my business rolling, I'll be my own boss and make time for the Lord". (Most often not true).
"Once I get a raise I can do more, for the Lord". (If it ain't happening now, it won't happen later).
So, what excuse do I have for not putting out everything for the Lord?
What is your excuse?
What is our excuse for truly not believing, and leaving everything behind to follow God, right this moment?
You see what my life is like in these daily writings, I have a large family, tons of responsibilities at work and at church and I means TONS. Yet, I have to make time. I have no other option. I have to make time for what is most important. Right now, that most important is you.
God.
I Do What I Most Love.
Let us Love God with ALL Our Might.
And this is a decision. Not a feeling. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
