†Saint Quote "In this life no one can fulfill his longing, nor can any creature satisfy man's desire. Only God satisfies, he infinitely exceeds all other pleasures. That is why man can rest in nothing but God."
–St. Thomas Aquinas †Today's Meditation
"In the spiritual life, I can promise myself nothing without the special help of God . . . From one moment to another, I may fall into mortal sin: consequently, even though I may have labored many years in acquiring virtues, I may in one instant lose all the good I have done, lose all my merit for eternity, and lose even that blessed eternity itself. How can a king rule with arrogance when he is besieged by his enemies and from day to day runs the risk of losing his kingdom and ceasing to be a king? And has not a saint abundant reasons, from the thought of his own weakness, to live always in a state of great humility, when he knows that from one hour to another he may lose the grace of God and the kingdom of Heaven, which he has merited by years of laboriously acquired virtues? 'Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it' (Ps. 126:1). However spiritual and holy a man may be, he cannot regard himself as absolutely secure. The Angels themselves, enriched with sanctity, were not safe in Paradise. Man, endowed with innocence, was not safe in his earthly paradise. What safety, therefore, can there be for us with our corrupt nature, amid so many perils and so many enemies who within and without are ever seeking insidiously to undermine our own eternal salvation? In order to be eternally damned, it is enough that I should follow the dictates of nature; but to be saved, it is necessary that divine grace should prevent (go before) and accompany me, should follow and help me, watch over me and never abandon me. Oh, how right therefore was St. Paul in exhorting us to 'work out our salvation'—which is for all eternity—'with fear and trembling' (Phil. 2:12)."
—Fr. Cajetan da Bergamo, p. 21-22 An Excerpt From
Humility Of Heart †Daily Verse
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
–Matthew 7:1-2 |  click to read more | | St. Oswald of Northumbria St. Oswald (605-642 A.D.) was the second of seven sons born to the pagan king of Northumbria in northern England. After his father was killed in battle, the kingdom was split. His uncle claimed the throne, while Oswald fled with his mother and brothers to Scotland for safety. There his family was converted to Christianity by the renowned monks of Iona. Oswald was educated by the holy monks and grew into a brave and pious warrior. After the death of his uncle and elder brother, Oswald moved to reclaim his father's throne and liberate it from enemy rule. On the eve of a decisive battle, he received a vision of St. Columba who promised him success. Before battle, Oswald erected a cross and knelt before it in prayer, along with his army. Following his victory, St. Oswald reunited Northumbria and was made king. His influence as a monarch was so great that he was considered the Emperor of almost all of Britain, uniting the the Britons, Picts, Scots, and the English. He requested a bishop to be sent to his kingdom to aid in the conversion of his people to Christianity; he also invited St. Aidan and a group of Irish monks from Iona to found a monastery for the kingdom at Lindisfarne. This ushered in Northumbria's "golden age" as the most important centre of learning and arts in the British Isles. Oswald ruled as a saintly and powerful Christian king, in justice, humility, and generosity to the poor and strangers, as noted by the prestigious historian, the Venerable Bede. St. Oswald was killed in battle, and afterwards the place of his death was noted for many miracles. His feast day is August 5th. | Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 411
Reading 1 NA 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 See, upon the mountains there advances
the bearer of good news,
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined the tendrils. Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding,
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
"Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?" Responsorial Psalm DEUTERONOMY 32:35CD-36AB, 39ABCD, 41 R. (39c) It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
"Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them."
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
"With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me."
R. It is I who deal death and give life. Alleluia MATTHEW 5:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 16:24-28 Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom." | Daily Meditation: Matthew 16:24-28 Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:25) Do you tend to shrink back when you read these words? You're not alone. Denying oneself, taking up one's cross, losing one's life—it can sound, well, just too difficult. And yet we need to remember that it is God who is asking this of us, and he is someone we can trust! Just look at what Moses says in the first reading. He recounts miracle after miracle that God had done out of love for his people. Moses' language is striking: he reminds the Israelites that God personally led them out of Egypt "by his great power" (Deuteronomy 4:37). He took them by the hand and delivered them from a land of slavery to a land flowing with milk and honey. Yes, the Israelites had to give up the relative security of their old life in Egypt, but look what they gained! This is your God. He is faithful and trustworthy. He wants only what is best for you, even if it means that you have to give up something that you think you can't do without. He wants to lead you personally, just as he led the Israelites, away from anything that keeps you from him or that divides you from the people you love. But he won't force you; he wants you to surrender to him willingly and trustingly. Remember, too, that God doesn't usually ask for something earth-shattering. Maybe he wants you to give up some time catching up on the news in the morning so that you meet him in prayer first. Maybe he is asking you to refrain from office gossip and use that time to listen to a colleague who is going through a hard time. Spend some time today thinking about what you might need to "lose" in order to find more of your life in Christ. Even if it seems difficult, remember whom you are giving it up for. You can trust this great wonder-working God. He won't ask you to give up something without giving you something much better in return. He is a good God, and he wants nothing but good for you! "Jesus, help me to let go of anything in my life that leads me away from you." Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7
(Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39, 41 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah, fulfill your vows!" Fulfill your vows. Your vows are the Sacraments. Fulfill the promise, and the will of God. | We pray in Psalms:
"Learn then that I, I alone, am God, and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life, I who inflict wounds and heal them." It is I who deal death and give life" | In today's Gospel we heard our Lord:
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." I don't know about you, but I really wish I could meet somebody who has it together, and not all filled with problems. It seems lately, I have no one to turn to. Even if I turn to God and the book volumes of Heaven, I hear of the sufferings of Christ til this day.
All I see is capricious attitudes. Everywhere I turn, people dissatisfied with their state of life and being. No appreciation. Very little faith if any. I've inherited a ton of problems, and I seem to be getting lost myself, hard to find solutions. But you don't turn here to hear the sob sad story right? I mean, who wants to hear about others' sufferings all the time right?
So what's the whole "take up your cross" thing all about?
Are the heavy burdens at work my cross?
If that is your God.
Are the heavy insults and lies about me, my cross?
If they are for me and not for God, then that is not the cross of God.
What is the cross? It is God's will. We shall do God's will. Nothing more, and nothing less. Then things could relate to it, for lately I've been called a Pharisee, and a fool, and was called a religious zealot this week. | And this by people I work for. This is what I get? Slaps and insults by the very ones I serve? I'm slaving away dealing with all problems, and this is my payment? Oh you should see my dreams of quitting. You should see my exit plans of living off and away from my problems. I could just uproot my family and get away from it all. But what's holding me down? Why don't I just quit like so many do?
Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling. I will let the truth be told, even if I don't open my mouth to defend myself. People accuse me of all sorts of things, at Church, at home, at work, and so lately I've been signing off mad on texts, "what do I know, I'm an idiot". I'm just a sad fool.
I go to the blessed Sacrament, where tears fall, after another guy left crying before me. I go to work, and I leave in tears, more important workers and family quit on us yesterday and today. It seems everyone is leaving me now that my dad died. Once the devil spoke through a loved one to me "when your dad dies, everyone will leave you". And the devil insulted me and made me feel like a fool, a very much hated fool. I'm not well. I can cry in an instant, very fresh wounds, and I'm recalling our priest who was often made to cry when he was dumped into our Parish.
But I see more. This priest who is burying his brother in Africa today, has made things happen that have never been able to before. After a decade of observation: I see faith. I see fidelity. I see hope. I see a gradual change through time. Nothing worthwhile is easy.
And so, yes, I am a fool to the world, for the message of the cross is foolishness to the world. Why suffer?
Why not?
Our Lord finds value in redemptive love. Who else can sacrifice themselves for the good of the other? And for salvation? An eternity? Lord, all I ask if for grace, enough for this day...and to always see Your holy face. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Isaiah 1:18 18 "Come now, let us reason1 together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
