†Saint Quote
"Quote of the Day
"Patience smooths away lots of difficulties."
–St. John Bosco †Today's Meditation
"No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness (Jn 8:12). These words of our Lord counsel all to walk in His footsteps. If you want to see clearly and avoid blindness of heart, it is His virtues you must imitate. Make it your aim to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ. Christ's teachings surpasses that of all the Saints. But to find this spiritual nourishment you must seek to have the Spirit of Christ. It is because we lack this Spirit that so often we listen to the Gospel without really hearing it. Those who fully understand Christ's words must labor to make their lives conform to His."
—Thomas รก Kempis, p.15 An Excerpt From
Imitation of Christ †Daily Verse
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"
–Isaiah 52:7 |  click to read more | | St. Albert of Jerusalem St. Albert of Jerusalem (d. 1215) was born to a noble family in Italy, and was well educated in theology and law. He went on to become a priest and bishop and served in important posts as a peacemaker; he served as a mediator between Pope Clement III and the Holy Roman Emperor, between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Cyprus, and between the Knights Templar and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. In 1205 he was made Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Innocent III during the time when the Saracens had control of the city. In this position he was respected by all for his sanctity and intelligence. Because of the Muslim presence in Jerusalem, Albert took up residence in Acre overlooking the great city, as well as Mt. Carmel where a group of holy hermits lived. Albert was asked by St. Brocard, who was prior of the group of hermits, to draw up a rule of life for them which became the beginning of the Carmelite Order. In 1214 Albert was summoned to serve in the General Lateran Council, but was murdered before he could attend. The Master of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, whom he had rebuked and deposed for immorality, stabbed him to death on September 14th in the Church of Saint John of Acre, while he was part of the procession on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. His feast day is September 14th. | Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Lectionary: 446/639
Reading 1 1 Cor 15:1-11 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the Apostles,
not fit to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed. Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28 R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Sequence (Optional) - Stabat Mater At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed. Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother's pain untold? Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent. For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent. O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord. Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord. Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified. Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live. By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give. Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine. Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours. Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day. Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory. While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. (Alleluia) Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;
without dying you won the martyr's crown
beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. or:
Gospel Lk 2:33-35 Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." | Daily Meditation: John 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus . . . (John 19:25) Today's Gospel for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows brings us right to the cross. There we see Mary grieving as her son suffers a slow and torturous death. We see her grappling with unthinkable anguish of heart and mind. But notice, she was not alone. She was with her "sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" and, of course, the disciple John (John 19:25-26). Mary's sorrow cut to the deepest, most private part of her heart. Still, she welcomed these friends and family members into her pain. And she shared their pain too. Together they struggled to trust God in the face of their grief. Together they brought what comfort they could to one another. Mary's open generosity on her darkest of days reveals to us the mercy of having other people standing with us in our sorrow. With them, we can give and receive comfort, consolation, and protection. None of us are strangers to sorrow, but Our Lady teaches us that even—maybe especially—in our deepest sadness, we need one another. God designed us to share our lives with one another, and those relationships can sustain us and help us navigate our most challenging times. Sorrow is complex, and each person faces grief differently. But another caring human being can make a world of difference in helping us know that we are loved and that we don't have to travel this path alone. Fr. Henri Nouwen put it this way: "The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, . . . that is the friend who cares." We all need that kind of friend. We can all be that type of friend. And Mary herself is that ultimate friend for us. In her presence, we can pour out everything that is on our hearts. Her comfort and intercession can be a source of great consolation. She has walked this path of sorrow before us with deep faith and grace, and she will stand beside us and teach us to do the same. "Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!" 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 28 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the Apostles,
not fit to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God." This is why our Lord asks us to forgive always, that hope is laid out with mercy until the end...that a persecuting soul may convert, and you'd be amazed to know how many convert even at the end...in a crucifixion, a martyrdom for the Holy Will of God.
This is a lesson for you and for me, straight from the mouth of Saint Paul, who'se name becomes small, for great was Saul, then the lesser was Paul as his name implies. Changed by God at the encounter, forever. If we think we are zealous for God now, things can go even further, into a real light. | We pray today;
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Did you know this is the key of Mass, the center of all is the giving thanks and the thanksgiving? We don't go to be amused, or entertained. Sadly that's how the world sees things and how most mega churches thrive, by providing an "experience". All about animalisitic feelings. No! That is not the purpose of a Sunday "worship". The purpose is originally the offering up. What we can offer up, and what God offers up eternally....Himself in the Holy Thanksgiving...called Eucharist. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Is this the second time our Lord calls His mother "woman"? At first, the miracle at the wedding at Cana, where she'd ask for a miracle, of water to wine. And at second, the miracle of blood turning to water, our new wine offering.
He says in His own throne, with His own crown of thorns, and a heart about to be slit open, for that cutter to convert as well...."Woman" for He is the MAN, the one from whose side a companion would be made for Him...a wo-man, companion, and co-missioned being for God's Kingdom. When God speaks like this, everything changes. He no longer is the friend or brother or son, HE IS GOD!!! | From a Spanish reflection today:
"A disconcerting phenomenon that I have observed in many modern churches around the world is that the body of Christ on the Cross has little blood. We have disinfected his body, leaving only a few small bloodstains here and there, and making them appear pleasing to our eyes. However, in reality, his was a bloody death. The Scriptures tell us that there was nothing attractive or majestic about him (cf. Is 53:2). His blood would have soaked Mother Mary, standing at the foot of the Cross. Being drenched in her blood, Mary found comfort and meaning in her suffering. We too must be under the Crucifix, with Mary at our side, with the sanctifying blood of Christ being poured out on us. In this way we will find meaning and grace even in the moments of greatest suffering of our lives. Our pains will be holy pains, like those of Mother Mary." In my vision, once at a Cursillo, I saw Christ on the cross, and it was dark, very dark, but I could tell by whatever light, that His body on the cross was filled with abuse, no better word, but being battered, torn, and scorned, His whole body was blackened by the torturers. Boxers appear with bulging eyes and bumps, and become disfigured in a fight, and so do victims of violence, get mutilated. Well, this is what happened with our Lord. He was beaten black and blue. Scriptures gives us a glimpse, but to see for yourself? I was awakened from my trance or vision or both only to find out that I was drenched in tears, as if my body had experienced what was seen? I can't explain, I didn't know I was crying, I was just so mesmerized by what I was witnessing.
And what can drive our Lady of Sorrows home to our hearts today?
She witnessed her Son being tortured for what seemed hours and hours, from being locked up, to being dragged in courts, to being violently abused right in front of her, as His clothes were ripped away, and then His skin was ripped away with whips and other such devices. And the death caused a severe pain that crossed her heart, that a real dagger trespassed her. This goes beyond PTSD, this is a very metanoia of a soul.
I say this because I felt a dagger through my heart when my best friend, my dad passed away. For months I could literally feel as if a rod crossed through my heart, from front to back. So much more was the dagger of Mary our Mother. What's more, if I think about it, I can still feel the rod in my heart.
Today, we are to recall our Lady, Our Mother of Sorrows. What makes her sorrowful now?
I wonder. Outisde my house, we got a statue of our Lady of Grace that appeared to have tears coming a year before the pandemic, actually a couple years. And she still has tears today. I'm baffled. I prayed rosaries at the place, in hopes she'd stop. We brought flowers, as a sign for our love for her in Heaven, and she's still with tears. It is not a pretty sight. And this just a statue with tears! Can you imagine the sheer pain she endured?
The tears are current tears of the current times. What does it feel like when a child don't care? It must feel like pain. Pain brings tears.
Today, we face a world with many who do not care, and this is to be careless...with life, the very gift of God!
So how can we begin to care? That is the biggest question of all time.
How can I make you care for reading this?
The answer? I have to care first. You see, the answer isn't so much on the outside, as it is in the inside. There's where things matter, and that's where God decides to dwell and deal with matter.
Therefore, things are from the inside out in the next realm. Lord, Help us love You like Your Mother does! Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruity of Thy womb JESUS!
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
spread the effect of grace of thy flame of love over all of humanity,
now and at the hour of our death, AMEN! |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Proverbs 10:12 [Proverbs 10] 12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
