†Quote of the Day
"The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers."
–St. Maximilian Kolbe †Today's Meditation
"There is another reason also why the soul has traveled safely in this obscurity; it has suffered: for the way of suffering is safer, and also more profitable, than that of rejoicing and of action. In suffering God gives strength, but in action and in joy the soul does but show its own weakness and imperfections. And in suffering, the soul practices and acquires virtue, and becomes pure, wiser, and more cautious."
—St. John of the Cross, p. 149
An Excerpt From
Dark Night of the Soul †Daily Verse
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.""
–Luke 1:41-45 |  click to read more | | St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846) was born to a noble family in Korea, and was baptized at the age of 15 after his parents converted to the Catholic faith. Andrew's father, great-grandfather, and great-uncle were martyred during the government's staunch persecution against Christianity, leaving the remaining family in poverty. Andrew was later chosen to travel over 1,000 miles to the nearest seminary in China to be trained for the priesthood. He was ordained in Shanghai as the first native Korean priest in the Church's history of evangelizing in that country. He returned to Korea in secrecy to avoid detection by the authorities. Once back in his hometown, he worked to catechize the faithful until his bishop summoned him to Seoul to help smuggle French missionaries from China into Korea, with the aid of Chinese fishermen. During this operation he was caught and imprisoned by the border patrol, and charged as a traitor to his country. He was tortured and beheaded on September 16, 1846, at the age of 25. Pope John Paul II canonized Fr. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, along with 102 other Korean martyrs, on May 6, 1984. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon is the patron saint of Korea. His feast day is celebrated on September 20th. | Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs Lectionary: 450
Reading 1 PRV 21:1-6, 10-13 Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it. All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts. To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin. The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty. Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares. The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes. When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin. He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard. Responsorial Psalm PS 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44 R. (35) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. Alleluia LK 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 8:19-21 The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it." | My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it. (Luke 8:21) In yesterday's Gospel reading, Jesus told us to take care how we hear (Luke 8:18). Today, Jesus tells the people that his family members are the ones who hear and act on his word. Why was it so important for Jesus to keep saying this? Because when we listen to and obey the Lord, we participate, even if only in some small way, in his plan to redeem the world. The best example of this is, ironically, Jesus' closest blood relative, Mary. When the word of God came to her through the angel Gabriel, it found fertile soil in her heart. Mary was already a person of deep prayer who was also steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. So when she heard the startling news that would turn her life upside down, she did not react with hardness, anger, or self-pity. Instead, she embodied the kind of discipleship that God desires: "I am the handmaid of the Lord," she told the angel. "May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Not only did Mary hear the word of God, but she also acted on it immediately. Luke tells us that after the angel left her, Mary went "in haste" to her cousin Elizabeth, whose own miraculous pregnancy the angel had just announced (Luke 1:39). And when Joseph was told in a dream to take the baby Jesus to Egypt (2:15-18), she heard it as God's word for her family and went, though it must have been difficult to leave her familiar surroundings behind and live in a foreign land. And yet even in these difficult circumstances, Mary knew that her obedience was bearing fruit. God's plan for redeeming humankind was unfolding right before her eyes in the child she loved and cared for. Through your baptism, you are already part of God's family. But you can deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father by imitating your mother, Mary. Immerse yourself in prayer and Scripture, as she did, so that you can hear God when he is speaking to you. Then act on what you hear. Know that even when you can't see the consequences of your actions, you are in some way bearing Christ to the world as Mary did. "Lord Jesus, give me the grace to hear your word and act on it." Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13
Psalm 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." To do what is RIGHT and just, this is what God wants, and to know what is right? And Just? We must turn to our Lord Jesus, the very embodiment of God on earth, the very world we live in now. | We pray today;
"The way of truth I have chosen; I have set your ordinances before me. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands." | In the Gospel today we heard:
"He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." |
From Bishop Barron today:
Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus identifies his disciples as his family. I want to say something about our becoming disciples in his family. Once we make the decision to follow Jesus, then every other claimant to supremacy must fall away. As I've argued many times before, every one of us has something or some set of values that we consider greatest.
Perhaps it is money, material things, power, or the esteem of others. Perhaps it is your family, your kids, your wife, your husband.
None of this is false, and none of these things are bad. But when you place any of them in the absolute center of gravity, things go awry. When you make any of them your ultimate or final good, your spiritual life goes haywire. When you attach yourself to any of them with an absolute tenacity, you will fall apart. Only when we make Christ the cornerstone of our lives are we truly ready for mission. Keep in mind that every encounter with God in the Bible conduces to mission, to being sent to do the work of the Lord. If we try to do this work while we are stuck to any number of attachments, we will fail. Period. ...............................
A spanish reflection says it beautifully:
Today Christ demands our obedience. The "Letter to the Hebrews" qualifies the cult of the Old Testament as "shadow" in view of the insufficiency of animal sacrifices, which God does not need and in which man does not give God what He could expect from man . The authentic veneration of God is found in the life marked by his Word and within it.
However, our obedience is always deficient. Our personal morality is not enough to worship God correctly. Therefore, the Son became flesh and assumed a human body, making possible a new form of obedience, which goes beyond any human fulfillment of the Commandments. In his Body, Jesus Christ returns all humanity to God. Only in the Word made flesh, whose love is fulfilled on the Cross, is obedience perfect.
—Jesus, you who are God made flesh, take us all with you and offer what we could not give only by ourselves.
EDITORIAL evangeli.net
................................. With such great reflections, what 2 cents could I possibly add?
Remember, the book of Heaven puts a HUGE emphasis on obedience. Boy is that lacking in our world...from Adam and Eve to today!
Obedience to me is tied with faith. Kids, teens must have obedience to parents, this means faith in parents. Right?
The same it is with God.
We are His kids, His teens, for we are all at different stages in life but faith remains same in all age groups. There are children who are saints, and there are elderly who are saints.
How did they become saints? Obedience.
We've turned too far from obedience, defying the Jews, defying God's chosen, defying Catholic doctrine, defying Christ Himself and His lineage.
Why is obedience important? Well, let's get obedience right....we are speaking about obedience to God, and God is Love. Now everything begins to shine in a whole new light! Amen? my child, I'm calling you right now! |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Job 1:21 [Job 1] 21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
