†Quote of the Day
"Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you."
–St. Thomas Aquinas †Today's Meditation
"All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now, Mary being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that, of all devotions, that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to Our Lord is devotion to His holy Mother, and that the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus."
—St. Louis De Montfort, p. 65 An Excerpt From
True Devotion to Mary †Daily Verse
"One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
–Mark 12:28-31 |  click to read more | | Saint Ignatius of Santhia St. Ignatius of Santhia (1686-1770) was born in Italy to an upper-class family. He received his early education from a devout priest, a relative of his mother, who inspired him to join the priesthood. He studied philosophy and theology, and after his ordination served as a diocesan priest for six years. St. Ignatius earned a reputation as an excellent preacher of retreats and missions, and he had a promising future within the diocese. His family and parishioners were surprised and disappointed when he decided to join the Capuchin Franciscans in Turin as a poor, humble friar. However, St. Ignatius flourished in the poverty and simplicity of the Franciscan way of life. He became well-known for his wisdom and sanctity, and many people from all walks of life came to him for confession and spiritual direction. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed the rosary faithfully. He served God with humble obedience and inspired this virtue in the Franciscan novices over whom he had charge. He spent his last years on a sickbed where he continued to hear confessions and give direction to his visitors. St. Ignatius of Santhia's feast day is September 22nd. | Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 ECCL 1:2-11 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.
What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them. Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17BC R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. Alleluia JN 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 9:7-9 Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.
| Daily Meditation: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 Nothing is new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Today's first reading isn't very inspiring, but it is relatable! Haven't we all sometimes felt like Qoheleth, the author of this passage? Our days can seem routine and monotonous. Why are we here? What is the point of all our work and struggles, all the things we accumulate, when it will eventually be turned to dust? If you are a person of faith, you may feel guilty for feeling this way. Shouldn't believing in Jesus and obeying him put a smile on your face every moment of the day? Shouldn't helping people be its own reward, no matter how futile it can seem at times? Of course, we know the answer to these questions should always be yes. But there's often a difference between what we should experience and what we actually do experience. Some of our greatest saints, like Mother Teresa and John of the Cross, have faced the loneliness and confusion of feeling distant from God. So put your guilt aside. It's okay to admit that you haven't figured out the secret to constant happiness! In the end, Jesus is more concerned with your actions than your feelings. Instead of fighting the sense of emptiness, try accepting it. Try telling God how bored, frustrated, or hopeless you feel—he won't condemn you. In fact, he is there with you in the midst of the frustration or the dullness. You may not feel motivated to pray, but you can still do it anyway and offer your efforts to him regardless of your feelings. You may feel unable to hear his voice, but you can still ask him questions. Or you may not feel happier, but you can place your hope in the promise that the Lord will eventually reward your persistence—even if it's with a greater degree of patience! God wants to bless your efforts—but he has to have efforts to bless. So even if you feel unenthusiastic, take those first steps to accomplish the work he has put in front of you. The work may be unglamorous and hidden to the world, but God can still draw blessings from it. That's because his faithfulness knows no bounds! "Lord, give me the strength to carry your light into the world." Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Luke 9:7-9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us." We like to have new things, right? There's something about something new that attracts us. And what is really new, is the Good News that makes everything new. They say heaven is a place where everything is always new. How does that even work? But is that what the Scripture is trying to tell us? It is asking us to recall that all things are vanities, the newest fads, trains of thought in psychology, which are all actually old, especially in things of theology. Unfortunately, modernists are trapped in old mentalities, thinking psychology is the equivalent of theology. You see, this where laws of man trump laws of Divine Nature...of God Himself, and in this realm we are doomed. And so, Scripture today asks us to recall our brevity on earth. Every moment is precious. This is how God has made life so very precious. That is why we value our time. And it can be said it is the most valuable thing we got....and wouldn't you like to give what is most valuable to Him? | We pray today;
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge" | In the Gospel today we heard:
"Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him." How crazy, that the very killer of Saint John the Baptist now wants to see him alive again!
How crazy that this killer was always intrigued with St. John the Baptist, but still had him beheaded! Why? Simple, to save his reputation. The innocent often have to pay the price to save the reputation of the other.
I'm thinking of the unborn babies murdered in cold blood, in an abortion. Most often the case is to save one's life or reputation, and so, they opt for murder, and in doing so, one condemns oneself.
So why was Herod trying to see "him"?
Was he just inquisitive? What did he want to see? Did he repent? Maybe he really wanted to know he wasn't dead? Maybe.
But the lingering question is for you and me: do I really repent of the evil I have done? | Lord, teach us to number our days aright. Be our permanent guiding light. Lord, help us know the price of one sin, so that we may never sin again...because as of right now, it seems You are still paying for the calamities of our cruelties...the greatest acts against true Love...You my Heavenly Father. |  click to hear | Random bible verse generator: Jeremiah 31:3 3 the LORD appeared to him1 from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
