† ".. I tell you truly.. "

†Saint Quote " I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the hea

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   †Saint Quote " I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the head belongs to the body. All that is his is yours: breath, heart, body, soul and all his faculties. All of these you must use as if they belonged to you, so that in serving him you may give him praise, love and glory." St. John Eudes †Today's Meditation "Since Jesus has gone to Heaven now, I can only follow the traces He has left behind. But how bright these traces are! How fragrant and divine! I have only to glance at the Gospels; at once this fragrance from the life of Jesus reaches me, and I know which way to run: to the lowest, not the highest place!" —St. Therese of Lisieux, p.b153-154 †Daily Verse "For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4 click to read more Bl. Maria Franciszka Siedliska Bl. Maria Franciszka Siedliska (1842-1902) was born to a noble and wealthy family in Warsaw, Poland. When a Capuchin friar prepared her for her First Holy Communion, she began to desire the religious life and made a private act of consecration to God. Her father was greatly opposed and said he would rather see her dead than lost to the cloister. Her vocation was not deterred, and she went to Rome to obtain the Pope's blessing for founding an active apostolic Order modeled on the hidden virtues of the Holy Family. The Congregation of Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth was formed in 1875, and she took the name Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. In 1885 the Nazareth Sisters arrived in New York, eventually settling near Chicago where they made their first foundation in the U.S.A. She was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1989. Her feast day is November 21. Presentation of Mary Feast Day November 21st is the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated to God as a young child; when she reached three years of age her holy parents, St. Anne and St. Joachim, presented her before God in the Jerusalem temple where she was to be educated and raised. This dedication was a result of a promise St. Anne made to God while she suffered from many years of infertility. The liturgical celebration honoring this event appeared in the East much earlier then it did in the West. In the late Middle Ages it was promoted as a feast day for the universal Church. Memorial of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Lectionary: 503 Reading 1 Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5 I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the earth. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Alleluia Mt 24:42a, 44 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 21:1-4 When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." Daily Meditation: Luke 21:1-4 He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. (Luke 21:2) Yesterday we celebrated the solemnity of Christ the King. Now we're in the last week of the liturgical year, and the holiday season is upon us. It's easy to be drawn into the worldly celebration of Christmas, and perhaps you're already wondering how you can possibly observe a holy Advent during the upcoming busy weeks. It's never easy to carve out time for more prayer during the decorating-shopping-entertaining blitz that strikes each year. That's why today's Gospel ought to encourage you. Yes, there's much to do to get ready for Christmas. Yes, the demands on your time can seem to increase exponentially. And yes, much of what clamors for your attention must be done by December 25. So if your time for prayer seems depleted by a long "to-do" list, give the Lord "two small coins" (Luke 21:2). Offer a few minutes of prayer, whenever you can. God knows your heart and all that you need to do, and he treasures every minute you give him out of your "whole livelihood" (21:4). As you light the candles on the Advent wreath and pray before mealtime, offer those prayers with all your heart. Keep a Bible (maybe along with a copy of The Word Among Us) in your car or backpack, and glance at it as you sit in the inevitable holiday backups. Keep a rosary in your pocket to pray quietly as you stand in long checkout lines. Those precious minutes you offer to the Lord please him. And if you have a wealth of time, wonderful! Lift up prayers and intercession for people who can't pray—for those who must work extra at this time of year to make ends meet. For priests and parish staff working to help their people celebrate the season. Then rejoice and give thanks! But remember, it's not the amount of time you spend with the Lord in prayer; it's the heart you bring to that time, however much or little you have. Jesus commended the poor widow's "mite" because of the generosity with which she offered it. He will commend you as well. "Lord, help me to find 'mites' of time for prayer to offer you this Advent." Revelation 14:1-5 Psalm 24:1-6 From today's 1st Holy Scripture: "They have been ransomed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished." These are the true followers of God. I am tired of deceit from my mouth. I'm tired of being a hypocrite. I am tired of not giving my entire will to God our Father. I am tired of not letting go as I ought. And this from a person who is trying day in and day out to wash my robe in His blood. What are the obstacles to a life of grace and holiness? Not very many, once the main obstacle is surpassed...myself. We pray today; "The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face" In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher: "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest;for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." This is where I get my 2 cents from. The poor widow put in more than all the rest...she cashed in all her bets .... on the Lord. Where are you residing all your trust? Faith. FAITH! Right? How many of us are giving 100%? Not very many, I dare say. No very many are that daring. I say that because I can see how timid we are. How afraid we are to give God everything. And if He takes anything...how much we anger, or hurt. How much we despise even HIS WILL. You see how the worldly react to God? What is God's will anyway? Even if I told you, would you do it? Form your conscious. Desire Holiness. Desire to be last. Desire His every last wish to be your command. Then you will have an inkling of God's Holy Will. The poor widow had nothing else to give...but her very life. ........................................ Lord, may we deposit our entire life into Thee, Your precious heart...my life into Yours ............................................... adrian click to hear Random Bible Verse 1 Psalm 139:7–10 [Psalm 139] 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2022 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®