†Saint Quote
"Let all nations know that Thou art God alone, and that Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and that we are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture."
–St. Clement †Today's Meditation
"Think, dear friends, how the Lord continually proves to us that there will be a resurrection to come, of which he made the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising him from the dead. Contemplate the resurrection that is always going on. Day and night declare the resurrection to us. The night sinks to sleep, and the day rises; the day departs, and the night comes on. Look at the crops, how the grain is sown: the sower goes out and throws it on the ground, and the scattered seed, dry and bare when it fell on the ground, is gradually dissolved. Then out of its disintegration the mighty power of the Lord's providence raises it up again, and from one seed come many bearing fruit."
—St. Clement, p. 9 An Excerpt From
A Year with the Church Fathers †Daily Verse
"By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
–Hebrews 10:10 |  click to read more | | St. Clement St. Clement of Rome (d. 100 A.D.), also known as Pope St. Clement I, is considered the first Apostolic Father of the Church. He is mentioned by name in the Bible by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:3. St. Clement is also said to be one of the band of seventy followers of Jesus' ministry as described in the Gospels. Clement was a disciple of St. Peter and was ordained by him, and became the fourth Bishop of Rome. Of his life and death little is known, but he has left one definite writing: a letter to the Church in Corinth, Greece. The Basilica of St. Clement is one of the earliest parish churches of Rome and was built on the site of his home. Pope St. Clement I is the patron saint of mariners, sailors, marble-workers, stone-cutters, and sick children. His feast day is celebrated on November 23rd. | Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 RV 15:1-4 I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring:
seven angels with the seven last plagues,
for through them God's fury is accomplished.
Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.
On the sea of glass were standing those
who had won the victory over the beast
and its image and the number that signified its name.
They were holding God's harps,
and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb:
"Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed." Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 7-8, 9 R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God! Alleluia RV 2:10C R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 21:12-19 Jesus said to the crowd:
"They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives." | Daily Meditation: Luke 21:12-19 I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking. (Luke 21:15) There's an old joke that says, "It took me two years to learn how to talk and the rest of my life learning when to shut up." How true this is! But it's just as important to learn when to open our mouths and speak. That's because God put each of us on this earth to be a prophetic voice announcing his good news. In fact, when you were baptized, you were anointed with chrism and given a share in Jesus' priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission. Imagine the privilege of having a "well-trained tongue," as Isaiah did (50:4). Imagine what it would be like to "utter what is precious," as Jeremiah did, because you are speaking from the heart of the Lord (15:19). Unfortunately, we all know what it's like to have our own words and ideas get in the way. Often, it takes wisdom and prayer to know what to say, when to say it, and—most important—how to say it. This sounds hard, but it's not impossible. Jesus himself promised that he will give us "a wisdom in speaking," especially in tense situations when there's a higher risk for misunderstanding (Luke 21:15). All he asks is that we get in the habit of asking his Holy Spirit to guide us. Even taking just a moment to say a quick prayer before we speak can go a long way! Of course, God delights in our human intellect and free will. Jesus promised us wisdom to guide us, not a word-for-word script. Through his Spirit, he can soften our hearts so that we don't speak out of malice or bitterness. He can fill us with his presence so that we convey his love in our own words. He can give us patience so that we don't speak rashly or out of frustration. He may even give us a stronger sense of what to say—a word or two, perhaps, that will help us guide the conversation in an upbuilding direction. It's not impossible to become a prophetic voice in the world. It doesn't even have to be hard. It just takes a little practice, combined with trust in the Lord and a humble desire to speak his words of consolation and wisdom. "Here I am, Lord! Help me learn the 'wisdom in speaking' that you promise to all who follow you." Revelation 15:1-4
Psalm 98:1-3, 7-9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"They were holding God's harps,
and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb"
Ever heard that song? We basically heard it twice in Scripture, in the first reading and the Holy Psalms.
Do you remember how the song goes? Who is the lamb? It is our Lord isn't it? What is His song again?
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed." | We pray today;
"Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God! Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth; He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!" There are those in the world that want to have Jesus as King and there are those who do not. And there is a more dangerous group...those in between...who could care less, and this is to live life carelessly. God wants us hot or cold, yes or no....all in or not. My drive is to make you hot on fire for Love of God. This is the purpose of writing and praying for you every day. | In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher:
"You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name..." How many people hate you right now because of His Name?
Not many probably right? But if you step into another country, like the communist places, they will chase you into a corner, and some they still have murdered for His Name.
But why don't many hate you? We live mostly in a place where we are free from much trouble...and instead of being grateful, slaving away for God, we live ungrateful. And this I write before thanksgiving day. The whole purpose of Mass is THANKSGIVING! How does thanksgiving work? It's not about what or how the world proposes it to be. Yes, there is a gathering and a meal, but in the spiritual realm of God and man, humans, God is offering Himself as if in total innocence and in all His glory at once...in the Holy Eucharist.
So God offers you everything you've had in life, even things you could have had, and then, He shows up in Mass, His very Presence and essence, and what do we do? And how do we go about doing it? Technically we talk liturgy and liturgical works here, but this is all fancy talk to explain what we are supposed to be doing in this offering....of self. You see, God is offering Himself like never before. How do we show we appreciate Him? We do His will, and then we go to Him on the altar, in a sign of vow and relation, and consecration. He is consecrated so that we may be consecrated. And this, consecration to be communed, into a soul that is thankful, in consummation.
Why did I go so far into this thought?
Because...of His Name. His Name is holy. We are to make Him Holy.
The protestant mentality has washed down all things holiness to an extent that one could care less about making things holy any more.
But we are to make God Holy by our holiness. What does this mean if God is holiness itself?
I'm talking about the very Body of Christ that you belong in.
That we may become one...and holy...wholly His, totally His.
And then you'll see your enemies clearly....it is not people...but evil spirits vying for your eyes and ears, and hearts. | ........................................
Lord, that I may become with Thee, eternally, help me.
............................................... adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1
John 15:12–14 [John 15] 12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
