†Saint Quote
"The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place ... Love will be the whole syllabus."
–St. Robert Bellarmine †Today's Meditation
"Set free from human judgment, we should count as true only what God sees in us, what he knows, and what he judges. God does not judge as man does. Man sees only the countenance, only the exterior. God penetrates to the depths of our hearts. God does not change as man does. His judgment is in no way inconstant. He is the only one upon whom we should rely. How happy we are then, and how peaceful! We are no longer dazzled by appearances, or stirred up by opinions; we are united to the truth and depend upon it alone. I am praised, blamed, treated with indifference, disdained, ignored, or forgotten; none of this can touch me. I will be no less than I am. Men and women want to play at being a creator. They want to give me existence in their opinion, but this existence that they want to give me is nothingness. It is an illusion, a shadow, an appearance, that is, at bottom, nothingness. What is this shadow, always following me, behind me, at my side? Is it me, or something that belongs to me? No. Yet does not this shadow seem to move with me? No matter: it is not me. So it is with the judgements of men: they would follow me everywhere, paint me, sketch me, make me move according to their whim, and, in the end, give me some sort of existence … but I am disabused of this error. I am content with a hidden life. How peaceful it is! Whether I truly live this Christian life of which St. Paul speaks, I do not know, nor can I know with certainty. But I hope that I do, and I trust in God's goodness to help me."
—Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, p. 99-101 An Excerpt From
Meditations for Lent †Daily Verse
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil."
–2 Corinthians 5:10 †St. John of Egypt
St. John of Egypt (4th c.), also known as John the Hermit or John the Anchorite, worked alongside his father, a carpenter, until he was twenty-five years old. He then discerned a call from God to go out into the desert and become a hermit. He spent sixteen years in spiritual training under the care of a religious superior who commanded him to perform difficult and unreasonable tasks, which John obeyed with childlike simplicity. After this time of spiritual training he withdrew into greater solitude in a small cell at the top of a cliff, praying incessantly and avoiding contact with people for the last fifty years of his life. He had the gift of prophecy and could perform miracles, and foretold to Emperor Theodosius his future victories as well as the time of his death. People traveled from afar for his counsel or blessings, and to hear him preach. He would receive visitors two days a week from a tiny window in his cell. He became so famous for his holiness that St. Augustine wrote of him, making reference to the devils who came to tempt John continually. St. John of Egypt's feast day is March 27th. |  click to read more | | St. John of Egypt St. John of Egypt (4th c.), also known as John the Hermit or John the Anchorite, worked alongside his father, a carpenter, until he was twenty-five years old. He then discerned a call from God to go out into the desert and become a hermit. He spent sixteen years in spiritual training under the care of a religious superior who commanded him to perform difficult and unreasonable tasks, which John obeyed with childlike simplicity. After this time of spiritual training he withdrew into greater solitude in a small cell at the top of a cliff, praying incessantly and avoiding contact with people for the last fifty years of his life. He had the gift of prophecy and could perform miracles, and foretold to Emperor Theodosius his future victories as well as the time of his death. People traveled from afar for his counsel or blessings, and to hear him preach. He would receive visitors two days a week from a tiny window in his cell. He became so famous for his holiness that St. Augustine wrote of him, making reference to the devils who came to tempt John continually. St. John of Egypt's feast day is March 27th. | Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Reading I Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62 In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.
That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, "Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges."
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband's garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.
One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
"Bring me oil and soap," she said to the maids,
"and shut the garden doors while I bathe."
As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
"Look," they said, "the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you."
"I am completely trapped," Susanna groaned.
"If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord."
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.
When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
"Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim."
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.
In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
"As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this."
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
"O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me."
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
"I will have no part in the death of this woman."
All the people turned and asked him, "What is this you are saying?"
He stood in their midst and continued,
"Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her."
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
"Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age."
But he replied,
"Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them."
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
"How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
'The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.'
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together."
"Under a mastic tree," he answered.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two."
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
"Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together."
"Under an oak," he said.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both."
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.
OR:
The assembly condemned Susanna to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
"O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me."
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
"I will have no part in the death of this woman."
All the people turned and asked him,
"What is this you are saying?"
He stood in their midst and continued,
"Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her."
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
"Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age."
But he replied,
"Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them."
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
"How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
'The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.'
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together."
"Under a mastic tree," he answered.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two."
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him, "Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together."
"Under an oak," he said.
Daniel replied, "Your fine lie has cost you also your head,"
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both."
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day. Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. Verse before the Gospel Ez 33:11 I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Gospel Jn 8:1-11 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
"Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?"
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
"Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
"Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?"
She replied, "No one, sir."
Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more."
| Daily Meditation: John 8:1-11 Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground. (John 8:8) When we are in the midst of a tense encounter with someone, our posture usually reflects the tension of the confrontation. Our jaw may be clenched, our chest may feel tight, and our shoulders are probably locked into position. But in today's Gospel reading, when a group of Jewish leaders confronted Jesus with a morally fraught question about a woman caught in adultery, his reaction was anything but tense. He quietly bent down and wrote in the sand. Why? Even though we don't know what he was writing, it seems that the time Jesus spent bent over like that gave everyone time to reflect, and diffused a charged situation. As a result, when he stood back up and said that the one without sin should cast the first stone, he was speaking to a quieter, less volatile group. Simply by bending down, Jesus bent the people's accusations toward peace, their condemnation toward compassion, and their hatred toward mercy. He used that gesture to teach everyone there, and us as well: Don't let your emotions rule you. Pause and ask the Spirit to be present. Take a couple of deep breaths and let the peace of God intervene. It's not just in tense situations that we should pause to welcome the Spirit. It's just as important when we come face-to-face with our own inner conflicts, especially the conflicts caused by our sins. Rather than give in to guilt or shame—or angrily shift the blame to someone else—we can take a moment to quiet our hearts and ask the Spirit to give us his perspective. We can recall Jesus' words, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more" (John 8:11). Then we can let the assurance of God's mercy, coupled with his call to holiness, help us to stand up straight and take the next steps toward reconciliation. This practice of bending down and seeking the Spirit is what Lent is about. This whole season, God is inviting us to pause and ask the Spirit to shift our focus. In the two weeks that remain before Easter, may we all practice bending our hearts toward the peace that only the Lord can give! "Holy Spirit, make me an instrument of your peace." Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
Psalm 23:1-6 |  click to hear 2cents | Listen to my2cents audio. Share the link if you like: Click to hear it | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"According to the law of Moses, they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor: they put them to death. Thus was innocent blood spared that day." The golden rule always applies, right? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Let's think about this next time we think about selfish gains, and sadly, the world lives by selfish gains, that is, with its totalitarianism, and utilitarianism philosophies and ways of living, mostly propagated by communist people, dictators in competition to rule, and in that rule, many innocent pay the price, for another's selfish gain, lives are lost, and even worse, souls are lost. But the ways of our Lord are opposite of that dark train of thought. He teaches us to be merciful, as He is merciful, to be perfect, as He is perfect. Those that are not perfect hate the perfect ones. This is only because they have no idea how to become perfect in our Lord and Father too. Therefore, mercy is the only way to reach them too. There is no other way...but Christ. | We pray today:
"He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage." | In the Gospel today we heard: "Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
They said this to test him...". The Gospel of John. The scribes and Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to the Lord, as a scoundrel deserving of death according...to their law. But God's true law was revealed.
He didn't answer their instigation motives. They wanted their "aha!" moment, to tell the world how right they were and how wrong our Lord was.
But, since He is GOD, they were to leave confounded. He didn't say anything! Instead He bends down to write on the ground, only what God knows He'd write. And what if He didn't' write something? What if He drew something, like a heart? What if He began to write a new language and a new law in that what He put on the ground with His finger? What if He drew a line, that is not to be crossed? Regardless of what He did, it changed everything with His pause. A couple reflections today say that we should take a moment before responding to an argument...take a moment to pray. Calm down. Cool your head. Let God in the picture. I've tried this and it works, but the times I forget to take a time out, things get bad in a flash, a slap for a slap, and the fights begin! | "But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Let the perfect one throw a stone. But nobody is perfect in mercy here, or love. Only God can rule with righteousness. All we can do then...is be humble, and let others be first. So what does that say about sin? Can we live in sin as many protestants preach with "once saved always saved"? No. Only God can judge. We are to admonish the sinner, let the sinner know they are sinning. Like those in addiction, you just got to let them know they have a problem, but letting them know is a small part, for the harder part is to help them form a mentality, to let it go, so they choose for themselves...freedom.
And this is how our Lord is with us. He helps us know, lets us know our sins, and then encourages us to break free from sin.
This has been Lent. A time well spent forming our consciousness, to let our faith be what it should be, FAITH! Unhindered, not washed down, but to be true faith, true belief, and true love of God and thus...God in everyone we meet. Let's pray:
....†....
Lord, You are merciful, help me take the time of day to be merciful too, with my words, with my thoughts, and manner of speaking about others, and treating others. Help me be perfect as You my Father in Heaven.
.......... |  Hear it click | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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