†Saint Quote
"Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the soul of men and women."
–St. Gianna Molla †Today's Meditation
"Just as God's creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church's preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth. Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different—for no one is above the Master—nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it."
—St. Ignatius of Antioch, p. 194 An Excerpt From
Witness of the Saints †Daily Verse
"The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived."
–1 John 2:3-6 |  click to read more | | St. David of Wales St. David of Wales (6th c.), also called Dewi Sant by the Welsh, was a missionary priest, Celtic monk, archbishop, miracle-worker, and the founder of many monasteries in Wales and western England. He was descended from Welsh royalty, and in medieval times many believed he was the nephew of the famed King Arthur. His great leadership abilities gave him influence over many Church affairs. In the dozen monasteries he founded he established strict asceticism modeled after the early desert hermits. St. David is often depicted standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. According to legend, one day while preaching a dove rested on his shoulder, and the earth rose to lift him above the crowd so that all could hear him speak. During a battle with the Saxons, St. David advised the Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from their enemy; this is the origin of the leek as an emblem of Wales. St. David is one of the great saints of the 6th century whose work helped to establish Christianity in Europe. He is the patron saint of Wales, and his feast, "St. David's Day," is a popular cultural celebration. The Cathedral of St. David's in Pembrokeshire was built over his remains and became a pilgrimage destination for centuries. St. David of Wales' feast day is March 1st. | Reading 1 Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25 Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,
had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids,
from morning until evening, and said:
"God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you,
O LORD, my God. "And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion
and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy,
so that he and those who are in league with him may perish.
Save us from the hand of our enemies;
turn our mourning into gladness
and our sorrows into wholeness." Responsorial Psalm Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8 R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. Verse Before the Gospel Ps 51:12a, 14a A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation. Gospel Mt 7:7-12 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets." | Daily Meditation: Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (Psalm 138:3) Today's responsorial psalm teaches us how to pray, especially when we face particularly difficult situations: put yourself in God's hands, trust him to hear you, and know that he will strengthen you. We can see such a process unfold in the story of Queen Esther in today's first reading. Esther, the Jewish wife of the Persian emperor Ahasuerus, was in a tough spot. A Persian official named Haman hated the Jews, and so he devised an underhanded way to get rid of not just Esther's uncle, Mordecai, whom he resented, but all the Jews in the kingdom. Claiming that their religious customs posed a threat, Haman convinced the emperor to decree that every Jew in the land should be executed. Fearing for his people's lives, Mordecai urged Esther to intercede on their behalf. She knew that anyone who approached the king without being summoned faced the possibility of execution themselves, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she joined her community in earnestly praying and fasting. She trusted that, as she called on him, God would help her. And God did. In the words of today's psalm, he "built up strength" within Esther (138:3). He gave her the courage to risk approaching the king (Esther 5:1-2). Mercifully, the king accepted her, and in the end, her intercession saved her people (7:3). Think about the big things that are on your heart today. Maybe it's the plight of the homeless in your town, your grandchild's indifference to the Church, or the sadness of a friend whose spouse has died. Lay them before the Lord. Remember how faithful he has been. Invite others to join you in prayer and maybe even fasting. Linger in prayer long enough for God to make your role clear to you. Then let the Lord strengthen you to overcome any nervous hesitation you might feel so that you can do what he inspires you to do. Like Esther, we can be confident that God has put us here for a reason and that he will give us the strength to do his will. "Lord, thank you for putting this need on my heart. Show me what you are asking me to do about it. I count on your strength within me." Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Matthew 7:7-12 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
" As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you." In my personal emails, my signature has a scripture: " The LORD is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29.
This is why saints are flocked to, for God to hear their prayers, like when Padre Pio was alive, everyone flocked to him asking him for prayers. Because they knew he had God's favor.
You got to be good, if you want to be heard. But our God has super ears, and can hear even a rotten soul in hell that wishes no longer to be there. But that is no place to be, so far, from Him, where He has to use super ears, and in the real hell, they say you are stripped of God completely, and there is a real loss of hope. Scripture asks us to repent, and be more intimately united with Him, doesn't it? | We pray today:
_"I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me."_ | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
""Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets." And this goes for mercy....in your heart, and in your head. Are you merciful, gracious and kind with your thoughts and words towards others? If not, we have much to work on, don't we? Wouldn't you like to hear gracious words about you? | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, today's Gospel urges us to persist in prayer. The Lord wants us to ask with persistence, even stubbornness. Now, we must not think of God as becoming exasperated by our prayer of petition, but the clear implication is that we will get what we want through persistence: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." How do we make sense of this? For me, the best explanation is offered by St. Augustine. He said that God doesn't always give us immediately what we ask for, and in fact, he compels us to ask again and again. The Lord wants to stretch us, expanding our desire so as to receive the gift he desires to give us. If we got everything we wanted, right away and without effort, we wouldn't appreciate what we've received, and we wouldn't really be capable of taking it in. It would be like pouring new wine into old, shrunken wineskins, resulting in a loss of both the skins and the wine. So if the gift doesn't come right away, don't despair; rather, feel your very soul expanding in anticipation." ....†....
Lord teach me to persevere in holiness and in your Holy Love .......... from your brother Adrian@Going4th.com |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 1:18 18 "Come now, let us reason1 together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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