†Quote of the Day
" "Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's call." St. Josemaria Escriva †Today's Meditation
""St. Josemaria Escriva used the phrase "new Mediterraneans" to describe the process of going deeper into the interior life to discover new insights about what we already know or have already heard so many times before. There is a mysterious power of the mind unleashed when we "discover" something we already knew, when we contemplate truth from a new vantage point. These revelations, uncovered through prayer, then overflow into the rest of our lives. This process, aptly given a maritime-themed name, is one that reveals to us the depth of richness of the Faith."
–Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering, p. 13 †Daily Verse† ""But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 |  click to read more | | St. Josemaria Escriva St. Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975) was born in Spain, one of six children of a devout Catholic family. Growing up, he observed his parents faithfully endure painful family trials (the death of three of their young children and devastating financial setbacks) and this had a profound effect on his own faith. As a teenager he discovered his vocation to the priesthood when he saw the path of footprints in the snow left by a barefoot Carmelite friar. He then experienced a radical conversion: he gave up his intended career as an architect and entered the seminary. He spent most of his life studying and teaching in universities, earning a doctorate in civil law and theology. Saint Josemaria Escriva's lasting impact lies in the foundation of Opus Dei ("The Work of God"), an organization of laity and priests dedicated to the universal call of holiness and the belief that ordinary, daily life is an authentic path to sanctity. Today Opus Dei has over 80,000 members worldwide. His famous written work is The Way, a collection of spiritual and pastoral reflections on the gospels and their application to everyday life. On June 26, 1975, after glancing at an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in his office in Rome, St. Josemaría died suddenly of cardiac arrest. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. His feast day is June 26th. | Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gn 12:1-9 The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. "I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you." Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.) The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22 R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Alleluia Heb 4:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 7:1-5 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 7:1-5 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3) "You started it!" How many arguments between children end with this accusation? Even as we grow older and our conflicts more complex, our attitude seems to remain much the same. It's easy to see how the "other" has led to the problem at hand but harder to admit the role we might have played. It's this tendency toward judgment that Jesus is addressing with his splinter and beam teaching in today's Gospel (Matthew 7:3). In moments of disagreement, it's only natural to magnify your opponent's mistakes and define this other person by what they've done wrong. You believe that your wife is always talking down to you, your husband is always forgetting you, or your friend is always disrespecting you. And you make up your mind that if they would just get their act together, all would be well. But approaching a situation from this posture of blame can quickly turn a conversation into an argument and keep the cycle of disagreement going. Jesus' words offer us not only correction but hope. He is showing us one key to breaking cycles of conflict: look at your own actions before anyone else's. He's teaching us that the path toward peace begins with an inward glance. It begins by asking the Spirit, "What about me? How did my actions get us here—and what can I do differently?" When we focus on our own heart first, we see our "beam" more clearly and begin to see our brother or sister and their "splinter" more objectively. And as we consider the ways that we could change, we remember that the "other" isn't a problem to be solved but a person to be loved. Then the Spirit can soften our hearts and remind us that our goal isn't to win but to love. This isn't easy, but it is the way of peace and the way of Christ. He will give us the grace we need to live it out. Today, ask the Holy Spirit, "Is there any unresolved conflict that you want to overcome in my life? How can I grow in loving your people?" "Search me, O Lord. Help me to see myself and the people around me the way you do." Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:12-13, 18-20, 22 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you; I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you." end of verse. It is important to note what comes out of one's mouth, because it can come out as a blessing or a curse. So how can we make sure everything comes out as a blessing? They say what comes out is from the heart. Ever heard someone that just curses and uses cuss words all day? Sounds like something rotten is within them right? Ever take a moment to hear the laughter and talk of an innocent child? Sounds like loving grace of purity within them right? No guile. No bitterness. No animosity. No resentments.
Let's take a moment now, to consider how much we have been blessed. And now, consider how much we are to become that very blessing ourselves. | We pray today:
"Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own" end of Psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
_"You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, Jesus' parable in today's Gospel is one of the most psychologically and spiritually insightful remarks in the New Testament. Let's face it: a favorite pastime of most human beings is criticism of others.
We delight in pointing out the shortcomings, moral failings, and annoying tendencies of our neighbors. This is, of course, a function of pride and egotism: the more I put someone else down, the more elevated I feel.
But it is also, oddly, a magnificent means of turning a mirror on ourselves, to see what usually remains unseen. Why, we ought to ask, do we find precisely this sin of others particularly annoying? Why does that trait or sin of a confrere especially gall us?
Undoubtedly, Jesus implies, because it reminds us of a similar failing in ourselves. I remember a retreat director asking each of us to call to mind a person that we found hard to take and then to recount in detail the characteristics that made the person so obnoxious to us. Then he recommended that we go back to our room and ask God to forgive those same faults in ourselves. His words were as unnerving and as illuminating as these words of Jesus." end of quote from Bishop Barron.
The other day I quoted a line from Dr. Phil to a nephew, in hopes he would forgive someone. I said the line "I don't like in YOU what I see in ME". My nephew did not compute and retaliated "first of all, that's not a real doctor" and then went on with his side of the story. My point was that the finger pointing really leaves many fingers pointing right back at someone.
And nowadays, people just love to use that line against others "don't judge me! You have no right to judge me!".
It almost sounds like "leave me alone, I can do whatever I want!", right? What a strange line, and I'll tell you what it feels like when I get that thrown in my face personally; it feels like an evil spirit telling me to back off! And that is a red flag, this person really needs me, my prayers, and more compassion, for the sick need a doctor, they surely don't need a slam of the door in their face! No! Quite the contrary.
So what do I do? I side with the truth. I side with our Lord.
What's missing in our world is what has been lost since the beginning with Eve...humility, and purity in obedience. Recall the sweet child's pure laughter, how it changes things.
So can we judge? They say only God can judge, we are not the final judge, so anything we say is an attempt to help a soul get back on track. But they say it is not what we say but how we say it. Take for instance a person that misses Mass on Sunday or is living in sin, there's the wrong way and the better way to approach the person we are trying to help get back on track, which by the way is called "admonishing the sinner" an actual spiritual work of mercy we are called to do. So here we go, let's say "Joe" missed mass, and or he is living with his girlfriend.
The wrong way to approach:
"Joe, you missed Mass/ living in sin, you're going to burn in hell forever for that".
Or we could try the better way:
"Joe, we missed you on Sunday, we should bless the Lord on His day, and our relationships too, bless them with our Lord". At least the latter would open up the doors to a possible life of grace, whereas the other slams the doors of doom and gloom. And at first, you will get negative feedback. But love wins wars. Love wins souls. Love goes on forever. You see, evil spirits don't want to let go of souls they live in. It is an uphill and battle all the way. Ours is to help others, yes, but not if we aren't holy and righteous before God first! That's why what they say is true, they will point the finger right back at you. And if it is not true, their accusations, you will be at peace in their retaliations, but if it is true, you will want to fight, and argue, and hate, because evil spirits rear their ugly heads this way. Let's pray:
Lord, help me be a pure messenger of Your Holy Message, by being what we are called to be before Your very Holy Sacred Heart in Heaven! |  Hear it click | Random Bible Verse 1
John 14:2–3 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?1 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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