†Saint Quote of the Day
"Put your heart aside. Duty comes first. But when fulfilling your duty, put your heart into it. It helps."
–St. Josemaria Escriva †Today's Meditation
"While St. Teresa was well acquainted with methods of meditation and wished her young nuns to be instructed in them, she emphatically insisted that the primary need for beginners is not to find the ideal method but to do God's will from moment to moment throughout the day—which is probably the last thing the beginner thinks is primary. Her thought is strong and unambiguous: 'The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer—and don't forget this, because it is very important—should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every effort to bring his will in conformity with God's will'. She then adds that 'it is the person who lives in more perfect conformity who will receive more from the Lord and be more advanced on this road of prayer.'"
—Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 112 An Excerpt From
Fire Within
Daily Verse
"One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati'ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul. And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.'"
–Acts 16:14-15 |  click to read more | | St. Lydia Purpuraria St. Lydia Purpuraria, also called Lydia of Thyatira (1st. c), was a pious and wealthy woman involved in the textile trade in Philippi, Macedonia. She and her husband manufactured and traded in the lucrative business of purple dyes and fabrics, a luxury for the elite. Lydia was a worshiper of the true God, and when St. Paul's missionary journeys brought him to Philippi in about 50 A.D., God opened Lydia's heart to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lydia and her family became St. Paul's very first converts to Christianity, as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. After her family was baptized, Lydia invited Paul and his companion, St. Timothy, to stay in her home. Lydia served the Lord through her gift of hospitality, and her home became a meeting place for the early Christians. After Paul and Silas were released from prison, it was to Lydia's home that they first went to meet and encourage the believers gathered there. St. Lydia's feast day is August 3. | Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ex 40:16-21, 34-38 Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
On the first day of the first month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the Dwelling
and put the covering on top of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded him.
He took the commandments and put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded him. Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the meeting tent,
because the cloud settled down upon it
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey. Responsorial Psalm Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11 R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! Alleluia See Acts 16:14b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 13:47-53 Jesus said to the disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." "Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom
both the new and the old."
When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.
| Daily Meditation: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the children of Israel would set out on their journey. (Exodus 40:36) The Israelites must have been amazed by God's love and faithfulness. He didn't abandon them after he had rescued them from slavery. Instead, he dwelled with them, assuring them of his constant presence by the cloud and fire that settled on the meeting tent. And that's not all. He also showed them exactly when to remain at their camp and when to continue on their journey through the wilderness. What a great gift this was for Moses and his people! Wouldn't it be great if we knew what God wanted when he wanted it? Yet the same gracious and loving God who accompanied the Israelites still dwells with us through his Holy Spirit. And though we don't have a cloud to direct us, he continues to guide us and lead us today. So how does the Spirit guide us? Through the Scriptures, which reveal who he is and how we can live in the freedom he has won for us. Through his presence in every tabernacle, where we can sit before Jesus in the Eucharist and listen for his word to us. Through the beauty and wisdom of the Church's teachings, which are eternal truths that have stood the test of time. And through our brothers and sisters in the faith, whose example can inspire us and show us how to live an abundant and fruitful life. We all experience times when we yearn for explicit, step-by-step direction from the Lord. Yet we can trust that in all the ways he has provided for us, we will be able to discern the answer to all the choices and dilemmas we face. Are you looking for more concrete direction about a particular issue in your life? Be like the Israelites and keep your eyes fixed on the Lord. Sometimes his answer is as obvious as the cloud covering the meeting tent. Sometimes his answer is not as clear, but that may be because God has confidence in your ability to make a good choice. Whatever the case, know that the Lord is pleased by your willingness to be led by him! "Father, I want to follow you. Show me the way you want me to go." Psalm 84:3-6, 8, 11
Matthew 13:47-53 |  click to hear 2cents | https://drive.google.com/file/d/15CZasw3B7ZNXvUAEra3g4rt4ASy5b57D/view?usp=drive_link
Reflections with Brother Adrian: | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey. ....." end of verse. The cloud rose and that was their sign to go.
The same happened when our Lord rose in the Ascension after the Resurrection, He ascended into Heaven and then angels appeared telling them to go...to do as He said.
It is a command. It is the same as when we wait for the final blessing at Mass, Our Lord came, and then commands us to go, take Him to every corner of the world. | We pray today:
"My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!*......" end of Psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
""The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age......" end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today's Gospel reminds us of the Final Judgment, when the wicked will be separated from the righteous. When good and evil are confused or intermingled, divine judgment separates them, clarifying the issue.
Bob Dylan said, "The enemy I see wears the cloak of decency." One of the favorite ruses of evil is to cover itself in the mantle of justice and piety, at the same time aping and hiding behind that which it opposes. Christ's judgment rips away these cloaking devices, these deceits, and shows things as they are.
Authentic Christianity is a fighting religion, and it calls evil by its name. The Church knows what stands outside of itself, and it turns its back on it. The bearer of light and truth, it separates good from evil, sometimes painfully, like a "two-edged sword."_ end quote Bishop Barron.
What's it going to take to be a good fish? A heart of gold, a treasure for God. What makes gold valuable on earth? The fact that it is rare. Are good fish rare? Is Heaven not that full of good people? What is your definition of a "good person"? Because even an atheist or satanic person can seem like a really good person. So what is a good fish? It is the person found with the light on. The light of Christ. Why do we speak in symbols like this? Why God and clouds? Why Holy Smoke? Why candles and lights? Because this is how God chose to do so. It becomes a double edged sword like Bishop Barron says, because those who have ears, that is, those who listen and heed the word of God will be saved, but those who do not have ears for God, those who are not listening...will be thrown away. Our Lord has come to the seashore, literally after His resurrection, and called the good fish to fish for more.
This means the Lord loves us who He calls His own. Let's pray:
Lord, I want to be a good fish, but I keep messing things up. Help me with faith, grace, and perseverance. Perseverance of the saints. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 23:4–5 4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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