†Quote of the Day
"Christ Himself is our mouth through which we speak to the Father, our eye through which we see the Father, our right hand through which we offer to the Father. Without His intercession neither we nor all the saints have anything with God."
–St. Ambrose †Today's Meditation
"Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence."
—St. Faustina Kowalska (741) An Excerpt From
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul †Daily Verse
"Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all."
–Romans 12:14-18 | Daily Feast: All Hallow's Eve All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween, is the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day, which is a major feast on the liturgical calendar and a Holy Day of Obligation. Halloween (October 31st) is connected with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). These three days are the "Days of the Dead," a triduum also known as Allhallowtide or Hallowmas, reminding the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the communion of saints; and our obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Daily Prayer Prayer for the Dead
In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.
In this life you embraced them with your tender love;
deliver them now from every evil and bid them eternal rest.
The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain,
but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy
Spirit forever and ever. Amen. |  click to read more | | St. Wolfgang St. Wolfgang (934-994 A.D.), also known as the Great Almoner, was a Benedictine monk, reformer, and Bishop of Regensburg, Bavaria. He was born into the noble class and had an excellent education. As bishop he worked to reform the monasteries and convents in his diocese. He is remembered for his teaching abilities, his oratory skills, and his charity towards the poor. He was also integral in the missionary efforts to evangelize the Magyars in what is today modern Hungary. Towards the end of his life he withdrew to a solitary spot to build a church and hermitage at what is now called St. Wolfgang's Lake in Austria. Before settling he prayed and threw his axe into the wilderness, and built his cell on the spot where it landed. A town grew around the saint's hermitage which still exists today. According to legend, St. Wolfgang tricked the devil into helping him build the church, promising him the first soul that came through the church doors. The devil agreed, and after the construction was completed, a wolf was the first to cross its threshold, thus tricking the devil. St. Wolfgang's life was foundational to Bavarian and Austrian civilization. Many miracles occurred at his tomb, especially those related to stomach ailments. St. Wolfgang is the patron saint of carpenters, stroke victims, and the paralyzed. His feast day is October 31st. | Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 480
Reading 1 Rom 8:18-25 Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. Responsorial Psalm Ps 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 R. (3a) The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us. Alleluia See Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 13:18-21 Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches." Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened." | Daily Meditation: Romans 8:12-17 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16) Paul gives us what might be a new perspective on holiness in today's first reading. For many of us, holiness is something we think is all but unattainable, especially when we consider our faults and sins. Just look at the saints—they lived lives of heroic virtue. Sure, we hope to get there one day, but it will take a long time and a lot of hard work. But Paul says that we can be "led by the Spirit of God" and "put to death the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13-14). How can this be? Because we have been made children of God! He has placed his own Spirit within us, and that Spirit bears witness to our adoption as sons and daughters of God. That same Holy Spirit gives us grace and guidance to take on a resemblance to our heavenly Father. Because living a holy life means thinking and acting and loving like our Father. Sometimes we forget what incredibly good news that is. We have been adopted into God's family! We no longer have to be led by the flesh, governed by our inclinations to sin or haunted by our past failures. We can be directed by the Spirit and live more virtuous lives now. We can go beyond what is possible on our own because holiness isn't something we achieve on our own. So keep your eyes open for the opportunities God will give you today to be led by the Spirit. Perhaps you will feel prompted to offer to pray for someone going through a hard time. Or maybe you'll be able to resist the temptation to lose your temper, to indulge yourself, or to neglect an important but difficult task. In so many situations, the Spirit wants to help you be holy and live as a child of God. So be sure to call on him, even before you start your day. Ask him to fill you. Ask him to guide you and give you his peace, joy, and strength. You are a child of God, and his Spirit will always help you to live like one! "Thank you, heavenly Father, for giving me your Spirit to guide me into holiness!" Psalm 68:2, 4, 6-7, 20-21
Luke 13:10-17 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance............"
. . . Lately, as we just get out of a terrible pandemic costing millions of lives, now we are entering wars that will cost probably thousands of lives and billions of dollars wasted. And so, one can lose sight of hope. And lately, circling back to my original inkling, I've been deeply praying and conversing with our Lord "Lord, You're going to have to literally show yourself because we have become numb and dumb to the faith" and this after reflecting on my naive upbringing, although I was raised faithfully in the Church. We are kind of closed-minded. We fail to see Christ. And what's worse, is that if we actually saw Him, we wouldn't recognize Him! And if we recognized Him, what difference would it make? It's like saying you always knew about this person that existed and then you met them, well, you might be put off, or it wouldn't have mattered in the end that you met them at all! Right?
And so what matters is our expectations.
The Jews still wait for the Messiah. They have high expectations that their savior will come and brutally put all their enemies in their place.
The Muslims have a misconstrued view of the Messiah, and they too have expectations of a conquering of the world, by force if needed.
And our Lord Jesus comes as the total opposite, and claiming He Is the Messiah, and does absolutely nothing by force. And that's when we grow dumb and numb to him by following the ways of the world, because He isn't forcing Himself on us.
And so what? Is seeing really believing? What about hope?
Hope is tied with faith, and often times you've heard my tying up faith with love. | We pray today:
"The Lord has done marvels for us. Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.
The Lord has done marvels for us......" | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
"What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden......
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."......" end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron Today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus says that the kingdom of God "is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."
What's the kingdom of heaven? It is God's way of ordering things. How often the Bible contrasts it to the "world," which is the way of ordering things that is born of sin. When self-interest, rivalry, egotism, violence, and fear are fundamental, things will get ordered in a certain way—economically, politically, socially.
But the kingdom of God is the way of ordering things born of love—love for God and love for neighbor. Generosity, peace, nonviolence, and trust will give rise to a new way of ordering things. This is true of a family, a school, a parish, a community, a nation state.
Now how in the world does one get this project off the ground? As should be clear, this never happens all at once overnight. Rather, in small ways, people begin living according to the kingdom. And then, in God's time, this new community begins to have a leavening effect on the wider society....." end quote Bishop Barron.
They say this is the smallest parable in the bible, the one about the seed? But it is actually the one about the leaven.
This comparison our Lord does is much more than an analogy. These two comparisons are truth. A small seed becomes a huge safe haven for man and bird alike. A small amount of yeast gives rise to huge chunks of bread, life for the man.
What can we compare this to for a lay person like you and me? In layman's terms, simpler talk, we can easily envision the small things that matter, like St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as "the Little Flower", because she always spoke of how the little things are what matters.
And it is true. Much of the greatest scientific developments in the last century have been through theories "of relativity" and such about atoms and nano-molecular research and development that are revolutionizing the world. And to see these things you need very powerful microscopes!
And if the spiritual reflects the physical, it is true then, that the small things matter. Small things like what?
Small things done with great love, as St. Therese would say.
Small thoughts with great love. Small deeds. Picking up after someone else without a complaint. Letting little things be corrected with great love.
As a man, a leader in many things, it can be tough to be a caring and loving person, but it matters, because I can rule with an iron rod, or with a wooden shepherd's staff, that is not designed to strike people, but to shepherd the flock. And first, it seems ineffective, but after a while, the people become a culture of love, not of hate. And there is much talk about hate, and the devil loves to operate through that word, and the pride movement loves to use that word on all those who do not accept their ways. The little things, are the obedient ways. The little ways are the humble ways.
The seed is little. The yeast is little. If only we could learn to be a culture of the little, and not the greatest, for the greatest will be called the least in Heaven, and the least will be called the greatest.
Gold is precious on earth, but in Heaven it is the dirt used to pave and build. This is just an analogy but it is to give us an inkling of what is expected of us....on earth, as it is in Heaven. ........
Let us pray:
Mother of God, pray for us, that we may be worthy of Christ, that we may be truly opened to Him, like you were, and so He can come live inside of us...the little housing the great I AM. What grace! |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:43–45 [Matthew 5]
Love Your Enemies 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
