†Quote of the Day
"Realize it, my brethren; —every one who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random; . . . God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, He lodges it in the body, one by one, for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also."
–St. John Henry Newman †Today's Meditation
"O my God, you and you alone are all wise and all knowing! You know, you have determined everything that will happen to us from first to last. You have ordered things in the wisest way, and you know what will be my lot year by year until I die. You know how long I have to live. You know how I shall die. You have precisely ordained everything, sin excepted. Every event of my life is the best for me that it could be, for it comes from you. You bring me on year by year, by your wonderful Providence, from youth to age, with the most perfect wisdom, and with the most perfect love."
—St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, p. 103 †Daily Verse
"Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy."
–Hebrews 10:23 |  click to read more | | Saint John Henry Newman Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801–1890) was the eldest of six children born to a nominal Protestant family in London, England. As a child he loved reading the Scriptures and experienced a conversion to Christianity at the age of fifteen. He became a brilliant academic, an extremely influential Oxford scholar, and an Anglican priest. He was a leader in what was called the "Oxford Movement," which argued for a revival of traditional religious practice in the Church of England. Once anti-Catholic in his religious sentiments, sentiments that were common in England, Newman was increasingly impacted by the Church Fathers and other Catholic writers. His theological views gradually aligned with the Catholic Church in opposition to Anglican doctrine. Through his continued study of Church history he became unable to remain a Protestant in good faith. He made the decision to convert to Catholicism in 1845, which exposed him to much ridicule in his academic and religious circles. Two years later he was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome. He was made Cardinal in 1879. John Henry Newman is remembered for his influential writings on theology and philosophy as well as his founding of the famous London Oratory. Newman wrote forty books and 21,000 letters, some of which had profound influence on the Second Vatican Council, making him one of the most important theologians of his day. His most famous work is his Apologia in which he defends his conversion to the truths of the Catholic Church. His feast day is October 9th.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jon 1:1–2:1-2, 11 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;
their wickedness has come up before me."
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.
He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,
paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,
away from the LORD. The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea,
and in the furious tempest that arose
the ship was on the point of breaking up.
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship,
and lay there fast asleep.
The captain came to him and said, "What are you doing asleep?
Rise up, call upon your God!
Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish." Then they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots
to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune."
So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah.
"Tell us," they said, "what is your business?
Where do you come from?
What is your country, and to what people do you belong?"
Jonah answered them, "I am a Hebrew,
I worship the LORD, the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the dry land." Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him,
"How could you do such a thing!–
They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD,
because he had told them.–
They asked, "What shall we do with you,
that the sea may quiet down for us?"
For the sea was growing more and more turbulent.
Jonah said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea,
that it may quiet down for you;
since I know it is because of me
that this violent storm has come upon you." Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.
Then they cried to the LORD: "We beseech you, O LORD,
let us not perish for taking this man's life;
do not charge us with shedding innocent blood,
for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit."
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea,
and the sea's raging abated.
Struck with great fear of the LORD,
the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him. But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore. Responsorial Psalm Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8 R. (cf. 7) You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me;
From the midst of the nether world I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Then I said, "I am banished from your sight!
yet would I again look upon your holy temple."
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord. Alleluia Jn 13:34 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:25-37 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." | Daily Meditation: Jonah 1:1–2:2, 11 The Lord, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea. (Jonah 1:4) If you read the story of Jonah carefully, you'll notice that the Lord never abandoned his wayward prophet. Instead, he kept calling him back. At first, when Jonah didn't listen to him, the Lord sent a violent storm—not to harass him, but to bring him into his will. Then, when Jonah was thrown overboard, he sent a large fish to swallow him. In those three days inside the fish's belly, Jonah had time to think and pray, and he finally decided to heed the Lord's call: "What I have vowed I will pay," he said (Jonah 2:10). What about us? What does God do when we don't listen to his voice? We learn from Jonah that God doesn't abandon us—regardless of how we might feel or how dire the situation might look. Like Jonah, we may find that circumstances are not going well for us. Instead of a literal wind that knocks us off our feet, though, we are more likely to feel an inward disturbance. This feeling of unease can be a sign that we are "off course." It's really the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us that something's not right. The Spirit's "still, small voice"—even when it seems very insistent or "loud"—never stops speaking to us. Through his Spirit, God will continue to nudge us. When we resist him, we may feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale, constrained and alone. But what we are really experiencing is God's faithfulness and relentless persistence in calling us to follow him. Is there a situation that the Lord has you "stirred up" about? Is there something he's asking of you that seems too challenging? Perhaps you feel that you're too busy and don't have the time for another commitment. Or maybe you're afraid of stepping out, and you're worried what will happen if you do. Keep experimenting with listening to the Lord. If you think he's asking you to do something, don't be like Jonah and run in the opposite direction. Take that first step along the path God is showing you. Then see what God does with your willingness! "Lord, help me to listen to you. Open my heart to hear your voice in every circumstance and to always follow your call." (Psalm) Jonah 2:3-5, 8
Luke 10:25-37 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
_"But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore."
. . . Jonah had told the scared crew in the storm, "throw me into the sea"....this was an act of self surrender. How tough is it to give your life so that others will live?
And so our Lord is that Savior.
A whale spits out Jonah on the shores of the land that needed God's message.
This is the only message and sign the people will get in the world.
Repent. And Believe. Or else.
That is the message. Isn't it?
We know that the scared ship members were amazed and believed, perhaps their message had reached like fire the lands before the Prophet arose from the sea, a whole mystery there in of itself. | We pray today:
"For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; All your breakers and your billows passed over me.
You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord......."
end of Psalm." | In the Gospel today we heard:
""You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."......" end of Gospel verse. You shall live...and this means forever. If only.
If you love God with all your heart, being, strength, mind, and neighbor as yourself. So, would it be better not to care for yourself? I know some that don't care about themselves and so they don't care about anybody else. It gets really bad really quick. So we must love ourselves? Of course you do! You treat yourself good. You bathe yourself. You eat foods you like. You take care not to step into trouble for your body, your mind, and perhaps even your soul, right? So why shouldn't we do that for others, taking care of their mind, body, and soul? | "But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight."
And then we heard of like 7 things the man did for the stranger whom we call "neighbor".
1.He approached the victim, poured oil
2. and wine over his wounds
3. and bandaged them.
5. Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
6. took him to an inn, and cared for him.
7. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Sounds like our Lord on earth when He takes care of us through others, right?
Pours wine and oil on us in healing Sacraments. He bandages our wounded souls and physical bodies. He lifts us up. He cares for us.
And then tells the world: Here's some coins, take care, and I'll come back.
I will return! And this is the message of the Heart of God, the Love of God. That we may allow Him to work through us so He may take pleasure on earth.
Right now, the world is experiencing earthquakes and wars, just like it said in the bible that this would happen. But He is not speaking in earthquakes and wars. That is of the world. He does not speak through our violent acts that are brought about our very own sins and decisions. He does not speak in hurricanes, or tempests, but He can speak in the midst. He can bandage us after we try to destroy each other.
And this is the beauty of reconciling with God...that something more beautiful than before happens. And this is life...eternal. ........Let us pray:
Lord, I want to be a good Samaritan forever...Your Hands, Your compassion, those beautiful hands that catch my tears, those pierced hands with scars that tend to my fresh wounds, those scars and hands that know all to well the battle we find ourselves in while on this earth. Yet there is beauty in the world...because You are in the world. May we take refuge in Your hands, and thus...in Your Sacred Heart, both now and forever. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,1 I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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