†Quote of the Day
"And I saw that truly nothing happens by accident or luck, but everything by God's wise providence ... for matters that have been in God's foreseeing wisdom, since before time began, befall us suddenly, all unawares; and so in our blindness and ignorance we say that this is accident or luck, but to our Lord God it is not so."
–St. Juliana of Norwich †Today's Meditation
"Love, by its essence, involves a leap into the unknown, a death to oneself, because genuine love is a love that loves to the end. And to love to the end means to die for those whom you love. It also means to forgive them. This involves the experience, one day or another, of the Cross and, therefore of sacrifice, which will seal the spouses' unity definitively."
—Robert Cardinal Sarah, p.25 An Excerpt From
Couples, Awaken Your Love †Daily Verse
"The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining."
–1 Peter 4:7-9
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul (Leather Cover) | Pope St. Anastasius I Pope St. Anastasius I (d. 401 A.D.) was a 4th century Bishop of Rome. The writings of the Church Fathers tell us that he was a distinguished Roman Christian known for his charity and holiness. He was elevated to the Chair of St. Peter in 399 A.D., succeeding Pope Siricius, and his pontificate lasted not quite four years. St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome were among his friends. St. Jerome called Pope St. Anastasius "a man of very rich poverty and apostolic zeal." He fought against heresies and heretics that threatened the doctrine of the Church, most notably a popular theologian at the time, Origen, whom he soundly condemned. Pope St. Anastasius I was known as a great Holy Father who governed the Church "with purity of life, abundance of doctrine, and perfect strictness of ecclesiastical authority." His feast day is December 19. | Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Lectionary: 195
Reading 1 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah.
His wife was barren and had borne no children.
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
"Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son.
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines." The woman went and told her husband,
"A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
'You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.'" The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him. Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Root of Jesse's stem,
sign of God's love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:5-25 In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."
| Daily Meditation: Luke 1:5-25 The whole assembly of the people was praying. (Luke 1:10) For many generations, the Jewish people had gathered at the Temple to pray and offer their sacrifices to the Lord. Over time, the people began adding to their prayers a longing for God's Messiah to come and rescue them. Zechariah the priest and his wife, Elizabeth, also prayed in faith for a messiah, even as they hoped for a child of their own. Finally, one day as "the whole assembly of the people was praying" (Luke 1:10) and Zechariah was offering incense as part of his priestly duties, an angel appeared to tell him that Elizabeth would soon conceive a child. This child would be more than just a blessing to one holy barren couple. By calling the nation to repentance and faith, he would be the forerunner of the Messiah himself. It's fitting that the first inkling of the Messiah's coming would happen in the Temple while God's people had gathered to pray. This atmosphere of prayer, faith, and hope was the fertile soil in which his plan of salvation would begin to take root. When we gather to pray and worship at Mass, we are like Zechariah and Elizabeth and the whole assembly of the people. We bring our individual petitions and offer them to God—those things that are dear to our hearts. But though we pray as individuals, we also pray as a body. God hears not just our own personal prayers but all the prayers we offer as one people. As our voices rise up to heaven in praise and thanksgiving, Jesus, present in the Eucharist, works powerfully among us. He forgives our sins, deepens our faith, and heals our hearts. Perhaps like Zechariah, you've lost some hope that God will actually work his wonders in your life. If doubts like these mingle with your prayers, then it's time to gather with the whole assembly of the people. Go to Mass, not just on Sunday, but during the week if possible. Go with confidence and worship with your brothers and sisters with one voice. Because when as one body we gather together and offer our prayers to the Lord, wonderful things can happen! Jesus, you are present among us. Hear our prayers and act powerfully in our midst." Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"...for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines." Samson would be consecrated from the womb. Who else would be consecrated? St. John the Baptist.
And what about Mother Mary? That's a whole other story, she was preserved from original sin.
These are pivotal moments in our faith, for they deal with deliverance...and thus, salvation. | We pray today:
"For you are my hope, O LORD; my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!......" end of psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John...he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord." ......." end of verse......."_ end of Gospel verse. . . . The angel appeared before Zechariah. Zechariah trembled and feared. Always, the angels have to start with "do not be afraid" And then a world changing event is bestowed upon the person. This time, it is about the son he would have in his old age with Elizabeth who was considered elderly and barren. And there are some important facts to realize here.
First, the child would be filled with the Holy Spirit. That there is a huge implication of God at work. Watch what happens with a person full of the holy spirit and not full of themselves or worldly things.
And secondly, he would be coming in the spirit of Elijah. An angel declares John as to be in the spirit of Elijah. Our Lord Jesus who is above all angels, the son of God, declares us to accept Saint John the Baptist as an Elijah.
And how will we know the significance of all this if we do not know the old Testament where we hear about the life of Elijah who was persecuted all his life as a prophet and crosses rivers like Moses and in the end is taken up to Heaven? And this to prepare for one who is greater than Elijah! For true deliverance and salvation would come...it is the Messiah, the Christ, our Lord Jesus who is coming and He deals with eternal things, until today.
Are we truly preparing ourselves for the Messiah? What can we do to prepare? How do we make room for Him in our lives?
To make room means everything...opening our minds, our hearts, our souls, even our bodies to Him. Less of me, more of Him. | Pray with me:
Lord, this advent is flying by, and we are in the last week of preparations. Why does time fly so fast and I have so little to show in preparations? Why can't I love Thee as I ought? Please Lord, may Your coming help me set a light on fire in my soul, and thus, the whole world. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 40:26
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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