†Saint Quote
"Keep to the ancient way and custom of the Church, established and confirmed by so many Saints under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And live a new life. Pray, and get others to pray, that God not abandon His Church, but reform it as He pleases, and as He sees best for us, and more to His honour and glory." St. Angela Merici †Today's Meditation
"Once I began to realize that sin is not just bad behavior but a refusal of God's love, and that confession is not just about forgiveness but about healing, everything changed. My [examination of conscience] now became more complicated – and much more fruitful. My [list of sins for Confession] still included behaviors, but now I also had to consider anything that seemed wrong in my relationship with God. I had to look deeper into my daily life and ask myself some hard questions."
– Vinny Flynn, p.46
Cover image from the book, 7 Secrets of Confession
An Excerpt From 7 Secrets of Confession
†Daily Verse "Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
J.Lily |  click to read more | | Saint Angela Merici St. Angela Merici (1474 – 1540) was born in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Her deep piety drew her to make a private vow of virginity at a young age. Her parents died when she was ten, and soon afterwards she lost her sister with whom she was very close. Angela went to live with her uncle, and, despite lacking a formal education, she grew in wisdom and virtue. She committed herself to prayer, penance, and serving the poor, eventually joining the Third Order of St. Francis at the age of fifteen. When her uncle died she returned to her home, and, seeing a great need for the education of young girls in the Christian faith, began a school for girls in her house. She daily gathered all the little girls of her village and taught them the faith. St. Angela became known for her holiness, and soon she was invited to establish another school in a neighboring town. One day while in prayer she received a vision that she would start a religious order intended for the religious education of girls. This was realized when St. Angela founded the Ursulines under the patronage of St. Ursula. St. Angela Merici is the patron saint against illness, death of parents, and of the disabled and handicapped. Her feast day is January 27. | Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time Reading 1 Heb 10:32-39 Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. For, after just a brief moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay. But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.
We are not among those who draw back and perish,
but among those who have faith and will possess life. Responsorial Psalm Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40 R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the LORD sustains him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Alleluia 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 Mk 4:26-34 Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come."
He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. | Daily Meditation: Hebrews 10:32-39 Do not throw away your confidence. (Hebrews 10:35) We all know what it's like to be tempted to give up. Maybe a task seems too hard. Or obstacles seem too high. Or even though we've cleared other hurdles, we don't think we can make it over this one. The author of Hebrews saw his people wavering too. Since they had embraced the good news of Jesus Christ, many had been scorned by family and friends. Some had even been expelled from their homes and lost their worldly goods. It looked like the hardship was not going away any time soon. So he warned them not to "throw away [their] confidence" (Hebrews 10:35). How? Remember (Hebrews 10:32). They were to remember all the times that God had seen them through, all the ways in which their brothers and sisters in Christ had buoyed them up during hardships. They were to remember the joy of comforting someone else in their trials or seeing the "better and lasting possession" they had in Christ, even when they suffered losses (10:34). Remembering is key for us too. Because when we look back on our difficulties, we realize that they weren't the end of our story. God used them to strengthen us and build our confidence. And he still does today. As we keep our eyes on all that God has brought us through already, we deepen our ability to endure. We grow in trusting that even now, God is faithful and will be with us. We come to understand that he will give us the stamina we need to do his will. And so we become like the Hebrews: "those who have faith and will possess life" (10:39). One practical way you can remember God's work in your life is by keeping a journal. Is there any better way to remember God's goodness than by writing it down and revisiting it from time to time? As you do something as ordinary as recording and reviewing your experiences and lessons from the Lord, you might be surprised at how much this can fill you with confidence in him. Remembering made the Hebrews bold and helped them persevere. And it can do the same for you. "Jesus, thank you for being faithful to me in good times and bad. I trust you to deepen your life and strength in me." Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40
Mark 4:26-34 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised...But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him." There is not a day in my life that does not call on faith. You name it, in church, family, and work, I have absolutely no security. What does that mean? It means that we cannot trust in ourselves completely. This is the downfall of man. There are those that think they are alright and not do anything God wants. What does He want? He wants our hearts, so He can work inside of us for the good of the world and for the good of our own soul. For it is our soul that is giving life of God to our bodies. It isn't our bodies giving life to souls, and still knowing this, evil loves death. And death then becomes a tool. We have experienced the pandemic of a couple of years and what is next? Another atrocity? We don't need another atrocity. I write to you Lord because the world is facing calamities and all to call our attention for the greater good, and to pull away from staring at evil eyes that drag souls to hell. What are your eyes looking at today? What is going on in your world that you think has no hope? As if God wasn't among us trying to do His will. | We pray today;
"By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the LORD sustains him. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord" | In the Gospel today we heard:
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth." The Holy Scripture says that the meek shall inherit the earth. We should pay attention on Sunday when Holy Scriptures begin talking about humility and lowliness. And the smallest parable in the Holy Bible becomes one of the most confounding words of our Lord says. | From Bishop Barron Today:
"Friends, our Gospel for today features the parable of the mustard seed.
How does God tend to work? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly, clandestinely, not drawing attention to himself.
C.S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire, sneaking behind enemy lines. How was European Christianity established? Through the handful of people that listened to St. Paul in Philippi and Athens. How did the mighty Franciscan movement come to be? One odd, mystical kid who heard a voice coming from a crucifix: "Francis, rebuild my Church, which is falling into ruin." A handful of followers joined him in his quixotic project, then dozens, then hundreds, then thousands.
So don't be afraid to do small things at the prompting of God! Plant the seed, make the move, take the risk—take even the smallest step, and don't worry about who notices or how much attention you're getting. Sow the seed and leave the rest to the mercy and providence of God."
And the seeds are there. They are everywhere. Let me tell you a funny story. I told you about a guy at church that says he was clinically dead in the hospital and came back to life and says a strange lady was praying with him daily at his bedside but they never found her to thank her later. Anyhow, He's walking funny now, hurt at work and no help from previous employer and he's needing to help his family back home who lost their home in a fire. And so he's taken a side job, to knock down a very large old tree in town for some money and for furniture in the house of the recently deceased man. I'll attach a pic of the man and the tree he's been trimming down. I went as I was writing to you, to see what he needed as he came to my office asking for help with a tractor to rip apart a tree trunk. I went and was amazed at what one man with a little saw was doing to a very large oak tree, oak is very hard wood.
People came to help him, one guy with a bucket truck, another guy with came saying he had quoted that job in the tens of thousands of dollars and he is supposed to get 2500 bucks to help his family IF he can do it.
I'm amazed at how this poor guy that can't walk straight and control his body much after his work accident has done what he's done in less than a week.
What am I saying? He didn't know better, he had faith...and the will. And God is asking us for endurance, and faith today. He is asking that seed of faith in you to be activated.
I heard of a story of a purgatory soul that was spared much suffering simply because someone he ran into in a rough encounter on a bus had prayed for them simply saying with faith "Lord have mercy on his soul". And the Lord heard the prayer.
Our world is in more trouble than we care to care for. It is on a thin line, of all spiritual realms and battles. We don't see it, but all the little things matter. Every little thing matters.
This seed matters. ..............†............
Lord, I love you little, make that little love grow until it cannot be contained and explodes with mercy and love as You have done on the cross for me.
............................ |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1
James 4:8 [James 4] 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
