†Saint Quote
"Quote of the Day
"Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make a man go to Heaven."
–St. Camillus †Today's Meditation
"Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy. One can only imagine the shock and bewilderment the Apostles felt when the Lord told them he must go away. Though they could not understand it at the time, his departure was for their benefit. The same is true of the unexpected setbacks and tragedies we experience in this life . . . When I consider the times when I have been confounded by events that seemed so contrary to what I thought God wanted for me, I should be mindful that they were permitted by the Lord's inscrutable providence for my own good, as difficult as that might be to fathom."
—Patrick Madrid, p. 251 A Year with the Bible †Daily Verse
"I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." –John 16:33
J.Lily |  click to read more | |  Listen to the Saint of the Day Here Audio | St. Blaise St. Blaise (d. 316 A.D.) was born into a wealthy Christian family in Armenia. He was trained as a physician before becoming a priest, and was finally ordained a bishop. When a wave of Christian persecution began, God instructed St. Blaise to hide in a desert cave. While he was in hiding, birds miraculously brought him food and sick men came to him to be healed. The king's hunters eventually discovered his cave and found it surrounded by a myriad of wild animals who came to the saint to be blessed, with Blaise able to walk freely among them. Recognizing him as the local bishop, the hunters took Blaise into custody. As he went with them he continued to preach and perform miracles along the way: he healed a boy choking to death on a bone, and commanded a wolf to release a captured pig belonging to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman killed her pig to feed St. Blaise in prison. He was eventually martyred under the reign of Licinius, his body torn with wool combs before being beheaded. Blaise is known as the patron saint of throat ailments, physicians, woolcombers, and wild animals. His feast is commemorated with the Blessing of the Throats, and is celebrated on February 3rd. | Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Heb 13:1-8 Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me? Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Responsorial Psalm Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Alleluia See Lk 8:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 6:14-29 King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah";
still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up." Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. | DAILY MEDITATION: MARK 6:14-29
Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers. (Mark 6:21) Imagine being a guest at Herod's birthday feast. He is hosting a party in his own honor. On the menu: the finest cuts of lamb and veal, the creamiest hummus, juicy pomegranates, and the freshest fish, direct from the Sea of Galilee. All the signs of wealth and prosperity are present. What a privilege it would be to be there, mingling with Herod's "courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee" (Mark 6:21)! Now, imagine being a guest at a very different feast. This banquet's host is Jesus, and it takes place every time his people gather to celebrate the Eucharist. Unlike Herod, Jesus is not honoring himself. He is honoring us with the gift of divine life. Whereas Herod has invited only the elite, Jesus invites everyone—rich and poor, proud and humble, satisfied and needy. And while Herod's guests have come expecting to play the power games that accompany all political banquets, Jesus wants us to come only to receive his healing and grace. As for the menu at Jesus' banquet: bread and wine. Not the fresh-out-of-the-oven bread that Herod would have provided, but thin unleavened wafers. And not the choicest vintage, but everyday wine. But there's something about this food that sets it apart: it is a miracle. It may be simple, but it is transformed into a sacramental feast that has the power to transform every human heart. Herod's banquet ends on an ominous note: with John the Baptist's severed head on a platter and the guests nervously wondering who his next victim might be. But Jesus' banquet ends with his guests secure in his love and desire to care for them. At every Mass, Jesus spreads a banquet table for you. He invites you to feast on his word in Scripture and on his own Body and Blood. Ever the attentive host, he goes out of his way to make sure you are made to feel welcome and cared for. Then he asks you to go out into the world ready to show just as much care and concern for everyone around you. Or, to put it another way: "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." "Jesus, thank you for inviting me to your banquet of life!" Hebrews 13:1-8 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
" The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." There is a death that many fear today, and it deals mostly with the ego, not necessarily a physical death, but fear of being less than. You may say nay, but I see it everywhere. The reason for "not liking" someone is a simple example. And there are even priests that will say "you don't HAVE to like somebody". This is bad. This is bad teaching. I've seen priests just like other people, living not liking somebody. I say this because it has everything to do with what is about to be said of God's will, and He desires a one-way love, being less than, not being afraid to love...to death. | We pray today:
"Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear; Though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. The Lord is my light and my salvation." People don't think we are in a war. We always have been from the beginning. This IS the church militant. We've been fooled to put our guard down, our weapons down, and become "neutral" as the world wants you to be, and this is the antiChrist with a false peace being offered. There is no peace except in Christ our Lord. | In the Gospel today we heard:
" The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her."
Afterall, he had a reputation to maintain. Just like his wife Herodias who was insulted and hated, or just didn't like Saint John the Baptist. She thought "either he dies or I'm going to be scorned and ridiculed by his followers and the people". | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, today's Gospel gives an account of Herod's murder of John the Baptist. John is a proto-martyr, anticipating the martyrdom of many Christians.
Martyrdom has always been an important chapter of the Christian story, from believers in the early Church who refused to sacrifice to Rome's pagan gods, to great saints of the Middle Ages such as Thomas Becket and Thomas More who refused to compromise their beliefs for the sake of the state, to modern martyrs killed in what St. John Paul II called odium caritatis, "hatred of charity," such as Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
In the early twenty-first century, martyrdom remains a stunningly common fact of Christian life. One high-end estimate for the number of Christian martyrs killed each year is one hundred thousand, while the low end is around eight thousand—ranging from one new martyr every five minutes to one every hour.
The example of the martyrs draws people to wonder what it is that would induce so many to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Church Father Tertullian said that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," and it's a rare case of a theological maxim for which there's actually empirical confirmation.
We live in a world with a lap of luxury. Running water. Wars and evil 3rd world orders kept abreast. And comfort broods vipers. Right now, I'm feeling under the weather, taking antibiotics for upper respiratory infection. All things sin are far from my mind. But when I'm healthy and good, "oh boy, let's let the good times roll!" right? Why are we like that? Why do we forget to be thankful? Why do we forget we are never to be sinful? Puppy eyes right now, LOL. This guy showed up to work wondering why he hasn't been called in, with a sad demeanor to where the secretary messaged said he looked so sad. Truth is, he always misses work, and here we are over 2 weeks later and he's just now looking to return? I've already hired his replacement that drives every day about one hour to come appreciate the work!
Back to the ego. There is a battle of egos, in families, at work, and even in church. I hate it. People leave in an instant, it costs them nothing to: divorce, to quit, to leave the church. There is no value. There is no humility. It's as if you're more important than the rest, and "don't you ever cross me!".
Saint John the Baptist was not the first person to die because of Christ, no it was children under 2 years of age, and why did hundreds or thousands of infant boys die by being brutally murdered? An ego. Pride. Fear of being conquered.
Today, it is worse, milllions and millions are murdered in the womb. It is because of the ego. "I got more important things going on" is the mentality.
Oh really? Tell it to the judge! Our Lord Jesus the Christ!
He died for others, the opposite. And HE calls us to the same, to die for all, even your...enemies.
....†....
Lord, I'm trying to follow You, help us and the whole world to realize Your Loving Truth, the message of being a body of Christ in Holy Reverence and Obedience...the very love and language of Heaven.
.......... |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse Generator: Galatians 6:1
[Galatians 6] Bear One Another's Burdens
6 Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
