†Quote of the Day
"In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will."
–St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) †Today's Meditation
"We've been taught that God did not make the world for no reason, but for the sake of the human race. As I said before, he takes pleasure in those who imitate his attributes, and is displeased with those who embrace what is worthless, whether in word or deed."
—St. Justin Martyr, p. 324 An Excerpt From
A Year with the Church Fathers †Daily Verse
"Let me hear in the morning of thy steadfast love, for in thee I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to thee for refuge! Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God! Let thy good spirit lead me on a level path! For thy name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In thy righteousness bring me out of trouble! And in thy steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am thy servant."
–Psalm 143: 8-12 |  click to read more | | St. Justin Martyr St. Justin Martyr (100–165 A.D.) was a pagan philosopher from Samaria. After meeting a Syrian Christian who convinced him that the biblical prophets were more trustworthy in the pursuit of truth than worldly philosophers, St. Justin renounced his paganism and studied Sacred Scripture. The bold witness of the early Christian martyrs led to his own conversion to the Catholic faith. St. Justin then used his philosophical and rhetorical skills to defend Christianity, the "true philosophy," against rival pagan philosophies and political powers which maligned and persecuted the Church. He traveled throughout Asia Minor teaching, arguing, and persuading others to accept baptism and follow Christ, before arriving in Rome where he settled and started his own school. Justin was arrested for his faith in Rome and ordered to make sacrifice to false gods, which he refused. He was martyred by beheading along with several of his students. Justin Martyr is famous for writing the Church's first "Apology," or defense of the Christian faith, showing that Christianity was superior to the pagan religions, and that Christians were model citizens and should not be mistreated. His writings are a prime source of the history of the primitive Church in worship and sacraments, including the Holy Eucharist. He is one of the first great apologists of the Church, and for this he is the patron saint of speakers, apologists, and philosophers. His feast day is June 1st. | Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Justin, martyr Reading 1 Sir 42:15-25 Now will I recall God's works;
what I have seen, I will describe.
At God's word were his works brought into being;
they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;
Yet even God's holy ones must fail
in recounting the wonders of the LORD,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of their splendor? Responsorial Psalm PS 33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (6a) By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For upright is the word of the LORD
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. Alleluia Jn 8:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 10:46-52 As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, 'Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
| Daily Meditation: Mark 10:46-52 Jesus is calling you. (Mark 10:49) All four Gospels recount Jesus healing men who were blind, but only Mark identifies one by name: Bartimaeus. We meet him today as he is begging along the road to Jericho. In Hebrew, his name could mean simply "son of Timaeus," but it could also mean "son of the unclean." By including Bartimaeus' name, Mark places special emphasis on him and may even point to all the "unclean" people Jesus wants to heal and restore—people like us. Let's take a closer look. First, Bartimaeus calls out for help. He has faith that Jesus can heal him. So he cries out, not once, but twice, "Son of David, have pity on me" (Mark 10:47, 48). Ironically, this blind man "sees" more clearly than most people that Jesus is God's chosen Messiah. Second, hearing Bartimaeus' cries for mercy, Jesus stops and calls him (Mark 10:49). In response, Bartimaeus springs up and goes right to him (10:50). Abandoning his only protection and perhaps his only possession, Bartimaeus casts off his cloak to come close to the Lord. Third, Jesus not only restores Bartimaeus' sight but gives him salvation as well. And in the end, Bartimaeus doesn't continue on his way. Instead, he follows Jesus and becomes his disciple (Mark 10:52). This story can give us hope. Why? Because Bartimaeus tells us not to be ashamed to ask God for help. He tells us to believe that Jesus will hear us every time we cry out to him. And he tells us to trust that Jesus will welcome us. Just as Jesus heard "unclean" Bartimaeus and brought him close, Jesus hears us and calls us to himself so that he can heal us, cleanse us, and make us whole. St. Josemaría Escrivá once wrote, "Our Lord is seeking us at every moment." Can you hear Jesus calling you today? Come to him with faith in his mercy. He won't push you away." "Jesus, Son of David, I come to you. I trust in your mercy." Sirach 42:15-25
Psalm 33:2-9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain..."
end of verse. I've watched many NDE, near death experience testimonies, and for the many that experienced the love of God, it leaves one common denominator to ponder, how amazing that love is that they never want to leave it or...to lose it. They say that this love is like nothing else one can experience and that nothing can compare to it. It is then...a force, an energy, in of itself. But what is more important? That it is personal. That God loves every person like no other. And the goal of His love through us earthly children, is that He may have His love reach the ends of the earth. Can we tap into His Love now? Yes. How? Everything we've read and heard is for you to learn just that. | We pray today:
"For upright is the word of the LORD
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made" end of Psalm. Notice the key and clue word in the Psalm as it is throughout the Bible: Love. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, 'Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way." | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus heals a blind man. Physical blindness is an evocative symbol of the terrible blindness of the soul that all of us sinners experience. When the pusilla anima (small soul) reigns, when the imago Dei (image of God) is covered over, we see within the narrow spectrum of our fearful desires.
Blind Bartimaeus, sitting helplessly by the road outside of Jericho begging for alms and attention, expresses this hopeless and darkened-over state of soul. When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is in the vicinity, he begins to cry out, "Son of David, have pity on me." The original Greek here is eleēson me, beautifully reflective of the liturgical cry of the church, Kyrie eleison, Lord have mercy. Bartimaeus gives voice to the prayerful groaning of the whole people of God for release from the imprisonment of the small soul.
Though he is reprimanded by the crowd, Bartimaeus continues to shout until finally Jesus calls out to him. This is the summons that echoes from the very depths of one's own being, the call of the magna anima (great soul), the invitation to rebirth and reconfiguration. Inspired by this voice and convinced that he has discovered the pearl of great price, the unum necessarium (one thing necessary), Bartimaeus jumps up and comes to Jesus." end quote.
. . .. . .. The blind man left away touched by God, and able to see. But it didn't come without much pleading, and kicking and screaming, and much overcoming even of the crowds around him that were attempting to silence him, right?
This is our lesson, isn't it? Do you want to be touched by God too? For some, maybe most of us, it will take the same amount of effort as that blind man. Years of suffering in darkness, seeking Him. Years of being told no, it is impossible. But our Lord is a God of the impossible. He hears the cry of the poor. And take heart, for He has heard your prayers too. He hears those prayers deep inside your heart, the ones wrapped with so much sorrow and pain. He knows. He knows also, and perhaps more importantly, your blindness that you fail to see. Because we get so engrossed with our pains and our problems, that we fail to see what He is trying to speak through life's happenings.
The normal way He speaks is through a most interesting language very few speak fluently. It is the language of the Holy Spirit. It is the language that Our Lord Jesus spoke on the cross as He was dying in the flesh for us all. It is the Language of the great "I Am". He speaks in the tongue of "Love". That the world may see what kind of sacrifice it will take to over come the darkness.
So take heart, our Lord is with you, He already heard you, but perhaps for your own sake, you need to speak up, and let the world know, you are indeed calling out to Him, with all your mind, body, spirit, and soul, indeed with all your strength. The last words of any Saint are to Jesus. With all our strength, right? Let us pray:
Lord, Lord! I want to see with Your eyes, of love, mercy, and grace. To see what You see, to know what I should be looking at, and to know the love of God's life. | Random Bible Verse 1
John 8:36 " So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
