†Quote of the Day
"Let us stand fast in what is right, and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God's strengthening aid and say to him: 'O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.'"
–St. Boniface †Today's Meditation
"Teresa [of Avila] is as insistent as [St. John of the Cross] that there is no prayer development unless it be accompanied by purification from faults. Given what a love communion with utter Purity demands, one could not conceive the matter to be otherwise: only the pure can commune deeply with the all-pure One. Obvious as this is to the saint, the lesser of us have difficulty in understanding that we have many defects that need to be rooted out. … In working actively at rooting out what is amiss, we are to be guided by the principles of revelation, not by a naturalistic common sense. There are people, says Teresa, who desire penance that they may serve God the better, but they are overly careful about not injuring their health. 'You need never fear that they will kill themselves . . . their love is not yet ardent enough to overwhelm their reason.' Going on 'at a snail's pace . . . we shall never get to the end of the road . . . So for the love of the Lord, let us make a real effort.'"
—Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 113 An Excerpt From
Fire Within †Daily Verse
"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus."
–Philippians 2:3-5 |  click to read more | | St. Boniface St. Boniface (d. 754 A.D.) was born to a noble Christian family in Devonshire, England. He became a Benedictine monk and devoted his life to the evangelization of the pagan Germanic tribes in what is now Germany. He went there at the request of Pope Gregory II in 719 A.D. and systematically opened up the vast tracks of wilderness to the Gospel, building on the work of the earlier Irish missionaries. St. Boniface organized the Catholic Church in Germany, instructed the faithful, and converted the pagans. He became the bishop of Mainz and founded or restored many dioceses. Working alongside him as evangelists were his nephews and niece, St. Willibald, St. Winebald, and St. Walburga, who all came from England to Germany to assist him. Legend has it that at Christmastime he chopped down a large tree which was worshiped as a god and used in child sacrifice, and the local pagans converted to Christianity as a result. Instead of worshiping the tree, St. Boniface gave them a smaller evergreen tree as a symbol of eternal life in Christ, the origin of the Christmas tree tradition. He was martyred for his faith along with 52 others as he read the Scriptures on Pentecost Sunday. St. Boniface profoundly influenced the course of German history in the Middle Ages and helped to make it a Christian nation. For his missionary work he is known as the "Apostle of Germany." St. Boniface is the patron of tailors, brewers, and Germany. His feast day is June 5th. | Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr Reading 1 Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8 I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life
on the paths of truth and righteousness.
I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people
who had been deported with me to Nineveh, in Assyria. On our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks,
a fine dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
The table was set for me,
and when many different dishes were placed before me,
I said to my son Tobiah: "My son,
go out and try to find a poor man
from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh.
If he is a sincere worshiper of God, bring him back with you,
so that he can share this meal with me.
Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come back." Tobiah went out to look for some poor kinsman of ours.
When he returned he exclaimed, "Father!"
I said to him, "What is it, son?"
He answered, "Father, one of our people has been murdered!
His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!"
I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched;
and I carried the dead man from the street
and put him in one of the rooms,
so that I might bury him after sunset.
Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself
and ate my food in sorrow.
I was reminded of the oracle
pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel: "All your festivals shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation." And I wept.
Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him. The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another:
"He is still not afraid!
Once before he was hunted down for execution
because of this very thing;
yet now that he has scarcely escaped,
here he is again burying the dead!" Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6 R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 12:1-12 Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
| Daily Meditation: Mark 12:1-12 It is wonderful in our eyes. (Mark 12:11) What a bold move! Jesus dares to recount for the chief priests and scribes their predecessors' history of violently rejecting God's servants, the prophets. It's such a sad summary that it would be easy to miss the message of hope that this parable holds for Jesus' listeners and for all of us. So let's take a closer look. A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower (Mark 12:1). The owner gave the tenants not just the land but everything they needed to successfully farm it. In the same way, God pours blessings into our lives, both tangible and spiritual. He may not give us everything we want, but he gives us everything we need to grow into the holy people he wants us to be. Then he . . . left on a journey (Mark 12:1). The vineyard owner didn't try to micromanage the tenants. He gave them freedom to farm as they saw fit. Similarly, God gives us free will so that we can choose to love and follow him. At the proper time he sent a servant . . . to obtain . . . some of the produce (Mark 12:2). God is patient. He gives us time to produce fruit in our lives. And while he wants us to have enough for our needs, he also expects us to be generous with the blessings he has bestowed on us. He wants us to share our time, money, and talents with those who have less. He sent them another servant (Mark 12:4). Amazingly, when the first servant was beaten and sent away empty-handed, God sent another servant. And another! This is the same overwhelming mercy God shows us. He gives us chance after chance to place him first in our lives. No matter how badly we mess up, he is always ready to take us back. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Mark 12:10). Clearly no evil is so great, no amount of rejection so violent, that it will convince God to give up on us. In fact, he took the worst evil—the death of his Son—and used it for the greatest good, our salvation. Now, no matter what we have done, God is willing to wash away every sin in the river of his mercy. What a message of hope! This is truly "wonderful in our eyes" (Mark 12:11)! "Jesus, I marvel at your saving love!" Tobit 1:3; 2:1-8
Psalm 112:1-6 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another:
"He is still not afraid!
Once before he was hunted down for execution
because of this very thing;
yet now that he has scarcely escaped,
here he is again burying the dead!"
end of verse. In the world, there is a ruler that rules by fear. And the fear ends up being...of one being afraid of doing God's will. So sin, can be said, that it makes us cowards. This means we are not living in grace. This means we are not free...to do as our Lord desires...in works of great charity, love of neighbor and therefore, love of our Father in Heaven. | We pray today:
"Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
Blessed the man who fears the Lord"
end of Psalm. This past weekend, I tried to entice a man to leave his sinful life, to leave the "curses" he thought he was under, so I invited him to go to Adoration and pray. And I noticed something...the darkness didn't want him to go. He is a slave, unable to come to our Lord. This soul needs even more prayer. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others." end of verse. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today's Gospel tells of the landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants. This vineyard stands for Israel, but it could be broadened to include the whole world. Like the landowner, God has made for his people a beautiful and productive place, a place where they can find rest, enjoyment, and good work.
When vintage time drew near, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to obtain the produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Is this not the whole, sorry history of Israel and its prophets, of the world and the people whom God has sent?
Then we hear the event upon which the parable turns: "He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants . . . seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard." After the terrible treatment that his representatives have received, the owner sends his son? Is he crazy? Yes, a little. But this is the over-the-top patience and generosity of God, his crazy love. "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son," knowing full well what his fate would be."
End Quote Bishop Barron. . . . . . . . . . . . . Isn't it strange how those tenants, those renters became possessive? It is the very story of how darkness works, it always try to, first, ease in secretly, and then setup shop and then overwhelm, and to overthrow the leadership. Yet, this is the story of how a soul can be affected, and thus infected. This is not just the story of our Lord's rejection by the Jewish leaders, this is a story about all of us right here and right now. And if it happens to one, it can happen to the larger group, affecting the group, how, and why? Misery loves company. This parable, this story then, is a real eye opener for all of us.
But what gets me, all morning long, and even after receiving our Lord in the Eucharist before writing to you is this: How dare those tenants equal themselves to the landowner, they supposed their power was greater, and the total disrespect to the owner meant their very doom. Now, think of our Lord Jesus when we take over "our bodies" with a mentality that "we can do whatever we want with our bodies". This land is rented! We are made of dirt! We are renting! This should be a fruitful place for God! We are not owners, as if we owned a piece of the world! No! Our Lord has given us a soul, yes, but this body should be a sacred place for Him to live and to do as He sees fit for the good of the world!
This story gets very deep and very fast. It is about the world, about religion, but all of that in the microcosm of every soul as well. God loves His creation. His giving of His body on the cross proves the fact that yes...you are worth it, every last drop of blood. Let us pray:
Lord, my life is nothing without real life in it. Let Your life live and thrive and flow through me, this mind, body, and soul! Forever! | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 41:10 ..." fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
