†Quote of the Day
"The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit."
–St. Anthony of Padua †Today's Meditation
"The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience, and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others. Actions speak louder than words . . . it is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions. But the apostles spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself! … We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit give us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments. "
—St. Anthony of Padua, p. 492 An Excerpt From
Witness of the Saints †Daily Verse
"But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
–Romans 6:22-23 |  click to read more | | St. Anthony of Padua St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon, Portugal to a powerful yet pious family. At age 15 he relinquished a life of nobility, wealth, and honor, and chose instead to serve God with the Augustinians. Years later he witnessed the dead bodies of Franciscan friars who had been martyred by Muslims being carried through the town where he was stationed. Filled with renewed zeal to follow Christ even more completely after the example of these martyrs, St. Anthony joined the Franciscan order and traveled to Morocco to preach to the Moors. However, his poor health prevented his mission and he was forced to return to Italy. There he lived a largely quiet and secluded life, spending his time in prayer, study, and priestly duties. No one had any idea of St. Anthony's giftedness as a preacher and teacher of theology until one day he was called upon to be a substitute preacher. He amazed everyone in attendance with his depth of knowledge and oratory skill. He then became the foremost preacher of the Franciscans and was sent to preach against the heretics and the vices of the day. His zeal and effectiveness as a preacher earned him the title "Hammer of the Heretics." St. Anthony was known for his holiness and miracles, and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1946. He is the patron saint of the elderly, fishermen, and the poor, and is renowned as the finder of lost articles. His feast day is June 13. | Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church Reading 1 2 Cor 1:18-22 Brothers and sisters:
As God is faithful, our word to you is not "yes" and "no."
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us,
Silvanus and Timothy and me,
was not "yes" and "no," but "yes" has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;
therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment. Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135 R. (135a) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
gives understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Turn to me in pity
as you turn to those who love your name.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Steady my footsteps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity rule over me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me. Alleluia Mt 5:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:13-16 Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? (Matthew 5:13) Have you ever forgotten to add the salt to a recipe you were preparing? You probably noticed a difference in the taste and were disappointed with how bland it was. As simple as it is, salt can play a pivotal role in making or breaking a meal. With it, the meal is rich and appealing. Without it, it can be lackluster and flavorless. In today's Gospel, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is saying something similar about the role of his disciples—and us. Like salt added to a dish, we enrich the world around us. Without the hope at the heart of the gospel message, life can lack purpose and become dull and dreary. But Jesus assures us that we can be the salt of hope that the world needs. We can bear witness that his presence can help anyone change and walk in holiness. We can also bring the salt of hope as we point people toward heaven and show them that the trials and troubles of this world will not have the final word. We can also enrich the world by sharing our God-given talents in ways that reflect the beauty and goodness of the Lord. Many great artists, architects, poets, musicians, and scientists have come from within the Church and have used their work to reflect God's splendor. Every one of us has gifts that can be the salt that lifts up our brothers and sisters and moves them to praise their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Finally, we are salt for the earth as we love the people around us. The love that we receive from God can become the salt that flavors the way we relate to other people—with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Just as a little salt goes a long way, so it is with God's love! A seemingly small act of love for our neighbor is one of the most effective ways we can "season" our world. All around you, people are hungering for hope and beauty and love. Today, ask Jesus to help you make a difference in the world. "Lord Jesus, help me to be salt in the world today." 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Psalm 119:129-133, 135 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory." end of verse. Is your Amen a true Amen? What does Amen? It is an affirmation, right? It is like you are saying "may it be this way forever", Amen? But what if you are just saying these words and not meaning them? How many times doe we say Amen in a Holy mass? I have to sing the "Great Amen" in the Mass settings as a choir leader. And the emphasis comes especially during the liturgy and rite during Communion. 3 times I sing and pray Amen leading the congregation. And it has to be said true. This means, there should be no duplicity in you. What do I mean? It's like saying God is Love, and then you act like there is no love in you for God Himself.
What kind of message is that? It is a yes and no. But our Lord wants a our yes, and for our "yes" to be true! For our own sake and the sake of our world we live in. | We pray today:
"Steady my footsteps according to your promise, and let no iniquity rule over me.
Lord, let your face shine on me.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
Lord, let your face shine on me." end of Psalm. Does God's face shine? When Saint Paul used to be Saul, he was knocked off his horse and a powerful light was shining and from the light came a voice.
When Moses spoke with God, Moses would have to be covered after visiting with our Lord because he was shining.
What is it to face the light? What is light? It is like Pontius Pilate asking "what is truth?" | In the Gospel today we heard:
_""You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." end of verse. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus asks, "If salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?" That question ought to bother us as much today as it did Jesus' audience long ago. What he means is that a weak Christianity is a disaster for the world, for it depends upon the Christian Church in order to become what it was meant to be.
Consider the truly awful gun violence in the streets of Chicago and other large American cities. A vibrant Christianity would actively get in the way of this affront to human dignity; vibrant Christian churches would rub salt into the earth of this violence; vibrant Christian witness would be a city set on a hill.
Consider the tens of millions of unborn eliminated since Roe v. Wade. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of the mothers and fathers of these murdered children came from a Christian background. Why wasn't their Christianity strong enough to function as salt and light? Why wasn't their faith illuminating enough to shine a light into the darkness of what they were doing?
The clear implication is that, without vibrant Christians, the world is a much worse place." end quote Bishop Barron.
Our Lord said today:
"Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." end quote. Wait a minute. Did our Lord just say for our good deeds must be seen by others? Didn't He say we should not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing? To give in secret and to pray in secret?
The truth is, there are no secrets. God sees everything. Who were the first lights? The martyrs. The persecuted Christians. They were tied to poles and lit on fire in Rome. Darkness is violent and attempts to rule by force. For hundreds of years these fires would burn. And as we learned a couple weekends ago locally, in a Eucharistic Congress with Mike Aquilina and Dr. Scott Hahn, the first time there were not fierce persecutions was when Constantinople ruled about 300 years after Christ's crucifixion. And at those moments, people didn't know how to react at first because there were no martyrs to be had as witnesses to Christ. Now there would be a new type of witness, the white martyrs that exist until today. The white martyrs give their entire life to God, all their mind, body, soul, love and strength. They shine with God's Eucharist burning inside of them. The Sacred Heart of Jesus burns inside of them, and instead of them being lit on fire, they ignite the world around them, on fire for God's love. And this is the focus and goal of these words reaching your soul today.
That this fire may burn in you and that the world may know that you are burning for God's love inside, and the fire is all consuming. That the fire is good and purifying. That this light is a sign for all nations. That God's light is good, and it is what gives new life. Let's pray:
Lord, we have been hiding Your light, Your talents, Your Treasures, Your Divine Love for way too long. Help us unearth this precious gift of life, the very spark of life within us, and offer it to Our Father in Heaven, just as you did on that Cross, giving every last drop of living blood, to be offered once and forever, in atonement for our sins, and to be one with Our Father forever. |  Hear it click | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
