†Quote of the Day
"It is better to be a child of God than king of the whole world!"
–St. Aloysius Gonzaga †Today's Meditation
"Our own guardian angel [is] for each of us like a trustworthy captain commissioned to defend a stronghold against its enemies. Our guardian angel remains alert and watchful lest any foes should capture and occupy the fort of our soul. These angels are the faithful guards whom the Lord has located on the walls of Jerusalem to keep watch over His flock throughout the night lest the ferocious wolf of hell, who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour, should seize upon our poor souls!"
–St. Aloysius Gonzaga, p.65 An Excerpt From
Meditations on the Holy Angels †Daily Verse
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them."
–Ephesians 2:8-10 |  click to read more | | †St. Aloysius Gonzaga
St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–1591) was born to a noble Italian family, the eldest of seven children, and was destined for the military. However, by the time he was nine years of age he chose the religious life and made a personal vow of chastity. As a safeguard against sexual temptation he always kept his eyes downcast in the presence of women. Although many tried to dissuade him from his chosen vocation, he was eventually allowed to renounce his inheritance and enter the seminary in order to become a Jesuit priest. While he was studying in Rome, there was an outbreak of the plague. Aloysius volunteered to care for the sick, despite the delicateness of his own health. As a result, he contracted the disease and died at the age of twenty-three, before completing his priestly studies. St. Aloysius was connected with two great figures of the Counter-Reformation: he received his First Holy Communion at the age of twelve from St. Charles Borromeo, and his Last Rites from St. Robert Bellarmine, both of whom served as his spiritual advisers. On the night of his death, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi had a vision of him being received into great glory. St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of youth and bodily purity. His feast day is June 21st. | Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Reading 1 2 Cor 9:6-11 Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written: He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever. The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God. Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9 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.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
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.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 . . . your heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:1) We know from the Gospels that at Jesus' baptism, God the Father identified him as his "beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17). And because Jesus is God's Son, he can call almighty God "Father." But early in his ministry, Jesus revealed something incredible when he referred to God as "your heavenly Father" (Matthew 6:1, emphasis added). With that one word, "your," Jesus made it clear that we are God's children. Like Jesus, we, too, can call him "Father" and have a personal, loving relationship with him. God loves you! He doesn't intend for you to pray, fast, or give alms in order to impress him—or anyone else for that matter. Rather, he asks you to do it out of gratitude for his love for you. Jesus said that God "sees in secret" what you are doing (Matthew 6:4). But know that your heavenly Father does more than just observe your actions. He really sees you. He understands all your fears and struggles as well as the deepest desires of your heart. He sees all your efforts to please him. And he is especially pleased when your good works are "hidden"—that is, when they are done just for him (6:18). Jesus promised his disciples that God would "repay" them for their acts of faith (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18). But he wasn't describing a worldly transaction. No, your Father repays you by drawing you close to his heart. He helps you to see that your deepest identity is as his son or daughter. He helps you to understand that as your Father, all the events and details of your life fall within his care and provision. He assures you that nothing can separate you from his love. The next time you turn to the Lord in prayer, pass up a dessert, or donate to your favorite charity, remember why you are doing these things. It's not to make yourself more worthy of God's love. Neither is it to make people think more highly of you. You are doing these things because you are a child of your heavenly Father. Today in prayer, thank your heavenly Father for inviting you into a relationship with him. Then let him "repay" you with his love, mercy, and grace. "Jesus, thank you for revealing that God is my Father." 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Psalm 112:1-4, 9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." end of verse. And this is another compelling verse that always gets to me. Am I truly a cheerful giver? Or do I give reluctantly? Or do I give and then regret or wish you hadn't given? How can one be a cheerful giver? Does this mean that our Lord in Heaven is a cheerful giver? You see, the Lord hurts. This is why I ask. Yet He is constantly giving...and so a spanish old love song I used to hear would say "whoever loves more, hurts more". Is it right to make our Lord hurt? It used to be that a mommy would tell her child "don't do that, it would hurt Jesus". | We pray today:
"Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
Blessed the man who fears the Lord." | In the Gospel today we heard:
""When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting." end of verse. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus prescribes the essential disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let's focus on fasting and almsgiving.
The appetites for food and drink are so pressing, so elemental, that, unless they are quelled and disciplined, they will simply take over the soul. They are like children who clamor constantly for attention and who, if indulged, will in short order run the house.
Therefore, if the passion for God is to be awakened, the more immediately pressing desires must be muted, and this is the purpose of fasting. We go hungry and thirsty so that the deepest hunger and thirst might be felt. In a way, fasting is like the "calming of the monkey mind" effected by the Rosary: both are means of settling the superficial mind that darts from preoccupation to preoccupation.
But food and drink are not the only objects of concupiscent desire. Material things and wealth are also ready substitutes for the passion for God. Thus, a kind of fasting from what money can buy is an important practice. How often Jesus recommends that his disciples give to the poor, and how often throughout the Christian tradition has almsgiving been emphasized." end quote Bishop Barron.
So I am going to have to turn my frown upside down? Is that even possible! Most people that see my face will see a serious looking guy. Most would probably say I am not approachable. I remember a friend in high school after a couple years hanging out once told me that he didn't want to be my friend because I always looked serious. But, looks are deceiving. I'm probably one of the worst clowns around, always making people laugh, and making their frowns turn upside down, and that's just how I've been since a child my dad used to say, making grown men laugh all the time somehow.
I digress. Nobody needs to know you're fasting. That's hard when I turn down meals almost daily because I don't want to eat until I write to you and sometimes it takes hours. But I only say this as an example, not to let my left hand know what the right hand is doing, but to let you know a living example of what is faith in a person attempting to live the Gospel, and thus, attempting to live God's will.
God knows.
He knows everything before you ask. Preaching is ok, but it means more if you have an interior life that oozes out to your exterior life, this will captivate and motivate more souls....if it is true, then the preaching will be much more effective.
I'm off to another funeral in my little parish, the 3rd in a week!
But know, that we are here for a short time. And time is precious. And every time you make love known, you make God our Father happy. Every time you pray for others, fast for others, and help Him with mercy, His heart is gladdened. Let's pray:
Lord, that we make Your Desires the joy of our Lives! |  Hear it click | AMEN!
AMEN!
Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
