†Quote of the Day
"What are the servants of God if not his minstrels, who must move people's hearts and lift them up to spiritual joy?"
–St. Francis of Assisi †Today's Meditation
""Many men keep the commandments in the way sick men take medicine: more from fear of dying in damnation than for joy of living according to our Savior's will. Just as some persons dislike taking medicine, no matter how pleasant it is, simply because it is called medicine, so there are some souls who hold in horror things commanded simply because they are commanded . . . On the contrary, a loving heart loves the commandments. The more difficult they are, the sweeter and more agreeable it finds them, since this more perfectly pleases the Beloved and gives Him greater honor."
—St. Francis de Sales, p. 20 †Daily Verse
""The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe."
–Proverbs 18:10 |  click to read more | | St. Maria Goretti St. Maria Goretti (1890–1902) was born in Italy to a humble farming family. Her father died from malaria when she was 9, leaving the family destitute. Her mother and older siblings worked in the fields while Maria managed the household chores and cared for her younger siblings. One summer day while the family was in the fields, Maria was attacked by their neighbor, a 19-year-old boy named Alessandro, who attempted to rape her. Maria wasn't yet 12 years old. She fought back, yelling to him that it was a sin and that he would go to hell for his actions. In a rage over her refusal, Alessandro stabbed Maria fourteen times. Doctors operated to save her life, without anesthesia, and Maria lingered for two days after the attack. She verbally forgave Alessandro for his crime, offered her suffering to God, and died while holding a crucifix. Alessandro went to prison for murder, full of hardness of heart. One day in prison Maria appeared to him in a dream. She placed 14 white lilies, one at a time, into his hands; one for each of the times he stabbed her. This stunning experience of forgiveness brought him to repentance, and Alessandro was converted. Upon leaving prison he sought reconciliation with Maria's mother and with the Church. Alessandro called Maria "his little saint" and prayed to her daily. He also attended her canonization Mass in 1950. Alessandro joined the Franciscans as a lay brother until his death in 1970. St. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of children, youth, young girls, the poor, martyrs, purity, poverty, chastity, rape victims, and forgiveness. Her feast day is July 6th. | Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gn 22:1b-19 God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: "Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" he said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."
Then the two continued going forward. When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am," he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing--all this because you obeyed my command." Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home. Responsorial Psalm Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone who trusts in them.
The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;
he is their help and their shield.
R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia 2 Cor 5:19 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:1-8 After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
"This man is blaspheming."
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
"Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"–
he then said to the paralytic,
"Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men. | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
""I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;" end quote. There's always that contingency, right? And I use that so many times in problem solving, or when computers are programmed, with a simple on and off, the so called "if, then" proposition. If we do this, then, this happens. And it is automatic, there is no in between. Yes or no. On or off. And now we are talking about faith. | We pray today:
"They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living." end of Psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
"This man is blaspheming." end of Gospel verse. | From a Spanish Reflection I tried to translate:
"Back from the pagan territory of the Gerasenes, in Capernaum a paralytic is presented to Jesus. Matthew does not remember, like Mark, the detail of having to lower the stretcher from the roof of the house. Jesus not only heals him, but also forgives his sins, to the great scandal of the lawyers and "wise men" who listened to him.
The salvation that Christ wants for humanity is integral, of body and spirit. The external sign - the healing of paralysis - is the symbol of inner healing, freedom from sin. Like so many other times in his miracles.
After the calm storm and the healing of the demon-possessed, which we read about in the previous two days, today Jesus shows us his power over the deepest evil: sin.
How many times has Christ healed us, telling us to "get up and walk"?
We all suffer various kinds of paralysis. That is why we rejoice that the salvation of Jesus reaches us again and again, through the mediation of the Church. This healing power of Jesus comes to us, for example, in the Eucharist, because we are invited to commune with "he who takes away the sin of the world." And, above all, in the sacrament of Reconciliation, which Jesus entrusted to his Church: "whose sins you forgive will be forgiven them".
Jesus wants us in full health. With exterior and interior freedom. With the balance and joy of the healthy in body and spirit. He has come from God precisely for that: to reconcile us, to announce forgiveness and divine life to us. And he has entrusted to his Church this same ministry.
This is indeed good news. As if to give thanks to God for his love, and for having granted us in his Son, and in the Church of his Son, these signs of his mercy. We too, like the people who witnessed the miracle of Jesus and his word of forgiveness, reacted with ever new admiration: "the people were overwhelmed and praised God, who gives men such power." end quote. - J. ALDAZABAL
Enséñame tus caminos 5
Did you know that until today, there are many who say that our Catholic Church is blaspheming? That only God can forgive us our sins! That is not true. Our Lord said whom we forgive, they are forgiven! What an amazing power, right? But it goes further in reconciliation, and we are going into the authority of the Church when our Lord told our first Pope that whatever he bound or loosened would be done in Heaven. And by such power we can be reconciled in the Church, with God, in Heaven.
And what is blasphemy? It is said that it means: the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.
I almost want to laugh at this, because people do it all the time, just by saying our Lord's name or saying the word "God" for no good reason. It is indeed, to use His name in vain.
Have I deviated from the message of Christ?
Who is blaspheming? Those who say they know everything? Those who are slandering our Lord's name?
Let's take a look at how the whole miracle thing happened:
"When Jesus saw their faith, he ...".
First comes faith. Then comes miracles.
It is always like that. It doesn't happen randomly. First comes love. First comes faith. Let us have the faith to come to our Lord, in praise, in worship, in adoration...and reconciliation, and and all of this to come into full communion with Him...to bind ourselves forever in Great True Love. Let's pray:
Lord, that I may walk with thee, after reconciliation, a new life, forever in love in Heaven. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 3:8–9 Suffering for Righteousness' Sake 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
