†Saint Quote of the Day
"Commitment is doing what you said you would do, after the feeling you said it in has passed."
–St. Camillus †Today's Meditation
"Although our Divine Redeemer was the Lord and Master of all the riches of Heaven and earth, He willed nevertheless to become poor in this world that through His example we might become rich. He wished to induce us to love poverty as He did, for poverty, by detaching us from earthly riches, enables us to share in the treasures of Heaven. … [It is] the teaching of our Blessed Lord that the poor in spirit shall have a great and certain reward. Their reward is certain, for when our Savior enumerated the Beatitudes in the Gospel, He referred in most instances to the future … but to the poor in spirit, He promises happiness even in this life: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' (Matt. 5:3). While here on earth, they receive special graces. The reward of the poor in spirit is, secondly, very great. 'The less we have here,' says St. Teresa, 'the greater will be our joy in Heaven, where our dwelling shall correspond to the love with which we imitated the life of poverty of our Divine Master here on earth'. The truly poor in spirit enjoy a heavenly peace even here in this world. … [He] who is poor from choice despises the possessions of this earth and is at the same time the master of all."
—St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 122 †Daily Verse
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you."
–Deuteronomy 31:6 |  click to read more | | St. Camillus St. Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614) was a wild, undisciplined youth who became a battle-hardened soldier with a violent temper and a gambling addiction. His bad behavior, combined with a persistent war wound in his leg, left him in poverty. He found work doing odd jobs at a Capuchin friary. Gradually the good influence of the friars inspired him to a better life, and he experienced a true conversion. He sought to join the Franciscans, but was prevented due to his leg wound. He then moved to Rome and worked for a hospital that cared for patients with incurable illnesses. He later became its director as he continued a life of penance and virtue. Seeing that his patients often received poor attention from hospital staff, he devoted his life to providing excellent care for the sick, in whom he saw the face of Christ. He established a religious order of men committed to helping patients who were the most ill, even at the risk of their own well-being, known as the Order of St. Camillus, or the Camillians. For this task he studied for the priesthood and was ordained at the late age of 34. His order gave medical care to anyone in need of treatment. In addition to serving in hospitals, they also served on the battlefield. The Camillians developed into a worldwide relief effort of like-minded medical workers who seek to follow Christ through ministering to the sick. The large red cross on his habit became an international symbol of charitable medical aid. St. Camillus is the patron of the sick, hospitals, nurses, and physicians. His feast day is July 18th. | Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 390
Reading 1 Ex 2:1-15a A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
who conceived and bore a son.
Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket,
daubed it with bitumen and pitch,
and putting the child in it,
placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
His sister stationed herself at a distance
to find out what would happen to him. Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to bathe,
while her maids walked along the river bank.
Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
She was moved with pity for him and said,
"It is one of the Hebrews' children."
Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter,
"Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women
to nurse the child for you?"
"Yes, do so," she answered.
So the maiden went and called the child's own mother.
Pharaoh's daughter said to her,
"Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you."
The woman therefore took the child and nursed it.
When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter,
who adopted him as her son and called him Moses;
for she said, "I drew him out of the water." On one occasion, after Moses had grown up,
when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor,
he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen.
Looking about and seeing no one,
he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting!
So he asked the culprit,
"Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?"
But the culprit replied,
"Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"
Then Moses became afraid and thought,
"The affair must certainly be known." Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death.
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34 R. (see 33) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am sunk in the abysmal swamp
where there is no foothold;
I have reached the watery depths;
the flood overwhelms me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me;
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live. Alleluia Ps 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 11:20-24 Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." | Daily Meditation: Exodus 2:1-15 Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him. (Exodus 2:2) The Book of Exodus relates one of the most memorable and iconic events in history. The descendants of Abraham were being oppressed, exploited, and mistreated, and God performed mighty wonders and parted the sea to deliver them! In today's first reading, we see how that story began: with the love and courage of a mother. Facing Pharaoh's death sentence on all baby boys of the Hebrew race (Exodus 1:22), this poor woman didn't have any good options. She only knew that if she didn't take action, her son would be killed. So she put him in a basket in the river, sent her daughter to keep an eye on him, and hoped for the best. How happy she must have been when Pharaoh's daughter saved him (2:5-10)! And how blessed we are that this boy, Moses, grew up to become such a powerful instrument in the hands of the Lord! Moses' mother was faced with a momentous decision, and she had to make it without the benefit of a prophetic declaration guiding her or the assurance that her baby would live. Even so, God was at work, paving the way for him to deliver his people from Egypt. Through this woman's decision, God was able to bring about his plan to rescue Israel. We all face difficult decisions at times. Medical treatments, work-related dilemmas, bumpy relationships, and the like can all require hard choices. We can't always discern which path is the right one or what the outcome will be. This story, however, can reassure us that God is intimately involved in our lives and working through our decisions. What's more, even if we make what in retrospect seems like the wrong decision, we can trust that God will bring about something good from it. Maybe you are facing a difficult decision right now, or perhaps you are wondering if a previous decision was the right one. Remember that you don't know the whole story—but God does! So even as you make hard choices, you can trust that he is always working, even if you can't see it just yet. He is always bringing about his intentions, not only for you, but for the whole world. "Lord God, I praise you for working in my life, even when I can't see it." Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34
Matthew 11:20-24 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death.
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian..." end of verse. The name "Moses" means "drawn out of water" and it is interesting because it would be through "water" that he would one day lead the people of Israel to the promised land. But why was Moses running from the law? Because, he killed a man, albeit, for a supposedly "just" reason. And this after being given a chance at life with Egyptians. Was it an act against Egyptian cruelty? Or was it an act against the violence itself? Eventually, Moses would be called to lead anyways, the people of God into the promised land...and Moses would not get to enter it himself. And why not? Disobedience. Remember that word I keep hearing over and over in the "Book of Heaven"? It is obedience. Our Lord calls on obedience as supreme. Indeed, I believe it has got me much further in my spiritual life than any other thing. Obey the laws of Love and the Word and the Word that is made flesh. | We pray today:
""See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live" end of Psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."" end of Gospel verse. Back to justice. Back to order. Back to obedience. But our Lord doesn't force us.
We always have that "free will". And it is interesting to note that the fallen angel, apparently had free will too.
And so my conundrum, my question running through me is asking, "how can I not have free will anymore?" Is that even possible? I don't want my will to go towards darkness, and it always could, but what can we do to stay in the direction and always do His Holy Will?
I can say I'd like to be a slave of God, but there are slaves who hate their master.
And so, you'd have to love the master, but that puts you back at square one.
Love is free. Where there is true love in God, there is true freedom.
God loves a servant, one who serves Love, not necessarily robots, or slaves with no hearts!
The binding force then leads to love of God.
And boy, is that a tall order from Heaven.
I mean, how can I love Him above every thing and every one in the whole world?
And what's more, how can I lead others to this great love?
I'm on a quest. I do not have the answers. But I am finding the truth in sacrifice for others. There's no benefit to me, but for the others, yes, and thus...for the whole world.
Does this make sense? The day of judgement is coming for all. The day we leave this world and meet our true God. | Let's pray:
Lord, help us value every moment on earth, in comparison with Your Holy Will. Help us love Thee as we ought, and bring the whole world to this love to fill the Heavens with great light and joy. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
