†Saint Quote of the Day
"You can do more with the grace of God than you think."
–St. John Baptist de la Salle †Today's Meditation
"But we don't always have have to climb to find [God]. Often, what we really want is not to put ourselves higher but to "pull heaven down," to bring the goodness of God back down into the world. There is, of course, no greater "pulling down heaven" than at the Mass, where the Lord joins us at a table through the hands of the priest before meeting us in our bodies in intimate communion."
–Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering, p.20 †Daily Verse
"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
–Romans 8:28 |  click to read more | | St. Albert of Jerusalem St. Albert of Jerusalem (d. 1215) was born to a noble family in Italy, and was well educated in theology and law. He went on to become a priest and bishop and served in important posts as a peacemaker; he served as a mediator between Pope Clement III and the Holy Roman Emperor, between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Cyprus, and between the Knights Templar and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. In 1205 he was made Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Innocent III during the time when the Saracens had control of the city. In this position he was respected by all for his sanctity and intelligence. Because of the Muslim presence in Jerusalem, Albert took up residence in Acre overlooking the great city, as well as Mt. Carmel where a group of holy hermits lived. Albert was asked by St. Brocard, who was prior of the group of hermits, to draw up a rule of life for them which became the beginning of the Carmelite Order. In 1214 Albert was summoned to serve in the General Lateran Council, but was murdered before he could attend. The Master of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, whom he had rebuked and deposed for immorality, stabbed him to death on September 14th in the Church of Saint John of Acre, while he was part of the procession on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. His feast day is September 14th. | Exaltation of the Cross Daily Feast September 14th is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (also known as the Triumph of the Cross). Early in the 4th century St. Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the actual locations where the events of Jesus' life took place. She found the True Cross which immediately became an object of veneration for the Church. Constantine built a basilica on Calvary marking the site of the Crucifixion and dedicated it on this day in the year 335 A.D. The basilica was later destroyed by the Persians and the true cross was stolen. This day also marks the recovery of the cross by Emperor Heraclius II who returned it to Jerusalem, carrying it on his own back and restoring it to the Church in 629 A.D. | Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Reading 1 Nm 21:4b-9 With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!" In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Responsorial Psalm Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord! Reading 2 Phil 2:6-11 Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 3:13-17 Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
| Daily Meditation: Philippians 2:6-11 God greatly exalted him. (Philippians 2:9) As Catholics, we place crucifixes everywhere: around our necks, on the walls of our home, and above the altar of every church. But like any familiar object, we can get so used to seeing the image of Christ crucified that it loses its impact. That's why we need a special feast like today so that we can reflect on the immensity of Jesus' sacrifice and the salvation it has accomplished for us. Scholars believe that today's second reading was probably taken from a hymn sung by the early Christians. Let's use the words of this hymn to offer Jesus—who is now "greatly exalted" in heaven—our own hymn of praise and adoration (Philippians 2:9). "Jesus, you are fully God, yet you became a man in order to save us. What did this cost you? You emptied yourself and took the form of a slave, all out of love for me (Philippians 2:7). What humility this required! And yet you gladly took on your Father's mission because you knew that it was the only way to give me a share of your divine nature. Jesus, thank you for so great and weighty a gift! "Jesus, you became 'obedient to death, even death on a cross' (Philippians 2:8). It wasn't enough for you to take on our human nature. No, you had to experience the fate of every human being: death itself—and a tortured, painful, humiliating one at that! But you were the only One who could save us, so you willingly took our sins to the cross and reconciled us to the Father. Jesus, I praise and exalt you for your sacrifice, one that I don't deserve and could never repay you for. "Jesus, your Father bestowed on you 'the name that is above every name' (Philippians 2:9). Today, with all those in heaven and on earth, I bend my knee and confess you as my Lord (2:10-11). Your cross defeated sin and death. Now, even when I do sin, I know for certain that I can repent and receive your forgiveness. "Jesus, I praise and exalt you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed me—and not only me, but all who have ever called upon your name!" "Jesus, may every cross I see remind me of all that you have done for me." Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38
John 3:13-17 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.". ....." end of verse.
. . . It took thousands of years to write the story up until the time the people were rescued from slavery, and when rescued they complained about the food from Heaven. It was what? Too natural after being too miraculous? It was what? Too bland after tasting like cakes? They wanted meat. They wanted flesh. What does this mean? What is of the flesh will die in the flesh. But what is of Heaven will last forever. But since we are born in the flesh and we taste sin and therefore are bitten by that venom, we are born in need. And only the humble will fully acknowledge our true hunger...the need for God at the center of our very lives. | We pray today:
" Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not; Often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath be roused.
Do not forget the works of the Lord....."_ end of Psalm." | In the Gospel today we heard:
"No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life......." end of Gospel verse.
... The whole notion of God is unfathomable. Who can begin to understand? Our most comprehensive knowledge would be like a needle in a haystack. Yet, our God, our creator, takes on human form, human flesh, "carne" means "meat" or flesh in Spanish, and through the incarnation, the turning into flesh, through a willing vessel, which the first was the pure vessel, the Blessed Mother of God, who in turn calls Himself, the Son of Man. | And we are still brutal with Him and His Word. We complain about being tired of His food. The Eucharist.
It took another few thousand years to write the story, and fulfillment of the Eucharist, the bread from Heaven, that would be Jesus, and that He would turn it into flesh. You are the flesh, He is the bread. The Incarnation of the Holy Spirit overshadows us, that by His mere shadow of light, we become living bodies of Christ. Baptism, amazing. Confirmation, sacred hearts on fire.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying. Sadly, there are many protestant churches now that do not believe in the cross. Their buildings are stripped of any crosses. They say there is no need, for they only believe in the resurrected Christ.
But the message of the cross is the very power of God says the Holy Word of God.
By taking on death, He would defeat death through us. It is a joining of Himself in true life forever, with us, who are perishing flesh beings of the world. The cross then is the pivotal moment, the very defining of His mission on earth. How could one grow tired of this....food from Heaven?
Yet it is sadly happening even in the very first Christians in the world...the Catholics. Statistics before the pandemic were stating that only 1 out of 3 Catholics believed in the real presence of our Lord and Savior in the Holy Eucharist. It is as if to say that the rest are growing tired of this ....message, the bread, the Word of God itself manifested at the Altar of Sacrifice that has existed from the dawn of time.
So what can we do? Believe more? Sure. What else? Aren't you amazed at what transpires? Shouldn't that change your entire outlook on life? Someone said "tell me how you spend your Sundays, and I'll tell you how you will spend your eternity". But I take it a step further, I say "tell me how you spend your daily life, and I will tell you how you will live in eternity".
That is to say, that we should be living eternally grateful. Eucharist means thanksgiving. We should be a daily bread people. And we've only to look at the cross...to remember the greatest gift on earth, born in a manger, in poverty, giving His life to the Word, the Gospel, the preaching, the living and teaching of God's Holy will.
The cross without Christ loses meaning too. A crucifix is Christ on the Cross. Protestants remove him and change the message.
But we must look at what we have done with our sins. Look at what we continue to do with our sins to Him. For Christ lives until this very day. Come let us extol Him.
Come let us exhault Him. ........ Let us pray:
Lord I lift You up when I raise my fellow around me.
Help me always raise You up and never put you down. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Revelation 1:8 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
