†Quote of the Day
"We have received baptism, entrance into the Church, and the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?"
–St. Andrew Kim Taegon †Today's Meditation
"The second stage of contemplation and the sixth of prayer is that of quiet. This is the union of the will with God, who, as highest Good, attracts it forcefully so that in Him alone it may find its rest. Infinite power, goodness, gentleness, and sweetness, with God's gifts of fear, piety, fortitude, and wisdom, overwhelm it and at the same time take it captive, set it ablaze, fill it with caresses, and drawing it near…there the soul finds for a time every now and then—times that seem to it short however long they last—its full rest, its refreshment and strength, its peace and happiness."
—J.G Arintero, O.P., p.44-45 An Excerpt From
Stages in Prayer †Daily Verse
"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
–Matthew 5:11-12 |  click to read more | | St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846) was born to a noble family in Korea, and was baptized at the age of 15 after his parents converted to the Catholic faith. Andrew's father, great-grandfather, and great-uncle were martyred during the government's staunch persecution against Christianity, leaving the remaining family in poverty. Andrew was later chosen to travel over 1,000 miles to the nearest seminary in China to be trained for the priesthood. He was ordained in Shanghai as the first native Korean priest in the Church's history of evangelizing in that country. He returned to Korea in secrecy to avoid detection by the authorities. Once back in his hometown, he worked to catechize the faithful until his bishop summoned him to Seoul to help smuggle French missionaries from China into Korea, with the aid of Chinese fishermen. During this operation he was caught and imprisoned by the border patrol, and charged as a traitor to his country. He was tortured and beheaded on September 16, 1846, at the age of 25. Pope John Paul II canonized Fr. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, along with 102 other Korean martyrs, on May 6, 1984. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon is the patron saint of Korea. His feast day is celebrated on September 20th. | Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr, and Saint Paul Chong Hasang, catechist and martyr, and their companions, martyrs Reading 1 1 Tm 3:14-16 Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory. Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord! Alleluia See Jn 6:63c, 68c R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life,
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 7:31-35 Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
| Daily Meditation: Luke 7:31-35 Wisdom is vindicated by all her children. (Luke 7:35) Did you notice that there are two sets of children in this passage? First, there are the children who sit "in the marketplace" (Luke 7:32). Jesus uses this image to describe the people of Galilee, the region where he had performed most of his miracles. These "children" are playing a game that was popular at the time. In that game, if one group sang a joyful tune, their playmates had to imitate the dancing they saw their parents do at weddings. And if they sang a sad tune, they expected to see an over-the-top imitation of the weeping and mourning they had witnessed at funerals. According to Jesus, this is how most of the people treated both himself and his herald, John the Baptist. They didn't want to hear John's supposedly mournful message of sin, fasting, and repentance, so they refused to "dance" to his tune by seeking God's forgiveness. But when Jesus spent his time celebrating God's mercy and salvation with the people they considered sinners, they didn't dance to his joyful tune, either. Neither Jesus nor John were interested in dancing to whatever tune the people sang. They chose instead to follow God's tune for their lives. And those who follow their example are the ones Jesus refers to when he says, "Wisdom is vindicated by all her children" (Luke 7:35). These children are his own disciples. Like Jesus, they are humble before God and prefer his song—his will—to their own. They repent when he helps them see their sin. They rejoice when they experience his love. Unlike the marketplace children, Jesus' disciples are in unity with each other because they are all dancing to the same tune. Today you'll have many opportunities to decide which group of "children" you want to join. You can decide to go your own way, like the marketplace children, or keep in step with the Lord, like the children of wisdom. You can decide between pride and humility, between selfishness and love, and between resentment and mercy. As these choices come up, always remember: by dancing to Jesus' tune, you won't just be obeying God. You'll also be revealing God's wisdom to the world! "Jesus, help me to follow your song!" 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Psalm 111:1-6 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth......." end of verse. . . . The Church Of The Living God is among us, the very pillar and foundation of truth, that is to say...the foundation of Christ, because Jesus is the ultimate Truth. | We pray today:
"How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights......."_ end of Psalm." Give thanks in an assembly and of the just. Go to Mass. Go every Sunday at the very minimum! Go every day if you can. Why? To live gratefulness more and more. Now is more precious to give because now time and life is very limited and very precious. Can we wise up and listen...to the tune from Heaven? | In the Gospel today we heard:
_""To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'......."_ end of Gospel verse. ... | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus observes that the people of his generation criticize him as "a friend of tax collectors and sinners."
Jesus came as God's own self into our dysfunctional world. He came to bring the light of God's presence and love to the far country of sin and death. Accordingly, he went to the poor, the disabled, the marginalized, the forgotten, those crippled by sin.
He came to bring the ordo of God into a disordered world. He came as the keynote to tune up a cacophonous universe. And thus the proponents of disorder and the producers of the cacophony sought to destroy him. The Church is the Mystical Body of Jesus, the living organism that makes present Christ's mind and will in the world. It is his love made flesh throughout the ages, his hands and feet and eyes and heart. We are all, through Baptism, members of that Body. Our purpose is his purpose—to carry the nonviolent and forgiving love of God to a hungry world; to go to the darkest places, to the far country in quest of sinners; to be both judge (sign of contradiction) and bearer of salvation......"
End quote Bishop Barron.
I am a musician that came to be from my youth for whatever reason, I did not choose this and I am not a fanatic about it, it's just who I am, and possibly, just who I was created to be. Many of my family, aunts and uncles helped this be along the way with their musical talents. One of them, my aunt Cecilia Rosa is possibly going to pass very soon, and I pray that choirs of angels will now sing in her favor because she sang for many years as the choir for our parish. I digress.
I also sing at funerals, retreats, Masses and conferences. I sing in public, and I do my best to move the crowds, the masses, the people of God. I look out and I see some that are moved, some that could care less, and some that wish they could just leave!
It is like the seed that takes in different types of soils, some places more than others, and in some places it does not.
So how can we be fruitful? Not that hard my friend!
Be opened! Are those the two words that our Lord said to the deaf mute?
Force yourself open! The spirit is willing but the body is not. Therefore, force it to listen! Stop eating if you want to be more pure and holy, fasting, mortification, offerings. Force yourself to do the contrary.
And lastly, persevere!
Next time the choir isn't moving you, then you can move the choir by showing them you are trying too! Then something beautiful begins to happen. If the flute plays, it is the Lord!
If the sinner prays, the Lord is with them!
If the dirge plays, sad songs, then let them move you to tears, let your heart be opened, as a real human, not of feelings but of a heart for Love.
Jesus wept.
But Jesus smiled so much too!
He is very much alive in us all, saints and sinners alike. Shall we cast away the sinners out of our lives? Shall we give up on them? When do you dust your feet from them? My belief is this..."so long as we have a breath of life, we have a hope in life...with Christ". ........ Let us pray:
Lord, Move Me Towards You more and more! |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
James 1:13–14 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
