†Quote of the Day
"While the world changes, the cross stands firm."
–St. Bruno †Today's Meditation
Today's Meditation
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
—C. S. Lewis, p. 205
Mere Christianity †Daily Verse
"[There is] one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."
–Ephesians 4:4-7 |  click to read more | | St. Bruno St. Bruno (1030-1101) was born to a noble and prominent family in Cologne, Germany. He was well educated and excelled in his studies, and became a priest around the year 1055. He went on to direct and teach at the episcopal school at Reims for many years, earning a reputation as a learned scholar. After also serving as the chancellor of his archdiocese, he and a few companions left their positions in the diocese in order to follow a path of greater religious observance. In 1084 Bruno settled in the Chartreuse Mountains in France with a small group of scholars who, like himself, desired to become contemplative monks. This was the beginning of the Carthusian order founded by St. Bruno, combining the solitary life of hermits with the conventual life of religious observance. These alpine monks embraced a strictly disciplined life of poverty, labor, prayer, and fasting. After living six years of strict asceticism, St. Bruno was called to Rome by the Pope, who was his former student, to assist with the troubles and controversies rocking the Church. Bruno became a close advisor to the Pope and was allowed to return to monastic life only if he remained nearby within Italy, leading Bruno to establish a second Carthusian monastery there in 1095. St. Bruno wrote many manuscripts and commentaries during his life. His feast day is celebrated on October 6th.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Bar 1:15-22 During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed:
"Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed him.
We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,
nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.
From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt
until the present day,
we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God,
and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant,
at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt
to give us the land flowing with milk and honey,
cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God." Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9 R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. Alleluia Ps 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:13-16 Jesus said to them,
"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,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.'
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." | Daily Meditation: Baruch 1:15-22 For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God. (Baruch 1:21) Do you ever watch a movie or TV show and get caught up in a plot twist? Is the protagonist going to make it? you wonder nervously. But then you remember that, generally speaking, the good guy always survives in the end. Knowing this helps you enjoy the movie without feeling too worried about the outcome. In a similar way, the author of today's first reading lets us know right from the beginning how the story ends. We find out how the exiled Israelites responded to the words of the scroll that Baruch read to them: they "wept, fasted, and prayed before the Lord" (1:5). Knowing that their prayer of contrition and confession results in the people's change of heart and conversion, we can read today's passage with a sense of relief and hope. The confession of sins, written by the prophet Baruch for the people to recite from their hearts, does not mince words: "We did not heed the voice of the Lord, . . . but each one of us went off after the devices of his own wicked heart, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God" (21, 22). Baruch tells the people to be very clear in acknowledging how their choices have turned their lives upside down before they then ask God to deliver them. Do you know that you can be just as straightforward with God? You can be honest with him about any ways in which you've ignored his voice or chased after fleeting pleasures. Then, as you receive his mercy, you will be able to follow him with more freedom, joy, and peace than ever before. So don't be afraid to face up to your sins. It's the first step in growing in holiness. Then bring them to the Lord in all honesty. As you do, remember that you already know the outcome! You know that Jesus will lavish his mercy upon you and will forgive you as you come to him. "Jesus, thank you for leading me as I confess my sins and receive your mercy." Psalm 79:1-5, 8-9
Luke 10:13-16 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God."......" end of verse.
. . . It's as if we have settled into being imperfect, and this is not right. Our Lord calls us to be perfect. We are not supposed to settle. We are called to conversion, from what we are, and into Him. And how? First, let Him in! Let Him in your heart, and your life, and this can be done simply through the senses, our faculties, our willingness to let Him in. How? What do you listen to? What comes into your ears? That's one faculty. What do you eat and who do you eat with? That's another sense. What do you watch? Who do you follow? That's another faculty and letting of Him in.
You see, we can let Him in our minds and hearts rather easy. I'm surprised at how few take to it. To catholic readings, shows, radio, internet, and so forth. So much is out there, and if you are truly thirst and hungry, you will grow even more hungry and thirsty for Him... the more you reach for Him and this is good. Because Heaven cannot fit in our universe, our love grows forever with God. | We pray today:
"Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake......."_ end of Psalm." | In the Gospel today we heard:
"And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.'
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."......" end of Gospel verse. It was in Capernaum that Jesus healed the centurion's son (Matthew 8:5–13), the nobleman's son (John 4:46–53), Simon Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), and the paralytic (Matthew 9:1–2). In Capernaum, Jesus cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21–25), raised Jairus's daughter to life, and healed the woman with the bleeding issue (Mark 5:21–42). Tremendous miracles, mind boggling, bringing people to life! Healing incurable people! Casting out demons! Just one small miracle should be enough to convert the people.
But no. Apparently they rejected Him. And I hate this about us. That we receive tremendous blessings...and we forget. We are quick to forget and move on, as if nothing great had happened.
I witness in the world something truly lacking.
Gratefulness. Gratitude. Appreciation. Thanksgiving. All things related to Eucharist.
We go to receive blessings...but we don't bless.
We go to receive Christ from the cross, but we don't go live for Christ, and we do not become self sacrificial offerings for God's Kingdom.
How can we become a more Eucharistic people?
Ideally, everyone would be loving and forgiving and self sacrificial. But that is not the world we live in. But take heart. Christ has conquered the world. Has He conquered Your heart?
The church should be crawling with people seeking to see Him! Like in Capernaum when they crowded Jesus into a house and a paralytic man was hauled onto the roof and they opened the roof and lowered Him to Jesus.
And then? Where did the crowds go? Where have we gone?
Let Him in! Now He's on the outside trying to come into your home, your house, your heart!
He's knocking my child! I can hear Him through the thick door and thick walls: "please open up, I still love you". | ........Let us pray:
Lord, how can I love you as I ought? And how revere this wonderous gift, so far surpassing hope and thought. Sweet Sacrament we Thee adore, O help us love Thee more and more. O help us love Thee more and more! |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 23:22 22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
