†Quote of the Day
"Humility, obedience, meekness, and love are the virtues that shine through the Cross and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. O my Jesus, help me imitate you!" St. Anthony Mary Claret †Today's Meditation
"In the old days, people demanded 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' and to repay evil for evil. Patience was not yet on the earth, because faith was not on the earth either. Of course, impatience made full use of the opportunities the Law gave it. That was easy when the Lord and Master of patience was not here. But now that he has come and put the grace of faith together with patience, we are no longer allowed to attack someone even with a word—not even to call someone a fool without facing the danger of judgment. The Law found more than it lost when Christ said, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven' (Matthew 5:44-45). This most important commandment summarizes in a word the universal discipline of patience, since it does not allow us to do evil even to people who deserve it."
—Tertullian, p. 104 †Daily Verse
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help." Hebrews 4:14-16 |  click to read more | | St. Anthony Mary Claret St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807–1870) was born in Spain, the fifth of eleven children, the same year Napoleon invaded the country. He took up his father's trade of weaving before entering the priesthood. He served as a parish priest with a missionary's zeal for the salvation of souls. He often preached multiple sermons in a single day, traveled to preach parish missions and retreats for the clergy, and heard confessions for hours on end. His labors were rewarded by many people returning to a fervent practice of the Catholic faith, especially as a result of his meek and gentle manner. He was made Archbishop of Santiago and sent to Cuba from 1849-1857. His great reforms of the neglected diocese, both ecclesiastically and socially, were so sweeping and effective that his life was threatened. He was recalled back to Spain as confessor to the queen, where his tireless and fruitful priestly work continued. To increase his apostolic efforts he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians. He also founded a major Catholic publisher in Spain, and wrote or published hundreds of books. He was so opposed in his efforts that he was severely persecuted and eventually exiled to Paris, along with the Spanish queen, by revolutionary enemies of religion. He took part in the First Vatican Council, his wisdom and sanctity being evident to all, before suffering a stroke and dying in exile in France. During his life St. Anthony Marie Claret had the gift of prophesy and reading of consciences, in addition to performing many miracles. A resplendent light was also observed to shine from his face as he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. His feast day is October 24th. | Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 474
Reading 1 Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21 Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned. If by that one person's transgression the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
For if, by the transgression of the one,
death came to reign through that one,
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression
condemnation came upon all,
so, through one righteous act
acquittal and life came to all.
For just as through the disobedience of one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one
the many will be made righteous.
Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification
for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17 R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Alleluia Lk 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:35-38 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants." | Daily Meditation: Luke 12:35-38 He will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. (Luke 12:37) Preparing for an important guest takes a lot of work, and not knowing when they will arrive only adds an extra layer of stress. It means making sure that the food stays warm without drying out. It means having your coat and shoes ready so that you can run out and help them with their luggage. And it means that when they arrive, you'll have to spring into action and be ready to take care of whatever they may need. But when it comes to waiting for Jesus, today's Gospel reading gives us a surprising and different set of expectations. It tells us that when Jesus arrives at the end of time, he will refuse to let us wait on him. Instead, he will put on an apron and start to serve us—his servants! It's hard to imagine what kind of master would come home and start waiting on his servants, but this is the kind of love Jesus has for us. It's a love that prefers to serve rather than to be served. It's a love that rewards all our work getting ready for him. It's a love that heals our wounds and wipes away our tears. Our work is completed, and Jesus will take care of us from that point on. At the same time, Jesus doesn't want us to be passive while we wait for his return. He tells us to be always eager to serve him and his people in whatever way he calls us. Of course, this means preparing our hearts and our homes to welcome him. But it also means actively working to make the world outside of our homes ready to accept him. It means being open to the Spirit's promptings as he gives us opportunities to share our faith. And it means always being ready to reach out to those who are hurting. Yes, there are times when getting ready for Jesus is hard work. But when he comes back, he will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and spread a heavenly feast for us. Just knowing that makes all the hard work worthwhile! "Jesus, I am in awe that you love me so much! Help me to be ready to welcome you when you return!" Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21
Psalm 40:7-10, 17 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord........."
. . . Something spectacular has happened by God's gift on the cross; a kindling of God's love on earth would ignite, and this fire would never extinguish. This fire of God's love desires to be lit inside your heart. Would you let it? And would you let it be lit always? | We pray today:
"Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come." Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"......." | In the Gospel today we heard:
"Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks......." end of Gospel verse. Be ready. Amen? How? Gird your loins! LOL. Say what? We don't use those kind of words nowadays, right? However you read these words, you know deep inside what it means...it is no time to relax, kickback, and do nothing, letting the fire turn off. No! We are in the night watch. It is the watch of the night. Because so long as we are in the world, it is as if we are in the dark, the knowing of what God has in the light. And this calls for every sense of the word faith.
And so our Lord speaks of lamps and oil, and of being ready, and keeping vigil. Girding loins is what a person on the run must do, a person that is a pilgrim, and the girding of loins also took place at the Lord's supper....where He would wash the feet of those that were ready, that is, being made ready for what was to come.
What is coming? Are you so afraid that you just have to know the future? That you have to be in command of the future? That you have to rule?
Where is the faith in knowing all?
And so the question to ask and all you have to know is...."who is coming".
Our Lord says to be ready for Him, for when He knocks.
How will we know He is knocking?
The knocking at your heart's door is someone calling out...that you may open the door, that they may be welcomed, that they may be nourished, and that they may have refuge, a safe haven.
Is it the Lord, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit?
"What you did for them, you did for Me", says the Lord.
Our Lord can enter our hearts if we allow Him.
And so to be more sure on how this all works, we should be knocking on His Sacred Heart's door, seeking refuge, and nourishment...and love.
He will not turn away a single soul that seeks Him fully and truthfully. | We go visit the elderly on Sundays, and our baby daughter, who is 3 years old, loves us to sing and keeps bugging me to sing "This little light of Mine" to the elderly. She does what her mom does, and other siblings, walking elderly to the living room, where there is a fireplace and a raised roof like an octagon with a large circular light hanging. There, we read scripture, usually Sunday's Gospel, and we sing, and for sure, we always end with "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" and the song also says "Let it shine till Jesus Comes!"
All are clapping and smiling.
I always tell all, to let your teeth show in the smile, so we can see the light shining in the dark. So the world knows there is hope, so the world knows that Christ is our Hope.
No other god in the world has proven love like Jesus our Lord.
He pours forth His blood and the blood ignites the world on fire.
He is the warmth of the fireplace. He is the light that lets us see.
We take refuge in Him, don't we? To enter the temple of God is to come to the warmth of the fire. I invite you to enter a Catholic Church and feel the Presence of Our Father's love...Jesus...that is in every part of the world at once in the Holy Spirit.
........
Let us pray:
Lord, I praise you, I want to let my light shine. I always want to praise You and worship You. Help us have a sincere desire to do this forever. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 90:2 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
