†Quote of the Day
"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary."
–St. Gertrude the Great †Today's Meditation
"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: The Blessed Sacrament … There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that: Death. By the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man's heart desires."
—J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 119 An Excerpt From
Manual for Eucharistic Adoration †Daily Verse
"As you do not know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything."
–Ecclesiastes 11:5 | St. Gertrude the Great St. Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), also known as Gertrude of Helfta, was born on the feast of Epiphany in Thuringia (modern Germany). She was sent to be educated at the Benedictine monastery in Helfta at the age of four or five, possibly as an orphan or as a child dedicated to God by her parents. She proved to be an extremely bright and determined student who became engrossed in her secular studies, but was negligent of her prayer life. She remained in the monastery and made her profession as a nun. At the age of 26 she entered a time of spiritual crisis, after which she began to receive visions of Christ who chastised her for not leaving room for God in her academic pursuits. This caused Gertrude to abandon her secular studies in total devotion to Sacred Scripture and the works of the Church Fathers. These theological studies, along with continued visions and messages from Jesus, became the basis of her work as one of the great writers and mystics of the 13th century. St. Gertrude had a lasting impact on the Church in an age where academic and religious literature was dominated by men, and she is the only female saint to earn the title "The Great." She was one of the early saints who, along with her companion in the monastery, St. Mechtilde of Hackeborn, spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Teresa of Avila chose St. Gertrude the Great, the patron saint of nuns, as her model and guide. Her feast day is November 16th. | Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Wis 7:22b–8:1 In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well. Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175 R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord. Alleluia Jn 15:5 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 17:20-25 Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation." | Daily Meditation: Wisdom 7:22–8:1 Wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. (Wisdom 7:30) There are many synonyms for the word "wisdom": intelligence, prudence, insight, and foresight, for example. But none of them quite capture the depth and value of the word. Think about it—it's possible to be both intelligent and evil, but have you ever heard of a person described as both wise and evil? Probably not. Being wise is about more than having a good education or awesome skills. Wisdom is all about goodness and virtue, about knowing what is right and acting on it. That's why today's first reading tells us that wickedness will never prevail over wisdom (Wisdom 7:30). Does this description of wisdom sound a little familiar? The reading portrays wisdom as "a spirit . . . all-powerful, all-seeing" that "penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity" (Wisdom 7:22, 23, 24). Wisdom is a person who "can do all things," and who, "passing into holy souls from age to age . . . produces friends of God and prophets" (7:27). That sounds a lot like the Holy Spirit, doesn't it? The truth is, what this ancient writer called "wisdom," we now understand to be God himself dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. All this might bring to mind an image of God that gives us a cozy, peaceful feeling, and to a degree, it should. But God's wisdom, the Holy Spirit, is much more than that. Jesus also revealed him to be the "Spirit of truth" (John 15:26)—God's active presence in us, who works to challenge our preconceived notions and who urges us to live in obedience to God's commands. That's what makes us wise! Wisdom doesn't just come from God—wisdom is God always working to transform us and to mold us into his image. The Spirit teaches you and purifies you in so many ways, whether it's through a Scripture reading that speaks to you, through the grace to handle a difficult situation, or through the example of saints in heaven and on earth. You can know and develop a relationship with this divine Wisdom, who is God himself! So if you want wisdom, yield your heart to the Spirit in every challenging situation. Then wickedness will not prevail over you! "Holy Spirit, Wisdom of God, lead me in your ways today!" Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle..........." end of verse.
. . . What is wisdom then that we should seek?
What is wisdom that we should desire?
It is our Lord who is everything. We shall seek Him in purity and we shall find Him there. | We pray today:
"Through all generations your truth endures; you have established the earth, and it stands firm. Your word is for ever, O Lord. According to your ordinances they still stand firm: all things serve you......" | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
"There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."....." end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus says that before his kingdom will come, he must suffer greatly and be rejected. Even a cursory reading of the Gospels reveals that Jesus' death is the center and goal of the narrative, that which animates and gives verve to the story.
It has often been remarked that the Gospels are not so much biographies of Jesus as "Passion narratives with long introductions." Jesus speaks frequently of his "hour," the culmination of his preaching and action, and this hour coincides with his coming to the cross. After his relatively peaceful Galilean ministry, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, steeling himself for the encounter with the powers of darkness that would take place there and moving with resolution to battle.
And in what is perhaps the most disturbing mystery of the New Testament, this culminating event of Jesus' life, this macabre glorification through crucifixion, is not simply the result of evil human choices; it is also willed by the one whom Jesus called "Abba, Father." Somehow it is the deepest purpose of the Incarnation; somehow it is why he was sent." End quote Bishop Barron.
We are in the headed to the season of "fall" and in this part of the liturgical season as well, and think of the last things, in what theologians call the eschatological things: "relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind." Our Lord speaks about his own end, on earth, as one of us, and He speaks about where He is headed, and how things will be when He goes on.
He speaks about the Kingdom and how it will be. He says: ""The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
This reminds me of what the Kingdom should and very well could be as can be described by Saint Terese of Avila: "Fray Diego, one of Teresa's former confessors wrote that God revealed to Teresa: ...a most beautiful crystal globe, made in the shape of a castle, and containing seven mansions, in the seventh and innermost of which was the King of Glory, in the greatest splendour, illumining and beautifying them all. The nearer one got to the centre, the stronger was the light; outside the palace limits everything was foul, dark and infested with toads, vipers and other venomous creatures." And these are the things that should pertain to our learning and yearning for our Lord, that He should be given what is already His, a beautiful interior castle within you. That He should be there the King and no one else having usurped His position....the center of your heart. This is why we should have the Blessed Sacrament in the center of our temple. Am I speaking about church? Yes, but I am also speaking at the center of your heart....your very life!
Can we do this? Yes. It is easy if we desire it and fight for it. The Kingdom and the castle is for us to tend to. Visions I've heard of Heaven remind me of the most immense castle one could ever imagine. And his castle according to some in cubits and other measurements measures about the size of this earth, which should be eye opening with this message: He desires to live here and now, in each and everyone of us, as each and every one of us should desire to live in Him. Pray with me:
Lord, to be one with You forever means everything to me. |  Click To Hear | Proverbs 15:33 33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
