†Quote of the Day
"O Holy Mary! My Mother; into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, I this day, and every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To thee I commit all my anxieties and sorrows, my life and the end of my life, that by thy most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my actions may be directed and governed by thy will and that of thy Son."
–St. Aloysius Gonzaga †Today's Meditation
"When needed, Mary provides for the defense and salvation of her children extraordinary graces and wonderful miracles. What wonders have caused, sustained, spread everywhere, a confidence among Christian people! What striking proofs of her protection the Church recalls to our memory in solemn feasts and devout practices, enriched by precious indulgences! What titles Christians give her to testify to their gratitude, 'Help of Christians, health of the sick, comfort of the afflicted, refuge of sinners, gate of heaven, our life, our sweetness, our hope!' What a multitude of people gather to the places where she is most honored, where she obtains the most assistance to those who call on her! What prayers and acts of thanksgiving are offered at the foot of her altars! In our days, what conquests have been made by Our Lady of Victories! What favors have been bestowed on all hearts devoted to the heart of Mary!"
—St. Ignatius of Loyola, p. 156 An Excerpt From
Manual for Marian Devotion †Daily Verse
"We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
–2 Corinthians 4:8-11 | Our Lady Miraculous Medal On November 27, 1830, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in Paris, France and gave her a vision of an image, with instructions to strike the image, front and back, onto a medal. With this medal Our Lady promised that, "All those who wear it will receive great graces; these graces will be abundant for those who wear it with faith." The medal bears an image of Our Lady standing on the world, the serpent crushed under her feet, with arms extended and graces pouring forth from her hands. On the reverse is a cross surmounted by the letter 'M', and beneath it the side-by-side symbols of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all encircled by twelve stars. The medal symbolizes Mary's perfect spiritual union with Jesus' redemptive mission, and, consequently, her intercessory role in salvation history as the mediatrix of God's graces to mankind through her Son. The medal spread widely and became a source of many graces and miracles for its wearers, earning the name "Miraculous Medal." It is traditionally worn around the neck and has become a treasured sacramental of the Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal's feast day is November 27th. | Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 503
Reading 1 Dn 1:1-6, 8-20 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came
and laid siege to Jerusalem.
The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and some of the vessels of the temple of God;
he carried them off to the land of Shinar,
and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god. The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,
to bring in some of the children of Israel of royal blood
and of the nobility, young men without any defect,
handsome, intelligent and wise,
quick to learn, and prudent in judgment,
such as could take their place in the king's palace;
they were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans;
after three years' training they were to enter the king's service.
The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine
from the royal table.
Among these were men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah. But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself
with the king's food or wine;
so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.
Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy
of the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel,
"I am afraid of my lord the king;
it is he who allotted your food and drink.
If he sees that you look wretched
by comparison with the other young men of your age,
you will endanger my life with the king."
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain
had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah,
"Please test your servants for ten days.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see."
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed
than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.
So the steward continued to take away
the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
At the end of the time the king had specified for their preparation,
the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.
When the king had spoken with all of them,
none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah;
and so they entered the king's service.
In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever! Alleluia Mt 24:42a, 44 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 21:1-4 When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." | Daily Meditation: Luke 21:1-4 This poor widow put in more than all the rest; for . . . she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood. (Luke 21:3, 4) Whether we are considering giving away our money, our time, or our talents, a single question can paralyze us: "Will I still have enough?" Surely, similar worries would have gripped this widow. But rather than focusing on her scarcity, she directed her gaze toward heaven, trusted in the abundance of God, and offered all that she had. Just as he praised this widow, Jesus is pleased when we make an offering to him from our own "poverty" (Luke 21:4). For someone with a limited income and many mouths to feed, bringing a meal to a sick neighbor can be a costly offering of trust in the Lord. For someone who easily serves with great energy, offering Jesus times of quiet contemplation, no matter how distracted, can be a valuable gift to the Lord. For one who is experiencing suffering and pain, lifting up a simple prayer of thanksgiving or showing patience to a child can be as beautiful as the widow's two copper coins. Jesus is pleased whenever we sacrifice for him and for his people, but he is especially delighted when our gift comes from our lack. Thankfully, his Holy Spirit helps us to see what we most need to surrender to him and also gives us the grace to do it. As we respond to the Spirit's leading, we will discover God's abundant goodness in unexpected places. How beautiful that the more we offer to him, the more grace we find filling us up! Just as the widow trusted in the surplus of her Father, you can trust that there is no scarcity in God's kingdom. Your heavenly Father will provide you with the grace you need. He can give you strength to care for your family when you feel overwhelmed. He can remind you of his love as you persist in a dry season in prayer. He can give you compassion for people in need so that you become more generous. He sees you, loves you, and rejoices when you offer him anything out of your poverty. "Thank you, Lord, for seeing me. Help me to give generously to you and to your people." Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
(Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:Audio Link | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom...."_ end of verse.
. . .
Ten times better! Wow, that is impressive right?
These few compared to the others that were unfaithful and eating impure things. I've noticed that in my own life. If I get stuck on sin, my mind is cluttered, it just takes up so much space! What a waste! It is far better to be clean, pure, and availed to more of God's will, and His ways. | We pray today:
""Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever."....." end of psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard our Lord:
"He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood........." end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus praises the widow who gave all her resources to the treasury: "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." She is a model of detachment for us.
If the spiritual life is essentially about love, and love is the gift of self, then possessions are a problem. This means that the game of filling up the empty ego with the goods of this world is not the way forward; rather, giving one's life away is the way forward.
Once you let go of the world in a spirit of detachment, once you remove the things of this world from your grasp and see them without distortion, you will really have them. They will appear as they are, as God intended them. They will no longer be objects for your manipulation or possession, but beautiful realities in themselves.
G.K. Chesterton insisted that only when he realized that the things of this world would not make him ultimately happy did he find real joy in them. . . ." end quote Bishop Barron.
The poor widow sets the bar doesn't she? But is it fair? Is it right?
Should everyone give 100% in the temple like she did? Yep! Our Lord also gave his two coins, remember? The fish with coins its mouth that he told Peter to go get? He not only paid what was required, but doubled, went the extra mile what was due.
Do you give all to the church?
Why not?
Does it cost you to give? Does it hurt?
What's it going to take for you to give?
Allbeit, it is easier to lose a couple dollars for a poor person than a couple of million for a multi-millionaire, right? Or is it? A millionaire will not starve to death, but the poor person could very well risk their very life!
What if the two dollars was all you had to eat for the day, or the week? Unsure of what may come?
Apparently the poor widow knew something about trusting in God. She knew something others didn't. She knew you could trust Him...with everything!
Can you trust God our Father with everything? Or can we ask the opposite: can God trust you with what is His?
Does He need your money? I'm in lots of church financial deals, and it seems us that are most involved have to give the most too, and not just money, but our time, our very lives, risking everything. Is this a good investment? It is high risk if you are speaking in worldly financial terms with the bull market. But what if it is an act of love ? What if the widow was saying with her deposit how much she loves God?
Remember I always equate love with faith. How much faith do you got? I know some poor people, they give their shirts off their back to others! But to the church? Not so much, not even a penny! And I know some that give to church, but not to many others, much less their shirt off their back. Who is truly giving in this scenario? None are giving 100% is the answer! You got to give to both (God and Neighbor). Tithing then in of itself becomes an act of faith and love.
So what does this say to you? Have faith. This is the entire reason I reach out to you in His name. Pray with me:
Lord, I do believe! Help my disbelief! That I can love You more, that I can trust You more, that I can do all things with You! |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
James 1:22–25 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
