†Quote of the Day "You must accept your cross; if you bear it courageously it will carry you to Heaven."
–St. John Vianney Today's Meditation "Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it."
—Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1075 Daily Verse "If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory."
–Colossians 3:1-4 | St. Juliana St. Juliana of Nicomedia (c. 270 A.D.), also known as St. Juliana of Cumae, was the daughter of noble pagan parents, born in Nicomedia, a Greek city in ancient Turkey. Although her father was hostile to Christians, Juliana secretly accepted baptism. Her father arranged her marriage to a pagan nobleman and Roman senator. When the time for her wedding came, Juliana refused her consent to be married unless her betrothed converted to the Christian faith. Her father retaliated by mercilessly abusing her, but Juliana would not give in. Her betrothed then denounced her as a Christian before the tribunal under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. St. Juliana was unwavering in her faith, even after the devil himself appeared to tempt her during her sufferings. She was then publicly tortured by being burned, boiled in oil, and finally beheaded. Some accounts say she died together with St. Barbara. Many were converted to the Christian faith upon witnessing her fortitude in the face of her tortures. St. Juliana is the patron saint of sickness and bodily ills. Her feast day is February 16th. | Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
"Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?" Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! Responsorial Psalm PS 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Verse Before the Gospel See Am 5:14 Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you. Gospel Mt 9:14-15 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."
| Daily Meditation: Isaiah 58:1-9 Why do we fast, and you do not see it? (Isaiah 58:3) The people of Jerusalem were fasting, and they wanted God to take notice! And he did, but not in the way they had expected. Instead of being pleased with their self-denial, he spoke through the prophet Isaiah to warn them of their hypocrisy. By itself, fasting was of little value if they continued to disobey the Lord and ignore the needs of their neighbors. We often associate the season of Lent with fasting, but the Church usually talks about this ancient spiritual practice alongside two others: prayer and almsgiving. Fasting by itself won't necessarily help us to follow the Lord or grow closer to him. But when we combine it with prayer and almsgiving, it can bear beautiful fruit in our lives. For example, the hunger pangs we feel when we've skipped a meal or the discomfort we experience when we forgo something is a reminder of how weak we are and how much we need to rely on the Lord. That can spur us to turn to God in that very moment and ask for his grace. It can also help us to realize how we often substitute created things to satisfy us when only the Lord can truly fulfill us. Fasting also brings to mind all the people who have less than we do. We may be denying ourselves something that is easily accessible and within our reach. How many others in the world are "fasting" not because they choose to but because there isn't enough to go around? Fasting can raise our awareness of our brothers and sisters who are suffering and in need. That, in turn, can help us to become more generous in giving alms—whether that's by giving away our money, our possessions, or our time in service to them. If you've already decided what to fast from this Lent, think about the ways it might lead you to deepen your prayer and almsgiving. If you haven't, ask the Lord what kind of fast would help you do so. Above all, remember that whatever you do this Lent, it's all for one purpose: to help you respond to the love that God has already shown you. That's what the Jews in today's first reading had forgotten. May we never lose sight of it! "Jesus, help me to bear fruit for you this Lent." Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19
Matthew 9:14-15 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | In the Gospel today we heard:
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."....." end of Gospel verse.
. . . | From Bishop Barron:
"Why do we fast? Because we have a hunger for God, which is the deepest hunger. We're meant to get access to that hunger. We're meant to feel it so that it can direct us toward God. Every spiritual master recognizes the danger that if we allow the superficial hunger of our lives to dominate, we never reach the deepest hunger.
Thomas Merton once observed that our desires for food and drink are something like little children in their persistence and tendency to dominate. Unless and until they are disciplined, they will skew the functions of the soul according to their purposes.
And fasting is a way of disciplining the hunger for food and drink. It is a way of quieting those desires by not responding to them immediately, so that the deepest desires emerge. Unless you fast, you might never realize how hungry you are for God. . . . . ." end quote from Bishop Barron.
Our Lord in response in the book of Isaiah: ""Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?"
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers." and He continues: "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!" Basically He cries out for mercy. He desires us to be mercy by the end of our fast, that this may become the end for the means, that there is a truth revealed...and the truth is God's will.
What good is it to give up sweets if you will not be sweet!
What good is it to give up cigarettes or beer or any other vice or habit or habitual sin if you will not replace it with good?
It is the same with confessions, we must make every effort to be sincere, and contrite. Why render your garments, why tear them apart and not your heart? And so, our Lord tries to tear it for us....to let Him in...and what is our response?
Lord, let our fast bring us willingly to our knees.
Let our fast lead to a greater feast, a greater hunger for You my Lord. That we may truly yours and forever. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 16:32 32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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