† Quote of the Day "Let us never forget that if we wish to die like the saints we must live like them." — St. Eugene de Mazenod Today's Meditation "The works of her [Mary], who was to be the Mother of the God-man, were altogether and in every way most perfect, and even to understand them exceeds the capacity of all human creatures and of the angels. Her interior acts of the virtues were so precious and of such great merit and favor, that they surpass all that the seraphim can do . . . But it is my Will, that during thy pilgrimage in thy mortal body thou place most holy Mary as the beginning of thy joy, and that thou follow her through the desert of renunciation and abnegation of all that is human and visible. Follow her by a perfect imitation according to the measure of thy strength and of the light which thou receivest. Let her be thy guiding star and thy Directress: she will manifest to thee my Will and will let thee find my holy law which is written in her by the power of my right hand: meditate upon it day and night." —Jesus to Ven. Mary of Agreda, p. 87
An excerpt from The Mystical City of God Daily Verse "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved." — Ephesians 1:3-6 | St. Eugene De Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861) was born in southern France to a noble family. When he was eight years of age his family was forced to flee the turmoil of the French Revolution and seek political asylum in Italy. Leaving their possessions behind, the family struggled financially as they relocated from city to city. A sympathetic priest took it upon himself to educate Eugene and stir in him a love for God. The family returned to France when Eugene was twenty. They were distressed to find a dramatically altered society, and their social status no greater than ordinary citizens. The family was also plagued with in-fighting which culminated in divorce, a rarity at the time. While Eugene's father remained in Italy, Eugene's mother fought to regain the family's former possessions. She also attempted to force Eugene to marry a wealthy heiress. St. Eugene, deeply affected by how the Revolution had decimated the Church in France, decided to enter the seminary instead. After his ordination he sought out other zealous priests and together they went as missionaries into the countryside villages, calling themselves the "Missionaries of Provence," which was later approved by the pope as the "Oblates of Mary Immaculate." St. Eugene went on to become the Bishop of Marseilles. He did much work in restoring his diocese by building and repairing churches, doubling the number of priests, and bringing in religious communities. He also worked to weaken the government's monopoly on education, and supported the rights of the Holy See. Eugene de Mazenod is the patron saint of dysfunctional families. His feast day is May 21st.
Find a devotional for this saint | Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time Lectionary: 342
Reading 1 Jas 4:1-10 Beloved:
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly,
to spend it on your passions.
Adulterers!
Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture speaks without meaning when it says,
The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy?
But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:
God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble. So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep.
Let your laughter be turned into mourning
and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord
and he will exalt you. Responsorial Psalm 55:7-8, 9-10a, 10b-11a, 23 R. (23a) Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
And I say, "Had I but wings like a dove,
I would fly away and be at rest.
Far away I would flee;
I would lodge in the wilderness."
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
"I would wait for him who saves me
from the violent storm and the tempest."
Engulf them, O Lord; divide their counsels.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
In the city I see violence and strife,
day and night they prowl about upon its walls.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
Cast your care upon the LORD,
and he will support you;
never will he permit the just man to be disturbed.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you. Alleluia Gal 6:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 9:30-37 Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me." | Daily Meditation: John 19:25-34 Behold, your mother. (John 19:27) As a child, Florence felt her mother's absence keenly. Her mom wasn't physically absent, but she was emotionally unavailable. In fact, she often relied on Florence to help with the household chores, to care for the younger children, and even to provide a shoulder to lean on when she felt overwhelmed. Florence learned to silence her own needs in favor of her mother's. As an adult, Florence came to terms with this unhealthy pattern, and she was able to forgive her mom. Then, a few years later, she was able to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. There, she joined the thousands of pilgrims in the evening procession. As they all sang "Ave Maria," she was overwhelmed by Mary's maternal care for her. She wept as a flood of pure love washed over her. In speaking of Mary, Pope Francis has often highlighted the tender love she has for each of us, calling her the "Mother of tenderness who is always near." On today's feast when we honor Mary as Mother of the Church, we can point to tenderness as a hallmark of her motherhood—the kind of tenderness that Florence had been deprived of as a child. Mary's love, given to us by her son at the foot of the cross, can be a source of comfort and peace for us. So look to Mary to be near you in every moment of your life. She who said yes to God's will at the Annunciation will stand beside you as you open your heart to God's will for your life. She who experienced tremendous sorrow while watching her son suffer understands your pain when your own suffering comes. And she who stayed with the apostles on the day of Pentecost, humbly awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit, will pray for you to receive more of God's love and gifts. Receive Mary's tenderness afresh today. Allow her love to wash over you, filling any hurts or wounds you may still carry. Behold, your mother! "Mary, thank you for your tender love for me and for all your children." Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 87:1-3, 5-7 |  try to hear it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."......" end quote. | During the prison retreat, I mentioned many things, like what I mention to you almost daily. About obedience. I said to them "Nobody likes to be told what to do". And it goes even further. It's not about what someone tells you but "how" they tell you, right? We don't like to be yelled at. We don't like to be looked down on. We don't like to be then, "insulted". We have gone through many secretaries in our parish because our priest is very direct and does not talk like we are used to. I've noticed for myself, that the way I tell people to do stuff is by "asking". Very rarely do I just blurt out "get over there and do this". I always ask politely "would you please go and do this". The politeness breeds softness though. The ones I'm polite to are the most spoiled, and it seems I spoil them more. And who wants a bunch of spoiled fruits around? It spoils the rest, right? And right alongside the talk of obedience then, is humility.
What was God teaching us when He put a child amongst them and then embraced the child saying "if you receive them like this, you receive Me". What in the world does that mean? Children are the last among men. Children didn't count. Today, do children count? It is arguable. Some say yes, we place children at the forefront. But I would say not really. We don't put children first in our Country. If they aren't aborted, they could be exploited sexually, and if they aren't forced into sexual slavery, they are forced to look at sex from a very young age with social media and just going to the stores and watching how scantly women dress with those leggings and tight shirts most wear today. If the children are not exploited, they then are being flooded and exposed. Being classy has gone out the door. Being trashy seems to be the modern ways, just uncover your body and paint it all up with tattoos that state anything but the love of God!
Where was I going with this? I digress.
Humility then brings modesty. I have no idea if I am truly humble, and I would say that if I could grade myself, I'd give myself a 50 out of 100 score, (we sure are generous with ourselves huh?). Halfway there, because half the time throughout the day, I find myself thinking "that was not humble at all" perhaps after a remark, or a thought, or an action, and it happens just as much at home, as at work, and as in church too. What a goofball I am! Why can't I learn to be humble with my thoughts, words, and actions? I look and see others way more humble, and I admire that, but why don't I shoot for that?
I told a prisoner "think of the next time someone doesn't acknowledge you or thank you, that is the time to give glory to god and say 'Lord, I offer that for heaven". And these are small coins in heaven worth way more than if you are thanked here and now. Should we always remain anonymous? That will be impossible. Even the holiest hermits have become some of our greatest saints! You cannot hide the light.
So what am I saying?
Our Lord desires to embrace the last. The last will be first to enter Heaven. Those children who we consider last will be first.
First comes love.
Most children are fatherless in our country. That is why prisons are filled. And those who have fathers and disobeyed their fathers makes up for the next percentage, and then fathers who failed to teach righteousness to their children will round out the rest of the fatherless children.
Sure you had children, but are you fighting tooth and nail to get them to heaven?
Sure you fed them but what did you feed them?
Sure you have them a roof over their head, but where you ever there with them and protected their little eyes and hearts of what was coming in?
The world has suffered loneliness way too long. I found myself among older men in Kolbe Prison Ministry mostly being father figures in prison, and so was I. I never imagined I'd be looked up to as a father, but here I am, put into this position.
What we must discover, is what I told them and I tell you constantly "we will be surprised at the end of life and our Lord replays your whole lonely moments and then you discover He was actually right there with you wherever you were, and we just failed to see Him".
I know this is a true fact. He is among us, every single day. What a blessing! In Mass? Yes. In Eucharist? Yes. In nursing homes? Yes. Once a dying elderly woman said to me something strange "thank you for coming, you made Jesus happy". He is the prisons. He is at your home. He is in town. He is on the road.
He is on the journey with us. Can you imagine how the world would change if we truly believed this?
Together we'd make the last first, and last forever. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 107:1 [Psalm 107]
Book Five
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So 107 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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