† Quote of the Day "Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace in the world." — St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Today's Meditation "There is, actually, only one person in all humanity of whom God has one picture and in whom there is a perfect conformity between what he wanted her to be and what she is, and that is his own mother. Most of us are a minus sign, in the sense that we do not fulfill the high hopes the heavenly Father has for us. But Mary is the equal sign. The ideal that God had of her, that she is, and in the flesh. The model and the copy are perfect; she is all that was foreseen, planned, and dreamed. The melody of her life is played just as it was written." —Archbishop Fulton Sheen, p. 15
An excerpt from A Year With Mary Daily Verse "Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him." — James 1:12 | St. Alexius Of Rome St. Alexius (d. 417 A.D.) was a native of Rome, the son of a distinguished Roman senator. His parents arranged a marriage for him, but he had a divine calling to a higher vocation. On the night of his wedding, with permission from his fiance, he secretly fled to Edessa in Syria to live in poverty and obscurity as a holy ascetic. He disguised himself as a beggar, unrecognized by all, even accepting alms from his own servants who were sent to look for him. St. Alexius lived in this way for seventeen years. A vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the church near his dwelling identified him as a "Man of God." When the fame of his sanctity spread in Edessa, he moved back to Rome so that he could continue his hidden life. He lived as a beggar under the very stairs of his father's palace, his true identity completely unknown to anyone. He lived in this way for another seventeen years. He was befriended by other Christians, shared his alms with the poor, and taught catechism to children. It was only after his death that his identity was revealed through a document that he secretly carried on his person. He was then venerated as a saint, and his father's palace was converted into a church in his honor. St. Alexius' feast day is July 17. | Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Is 10:5-7, 13b-16 Thus says the LORD:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few. For he says:
"By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!" Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire. Responsorial Psalm Ps 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15 R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.
Your people, O LORD, they trample down,
your inheritance they afflict.
Widow and stranger they slay,
the fatherless they murder.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
And they say, "The LORD sees not;
the God of Jacob perceives not."
Understand, you senseless ones among the people;
and, you fools, when will you be wise?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Shall he who shaped the ear not hear?
or he who formed the eye not see?
Shall he who instructs nations not chastise,
he who teaches men knowledge?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people Alleluia Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 11:25-27 You have revealed them to the childlike. (Matthew 11:25) Did you know that St. John Vianney—the patron saint of priests—almost didn't become a priest? People considered him unqualified for seminary, let alone the priesthood. But he proved the truth of today's Gospel: God reveals the mysteries of the kingdom "to the childlike" (Matthew 11:25). Born in 1786 to a poor, devout couple, John worked in the fields with his parents from an early age. He received no formal education, but he memorized his prayers, received the sacraments faithfully, and decided that God was calling him to the priesthood. His road to ordination proved difficult, however, and he struggled to pass his seminary exams. After many years, he was ordained at the age of twenty-nine and assigned to the parish in Ars in southwestern France. He seemed so unqualified that the neighboring priests petitioned to remove him, and Vianney humbly signed the petition as well! Yet this unlikely priest became a powerful instrument for God. In addition to his ministry to the poor, he was best known for his work as a confessor. With childlike simplicity, Vianney listened for the voice of the Spirit and gained deep insight into human hearts. People traveled long distances and lined up for hours to confess to him. Under his care, Ars became known as a "hospital of souls" as he heard confessions for sixteen hours a day. St. John Vianney readily admitted that he was an inferior scholar and public speaker with no real talent for evangelization. But he had a humble heart and a willingness to listen to God. And because of his childlike humility, he helped to renew the Church one person at a time. You may find it hard to understand Scripture or explain your faith. You may think other people are more gifted than you are. But remember John Vianney! God reveals himself to simple humble men and women. He delights to work through ordinary people. You don't have to be an expert. Just be open to his revelation! Seek him with a teachable heart, and you will find him. "Father, help me to know you more. Teach me, Lord. I'm ready to listen." Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16
Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15 |  Hear AI Read it to you. Updated 7/10/24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
""I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will......" end quote. | From Bishop Barron today:
"From Adam and Eve to today, the fundamental human problem is that we seek something other than God. We seek to fill up the ego with stuff, such as sex, pleasure, power, honor. But this will never work, because we've been wired for God, and God is love."....." end quote from Bishop Barron.
What is hidden from the wise and learned?
What is revealed to the childlike?
We lose the beauty of faith, wonder, and awe as we grow up don't we? In essence, we lose the virtues that we are born with.
Other things start taking importance, all tied in with pride. We start dabbling wtih sin, and sin starts to pull us away from faith and from God Himself.
If we know this is true, then, why don't we fix the problem? Or do we become accustomed to sin, and start liking it, like an addiction?
We can't stop gossiping, we can't stop whatever addictions, we can't stop being pessimistic, we can't stop being depressed or anxious, we can't stop doubting or living apart from God. We, therefore, kill the relationship, our very lifeline with Him. We can no longer see a way back.
But take heart.
God sees a way. We blind ourselves in the dark, but He sees in the dark.
Our Lord said:
"No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
One saint said that to know Christ is to know everything.
If you know nothing else, this is all we need to know. In Him, we become the dove, with the Holy Spirit, and the fire of the strike of the serpent like lightning.
Yesterday, I began the reflection by asking if we must see to believe, and then went off on gratitude.
But my mind was meaning to give you physical proof of His existence. Although we want a human being in front of us in a human body,all we get from Him is His blood and blood with flesh and the blood and flesh I'm speaking of is the Eucharistic Miracles, where He has turned into flesh and blood on the altar of a holy Mass throughout the ages. That's the only evidence we have from Heaven, His precious blood, body, and soul.
What am I saying? To know the Son of God is to know the Father. And the Father has decided, Our Father, has decided to reveal Himself through the Son in this most unique and special way as if to say "I Am Heart. I Am Love. Will you not follow Me, partake of Me, and be Me? Will you not become one with Me?" This is how the church was born from the side of Christ, the new Adam, the very Son of God.
Let's get to know Jesus, in the Eucharist, and in one another. Among so many dealings, I just spoke with one of our long term employees a main mechanic, and we were speaking about his wages. He said "I could work on my own, but I rather be here helping you, I like hanging out with all these people". Funny thing is, everyone else thinks he's always mad at them, well, in a way his knocking them on the head for breaking the equipment. I digress. We need company. God loves love. He loves it so much that He has created a universe for it. And you are invited into it. Something unfathomable, a world where love reigns supreme, and there reigns the King of Love. Jesus our Lover. Jesus our King. Jesus who gives His blood daily for us to drink. Jesus who lavishes us with love and loves the love of the Father we give. Sacred Heart and Holy Blood of Jesus, help us love as we ought! | Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 4:18–19 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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