† Quote of the Day "You change your life by changing your heart." — St. Benedict of Nursia Today's Meditation "Every human being is infinitely loved and infinitely precious. We haven't earned that divine dignity; it is a gift. Nonetheless, we convince ourselves that we must somehow show ourselves worthy of God's love–that if we are charming or charitable or brave enough, He will feel obliged to reward us. Self-abasement is the antidote to this delusion. It is the practice of reminding ourselves that we are nothing without God's grace and will never earn it. Ironically, this healthy sense of nothingness, understood correctly, brings with it a deeper sense of confidence and freedom." –J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B, p.101
An excerpt from Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's 12-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem Daily Verse "For ever, O Lord, thy word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Thy faithfulness endures to all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it stands fast. By thy appointment they stand this day; for all things are thy servants." — Psalm 119:89-91 | St. Benedict Of Nursia St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547 A.D.) and his twin sister, St. Scholastica, were born to a Roman nobleman and his wife in Nursia, Italy. He spent his childhood with his parents in Rome. As a young man he found in himself a strong desire to escape the trifling things of the world and serve God. He left his family and wealth and settled in the mountainous region of Subiaco. After three years living in solitude as a cave-dwelling hermit, he was asked to lead a monastery in the place of an abbot who had died. Benedict did as they asked, but his way of life was too extreme for the monks and they tried to poison him. He thwarted their evil designs by blessing the poisoned cup, rendering it ineffective. Benedict returned to his cave, where news of his sanctity and miracles began to spread. Soon a community of men surrounded him wanting to adopt his way of life. To house them Benedict established twelve monasteries, including the world-famous Monte Cassino, and gave them a rule of life to live by, known as the Rule of St. Benedict. His Rule—still observed by Benedictines today—helped form the civilization and culture of Europe. Because of the organization, structure, and discipline he brought to the monastic life, he is known as the Founder of Western Monasticism. He is the patron saint of monks, students, farmers, all of Europe, and more. He is also especially known for his intercession against poison, temptations, and witchcraft. His feast day is July 11th in the Latin rite, while the Benedictines celebrate his feast on March 21st. | Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot Reading 1 Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9 Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them,
the farther they went from me,
Sacrificing to the Baals
and burning incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer. My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again;
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you. Responsorial Psalm PS 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16 R. (4b) Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken.
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see:
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted,
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. Alleluia Mk 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:7-15 Jesus said to his Apostles:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 10:7-15 The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:7) In the ancient world, a conquering ruler would send out emissaries to neighboring cities that he wanted to absorb into his territory. These heralds would announce the incoming kingdom and proclaim the power and glory of the king. This was both an invitation (You, too, can come under the protection of so great an empire) and a threat (If you refuse, your city will be destroyed). In today's Gospel, Jesus sends out his twelve apostles to announce his kingdom of heaven in much the same way. But instead of making a show of military power to instill fear, the apostles bring a power that liberates everyone who welcomes them. And rather than subjecting people to oppression, where the strong trample the weak, the ministers of this heavenly kingdom pay special attention to the weak. They seek out people who are sick, outcast, and oppressed by evil spirits, and they offer them healing, love, and freedom. Jesus is bringing in a new kind of kingdom! Imagine living in one of these Jewish villages when the apostles arrive! This pair of poor, uneducated men enter your town and proclaim, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 10:7). Even more amazing, they begin to perform great deeds in the name of someone named Jesus. What excitement and hope you would feel! You would rush to them and bring them your many needs. You would cast aside the cloth you usually use to hide your ugly sores and ask one of them to touch your wounds. You would tell your sick sister or tormented brother to come meet these followers of Jesus who carry the power of God. Today Jesus is still sending out his servants who proclaim the same kingdom and offer the same grace and power that flow from Christ himself. He comes to you through the Church and her ministers. He comes to you in the life-changing words of Scripture and the grace of the sacraments. And he comes through the kind deeds and prayers of ordinary disciples. Do not hide your sin or weakness, your disillusionment or sickness, but run to meet Jesus! In him you will find mercy, healing, and forgiveness. The kingdom is here! "Lord, may your kingdom come in my life today." Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16 |  Hear AI Read it to you. Updated 7/10/24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Jesus said to his Apostles:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give......" end quote. | It is the time of the Apostles. What do I mean? It means that exactly what our Lord told them applies to us, and we must invoke their help from the heavens today. Our apostles need our help too. How?
Remember, that those 12 Apostles laid their hands on the next ones, and today, we have direct laying of hands to our present day descendants, the Catholic Bishops. There used to be a day, when we would kiss our father's hands. I remember kissing my dad's hand for a while, then that custom stopped. There was a day when you would have to kiss the hand of the king. And there was always a day when the parishioner would kiss the hand of the priest. All of that seems to have fallen to the wayside. The fatherhood issue has then become an issue. There are many who could care less for the fathers, whether the blood father or the spiritual father, and this is bad and sad, because it is supposed to be a sign for our relation with our Father in Heaven. So it is kind of a big deal.
And this is where I'd like to go to next.
Our God is inexplicable. Immense is He who forms all life. His design of life and the universe is amazing. Billions of souls and billions of galaxies, and who knows how many universes there could be.
Yet He cares for the sparrow, and if that is true, how much more He cares for you.
What is God? It is not right to ask. Because the question can only be answered if we ask, "WHO" is God. It is being that ties us with Him and one another. We should take heart then, and faith, because this inexplicable Father, Creator God, has formed His masterpiece, this beautiful world of ages, of millions and billions of years. The world teaches problems and makes you focus on problems so that you become short sighted. But God speaks in volumes of centuries and millenniums. For God to truly speak to us, we'd need a few thousand years to understand a few of His words. That's how amazing He is. Moses didn't understand, He just had faith. Abraham didn't understand, he just had faith. Adam our earthly father didn't understand, he too just had faith. This is why the language of Heaven hinges on obedience for us beings. That we may always be the being with and for and in God our Creator.
So when He asks to go out to the world and preach: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' and then He goes on to say: "Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons."
Jesus our Lord, Son of Man did just that. And Jesus our Lord commanded us to do the same, and even more.
We cannot be short sided, focused on trivial things. We must be people of faith, and of great faith, therefore, of great love of our Father in Heaven. Imagine yourself so beloved like a baby in the palm of His hand, that's how He loves and sees.
This love, this unexplainable love from God, it is worth trusting, isn't it? It is worth loving back. And if we obey, we will go heal. Raise the dead. Preach His Word, His Will. We will do everything our priests and bishops ask. We will be a people of God, and we have the living heart of God and His blood among us. Blood of Jesus, course through our hearts ! Come alive! | Amazing Love:
Random Bible Verse 1
1 Corinthians 15:58 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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