† Quote of the Day "Reading the Holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God." — St. Isidore of Seville Today's Meditation "Man was created for a certain end. This end is to praise, to reverence and to serve the Lord his God and by this means to arrive at eternal salvation. All other beings and objects that surround us on the earth were created for the benefit of man and to be useful to him, as means to his final end; hence his obligation to use, or to abstain from the use of, these creatures, according as they bring him nearer to that end, or tend to separate him from it." —St. Ignatius of Loyola, p. 18
An excerpt from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Daily Verse "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." — Matthew 7:7-8 | St. Simeon Stylites The Younger St. Simeon Stylites the Younger (521-596 A.D.) was born in Antioch in ancient Syria (present-day Turkey). Like his namesake and predecessor, Simeon was drawn from a young age to a life of penance and austerity out of his great love for God. His mother was considered a saint. As a young boy he attached himself to a monastery of hermits. Their spiritual director, John, lived night and day at the top of a tall pillar, or "style", within the monastery enclosure. The holy hermits who lived in this manner, separated from the world on top of a pillar, were called "stylites." Simeon the Younger imitated John and lived on a smaller pillar erected near his larger one. Simeon continued to live in this way on three different pillars, each one higher than the next, from boyhood until his death. His final pillar was 12 meters high. During his life he was ordained a deacon and a priest. Disciples gathered around him and would climb a ladder to receive Holy Communion from his hands. He worked many miracles during the course of his life. Hearing of his great sanctity, people came from distant countries for his blessings, cures, prophesies, and spiritual advice. After his death his pillar remained a place of pilgrimage, the ruins of which still exist today. His feast day is May 24. | Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jas 5:9-12 Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your "Yes" mean "Yes" and your "No" mean "No,"
that you may not incur condemnation. Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12 R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful. Alleluia See Jn 17:17b, 17a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 10:1-12 Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."
| Daily Meditation: Mark 10:1-12 The two shall become one flesh. (Mark 10:8) When Jesus talks about marriage in today's Gospel, he reaches all the way back, beyond the Law of Moses, to the Book of Genesis. He tells some Pharisees that Moses permitted a bill of divorce, but that divorce was never God's intention. When a man and woman are joined together as husband and wife, God makes them "one flesh" (Mark 10:8). "Therefore," Jesus adds, "what God has joined together, no human being must separate" (10:9). However, we know that reality often falls far short of this ideal. We are all subject to sin, which leads to discord and division. Even when couples have the best of intentions, they can sometimes reach an impasse in their relationship that they can't seem to overcome. Sadly, there are also times when a spouse is at risk of abuse and must leave the marriage. This is a tragedy for all involved, and yet how comforting it is to know that God doesn't withdraw his love from a couple when they divorce. As James writes in today's first reading, "the Lord is compassionate and merciful" (5:11). Jesus continues to pour out his mercy, even when one or the other spouse has sinned or has made decisions that they later regret. He longs for anyone who has experienced divorce to come to him and receive his grace and mercy. So compassionate is the Lord that he even mourns alongside those who are grieving the end of a once-cherished relationship. Jesus also longs to heal the deep-seated wounds that result from a broken marriage. As anyone who is divorced knows, this takes time, prayer, and support from pastors, counselors, and friends. The Church offers such healing through the annulment process. The experience of looking back on the origins of a relationship, though difficult, can provide clarity, closure, and, ultimately, God's healing grace. If you are divorced, be assured of God's love and mercy. If you know someone who is struggling in their marriage or is in the middle of a divorce, provide a listening ear and encourage them to cling to the Lord. Finally, take a moment today to pray for all married couples. May they be witnesses of the great love God has for each one of us! "Jesus, thank you for your mercy, which knows no bounds!" James 5:9-12
Psalm 103:1-4, 8-9, 11-12 |  try to hear it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."....." end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus defines the fundamental sacredness of marriage. I'm convinced that the deep sacramental and religious meaning of marriage—even within the Church—has been, in recent years, dramatically compromised. We say that marriage is a vocation, but do we mean it? We can look at human sexual relationships at a number of different levels. Two people can come together purely for physical pleasure, for economic reasons, or for psychological companionship. And we might witness two people coming together out of authentic love. But none of these levels is what the Bible means by marriage. When I was doing parish work, I would invariably ask young couples, "Why do you want to get married in church?" Most would say something like, "Because we love each other." But I would reply, "Well, that's no reason to get married in church."
They usually looked stunned, but I meant it. You come to church to be married before God and his people when you are convinced that your marriage is not, finally, about you; that it is about God and about serving God's purposes; that it is, as much as the priesthood of a priest, a vocation, a sacred calling." end quote from Bishop Barron.
The word of the Lord is clear, but we like to make mud water by stirring up doubts into it.
Our Lord declares divorce unacceptable. But today we have perhaps the highest divorce rates in history. Perhaps co-habitating hasn't worked out to well? Trying before buying without proper work and research and commitment. Perhaps sex before marriage has not worked too well? Bringing adulterous past experiences into a new one. Perhaps we've been fooled into thinking that marriage is "nice" but not "necessary"? Perhaps we've been tricked into thinking it's just an agreement between two people of any kind? Or even worse, many think you can marry multiple at the same time, or even worse, you can marry an animal, and perhaps the bottom of the list is those that now want to marry themselves! How far have we fallen from God's will! We have fallen very far, we have missed the mark, the very meaning of the word "sin".
A Holy Matrimony is a Holy Sacrament. It has always been from the beginning. When God joined Adam and Eve, things went very deep very quick, for it was God that intervened and saw it fit that a woman would come from the man, and that they would serve each other with the love of God. God is in the midst between it all, it is all about Him!
He designed woman for man. When man enters woman, the two become one, and not only for that moment but out of woman comes a created child from man. Two flesh become one flesh. In case you didn't catch that, it is theology.
God is Man, this is why Jesus calls Himself son of Man. When God the Father entered Adam, out came Eve. But it goes further. Then Adam could enter Eve to give birth in the same manner that God came to Adam to fulfill his desires of not being lonely. And from this onset, a proliferation of the world has ensued.
And it is taken to the next dimension when the new Adam comes into play....Jesus the Christ. Jesus enters us daily, because He is God. He enters the new Eve of the new covenant, His Holy Church, in us all in the Holy Spirit, and in the flesh by means of the Holy Eucharist. And from there, spiritual children are born, and this is why we call a priest "Father" because at the moment of Baptism, the priest is acting in place of Christ. Fathering for the future, for the proliferation of the fire of God's love and Holy Will to be done through you and me.
This is why marriage is important, but Holy Matrimony is the truest meaning of Marriage. What makes a marriage Holy? God does. Therefore, God is the uniting force, and our Father want us united with Him to do His Holy will, for the good of His children.
What people don't advertise is that there are a group of people with an almost zero divorce rate. And it is those Catholics practicing true devotion to Christ as a couple and also their sexuality in natural family planning. It is a very small percentage of Catholics, but they are the ones making the light shine by letting Christ reign in their hearts for the world to see. Me and my wife are trying to be there, and God is holding us together....Love holds us together. He is the glue if we stick to him and let Him stick to us. God comes into the couple that are made one in Holy Marriage, and beautiful fruit begins to bud. Fruit that is food for angels and the Heavens. The goodness, the very love of God Himself. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 17:22 22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
