† Quote of the Day "The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love." — St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus Today's Meditation "It is by endurance that you will secure possession of your souls (Luke 21:18). The possession of a soul means the undisturbed mastery of oneself, which is the secret of inner peace, as distinguished from a thousand agitations which make it fearful, unhappy, and disappointed. Only when a soul is possessed can anything else be enjoyed. Our Lord here meant patience in adversity, trial, and persecution. At the end of three hours on the Cross, He would so possess His soul that He would render it back to the Heavenly Father." —Fulton J. Sheen, p. 322 An excerpt from Life of Christ Daily Verse "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." — Proverbs 23:26 | St. Kevin Of Glendalough St. Kevin of Glendalough (498-618 A.D.) lived in Ireland during the age of the great early Irish saints, many of whom were his contemporaries. He was baptized by St. Cronan, and from age seven was taught by St. Petroc. From age twelve he studied under the Irish monks as a student of St. Eonagh, and eventually became a monk himself. Among his friends were St. Comgall, St. Columba, St. Cannich, and St. Kieran. After his ordination he lived a penitential life as a cave-dwelling hermit for seven years. Word of his holiness spread, and he attracted a group of followers which led him to found the famous monastery at Glendalough. Because of his fame this remote spot became a town and then a city, with offshoots of several other monastic foundations rising up around it. He served as abbot at Glendalough, and once the monastery was well-established he withdrew to live as a hermit again for four years. He was then called back to Glendalough, and continued to serve as abbot there until his death at age 120. St. Kevin has many legends surrounding him involving wild animals obeying his commands, seeking him for refuge, and helping him feed others. St. Kevin is the patron of blackbirds, Glendalough, the Archdiocese of Dublin, and he is one of the patron saints of Ireland. His feast day is June 3rd.
Find a devotional for this saint | Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs Reading 1 2 Pt 1:2-7 Beloved:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance
through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has bestowed on us
everything that makes for life and devotion,
through the knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and power.
Through these, he has bestowed on us
the precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature,
after escaping from the corruption that is in the world
because of evil desire.
For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16 R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
I will deliver him and glorify him;
with length of days I will gratify him
and will show him my salvation.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust. Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 12:1-12 Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
| Daily Meditation: 2 Peter 1:2-7 You . . . share in the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) As a boy, José was fascinated with outer space—so much so that he dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut. But growing up as a child of migrant workers, his dream seemed naïve. However, with the support of his parents and teachers, and despite eleven rejections from NASA, José Hernandez persisted until he did become an astronaut. Then, on August 28, 2009, he joined the mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery and fulfilled his lifelong dream—to travel among the stars! Like José, we all have an innate desire for things that may seem impossible. We dream of a world without hunger and war. We hope for a life without heartache or death. And while we might dismiss these dreams as naïve or unrealistic, the truth is that they are God's dreams as well. They point us to something that God himself has placed in us. In today's first reading, Peter writes that we "share in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). That means that God's dreams can become our dreams, too. And what is God's dream? That his kingdom of love, peace, and freedom would be established in our hearts and all over the earth. We may not see that kingdom fully until we get to heaven, but we can see it unfolding right here and now. What's more, we can help make this dream a reality as we develop the gifts God has given us and put them to use. For example, are you eager to see an end to hunger? Maybe the Lord is inviting you to spend time preparing meals and sharing them with people who are less fortunate. Are you longing to see people experience peace in their hearts? Maybe God is preparing you to start a Bible study or a monthly time of Adoration at your parish. While you may not see an end to hunger or world peace in your lifetime, remember that these are God's dreams as well, and he's working to bring them about—through you and so many people like you! So like José, use your gifts and persevere. If enough believers follow that model, then who knows how much good we could do? The sky's the limit! "Lord, thank you for your divine nature present in me. Show me how I can help to make your dreams become a reality." Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16
Mark 12:1-12 |  HEAR it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?"
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away......." end quote. | What is the vineyard of the Lord?
It is a place where labor is involved. Ownership is involved. And in this case, where the workers takeover the vineyard. As if the Kingdom of God was ours for the taking? Yet, that's what we do when we begin to try to interpret the scriptures for ourselves, and thus, allowing our own permissions to enter, and this means the allowance of evil to rule.
And there is a real danger in allowing evil in, in any degree, because over time, like centuries, we can become ignorant and obstinate in our sin. So obstinate that we are blind to the original goal that God has in mind for all of us that are baptized priests in His name, and in His blood.
I say this because, I see a few that are so obstinate in their relentless uncharitable ways. They think they are so right, but I know they are so wrong! They can't forgive! They won't do what God wants! They persist in their sin! They even get mad if I approach them with the truth, threatening to kick me out of their lives! And this is Christ. The Truth comes and wants to live in us all. But how often do we rather want to shut Him up, and shut Him out of our lives so we can live how we want to, in our own interpretations of Scripture? Who is taking over the temple? Who took over the Jewish temple? Why wouldn't they listen to God Himself in Jesus?
Who is taking over your temple today? Why can't you listen to His voice? Why is it so hard to even hear Him?
It wasn't the powerful Roman Empire that took over. It never is an outside force. It is always the inside forces that do all the works.
What takes over you? What do you allow to rule your life? What morals? What ruler? Who takes over what should be God's Kingdom? There is a very, VERY powerful ruler in the world, the power of evil and darkness. It did not destroy the Jewish people and their temple. No. We should fear the one that did destroy their temple and their ability to sacrifice. It was Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.
It was the tower of Babylon all over again. They had built themselves up to the skies to override and oversee the vineyard just as our Lord had said they would. But the Lord destroyed Babylon and dispersed them all. This is what the Holy Spirit did.
Soon after His Holy Spirit would make them disperse all over the world to proclaim His message, not ours. To spread the flame of love all over the world, the very light that gives life.
How can we avoid repeating history? Learn. Listen and learn. Aren't you tired of your evil ways? Soften your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let His blood flow from Heaven inside of you. He wants to reign! He wants the vineyard to give fruit for Him! He is God! How hard is it for you to hit your knees and pray more and more each day? Make your body do what your soul wants to do! Praise and worship, and render your heart in humility to God!
This month is the month of the Sacred heart of Jesus.
May His Sacred Heart by our precious love forever. O Sacrament most Holy, / O Sacrament Divine, / All praise and all thanksgiving, / Be every moment thine! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Philippians 3:13–14 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
