† Quote of the Day "Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul." — St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus Today's Meditation "Nothing is sweeter than love; nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing more generous, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in Heaven or on earth; for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created." —Thomas a' Kempis, p. 87
An excerpt from Imitation of Christ Daily Verse "Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." — Isaiah 26:3-4 | St. Fiacre St. Fiacre (d. 670 A.D.) was born in Ireland and was raised from childhood in an Irish monastery. There he grew in knowledge as well as holiness, and became a priest. He retired to a hermitage to live in prayer and solitude, but men began to flock to him to imitate his way of life and become his disciples. To escape them, Fiacre left Ireland to establish a new hermitage in France. He went to the bishop and asked for land to plant a garden to grow food as well as herbs for medicinal healing, a science which he studied in the monastery. The bishop agreed to give Fiacre as much land as he could entrench. Fiacre picked a plot of land and walked around its perimeter, dragging his shovel behind him. Wherever his spade touched the ground, the land was miraculously cleared and the soil became entrenched. St. Fiacre lived a life of great mortification in prayer, fasting, vigils, and manual labor in his garden. Disciples gathered around him again, and soon formed a monastery. St. Fiacre then built an oratory in honor of the Virgin Mary, a hospice in which he received strangers, and a cell for his own dwelling. His fame for performing miracles became widespread, and his garden became a place of pilgrimage for centuries for those seeking healing. St. Fiacre is best known as the patron of gardeners, florists, and cab drivers. His feast day is August 30th. | Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 429
Reading 1 1 Cor 1:17-25 Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside. Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11 R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Alleluia Lk 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour." | Daily Meditation: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24) "Jesus, my Savior, I believe that you are the power and wisdom of God. But it can be so hard to understand what this means. Many times, the way you show your power and wisdom doesn't make much sense to me. "You are the omnipotent Creator of the universe. So why did you come to us as a helpless infant? When I think of you, born in such a humble setting, dependent on Mary and Joseph, you don't seem so powerful. But as I look with the perspective of the Holy Spirit, I see how much you love us. You wanted to share every aspect of our human nature, the laugher and the tears, the hard work and the weariness, the satisfaction and the disappointment. In your wisdom, you showed us what it looks like to be a fully human son of God! "Lord, some of the things you said didn't make much sense to me at first. Is it really wise to love my enemies and turn the other cheek toward someone who strikes me? Is there really no limit to the number of times you expect me to forgive someone who wrongs me? But now I see that this is how you loved us from the cross, even when we were your enemies. This is how you forgive me, by showing patience with all my mistakes and sins. The wisdom of your teachings lived out—most directly through your suffering, death, and resurrection—shows your Father's power to overcome evil. "When I look at the wars and violence in the world around me, Jesus, I wonder why you don't intervene with your power to set everything right. I ask myself how you can bring anything good out of the prejudice, greed, and exploitation that ravage your people. But I am coming to understand that it's when I see with your eyes that I can start to make sense out of it all. Even when I don't understand now, I know that all my questions will one day be answered. You have the power to bring good out of everything, even woe. And in your wisdom, you will do it." "Lord, I place my trust in your tenacious and overwhelming love for me." Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Matthew 25:1-13 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps........."_ end quote. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, our Gospel today is the parable that compares the kingdom of heaven with "ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." This is an image borrowed from the customs of the time. The bridesmaids would wait for the groom and, upon his appearance, accompany him.
Well, this is the Christian community, waiting for Christ the groom to arrive. Did Jesus tell this parable because he knew that his Church would be in for a long period of waiting? We are wise in our waiting if we pray on a regular basis; if we educate ourselves in the faith; if we participate in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; if we perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; if we become people of love. We are foolish in our waiting if we neglect these things. And here is one of the hardest truths of this parable: the divine life, so cultivated, cannot simply be shared with another at the last minute. The wise virgins are not being difficult and self-absorbed when they tell their friends that they can't help them. A saint can't simply infuse his life into another; it just doesn't work that way...... " end quote Bishop Barron.
Give us some of your oil! The unprepared virgins pleaded. But it was not possible. It's as if they shouted "give us your grace and holiness" and it is not possible. You have to have your own grace and holiness, a unique treasure and gift for God. The wise virgins preserved themselves, they didn't waste the oil of their lives away, they saved it for the groom, Jesus.
So many of us waste our lives away with worries and make life immensely complex. But there is only one thing to worry about...the love of God and the love of neighbor.
I'm in charge of dozens of employees, and I am in a dozen ministries it seems, and we have 8 children. Things can get pretty complex pretty quick. So how do I make it?
Right now, as I type, my mind is set on the one thing that matters...Christ. As soon as I finish the reflection, I will go to daily Mass at a nursing home today. And then, my day will have reached its maximum in life. Everything else will be less, because He makes our burdens light, and He is light in the dark, and "Christ and I are an overwhelming majority" we learn in the cursillo.
Every moment counts. The foolish virgins, sure, they preserved themselves but...not for God, perhaps just for their outward appearance. They wanted to look good, but they were dark when it came time for the groom, and darkness does not belong in Heaven.
In my vision of our Lord in His agony, in a cursillo, I looked around to see who was around me. In the flesh I knew I was surrounded by men, but all I saw in my vision were lights, as if I could see souls. Some were small lights, some were brighter lights, but I was astonished that not all were lit up.
This is how it is in church. Many people go, but not many are lit up.
It is then, my job and your job to light up the world. For our Lord said it Himself in Luke 12: "I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!"
How will this come to be? Obedience, yes, but with humility.
That the world may know, we are one, with Him. Holy Spirit, light our souls on fire for the love of God our Father! |  audio | WOW. How Awesome
Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 6:34 [Matthew 6] 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
