† Quote of the Day "Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words. If they escape your lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy, since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on you will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself wrong. It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what is good. It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to flight." St. Francis of Paola Today's Meditation "When he was younger, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself to military service. When he heard the call of Christ, he realized that his call was to fight a spiritual battle. His armor and weapons were virtue and a life guided by the Spirit of God. Do I consider my spiritual life to be a type of battle against the forces of evil?"
—Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM, p.164
Cover image from the book, Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit
An Excerpt From Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit
Recommended Products Daily Verse "Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19 | St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397 A.D.) was born into a pagan family in what is now Hungary. He was raised in Italy where his father, a senior officer in the Roman army, was stationed. At the age of ten Martin joined the Church as a catechumen soon after Christianity was legalized across the Roman Empire. Taking after his father, he joined the cavalry at the age of fifteen and was stationed in Gaul. At one point during his time of service he encountered a poor beggar who lacked adequate clothing on a cold winter day. St. Martin took his sword and cut his heavy woolen officer cloak in half, and gave the other half to the beggar. Following this act of charity, St. Martin had a vision in which he saw Jesus wearing the portion of his cloak he gave to the beggar, while telling the angels that it was Martin who had clothed him. After this vision Martin sought baptism, at the age of eighteen, and proclaimed himself a soldier for Christ. He left the military and adopted the penitential life of a hermit, attracting followers which eventually resulted in the founding of a monastery. St. Martin gained a reputation for holiness and performing miracles so that, when the bishop of Tours died, the people demanded that Martin take his place. As bishop he continued his austere life, took great care to train holy priests, destroyed pagan worship sites, and worked to spread Christianity throughout his diocese. St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of cavalry, soldiers, innkeepers, horses and riders, beggars, and those in need. His feast day is November 11th. | Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop Reading 1 Ti 1:1-9 Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ
for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.
For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Alleluia Phil 2:15d, 16a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 17:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him." And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
| Daily Meditation: Philippians 3:17–4:1 He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body. (Philippians 3:21) Did you know that St. Francis of Assisi sometimes referred to his body as "Brother Ass"? By calling it "Brother," he made it clear that he saw his body as essentially good—it's God's gift, after all. But he included "Ass" because experience told him that his body could be as obstinate as a donkey. Like all of us, he knew that his body didn't always cooperate with him, just as donkeys don't always cooperate! St. Paul would agree with Francis. There were times when he talked about having to "drive" and "train" his own body (1 Corinthians 9:27). He compared the Christian life to athletic training (2 Timothy 2:5). And in today's first reading, he weeps over those whose "God is their stomach" and whose "minds are occupied with earthly things." He says that their preoccupation with physical pleasure, if taken too far, can even lead to their "destruction" (Philippians 3:19). But that's not all Paul says. In the very next breath, he says that by the power of his resurrection, Jesus can transform our "lowly" earthly bodies into heavenly, "glorified" bodies (Philippians 3:21). Jesus didn't come just to save our souls; he came to save every part of us, including our stubborn, willful "Brother Ass" bodies! This is the promise of the gospel message. When we finally meet the Lord, we will be filled, body and soul, with his unending, glorious, divine life. We will know, in our bodies and our souls, a joy and peace that are beyond comprehension. Not only will we be freed from sickness and death, but we will no longer experience our bodies trying to push us or pull us in the wrong direction. They will be perfected—and they will be perfectly in sync with our desire to worship and serve the Lord. So when you feel your body tugging you the wrong way, follow Paul's advice and "stand firm in the Lord" (Philippians 4:1). Remember the future that awaits you, and let the power of Jesus' resurrection strengthen you and give you his peace. "Jesus, help me to keep my gaze fixed on your promise to glorify me, body and soul!" Psalm 122:1-5
Luke 16:1-8 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him........" end Gospel quote, word of the Lord. | From a Spanish reflection today;
"In a few verses, Luke's Gospel links three teachings: about scandal, about forgiveness and about faith. There seems to be no obvious connection other than the need for faith to put into practice what the Master proposes. Faith is necessary to avoid scandal and to forgive offenses... up to seventy times seven! A faith that produces something as improbable as a mulberry tree planted in the sea.
It is not possible for scandal to stop occurring. The word scandal comes from the Latin scandalum, taken in turn from the Greek to skandalon, which means a trap or obstacle to make someone fall. We can always, even without wanting to, be an obstacle, a stumbling block for others. A long time ago, in preaching, we almost only heard (and feared) the atrocious condemnation that weighed on those who morally harmed children. We know that "little ones," in Jesus' words, are not only those of a young age, but those who are least considered socially. However, perhaps today we should take them specifically in relation to children.
Apparently, in our, let's call it that, culture, there is concern and care to protect children from danger, abuse, mistreatment, abandonment... Laws, protocols, social services, educational institutions seem to take the issue very seriously and it seems that the more rights are proclaimed, the more we see, horrified, how the problems grow. We read news about abused children, children with premature sexual experiences, pregnant minors, children with addictions, children under twelve who watch pornography, children in psychological treatment, with traumas, with suicidal tendencies.
Reading this and evoking those sermons, I remembered a phrase from C.S. Lewis in his work "The Abolition of Man": we remove the organ and demand the function. In effect, we would like a happy childhood, healthy in body and soul, educated to desire goodness, righteousness, improvement. At the same time, we accept with resignation or indifference a dirty world, an environment of "anything goes if I feel like it", total permissiveness and complacency with evil, who knows if so as not to be retrograde or intolerant. How can we demand the works of a good heart if we do not prevent this environment from "extirpating" it? We can scandalize children and adults by our bad examples and also and above all by keeping quiet, by not denouncing, by not defending the truth of the human being, in short. Let us not scandalize by omission."
End quote from Virginia Fernández.
Thank you sister Viginia, whoever you are, and the Holy Spirit working within.
At my cursillo, 20 years ago, I still remember fondly things that were said. One of them was Padre Andres when he said in spanish "words can attract souls, but our examples can drag souls to heaven!".
How many souls on earth can you "drag" to Heaven?
Some souls will go kicking and screaming, like a child forced to take medicine. We must be insistent, like St. Augustine's mother, Saint Monica, who persisted incessantly until he finally converted and became a saint. We must not follow the advice of many modern day theologians or psychiatrists that say "once the kids are out of the house, you are free from obligation". These are lies from the pits of hell.
We are always leaders, even if you do not believe to be so.
You're lifestyle, the way you carry yourself, your words, your actions, your thoughts, it all matters in the master equation, and they all make a difference. Yes, the world belongs to King Jesus, not you. And yes, the world will ultimately end in His favor. But it is how it will come to be through you and me that matters now.
In comes faith, the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. I say to you, remove the mountains of doubt, fear, and anxiety. I say to you, have faith. And this will equate to a great love that moves mountains. Both for God and all those we encounter. Salvation is at hand, when His Kingdom is at hand. |  audio | Amazing.. Random Bible Verse 1
John 1:12 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
