† Quote of the Day "To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement." — St. Augustine Today's Meditation "Sometimes [Jesus] would decide to spend the night [in the garden of Gethsemane], when He had left the city at a late hour or when He had been long at prayer. Then Gethsemane became a sacred dormitory, and the disciples were privileged to assist at the mystery of Jesus falling into the gentle unconsciousness of sleep while He still kept infinity in His heart. God condescended to lie there resting by the trunk of a tree, His head upon His arms, with His disciples stretched here and there about Him - they, poor mortals, sunk deep in nothingness while He kept heavenly vigil - and John, no doubt, huddled close against his Master, his cheek resting upon His cloak. But the day was to come when Jesus would be there alone, unable to rest His wearied heart upon the soul of the Twelve." –A.G Sertillanges, p. 83-84
An excerpt from What Jesus Saw from the Cross Daily Verse "He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."" — Matthew 22:37-40 | St. Sabas St. Sabas (439-532 A.D.) was born near Caesarea in Cappadocia to an illustrious family. His father was an army officer who, being restationed in Alexandria, left Sabas (along with his estate) in the care of his wife's sister. Sabas was severely mistreated by his aunt, and he fled from her to live with his father's brother instead. This move led to a family feud over the management of his father's estate, and Sabas, a meek child disgusted with their worldliness, sought refuge in a monastery. He was well-treated there, and although only a child, excelled in the monastic life. When he reached the age of eighteen, after living in the monastery for ten years, Sabas traveled to Jerusalem to visit the holy places and to become a desert hermit. He lived in a Jerusalem monastery for a time before dwelling alone in a desert cave near Jericho, spending his days in prayer and penance. Because of his renowned virtue and holiness many men desired to follow his example. He was ordained a priest so that he could better direct the 150 monks in his care. Sabas became an important leader in the early Church by founding monasteries, fighting heresy, and serving in delegations to the Roman Emperor. He is one of the most highly-regarded patriarchs of Palestine, and is considered one of the Fathers of Eastern monasticism. His most important monastery, the Great Laura, is one of the oldest monasteries in the world and is still inhabited by Eastern Orthodox monks. St. Sabas' feast day is December 5th. | Thursday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1 Is 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you." Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor. Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Is 55:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 7:21, 24-27 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 7:21, 24-2 It had been set solidly on rock. (Matthew 7:25) Picture a large flat rock by the ocean, covering a wide expanse of beach. Now imagine the sand nearby. The rock has been there for ages; it hasn't moved or been damaged despite the many storms that have pounded it. The sand, however, is always shifting. Depending on the tides, it can get pushed out to sea and then end up back on the beach in the same day. This image can give you a better understanding of Jesus' parable in today's Gospel. A rock is solid. It doesn't move; it barely changes from year to year. You don't have to worry about it not being able to hold your weight; it won't collapse when you stand on it. Jesus tells this parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount because he wants his listeners, and us, to understand that his teachings are like that rock. You can always count on them because they come from him, who is "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). His word has endured for two thousand years and will, in fact, endure forever (Matthew 24:35). That's why the house "set solidly on rock" can survive any storm (Matthew 7:25). If you are that house, you can survive the storms that come with life in a fallen world: an illness, unemployment, the loss of a loved one. You can also weather the storms that come in the guise of different philosophies and worldviews that are not founded on the rock of Christ. On the surface, many of these philosophies can seem attractive, especially since they are likely to be less demanding. But you won't be swayed because you are firmly grounded in Jesus, the "living stone" (1 Peter 2:4). Perhaps you know someone who has been shaken by the shifting sands beneath them. If so, you might want to remind them of this parable. Tell them how Jesus and his teachings have helped you weather the storms in your life. If you once followed one of these belief systems, tell them how and why you eventually found the Lord. Your witness just might convince them to build their own life on the rock of Christ! "Jesus, thank you for being the firm ground beneath my feet!" Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
_"Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. ......."_ end Gospel quote, word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"...This is the heart of it: if you are rooted in God, then you can withstand anything, precisely because you are linked to that power which is creating the cosmos. You will be blessed at the deepest place, and nothing can finally touch you.
But the one who does not take Jesus' words to heart "will be like the fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." When the inevitable trials come, the life built on pleasure, money, power, or fame will give way.
So the question is a simple one: Where do you stand? How goes it with your heart? On what, precisely, is the whole of your life built?" End quote from Bishop Barron.
From a Spanish reflection today:
"This parable reminds us of the importance of building our lives on the Word of God, because only in this way can we have a solid foundation that helps us stand firm in the midst of the trials and difficulties we face in life. In addition, it invites us to reflect on the importance of obeying Jesus and not just listening to his teachings, so that we can be considered true followers of his.
Matthew teaches us that true faith is demonstrated through our actions, and that it is essential to build our lives on the rock that is the Word of God, in order to be prepared to withstand the storms that may come our way. " end quote from Roberto Juarez.
We heard today from our Lord saying: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
We all think we know someone, like a public figure, or a movie star, you think you know all about them, by all you've heard and read about them. But then, you get to meet them, and everything is different.
I say this, because I am in many ministries and in church and sometimes someone will meet me and greet as if we know each other, and many times I have no idea who they are. I smile back and I keep wondering who they are.
It is different when you get to know me deep inside, about what I really want and care about. You don't know my pains. You don't really know what I am going through at the moment. You are not intimately working with me through life, daily.
And so it can be with our Lord in Heaven. We read so much, we pray so much. But it is different to be intimate with Him and suffering with Him and working with Him daily.
Only those who do the will of Father in Heaven will enter Heaven.
The Book of Heaven is 36 volumes of books, which I have not quite reached the middle yet in audio versions. But the whole thing is all about the will of the Father, and our Lord desiring the will of the Father to be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Our Lord suffers much of the time, and this poor agonizing lady offers her pains for the Lord, as if to take pains away from Him to alleviate Him.
Are you going through pains? Unite them with God's pains. See what happens. Offer them up to God, suffer with Jesus.
Most miracles lack because we really don't want Jesus our King, we just want the benefits but not the King, the Love of God, our brother and father and friend all in one. This is a lack of faith. A lack of real love of the Father, and the will of the Father is tied directly.
And to be tied directly with Him, to be yoked with our Lord, is to be set firm on the rock. Often the most rejected rock, our Lord Himself. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 136:1–3 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
