"María Auxiliadora Entera" ("Mary Help of Christians") was commissioned by St. John Bosco in 1865. Bosco asked Italian artist Tommaso Andrea Lorenzone to complete this painting for the main altar in Turin's Basilica of Mary Help of Christians † Quote of the Day "We find ourselves in this earth as in a tempestuous sea, in a desert, in a vale of tears. Now then, Mary is the Star of the Sea, the solace of our desert, the light that guides us towards heaven." — St. John Bosco Today's Meditation "Christ not only was obedient to His heavenly Father by giving up His life on the cross, He continues this obedience by remaining with us in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. That is His greatest triumph of love, which according to His promise, He will fulfill until the end of the world. Our Lord, glorified in heaven, yet wishing to abide with us in unceasing unity, is obedient to the first invocation of the priest, who in His name, repeats the words of consecration: "This is my body...this is my blood" (Matthew 26:26,28). Christ does not look upon the person who utters these words, nor upon his degree of perfection, but He is obedient to every priest without exception, in order to descend on our altars and give Himself to us entirely." —Mother Raphael Lubowidzka of the sweetest Heart of Jesus, CSFN, p.65-66
An excerpt from 100 Holy Hours for Women Daily Verse "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult." — Psalm 46: 1-3 | St. John Don Bosco St. John Bosco (1815–1888) was born in Italy to a poor farming family. His father died when he was two, leaving his religious instruction to his pious mother. At the age of nine he had his first of many powerful visions which would come throughout his life. In it, Jesus and the Virgin Mary showed him that he was to instruct poor, wayward boys and bring them back to God. John eventually joined the priesthood, paying his way through school with odd jobs. As a priest he began ministering to the poor and neglected boys of Turin, Italy, who were driven to desperate conditions in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Many of these street boys ended up in prison as teenagers. Don Bosco became a mentor and spiritual director to them, helping them to live a life of virtue and saving many from a future of crime and poverty. He met with them as a group - called the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales - and catechized them as a kindly spiritual father. He also established the Salesians of Don Bosco, priests and brothers who minister to and educate boys under the patronage of the great spiritual director, St. Francis de Sales. Don Bosco is the patron saint of boys, laborers, young people, students, and Mexican young people. His feast day is January 31st. | Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest • Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest Reading 1 Hebrews 10:32-39 Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. For, after just a brief moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay. But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.
We are not among those who draw back and perish,
but among those who have faith and will possess life. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40 R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the LORD sustains him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Alleluia Matthew 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 4:26-34 Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come." He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Mark 4:26-34 The smallest of all the seeds . . . springs up and becomes the largest of plants. (Mark 4:31, 32) A rabbi from an insignificant town begins traveling around Galilee to announce that the kingdom of God is at hand. He speaks with authority, heals people of diseases, and performs amazing miracles. Then he goes to Jerusalem, where he is put to death on a cross between two criminals. End of story? Hardly! It's amazing to think that this rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, now has billions of followers all over the world. Who would have guessed that the kingdom he was announcing would grow to the size it is today? And it is still growing! In today's Gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (Mark 4:31). And he himself is that mustard seed! Like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, this smallest of seeds "produces much fruit" (John 12:24). There would have been no fruit if Jesus had simply died; he would have been long forgotten. But he rose from the dead and still lives among us. That's why God's kingdom has become "the largest of plants" (Mark 4:32). Even to this day, Jesus is touching people's hearts and leading them to himself. That's why we hear conversion stories of formerly hardened atheists. That's why Christianity is exploding in parts of the world like Africa and Asia. And that's why lay movements and other groups are forming and flourishing, even in places where the practice of the faith is declining. Christ is now and will always be at work among us. So don't get discouraged! You can certainly detect signs of unbelief around you and in the culture at large. But don't let that blind you to the fact that God is still setting people's hearts on fire. Remember, Jesus and his small band of rough and uneducated followers became a worldwide Church that has endured through two thousand years. All because of a "mustard seed" that gave rise to a plant so large that many "can dwell in its shade" (Mark 4:31, 32). "Jesus, I trust you to continue to lead people to yourself!" Hebrews 10:32-39
Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "He said, "To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron:
"C.S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire, sneaking behind enemy lines. How was European Christianity established? Through the handful of people that listened to St. Paul in Philippi and Athens. How did the mighty Franciscan movement come to be? One odd, mystical kid who heard a voice coming from a crucifix: "Francis, rebuild my Church, which is falling into ruin." A handful of followers joined him in his quixotic project, then dozens, then hundreds, then thousands.
So don't be afraid to do small things at the prompting of God! Plant the seed, make the move, take the risk—take even the smallest step, and don't worry about who notices or how much attention you're getting. Sow the seed and leave the rest to the mercy and providence of God..." end quote Bishop Barron.
From Roberto Juarez:
"The parable of the seed that grows alone teaches us to trust that God works in the time and manner He intends. Even if we don't always understand His plan, we can be certain that the Kingdom is growing in our world and in our lives. Do I trust God's timing, even when I don't see immediate results?
The mustard seed invites us to value small gestures and acts of faith that, although they may seem insignificant, can have an enormous impact. Am I sowing small seeds of kindness, love, and justice in my daily life?
Growing a seed takes time and care. So too, our spiritual life and the building of the Kingdom of God require patience, prayer, and concrete actions. Am I patient in my journey of faith and persevering in good?
Roberto Juárez....." end quote.
Our Lord said a parable before the parable of the mustard seed, and it was also about a seed, a plant that grows, and how it grows nobody knows, but when it gives fruit, it is cut, it is harvested.
Yesterday, we had a quick birthday cake for one of our boys, Jayden. The plan was to have cake after we prayed the 3pm Divine Mercy Prayer we pray at homeschooling. As I was walking in, I kept thinking of how I wish I would've been able to buy something for my boy to give personally. His siblings had all bought him something and my wife too, saying it was from both of us. As I thought these things, I thought "everything Jayden has was provided by me, the house built, the jobs that gave all the kids money to buy him a gift, and so, this is how it must be with God, we don't see direct gifts, but they are indirect, passed on from our Father above, all those things we thrive in, we live in God's bounty and gifts. We don't know how, but so it is, in God.
Perhaps the smallest of things make the biggest of difference.
Think of the small thing that evil enters into our world with...as the time of Adam and Eve...what was the seed of the devil? That seed it used is called "doubt". All it took was to plant doubt into people's hearts. Faithless...less faith, to make us going into a chaotic world of despair.
Now, on the inverse, think about the seed of God. What is the seed of God? The word. The word that is made flesh. It is a real seed. Instead of tearing apart, it builds up, and up some more, breaking through the hard ground and reaching the heavens, like a tree.
That is the faith seed in you and me. We were born to thrive. How we will survive, only God knows. And it will be like this in the next life, to the millionth degree. We will definitely know the life source, the creator God, the awesome God in all His glory. But we must not wait to grow in love with Him, we would be wise to do it here and now, instead of wasting away, and not bearing fruit for the world....and God's Kingdom. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 43:2 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
