† Quote of the Day "In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction." — St. John of the Cross Today's Meditation "From the natural point of view we come to know God from the vestiges of Himself that He has left in the splendors of the visible universe: the blazing red sunset, the snow-covered mountain peaks, the graceful flight of a bird, the breathtakingly magnificent complexity of a single living cell. On a still more exalted level we know Him in the loveliness of the saints – but it remains a knowledge of the infinite through the finite." —Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 188-89 Daily Verse "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." — 1 John 2:15-17 | Saint Macarius Of Jerusalem St. Macarius of Jerusalem (4th c.) was the Bishop of Jerusalem from 312-335 A.D. Little is known of his life before this time. He took part in the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and vigorously opposed the Arian heresy, which greatly threatened the early Church. It is believed that he was one of the bishops who helped draft the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius, his contemporary, refers to Macarius as an example of "the honest and simple style of apostolical men." After the council, St. Macarius accompanied St. Helen, the queen mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, in her successful search for the True Cross that Jesus was crucified upon. It was he who suggested to St. Helen that she would identify the real Cross by touching all three of those she found to a seriously ill woman, and observe which one brought immediate healing. Following the discovery of the True Cross in this miraculous manner, Constantine wrote to Bishop Macarius requesting that he oversee the construction of a magnificent church in Jerusalem, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, to commemorate the sites of the Crucifixion and Burial of Christ, which still exists today as one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites in the world. His feast day is March 10th. | Reading 1 Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 The LORD said to Moses,
"Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. "You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD. "You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD. "You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake.
I am the LORD. "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple. R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye. R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just. R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. Verse Before the Gospel 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 25:31-46 Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs? (Matthew 25:44) The disciples' heads must have been spinning! Jesus had been making frightening predictions of destruction and telling parables about the final judgment (Matthew 24:3–25:13). Imagine how troubled they felt by all these warnings about the end of the age. They must have wondered, What are we supposed to do to be ready? How can we survive? In today's Gospel, Jesus gives one of the best answers: to see him in people who lack basic necessities—and to take care of them. Jesus tells his disciples, and us, that God will judge all of us based on how we live out the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). He specifically calls us to feed the hungry, to show hospitality to the stranger, and to visit the sick and imprisoned. Jesus identifies himself so closely with people in need that he calls them "brothers" and tells us that whatever we do for "these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). Every day Jesus comes to us in our suffering brothers and sisters and asks us to care for them. Imagining how Jesus might speak to us about this, St. Augustine wrote, Would that you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore, you have found nothing in my presence. (Sermon 18) As we begin Lent, we are all trying to open our hearts to God's grace. What better way than to obey Jesus' words in today's Gospel? First, to see Jesus when we encounter a brother or sister in need. And second, to minister to Jesus' needs by taking care of that person. It can be as simple as offering a cup of cold water or visiting someone who is sick. Every day, God is giving us opportunities to see and love Jesus in his people facing challenges. As we care for them, we will move one step closer to our Lord and to his heavenly kingdom. "Holy Spirit, help me to see Jesus in people who are suffering and to respond generously to their needs." Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm 19:8-10, 15 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life......." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Those who have not practiced mercy are condemned, not for having done wrong, but for their indifference to the suffering of others.
Jesus does not speak of great sins, but of the lack of love and compassion as that which distances us from God.
Am I indifferent to the suffering of those around me? • How am I living charity? Do I care about those in need or do I walk by without helping? • How do I view Jesus in my daily life? Only in prayer and church, or also in people who suffer? • Am I willing to make this Lent a time of love and service to others? Lord Jesus,
Teach me to see you in every person who suffers,
to serve with generosity and love,
not to be indifferent to the pain of my brothers.
May this Lent transform my heart
and help me to live according to your will.
Amen...." end quote.
Bishop Robert Barron said today: "Much of Mother Teresa's day was taken up with prayer, meditation, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Rosary, but the rest of her time, as we well know, was spent in the grittiest work among the poorest of the poor, practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Fr. Paul Murray, the Irish Dominican spiritual writer and sometime advisor to Mother Teresa, relates the following story. He was one day in deep conversation with Mother, searching out the sources of her spirituality and mission. At the end of their long talk, she asked him to spread his hand out on the table and, touching his fingers one by one as she spoke, she said, "You did it to me......" end quote.
My brothers and my sisters, our Lord is calling us out is He not?
Before I go on, thank you if you happened to have prayed for us at the men's conference. There was something that is inexplicable that happened, I noticed all of us, couple of hundred men, were zoned in, all focused at the task, the talks, and the issuing of God's graces that were at hand. Because of that, many of us left somehow naturally engaged. One young man came up after and was playing with my son's guitar, and I asked him if he knew how to play. He said yes. The next day, yesterday, a Sunday, I invited him to join me at the nursing home to visit the sick and the lonely as we do weekly with my family. He said a naturally engaged yes. When we met inside, I said "I come here to see Jesus". And we began making the rounds, the first was on a covid lockdown, the next was a memory care unit, with all ready and lined up to see us. It went well, with one lady that seems strange and mad coming up to my face making for awkward moments, but I'd turn her attention to the songs and prayers and then she'd start singing and praising, and then she'd wonder off, and the cycle would start over again. One of the awkward moments as she stared into my eyes with her clear blue eyes, I thought "You know what Jesus, if this is you, then I'm singing into your eyes and into your heart Your praises". She settled, and praised, and clapped, as if to help me lead much like when my little daughter comes and does singing and so forth. After sharing the Word of God and singing, one lady said to the visiting guitar the brother, "next time you come and sing!".
I told him, "it is a sacrifice for us to be here, but for them, it is everything, it changes everything, their day, even their week."
What's more, it is a day to keep the entire day holy, not just an hour for Mass.
I take scripture to heart. The Lord says "sing a new song!". And I do it. Even writing about a 100 songs. The Lord says "Visit the prisoner" and I do it, visiting the prisoners, although its been a while lately. But yesterday, after the nursing home, a choir brother wanted to discuss something so I met him at church, and as that meeting ended a tall man walked in looking for Father, he seemed distressed, and the choir bro walked out dismissing himself. I had to sit alone with the distressed man, who said he needed to talk to someone and Father was supposed to meet him 30 minutes ago.
I probed him a little, offering to help his duress. I cannot tell you the details, but in a nutshell, an ex convict, that is in dire need of connecting with God and there is no connection.
Tough, just remembering. Now the prisoner comes to me. Now what? My mind was just searching, I looked to our Altar through the chapel glass windows, for help. "God, you know I have been drained from the conference, my spirit, is empty, how can I help this man and all those today? " I had been praying that all day feeling drained. I convinced the man to confess. There needed to be a reconnect after the great disconnect in his life and all the atrocities he had faced....mainly, a troubled heart.
For that, we need a heart doctor. For that, our God has sent His heart, Jesus. For that, we ought to strive for, a re-connection that makes for an unbreakable bond.
My question is, yes, you hear of my stories, but how will you find the poor and lonely as I have?
The answer: Connect with God. Seek the Lord, with a true heart, with all your heart. Then you will find Him in great need.
I held hands with this big tough tattooed fighter when I said "let us pray for strength" and as we prayed, I started to feel that pain, that kind that says "God I'm trying, please help me", and the tough brother saw my tears and started to pray for me instead, to which I tried to throw back to focus on Him, but in the end...we both needed that prayer.
I saw a white light when I was praying with my eyes closed....the Lord was there...I got drained again of spirit, but it was Ok, I had peace....flowing like a river.
My brothers and my sisters, Lent is a time to get out...into the wild, the desert, the loneliness....and have that one on one encounter yourself. He is out there. Break out of your mundane routine and see for yourself. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 1:15–16 [Colossians 1]
The Preeminence of Christ " He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by1 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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