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Quote of the Day
""Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's call." — St. Josemaria Escriva
Today's Meditation
"Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's call." — St. Josemaria Escriva
Daily Verse "But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8 | St. Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975) was born in Spain, one of six children of a devout Catholic family. Growing up, he observed his parents faithfully endure painful family trials (the death of three of their young children and devastating financial setbacks) and this had a profound effect on his own faith. As a teenager he discovered his vocation to the priesthood when he saw the path of footprints in the snow left by a barefoot Carmelite friar. He then experienced a radical conversion: he gave up his intended career as an architect and entered the seminary. He spent most of his life studying and teaching in universities, earning a doctorate in civil law and theology. Saint Josemaria Escriva's lasting impact lies in the foundation of Opus Dei ("The Work of God"), an organization of laity and priests dedicated to the universal call of holiness and the belief that ordinary, daily life is an authentic path to sanctity. Today Opus Dei has over 80,000 members worldwide. His famous written work is The Way, a collection of spiritual and pastoral reflections on the gospels and their application to everyday life. On June 26, 1975, after glancing at an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in his office in Rome, St. Josemaría died suddenly of cardiac arrest. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. His feast day is June 26th. | Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her. The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her: "You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you. This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp." Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises? R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people. R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia John 14:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 7:21-29 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.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "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." When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children. (Genesis 16:1) Abram was seventy-five years old when God called him out of Haran and promised that his descendants would one day live in Canaan, the Promised Land (Genesis 12:4, 7). Today's first reading takes place ten years later, and Abram and his wife Sarai are still childless (16:1). Sarai has decided that she has waited long enough. She will take matters into her own hands and give her maidservant Hagar to Abram so that he could have the heirs the Lord had promised. Things go according to Sarai's plan until Hagar, newly pregnant, begins to look down on her mistress. Then Sarai blames Abram, even though it was her idea in the first place (Genesis 16:6)! Isn't it tempting at times to do as Sarai did and take matters into your own hands? God doesn't seem to be answering your prayers, so you get impatient. Then you struggle to trust in God's timing and plan for your life. Maybe you've waited years to have a child or to find a spouse or to see a loved one come to the Lord. Maybe you've been praying for a better job or for a reconciliation, and nothing seems to be happening. In such situations, your heart can grow cold toward the Lord, and you might feel tempted to give up on him. Like Sarai, you might even be tempted to make things happen on your own. If that's something you've done in the past, know that God is merciful and will forgive you. If it's something you're tempted to do right now, remember how much the Lord loves you! He can see the whole span of your life, even into eternity, and he knows what is best for you. So if you're still waiting on the Lord, guard your heart! Don't let bitterness or resentment take over. Instead, keep drawing close to him and ask for his help. Let him reassure you that his timing and plan for your life are perfect, just as he is! As you hold fast to his goodness and faithfulness, he will strengthen your faith and help you find peace. He will give you the grace you need to trust him, even while you're waiting. "Faithful Lord, I trust in you!" Psalm 106:1-5
Matthew 7:21-29 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "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.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock........." end quote. | From Roberto Juarez; "Today there are many people who live in a religiosity that does not have strong foundations. A religiosity that focuses on fulfilling rites and totally devoid of solidity. When they are attacked or their faith is called into question, the whole structure collapses. However, when prayer, life, faith is not based only on rites but on knowledge and actions, they remain solid in their faith no matter how many attacks they suffer.
And he ends the text by saying that the people were amazed by his authoritative teaching. His word is clear, strongly, and above all grounded in his own life, that the people accepted him as a teacher and with more authority than the scribes who taught in the synagogue. • What is my foundation of faith? • Is there inconsistency between my prayer life and my action life?" end quote from Roberto.
From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus gives us the parable about building on rock or on sand. On what precisely is the whole of your life built? Your heart is your deep center, the place where you are most authentically yourself. That is your point of contact with God. There you will find the energy that undergirds the other areas of your life: physical, psychological, emotional, relational, and spiritual. If you are rooted in God at the level of your heart, then you will be following the intentions and commands of God, and you can withstand anything. But this does not mean that if we follow God's commands, the winds and floods will not come. In Jesus' parable, both builders, the one who follows the commands of God and the one who doesn't, experience the rain and the floods that symbolize all the trials and temptations and difficulties at the surface of life. But if at the very center of your life you are linked with God—that power that is here and now creating the cosmos—then the storms and floods will come, but they will not destroy you.
End Quote.
The Rock, the Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my salvation, amen?
Is He your rock? Do you trust in Him? Really?
Let us focus on the Rock today.
Set your heart on the Rock, so your heart is steady and strong.
Set your heart on the Rock, so that when things happen, cursing, lashings, accusations and all things darkness come, the storm cannot hurt the center of your core, your being, that is your soul.
How can you live built on The Rock of Jesus?
The Holy Catholic Church is built on the Rock, with our first Pope saint Peter.
What if you're not Catholic? You still get Jesus. You don't get all He set out for us, but you still get Him, but not all as is offered through thousands of years.
I've studied near death experiences, because my dad lived through one and the story never left me. I've noticed that most meet our Lord Jesus. The others meet some sort of father figure too.
Even Muslims, Jews, and atheists meet our Lord Jesus and come back shocked. One of the latest ones I tuned into was a guy that said He met our Lord and noticed that in one instance, our Lord's eyes turned to fire...it was the eyes of righteousness. He said he did not want to be in front of those eyes, but in the loving affectionate eyes he was used to seeing Him in.
And we heard today: ""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."
And this is scary to me. Righteousness is calling out for righteousness. Love is calling out for love. God is calling to Himself what is rightly His. In Jesus.
He is the ultimate prophet, priest, and King of the whole world.
How can we take His words lightly? How can we say we love Him at all if we do not do God's Holy will?
And you know what God wants. He said to love Him with all your HEART. With all your soul! With all your might! That you might love Him as we ought. That we might, in holy obedience, truly love Him, and to truly love Him, we must love Him in every soul that we encounter....
Sacred Heart of Jesus, BE MY LOVE! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 4:18–19 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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