† Quote ""Since love completes all, makes all hard things soft, and the difficult easy, let us strive to make all our acts proceed from love."" -St. Arnold Janssen Today's Meditation "No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness (Jn 8:12). These words of our Lord counsel all to walk in His footsteps. If you want to see clearly and avoid blindness of heart, it is His virtues you must imitate. Make it your aim to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ. Christ's teachings surpasses that of all the Saints. But to find this spiritual nourishment you must seek to have the Spirit of Christ. It is because we lack this Spirit that so often we listen to the Gospel without really hearing it. Those who fully understand Christ's words must labor to make their lives conform to His." —Thomas á Kempis, p.15
An excerpt from Imitation of Christ Daily Verse "For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord." -Psalm 27:5-6 | St. Josaphat (1580-1623) was born to a devout religious family of Ruthenian ancestry in what is now Ukraine, and was baptized in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He devoted his virginity to the Virgin Mary and grew in his reverence for ancient liturgy. During a revival of Eastern Catholic monastic life he became a monk in the Order of St. Basil, and was ordained to Holy Orders in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1609. He was noted for his life of asceticism, holiness, and virtue which led to his appointment as Archbishop of Polotsk in what is today Belarus. During his lifetime there was much sociopolitical and ecclesiastical rivalry between the Catholics and Orthodox, especially in the wake of the 1596 Union of Brest which saw the Ruthenian rite break with Orthodoxy and come under the authority of the Holy See. St. Josaphat was passionate about working for the reunification with Rome and won many heretics and schismatics back to communion with Rome. However, he was also strongly opposed to the Latinization of his people. This combination of views drew ire from both Catholic and Orthodox clergy. His diocese was contested by the Orthodox, and a rival Orthodox bishop was set up to oppose him, causing riots. During one uprising Josaphat tried to calm the tensions and work for reunification and peace, but his enemies plotted to kill him. A mob of Orthodox Christians entered Josaphat's home, stabbed and axed his body and threw it into a river. His body was seen glowing in the water and was recovered. After his martyrdom many miracles were attributed to his intercession. Josaphat's sacrifice became a blessing as regret and sorrow over his death converted many hearts toward reunification with the Catholic Church. In 1867 Josaphat became the first saint of the Eastern Church to be formally canonized by Rome. His feast day is November 12. | Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Reading 1 Wisdom 6:1-11 Hear, O kings, and understand;
learn, you magistrates of the earth's expanse!
Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude
and lord it over throngs of peoples!
Because authority was given you by the Lord
and sovereignty by the Most High,
who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.
Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly,
and did not keep the law,
nor walk according to the will of God,
Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you,
because judgment is stern for the exalted–
For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy
but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
For the Lord of all shows no partiality,
nor does he fear greatness,
Because he himself made the great as well as the small,
and he provides for all alike;
but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.
To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed
that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.
For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy,
and those learned in them will have ready a response.
Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7 R. (8a) Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
Defend the lowly and the fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the lowly and the poor;
from the hand of the wicked deliver them. R. Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
I said: "You are gods,
all of you sons of the Most High;
yet like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince." R. Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth. Alleluia 1 Thessalonians 5:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Luke 17:11-19 Your faith has saved you. (Luke 17:19) Today's familiar Gospel story of Jesus healing ten people with leprosy reveals a pattern in the way he relates to anyone seeking healing from him. It's a back-and-forth pattern that has persisted for ages and is just as relevant to us today. Let's take a look. They called; Jesus heard (Luke 17:12-13). All ten who cried out to Jesus were very much aware that they were in need. As they saw Jesus, surely they recalled stories of him healing other people. Desperate for relief from their suffering, they called out to the One who they believed could heal them. Immediately, Jesus stopped and turned his attention to them. He heard the cry of their hearts. They obeyed; Jesus healed (Luke 17:14). Though they could not yet see signs of their physical healing, they did what Jesus said and set out to show themselves to the priests. This was confusing—they were still ritually unclean. What would the priests say? Yet as they moved out with trust, their healing unfolded. They were willing to obey Jesus, and that opened them to his healing power. One returned; Jesus poured out a greater gift (Luke 17:15-19). Imagine this man's astonishment as he realized he was clean. His heart must have overflowed with gratitude. Nothing was more important at that moment than finding Jesus—not even going to see the priest. Quickly he turned around, and his steps, once so anguished, were now full of joy, and he came up praising God in a loud voice. As he fell at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving, Jesus gave him an even greater gift than physical healing. He gave him the gift of salvation: "Your faith has saved you" (17:19). What need is weighing on your heart; where do you need healing? Call out to Jesus! He hears you. If you think he's guiding you in a certain direction, do your best to obey him. Know that he is working in your life as you trust him. And when you perceive him beginning to heal you, turn to him with gratitude. Don't let anything get in the way. Simply open your heart in thanksgiving and receive the gifts he wants to give you. "Jesus, thank you for hearing me, healing me, and saving me!" Wisdom 6:1-11
Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?...." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez:
"How can we apply this gospel in our lives? • Be grateful every day. Begin the day with a "thank you, Lord, for a new day." • Be thankful even in difficulty. Not everything is perfect, but even in pain there are signs of God's love. • Thank people. Sometimes a word of gratitude can heal more than a miracle. • To give thanks in community. The Eucharist itself means thanksgiving: every Mass is the place where the people of God, like the Samaritan, return to the feet of Jesus to say: "Thank you, Lord, for your love that saves me." Jesus continues to pass through our path, and He continues to hear our cry, "Lord, have mercy on us."
But he also hopes that, as we experience his mercy, we will return to him with a grateful heart. Because gratitude not only recognizes the miracle received, but also opens the soul to a personal encounter with the God who saves.
Today let us ask for the grace not to be like the nine who were forgotten, but like the Samaritan who knew how to return. May our faith be expressed not only in asking, but also in thanking.
Lord Jesus,
Many times you come to meet us on the path of life
and you perform wonders that we don't always know how to recognize.
Give us a grateful heart,
that he may not remain in the gift, but seek Thee, the Giver.
Grant that we may know how to return to your feet with gratitude,
and that in each Eucharist we renew our deepest "graces".
You, who heal us and save us,
make us witnesses of your mercy and your love.
Amen. " end quote.
What if our eyes suddenly opened, like the leper that realized he was healed? What would your life look like? It would be transformative, wouldn't it?
It should rightly move us to a conversion, a metanoia, and the natural feeling of holiness should appear...thankfulness.
Thankfulness shows holiness.
A thankful person, is a humble person.
A thankful person can be found holding the feet of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Because He saves, then what should our response be to our salvation? Is not our entire life indebted to Him then?
Doesn't the world belong to God? Including our bodies? Does He not want a temple to live in and to do His will?
It is not solely our lives but our lives with Him, our owner, our Father, our creator.
He is with us. He is Emmanuel which means "He is with us".
Are we with Him? In thanksgiving? In holiness? In His Holy will? |  Audio of Random Verse | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 27:1 [Psalm 27]
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold1 of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment