† 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
(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. | Isaiah 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord God:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the Lord,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction. Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid? R. One thing I ask of the Lord;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord
and contemplate his temple. R. I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. R Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia. Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants. Alleluia, alleluia. Matthew 9:27-31 As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread word of him through all that land. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 9:27-31 Let it be done for you according to your faith. (Matthew 9:29) If Jesus offered to do something for you "according to your faith," what would you ask for (Matthew 9:29)? There is a challenge in his words that could make us stop and consider: What do I think Jesus can do? Am I too timid to ask for something big? Am I afraid that my faith isn't strong enough? Do I worry that Jesus is going to let me down? The two blind men in our Gospel call upon Jesus using his Messianic title, "Son of David, have pity on us!" (Matthew 9:27). Their cry is already a sign of their faith. Addressing him this way shows they believe that he is more than an itinerant preacher. They believe that he is the heir of King David—and the heir of all God's promises to David. He is the Messiah! Then Jesus asks them if they believe he can heal them, and they reply with an enthusiastic yes! In that moment, they are not simply passive recipients of divine favor; they have become active participants in God's work! Of course, Jesus isn't looking for the perfect response or fully formed faith. He'll respond to us even if we confess that our faith is weak and cry out to him, "Help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24). He knows that faith doesn't just appear instantaneously; it matures over time and through the crucible of challenges, failures, and step-by-step acts of trust. He can work with timid, small beginnings and bold proclamations alike. He just wants us to exercise whatever amount of faith we do have! What does a "small beginning" or a "bold proclamation" look like in your life? Do you have the faith to ask for and hope for something dramatic to happen for you or a loved one? Or do you feel that you can only muster enough faith to ask for just a little more insight into a Scripture passage you heard at Mass? Whether it's a large or small need, bring it to the Lord! Believe that you can become an active participant in God's wondrous works—both great and small. Then watch to see the way he unfolds his great plans for you. "Lord, I do believe. Increase my faith!" Isaiah 29:17-24
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. ...." Word of the Lord. | Two blind men beg for pity. True pity. True mercy. A true grace and touch from Heaven. And our Lord touches their eyes saying that it will be done...His will shall be done, according to their....will, their faith, amen? They say were there are 2 or 3 gathered, there He is, and if they pray about the one thing...it shall be granted, amen?
Do you believe this?
Do you believe...Him?
Yet, how hard is it to see truly what is going on, deep inside their hearts? I believe we know one thing...they were sincere...and they had faith. If it were not the case...they would have NOT been healed of their blindness. And you? Do you want to see?
See what?
The truth.
See Jesus. Do you want to truly see the truth...of what God sees, in your soul? How terrible would it be? I wouldn't want to dare pry into another soul...if my soul were not truly seen.
Because to see means so much! Amen?
It means to capture...it is the way of living, in sight, with sight, and by now...we should be seeing what His will is, it is being revealed little by little to our finite minds. Have you ever befriended a blind man? I have, at a nursing home, until he passed away, Manuel, God rest his soul. What was it like?
It is a strange experience. He must use his imagination to see me, but he does not truly see me. I must imagine him seeing me, even though he didn't look directly at me most of the time.
But I remember, before he died, that I would take him places, and I was his guide. He held my shoulder and I became his eyes, and I had to guide him through the darkness. Can you imagine...that we are blind and God is trying to guide us through this darkness as we journey by faith in this world?
Our Lord heals the blind though, and He only asked for one thing: " "SEE that no one knows about this." And they left blinder than before....they did not head to His only wish, in return for this great favor from Heaven. And this leads to Him being found out, chased, and wanted even to crucify Him like the times He would heal in the temple and on the Sabbath.
Can you see? His will is tough. We have to be strong to do His will. Amen? Obedience is key and the language of Heaven. Yet...Adam and Eve deviated from this key and language of a full communion with God our Father. But, like the ninja apprentice, under the direction of the Master, we must learn to Master the discipline, to be a true disciple. And this mastery is a continuous test of strength, stamina, determination, of grit...and so in the end...about the heart of the lion.
And this is a good analogy for all of us who live in the Church Militant in this world, in this realm, where every thing really matters.
You have reached a meditation, a reflection, an image to the heart....and God speaks there in the silence, in the reflection, for all we see are reflections...as the sunlight beams and reveals what is not to be hidden. And then we see. And the more purity...in this life of grace...we can begin to focus in and not be in a blur. God's will...it is good. His desire, if only we tend to Him....it is for the greater good. Lord give us the strength, and the faith to see what You see, to desire what You desire. And to love what You love...both now and forever. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1 Proverbs 15:22 "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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