† Quote of the Day ""The adorable Heart of Jesus is our comfort, our way, our life."" -St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Today's Meditation "Concerning obedience as a sign of authenticity, St. Theresa is eloquent: 'Believe me, there is no better way of acquiring this treasure [of loving fire sent from heaven] than to dig and toil in order to get it from this mine of obedience. The more we dig, the more we shall find; and the more we submit to men, and have no other will than that of our superiors, the more completely we shall become masters of our wills and bring them into conformity with the will of God.'" —Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 239
An excerpt from Fire Within Daily Verse Daily Verse
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." -Isaiah 35:10 | St Bibiana St. Bibiana, also known as Vibiana or Viviana (d. 361), was born in Rome, the daughter of Christian parents who were martyred in the persecutions of Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate. Her father was severely beaten and sent to live in exile as a slave, but died from his wounds. Her mother was beheaded shortly after. St. Bibiana and her sister, Demetria, were stripped of their possessions and imprisoned in their family home in utter poverty and hunger. They were offered reward if only they would renounce Jesus, but the sisters, strong in faith and prayer, said they would rather die. Finding that they did not die from lack of food, the Roman governor summoned them. Demetria, after professing the faith, died at his feet. St. Bibiana was given to the guardianship of a pagan woman who tried to force her into prostitution. St. Bibiana refused and resolutely maintained her faith in Christ. For this she was beaten, tied to a pillar, and cruelly scourged. She eventually died from her tortures, and her body was discarded to be eaten by wild dogs. The animals, however, would not touch her. Her body was recovered by a priest and buried, with a chapel built over the tomb for her veneration. St. Bibiana's feast day is December 2nd. | Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1 Isaiah 11:1-10 On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea. On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 10:21-24 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Isaiah 11:1-10 The root of Jesse, . . . a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out. (Isaiah 11:10) Anyone who heard Isaiah's promises about a "shoot" sprouting "from the stump of Jesse" probably laughed out loud (Isaiah 11:1, 10). Apart from David and Solomon, Jesse's heirs were minor figures ruling over a tiny nation constantly under threat from their enemies. Even Isaiah seemed to acknowledge the obvious when he referred to Jesse's dynasty as a mere "stump" (11:1)! But Isaiah was also insistent: one of Jesse's heirs would be so magnificent that people from all over would flock to him. The way that he ruled would stand out to such a degree that everyone would want to find out what he was doing. How would this king stand out? Well, first, notice what Isaiah doesn't mention. This king would not be known for his mighty army or his great wealth. He would be known for his compassion and his commitment to lifting up the lowly (Isaiah 11:3-5). He would not rule his people the same way that neighboring kings did, through oppression and coercion. He would rule with "justice," "faithfulness," and "fear of the Lord" (11:5, 3). Only one ruler perfectly fits this description. And, frankly, "ruler" doesn't do him justice since he's so much more than that. It's Jesus, the Son of God! He is the shoot of Jesse—a lowly carpenter and rabbi, not a military general or political mastermind. He spent all his time healing the sick, casting out demons, and teaching about the mercy of God. People followed him not out of fear but out of love. They flocked to him not to buy his influence but to witness God's mercy in action. Earthly kings come and go. But Jesus is still with us. He is still ruling over his creation with a shepherd's staff. He is still offering to lift us up, to redeem us, and to heal us. So contemplate his goodness, his kindness, and his love. He is the "signal for the nations," so let him draw you to himself (Isaiah 11:10). "Jesus, thank you for being my King. Lord, I surrender to the reign of your mercy and love!" Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Luke 10:21-24 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | From today's Holy Gospel: "... All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ...." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez:
"But—like the disciples—we sometimes don't value the treasure we have in our hands. We get used to the Mass, to the Word, to the faith... And we run the risk of living it without wonder, without gratitude, without awareness of the gift.
Jesus reminds us today: "You are fortunate. The Kingdom is within your reach. Do not let grace pass you by." This Gospel invites us to three essential attitudes: a) Welcoming God's joy
Christianity is not first a morality, nor rites, nor norms. It is a relationship with the God of joy. And when we approach Jesus, that joy is contagious. b) Make ourselves small
Not small in intelligence, but small in heart. Recognize our need for God, ask for light, accept that we do not control everything, let ourselves be led. Humility opens doors that pride closes. c) Rediscovering the treasure of faith
The sacraments, the Eucharist, the Word, the community... they are immense gifts that many wanted to have and did not have. Every encounter with Jesus is a privilege.
Today Jesus invites us to enter into his joy. A joy that springs from the Spirit and is poured out on simple hearts. A joy that does not depend on success, but on confidence. A joy that is born when we discover that God reveals himself to those who seek him with humility. Let us ask the Lord for a small, available heart, capable of being surprised by his gifts. And may we hear within us every day the same word that Jesus said to his disciples: "Blessed are the eyes that see..." Blessed are we, if we accept God's voice today.
Amen."
end quote.
The days are getting shorter, in daylight.
The days are getting colder, in temperature.
And all we have is a small fire flickering.
They say that the faith is getting colder for protestants, less in church attendance. The light still flickers.
And the indifference grows. Indifference to God's will.
But the light still flickers in the dark, so long as we live.
And the more we live, on earth, the days are getting shorter.
We should consider the time, how precious it is. Shall it not be for the Lord? What we trade in on earth, we buy for an eternity.
What if a prayer changes lives and saves souls? That is an eternity at hand.
Why then, do we live so distracted? Why then, do we wonder if the world really cares? It starts with you, in the little things, in your heart, when nobody else is looking. That is what God is counting on. The small, that becomes great. The least, like Mother Mary.
And she gave birth to the least among us...or so we made it be by crucifying Him.
How can we crucify God? By sinning. By not seeing Him. By being indifferent to others crucifying Him in their sin.
The Crucifixion was not just a nailing on the cross, it was a whole ordeal, a whole passion, a whole sacrifice that began....with a betrayal. To sin is to betray. To sin is to miss the mark by believing that your thoughts are higher or better than God's thoughts.
Our Lord Jesus said that whoever sees Him then, sees the Father.
Can you see the Father in Jesus? I have often equated that the Body of Jesus, and His Sacred heart is the Father's heart...Our Father's Love. Do we betray Him? Yes, we all do.
Can we make amends?
Advent is another lent. We should be preparing ourselves for His coming into our world...into our homes...into our hearts. Light from light will be born...a heart from a heart.
Would you receive the light properly?
Do you wish to see Him?
The incarnation of our Lord began in Mother Mary by the mere Word of God.
And so too, He desires that His word be made incarnate in our souls...made flesh...that His will become real.
What a gift from God and what a possible gift of ourselves!
Lord, if only we would give ourselves as You have given to us!
Help us My Lord and My God! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 3:1–2 [Proverbs 3]
Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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