† Quote of the Day "In this life no one can fulfill his longing, nor can any creature satisfy man's desire. Only God satisfies, he infinitely exceeds all other pleasures. That is why man can rest in nothing but God." — St. Thomas Aquinas Today's Meditation "[Saint] Thomas's greatest teacher of all, however, was Jesus Christ, the God-Man and the "most excellent of teachers," who taught not through writings but in 'that manner of teaching whereby His doctrine is imprinted on the hearts of His hearers' and 'as one having power' through the words and deeds of His life. Thomas not only devoured the teaching of his human mentors but also digested, altered, corrected, and improved them at times, making the truths that they discovered his own through a life-time of thought and experience. It was his lifelong zeal as a student, along with the grace of God, that rewarded Thomas with the knowledge and wisdom that equipped him so well to teach others." - Kevin Vost, Chapter 1
An excerpt from How to Think Like Aquinas Daily Verse Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." — Ephesians 6:10-12
Daily Mass Readings | St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was born into a wealthy and noble family in Aquino, Italy. He was the pious and brilliant son of a count, and a lucrative future was planned for him. When Thomas set off to enter the newly founded Dominican order to be a poor mendicant friar, his mother held him prisoner in the family castle in order to dissuade him. His brothers tried to destroy his purity, and thus his vocation, by tempting him with a prostitute. However Thomas resisted and turned to God for help; as a result, angels were sent to guard and preserve his chastity. This long ordeal only strengthened his vocation, and eventually he escaped and joined the Dominicans. He was ordained to the priesthood and went on to become a famed professor and prolific writer. His works remain immensely influential in philosophy and theology, the most famous being his Summa Theologica, and multiple popes have upheld him as the model of a systematic Catholic education. St. Thomas Aquinas is the foremost Doctor of the Catholic Church, known as the "Angelic Doctor" for his purity of mind and body, and remarkable intelligence. St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron of schools and universities, students, philosophers, theologians, apologists, academics, and chastity. His feast day is January 28. | Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 Hebrews 10:1-10 Brothers and sisters:
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect
those who come to worship by the same sacrifices
that they offer continually each year.
Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer
have had any consciousness of sins?
But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God. First he says, Sacrifices and offerings,
burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will.
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 40:2, 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11 R. (8a and 9a) Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will. Alleluia Matthew 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 3:31-35 The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Hebrews 10:1-10 Behold, I come. (Hebrews 10:7) Ever hear of a magical house that appears tiny and plain on the outside but is actually a vast, ornate mansion on the inside? They're popular fare in fantasy novels and movies. Today's first reading contains a simple three-word phrase that may seem just as tiny and plain on the outside but is filled with countless treasures on the inside: "Behold, I come" (Hebrews 10:7). If we pause for a moment to explore this little "house" with just a bit of imagination, we'll discover that these three words can go a long way toward summarizing the entire gospel! Behold. In the verses leading up to this first word, we are introduced to a huge map on which everyone's life plays out. God's creation, which he deeply loves, has fallen into darkness. We can't keep God's law on our own. We can't even atone for our sin. But watch! Behold! God is about to do something about it. Open the door. Come and see. Come and explore. I. Who is this "I"? According to the passage, it's Jesus. He is the real author and finisher, the architect and cornerstone of the house. So this must be God's house! Why is this important? Because at its core, Christianity is not about what we do. It's not about the "house" that we build. It's about what God has already done, is doing now, and will do in the future. It's about the "house" he is building in our hearts, and it's about the entire kingdom of God. Come. So what has Jesus done? He has come to us, personally, not to condemn us but to save us. God with us, born of a virgin, Emmanuel—this is the foundation of our faith. What is he doing right now? He is coming to us through his Holy Spirit. He is always coming, asking us to open our hearts to him more fully. He is also inviting us to come deeper into his house, to make ourselves more at home with him. Behold, I come. Let Jesus' words resound in your heart today. Let him come to you, again and again. There are so many more rooms in his "little house" for you to explore! "Jesus, thank you for coming into the world. And thank you for coming into my heart!" Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 10-11
Mark 3:31-35 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother."......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus identifies as his mother and brothers those who do the will of God.
The proper attitude in the presence of the saving God is obedience and acquiescence, imitating his moves, responding to his commands, doing whatever he tells us. To live the good life is not finally a matter of autonomy but of obeying commandments: "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love." Mind you, listening to commands is tied closely to love on the part of the one who commands, and since love is nothing but the willing of the good of the other, the obedience that Jesus speaks of is a surrender to the one who massively wants what is best for the surrenderer.
When, through faith, we see every moment and every creature as ingredient in the divine plan, we live in joyful surrender and with a sense of wonder. What is God doing for me now? What path is opening up to me? Why did God send that person, that trial, that pleasure to me just now?" end quote Bishop Barron.
From Roberto Juarez Reflections:
"Am I striving to discern and fulfill God's will in my life? Do I feel part of Jesus' family by living according to his teaching?
Jesus reminds us that we are all invited to be part of his spiritual family. No matter our past or our circumstances, what counts is our willingness to listen to God's Word and act on it.
Being part of Jesus' family involves a commitment to love, service, and obedience. How am I cultivating my relationship with Him and my fellow believers?
Make time for prayer and discernment to discover what God wants from you in every moment of your life. Participate actively in your Christian community, recognizing that we share the same faith and mission there. As a faithful disciple, Mary teaches us to listen to the Word and to respond generously." end quote.
They said to our Lord that his mother and brothers were calling him.
Ask protestants what this means and their latest and newest thoughts are that the Virgin Mary had probably upwards of over a dozen kids, and ask another protestant denomination and they will throw in another dozen kids from Saint Joseph from supposed previous marriages they can think probably happened. That'd be about 24 kids between them. But our Catholic Tradition, from the beginning has always held both Mother Mary and good Saint Joseph as chaste, holy, and devout children of God. And Mary even more, as she was uniquely created to be the very Mother of God, consecrated from the womb, immaculate.
What does this all have to do? They are His teachers of the faith and love of God. Saints make saints, and this goes for families and for acquaintances. We can read of many stories of how saints and followers, the followers become saints too. And this follows a common denominator of love of God, especially through a love that comes through obedience. Why are we going this way? Because, we are speaking about those that are doing the "will of God". That is to say, those that are doing what God desires from His heart, and His heart is speaking through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, our Love of our entire lives.
At one point, in another Gospel, they saw that Jesus was crowded in and nobody could reach him, and they said "Has He gone crazy!?" , because they could not believe He would allow Himself to be locked up with so many pressing on Him. Yet, He proves that yes, He is in a sense, crazy in love with you. My wife and kids get bothered when I start tuning into tons of near death experience stories, but they don't know that it is a fascination not only because of what they are telling about the other side, but because my dad actually did the same. It is fascinating, what is coming. But what should be fascinating us, is not the experience, but the common denominator the majority face, even the Muslims, and atheists, and what is it? It is a person...it is the Savior of the World they meet, and if they had blood in their bodies, it would drop to their toes.
We would stand in astonishment. Some cannot believe the love that is exuding from the experience. Everything changes. They say it life is about love. And we know that Love is God and God is love. This is His desire. That we Love Him above all persons and things, and then, love each other with that power from above.
Who are my brothers and my sisters? Those that love God like our Lord Jesus. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Corinthians 15:58 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
