† Quote of the Day "When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than the proceedings from the mouth." — St. Bonaventure Today's Meditation "O my soul, how much joy and solace shall you know when you are permitted to perceive such a vast multitude of beings who are all so noble, splendid, and gracious! How unspeakably wonderful if you attain to the blessed destiny of joining this celestial assembly [the angels]! For they are like princes of heaven and children of God–and you shall be as a brother or a sister, and a peer among them!" –St. Aloysius Gonzaga, p.37-38
An excerpt from Meditations on the Holy Angels Daily Verse "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near." — Philippians 4:4-5 | St. Aquilinus of Milan (d. 1015 A.D.), also known as St. Aquilinus of Cologne, was born to a noble family in Bavaria, Germany. He received his education in Cologne, Germany and was ordained to the priesthood. He was offered the bishopric of Cologne, but turned it down in order to be a missionary priest and itinerant preacher. He traveled through various European cities fighting against the dangerous and spreading heresies of the Cathars, Manichaeans, and Arians. He was also known to work miracles by healing people from disease, especially during a cholera epidemic. He eventually settled in Milan, Italy, and was so effective in his preaching against the Arian heretics that they stabbed him to death and threw his body in the city sewer. His body was recovered and buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, in a chapel which now bears his name. His feast day is January 29. | Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 319
Reading I Hebrews 10:11-18 Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever
those who are being consecrated.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds," he also says: Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4 R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 4:1-20 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven." Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Hebrews 10:11-18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:18) In today's first reading, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews draws a comparison between the covenant God made with the Israelites through Moses and the new covenant he made with all people through his Son, Jesus. In that first covenant, God instructed the people about the animal sacrifices he wanted them to make in order to maintain their relationship with him. But in the new covenant, Jesus offered his very life—his eternal, sinless life—to the Father in one definitive, all-encompassing act of atonement. Then, rising from the dead, he defeated the power of sin once and for all! What does this mean for us? Think about it this way: there are moments in history that have had a major impact on your life. For example, when lightning struck Benjamin Franklin's kite in 1752, it sparked a new idea in him. He used this experience to show that electricity could be harnessed as a source of power. Now, two hundred and fifty years later, it is impossible to think of life without electricity! But you don't have a relationship with Benjamin Franklin. And while that moment changed the world, you aren't able to experience the drama of it each day. Jesus' death on the cross was another pivotal moment in history that we can relive every time we celebrate Mass. What's more, we also get to experience the freedom that moment brought us every time we lift our hearts to him in worship and adoration. Today's reading also tells us that Jesus "took his seat forever at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). He has stepped outside of time and entered into eternity. That means that he is no longer limited to one time and one place—and neither is the power of his sacrifice. The mercy that he offered on the cross can pour into your heart whenever you turn to him in repentance. The love that he showed his disciples on Easter Sunday is available to you whenever you turn to him in the course of your day. Always remember that Jesus' cross, which conquers sin and has restored you to life, is a living reality. And that reality is meant for you! "All praise to you, Jesus, for by your cross and resurrection, you have set me free!" Psalm 110:1-4
Mark 4:1-20 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron:
"The original hearers of this tale would have exchanged glances and rolled their eyes at the ridiculousness of this farmer.
That was precisely the reaction that Jesus wanted. For God is like this crazy farmer, sowing the seed of his word and his love—not only on receptive soil, not only to those who will respond, but also on the path, on the rocks, and among the thorns, lavishly pouring out his love on those who are least likely to respond. God's love is irrational, extravagant, embarrassing, unreasonable, completely over the top" end quote Bishop Barron.
From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus stands by the lake, and the crowd is so large that he gets into a boat to teach them. This demonstrates Jesus' openness to sharing God's message with everyone, employing everyday images that people could understand, such as the work of the sower.
Describe how a planter sows seeds that fall on different terrains:
• The Way: The seeds are devoured by birds, representing those who hear the word, but Satan steals it before it germinates.
• The stony ground: The seeds sprout quickly, but since they do not have deep roots, they dry up in the face of difficulties. They represent those who receive the word with enthusiasm but do not persevere in the faith.
• Among thorns: Seeds grow, but they are suffocated by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life.
• The good soil: Seeds produce abundant fruit, symbolizing those who hear, accept, and live God's word, bearing fruit in their lives.
He explains to his disciples that the parable contains the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Not everyone is willing to receive the message; some, because of their hardness of heart, fail to understand it.
With this parable let us reflect on how we receive the word of God. Am I a distracted, shallow, or worried-filled heart? Or am I a good soil that lets the word bear fruit?
The stony ground and thorny ground remind us of the importance of persevering in faith, even in the midst of trials or distractions. Living the word requires perseverance and prayer so that the roots may deepen.
Good soil not only receives the word, but produces fruit in abundance. This implies that our faith must be translated into works of love, service, and witness that benefit others.
As I am reading, I am at work. As I am attempting to write to you my daily reflection, I am at work. Perhaps I should find a time outside of work to do this, but, I think I do this because being centered on Christ throughout work, keeps me centered! Sure I could knock it out if I get up earlier, no more fasting, no more worries about daily pressures at work, I am the president, the general manager, the one on top of daily operations and bills, and safety issues. I get bombarded quick! But I have learned to focus on God first. The world would change if we changed our focus. Sure, I had distractions already, an accident again, someone busted a window on a tractor, and someone busted out with a last minute meeting idea out of nowhere while I was dealing with a busted window issue and crews on hold. And then,when we get outside of work problems, there are personal problems we face, anger there too, mostly, in church or at home, just like at work, it is all about communication, or the lack thereof. They say that the biggest cause of death in the health industry is not our technology, but of communication. I believe it. Just go through the network of doctors and types of services and see how many times you basically have to start all over on paperwork and explaining your symptoms! It's no wonder we don't get proper treatment. That's why many people go to Mexico to get treated and healed, and I'd say they have a better success rate than our loop of doctors and money holes.
I digress. Our Lord has asked to to consider the seed He spreads throughout the world through people.
What is the seed? The very Word of God. What is the Word? It is Christ. Christ is incarnated in the word. Go to Mass, and there, the Word is made flesh. Go hear scripture, and there too, if we believe, we can turn the word into life, live actions, and the Word is also in its own way, turned to flesh, for the fruit of the world, for people to thrive in what He provides as sustenance, the very love of God.
If only we would not be distracted and taken by temptations that kill the seed of life in us all. Lord, may we seek You and follow You truly until the end of the world, and all the while, be spreading Your fragrance, Your life, Your very being and essence....Love for God and each other. |  audio | Amazing. Random Bible Verse 1
John 15:16 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
