† Quote of the Day "To convert somebody, go and take them by the hand and guide them." — St. Thomas Aquinas Today's Meditation "What are we to say of the charity and compassion of the Blessed Virgin, who for nine months bore, and still carries in her heart, the only Son of God, the uncreated charity which knows no bounds? If, as often as we approach a fire, we are affected by its heat, have we not reason to believe that whoever approaches the heart of the Mother of Mercies, ever burning with her most ardent charity, must be profoundly affected in proportion to the frequency of his petitions, the humility and confidence in his heart?" —Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, p.151 An excerpt from The Spiritual Combat and A Treatise on Peace of Soul Daily Verse "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." — 1 Corinthians 1:18 | St. Scholastica St. Scholastica (480–542 A.D.) was born in Nursia, Italy, to a noble Roman family, along with her twin brother, the famous St. Benedict of Nursia. Their mother died in childbirth. Scholastica was dedicated to God as a child, and from a young age both siblings sensed a special divine calling. They both entered religious life and established communities within five miles of each other; St. Scholastica led a convent near Monte Cassino where Benedict established his world-renowned monastery. Because of the isolated nature of their vocations, the siblings only met once a year at a local farmhouse to discuss spiritual matters. During what was to be their final meeting, St. Scholastica had a premonition that her death was imminent. She asked Benedict to spend the night at the farmhouse so they could continue their visit, but he refused as it was forbidden in his monastic rule. Scholastica turned her request to God and prayed that her brother would stay with her. Suddenly a great thunderstorm erupted that made travel impossible, and Benedict was forced to stay. Scholastica died a few days later, and in a vision St. Benedict saw her soul leave her body in the form of a dove. St. Scholastica is the patron of nuns and against lightening, rain, and storms. Her feast day is February 10. | Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin Reading 1 Genesis 1:1-19 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35c R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak. R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood. R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song. R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all— the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works. Alleluia Matthew 4:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 6:53-56 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Genesis 1:1-19 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth . . . (Genesis 1:1) If you do a lot of cooking, you know that you can't create a good dish by simply throwing random ingredients together and hoping for the best. You have to follow the recipe if you want it to come out right. Today's first reading takes us all the way back to the beginning and shows us that the same is true for God's creation. He planned everything, down to the smallest detail, and made sure that it all happened in the right order. First, he created the light and the darkness, then the sky and the earth. Then he filled the sky with stars and the earth with plant and animal life. And he made man and woman as the crown of creation. At each step along the way, he looked at what he had made and saw how perfectly everything fit together. "God saw how good" his creation was (Genesis 1:12). "Good" doesn't even sound like a strong enough word, does it? God's creation is majestic and awe-inspiring! Yes, we can see the effects of sin and imperfection in the world. But God is perfect, and so are his designs. You don't have to look any further than your own body to see that. Think of all the complex chemical and neurological interactions that must happen for you even to be able to read and understand these words. You are not merely the result of some random mixture of ingredients. You are planned and loved and brought into being by God's perfect intention. If you want to find even more evidence of God's goodness, go outside. Try to find a place where you can be alone in nature. And if you can't do that, look up at the sky. Try to take in how immense and complex the universe is! As one scientist said, "I build molecules for a living. I can't begin to tell you how difficult that job is. I stand in awe of God because of what he has done through his creation." As you fix your eyes on God's handiwork, let awe and wonder fill your mind. Let delight for his goodness lift your heart. Praise and thank him for the amazing world he has created! "Lord, my heart is full of joy as I behold the wonder of your creation! Thank you, Father, for this beautiful world!" Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35
Mark 6:53-56 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed......" - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Do I have the same faith and trust in Jesus? People believed that just by touching his garment they would be healed. Do I have that faith in His power, or do I doubt His presence and action in my life?
Do I lead others to Jesus? People not only sought to heal themselves, but they brought the sick before Jesus. As a Christian, do I help others draw closer to God with my testimony and prayer?
Lord, we want to know you when you come into our lives. Increase our faith to trust in Your healing power and give us a generous heart to bring others to You. Amen....." end quote.
"As many as touche it, were healed". There was back then, a faith like no other. They didn't think "maybe if I touch the tassel", or "maybe if I speak to the Messiah something will happen".
Sadly, that's how we treat our faith nowadays, right? We go in with this halfway attitude, that "maybe" something will happen. Half faith, and half doubt. What is that? Little faith makes for little miracles, and little growth in our connection and love of our Father.
When will our faith grow? When will our love grow? When will we make the time to nurture this relationship, this bond with our eternal Savior and Creator, and Holy Spirit?
May we respond like fishers of men, may we respond to the call to bring souls to Christ, for their salvation, for the light of the world to cover the world, the sooner, the better, lest we let one more night fall.
Lord, if only we could touch the tassel, Rabbi, Your clothes, my life would transform anew, and I would become a resplendent light for the world. Let Your will be my will. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
2 Peter 3:8 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
