† Quote of the Day "Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?" — St. Gerard Today's Meditation "God wishes us to be meek even toward ourselves. When a person commits a fault, God certainly wishes him to humble himself, to be sorry for his sin, and to purpose never to fall into it again; but he does not wish him to be indignant with himself, and give way to trouble and agitation of mind; for, while the soul is agitated, a man is incapable of doing good." —St. Alphonsus De Liguori, p. 259 An excerpt from The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori Daily Verse "Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness." — Isaiah 42: 5-7 | St. Walburga St. Walburga (710-777 A.D.) was born near Devonshire, England, the daughter of St. Richard the Pilgrim (a Saxon king) and the sister of Sts. Willibald and Winebald. When she was eleven her father and brothers went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, while her father placed her in a convent famous for its holiness. She was well educated according to her rank, became a nun, and lived there for twenty-six years. Her uncle, St. Boniface, then brought her to what is now Germany to help him evangelize that country and establish the Church there. In this missionary activity she joined her brothers who were also laboring for the faith in that country, one as an abbot, the other as a bishop. Because of her education she was able to document the travels of her brother in the Holy Land, and for this work she became the first female author of England and Germany. She was known as a miracle worker and healer both in her life and after her death. St. Walburga's relics have the miraculous property of exuding oil to which many cures have been ascribed through the centuries. St. Walburga is the patron saint of sailors, mariners, and farmers, and against hydrophobia, famine, coughs, rabies, plague, and storms. St. Walburga's feast day is February 25th. | Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Sirach 2:1-11 My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein. You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you. Alleluia Galatians 6:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 9:30-37 Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Mark 9:30-37 If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all. (Mark 9:35) At many wedding receptions, the bride and groom sit at a head table surrounded by their family members and dearest friends for all their guests to see. But imagine the bride and groom stepping aside and inviting mere acquaintances to sit in their places. Then, instead of enjoying the food that was prepared for them, they would spend their whole wedding reception serving their guests. It would be memorable, to say the least! While this example is dramatic, the inversion of values in today's Gospel is equally dramatic. After arriving in Capernaum, Jesus asks the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the way?" (Mark 9:33). The disciples, to their embarrassment, had been discussing who among them was the greatest. Jesus responds with an incredibly countercultural message: if you want to be the greatest, you must be the last and the servant of all (see 9:35). While it might look a little different for each person, everyone desires to be important. We probably would all be happy to be known as "the greatest" at something. But too often, greatness is measured in what is external: records broken, albums sold, or dollars made. In the kingdom of God, greatness lies not in being noticed or praised but in being a servant. Chances are, God will not ask you to forgo your spot at the head table on your wedding day. But he does ask you to serve. Each day God offers you a host of opportunities to make yourself a "servant of all" (Mark 9:35). These don't have to be grand acts. As St. Thérèse of Lisieux once said, "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love." Service and sacrifice are like any skill; if you want to develop it, you need to practice. So stay up later to put away the dishes or take on an extra responsibility at work without being noticed. Every time you put someone else's needs ahead of your own, you are setting aside your desire to be great and instead reflecting the greatness of your Savior. "Lord, give me the grace to desire to be last." Sirach 2:1-11
Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-4 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus presents a child as the model for his disciples who want to be the most important. Jesus lays out for his disciples what is going to happen to him in Jerusalem, how he will be rejected, tortured, and killed. Oblivious to this, the disciples are discussing who among them is the most important. For Jesus, the path to greatness lies on the road to Calvary, to self-forgetting love; for the disciples—and for most people of most ages—it lies along the road to ego inflation.
What is the antidote? A child is proposed as a kind of living icon to these ambitious Apostles. We notice first how Jesus physically identifies with the child, sitting down at his level and placing his arms around him. It is as though he is saying that he himself is like a child. How so? Children don't know how to dissemble, how to be one way and act another. They are what they are; they act in accordance with their deepest nature.
Why was this story of Jesus' identification with children preserved by all of the synoptic Gospels? Somehow it gets close to the heart of Jesus' life and message........" end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"Sometimes, like the disciples, I want to avoid suffering and seek only glory. Do I accept the difficulties that come with following Jesus with faith and confidence?
In my everyday life, do I act out of love for service, or do I seek recognition and approval from others?
Jesus asks us to welcome the weakest. Am I willing to open my heart to those who have no power or influence in society?" end quote.
Our Lord wanted to teach the disciples, and thus, everybody, about how one can be considered the first. "If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." And then He said: "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me".
He took a child, considered to least among all of them.
He wrapped His arms around the child, to show them something.
He showed them how to receive the least among them.
He showed them, really, how the world was supposed to receive...the innocent child of God Almighty.
He showed us that we are to love Him, with all our might, all our heart, and all our soul. That child He hugged went on to become a saint that we hear about later in Gospels, I forget which one, I think one that helped Saint Paul. I digress.
This story, it goes on many fronts. It connects many parables and gospels. How? Faith. Love. It connects the beatitudes, the sermon on the mount. It connects everything to our Lord Jesus Himself. It connects "whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me". It connects us then...to God our Father Himself. And for this to begin, it takes the act of faith on our part.
Now let's get to that point. Whoever believes. Who believes with a wondrous heart of amazement? A little child. Our God wants us to believe the unthinkable, that there is greater good, that there is a true hope, such as the message of the cross. It was not solely about doom and gloom, but about hope. Protestants ridicule Catholics for having a crucifix, but, we know what cross means. It means total sacrifice and faith in God, for the hope of the resurrection defeated sin and death. It would be shallow to think of the crucifix as if death to Christ. If that was the case, then exorcists using a crucifix would only fuel the demonic. But, on the contrary, it is a blinding light that makes darkness squirm in agonizing pain. Where O death is your sting?
The victory has been accomplished through the forgotten one...the child that God Himself embraced in Heaven.
And you are called to be that child of God, in Christ our Lord. That embrace we so much need is already there. And now, to feel it, to live it, we must give it. Embrace the child of God, and our reward will be great in Heaven.
Lord, I know it is difficult to serve You. To serve You and not seek vain glory. To serve You and not seek any gratitude from anyone, but You in Heaven. Help us remember that we do not need any gracious actions from those temporary people in the world, but to only seek to gratify God our Father in Heaven! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 2:6–7 Alive in Christ "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
