Today's Feast Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus has its beginning during Christ's Passion, making it one of the oldest devotions in the Christian tradition. St. Veronica, as a sign of her love and compassion, offered Our Savior a veil to wipe the blood and sweat from his face as he carried his cross on the way to his crucifixion. In reward for her charity and compassion, Jesus left an impression of his Holy Face upon the veil. This meeting of Jesus and St. Veronica is forever memorialized in the Stations of the Cross. According to tradition, St. Veronica later entrusted the veil to St. Clement, a disciple of St. Peter who became the third Bishop of Rome. For the next three centuries the Holy Veil was kept in the Roman catacombs during the early persecutions of the Church. Veronica's Veil was later moved to the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome where it remains today. It is displayed annually from the relic niche above her statue in St. Peter's Basilica on the fifth Sunday of Lent. Shrove Tuesday (the day prior to Ash Wednesday) is the traditional feast day of the Holy Face of Jesus. † Quote of the Day "The Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face. If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of external things." — St. Anthony of Padua Today's Meditation "Now man need not hide from God as Adam did; for He can be seen through Christ's human nature. Christ did not gain one perfection more by becoming man, nor did He lose anything of what He possessed as God. There was the Almightiness of God in the movement of His arm, the infinite love of God in the beatings of His human heart and the Unmeasured Compassion of God to sinners in His eyes. God was now manifest in the flesh; this is what is called the Incarnation. The whole range of the Divine attributes of power and goodness, justice, love, beauty, were in Him. And when Our Divine Lord acted and spoke, God in His perfect nature became manifest to those who saw Him and heard Him and touched Him. As He told Philip later on: Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father [John 14:9]." —Fulton J. Sheen, p. 21
An excerpt from Life of Christ Daily Verse "For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their "shame." Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." — Philippians 3:18-20 | St. Casimir Of Poland St. Casimir of Poland (1458-1484) was the second son of King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth of Austria, one of thirteen children born to them in the royal palace at Cracow. Casimir committed his life to God from an early age, thanks in part to a brilliant and pious priest who served as the royal tutor. He turned away from the privileges of his station in life and instead exercised extreme asceticism and self-denial. He wore a hairshirt under his clothes, slept on the cold ground, and knelt in prayer for long hours outside of locked churches. At the age of thirteen the Hungarians requested Prince Casimir to rule their country as king, which he accepted in the hope of defending the Christian nation against the Turks. However, the plan did not come to fruition and he returned home to continue his life of prayer, penance, and generosity to the poor. He later ruled Poland for a few short years while his father attended royal business in Lithuania. Casimir took a vow of celibacy which he upheld despite immense political pressure to marry. He suffered from a chronic lung condition, which he succumbed to in 1484 at the age of 25. Many miracles were attributed to his intercession after his death. St. Casimir is the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people. His feast day is March 4th. | Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Sirach 35:1-12 To keep the law is a great oblation,
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one's offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one's sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means. For the LORD is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 50:5-6, 7-8, 14, 23 R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge. R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always." R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. 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 10:28-31 Peter began to say to Jesus,
'We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Mark 10:28-31 . . . a hundred times more now in this present age . . . , and eternal life in the age to come. (Mark 10:30) Peter was doubtless a little apprehensive when he told Jesus, "We have given up everything and followed you" (Mark 10:28). He had just heard Jesus say how hard it would be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. If it would be hard for the rich—who, it was assumed, enjoyed God's special favor—what chance did everyday tradesmen like himself and the other apostles have? But Jesus reassured him that anyone who was faithful in following him—rich and poor alike—would receive more blessings than they could possibly imagine. Do you ever get worried like Peter? Maybe you're trying your best to give everything to the Lord, but you're afraid that he'll ask too much of you: more patience for your spouse, more love for a difficult coworker, or enough peace or compassion to get you through the whole day. You fear that you aren't "rich" enough to meet the challenge. But that's not the way Jesus thinks about you. He sees every time you are generous with whatever you have. He sees, and he promises great rewards. Just ask Giovanni Fausti, Kolë Shllaku, Qerim Sadiku, and Daniel Dajani. All four were devout Catholics in Albania who were arrested for their opposition to the Communist party in the first half of the twentieth century. Along with others deemed "enemies of the state," they were martyred on this day in 1946 and beatified by Pope Francis in 2016. Having given up everything to follow Jesus, they now have the privilege of seeing God face-to-face. They now live forever, free of all pain and sorrow and suffering, surrounded by all the saints and angels. That's quite a reward! Lent begins tomorrow. It's almost certain that sometime during this season, your attention will drift from the Lord. You may wonder if your sacrifices matter or if your prayers are being heard or if your almsgiving makes any difference. When that happens, hold onto Jesus' promise to Peter, to the martyrs of Albania, and to you. Your faithfulness, humility, and generosity will be rewarded! "Holy Spirit, help me to give of myself freely and without reserve!" Sirach 35:1-12
Psalm 50:6-8, 14, 23 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Peter began to say to Jesus,
'We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Robert Barron:
"St. Augustine was right: "Lord, you have made us for yourself; therefore, our heart is restless until it rests in thee." We are all wired for God. There is a hunger in us that nothing in this world can possibly satisfy. And that's why we must determine to follow Jesus, because only he can lead us to the heavenly banquet......" end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"However, he also mentions that this will come "with persecutions," recalling that following Christ involves hardship and sacrifice.
This key phrase breaks all human logic: in the Kingdom of God, success is not measured by worldly criteria.
• Those seeking privileges, recognition, or rewards may end up last.
• The humble, those who give themselves without expecting anything in return, will be exalted by God.
What am I willing to give up for Jesus? Am I attached to my possessions, my comfort, or my security, like the rich young ruler, or do I trust in Jesus' promise?
Do I seek to follow Christ for love or for reward? Is my attitude toward discipleship one of generosity or calculation in expecting to receive something in return?
Am I humble in my faith journey? Do I believe myself "first" in following Jesus, or do I live with the simplicity of one who knows that everything is grace?...." end quote.
Our Lord says "there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:..."
What are you about to give up for Christ's sake and for the Gospel that He embodies?
For lent, what are you sacrificing? What are you offering in the sacrifice? Our Lord has offered His everything. God then, has offered everything. The world you live in. Your free will. His precious Sacred Heart. God is Jesus. God loves us that He came to give us His all as an earthly person can and ought to do for Him out of our free will to Him.
Are you giving up houses or families for Him? I think of the youth, my son, and my nephew, I told them to go to a "come and see" dinner with seminarians to see if the priesthood would be for them. If they decide to do it, then, it would be them giving up houses, riches, and children, mothers and fathers...all for Christ's sake and His Kingdom.
The day to "come and see" came, and I had to pull them off motorcycles to remind them to go to the meeting. They went, and seemed to have enjoyed the option for their life presented.
But as for you and me? What are we willing to give to the Lord?
Let us say, we've only been giving scraps lately. Can we give Him the best, of our lives? How?
Simply put, He would love to live and work through you, to do the Father's will. There is a reason for 3 things we will do for 40 days which normally do not count Sundays, a feast day. We will fast, sacrifice something. We will pray, more than ever before. And we will give to the poor, more than we've done all year. It's not that complicated. Let's say you love to go out to eat. Stop doing that once a week, or daily, and that money saved by just eating from home, that money can now go to the poor, and the poor will be knocking at the door of your heart. And let's say, you give up social media, or TV, or your hobbies, now, that time can be offered to prayer. I've found that tapping into videos of prayer can help. Videos about the faith by faithful priests help. All we got to do is switch channels and switch our lives on for the Lord.
It is not that hard, if you involve your heart...the love of God.
The purpose then of lent, is to leave the world, like our Lord, and be more united with God our Father, and you will meet temptations to not have that intimate time with Him, that intimate unity with Him, that intimate love with Him, the very purpose of Lent, to be made more wholly one with Him.
Then, to see Him on the cross on Good Friday, all your sacrifices will seem as of very little compared to what He has given. He shed blood, sweat blood and tears for the Kingdom of Love, the very Kingdom of God our Father.
"Lord, help us, reveal to us how to give as we ought, how to love as we ought this Lent, to glorify God truly with all our heart, mind, body, and soul!" |  audio | Random Bible Verse
Proverbs 21:21 "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor." Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
