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Quote of the Day "If you are suffering from a bad man's injustice, forgive him—lest there be two bad men." — St. Augustine
Today's Meditation "By accepting the sufferings 'offered' by life and allowed by God for our progress and purification, we spare ourselves much harder ones. We need to develop this kind of realism and, once and for all, stop dreaming of a life without suffering or conflict. That is the life of heaven, not earth. We must take up our cross and follow Christ courageously every day; the bitterness of that cross will sooner or later be transformed into sweetness." —Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 49
An excerpt from Interior Freedom
Daily Verse "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off." — Acts 12:2-3 | St Barnabas St. Barnabas (1st c.) was a Jew from the island of Cyprus who was given the name Joseph at birth. He is mentioned by name in the New Testament. A convert to the Christian faith in Jerusalem, he sold his property and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles alongside St. Paul the Apostle and St. Mark the Evangelist. He was given the surname Barnabas, meaning 'Son of Exhortation' and was highly esteemed among the Christian leaders at Jerusalem and Antioch, almost ranked among the twelve Apostles themselves. St. Luke said of him, "...for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith." It was Barnabas who vouched for the genuineness of St. Paul's conversion and had him accepted as a Christian by the other Apostles. Barnabas was the cousin of St. Mark, and Barnabas famously disputed with St. Paul over bringing Mark along on their missionary journey, which caused the two famed preachers to part ways and travel separately as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. They were later reconciled. Barnabas was eventually stoned to death around the year 61 A.D. His feast day is celebrated on June 11. | Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. Psalm 98:1-6 R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm. R. The Lord has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel. R. All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise. R. Sing praise to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. R. Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
and guide me in your truth.
Alleluia, alleluia. Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 5:17-19 I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17) When a man and a woman come together in marriage, two things happen at the same time. First, the man "leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife." And second, "the two of them become one" (Genesis 2:24). This twofold act of leaving behind something good for the sake of something even better is one way to understand Jesus' words about fulfilling the Law of Moses in today's Gospel. Every husband and wife bring their past experiences with them into their marriage, and together they take who they were and what they have learned and create something unique out of it: a new family. They don't abolish their past or the people they once were. They take what was good from it and leave behind what no longer works. Everything they have learned finds its fulfillment in the life they forge together. Over time, they raise their children to live out this new life they have created. Similarly, when Jesus became a man, he united himself to our humanity in an intense and intimate way. And by doing so, he took all that his people, Israel, had learned and all they had become, and he created something new out of it: the family of the Church. By offering himself on the cross, he fulfilled the heart of the commandment to love God and neighbor, even as he made it possible for us to do the same. And by giving us the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, he transformed the ancient rituals into something life-giving for all of us. The result? Children of God who shine his light to the entire world. In the Gospel readings over the next few days, Jesus will be laying out what he wants life in his new family to look like: reconciliation between brothers and sisters, turning the other cheek, purity in marriage, and love for our enemies. All of this can sound intimidating at first. But always remember: you are part of a new family. You are a "new creation" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)! That means you are an heir to all the grace you need to live the life Jesus has called you to. So how will you fulfill the purpose and intentions of God's laws today? "Thank you, Lord, for making me a new creation and bringing me into your family!" Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3
Psalm 98:1-6 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven...." | What are you teaching others? Others are looking at you, we teach others by how we live. They can tell when you are true. And how can we remain true to God? Fidelity, comes by sacrifice.
What can we sacrifice to God? Ourselves. Our mind, body, our soul, so we are availed to His Holy will.
Everything about the many books and volumes about the Book of Heaven seems to be about obedience and living in God's holy will.
If you think about it, the very reason there was a being cast from Heaven at the beginning of the bible was an act of disobedience.
A defiance.
A turning away.
To miss the mark is to miss the point, and this is the definition of sin.
And so, the whole from Eve forward, has been a reconciliation effort, that is based on Love calling us to Himself. It is chaotic, but what is cast as seeds across the world, there is good to be had...for the Kingdom of Heaven.
These words have reached you for good reason. Everything you do matters.
You are teaching others, by how you dress, how you even look at others, how you talk, and how you walk. They see how you pay attention in Church. They see how you live your private life.
They see the smallest things, and make big deals about them, if they are good or bad, accordingly.
Some will not notice anything, because they do not care...until, it becomes personal. Until they can see our Lord face to face...in you.
Let us be found teaching others...God's way. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 4:15 [Hebrews 4]
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
