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Quote of the Day "Be gentle to all, and stern with yourself." — St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus
Today's Meditation "[Purity of intention] which is intimately connected with zeal, enables us to forget ourselves in all things, and to seek first the glory of God and the accomplishment of His good pleasure, persuaded that the more we sacrifice our own interests in His service, the greater advantage and blessing we shall reap. For this reason we must examine the motives of all our actions, that we may labor purely for God, since nothing is more subtle than self-love, which insinuates itself into every work, unless we maintain a constant guard. ... The practice of the moral virtues and the most severe mortifications are meritorious before God only inasmuch as they are animated by His Divine Spirit. The temple of Jerusalem contained nothing which was not either of gold or covered with gold. It is no less fitting that in our souls, the living temples of the Divinity, there should be nothing that is not charity or animated by it. Let us bear in mind that God values the intention more than the action, and that the simplest work becomes noble when performed with a noble intention, while the greatest will be of little value if performed from an indifferent motive. By endeavoring to acquire this purity of intention we shall follow the example and counsel of Our Saviour, who tells us to love as He has loved – that is, purely and disinterestedly. Happy is he who imitates this noblest characteristic of the divine love. Rapid will be his growth in the likeness of God, and consequently in His love, for resemblance usually begets love. Let us rid ourselves of human respect, and, keeping God ever before our eyes, let us not suffer selfish or worldly motives to mar the merit of our good works and rob us of their reward, which is Heaven and the possession of God Himself." —Venerable Louis Of Grenada, p. 406
An excerpt from The Sinner's Guide
Daily Verse "Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven." — Lamentations 3:37-41 | Bl John Fenwick And Bl John Gavan
Bl. John Fenwick and Bl. John Gavan (d. 1679) were Englishmen and Jesuit priests who were martyred for their faith in England during the monarchy's persecution of the Catholic Church. John Fenwick's Protestant parents disowned him when he became a Catholic. The two priests, along with three other Jesuits, were falsely accused of involvement in the "Popish Plot," a fabricated conspiracy that mounted to anti-Catholic hysteria in England over the course of three years. The men were charged with complicity to assassinate King Charles II and condemned on the charges of High Treason and subversion of the nation's Protestant religion. During their trial, John Gavan acted as the principal spokesman for the group; one historian called him one of the ablest priests of his generation. Both priests were condemned to be hung, drawn, and quartered. It is said that the King, knowing they were innocent yet unwilling to grant them pardon, permitted them to be hanged only. After giving a rousing speech declaring their innocence, Bl. John Fenwick and Bl. John Gavan were martyred together on June 20th, 1679. They share a feast day on June 20th. | 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 Brothers and sisters: Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they children of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person). I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Psalm 34:2-7 R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad. R. Glorify the Lord with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears. R. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him. R. Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Mt 5:3
Alleluia, alleluia. Matthew 6:19-23 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 6:19-23 Store up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20) We go to great efforts to protect our "treasures." Hardware store shelves are stocked with mothballs, rust protectors, and other materials that will help preserve our purchases for as long as possible. Even so, all our coats, cars, and couches will eventually fail us. We long for lasting treasure, but nothing on earth lasts forever. In fact, when we set our sights only on fleeting beauty, we tend to neglect the things of lasting value and end up feeling dissatisfied. That's why, in today's Gospel, Jesus warns us to pursue the things that will never fade away. So what are some of these heavenly treasures? Take your identity as a child of God: The all-powerful eternal Creator invites you to live as his son or daughter for all eternity! Your relationship with him is imperishable; nothing can threaten your place in his family. No thief can steal it; no moth can destroy it. His unchanging fatherly love can anchor you during all the storms of life. Or ponder God's amazing gift of forgiveness: In Jesus, God offers pardon for every sin, for all time. No accusations need stand against you. St. John proclaims, "If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing" (1 John 1:9). You need not be condemned by your own conscience or anyone else's words. Every time you repent, he will forgive you. Finally, consider the eternal goodness of human love: In your relationships with your family and friends, you experience a glimpse of the divine love that is the source and completion of all human love. Paul tells us three things will last: faith, hope, and love. "But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). Every act of love that you offer on earth will find its perfection in heaven. These are just a few treasures that will last. When we place our hope in them, we are storing up treasures that will keep us focused on Christ here and now—and that will fill us with eternal joy in heaven. And as we treasure the things of eternity, we will find their source, our Father, who made them. "Lord, help me set my sights on things above and treasure what truly matters." 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30
Psalm 34:2-7 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "....store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. ...." end quote. | From Roberto Juárez: "Today the Lord asks us a decisive question: Where is your treasure? Where have you set your heart?
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to purify our desires, to free us from attachment to the superficial, and to help us to live with a clean gaze, with a dedicated heart, building an eternal treasure in love of God and neighbor." end quote.
Store up treasures in Heaven? How in the world?
I don't know who Roberto is on these reflections, but earlier he said in his full text reflection: "Our way of seeing the world, of looking at others, also reveals where our heart is. If we look with pure eyes, without greed or judgment, then our life will be luminous. But if our gaze is clouded by selfishness or envy, everything is darkened.
What gaze do we offer to the poor, the sick, the marginalized? With what eyes do we see those who think differently? Do we know how to recognize Christ in the hidden and simple?" end quote. If our eyes are sound, that is, healthy, that is in the fullness of the design from God from Heaven, then, we will see through His eyes. Have you ever seen someone look at you with the love of God? That super true love that fills your heart? Perhaps, and truly, it was the Lord Himself in that person looking at you through sound eyes. And in the same way, He can love others through you, with that sacrificial love.
These messages are intimately tied with the message of the Sacred Heart. And the Sacred Heart, should lead us to the quiet, refreshing, peaceful waters of life that emanate from His heart through the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist which has turned into heart flesh in Eucharistic miracles. It is funny, in earthly terms, those foods shaped like your body, help your body, like some type of beans for kidneys, or some type of hard celery for arteries, and in this case...the heart of Jesus for your heart...to be made complete in His love.
The Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ is Christ, that He may be Christ in your, that God may shine His love in His eyes and burn our hearts with Love, the world that needs light, the world that needs to be set ablaze with the fire of His love.
So how do we store up treasure in Heaven?
We must set our hearts on Jesus on earth, as it is in Heaven.
And He can be found easily in the marginalized, the ones that despair, the ones that need HIM! If only we would tend to God's business... |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Romans 8:6 [Romans 8] 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
