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Quote of the Day "I have seen the Lord!" — St. Mary Magdelene - John 20:18
Today's Meditation "Strong passions are the precious raw material of sanctity. Individuals who have carried their sinning to extremes should not despair or say, 'I am too great a sinner to change,' or 'God would not want me.' God will take anyone who is willing to love, not with an occasional gesture, but with a 'passionless passion,' a 'wild tranquility'. A sinner, unrepentant, cannot love God, any more than someone on dry land can swim; but as soon as a person takes his errant energies to God and asks for their redirection, he will become happy, as he was never happy before. It is not the wrong things one has already done that keep one from God; it is present persistence in that wrong. Someone who turns back to God, as the Magdalene and Paul, welcomes the discipline that will enable him to change his former tendencies. Mortification is good, but only when it is done out of love of God. ... Mortifications of the right sort perfect our human nature; the gardener cuts the green shoots from the root of the bush, not to kill the rose, but to make it bloom more beautifully." —Venerable Fulton Sheen, p. 185
Daily Verse "Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' 'Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rab-bo′ni!' (which means Teacher)...Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'!" — 1 Peter 5:8-11 | St Mary Magdalene St. Mary Magdalen (1st c.) was a friend and devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Formerly she had been a woman of ill repute out of whom Jesus exorcised seven demons. Mary Magdalene has a special place among the Lord's disciples and is mentioned several times in the Gospels. She stood at the foot of the Cross with St. John and the Blessed Mother, and went the next morning to Christ's tomb to anoint his body. As a reward for her great love and faithfulness, she is the first recorded witness of Jesus' Resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene who informed the twelve Apostles that Jesus rose from the dead—for this she is called "Apostle to the Apostles." After Jesus' Ascension into heaven, Mary Magdalene continued her mission as an evangelist, contemplative, and mystic in the heart of the Church. According to the Eastern tradition, she went to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary and died there. St. Mary Magdalene is the patron of women, repentant sinners, penitent women, reformed prostitutes, contemplatives, converts, pharmacists, perfumers, hairstylists, and against sexual temptation. Her feast day is July 22nd. The Morning Offering recognizes that there are varying views on the identity of St. Mary of Bethany and St. Mary Magdalene. You can read articles from the Vatican concerning this topic here: Decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship on the celebration of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, in the General Roman Calendar. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles. | Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene Reading 1 Song of Songs 3:1-4b The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves–
I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves.
I sought him but I did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me,
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?
I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves. OR 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 20:1-2, 11-18 On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him." Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
"Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
"Rabbouni," which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he told her.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Song of Songs 3:1-4 I sought him. (Song of Songs 3:1) Mary Magdalene, whose feast we celebrate today, is one of the most iconic examples of someone who "sought" Jesus throughout her life (Song of Songs 3:1). And that dedication has made her a model for all of us! We first meet Mary in the Gospel of Luke, as one of the women who accompanied Jesus and his apostles from Galilee to Jerusalem (8:1-3). The fact that Jesus had delivered her from seven demons must have ignited a fire in her that moved her to follow him in the first place. The fact that she helped finance his ministry tells us she was probably well-off. It also tells us that she used her wealth in an intentional and selfless way. She wasn't some starstruck admirer of Jesus; she was willing to make sacrifices for him. She knew that seeking the Lord meant giving of herself, and she did it gladly. As a disciple of Jesus, Mary attached herself to a group of fishermen, zealots, and reformed tax collectors. This is not the kind of company you would expect a woman to keep! But it is the kind of company that Jesus tended to attract. Mary knew how much she needed Jesus, and so she joined this group of tradesmen and clung to him through thick and thin. Like them, she followed Jesus throughout Galilee and all the way to Jerusalem, witnessing his miracles and letting his teaching seep into her soul. Even in Jerusalem, Mary continued to cling to the Lord. Nothing could deter her: not the opposition of the chief priests, not his somber words at the Last Supper, not even his arrest and crucifixion. She was one of the few disciples who risked her own safety by standing by him on Calvary. And she was rewarded by becoming the first witness to his resurrection and the "Apostle to the Apostles." If Mary Magdalene were with us today, she would tell us to keep seeking Jesus with all our hearts, just as she did. She would tell us about the joy she felt when, having sought him so faithfully, she found him—and having found him, she found salvation. "Lord, I will seek you all the days of my life!" Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9
John 20:1-2, 11-18 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Jesus said to her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he told her. | From Roberto Juarez: "This is also our vocation: from the personal encounter with Christ the mission is born. We cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard. Each Eucharist sends us as witnesses, as Mary Magdalene was.
• Do I live my faith as a joyful witness that I must share with others?
Today we learn from this holy woman that love does not surrender in the face of death or pain. Jesus calls us personally and that changes everything. Only the encounter with the Risen One makes us witnesses.
End quote.
"Today is a day to rejoice with Mary Magdalene. We don't know what it was like before he met Jesus. We don't care much either. The truth is that when he met the Master he learned to live in a different way. He learned to love and to love much and without measure. Hopefully we will learn the same too!" end quote from Fernando Torres, cmf.
From Bishop Barron:
"Today is a day to rejoice with Mary Magdalene. We don't know what it was like before he met Jesus. We don't care much either. The truth is that when he met the Master he learned to live in a different way. He learned to love and to love much and without measure. Hopefully we will learn the same too!" End quote
Saint Mary Magdalene, the first evangelist of the Holy Resurrection, ran to the disciples. They ran to the tomb, why? Did they not believe? Why did they run?
They wanted to see the Lord, that is why.
What if I told you that I seen the Lord? Would you run to the place where I saw Him? I myself have not even returned to that spot.
But I will tell you, it was in front of a tabernacle, in a Catholic Church in a nearby city. During the Divine Mercy Chaplet in a Cursillo. I was singing the chaplet with the music team, back when music teams existed and I was a happy camper in the background helping...and now, I have been the music guy alone for years and years. It was better when there were more.
I digress. "I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!". This sinner; why would anybody listen to those words!
She was at the tomb, sobbing from the early morning hours.
She didn't even recognize the Lord that was speaking with her.
I dare tell you, this whole story is amazing, it happens every single day that is a whole new life that God our Father has given to you.
A sinner. Crying. Meets the Lord, the Lord God whom they seek with their whole heart. He does not hide from the one that loves Him. He might even send a critter to your side to comfort you. But He is there always because the Holy Spirit is among us...the Word is Among us.
And He speaks. Do you recognize Him speaking? Perhaps it is nice words, or harsh words, but you will know, because you will know the truth, because Jesus is Truth. Listen for Him. Be always submissive to Him. Let yourself be ready to take orders, or a kiss from Heaven. He is the Heart of God. They say He loves us like no one else on earth ever will be able to.
And I believe it. His heart, His love, will make tears come out of you, and why? Because, your heart will burn with a Sacred Love fire. It happens more, if you are living a life of grace and love in God, in the Holy Trinity.
I did research on my own baptism. Turns out, this day of Saint Mary Magdalene, was the day I was born into the world. Perhaps the Heavens have another name for me, perhaps "Mac" or Magdaleno, or Leno for short. Whatever it may be, it is God's will.
And today, you have a converted sinner, speaking to you. Do you believe? This sinner has seen the Lord. Do you believe? Or do you want to see for yourself?
Our Lord says "Come and See". See Him at church. Come. See Him with open arms in the church. Be the church. We unite in Him, and we spread Him like fire. Souls on fire. Salvation, the Kingdom of God is at hand. |  audio | WOW! Random Bible Verse 1
2 Timothy 2:22 "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
WORD OF THE LORD! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
