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Quote of the Day
"I will glory not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed; I will glory not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me. I will not glory because I have done good nor because someone has done good to me, but because Christ is my advocate with the Father and because the blood of Christ has been shed for me." — St. Ambrose
Today's Meditation Today's Meditation
"Many try to fly away from temptations only to fall more deeply into them; for you cannot win a battle by mere flight. It is only by patience and humility that you will be strengthened against the enemy. Those who shun them outwardly and do not pull them out by the roots will make no progress; for temptations will soon return to harass them and they will be in a worse state. It is only gradually—with patience and endurance and with God's grace—that you will overcome temptations sooner than by your own efforts and anxieties . . . Gold is tried by fire and the upright person by temptation. Often we do not know what we can do until temptation shows us what we are . . . This is how temptation is: first we have a thought, followed by strong imaginings, then the pleasure and evil emotions, and finally consent. This is how the enemy gains full admittance, because he was not resisted at the outset. The slower we are to resist, the weaker we daily become and the stronger the enemy is against us." —Thomas à Kempis, p. 32-33 An excerpt from Imitation of Christ
Daily Verse "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it." — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 | St. Bridget (1303-1373) was born into a devout and prestigious family in Sweden. Her father was a governor, judge, and one of the wealthiest landowners in the country. Bridget received an excellent religious education, and from a young age demonstrated a great capacity for holiness. She even experienced mystical visions in her childhood. At the age of thirteen she was given in marriage to a similarly devout young man named Ulf. Together the two had a happy marriage and raised eight children, one of whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. St. Bridget became famous for her sanctity, and she was well-acquainted with the Swedish king and many theologians who sought her counsel. When Bridget and Ulf were in their forties, they went on pilgrimage along the famous Way of St. James. Shortly afterwards Ulf died, and Bridget gave herself entirely to the religious life. Her visions became more frequent, and were written down in a famous work called the Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden. She also founded a new religious order known as the Brigittines. To obtain approval for her Order she traveled to Rome with her daughter Catherine, where she lived until her death. St. Bridget of Sweden is one of the six patron saints of Europe. Her feast day is July 23rd. | Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 The children of Israel set out from Elim,
and came into the desert of Sin,
which is between Elim and Sinai,
on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departure from the land of Egypt.
Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The children of Israel said to them,
"Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!"
Then the LORD said to Moses,
"I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation
of the children of Israel:
Present yourselves before the LORD,
for he has heard your grumbling."
When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel,
they turned toward the desert, and lo,
the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
"I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, "What is this?"
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
"This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28
R. (24b) The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
They tempted God in their hearts by demanding the food they craved.
Yes, they spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert?" R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Yet he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven he opened;
He rained manna upon them for food and gave them heavenly bread. R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels, food he sent them in abundance.
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens, and by his power brought on the south wind. R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
And he rained meat upon them like dust, and, like the sand of the sea, winged fowl,
Which fell in the midst of their camp round about their tents. R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 13:1-9 On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 . . . that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God. (Exodus 16:12) Isn't it funny that the name "manna" reflects the Israelites' astonishment at this strange gift? After all, the Hebrew word manna literally translates to "What is this?" So what exactly was it? It was, of course, God's provision to meet their physical needs. The manna in the morning, along with the quail in the evening, sustained Israel as they made their way through the harsh desert. But it also met their spiritual needs. God knew they would face numerous challenges, both from enemy tribes around them and from the conflicts that would inevitably arise among them. So the manna would serve as a constant reminder that they belonged to the Lord—and that he had covenanted himself to them. He would take care of them no matter what. Like the Israelites, we can become so accustomed to the miracle of the manna that we lose sight of the spiritual truths it revealed. For instance, think about how consistently—and persistently—God cared for his people. He fed them every day for forty years. On the good days, when the people held fast to their covenant with him, he fed them. On the bad days, when they broke faith, he fed them. Even on their worst days—like when they worshipped the golden calf or when they rebelled against Moses—he still fed them! That's how faithful to them he was. That's how much he loved them. Just as the manna sustained the Israelites on their long desert journey, your heavenly Father sustains you on your journey. He cares for your physical needs—and he sometimes does it in a miraculous way. But he also cares for your spiritual needs in ways that are miraculous. Think of all the times you have come to prayer burdened and anxious, only to leave refreshed and hopeful. Or think of those times in Confession when he forgave your sins, even the sins you feared were unforgivable. Every one of those experiences was another gift of manna from the Lord! God told the Israelites that he would give them manna, "that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God" (Exodus 16:12). He says the very same thing to you when he gives you exactly what you need—that you may know that he is God. "Lord, I praise you for your unending mercy and compassion!" Psalm 78:18-19, 23-28
Matthew 13:1-9 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez: "What concrete fruits am I bearing in my community, family, or environment by being united to Christ?" end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, our Gospel for today is the parable of the sower and the seed. It has to do with the growth and development of the kingdom of God. We hear that Jesus "went out of the house and sat down by the sea" and that large crowds gathered around him. This is Jesus speaking to the whole world.....Keep in mind that Jesus himself, in person, is the seed sown. Jesus is the Logos that wants to take root in us. This seed is sown far and wide, through all sorts of means, but in you, let the seed be sown deep, where it can't be stolen, scorched, or choked." end quote.
The seed, the Word, the very Word of God.
Jesus.
He is the seed, isn't He?
He wants to dwell and grow in you. Grow what? Fruit. What fruit? The fruit of Love. Is it that hard to let it grow?
Surprisingly...yes.
And the seeds are indeed in soil. Humus. The root word for humans is humus. We are dirt. God is the seed. It is freely planted across the world in humans. This part is being completed in baptism. This part is being completed in each and every one of us.
God's seed. The first seed was implanted in the Virgin Mother, our Blessed Mother Mary.
The word then became flesh, through her humus DNA that was immaculate upon creation before the world began, created in infinity.
Have I gone too deep?
The very Word she received, we now receive. The seed, and the flesh. We carry her within us, the infinity of God and Mother. Am I going even deeper? Then I shall digress.
But, what has happened to Mother Mary is a sign, of revelation to the rest of us.
Her light shined. Jesus shined. They say she reflects the son.
All we do with her in our eyes is see Jesus, her purpose, her created purpose. We see love, don't we? And the darkness does not like it when we let God shine...love shines.
Yet, Jesus Shines from the cross as darkness tried to overcome Him. I know this for a fact. Because at the darkest moment in existence, the ultimate attack against God...all I could feel was the love. Crazy, crazy love, an envelopment even in the dark, comfort, even when once couldn't see with light.
The footprints in the sand prove, when you think you were alone, He was there...carrying you. Shame on us for thinking we can do anything without Him. Shame on us for not letting the light shine, giving glory to God our Father...for everything.
One more point...the seed is Jesus, right? Jesus is God. This gets super critical. Therefore, what Jesus says goes. Obedience to Him means love. Serving Jesus means love. And Jesus our Lord hides in strangers and in your own family.
God and neighbor. Humans. Spread the Word...our Lord unto others. Let the Sacred Heart fire spread all over the world...it is God's will.
Thy Will Be Done, Father. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 90:2 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
