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Quote of the Day "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." — St. Augustine
Today's Meditation "The difficulty that so many generally find in the study of mystical theology [is that] they want to discover fixed rules in it, like those of asceticism, which are based on the ordinary conditions of virtue, whereas the one and only rule is to be attentive to the inspiration of the Spirit of sanctification, who is not content merely with the good but ever urges us in each single instance to what is most perfect, best, most in conformity with God's pleasure." —J.G Arintero, O.P., p.
Daily Verse "O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for thee. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble." — Isaiah 33:2 | St James St. James the Greater (died 44 AD) is the brother of St. John the Apostle, and was one of Jesus's original 12 Apostles. The title "Greater" was added to distinguish him from St. James the Lesser, and is believed not to concern status or holiness, but physical height. Besides being the son of Zebedee, what is known of St. James's life comes after he and his brother were called to leave their father and their nets and follow after Jesus. James was one of the three apostles invited to witness the miraculous Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor. As well, his righteous anger at seeing a Samaritan town reject Jesus inspired him to ask Jesus to call down fire on the town, which Jesus gently rebuked. Following Christ's Resurrection and Ascension, James preached the Gospel across the Roman empire before traveling to Spain, where he spread the Gospel for many years. The famous "Camino de Santiago" pilgrimage path in Spain is named in his honor (Santiago is Spanish for James). At the end of his life, James returned to Jerusalem, where he was the first apostle to be martyred. His feast day is July 25th.
Find a devotional for this saint | Feast of Saint James, Apostle Reading 1 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing. R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed. R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing. R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves. R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Alleluia See John 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 20:20-28 The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 20:20-28 Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink? (Matthew 20:22) Today we celebrate the feast of St. James, one of the twelve apostles. Together with his brother John, along with Peter and Andrew, he was one of the first disciples whom Jesus called. He was also chosen to witness some of the most important events of Jesus' ministry, like the transfiguration and the Lord's agony in the garden of Gethsemane. So who was James? What was he like? We know that, like his brother John, he was an impetuous man. So much so that Jesus nicknamed them "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). For example, when the people of Samaria didn't receive Jesus, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" (Luke 9:54). Another time, they dared to ask for the privilege of being seated right next to Jesus when he came into his kingdom, one on his right and the other one on his left (Matthew 20:20-21). Then when Jesus asked them, "Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" they answered, "We can," without hesitation (20:22). And James did! In fact, he is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2). James' boldness didn't hinder him. In fact, God used it to make him a faithful witness of the gospel. Tradition says he ventured as far as Spain to preach the good news, and he was so effective that even today he is revered as the patron of that country. There are so many ways you can share the love of Jesus as St. James did. You can offer to help serve those who are hungry at a food bank. You can prepare the children in your parish for First Communion. You can offer to pray with a distressed coworker. Even saying, "God bless you" to the cashier at the grocery store can make you a witness! You may not always be met with a positive response, but that's when boldness comes in—when you go back out and try again! Take courage from St. James' example. He was persecuted and ultimately martyred, but he knew the Lord hadn't abandoned him. Jesus will never abandon you, either. So today and every day, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with his grace to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. "St. James, pray that I can become a bold witness to the gospel." 2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Psalm 126:1-6 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many......"
Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Do we dare to give that answer today? Or do we only follow Christ when everything is going well? • What place does service have in my personal, family, and community life? Jesus concludes with a key teaching for every disciple: "Whoever wants to be great among you, let him be his servant."
It is not enough to be part of Jesus' group, we must assume his style, his heart, his cross.
Jesus did not come to be served. He came to kneel before the little ones, to heal the wounded, to give his life. Jesus embodies an authority based on self-giving love." end quote.
Bishop Barron ends today with: "But James and John are asking for these two things in the wrong spirit. When the ego grabs power and honor for itself, things get dysfunctional very quickly. So what must we do? In other versions of this story, Jesus placed a child in the midst of the Twelve, showing someone who had neither power nor honor. Here he simply says, "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave." end quote.
The greatest is .... the greatest servant. Is this shocking? It is the truth of Heaven....because the Heavens have spoken, God has spoken, Jesus has given us His Word from Heaven. Only He who has seen the Father can give us this great truth.
And this day, of Saint James, is revealing to us what God expects...servants to the end.
Humility starts showing itself. The cup of Jesus, is the cup of blood. This month of June is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus.
They say Saint James spilled his blood for Jesus...as the first martyr.
Be careful what you ask for? Or will you gladly give of your blood in totality for the King of Kings?
He is that love you have always desired. He is the spouse of the Church, the head, the one that truly loves, even if you do not love as you ought, He does.
As a leader in many ministries, I can attest, even as a leader at work, the greatest has to be the least. The least what? The least proud. The least of themselves. And this has to come into play for all else. Family. Your environment. You will always run into the opposite, the proud, the ones that are weak filled with evil. From now on, think of the evil people as the weak in faith, and in most need of God's mercy. Then you will truly feel the blood of Jesus coursing in your veins, desiring blood of grace and mercy for the whole world.
Now, see yourself growing in faith, as the Sons of Thunder, and faith is honor of Jesus Christ, that the world may see, why you lived and died, for who you chose to live and to die for... Saint James the Greater, greater in love of God by being the first martyr, please, pray for us. I pray for the cursillo I am called to lead in 2 weeks, may we be filled with zeal for the Lord our God's Holy Will ! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Corinthians 13:7–8 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
