TODAY'S FEAST: Our Lady of the Snows is one of the oldest devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It commemorates a miraculous event that happened during the reign of Pope Liberius. A wealthy, childless Roman couple prayed to know how their fortune should be used for God. Our Lady answered them in a dream and asked that a church be built in her honor. She also appeared in a dream to the Holy Father with the same request. On August 5, 352 A.D., a hot summer day, snow fell on Esquiline Hill. All of Rome proclaimed it a miracle, and a basilica was built on the spot according to the outline of the pattern of snow. The church, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), is the largest church in the world, and one of the first, dedicated to Our Lady. August 5th celebrates its rebuilding and dedication in 434 A.D. †
Quote of the Day "The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down." — St. Gianna Molla
Today's Meditation "The true reason for which God bestows so many graces upon the humble is this, that the humble are faithful to these graces and make good use of them. They receive them from God and use them in a manner pleasing to God, giving all the glory to Him, without reserving any for themselves. ... It is certainly true that he who is humble is also faithful to God, because the humble man is also just in giving to all their due, and above all, in rendering to God the things that are God's; that is, in giving Him the glory for all the good that he is, all the good that he has and for all the good that he does; as the Venerable Bede says: 'Whatever good we see in ourselves, let us ascribe it to God and not to ourselves.' To give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received and are continually receiving is an excellent means of exercising humility, because by thanksgiving we learn to acknowledge the Supreme Giver of every good. And for this reason it is necessary for us always to be humble before God. St. Paul exhorts us to render thanks for all things and at all times: 'In all things give thanks.' (1 Thess. 5:18). 'Giving thanks always for all things.' (Eph. 5:20). But that our thanksgiving may be an act of humility it must not only come from the lips but from the heart, with a firm conviction that all good comes to us through the infinite mercy of God." —Rev. Cajetan da Bergamo, p. 87-88
Daily Verse "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." — Matthew 7:1-2 | St Oswald Of Northumbria St. Oswald (605-642 A.D.) was the second of seven sons born to the pagan king of Northumbria in northern England. After his father was killed in battle, the kingdom was split. His uncle claimed the throne, while Oswald fled with his mother and brothers to Scotland for safety. There his family was converted to Christianity by the renowned monks of Iona. Oswald was educated by the holy monks and grew into a brave and pious warrior. After the death of his uncle and elder brother, Oswald moved to reclaim his father's throne and liberate it from enemy rule. On the eve of a decisive battle, he received a vision of St. Columba who promised him success. Before battle, Oswald erected a cross and knelt before it in prayer, along with his army. Following his victory, St. Oswald reunited Northumbria and was made king. His influence as a monarch was so great that he was considered the Emperor of almost all of Britain, uniting the the Britons, Picts, Scots, and the English. He requested a bishop to be sent to his kingdom to aid in the conversion of his people to Christianity; he also invited St. Aidan and a group of Irish monks from Iona to found a monastery for the kingdom at Lindisfarne. This ushered in Northumbria's "golden age" as the most important centre of learning and arts in the British Isles. Oswald ruled as a saintly and powerful Christian king, in justice, humility, and generosity to the poor and strangers, as noted by the prestigious historian, the Venerable Bede. St. Oswald was killed in battle, and afterwards the place of his death was noted for many miracles. His feast day is August 5th. | Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Numbers 12:1-13 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext
of the marriage he had contracted with a Cushite woman.
They complained, "Is it through Moses alone that the LORD speaks?
Does he not speak through us also?"
And the LORD heard this.
Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.
So at once the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam,
"Come out, you three, to the meeting tent."
And the three of them went.
Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud,
and standing at the entrance of the tent,
called Aaron and Miriam.
When both came forward, he said,
"Now listen to the words of the LORD:
Should there be a prophet among you,
in visions will I reveal myself to him,
in dreams will I speak to him;
not so with my servant Moses!
Throughout my house he bears my trust:
face to face I speak to him;
plainly and not in riddles.
The presence of the LORD he beholds.
Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?"
So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed,
and the cloud withdrew from the tent,
there was Miriam, a snow-white leper!
When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, he said to Moses,
"Ah, my lord! Please do not charge us with the sin
that we have foolishly committed!
Let her not thus be like the stillborn babe
that comes forth from its mother's womb
with its flesh half consumed."
Then Moses cried to the LORD, "Please, not this! Pray, heal her!" Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13 R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense;
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned;
and done what is evil in your sight." R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
That you may be justified in your sentence,
vindicated when you condemn.
Indeed, in guilt was I born,
and in sin my mother conceived me. R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not off from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Alleluia John 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 14:22-36 Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come."
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God."
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 14:22-36 Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid. (Matthew 14:27) The disciples must have been getting exhausted as they fought against the wind and waves in the dark of the night. So given their frightening situation, it makes sense that they were terrified when they saw Jesus approaching them on the water. Only Peter found the faith to step forward and ask, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water" (Matthew 14:28). And that's when Jesus called Peter into an even deeper act of faith. Rather than calming the seas to make it easier, he called Peter to step right into the middle of the storm. Have you ever felt like Peter? Stepping out of the boat may mean fighting for a marriage that you may think is not worth saving. It may mean walking away from a high-paying job to make time for family or for volunteer work. It could be forgiving someone who has hurt you deeply or opening your home to children who are in need. There are any number of "storms" swirling around us—is Jesus asking you to enter into one of them? The steps we choose to take may vary, but the results we can expect are the same: we will be facing strong headwinds. Those winds may be the voices of friends who tell us we are being impractical, inner doubts that question whether we're making a mistake, or unexpected setbacks and roadblocks that make us question our resolve. But today's Gospel promises that when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, he will be with us, his hand outstretched, to help us stand. Courage doesn't come when the seas are calm; it is forged in the storms of life. The same is true of faith. Discipleship isn't primarily about building a life free of conflict and challenge. It's about looking into the eyes of Jesus in the midst of a storm and finding in his gaze the love and strength we need to keep moving forward in faith. What winds are tempting you to stay in the boat? What would it look like for you to step out, your eyes fixed on the Lord? Quiet your heart for a moment and imagine him inviting you to take your first step. Hear him say, "Take courage, it is I" (Matthew 14:27). "Jesus, I believe that you are Lord over every storm!" Numbers 12:1-13
Psalm 51:3-7, 12-13 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come."
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"...." Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"The most beautiful thing about this passage is that Jesus does not reproach or condemn Peter. He simply reaches out and holds it. Even when we fail, when we doubt, Jesus doesn't let us sink. He is there, firm, present, ready to lift us up again and again.
Therefore, faith is not not being afraid, but knowing who we look to when we are afraid. Faith is trusting that Jesus is there and does not let us go. • What prevents me from getting out of my "boat" and walking with more faith towards the Lord? Today's Gospel invites us to live in the certainty that God is not absent in difficulties, with the courage to take steps of faith, even in the midst of the wind, and with the confidence that the Lord does not let us fall, even if we sometimes doubt." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Now, during the fourth watch of the night, which is to say the darkest time of the night, Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to be an affirmation of his divinity: just as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now. So he says to his terrified disciples: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." But even more than that: You can participate in my power. "Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus." This is the story of all the saints."
It is said that the bible has about 365 instances that states "do not be afraid" in one form or another.
That's once for every day of the year.
Yet, we doubt. And yet, we become afraid.
And still, our Lord has mercy. And in the end, everything in our fate, will hinge on His mercy; our salvation.
But should we sin on purpose and say "well God knows and will forgive me". That is a sin of supposing. But we all forget that our Lord is righteousness. The fire in His eyes, is a light of life, love, and righteousness.
We should be afraid...of doubting Him.
We should be afraid...of sin.
We should be afraid...of being away from Him.
Saint Peter, fell, sank in the water, because of concupiscence. Original sin.
And what caused original sin? A little seed of doubt.
And this crack in the dam, can and will lead to great chaos, torment, and sinking into an unknown abyss.
Who do you trust most in this world?
The bible says, and my dad loved to repeat it, "Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord." Jeremiah 17:5.
And it is true. We actually curse ourselves when we dabble in sin.
So...is doubting a sin?
To question or be confused is something, but to turn away from God's obedience is a whole other story...like temptation to doubt that God is good.
Because we teach others that doubt God, and that crack begins to grow.
Or, we can do the opposite. They say love is a choice. Then, faith is a choice. Lord, I believe! |  audio | Wow. Crazy Love! Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 6:27–28 [Luke 6]
Love Your Enemies "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
