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Quote of the Day
"When we go to confession, we ought to persuade ourselves to find Jesus Christ in the person of our confessor." — St. Philip Neri
Today's Meditation
"Our Lord's love shines out just as much through a little soul who yields completely to His Grace as it does through the greatest . . . Just as the sun shines equally on the cedar and the little flower, so the Divine Sun shines equally on everyone, great and small. Everything is ordered for their good, just as in nature the seasons are so ordered that the smallest daisy comes to bloom at its appointed time." —St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 4-5
Daily Verse Daily Verse
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." — Luke 14:27 | Pope St. Sixtus II (d. 258 A.D.) became the Roman Pontiff in the year 257 A.D. His early life is uncertain, and he is mentioned by name in the Roman Canon of the Mass. He helped mend the relationship between Rome and the Eastern and African churches over the problem of the rebaptism of converted heretics, a controversy which threatened schism. St. Sixtus II, a peaceful man, restored friendly relations and maintained unity. However, he served as Holy Father for only one year due to the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Valerian. As a result, Pope St. Sixtus II was suppressed and forbidden to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He continued to worship in secret in defiance to the unjust law, and while offering Mass in a cemetery chapel he was ambushed and beheaded by Roman soldiers. His feast day is August 7th. | Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Numbers 20:1-13 The whole congregation of the children of Israel arrived in the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled at Kadesh.
It was here that Miriam died, and here that she was buried.
As the community had no water,
they held a council against Moses and Aaron.
The people contended with Moses, exclaiming,
"Would that we too had perished with our kinsmen in the Lord's presence!
Why have you brought the LORD's assembly into this desert
where we and our livestock are dying?
Why did you lead us out of Egypt,
only to bring us to this wretched place
which has neither grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates?
Here there is not even water to drink!"
But Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly
to the entrance of the meeting tent, where they fell prostrate.
Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them,
and the LORD said to Moses,
"Take your staff and assemble the community,
you and your brother Aaron,
and in their presence order the rock to yield its waters.
From the rock you shall bring forth water for the congregation
and their livestock to drink."
So Moses took his staff from its place before the LORD, as he was ordered.
He and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock,
where he said to them, "Listen to me, you rebels!
Are we to bring water for you out of this rock?"
Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff,
and water gushed out in abundance for the people
and their livestock to drink.
But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
"Because you were not faithful to me
in showing forth my sanctity before the children of Israel,
you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them."
These are the waters of Meribah,
where the children of Israel contended against the Lord,
and where the LORD revealed his sanctity among them. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tested me; they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Alleluia Matthew 16:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 16:13-23 Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Numbers 20:1-13 Moses struck the rock twice . . . , and water gushed out. (Numbers 20:11) Moses and Aaron were under a lot of pressure. They were grieving the death of their sister, Miriam, and the people's supply of drinking water was running dangerously low. The Israelites grumbled against the two brothers and threatened to rebel. So feeling desperate and powerless, they fell prostrate before the Lord at the Tent of Meeting. In his mercy, God promised to provide water, and he would do it through the power of his word, which Moses was to obey. He told Moses to speak a command to a rock so that water would gush forth. But rather than trusting in the power of God's word alone, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking that word. What happened? Surely Moses remembered that God's word had power—God had established his covenant with them by his word from the very beginning. His word had the power to heal, to save, and to provide for his people. All Moses had to do was speak, and it would be done. But he didn't. Maybe his frustration got the better of him, or maybe he thought he could improve upon God's plan. Whatever the case, he bore the consequences of his actions. "Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity," God told him, "you shall not lead this community into the land" (Numbers 20:12). But that's not all that happened. Despite Moses' disobedience, God still saved his parched people—he provided a massive flow of life-giving water! God's word to Moses ultimately did accomplish his will. What a testament to the truth that God isn't limited by our sins and failures! He can rise above it all and still reveal his goodness. Just imagine what God can accomplish when we do obey his word! Like Moses, we have the privilege of sharing in God's work, but he is the One who accomplishes it. It's God's word that makes the difference. It doesn't depend only on our own efforts. His word is as living and effective today as it was in Moses' time. And when God speaks, his word brings life! "Speak, Lord, and I will obey your word." Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Matthew 16:13-23 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "..You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven...." Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron: "And then those amazing words of Jesus: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." This insight did not come from Simon's own intelligent speculation. It came from above, through grace, from God. And this is why Peter is a rock.
The Church is built not on a worldly foundation of any kind but on a mystical foundation, born of Peter's faith in the revealing God. The Church is neither democratic nor aristocratic—it is charismatic. And this is where its power comes from." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"This reminds us that even the closest disciple can fail when he or she is led by human criteria. To love Jesus without the cross is to want a Messiah who is tailor-made, comfortable and without demands. But the path of love passes through surrender. • Am I willing to follow Jesus even if the path involves renunciation, sacrifice, or misunderstanding? Jesus does not seek applause or comfort. His path passes through self-giving, through the passion, through the cross... but it also leads to resurrection and full life. Those who follow him must be willing to carry his cross every day. Our faith is not a "faith à la carte", but a total adherence to the Gospel, even when it goes against our logic or our interests. • Do I open myself to thinking like God or do I cling to my own human criteria? Today the Lord looks at us and asks us and like Peter, we can have moments of spiritual lucidity, and also moments of weakness. The important thing is to always return to Christ, with humility, with faith, and with the sincere desire to walk beside him." end quote.
Saint Peter has been given the keys to the Kingdom, on earth, as it is in Heaven. This is important. This is critical.
The key is the Keys here. There is no physical key, but the authority.
To forgive sins, through the ministerial service, in which God will reside.
And now we speak of priesthood. And now we speak of God working through the priest. And now we receive absolution in penance service.
And what happens next? Grace appears. The Kingdom of Love and the Kingdom of Grace are at hand.
It sounds crazy, but God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, all work in us for that fruit desired called "God's Holy Will". The daily prayer. The daily bread. The daily making His holy name. "Hallowed Be Thy Name", we pray.
Yet daily it is trampled. Daily we us it in vain. And for that we pray daily "lead us not into temptation" which really should be changed to "do not let us fall into temptation" as it is said in earlier languages.
That we may be the fruit of God. That the last verse be true "but deliver us from evil", and it can...if we so desire.
Because even Saint Peter was tempted, and let evil speak against God's will. You see, evil masks itself as something good, like the first temptation with Eve, seeing the apple as good for something, but it was truly not. Saint Peter asked the Lord that He not let Himself be tortured to death on the cross, but our Lord said "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
What an amazing conversation...the Lord, Peter, and Satan, in that dark night right after being granted the keys.
What does this tell us today? My dad, God rest his soul, used to say "we have to help the priests be Priests!". We have to gather and help them, not with menacing complaints, but with loving help and guidance. Not all priests are financial experts to run a parish, they need help!
Not all priests are great speakers or orators, they need help!
Not all priests are natural shepherds to bring in the flock, they need help!
Not all priests are always right, they need help! Loving help.
How do you loving help a priest?
Pray for them. Ask them how you can help them, around the parish especially, and if he is sick, help, if he leaves, help, if he never notices, great! God sees it, and that is where true reward comes.
But I will warn every soul, if you do the opposite, and you chide a priest, there is righteous things that will happen, here or later.
Let this be a prophetic message. Because, the keys have been handed, forever.
May we fight for the name, the HOLY NAME, with great love and great humility. Today, I am leading a men's cursillo. I ask for your prayers for all of us involved. May your prayers raise us up to the Heavens where the Son will burn our hearts, and be truly his, at His service forever... |  audio | Amen! Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you1 free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
