† Quote of the Day "In the first place it should be known that if a person is seeking God, his beloved is seeking him much more." -St. John of the Cross Today's Meditation "Marriage releases the flesh from its individual selfishness for the service of the family; the vow of chastity releases the flesh not only from the narrow and circumscribed family, where there can still be selfishness, but also for the service of that family that embraces all humanity. That is why the Church asks those who consecrate themselves to the redemption of the world to take a vow and to surrender all selfishness, that they may belong to no one family and yet belong to all. That is why in that larger family of the kingdom of God, the priest is called "Father" —because he has begotten children not in the flesh, but in the spirit." —Venerable Fulton Sheen, p. 117 Daily Verse "Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." -Isaiah 52:8-10 | St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663) was the son of a poor Italian carpenter. His father died before he was born, leaving his mother destitute. As a result Joseph was underfed and often sick. He was an intellectually dull child who constantly found himself the worse off in every situation. He was awkward, absent-minded, unintelligent, and difficult to be around. Many people thought he was good for nothing–including his own mother, who treated him harshly and considered him a burden. Added to the scorn he received from everyone, at the age of eight he began receiving ecstatic visions for which he was also ridiculed. At the age of seventeen Joseph found work with the Capuchin Franciscan friars, eventually joining their order once they recognized his holiness beneath his irritating demeanor. His ecstasies became more pronounced, and he would often levitate or float as they happened. These ecstasies could be triggered easily through the mention of anything heavenly, or by any mortification. These occurrences became a spectacle and disturbance to others and caused Joseph much suffering; they were a cross he would bear his whole life. For example, as a priest he could not celebrate Mass publicly due to his distracting ecstasies. He was even reported to the Inquisition for fear he was involved in witchcraft. Yet St. Joseph lived a life of deep prayer and severe penance through continual fasting, subjecting himself every year to seven Lents of forty days each. Sometimes called "The Flying Saint," St. Joseph of Cupertino is also the patron of air crews and aviators. His feast day is September 18th. | Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 446
Reading 1 1 Timothy 4:12-16 Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 111:7-8, 9, 10 R.(2) How great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity. R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name. R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.
His praise endures forever. R. How great are the works of the Lord! Alleluia Matthew 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 7:36-50 A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
"If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?"
Simon said in reply,
"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven."
He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The others at table said to themselves,
"Who is this who even forgives sins?"
But he said to the woman,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Luke 7:36-50 Which of them will love him more? (Luke 7:42) Have you ever felt defined by your sins or failings? Perhaps you hurt someone deeply in the past, and your relationship with that person has been forever altered. Or maybe you feel as if you struggle with the same old sins and have come to assume that you'll never get over them. Whatever the situation, burdens like these can weigh so heavily on us that we feel as if we're drowning. Today's Gospel presents us with a woman in a similar situation. In fact, compared to many people, she probably felt the sting of her sin very sharply. Even respected Jews like Simon the Pharisee began to equate her with her checkered past. Surely, he thought, Jesus should also know that she was a sinner. So why did he let her anoint him as she did? In response to Simon's unspoken thoughts, Jesus replied that those who experience extravagant mercy for their sins are usually moved to show extravagant love to the one who forgives them. So instead of focusing on the woman's sinful past, he drew Simon's attention to her current act of love. Here she was, pouring out her heart to Jesus, showing him even greater hospitality than Simon, his host! Yes, the woman's sins were great; we should never minimize them. But the love and forgiveness that Jesus had for her were even greater. Gratefully, she received this generous gift and responded with her own generosity. She wasn't trying to pay Jesus back, and she wasn't trying to earn future kindness from him. She was just thankful for the fresh start, and the abundant joy she felt overflowed in acts of love. This woman's story is your story as well. Jesus is offering you the same gift of forgiveness that he gave her. It's the very reason why he died and rose again. So don't let your past define you. Don't settle for feeling weighed down by your sins, not even your worst sins. Not even the sins that you have kept hidden away for years. Come to him, confess your sins, and let him set you free. "Jesus, I am amazed at the depths of your mercy! What else can I do but worship you with my whole heart?" 1 Timothy 4:12-16
Psalm 111:7-10 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "Which of them will love him more?"
Simon said in reply,
"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven."
He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair....." Word of the Lord. | What do you see in the story of the sinful woman that bathed the feet of our Lord with her tears and hair?
We see someone that cares.
We see someone that is grateful.
We see someone that is moved.
Yet, we step back a bit, and we see those that are blind to the reality of the situation.
Where do we stand in the picture, in this scene in your life? And in Holy Mass?
Remember yesterday, I mentioned that I look to the people and see statues, unmoved by the music, or the words of our Lord?
There is a spiritual blindness.
In our nation, we don't deal with material poverty, but a real spiritual poverty.
We are rich in material things, they say our poorest person in this nation is rich in another nation materially speaking.
But, in many of the other nations, it is backwards, they are rich in spiritual matters, while we are poor.
And so, if you are involved in church ministries, good! You are helping the poor!
I digress.
Back to the story of...gratitude. The very meaning of Eucharist means thanksgiving. Every day, we ought to be on our knees thanking our Lord for...everything, even the "bad stuff". Amen?
What will it take to jerk a tear out of our heart, in the name of thanksgiving? In the name of surrendering ourselves to God's holy will? Lord, help us be truly thankful, a people of thanksgiving...true love, true sacrifice for God our Father. |  Audio of Random Verse | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
