† Quote of the Day "When you awake in the night, transport yourself quickly in spirit before the Tabernacle, saying: 'Behold, my God, I come to adore You, to praise, thank, and love you, and to keep you company with all the Angels.'" -St. John Vianney Today's Meditation "With regard to the nobility of the angels, we need only consider that they possess a privileged place amongst all the creations of God. For they are of a purely spiritual substance and of an immortal nature, immune from the sufferings, disease, aging, and death to which corporeal beings are all subject. Their intelligence is such that they are free from all errors and ignorance with respect to knowledge of created things. In addition to this perfectly illuminated light of intelligence, the angels possess a will which is completely and utterly constant, such that it may not be overcome or made to waver by any perturbation or adversity." –St. Aloysius Gonzaga, p.32
An excerpt from Meditations on the Holy Angels Daily Verse For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. -Psalm 91:11-12 | The Archangels St. Gabriel, St. Michael, and St. Raphael share a feast day on September 29th. These are the only three angels mentioned by name in Sacred Scripture. St. Gabriel means "Power of God." He is the messenger or herald angel most famous for appearing to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:11-38). St. Michael means "Who is like God?" He is the warrior angel, the famous foe of Satan, who is the champion of God's people and guardian and protector of the Church (Rev. 12:7-9). St. Raphael means "God has healed." He is a companion and healing angel, most famous for curing a man's blindness and for traveling with Tobiah in the book of Tobit (Tob. 12). | Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels Lectionary: 647
Reading 1
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
or
Revelation 12:7-12ab War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them." Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5 R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name. R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me. R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord. Alleluia
Psalm 103:21 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 1:47-51 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Luke 9:18-22 Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." (Luke 9:20) Try to imagine today's Gospel as a scene in a classroom. Jesus is the teacher asking tough questions, and the apostles are the students. When he asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter, without hesitation, raises his hand and announces, "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:20). Maybe some of the other apostles had the same answer but stayed silent, not wanting to look bad if they were wrong. But Peter didn't let fear stop him. This is just one way that Peter is a model of what it means to be a bold disciple of the Lord. It's clear from early in Jesus' ministry that Peter stood out precisely for his courage. He speaks more frequently than any other disciple—asking questions, offering answers, and voicing his opinions (Luke 5:5-8; 8:45; 12:41; 18:28). He is also a man of action. When Jesus is transfigured on the mountain and appears with Moses and Elijah, it's Peter who suggests pitching three tents for them (9:30-33). And when Peter hears that Jesus' tomb is empty, he runs to investigate (24:12). Peter shows a kind of bold decisiveness that Jesus clearly appreciated—even if he had to correct Peter a few times! Remember, Peter is the one who declared that he would follow Jesus to prison or even death—but then denied knowing him (Luke 22:33, 56-61). But even then, Peter doesn't give up. You can picture him repeating a question he had asked earlier: Where else can I go? I know Jesus is the "Holy One of God." Who else can I turn to but him? (John 6:69). We may not all become great leaders like Peter, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to be a little more like him. We can be bolder about our faith. We can be ready to tell other people about Jesus, especially our experiences of his mercy, the freedom he has brought us, and the love we receive from him. Don't let fear or worry keep you from proclaiming that Jesus is "the Christ of God" (Luke 9:20)! You can trust that even if you make mistakes, God will use them to teach you. Just as he taught Peter, he can tell you that being perfect isn't necessary, but boldly answering God's call is! "Lord, give me the same courage that your servant Peter had!" Haggai 2:1-9
Psalm 43:1-4 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."....." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez: "Today's liturgy invites us to contemplate how, through Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, God draws near to our lives in concrete ways: • Michael ("Who is like God?")
It is the defender, the one who fights against evil. It reminds us that our life is a spiritual struggle, that we cannot make a pact with sin or injustice. To celebrate St. Michael is to renew our faith that God is stronger than any force of evil. • Gabriel ("Strength of God")
He is the messenger of the good news. He announced to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist and to Mary the Incarnation of the Son of God. He reminds us that our mission is also to be bearers of the Word, to communicate hope in a world so often marked by bad news. • Rafael ("Medicine of God")
He is the companion on the road and healer, as it appears in the book of Tobit. He reminds us that God heals our wounds, guides our steps and wants to accompany us in our frailties.
Each of the three shows us that God is not far away: he defends us, proclaims us and heals us. This Gospel and this feast are not a pious remembrance, but a concrete call: • Like Michael, we are called to fight evil: in ourselves, in our communities, in the world. The weapon is not violence, but faith, prayer and coherence of life. • Like Gabriel, we must be messengers of the Good News, people who speak with words of hope and encouragement, who sow peace in the midst of so much despair. • Like Raphael, we must be healers and companions, close to those who suffer, bearers of God's tenderness in the midst of life's wounds.
If angels are servants of God, we too are called to be so: to live as men and women who reflect, with their lives, the love of Christ. To celebrate the archangels is to remember that the Christian faith is not individualistic or static. God acts, sends, accompanies. And he wants to use us too.
Today we can ask ourselves: 1. How am I fighting evil in my daily life? What "idols" do I need to tear down with God's strength?
2. Am I a bearer of the Good News like Gabriel, or do I rather convey complaints, criticisms, and discouragement?
3. Who can I accompany and heal at this time, being like Raphael for someone who needs closeness?
| 1. | How am I fighting evil in my daily life? What "idols" do I need to tear down with God's strength? | | 2. | Am I a bearer of the Good News like Gabriel, or do I rather convey complaints, criticisms, and discouragement? | | 3. | Who can I accompany and heal at this time, being like Raphael for someone who needs closeness? | Lord Jesus,
You are the true bridge between heaven and earth,
the Son of God who opens the gates of heaven to us.
Thank you for giving us St. Michael,
to remind us that you alone are our strength against evil;
to Saint Gabriel, to proclaim to us the joy of your Word;
and to St. Raphael, to accompany us and heal our wounds.
Make us also messengers of your love,
defenders of your truth,
and faithful companions of those who need it most.
Amen.
Every day, I pray to saints and angels, and I pray to Mother Mary.
I pray and give thanks at the end of the day to each and every one and every soul that has helped us along...the way.
Pictures of angels abound, helping humans.
Our Lord speaks of angels helping us on our journey, and how our Guardian Angels face our Lord. I pray at times for my guardian angel to help with deciphering and communicating with others.
And I pray to our Lord "We need every single bit of help we can get!".
If we do not get help, things are tough, amen?
Our Lord is Boss, but we got help along our journey of life.
He sends all sorts of angels. And angels are formidable forces of God's will, creatures, but creations that are phenomenal that are world history changers.
All along, we hear, about St. Michael, and the relation to creation, right?
And we hear about St. Gabriel, who announced the Messiah, that changed the world.
And we hear about St. Rafael, who is on the journey with us until this day.
We need each one, daily, we need God, but we need each other because this is also God's design and will.
The more we unite in this force of Love, the better.
Lord graciously hear us! |  Audio of Random Verse | Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 1:15–16 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by1 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."
Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
