.: 10/06/25

Monday, October 6, 2025

† "..I shall repay you on my ...."

†

Quote of the Day

"While the world changes, the cross stands firm." -St. Bruno

Today's Meditation

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." —C. S. Lewis, p. 205
An excerpt from Mere Christianity

Daily Verse

"[There is] one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift." -Ephesians 4:4-7

St. Bruno (1030-1101) was born to a noble and prominent family in Cologne, Germany. He was well educated and excelled in his studies, and became a priest around the year 1055. He went on to direct and teach at the episcopal school at Reims for many years, earning a reputation as a learned scholar. After also serving as the chancellor of his archdiocese, he and a few companions left their positions in the diocese in order to follow a path of greater religious observance. In 1084 Bruno settled in the Chartreuse Mountains in France with a small group of scholars who, like himself, desired to become contemplative monks. This was the beginning of the Carthusian order founded by St. Bruno, combining the solitary life of hermits with the conventual life of religious observance. These alpine monks embraced a strictly disciplined life of poverty, labor, prayer, and fasting. After living six years of strict asceticism, St. Bruno was called to Rome by the Pope, who was his former student, to assist with the troubles and controversies rocking the Church. Bruno became a close advisor to the Pope and was allowed to return to monastic life only if he remained nearby within Italy, leading Bruno to establish a second Carthusian monastery there in 1095. St. Bruno wrote many manuscripts and commentaries during his life. His feast day is celebrated on October 6th.

Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jonah 1:1–2:1-2, 11

This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai:

"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;
their wickedness has come up before me."
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.
He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,
paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,
away from the LORD.

The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea,
and in the furious tempest that arose
the ship was on the point of breaking up.
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship,
and lay there fast asleep.
The captain came to him and said, "What are you doing asleep?
Rise up, call upon your God!
Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish."

Then they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots
to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune."
So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah.
"Tell us," they said, "what is your business?
Where do you come from?
What is your country, and to what people do you belong?"
Jonah answered them, "I am a Hebrew,
I worship the LORD, the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the dry land."

Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him,
"How could you do such a thing!–
They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD,
because he had told them.–
They asked, "What shall we do with you,
that the sea may quiet down for us?"
For the sea was growing more and more turbulent.
Jonah said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea,
that it may quiet down for you;
since I know it is because of me
that this violent storm has come upon you."

Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.
Then they cried to the LORD: "We beseech you, O LORD,
let us not perish for taking this man's life;
do not charge us with shedding innocent blood,
for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit."
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea,
and the sea's raging abated.
Struck with great fear of the LORD,
the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.

But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.

Responsorial Psalm Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8

R. (cf. 7) You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me;
From the midst of the nether world I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Then I said, "I am banished from your sight!
yet would I again look upon your holy temple."

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.

Alleluia John 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!

Daily Meditation: Luke 10:25-37

Who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29)

The scribe just answered correctly: in order to inherit eternal life, he needs to love God and love his neighbor (Luke 10:27). But, possibly to limit his own responsibility, he asks, "And who is my neighbor?" (10:29). To help him understand, Jesus tells the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is wounded and left for dead by robbers. Three travelers pass him by, but only one—a Samaritan—stops to take care of him.

Did you see how Jesus turns this scribe's expectations upside down? The scribe was asking, "Whom am I obligated to love? I am the one called to love; who should receive it?" We might ask similar questions and miss Jesus' point. We might think of ourselves as one of the travelers who has a choice to make. Is that wretched, half-dead man my neighbor? Do I have a responsibility to help him? Of course we do. But Jesus asks instead, "Who was neighbor to that wounded man?" Who was the neighbor that he wanted the scribe to love? The Samaritan, that's who! And that means that the scribe and each of us are the ones in need, the ones receiving care from this generous stranger.

And who is the ultimate "Good Samaritan," the greatest "neighbor" who tends to our wounds and rescues us at great personal expense? It's Jesus! Notice the delight Jesus takes as he describes the tenderhearted care the Samaritan lavishes upon the wounded man. He's describing himself! Like the Samaritan, Jesus is eager to heal us. Undeterred by our condition, he tends our wounds, brings us to a place of shelter, and provides for our ongoing needs.

This is marvelous news! Jesus has not passed you by. So let him see your wounds. Allow him to wash you and heal you in his generous mercy. Receive his tender care. As you do, your heart will be filled with love and gratitude, and you will do just the thing that Jesus says will bring you eternal life: you will imitate your "Good Samaritan" and "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).

"Lord, thank you for not turning away from me. Help me to 'do likewise' and become a 'neighbor' to the wounded people around me."

Jonah 1:1–2:2, 11
(Psalm) Jonah 2:3-5, 8

Reflections with Brother Adrian:

Ai Audio 2cents

From today's Holy Gospel:

"...There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
...."

Word of the Lord.

From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, our Gospel today is one of the best known of Jesus's parables, the story of the Good Samaritan. Every story, parable, illustration, and exhortation is, at the end of the day, a picture of the Lord.

In one of the great windows of Chartres Cathedral, there is an intertwining of two stories: the account of the fall of mankind and the parable of the Good Samaritan. This reflects a connection that was made by the Church Fathers. The Good Samaritan is a symbol of Jesus himself, in his role as Savior of the world.

Now our task is to be other Christs. "Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus says to him, "Go and do likewise."

We spend our lives now looking for those people stranded by the road, victimized by sin. We don't walk by, indifferent to them, but rather we do what Jesus did—even for those who are our natural enemies, even for those who frighten us. And we bring the Church's power to bear, pouring in the oil and wine of compassion, communicating the power of Christ's cross." end quote.

From Roberto Juarez:
"The teacher of the law knew Scripture well, but Jesus reminds him that faith is not measured by what we know, but by what we do. It is not enough to recite the commandments: they must be lived in real life.
Love for God is demonstrated in concrete love for one's brother, especially for those who suffer, for those who have fallen along the way.
The great lesson of the parable is that one's neighbor has no borders. It's not just the one I like, the one who thinks like me, the one in my family or my group.
The neighbor is the one who needs me, even if he is different, even if he does not know him, even if he considers him an "enemy."
The Samaritan—rejected by the Jews—is the one who becomes an example. Jesus breaks our schemes: sometimes, those who seem "outside" are the ones who teach us what it means to truly love." end quote.

From your brother, Adrian:

Who is the Good Samaritan? The reflections say that it is our Lord. But we know full well what the Lord is asking us....that we be the Good Samaritan, right? That HE may be active in the body, our body, in the world. That we might do His will.
I remember a near death experience I heard, and now the Lord speaks to this man direct. One time, our Lord spoke to the man and said "go behind that convenience store and give $20 to the man asleep in the woods. The man used to be a drug addict and new what that meant, that's where they hung out. But, the man ignored the calling, was almost home. He went to bed and the bed shook violently. He knew he had not done what the Lord wanted. So, he immediately went to the place, and upon arrival, so a man curled up alone, and he said "The Lord sent me here and said to give you this $20". That lonely man started bawling, crying hard, wrapping his arms around his feet to thank him. But the man said "wait, I am not the Lord! He sent me! I used to be like you into drugs and alone too! He wants you to get better and do better! Repent!"
Few months later, the man ran into this man, and the poor lonely one said he was doing better, getting help, went back to his family who he was afraid to go back to and they were working things out better now.

It is indeed the story of Jonah. Is it not?
We so often ignore God's call, and then, something terrible has to happen for Him to get our attention, to get us back to doing His will. Amen?
What is God's call? It is His will. It is not that hard.

He wants our attention, which comes in full communion with Him.
He wants us to allow Him to live through us, to love others through us, He absolutely loves it. Is it that hard to do things in His name?

To prophecy, to evangelize, to bring Him into reality, through our mind, heart, body and soul?

Did he not ask us to do just that?

It is a co-mission, when He says to us "Go and Do Likewise".