† Quote of the Day "It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but to actually be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name." -St. Ignatius of Antioch Today's Meditation "The Church, which has spread everywhere, even to the ends of the earth, received the faith from the apostles and their disciples ... Having one soul and one heart, the Church holds this faith, preaches and teaches it consistently as though by a single voice. For though there are different languages, there is but one tradition. ... Just as God's creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church's preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth. Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different—for no one is above the Master—nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it." —St. Ignatius of Antioch, p. 194
An excerpt from Witness of the Saints Daily Verse "Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." -John 15:4-5 | St Ignatius Of Antioch St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 98-117) was a Syrian who became a disciple of St. John the Apostle. Tradition holds that he was the infant whom Jesus took in his arms, saying, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me" as recounted in Mark's Gospel. St. Ignatius was a pagan convert to Christianity and succeeded St. Peter the Apostle as the third bishop of Antioch, being ordained by St. Peter himself. He was an important Church Father of the Apostolic age, an ideal pastor, and a fearless soldier of Christ. He was tireless in supporting his flock against dangerous heresies and the terrors of the persecutions of the Roman Emperors. When Ignatius violated the imperial edict to worship false gods, he was arrested and led before Emperor Trajan. After boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts for public sport in the Roman Colosseum. On his journey from Syria to Rome he wrote many letters to his fellow Christians, encouraging them with his apostolic zeal and exhorting them to obey their bishops. He also pleaded that none try to obtain his release, as he was eager to lay down his life for Jesus, saying, "The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ." He was devoured by lions in Rome in the early second century. St. Ignatius of Antioch is the first to have used the term "Catholic" Church, meaning "Universal." His feast day is October 17th. | Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr Reading 1 Romans 4:1-8 Brothers and sisters:
What can we say that Abraham found,
our ancestor according to the flesh?
Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works,
he has reason to boast;
but this was not so in the sight of God.
For what does the Scripture say?
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.
But when one does not work,
yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is credited as righteousness.
So also David declares the blessedness of the person
to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 32:1b-2, 5, 11 R. (see 7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile. R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin. R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart. R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Alleluia Psalm 33:22 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 12:1-7 At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
"Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees. "There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Romans 4:1-8 Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:3) This verse, which Paul is quoting from the Book of Genesis (15:6), is one of the most important passages in the whole of Scripture. It tells us about the miracle that the gift of faith can accomplish in us. Consider Abraham: God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and Abraham believed that promise. God had made a similar promise earlier—that Abraham would become "the father of a multitude of nations"(Genesis 17:4)—but Sarah had still remained barren. Despite the delay, however, Abraham still "put his faith in the Lord" (15:6). And because he believed, that faith opened him up to the greatest of all God's gifts: Righteousness. Justification. A relationship with God himself! In today's first reading, St. Paul applied this story of Abraham to all of us. "When one . . . believes in the one who justifies the ungodly," he wrote, "his faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:5). We receive the same righteousness that transformed Abraham into our father in faith. This is the power, the miracle, of faith: when we place our trust in Jesus, the Son of God, we are made righteous. Our faith changes us. We experience the comfort of knowing we are a son or daughter of our heavenly Father. We know that he has "destined us for adoption to himself" from before we were even born (Ephesians 1:5). We realize that we don't have to convince him or anyone else to love us. He loves us simply because we are his. We experience the forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the cross. Trusting in his promise of redemption and relying on his prayer, "Father, forgive," we are released from guilt (Luke 23:34). We are convinced that no sin is strong enough to overcome the power of his cross. We experience the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit's presence in us. The Spirit, who teaches us to cry out, "Abba, Father!" takes everything Jesus taught and "declare[s] it" to us (Galatians 4:6; John 16:14). He makes Jesus' words come alive in us and makes them the very foundation of our lives (John 16:14). So believe in the Lord! Reach out to him in faith and let him shower you with his gift of righteousness! "Lord, give me the faith of Abraham!" Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11
Luke 12:1-7 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: ".. There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear...."Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"Let me state this more positively. When I am in love with God, when I am "fearing" him above all things, I am rooted in a power that transcends space and time, a power that governs the universe in its entirety, a power that is greater than life and death.
More to it, this power knows me intimately and guides me according to his purposes: "Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid." Because of this, I have nothing to fear from anything or anybody here below." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"May we always remember these words of Jesus: "Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows."
Lord Jesus,
deliver us from the leaven of hypocrisy
and give us the transparency of a clean heart.
May we not live out of fear,
but out of love and trust in you.
Make us feel that we are always in your hands,
who know us and care for us with the tenderness of a Father.
And when fear or doubt invades us,
Remind us of your words:
"Do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows." end quote.
The Lord Jesus our Christ has said "I shall show you whom to fear". And then, He spells it out.
These words are spoken in righteous judgement. He has laid down the law of how it is, how it was, and how it is going to be.
But why does it seem people are not living in a holy fear of the Lord? There is no fear! Why do they hate to listen? Why do they cover their ears?
For many, it is simply ignorance of Christ, of the truth of the Church, and a gross misleading of interpretations of Holy Scripture brought about by the bible that began to be mass produced, and now the bibles are spread all over the world.
For others, it is about feelings, and the devil operates on that wave length, as well as our Lord could operate in. So we ought to be careful, to know when He speaks, and when darkness speaks. Feelings, beware, for this we must live in grace to be in true fear of the Lord.
And then there are those who know the law, and claim to know the Lord, but, they fail miserably to get it right. To get what right? Living the true life of Christ.
I woke up reflecting already in the Lord, and a bone chilling fear of the Lord came over me. God, has created all the hellish places in a sense, and has power to cast anyone there. Even a supreme angel and other angels were cast to hell from Heaven. I'm afraid. I'm afraid to go wrong. To go against God. Aren't you?
But another thought hits, because He keeps saying "Do not be afraid", like as if I were trying catch a cute little bunny, or, as if we were a beaten child afraid to come to a Savior. He has compassion like no other. He knows us inside and out. And then, dares to calls us His own...children.
And that we are. And that we are incorporated in Holy Baptism.
Everything is mind boggling. Amazing. Much more than a human mind can endure. Lord, we are Yours, and we wish to be Yours forever!
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Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
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