† Quote of the Day """Let all creation help you to praise God. Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being.""-St. Paul of the Cross Today's Meditation "Before processing a situation, let your nerves and the effervescence of your imagination calm down. Recollect yourself: a few days of patience. You will see, thus, by some distance and peace, all things will take back their proper proportions. During the period of agitation, guard against arguing, deciding, and acting. Emotion troubles the reason; passion misleads judgment; self-love renders the situation unjust toward ourselves." — An Anonymous Carthusian Monk An excerpt from The Doors of Silence Daily Verse To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you
"Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.""-John 6:35 | Sts Simon Jude Thaddeus St. Jude Thaddeus (1st c.) was a blood relative of Jesus Christ and one of his Twelve Apostles. He was known for his preaching, healing, exorcisms, and his appearance was said to have closely matched that of Jesus'. He is the patron of impossible causes, desperate situations, and hospitals. He also wrote the book of the Bible that bears his name. St. Simon the Zealot (1st c.) was also one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, but one of the most obscure. He earned his name for being zealous for the honor of Jesus, showing a holy indignation towards those who claimed Christ with their lips while dishonoring him with their manner of life. After the Ascension of Jesus, towards the end of his life, it is believed that St. Simon joined St. Jude to preach the Gospel in Persia, where they were both martyred in 65 A.D. St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude Thaddeus share a feast day on October 28th. | Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading I Romans 8:26-30 Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God's will. We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 13:4-5, 6 R. (6a) My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.
Look, answer me, O LORD, my God!
Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death lest my enemy say, "I have overcome him"; lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation; let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me." R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy. Alleluia See 2 Thessalonians 2:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 13:22-30 Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
"Lord, will only a few people be saved?"
He answered them,
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
'Lord, open the door for us.'
He will say to you in reply,
'I do not know where you are from.'
And you will say,
'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you,
'I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Romans 8:26-30 All things work for good for those who love God. (Romans 8:28) Pottery is one of the oldest human trades, with ceramic objects dating from as early as 29,000 BC. And for as long as it has been around, so has the basic process by which it's made. A potter begins by designing the kind of vessel that he wants to create. He then puts some clay on his wheel and begins turning it. As it turns, he adds water to make sure that the clay doesn't dry out. He also knows just where to add pressure and where to trim off parts to give shape to the vessel he is creating. Scripture often compares us to clay in a potter's hands. Take this passage from Isaiah, for instance: "Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you our potter: we are all the work of your hand" (64:7). It depicts God as having designed us to become beautiful vessels. But this also means that while he is forming us, he will have to add water from time to time, or he will need to trim off some parts that get in the way of his designs so we can become what he intends us to be. So yes, as we spin on the Potter's wheel, that is, as we try to live as his children, we will experience difficulties and sorrows that come from living in a fallen world. We will also experience joy and blessings. But whatever happens, we can rely on St. Paul's words of assurance in today's first reading: "All things work for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28). We know that this process of God shaping us doesn't always look good or feel good. When we face loneliness, the loss of a loved one, or a failed marriage, we might be tempted to think that God doesn't understand (Isaiah 29:16). But we can let Paul's words remind us—just as they reminded the Romans—that our Father is at work all the time. He is always ready to give us his grace to help us. Even in times of pressure or "trimming," he is still kind and merciful. So let's yield to the Potter's hands and let him continue to form us into "the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). "Father, I trust that you are molding me as clay in your hands." Psalm 13:4-6
Luke 13:22-30 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "....After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
'Lord, open the door for us.'
He will say to you in reply,
'I do not know where you are from.'
And you will say,
'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you,
'I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!'..." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, our Gospel for today features a question that people have been asking from time immemorial and that they still ask today: "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Heaven, hell, salvation, damnation, who will be in and who will be out? We have remained fascinated with these questions for a long time. Here's how I would recommend we approach this issue. The doctrine concerning hell is a corollary of two more fundamental truths—namely, that God is love and that we are free. Love (willing the good of the other) is all that God is. He doesn't go in and out of love; he doesn't change his mind; he's not loving to some and not to others. He is indeed like the sun that shines on the good and bad alike, in the words of Jesus. No act of ours can possibly make him stop loving us. In this regard, he is like the best of parents. However, we are free. We are not God's marionettes, and hence we can say yes or we can say no to his love. If we turn toward it, we open like a sunflower; if we turn from it, we get burned. " end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"The gospel reminds us that salvation is a call to authenticity and effort in the Christian life. Jesus invites us to live our faith with sincerity and depth, striving to pass through the "narrow door" of self-giving and commitment. This passage is an invitation to evaluate our relationship with Jesus, to commit ourselves to love and justice, and to build a community that reflects God's inclusive and universal love.
May this message encourage us to live each day with greater dedication, seeking a genuine relationship with God and with others, and may our effort and faith guide us towards the banquet of the Kingdom that God has prepared for all his children." end quote.
This scripture does not leave my mind, or my heart, because it is the Word of the Lord, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough." What gate?
""Lord, will only a few people be saved?" was the principal question.
The question is about salvation.
And our Lord says "BE STRONG".
What? Strong? Physically? Spiritually? Mentally?
Yes, as strong as possible in every sense the word can be applied to for the greater good of God's Kingdom.
Someone once asked how I do it. I said "how do I do what?". And he said "the ministries...constantly".
I immediately pointed to the source...and summit, of our faith...our Holy Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
This weekend, some people were out drinking at a restaurant, and they lost their minds in alcohol. When they walked out, they say there were jumped by 6 men and brutally beaten, one was beat unconscious, their faces and heads bleeding, they had no idea who or what hit them. They were taken to the hospital and released. They lived to tell the story.
What happened? Looking now, look at how we allow evil to work...with permission, with our weakness. Weak to temptation. And that goes for so many of the rest of us: Weak to drugs and alcohol. Weak to anger. Weak to lust. Weak to the faith. And then what happens? The devil has a hayday, beating us up, physically, spiritually, mentally and so forth.
And we wonder why? We know why. Our consciousness will let us know.
I don't know about you, but I would like to be strong, and I have been many times...but not always. And those little times...still come back to haunt me for not being strong. Sin ghosts.
Can we be strong? How?
It takes work. Working out takes work. Prayers, devotions, holiness, it all takes work! For reals!
Or...be weak..
Weak in our true love of God. And the sunflower turns away and fades. |  Audio of Random Verse | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 50:10 "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God."
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