† Quote "I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him." -St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Today's Meditation "God will forgive you if you forgive others. Forgiving those who cause offense or injury is often exceedingly difficult. And yet, forgiveness is one of the most beautiful and important teachings of Jesus Christ. It is central to the gospel because, without it, you can't go to heaven." —Patrick Madrid, p.21 Daily Verse "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." -Isaiah 43:2-3 | St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917) was the thirteenth child of a modest farming family born near Milan, Italy. Her father would often gather his children in the kitchen to hear him read from a book on the lives of the saints. St. Frances was endeared to the stories of missionaries working in the Orient and desired to become one herself, which in her day was a man's role. Turned away from being a nun twice due to poor health, she prayed before the relics of her patron, Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary-saint, about founding a new religious order to evangelize the East just as he did. Pope Leo XIII approved of her order, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, but instead of sending her to China as she had desired since childhood, he sent her to the West, specifically to America to serve the growing European immigrant population which faced poverty and disenfranchisement. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini moved to New York in 1889 and went on to found 67 institutions—schools, orphanages, and hospitals—throughout the Western Hemisphere. She received American citizenship, and in 1946 became the first United States citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Her ministry left a significant mark on the Americas, creating lasting institutions to educate and care for those in need. She is the patron saint of immigrants, orphans, and hospital administrators. Her feast day is November 13th. | Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin • Readings for the Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States] Reading 1 Wisdom 7:22b–8:1 In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175 R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me. R. Your word is for ever, O Lord. Alleluia John 15:5 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 17:20-25 Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Wisdom 7:22—8:1 She produces friends of God. (Wisdom 7:27) According to a 2024 survey by the Pew Research Center, roughly 1 out of 6 Americans feel lonely or isolated either all or most of the time. The fact that we recognize this as a troubling statistic shows that we were created for relationships. If you add to this our understanding of the Trinity as a perfect relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, you see that we were made in the image and likeness of a relational God. But as awe-inspiring as that truth is, today's first reading tells us something even more amazing: we were created for relationship with God! It tells us that divine Wisdom "penetrates and pervades all things," and that when Wisdom passes into "holy souls," it turns them into "friends of God" (Wisdom 7:24, 27). If we invite the Wisdom of God into our hearts—who we now know is the Holy Spirit himself—we'll know what it's like to be delivered from the isolation produced by sin, and especially what it's like to be delivered from isolation from God. You already have the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of God, dwelling in you! That means that you can live as a friend of God—not a slave, but a friend (John 15:15). Not bound by fear of God, but confident in his love for you (Romans 8:15). These blessings come as we pursue a relationship with him, just as we would pursue any earthly friendship. They come as we spend time with the Lord in prayer and pondering his word. They come as we share what's on our hearts with him. And they come as we listen to him and let what we hear transform our lives. Friendship with the almighty, eternal, all-powerful God of the universe: it sounds so hard to believe if you step back and think about it. But it's real. It's possible. And it's available to you. So reach out and grasp the hand of the Lord today! Tell him you want to welcome his Wisdom, his Spirit, into your heart. You will never truly be alone! "Lord God, pour out on me your Spirit of Wisdom. Teach me how to live as your friend." Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Ai Audio 2cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."..." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez:
"The Kingdom of God is in the family that prays together, in the young person who fights for his faith, in the elderly who offer their suffering, in the volunteer who visits the sick, in the forgiveness that heals an old wound.
If we learn to recognize these signs, we will live with hope. For though the world is still full of shadows, the Kingdom of God has already begun, and its light will never go out. Let us not look forward to the Kingdom as something distant or future. Let us live it now, here and now, in our relationships, in our decisions, in our works.
May every word of kindness, every gesture of justice and every sincere prayer be seeds of that Kingdom that Jesus has placed among us. When we live in love, when we forgive, when we serve, the Kingdom becomes visible and grows, silent but real.
And while we still await its fullness at the end of time, we know that it is already here, because Christ is with us. 'Lord Jesus,
You who have sown the Father's Kingdom in the world,
teach us to discover your presence in everyday life,
to recognize your love in small gestures,
and to build every day, with humility, your Kingdom of justice and peace.
Make our eyes see beyond appearances
and may our hearts live in hope,
knowing that You already reign in our midst.
Amen." end quote.
You know, the Holy Scriptures are becoming more and more apocalyptic, and it is rightly so, as we rapidly approach the end of the liturgical year for the Holy Church. What do you get from the readings? Can you grasp the concept, the message from Heaven? And our Lord leaves us with the deepest truth, of our inmost being, our longing to belong: ""The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.".
We will long for Him. Amen?
Don't we want to see Him? Don't we want to be with Him? Don't we yearn for the groom of Heaven, the dream, the love we so want to fulfill us? We are designed then, with that gap, in our hearts that only He can totally fulfill.
I remember my sister in law, before she got married, she would pray so much for a husband. She even wrote him letters before even meeting him. She awaited, for years and years, having to endure a life of suffering, losing her father, and fighting depression, and still more waiting, past her twenties, and past her thirties, and I don't remember the age, but finally...she met a younger man, and they got married. Now that they are married, they have no children, but they are happily struggling through life together...they have each other. And that's all that matters.
But, the struggles are real.
How many of us are longing to meet our Lord? And when He encounters you, and fills you, what about the struggles that happen? On earth, it seems just about everything is a struggle. I am finding out, that it has taken much to break away from my old shell, and I've yet to completely break out of it, but I can begin to see with Him, so many things that are more clear than before. It is both amazing, and unnerving. The end is coming for all, but not all at the same time. We all have an appointment before our Lord.
Can you grasp the importance then, of your life today? He desires fruit, He is hungry. He desires a clean heart, He needs a place to come rest. He desires to reach people in you more than you care for.
Lord, You know my heart. You know how much I need You! And so, I promise, by Your Grace, we will affect the world with Your affection...together. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Mother Cabrini, Pray for us! |  Audio of Random Verse | Random Bible Verse 1 Deuteronomy 8:17–18
"Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
