† Quote of the Day ""Be patient, because the weaknesses of the body are given to us in this world by God for the salvation of the soul. So they are of great merit when they are borne patiently."" -St. Francis of Assisi Today's Meditation "Your Lord is seated at the Father's right hand in heaven. How then is the bread His body? And the chalice, or rather its content, how is it His Blood? These elements are called Sacraments, because in them one thing is perceived by the sense and another thing by the mind. What is seen has a bodily appearance; what the mind perceives produces spiritual fruit. You hear the words, 'The Body of Christ', and you answer 'Amen.'" —Saint Augustine, p. 91
An excerpt from Augustine Day by Day Daily Verse "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." -John 15:12-14 | St Barbara St. Barbara (3rd c.) was born in Nicomedia in modern day Turkey. According to tradition, after the death of her mother she was raised by her rich and tyrannical pagan father who, because of her beauty and intelligence, guarded her closely, keeping her locked away in a tower to protect her from the outside world. She was educated by tutors and came to reject the false gods she was taught to worship in favor of the true God for whom she yearned and wished to discover, dedicating her life and virginity to this purpose. She developed a prayer life and resisted her father's attempts to have her marry. Believing Barbara to be negatively affected by the seclusion, her father allowed her more freedom to associate with the world. She soon discovered Christians, and, recognizing the Creator she sought, and was baptized in secret. After informing her father that she was a Christian, he denounced her to the authorities under the persecution of Roman Emperor Maximian. She was imprisoned and cruelly tortured, but remained steadfast in her faith. During the night she would pray fervently, and her wounds would miraculously heal. This only subjected her to greater torments, followed by more miraculous interventions. She was finally beheaded by her own father, and afterward he was struck and killed by lightening as punishment. St. Barbara is the patron saint of firemen, armorers, artillerymen, military engineers, miners, and others who work with explosives. She is also the patron against storms, lightning, and fire, to name a few. St. Barbara's feast day is December 4th. | Thursday of the First Week of Advent Reading I Isaiah 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you." Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock. He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust. It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's; the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior. R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; we bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has given us light. R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Isaiah 55:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 15:29-37 The crowds were amazed . . . , and they glorified the God of Israel. (Matthew 15:31) Of course they were amazed! The crowds in today's Gospel had followed Jesus up the mountain, bringing with them their hopes and dreams and need for healing, and they saw Jesus work wonders! They had placed their loved ones at his feet, and he healed them all (Matthew 15:30). This was better than they could have imagined! Naturally, "they glorified the God of Israel," who was clearly at work in and through Jesus (15:31). Now, you might wonder if God could amaze you in this way. Sure, you might think, Advent is a special time of expectation and longing, but it can also be a very busy time. You don't have the time to imitate the crowds and follow Jesus up a mountain. But the good news is that you don't have to! Jesus can come to you. Just as he brought healing and freedom to the people who came to him in today's Gospel, he can bring you his healing touch. And just as he inspired them to glorify God, he can move you to words of awe, praise, and gratitude as you witness his wonders with your own eyes. So bring your hopes and dreams and needs to Jesus today. Ask him for the eyes to see how he's working in your life. Be open to the ways that he might amaze you. He might do for you what he did for the crowds in today's Gospel: he might heal you physically, he might deliver you from guilt or shame, or he might bring healing to a strained relationship. He might help you come to know him better as you read the Scriptures, or he might give you guidance for a thorny problem. He might unexpectedly lift your spirits through the encouraging words of a friend—or even a stranger! No matter how he does it, you can be sure that Jesus wants to bring you closer to himself. You can trust him to know best how to accomplish that for you. And when he does, be sure to follow the example of the crowds in today's Gospel: glorify the God of Israel! "Jesus, I believe that you still do amazing works today. So I come to you with an open heart and ask you to show me your power to heal and restore!" Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalm 23:1-6 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ...." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"If you are rooted in God at the level of your heart, then you will be following the intentions and commands of God, and you can withstand anything. But this does not mean that if we follow God's commands, the winds and floods will not come. In Jesus's parable, both builders, the one who follows the commands of God and the one who doesn't, experience the rain and the floods that symbolize all the trials and temptations and difficulties at the surface of life. But if at the very center of your life you are linked with God—that power that is here and now creating the cosmos—then the storms and floods will come, but they will not destroy you. " end quote.
From Roberto Juarez: Building on rock does not mean being perfect. It means living life with God. It is forgiving when it is difficult. It is asking for help when one feels weak. It is praying when the last thing you want is to pray. It is choosing the good in the small. It is to be faithful in everyday life. It is talking less about faith and living it more. It's loving when it hurts a little. It is trusting when we do not see. It is to get up again when one falls. The rock is not human strength: it is God in us. We build on sand when: We live looking good. We seek happiness in things that do not fulfill. We put our security in the material. We let ourselves be carried away by what others feel. We live the faith only in word or custom. We live without prayer. We make decisions from fear and not from the Gospel. We look for quick fixes without looking to God. The sand looks solid... until it rains. Then everything sinks. Jesus wants our life to be a strong house, capable of withstanding storms, capable of standing when everything around us is shaken. That is why he tells us: "Listen to my Word. Live it. Don't just talk about words. Make me your rock." end quote from Roberto.
From brother Adrian: There is a show on Catholic TV from EWTN called "Life on the Rock". How do we live life on the rock?
Our Lord Jesus mentions the rock of foundations...mainly Himself, right? The cornerstone that is rejected by the architects of the world, right? He is the capstone that also holds together the gate. That capstone is the lintel on the gate, of which He is the blood, the Passover blood, of the paschal lamb. And how beautiful the sight, of Mary, and the little lamb that we are about to encounter this advent.
We are in the first week of the advent season, and we are to be living a type of lent, fasting, giving, and praying more, as we wait in joyful anticipation, the coming of our Lord.
Are you preparing for His coming, with joyful anticipation?
And what of the Rock we are to live life on? How can we truly build our life...on Him? Jesus left us the rock on earth, remember? The church, on Peter, the Rock, and not only that, but the whole of the church is based on JESUS CHRIST in the Most Holy Eucharist.
This is powerful. The Sacraments are graceful moments that shape our lives, and we can transform ourselves into His will if we apply ourselves to this light.
There are some things that really scare me, and I know we should not be afraid, but our Lord speaks, and I tremble.
He says "strive to enter the narrow gate, because many will try but will not be strong enough". And the second is today's readings, when He says "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
There will be people attempting to enter Heaven, people that preached on street corners for Him, they freed others from bad spirits in His name, and so many times they prayed "Lord, Lord!". But He says to many "get away from ME! YOU EVIL DOERS".
Now, we all know none of us are perfect, but Jesus calls us to be perfect. How? With Him, the impossible is made possible.
And it will be better to be caught trying your heart out to be perfect, than to have given up and settle in the sand.
There is rock beyond the beach of sand. We must not only reach to the rock, but stay on the rock. Sorry world and sandy beaches...but life is better...on the ROCK, the rock solid foundation of all things Love and eternity. Jesus I love You, help us love Thee more and more! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:14–16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that1 they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
