† Quote of the Day ""Upon receiving Holy Communion, the Adorable Blood of Jesus Christ really flows in our veins and His Flesh is really blended with ours."" -St. John Vianney Today's Meditation "Movements of the spirit that enable us to experience more of God's grace and love and enable us to become more of the person God wants us to be are "consolations." Consolations represent the loving counsel of the Holy Spirit that draws us into deeper communion with God and helps us make choices that are consistent with becoming the whole, healed, godly, grace-filled person we are meant to be. By contrast, desolations represent the counsel of an evil spirit attempting to pull us away from God or throwing up roadblocks to us cooperating with God's grace to become the whole, healed, godly, grace-filled people we are meant to be...Tuning in to consolation and desolation allows us to recognize where our thoughts are coming from. We often take our thoughts for granted as coming from ourselves, but this is very often not true. It's important to recognize when the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us something - and also when an evil spirit is whispering lies in our spiritual ear." —Dr. Gregory Popcak, p. 134
An excerpt from Unworried Daily Verse "Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never forsake you or abandon you." Thus we may say with confidence: "The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"" -Hebrews 13:4-6 | Saint John Of Matha (1154-1213) was born near Provence, France to noble and pious parents, and was dedicated to God from his birth. He learned the arts of a nobleman and advanced in Christian virtue, tending the sick and giving alms to the poor. Through his study of theology at the University of Paris he discerned a call to Holy Orders and became a priest. On the day of his first Mass he had a vision which encouraged him to devote his life to ransom Christians who had been captured by Muslims and forced into slavery. After time spent in prayer and fasting, he went to Rome to gain the Pope's approval for a new religious order dedicated to this purpose. Pope Innocent III deliberated and ordered a fast, afterwards concluding that John's mission was inspired by God. He gave his approval for the foundation of the Order of the Holy Trinity, or the Hospitaler Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of Captives (Trinitarians). The habit of the order, a white scapular with a two-toned blue and red cross on the chest, was chosen according to what St. John saw in his vision. St. John of Matha and the Trinitarians collected alms and traveled to Moor-controlled areas, ransoming and encouraging many Christian captives. His feast day is December 17. | Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Reading 1 Genesis 49:2, 8-10 Jacob called his sons and said to them:
"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father. "You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion's whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people's homage." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia. O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love;
come to teach us the path of knowledge! R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 The mountains shall yield peace for the people. (Psalm 72:3) Did you know that the responsorial psalm that we pray at every Mass is chosen because of the way it reflects the theme of the first reading? Take today's psalm. We have just heard the aged patriarch, Jacob, offer a prayer of blessing concerning his son, Judah. Then we offer this prayer for "the king" and "the king's son" (Psalm 72:2). Who are these figures? Most likely they refer to the great King David, who was descended from Judah, and David's son, Solomon. It's astounding, isn't it? This psalm prays that the leaders of a small and fragile kingdom—one that lasted just three generations before it broke in two—would "rule from sea to sea" (Psalm 72:8). Even more astounding, it prays that God's blessings would flow from this kingdom—which was dwarfed by powerful empires like Egypt and Babylon—out to "all the tribes of the earth" (72:17). Isn't that asking a bit much? Not really. Not when we place this psalm alongside today's Gospel reading about the genealogy of Jesus. He is the ultimate son of David, the only One who can bring true and lasting "justice" and "profound peace" to the whole world (Psalm 72:2, 7). In a season that we often associate with a child in a manger, today's readings lift our eyes to the "bigness" of God's plan. Jesus came to become our King. He came to release us from the tyranny of sin and death. He came to establish a kingdom centered on the "new commandment" of love (John 13:34). Even when he was a child in a manger, a controversial preacher, and a dead man crucified among criminals, he was still our one and only King. In these final days before Christmas, look to Jesus as your King. Praise him as the humble and lowly One who offers peace to the world and to human hearts—not through force but through his own life and death. He holds the scepter of authority over all of creation, and over you! Invite him in; ask him to dispel darkness and fear and to break the chains of sin. Let him become the answer to the deepest desires of your heart. "Jesus, come and establish your reign in my heart!" Genesis 49:2, 8-10
Matthew 1:1-17 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations. ..." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez: "The genealogy is organized into three blocks of fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to exile, from exile to Christ. It is no coincidence. Abraham represents the promise. David represents kingship and splendor. Exile represents the fall and sin. Christ represents fullness and ultimate hope. The history of salvation has a rhythm that also resembles that of our lives: moments of light, moments of darkness, but always with God leading the way. This Gospel teaches us to read our own history with faith: even failures can be a place of salvation if we let God act. The genealogy ends in a surprising way. It is no longer said, "begotten," but, "Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, called Christ." Here everything changes. Jesus is not born by human initiative, but by the work of God. But not outside of history, but inside it. Mary is the point where human history and divine action meet fully. And Joseph appears as the just man who welcomes, protects and guards this mystery.
This gospel prepares us for Christmas in a very profound way. It reminds us that God is not afraid of our history. He assumes it, crosses it and transforms it. In these final days of Advent, let us look at our own genealogy: our family, our wounds, our mistakes, our lights. Everything can become a place of encounter with God. Let us ask for the grace to welcome the Lord who comes, not with an ideal history, but with the real history that we are. Because there, precisely there, Christ wants to be born." end quote.
Many of us do not know really where we come from, some have actually tried to dig back a bit, and technology helps if you like to get into it, you may get some results of how far back your bloodline goes.
It can be interesting to know where you came from, and if you are reading this in the United States, we are all imports from other countries, and a few have Native Blood lines, like myself, with some Apache blood, and other Natives blood in Mexico. It is important, physically, ethnicity helps see how you were formed through the ages, but when the bible speaks...it speaks more than that...it speaks of a spiritual blood line, anointed, and chosen....by God Himself.
Now. Where do you fit in?
As a baptized soul, you fit in perfectly into His family plan. And this is amazing. Our Father, who is in Heaven, and Holy is His name, desires us in His Kingdom.
And for that, we prepare ourselves in Lent, and Advent, and every chance in between, for the coming of our Lord, in the real life that is coming.
So what of our lives now? Oh, if you only knew...you would treasure every moment for Heaven, and the suffering is a desired element they can help, if only...we unite with Him entirely. Our will, with the Divine will. An intimacy that is only possible on earth.
We desire Heaven, and Heaven desires you. We are the eye...the co-part of God, in a true love relation that is unfathomable.
The Old Testament proves the Love of God in the climax...of Jesus on earth. The culmination speaks all about our Lord, even up to Saint Joseph, and the Lion of Judah. And Joseph the betrayed brother that becomes the their salvation. It all speaks of our Lord Jesus, the new Moses, the new Exodus that we are all going to face into eternity.
Many are getting ready for Christmas, but how many are getting read for Christ? Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All, how can we love Thee as we ought? |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 John 2:15–17 Do Not Love the World "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life1—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
