† " If he refuses to listen... "

† We do not apply ourselves to the true and solid interior virtues. We apply ourselves too much to the exterior. I do not mean to say that we should n

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   † We do not apply ourselves to the true and solid interior virtues. We apply ourselves too much to the exterior. I do not mean to say that we should not practice and esteem the latter, but the interior ones are more precious to us. St. Jeanne de Chantal Today's Meditation “Like a child who fears no danger in his father’s protecting arms, we must cast ourselves into the arms of our Heavenly Father, confident that those Hands which sustain the heavens are all powerful to supply our necessities, to uphold us in temptation, and to turn all things to our profit. And why should we not have confidence in God? Is He not the most powerful as well as the most tender of fathers? … Do not dwell upon your unworthiness or your failings, but raise your eyes to God and consider the infinite goodness and mercy with which He deigns to apply a remedy to all our miseries. Reflect upon the truth of His words, for He has promised to help and comfort all who humbly and confidently invoke His sacred name. Consider also the innumerable benefits which you have hitherto received from His paternal hand, and let His bounty in the past inspire you to trust the future to Him with renewed hope. Above all, consider the merits and sufferings of Christ, which are our principal title to God’s grace and mercy, and which form the treasure whence the Church supplies the necessities of her children. It was from a confidence inspired by such motives that the saints drew that strength which rendered them as firm as Mount Sion, and established them in the holy city whence they never could be moved. (Cf. Ps.124:1).” —Venerable Louis of Grenada, p. 404 Daily Verse But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." Isaiah 43:1 EWTN Daily Saint St. Jeanne de Chantal Patron Saint of: Widows, parents separated from children, and against loss of parents Feast Day: August 12 St. Jeanne (Jane) Frances de Chantal (1572–1641) was born in Dijon, France. She was the daughter of the president of parliament, and lived up to her noble status as a refined, cheerful, and beautiful woman. At the age of twenty-one she married a baron and together they had six children. She was strong in her faith, having daily Mass said in her castle, giving alms to the poor, and skillfully managing her household. After seven years of marriage, her husband was killed in an accident. To protect the estate for her children, she was obliged to live with her ill-tempered father-in-law for seven years. When she was thirty-two she met St. Francis de Sales, whom she had previously seen in a vision after praying for a spiritual director. To her private vow of chastity she added another of obedience to his direction, while continuing to provide for her children. At the age of forty-five, after meeting her family obligations, she and St. Francis founded a religious institute for women, the Congregation of the Visitation, which was to exemplify the virtues of the Virgin Mary at the Visitation. The Visitation sisters accepted women who were rejected from other religious orders due to age or illness. They were notable for their charitable works. Aristocrats and the nobility flocked to Jeanne de Chantal’s reception-room to seek her counsel. She underwent great trials, including the deaths of many of her close family and friends. She also traveled extensively to found new Visitation houses, having established eighty-six at the time of her death. Her feast day is August 12th. Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 415 Reading 1 Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22 The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city! With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writer’s case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar. Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard the LORD say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple. Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain; then go out and strike in the city. Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them. Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies. or: R. Alleluia. Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever. R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies. or: R. Alleluia. From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the LORD to be praised. High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory. R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies. or: R. Alleluia. Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high, and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies. or: R. Alleluia. Alleluia 2 Corinthians 5:19 R. Alleluia, alleluia. God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! From Word Among Us WAU.org Daily Meditation: Matthew 18:15-20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) Relationships can be difficult. Whether with a sibling, a friend, a spouse, or a coworker, any number of factors can challenge us and threaten our unity. In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses these challenges when he tells his disciples, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). He then describes other avenues in case a one-on-one conversation doesn’t bring about reconciliation—all the way up to the final resort of treating the other person “as you would a Gentile or a tax collector” (18:17). Although this passage is mainly about discipline regarding bigger issues within the Church, it has something to teach us as we try to love one another and work out our day-to-day relationships with each other. Jesus promises to be with us in our efforts to live in unity. “Where two or three are gathered in my name,” he tells his disciples, “there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). This is such a generous, gracious promise! What more could we possibly ask for? The process Jesus describes in this reading is more than just a formula or a set of steps; it reveals his desire that we do everything we can to bring about unity and reconciliation—and his readiness to help us. It’s his encouragement for us to have faith in him and confidence that he will be with us, truly in our midst, whenever we try to work out our relationships. Take some time in prayer today asking God to reveal to you just one of your relationships that is lacking in unity. Then ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom to try to work toward repairing it. Trust that Jesus will be in your midst as you do. Even when things are hard and our relationships are not at peace—especially then—Jesus promises to be present: with his grace, with his wisdom, with his love. You don’t have to have it all together in order for him to make his presence known. This is a promise we can hold on to! “Lord, help me to remember you are always with me, especially in difficult relationships. Give me the grace of unity and reconciliation.” Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22 Psalm 113:1-6 Reflections with Brother Adrian: Click To Hear 2 Cents Audio From today's Holy Gospel: "...... Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them....” From a Spanish Reflection from a Roberto Juarez: "....Today's Gospel leaves us with three very concrete commitments. The first: always correct with charity, seeking the good of the brother and never his humiliation. The second: to work for reconciliation, because the Lord wants a united Church and not a community divided by criticism or resentment. And the third: to pray together, convinced that Christ remains in the midst of those who truly gather in his name." end quote. From Brother Adrian: There is a continuation life and method offered after a Cursillo. And it is basically what our Lord is asking us to do in the Gospel today. To gather 2 or 3 in His name. Question here is, how often are we to gather! Right? Our method is, weekly. The suggestion is well worth it, speaking from experience. But, I have not been as lucky as some other men, finding a loyal and faithful friend to meet consistently. My first friend, passed away. The others, stopped meeting for various reasons. I wonder sometimes, why is it so hard to gather, for His cause? I am in MANY ministries, and if I start listing them, I will bore you and some may even get angry. I went to a spiritual director not long ago, and as I listed the things I did, since it was our first visit, he was drifting off asleep in front of my face! LOL. When he came back and woke up he just said "wow, you must really love God". I wanted direction, and we all need to gather with a Spiritual director at least once a month, or as needed. We should though, confess once a month and if there is nobody waiting, you can get a small bit of direction there. Most saints if not all have had spiritual directors, some called confessors I believe. And that should be all of our goal in life...to be a saint. And here is how: Do God's will. What is His will? To do what He says, right? But what about in between? The rich young man told our Lord Jesus "I am already doing all that stuff, what else do I do?" To which our Lord saddened the young man, by saying "sell all that you have and follow me". We never heard about that young man, we may never know if he did it, all we know is that he turned away and walked away sad. What is it about giving our all to Him? All of our time. All of our money. All of our talent. I notice how hard it can be. I say this because in another ministry meeting last night, two meetings actually, there came a time to ask for volunteers and it was hard to get a response for someone to take on the responsibility, the job, the mission, the task, for the fundraiser for our parish. It was a hard sell. As the director, and knowing full well I cannot do this plus the hundreds of man hours and events I'm already planning, so I looked down and said "this is what I always get, a huge task and nobody to help". Finally 2 or 3 hands went up. 2 or 3 gathered in His name, and things start happening...in HIS Vineyard, in HIS Kingdom. I wish one thing for you that are hearing this now. DO NOT BE AFRAID to give. Our Lord said that He would return to us, even up to 100 fold, not so much in this life, but the next. But we don't believe. We want returns on investments immediately, we don't want to wait. Do not be afraid my child. Do not be afraid to give. WOW. Have you ever thought about how our God is a giver and that is why we always find ourselves asking to receive? This is the theological reasoning for man and woman. The man is a giver and the woman is the receiver. This is the theological reasoning for a priest. This is deep. But, our Lord calls us to be like HIM! Amen. Be merciful. Yes! Be grace. Yes! Be holy. Yes! Be....a giver. Gather. This takes time. Gather and pray. This is talent. Gather and make plans. This is giving. And this is right..because He is in the midst, doing Our Father's will with us! This is AWESOME! Click for Audio Random Bible Verse 1 John 10:27–30 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,1 is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” Word of the Lord! If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2026 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®

† " One of these little ones ... "

† Totally love Him, Who gave Himself totally for your love. St. Clare of Assisi * * * Today's Meditation “In the hustle and bustle of our lives, it

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   † Totally love Him, Who gave Himself totally for your love. St. Clare of Assisi Today's Meditation “In the hustle and bustle of our lives, it is a great consolation that the Lord Jesus takes the initiative and approaches us. The providence of God, His fatherly care for us, is a humbling mystery that allows us to know of His presence in our lives. The Lord shows us this providence and comes directly to us “on the road” of our lives, of our suffering, confusion, anxiety, and of our joys, accomplishments, and hopes. The Lord is with us. Just as He asked the disciples about the events in Jerusalem, the Lord asks us: “What is happening in your lives?” He walks with us, listens to us, cares for us, and desires to be with us along the road of our lives.” —Father Jeffrey Kirby, STL, p.101-102 Daily Verse The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 EWTN Daily Saint St. Clare of Assisi Patron Saint of: Television, eye disease sufferers, and goldsmiths Feast Day: August 11 St. Clare (1194–1253) was born in Assisi, Italy, to an aristocratic family, the daughter of a wealthy count. From childhood she was pious after the example of her mother, and as she grew up her longing for God increased. When she was eighteen she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach a Lenten mission in the local church. His holy example kindled her desire to renounce the world and follow Christ. She secretly begged Francis to help her live as he did, in simplicity according to the Gospel. St. Francis agreed. On Palm Sunday, Clare attended High Mass in all her finery for the final time. There she received a mystical experience which confirmed her desire to renounce the world and follow Christ after the example of St. Francis. That same night she secretly fled her father’s house, along with two companions, to a chapel where St. Francis awaited her with his friars. She exchanged her fine clothes for a rough tunic and veil, and had her hair cut off. Francis placed Clare for a time with Benedictine nuns to escape the wrath of her family. She was soon joined by her sister, Agnes, and other young women whom St. Francis inspired. He permanently housed the women, with Clare as abbess, in the Church of San Damiano outside Assisi. This became the first foundation of the Poor Clare nuns. St. Clare lived there for the next forty years in prayer, penance, and fasting. She is the patroness of eyes and eye diseases, the telephone, and television. Her feast day is August 11th. Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin Lectionary: 414 Reading 1 Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 The Lord GOD said to me: As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you: be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you. It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me, in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me. It was covered with writing front and back, and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe! He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise! In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches. R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth! R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are. R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! I gasp with open mouth, in my yearning for your commands. R. How sweet to my taste is your promise! Alleluia Matthew 11:29 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! From Word Among Us WAU.org Daily Meditation: Ezekiel 2:8–3:4 It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3) How could the Lord’s word to Ezekiel be sweet? God had given him a scroll—a message to his people exiled in Babylon—and told him to eat it. This scroll contained words of “lamentation and wailing and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10). Instead of offering the exiles consolation, Ezekiel was called to pronounce punishment. That seems more bitter than sweet! But as a prophet, Ezekiel wanted to do the Lord’s will, and so he spoke God’s word, no matter the consequences. And as he did, he found sweetness in knowing that he was doing his best to tell the people what God knew they needed to hear. God doesn’t call many of us to deliver a prophetic message of woe and judgment. But there are times when we need to stand up for what’s right. And it can be challenging to know how to speak the right word—the word that you believe God wants to be made known. Maybe it’s at your job, when your coworker wants to avoid responsibility for an error by subtly shifting the blame on someone else. You know it’s wrong to lie, but how do you talk to them about it? Or maybe you can see that a loved one is on the brink of making a bad decision. Do you say something? If so, what and how? The key to knowing how to respond is in consuming God’s word on a daily basis. As we “eat” his word, it begins to form us. Our minds and hearts are changed, and we start to see things the way the Lord does. The Scriptures can help us begin to grasp God’s thoughts and share in his love for his people. Instead of considering it a harsh message, we can find the sweetness in communicating with love a message that will be for the good of our hearers. So spend time reading God’s word. Let it change you. Listen for his direction in situations when you’re not sure which way to go. Let his love guide your words when you don’t know how to stand up for what is right—even if it means being direct. You can find the sweetness that Ezekiel tasted as he proclaimed the Lord’s word. And that sweetness can sustain you, just as it did for him! “Lord, help me to welcome your word so that I can find sweetness in speaking the truth in love.” Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Reflections with Brother Adrian: Click To Hear 2 Cents Audio From today's Holy Gospel: "...See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost...” From Bishop Barron: "What .” From a Spanish Reflection from a Roberto Juarez: "Today's Gospel leaves us with three very concrete invitations. The first: to make ourselves small before God, living with humility and childlike confidence. The second: to welcome and value the little ones, discovering in them the very face of Christ. And the third: to have a good shepherd's heart, which never tires of seeking out those who have been lost. Let us ask the Lord to free us from pride, from the desire to stand out and from all indifference towards our brothers and sisters. May he grant us a simple heart, capable of trusting like a child in the Father's love. And may we go out into the world reflecting the joy of the Good Shepherd, who never ceases to seek his sheep and is filled with joy when he finds a single one that was lost. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd and Mother of the little ones, teach us to live with humility, to serve with joy and never to lose hope in God's infinite mercy." end quote. From Brother Adrian: In the book of Revelation, we hear about the chosen, Son of God, to come for our salvation. This one, lamb, had to come for that one lost lamb on earth. And let me propose to you, something strange: that God created this world for you to live in, and that all the circumstances we see around us, have God's eyes on you. They say that what we see on earth, has a metaphysical effect, meaning, something outside of us as well as inside of us is being affected. This is perhaps why sometimes you can "feel someone looking at you". Now we are talking spiritual realms. Now we are talking about eternal realms. Have I digressed? What is it about the lamb, and being a child of God now? Because today, they asked our Lord, who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? In the book of Heaven, which I am about 20 volumes in, and I do not suggest this for beginners, now I am hearing about Kingdom realms, 3 different realms. For the first time in the volumes, I believe I will have to repeat, re-read this portion. It is mind boggling, the Kingdom and how it works in different realms. And so our Lord is teaching us on earth, how it is in Heaven. This reality we know, this realm, as it is compared to Heaven. Is there any comparison? We would like to believe that what we enjoy on earth should be enjoyable in Heaven, food, friends, and fun, right? But in reality, Heaven enjoys what we do not enjoy...anymore. Recall what a child does, they leap around, skip around, arms in the air, so free...but we do not enjoy that as adults, for "what will people think of me?" and "I have no wish to skip around, arms in the air", right? See how a child is, as they anticipate the next child they meet to be their next best friend. Perhaps some men in the cursillo experienced this from others. A heart open to love encounters a heart, being opened to love. And God IS LOVE. Recall a child, now, that believes the stories you tell them, and they remember them and take them to heart. Recall how a child is treated, and at times even mistreated. How do they react? Meekness. To be meek is not to be weak. To be meek and humble, is to be Christ. To take the abuse with a grain of salt, to turn the cheek, and still search inside that soul for that child of God, this is to know the Kingdom of Heaven, because then, you are sacrificing for the Love of God. A message from the heart of God on the cross. And then you can say like the Apostles at the Transfiguration... "Lord, it is good that we are here". Click for Audio Random Bible Verse 1 Psalm 37:27–29 " Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever." Word of the Lord! If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2026 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®