† Quote of the Day“Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's call.”
-St. Josemaria Escriva Today’s Meditation"St. Josemaria Escriva used the phrase "new Mediterraneans" to describe the process of going deeper into the interior life to discover new insights about what we already know or have already heard so many times before. There is a mysterious power of the mind unleashed when we "discover" something we already knew, when we contemplate truth from a new vantage point. These revelations, uncovered through prayer, then overflow into the rest of our lives. This process, aptly given a maritime-themed name, is one that reveals to us the depth of richness of the Faith." –Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering, p. 13
An excerpt from Theology of Home III: At The Sea
Theology of Home III: At The Sea Daily VerseBut God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
-Romans 5:8
|
EWTN Daily Saint
|
|
St Josemaria EscrivaSt. Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975) was born in Spain, one of six children of a devout Catholic family. Growing up, he observed his parents faithfully endure painful family trials (the death of three of their young children and devastating financial setbacks) and this had a profound effect on his own faith. As a teenager he discovered his vocation to the priesthood when he saw the path of footprints in the snow left by a barefoot Carmelite friar. He then experienced a radical conversion: he gave up his intended career as an architect and entered the seminary. He spent most of his life studying and teaching in universities, earning a doctorate in civil law and theology. Saint Josemaria Escriva's lasting impact lies in the foundation of Opus Dei (“The Work of God”), an organization of laity and priests dedicated to the universal call of holiness and the belief that ordinary, daily life is an authentic path to sanctity. Today Opus Dei has over 80,000 members worldwide. His famous written work is The Way, a collection of spiritual and pastoral reflections on the gospels and their application to everyday life. On June 26, 1975, after glancing at an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in his office in Rome, St. Josemaría died suddenly of cardiac arrest. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. His feast day is June 26th.
|
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Kings 25:1-12In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign,
on the tenth day of the month,
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army
advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it,
and built siege walls on every side.
The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.
On the ninth day of the fourth month,
when famine had gripped the city,
and the people had no more bread,
the city walls were breached.
Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by night
through the gate between the two walls
that was near the king’s garden.
Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded,
they went in the direction of the Arabah.
But the Chaldean army pursued the king
and overtook him in the desert near Jericho,
abandoned by his whole army. The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah
to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him.
He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes.
Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters,
and had him brought to Babylon.On the seventh day of the fifth month
(this was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon),
Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard,
came to Jerusalem as the representative
of the king of Babylon.
He burned the house of the Lord,
the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem;
every large building was destroyed by fire.
Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard
tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,
led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city,
and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon,
and the last of the artisans.
But some of the country’s poor, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,
left behind as vinedressers and farmers. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps. R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!” R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the Lord
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten! R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy. R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you! Alleluia Matthew 8:17R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 8:1-4When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
|
Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
|
From Word Among Us WAU.org
|
Daily Meditation: Matthew 8:1-4 I will do it. Be made clean. (Matthew 8:3) Think about the faith that this man with leprosy showed. He was convinced that Jesus could help him if he wanted to. But just knowing that wasn’t enough; he wanted to do something about it as well. Despite his disfigurement and illness, he made his way through the crowd and walked right up to Jesus. It took all the courage he had to declare, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2). Jesus rewarded his confidence: In an instant, the leprosy was gone, and his skin was cleansed. But that wasn’t the end of the story. After healing him, Jesus told the man to show himself to the priest. Here was another test of faith, for this man had no reason to expect that a priest would believe him. In Israel, leprosy was seen as more than a disease. It was thought to be a punishment from God for sin, either in the victim’s life or within his family. The priest might blame him or scoff at him. He might say that Jesus was a heretic and couldn’t heal anyone. He might question the man’s faithfulness to Judaism for even listening to Jesus. But Jesus had healed him! How could he keep silent? This story reminds us that we are all like this poor man. We are all “diseased” because of our sins. They burden us, separate us from God, and isolate us from our brothers and sisters in Christ. But like this man, we have received God’s overflowing grace! Jesus died to cleanse us from every sin. We have new life in him, and he is now asking us to go and “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Every time you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you relive this Gospel story. You enter the confessional like the sick man, afflicted with sin but turning to Jesus for help and healing. And every time you confess your sins, he cleanses and heals you. Now you are free! You can “go show yourself” to the people around you (Matthew 8:4). By your witness of humility, joy, and peace, you can help them see what Jesus has done for you—and they will be moved to seek out the Lord for themselves! “Thank you, Lord, for forgiving my sin! Help me tell the world what you have done for me.” 2 Kings 25:1-12
Psalm 137:1-6
|
Reflections with Brother Adrian:
|
From today's Holy Gospel: ".....“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.” ... ”
|
From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a leper. In our sickness, our weakness, our shame, our sin, our oddness, many of us feel like this leper. We feel as though we’re just not worthy, that we should keep our distance. That the leper came to Jesus tells us the world about this man’s courage, determination, and perhaps his desperation. He was an outsider, a despised figure—yet he came to Jesus. Once in the Lord’s presence, the leper “did him homage”—he worshipped him. The suffering man realizes who Jesus is: not one prophet among many but the incarnation of the God of Israel, the only one before whom worship is the appropriate attitude. Whatever trouble we are in, we have to come to Jesus in the attitude of worship. He is the Lord and we are not. This is the key step in getting our lives in order: right praise. Then comes the beautiful phrase, essential in any act of petitionary prayer: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” He is not demanding; he is acknowledging the lordship of Jesus, his sovereignty. “Thy will be done” is always the right attitude in any prayer." End quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"The Gospel of today presents us with a God who does not flee from our misery, but approaches it with tenderness. He invites us to approach Christ with the humility of the leper and with his own confidence. Let him say, "Sir, if you want, you can clean me up.". And to listen, with the certainty of faith, to the response that continues to resonate today in the Church: "I want.". Let us ask him to touch our deepest wounds, to heal the leprosy of sin and selfishness, and to enable us also to approach those who live today excluded, alone or wounded, so that, through our closeness, they can experience the tenderness of Christ himself." End quote.
In Spanish we hear it said " Si Tu Quieres ".
It sounds more personal and hard to emphasize on English so all I can say it is like this : "It is up to YOU, if YOU want". And this how they say the leper prayed and was cleansed as God desired.
But how many of us pray and demand?
How many of us lack humility to God's will...
How many of us demand want what we want and how and when...exacting ridiculous demands like a kid asking for a candy right away...but the parent knows better than to listen to that.
The parent knows the kid is hungry and will wait to cook up something better and more fulfilling and strengthens the child.
And so it is with Our Father.
We want consolation NOW!
We want healing NOW!
But our good Father knows what is best...for our soul...to strengthen us and heal us and form us to Himself....His desire is ultimately good.
If only we would more than submit out of obedience...but to follow and hold Him by the hand...trusting Him with all our lives...not just some.
|
Random Bible Verse
Proverbs 16:19 " It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Word of the Lord!
|
If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment