The Precious Blood"Prayer to the Precious Blood" written by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Lord Jesus, by faith in Your merits, I now take Your Precious Blood and sprinkle it over myself and my family right from the crown of my head to the very soles of my feet. I claim total and complete protection for my life and my family. Lord Jesus, keep me free today from evil, sin, temptation, Satan’s attacks and afflictions, fear of darkness, fear of man, sickness, diseases, doubts, anger, all calamities and from all that is not of thy Kingdom. Fill me, Lord Jesus, with the gift of Your Holy Spirit, and grant me the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment so that I will live today in Your glory by doing that which is right. Amen.
† Saint Quote:When you pray, you only have to ask for two things: You should ask for the light to see the will of God, and you have to ask for the courage to be able to do the will of God.”
Venerable Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz Meditation quote"Avoid worrying, then, about anything else for your children except whatever may contribute to bringing them up virtuously. For the rest, having entrusted them to God, try to see what His will for them is, to help them along the path in life He has chosen for them. Never be afraid of relying too much on Him, but rather seek always to increase your trust more and more, for this is the most pleasing homage you can pay Him and it will be the measure of the graces you will receive. Little or much will be given you according as you have expected little or much."
An excerpt from Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence: Pg. 46 Daily VerseIt is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.
Colossians 1:28-29
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Henry IIPatron Saint of: Childless couples, Benedictine oblates, and rulers
Feast Day: July 13 Saint Henry II (972-1024 A.D.) was born to the Duke of Bavaria and the Princess of Burgundy. He was a pious child and was given the education of a priest. However, his destiny changed when he succeeded his father as the Duke of Bavaria and took a holy woman as his wife. Upon the sudden death of his cousin he also became the King of Germany. Then, in 1014 A.D. he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in St. Peter's Basilica by Pope Benedict VIII. St. Henry was determined to rule the empire with justice for the greater glory of God. He was known for his virtue and great faith; when entering any town, he would first pray in a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also invoked the saints to help him in battle against pagan armies. He did much good for his subjects and for the Church, and was graced with many mystical experiences. He and his wife, St. Cunegundes, observed perfect chastity during their marriage and therefore remained childless. Henry tried to enter a monastery after the death of his wife, however, his application was refused because it was thought he would continue to do much good if he remained in the world. St. Henry is the patron of dukes, kings, childless people, the handicapped, and people rejected by religious orders. His feast day is July 13th.
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Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 389 Reading 1Isaiah 1:10-17 Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23 R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. AlleluiaMatthew 5:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 10:34-11:1 Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: Matthew 10:34–11:1I have come to bring not peace but the sword. (Matthew 10:34) It’s one of the most jarring statements that the “Prince of Peace” ever makes. Jesus foresees that his followers will experience strains and conflicts in their relationships—even in their families. Acknowledging how painful some of these divisions can be, St. John Chrysostom called them “far more grievous even than a civil war” (On the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 35). In saying these things, Jesus was revealing the cost of saying yes to him. He didn’t promise that following him would always be easy; he promised a cross. As he says elsewhere, “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33). Relational difficulties, even the loss of relationships altogether, are among the troubles that most of us will likely encounter—or have already encountered—when we choose to pursue a life of discipleship. Have you felt the sharp edge of this “sword” (Matthew 10:34)? Perhaps at church, seeing the empty pew where your children used to sit. Maybe at work, when a colleague is cold towards you after discovering you are a practicing Christian. Or you might have watched with dismay as close friends slowly abandoned their faith and distanced themselves from you. It’s a particularly piercing heartbreak. But Jesus doesn’t give a cold ultimatum, forcing you to trade away friendships in order to follow him. Instead, he’s inviting you to imitate his example of unconditional love, to endure rejection, and to persist no matter what happens. He assures you that, even as you try to find the best way to love them, you can also entrust your friends and family to his providence. So ask Jesus for the grace to share his love with the people in your life. He’ll help you to be patient and understanding. He’ll help you to be humble and kind in the midst of flawed relationships. And he’ll help you to have faith that he is powerful enough to work even when the conditions seem imperfect. Some of these relationships will still have cracks, but seeds of love may still fall into those cracks and take root. Take courage! His love has conquered the world! “Lord, in a divided world, help me share your love and trust your power.” Isaiah 1:10-17
Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "...“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
... And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. .... ”
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From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord explains what it means to become a disciple. Once we make the decision to follow Jesus, then every other claimant to supremacy must fall away. Every one of us has something that we consider greatest. Perhaps it is money, material things, power, the esteem of others, your country, your political party, or your ethnic identity. Or perhaps it is your family, your kids, your wife, your husband. Now mind you, all of these are good things. However, when you place any of them in the absolute center of gravity, things go awry. When you make any of them your ultimate or final good, your spiritual life goes haywire. When you attach yourself to any of them with an absolute tenacity, you will fall apart. This is what Jesus means in our Gospel for today: not that you should hate your family or country or wealth, but rather that you should detach yourself from them lest they become idols. And only if we do this are we truly ready for mission. If we try to do this work while we are stuck to any number of attachments, we will fail. Period." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez: "Perhaps today the Lord invites us to ask ourselves: Does Christ really occupy the first place in my life? Am I willing to follow Him even when it is uncomfortable? Do I seek a faith that does not compromise me or do I agree to carry the cross of the Gospel? Am I aware that small gestures of charity have enormous value before God? These questions are not meant to discourage us. They seek to help us purify our following.
Jesus does not offer us an easy path, but he does offer us a path full of meaning. He invites us to put it at the top of our lives. It teaches us that true peace is born of truth. That the cross lived out of love is never sterile. And that even the smallest gesture performed by Him has immense value.
Let us ask him today for the grace to be courageous disciples. May we not be afraid to bear witness to the Gospel, even if it sometimes involves misunderstandings. May we learn to lose our life for love in order to truly find it. And that, following Christ's example, we discover that the greatest joy is not in keeping life for ourselves, but in giving it generously to the service of God and of our brothers and sisters." end quote.
We had a visiting priest this weekend, from Argentina. After confessions, I invited him to eat at my sister's family house who was putting on the World Cup Soccer games on, and the team to play was his home country of Argentina.
He was welcomed with much food and drink, catered to hand and foot as he enjoyed the big screen projected in a new shop building.
The next day, I invited him, on Sunday, to the nursing home visits we do on Sundays to sing and pray with them, the weekly effort to help them keep the Sabbath Holy. He joined, and I asked him to bless some water to bless the people, and they were very grateful.
And I took him to see my nephew's new born baby in the next door hospital, to bless them
And then I took him to my other sister's house, who has recently lost her son in tragedy, and I asked him to come bless them and their home and family.
Some time in the afternoon conversations with Father Silvio from Monterrey, he actually brought up this scripture, about blessing God's disciples " And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
He was very grateful for all of our parishioners' hospitality towards him.
But, this is how we are to be with everyone really, as we are all baptized, priest, prophet, and king.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux brings out a good point about doing things with great love. Even to pick up a pin off the floor for someone, but with great love, makes all the difference.
The more I study Heaven, and earth and God's will, I can begin to see the importance of what I can only describe as "the very meaning of every thing". The intent. The will. The meaning behind the intent and the action. I hear about angels bowing in Heaven, the action, the meaning. The material is the accidents of life, the events, the circumstances, the things that come together for particular reasons as they naturally happen in the world, yes, but to combine them for the Holy Will of God makes a difference, and these actions are written in the book of your life.
What you are teaching your children, your neighbors, those you encounter daily matters.
And we teach by how we live, yes, but we must do as our Lord, not merely by example, but literally teaching and preaching, as we heard "Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns."
And He wants to preach and teach through you and me.
If only we would allow the Holy Spirit to live through us...meaning, unifying our will with God our Father...
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Random Bible Verse 1
John 8:36 " So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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