† "‘I told you that I saw you....”

† Saint Quote of the Day A soul which does not practice the exercise of prayer is very like a paralyzed body which, though possessing feet and hands

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   † Saint Quote of the Day A soul which does not practice the exercise of prayer is very like a paralyzed body which, though possessing feet and hands, makes no use of them. St. Alphonsus Liguori Today's Meditation “Oh, what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass, and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us. O Jesus, my Jesus, with what great pain is my soul pierced when I see this fountain of life gushing forth with such sweetness and power for each soul, while at the same time I see souls withering away and drying up through their own fault. O Jesus, grant that the power of mercy embrace these souls.” —St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 914 Daily Verse "But for thee, O Lord, do I wait; it is thou, O Lord my God, who wilt answer. " Psalm 38:15 EWTN Daily Saint St. Bartholomew Patron Saint of: Butchers, bookbinders, leather workers, and plasterers Feast Day: August 24 St. Bartholomew (1st c.) is one of Jesus’ Twelve Apostles who, together with his friend and fellow Apostle Philip, came from Cana in Galilee. All we know of St. Bartholomew (also called Nathaniel) is what is mentioned of him in the synoptic Gospels and the book of Acts. Philip told Bartholomew that he had found the Messiah, and, despite Bartholomew’s incredulity, the two went together to see Jesus. When Jesus saw Bartholomew he exclaimed, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him!”, indicating that Bartholomew possessed great purity of heart. Bartholomew then asked Jesus how he knew him, and Jesus explained that he saw Bartholomew sitting under the fig tree. This secret between Jesus and Bartholomew caused Bartholomew to immediately exclaim that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. According to the Roman Martyrology, Bartholomew became a missionary in the East, preaching and evangelizing in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India, and finally Armenia, where he was flayed alive and beheaded by King Astyages. St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of nervous and neurological diseases, butchers, leather workers, tanners, cobblers, trappers, and shoemakers. His feast day is August 24th. Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629 Reading 1 Revelation 21:9b-14 The angel spoke to me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Alleluia John 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia. Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 1:45-51 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! From Word Among Us WAU.org Daily Meditation: John 1:45-51 Can anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46) How easy it is to judge people and situations based only on earthly assumptions! That’s what Nathanael did when he first heard about Jesus. Nathanael, who is thought to be the same person as Bartholomew, saw only a carpenter’s son, a man from a small town in Galilee. But when Jesus told him, “I saw you under the fig tree,” Nathanael saw Jesus in a whole new light—not just as a man from Nazareth, but as “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel” (John 1:48, 49). It can be very challenging to look at things through the lens of God’s great wisdom. Nathanael made his first disparaging comment about Jesus before he had encountered him. But once Jesus spoke with him, Nathanael’s vision was enlarged. He saw that Jesus already knew him and that he had a wonderful future in store for him. After that one conversation, Nathanael’s life was never the same. He chose to follow Jesus. In turn, Jesus chose him as one of the Twelve. Like Nathanael, we, too, may see only the earthly reality but miss the heavenly one. We might wonder, “What good can come from X situation?” or “What good can come from Y relationship?” But as he did for Nathanael, Jesus can open our minds and give us a heavenly perspective on whatever might be puzzling to us. He can help us see everything in the light of his love and his purpose for our lives. Let Jesus open your mind today. Close your eyes and picture yourself resting under the shade of a leafy tree, like Nathanael. Imagine Jesus walking toward you. He sits down next to you, looks at you intently, and says, “Before the creation of the world, I saw you and I loved you. Now, what’s on your mind?” Go ahead and share your heart with him. Then wait and see how he responds. Even if you don’t hear anything in that moment, trust that over time, Jesus will open your eyes to see your life in a heavenly light. God has “greater things” in store for you (John 1:50)—and he wants you to set your sights on them, even now! “Jesus, open my mind and my heart to heaven!” Revelation 21:9-14 Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18 Reflections with Brother Adrian: Click To Hear 2 Cents Audio From today's Holy Gospel: "....Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man....” From Roberto Juarez: "There are periods of existence when we need at all costs to seek to understand what we are experiencing (through reflection, through prayer, or by asking for advice from those who demonstrate their prudence), because it is thanks to this light and in cooperation with it that we have understood that we will progress in this way. But there are also times when one must renounce understanding: then the time will have come to abandon oneself to God with blind trust. The light will come later: What I do, you do not understand now, you will understand later, Jesus says to Peter. In this case, trying to understand at all costs would do us more harm than good, it would increase the pain instead of calming it and it would only exacerbate our doubts, our insecurities, our fears and our questions, without answering them. It is no longer a question of satisfying the intelligence by seeking an answer, but of making acts of faith and abandoning oneself to God. The only thing that can give us peace is not to have the answer to our questions, but to have humble and trusting prayer, that attitude expressed by the prophet Jeremiah: It is good to wait in silence for the help of Yahweh." end of quote from Roberto. From Brother Adrian: In Mass today, our priest spoke about our prejudices we may have on people. What color skin. Where are they from. All so you have preconceived notions. And what happens when you depend on familiar or similar differences? The proverb "familiarity breeds contempt" means that knowing someone or something very well can cause you to lose respect for them, take them for granted, or focus on their flaws. The concept is ancient, with similar ideas traced back to Aesop and Geoffrey Chaucer. This contempt can be deadly. I think of the great "Crocodile Hunter" when I think of contempt. The "Crocodile Hunter" was Steve Irwin, a famous Australian animal expert, TV host, and nature protector. He became known around the world for his energetic style and hands-on work with dangerous animals like crocodiles and snakes. He died in 2006 at age 44 after a stingray barb pierced his chest while filming underwater. I always use this example when I speak in our safety meetings. I remind everyone that we should not be comfortable, mindless, thinking you know everything...or else, the worst could happen to you. Watch your six. "Watch your six" means to watch your back or stay alert to hidden dangers. The number six refers to the 6 o'clock position on a clock face, which is directly behind you when 12 o'clock is straight ahead. As I grow older, I'm watching my environment. I study. Not only books, but how life works. I watch how our Lord works, and I see how darkness has powers as well. As I grow older, I become, more afraid...to sin. Is this spiritual maturity? Have I digressed from the call of God, to Bartholomew or Nathaniel? I watch how things are constantly changing. Old places disappear, new ones grow in other areas. But the morals, the are constants. But how evil works, it can get crazy if you are not constantly living a life of grace. Nathaniel, though he was with prejudice about our Lord, he was pleasantly surprised. The secret to being amazed ( a true sign of the Holy Spirit) is....being open to Him. So when they told Him "come to the Lord", he may have doubted, but was open to the possibility of encountering the Messiah...our Savior. And because of this...an encounter happened. Our Lord said "I saw you". And this changed everything. What was the moment like? Nathaniel must have been praying for God to see him. And our Lord said he saw him. As for you, be prepared. This world is constantly evolving...but there are constants looking at you. It is the Holy Trinity. Not only that, but people looking at you everywhere you go...God sees you through them too. What will they see? Even those that treat you ill, they too want to see. And it boils down to the question for martyrs ... "do YOU believe?". And what is the great Amen? We went to a family conference this weekend, over 1,000 in attendance. One of the most impressive speakers was a priest that wrote a book I bought, the only book I bought, even after seeing Chris Stefanick and Edward Sri speak: THE THUNDEROUS AMEN: Confessions of Another Augustine by AUGUSTINE OWUSU PEPRAH (Author). I'm getting into the thundersous Amen, and diving in, it gets deep fast. But it it all boils down to the conversion point as well. And what happens after a conversion? THE GREAT AMEN AWAITS. Click for Audio Random Bible Verse 1 Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." 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 ®

† "‘They gathered together, and .....”

† Saint Quote of the Day The devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble, because it has God as its object; it is the most profitable for salvation,

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   † Saint Quote of the Day The devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble, because it has God as its object; it is the most profitable for salvation, because it gives us the Author of Grace; it is the sweetest, because the Lord is Sweetness Itself. St. Pius X Today's Meditation “The life of faith is nothing less than the continued pursuit of God through all that disguises, disfigures, destroys and, so to say, annihilates Him. It is in very truth a reproduction of the life of Mary who, from the Stable to the Cross, remained unalterably united to that God whom all the world misunderstood, abandoned, and persecuted. In like manner faithful souls endure a constant succession of trials. God hides beneath veils of darkness and illusive appearances which make His will difficult to recognize; but in spite of every obstacle these souls follow Him and love Him even to the death of the Cross.” —Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 25 Daily Verse Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 EWTN Daily Saint Pope St. Pius X Patron Saint of: First Communicants, pilgrims, and liturgical music Feast Day: August 21 Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914) was born Giuseppe Melchiore Sarto, one of ten children from an impoverished family living in Venetia, then under the political control of the Austrian Empire. His parents valued education and ensured that Giuseppe walked nearly four miles to school every day. Drawn to the priesthood, he received a scholarship to enter one of the best seminaries of his day, and was ordained in 1858. After the death of Pope Leo XIII, who made him cardinal, he was elected Supreme Pontiff in 1903. Saint Pius X was a man of virtue, sanctity, and zeal, and a great defender of the Catholic faith against heresy. He ranks as one of the greatest reforming popes in history. In his eleven-year pontificate he contributed to reforms in papal elections, seminary life, Eucharistic practice, liturgy, biblical studies, the Divine Office, catechesis, the organization of the Roman Curia, and canon law. He was also known as a pastoral pope for encouraging Catholic social action as well as the development of personal holiness, piety, and a daily lifestyle which reflected deep Christian values. He promoted the reading of Sacred Scripture by all the lay faithful, and harshly denounced the evil of Modernism as “the summation of all heresies.” He also lowered the age of First Holy Communion to the age of reason. He was particularly devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Confidence. Pope St. Pius X is the patron of pilgrims and first communicants. His feast day is August 21st. Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope Lectionary: 423 Reading 1 Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and led me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the center of the plain, which was now filled with bones. He made me walk among the bones in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain. How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life? I answered, “Lord GOD, you alone know that.” Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD. I prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then the LORD said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army. Then he said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They have been saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.” Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the LORD say, those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the foe And gathered from the lands, from the east and the west, from the north and the south. R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. They went astray in the desert wilderness; the way to an inhabited city they did not find. Hungry and thirsty, their life was wasting away within them. R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. They cried to the LORD in their distress; from their straits he rescued them. And he led them by a direct way to reach an inhabited city. R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy and his wondrous deeds to the children of men, Because he satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry soul with good things. R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. Alleluia Psalm 25:4b, 5a R. Alleluia, alleluia. Teach me your paths, my God, guide me in your truth. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Matthew 22:34-40 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! From Word Among Us WAU.org Daily Meditation: Matthew 22:34-40 Which commandment in the law is the greatest? (Matthew 22:36) In today’s Gospel, a scholar tests Jesus by asking, “Which commandment . . . is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36). It’s a pretty good test. The Law of Moses had many, many commandments, some big, some small. But Jesus cuts to the heart of them all when he answers: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (22:37-39). Nothing is more important than loving God. He is worthy of love simply because of who he is. He is the origin of all creation, all goodness, and all love. He himself is Goodness. He has given us life and “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). Not only that, but he is also the source of our happiness. So when we neglect loving God, we not only fail to offer him the honor he deserves, but we also undermine our own happiness by cutting ourselves off from his goodness. And when Jesus says, “The second is like it,” he’s saying that we can’t fully love God without loving other people (Matthew 22:39). Loving our neighbor is no less essential. In fact, one without the other is incomplete. These two loves are never in competition because when we love another person, we are loving a child of God, which is to love God himself (25:40). Loving God will always lead us to love each other. The Catechism tells us, “One cannot honor another person without blessing God his Creator. One cannot adore God without loving all men, his creatures” (2069). Every other commandment depends on these two (Matthew 22:40). Love of God is intricately tied up with our love of others, just as our love for our neighbor makes visible our love for God. That’s why we can rely on these two commandments to guide us when we are uncertain about how we should live. So be sure to love God in prayer today—and love the people he will place in your life. “Holy Spirit, show me how best to fulfill your command to love God and neighbor in all I say and do today.” Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 107:2-9 Reflections with Brother Adrian: Click To Hear 2 Cents Audio From today's Holy Gospel: "....You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. ...” From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the whole law depends on love of God and love of neighbor. I want to reflect on the love of neighbor. For many, to love is equivalent to being a nice guy, or in Flannery O’Connor’s formulation, “having a heart of gold.” Now, there is nothing in the world wrong with being a nice guy or having a heart of gold, but you can easily achieve both of those states and not have love. For love is not really about fitting in and being friendly; it is willing the good of the other as other. It is wanting what is best for another person and then doing something about it. And this means that real love can be as tough as nails or as disagreeable as a slap in the face—indeed, in Dostoevsky’s phrase, something “harsh and dreadful.” Compelling an addict to get help or questioning a dysfunctional style of life both involve the willing of the good of the other—and neither will cause people to characterize you as a nice guy. This is why the God who is love is not a kindly Santa Claus who magically makes troubles disappear." end quote. From Roberto Juarez: "The love of which Jesus speaks cannot remain in words. It is demonstrated when we visit a sick person, accompany a single person, help those who are in need, forgive, have patience with our parents, educate our children, take care of our elders, put aside our pride to ask for forgiveness, offer our time freely. Christian love has hands, feet, time, sacrifice. We live in a culture that can present love as something easy: "I love you as long as you make me happy." But Jesus presents a different love. True love knows how to sacrifice itself. Christ Himself is the proof. He didn't love us because we were perfect. He loved us when we were still sinners. And he came to the cross. Therefore, when we find it difficult to love, we must look to Christ crucified. There we understand what it really means to love. To love is to give one's life. Today's Gospel offers us the fundamental criterion for revising our Christian life. It is not just a matter of asking ourselves: "How many religious things do I do?" The decisive question is, "How much do I love?" Do I really love God? Shall I give it first place? Do I love the people God has put by my side? Do I know how to forgive? Do I know how to serve? Do I have time for those who need me? Am I able to love even when I receive nothing in return? Jesus reminds us today that everything depends on love. Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable. Let us ask the Lord to free us from a cold, routine or purely external faith. May he grant us a heart like his. A heart capable of loving God with all that we are and of recognizing in each person a brother or sister. May we hear within ourselves the same question that he once asked Peter: "Do you love me?" May our response not only be with words, but with our whole life. Lord, teach us to love as You have loved us." end of quote from Roberto. From Brother Adrian: There is a LOT of talk about love and love in action. But, we still see a LACK of love, and much inaction. Why? It is almost like a constant struggle, a constant battle. And then, the confusion on what our love should be all about! Right? And it boils down to a decision from that point forward. I told a group last night, at bible study, that "love many times is a decision". It is not a feeling alone. Love is not anything else on earth really. For God created all we know. And from this creation we are born. Out of love. For God said that HE IS LOVE. Therefore, anything else we make it out to be, can be said of it to be a misdirection. A deviance from the straight shot, the core truth. And, our Lord Jesus says, HE IS TRUTH. And living in Truth, we live in the truth, and this is life. And living this life is...the Way. I compared this to 3rd world arranged marriages. Estimated global divorce rates for arranged marriages sit lower than 4% to 6%, with some regions like India reporting rates around 1%. However, these low numbers reflect complex social factors rather than just higher marital satisfaction. But that satisfaction could be even better than our non-arranged marriages in free worlds proven by a 50% divorce rate. Once feelings get involved, people start splitting up. Once a head gets big, it gets read to pop, and the result is bloodshed. And bloodshed has eternal scars to be reckoned with. Now, back to the love of God and neighbor. We just recently had a couple's retreat in our parish. The reminded us of the glue of matrimony....God Himself...Love itself. But this should be true of ANY and ALL relationships...that we are bound to follow God's desire...love Him, love neighbor, AND love the enemy. WHOA! WHAT? Really? Some A I quick search says it: ▪ Matthew 5:43-48: Jesus contrasts His teaching with the old idea of hating an enemy. He notes that God sends rain and sun on both good and evil people, setting a standard of unconditional love. ▪ Luke 6:27-31: Jesus adds practical actions, telling listeners to do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and turn the other cheek. ▪ Romans 12:14-20: The Apostle Paul tells believers not to repay evil for evil, but to feed hungry enemies and leave justice to God. ▪ Matthew 5:43-48: Jesus contrasts His teaching with the old idea of hating an enemy. He notes that God sends rain and sun on both good and evil people, setting a standard of unconditional love. ▪ Luke 6:27-31: Jesus adds practical actions, telling listeners to do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and turn the other cheek. ▪ Romans 12:14-20: The Apostle Paul tells believers not to repay evil for evil, but to feed hungry enemies and leave justice to God. What It Means: An action, not a feeling: Biblical love (agape) is a choice of the will to seek the well-being of another, rather than a warm emotional feeling. Reflecting God's character: Doing good to opponents shows a connection to God, who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Refusing revenge: Loving an enemy means giving up personal payback and trusting God with justice. Practical Ways to Apply It: Pray for them: Ask God to bless or help the person who hurt you. Do good deeds: Show basic kindness or offer help if they are in need. Let go of bitterness: Release the need for personal revenge and choose to forgive. To end this reflection, I want you to look at the next hardship relationship square in the eye, sometimes literally, and when it is getting rough, as from your heart to theirs: "God, is that you testing me? If so, I need you to know, I want to show you that I love you". Click for Audio Random Bible Verse 1 Jude 20–21 " But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." 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 ®