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Saint Quote of the Day
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O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams. -St. Augustine
Today's Meditation“There are two loves, the love of God and the love of the world. If the love of the world takes possession of you, there is no way for the love of God to enter into you. Let the love of the world take the second place, and let the love of God dwell in you. Let the better love take over.”
—St. Augustine, p. 34
Daily VerseI charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. -2 Timothy 4:1-2
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. AugustinePatron Saint of: Theologians, philosophers, and brewers
Feast Day: August 28 St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 A.D.) was born in North Africa to a pagan father and a Christian mother, St. Monica. His mother did her best to raise him in the Christian faith, but Augustine, a brilliant and promising young student, was carried away into worldy attractions, lust for women, and pagan philosophies. This put his faith and morals into a state of crisis for many years. His waywardness gave his holy mother great pain and anxiety as she watched her son pursue materialistic ambitions and keep company with heretical sects. Through her constant prayers and the holy preaching of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, St. Augustine came to recognize the truth of Christianity; but only after several spiritually tumultuous years of seeking God through his philosophical studies. He underwent a profound conversion and was baptized, after which he lived a holy life of purity, prayer, and penance. His life is one of the greatest sinner-to-saint stories in the history of the Church. St. Augustine eventually became a priest, bishop, theologian, writer, and the founder of a religious order of priests. He was declared a Doctor of the Church and is considered one of the most influential saints and theologians to have ever lived, one whose writings are widely read to this very day. His feast day is celebrated on August 28.
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Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 429 Reading 11 Corinthians 1:17-25 Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11 R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. AlleluiaLuke 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
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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 25:1-13The bridegroom was long delayed. (Matthew 25:5) What do you pack when you’re going on a long trip? You might bring medicine in case you get sick or an umbrella in case it rains. Perhaps you pack an extra sweater so you can stay warm if the temperature dips. You want to be prepared! The ten virgins in the parable in today’s Gospel thought they were ready to meet the bridegroom. They had brought their lamps and enough oil so that they could welcome him when he arrived. Yet what separated the “wise” virgins from the “foolish” ones was a contingency plan (Matthew 25:2). The wise ones brought extra oil in case the bridegroom was “long delayed” (25:5). Clearly, their foresight paid off! We don’t know when the Lord will come again in glory. It could happen tomorrow or a thousand years from now. We also don’t know the day or time when the Lord will call us home. So in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we need to be prepared to meet him at any moment. It’s not as simple as compiling a packing checklist, but there are some ways we can “stay awake” and ensure that we are ready to meet the Lord, whenever and however that happens (Matthew 25:13). We can stay close to him by building a regular daily prayer time into our schedule rather than simply hoping that we will find time to pray when we get a spare moment. In our quiet times with God, we can ask him for the grace and strength we need to do his will throughout our day, whether that’s helping someone in need or caring for our family. We can also make sure that we are never too busy to worship the Lord and receive his Body and Blood each week at Mass. And when we stray, we can get right with the Lord by confessing our sins and receiving his mercy as soon as possible. When you do these things as part of your regular routine, you can be at peace. You will be ready to enter the great heavenly wedding feast with enough “oil” to burn brightly before the Lord! “Jesus, help me to see what I need to do to be ready to joyfully greet you when you come again!” 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "…. Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.” ….”
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From Roberto Juarez: "A lighted lamp does not only serve to enlighten the wearer. It also illuminates those around us. This is the case with our Christian life. If our faith is truly alive, it illuminates our surroundings, a person who lives close to Christ transmits peace, a person who knows how to forgive illuminates, a person who serves illuminates, a person who maintains hope in the midst of difficulties illuminates. Therefore, perhaps the most important question is not only: "Do I have oil?" But: "Is my lamp illuminating someone's life?"
The parable of the ten virgins reminds us that life is a waiting. But not a passive waiting. We wait for the Lord by living, loving, serving, praying, forgiving, doing good. The question is not whether the Lord will come. The question is how he will find our lamp. Let us not leave for tomorrow the conversion, the forgiveness, the prayer, the good that we can do today. Because perhaps the best way to prepare ourselves for the definitive encounter with Christ is simply to live each day as if it were an opportunity that God gives us to love.
Let us ask him to fill our lamps with oil. May he renew our faith. May he strengthen our hope. May he make our charity grow. And when the Bridegroom arrives we may hear those joyful words: "Here is the bridegroom! Go out to meet him." end of quote from Roberto.
From Brother Adrian:
In Holy Mass, I was attempting to be focused. That is my biggest problem. I'm handling many issues at once, for work, ministries, a few on family. So focusing, is kind of a big deal! Or else…mistakes.
And our Lord warns us, about weeds that can choke us. Distractions. And wastefulness.
Why do I say this?
Because, our Lord warns us. STAY AWAKE!
What was the problem with the foolish girls? What was their mistake?
They wasted away, their oil that was meant for the groom. What's more, and I've never realized…they did have oil, but not enough. This is the scary part. They didn't have more than what they supposed was necessary.
How many of us think we are good enough?
How many of us think we do enough for the Lord? How could we ever say that! "I've done enough for you God". You know what that means? "Corban".
Definition: Corban is an Aramaic and Hebrew word meaning an offering or gift dedicated to God. The Tradition: Religious leaders taught that if a person declared their money or property as Corban, they were excused from using it to support their aging parents. Jesus' Point: Jesus condemned this practice. He said the Pharisees used human traditions to break God's direct command to honor and care for one's parents. So, again, how could we put a "limit" on God almighty? Why would we limit ourselves to His grace? Why would I limit how much to love Him? Because really, that is what it boils down to.
The love of God, and the love of neighbor.
Stay awake! The message I am saying is, when you think you are ready, BE MORE THAN READY.
I can say this comfortably, because I see those around me…I know they can do much more. They can give more time. More love to God. They can pray more. More love calls. They can fast more. More longing and mortification in love. I know it is hard to pray and fast, but how much do you love God! And the call to help in ministries, always lacks help. What if God is calling you to the vineyard? And the people say no and keep wondering when God will reach out to them.
HE IS IN THE PEOPLE. I so often hear complaints about people. I get tired of it. At work, I'm tired of management complaining about the people. IT IS NOT ALL THEM. It starts with us all. Same at church, they complain about "PEOPLE", NOT TRUE. The same with those high in government complaining about people and how to control them.
In the end…. we lack, lots.
We consider ourselves good enough, but compared to who? Mass murderers? Because that's what people do, set the bar low. But Jesus set the bar…of Himself on the cross.
That is whom we are to aspire to be for the world.
But who wants to be that suffering servant…the rejected one?
Really want to know? Very few. Not many are "strong enough" to enter this narrow gate.
Let this be your encouragement. The crown set for this kind of love is a mesmerizing love of and from God found in the glory of true love.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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