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Saint Quote of the Day
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Three things are necessary to everyone: truth of faith which brings understanding, love of Christ which brings compassion, and endurance of hope which brings perseverance. ▪ St. Bonaventure
Today's Meditation“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.” —Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 367
Daily Verse †But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.
- 1 Peter 3:14-16
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. ReginaPatron Saint of: Shepherds and against poverty
Feast Day: September 7 Saint Regina (d. 286 A.D.) was born to pagan parents in France. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father gave her to the care of a Christian nurse who secretly baptized her and raised her in the Christian faith. As Regina grew older her embrace of Christianity became evident, and her father disowned her as a result. Regina then went to live with her Christian nurse. They lived in poverty, and Regina tended sheep to help support the household. This solitude allowed her time to pray and meditate on the lives of the saints. When she was fifteen years of age, a Roman proconsul by the name of Olybrius was determined to marry her. He became greatly disturbed when he discovered that she was a Christian. He asked her to renounce her faith in order to save her life and secure a prosperous marriage with him. Regina staunchly refused to deny her faith, having already taken a vow of virginity to Christ. For her defiance she was cast into prison. Hoping that her resolve would gradually weaken, Olybrius visited her in prison and asked her once more to renounce her faith. Regina’s determination only increased with time, and she again refused. Olybrius, angered, had her severely tortured with her body being scourged, burned, and raked. Finally, she was beheaded. Her resolve under torture and the appearance of a dove above her head caused witnesses to convert to Christianity. After her death many miracles were attributed to her relics. St. Regina is the patron of poor people, shepherdesses, and torture victims. Her feast day is September 7th.
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Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 437 Reading 11 Corinthians 5:1-8 Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 5:5-6, 7, 12 R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord. AlleluiaJohn 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 6:6-11 On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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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: Luke 6:6-11Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath? (Luke 6:9) To better understand our Gospel today, recall how important the Sabbath was for first-century Jews. The Lord had commanded them to keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8). Honoring the Sabbath was one of the key ways they set themselves apart as God’s people. It was so important that, over the centuries, many scribes developed extensive traditions for how to observe it properly. So when Jesus teaches in the synagogue on a Sabbath, some scribes and Pharisees are watching to see if he will heal a man with a withered hand. They are eager for a reason to accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses. But Jesus gets right to the heart of the Law they claim to uphold. He asks them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” (Luke 6:9). The answer seems obvious, and Jesus does the “good” of healing the man. Jesus then confirms the point by performing this miracle right in front of the scribes and Pharisees. But they become “enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). Don’t miss the irony here. While the scribes and Pharisees plot evil toward Jesus—on the Sabbath and in a synagogue, no less—he brings life and restoration by healing the man. The sabbath rest God wants his people to enter into is a matter of doing good, of loving the Lord and our neighbor. So what does it mean for us to “do good” on the Sabbath? Of course, we should go to Mass. We might also set aside some extra time for prayer or Adoration. But focusing only on set times of prayer might make us less likely to notice unplanned opportunities to do good. Ask the Lord to help you see the needs in front of you—needs like your neighbor’s unexpected car repair that means they need a ride to the grocery store. Or the loneliness of an isolated family member who could benefit from a visit either in person or by phone. The possibilities are endless. It doesn’t just have to be Sunday, either. It’s always the right time to “do good!” “Lord Jesus, help me enter into sabbath rest and honor you by doing good today and every day.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Psalm 5:5-7, 12
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "….Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”
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Bishop Barron said, "Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees plot against Jesus because he healed a man on the Sabbath. Christians know something of God from sources philosophical, mythological, historical, and poetic, but their deepest grasp of the nature of God comes from Jesus of Nazareth, the Logos, the spoken Word of the Father. This Jesus was the friend of the marginalized, the healer of the disabled and the sick, the advocate of the forgotten, the forgiver of sins. His mission was to carry the fire of divine mercy to all those who were cut off from it. In doing so, he excited the wrath and opposition of the powerful, all those whose status depended upon an ideology of violence, differentiation, and exclusion. When he was born, Herod trembled, and when he came on the public scene, Pharisees schemed and protectors of the establishment plotted to do away with him. In the end, he was put to death by a conspiracy of the secular and religious authorities, and, in his moment of greatest danger, he was betrayed, denied, and abandoned by even his dearest friends. Jesus did not simply die; he was executed, eliminated. And he died precisely because of the way he lived."
-end quote.
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From Roberto Juarez: "This Gospel invites us today to a personal review. We can ask ourselves: What is it about my life that is paralyzed? Is there a relationship that I don't want to recover? Is there any forgiveness that I keep putting off? Is there a commitment that I avoid? Is there a person to whom I have stopped looking with mercy? Is there a dimension of my Christian life that has remained immobile? Perhaps we have been living with something that Jesus wants to heal for a long time. And we may have ended up thinking, "This has no solution." But Jesus does not look at our limitations as a definitive sentence. He looks at our wounds as a place where a new story can begin. That is why today he tells us: "Stretch out your hand." Dare to take the first step.
Today Jesus asks us a question: "What is permitted on the Sabbath: to do good or evil, to save a life or to destroy it?" And he invites us to look at our own lives. Perhaps our hands are full of many things, but our hearts are paralyzed, we can do a lot, but we have lost the ability to love, we have learned to do it, but we have forgotten mercy.
Today Christ tells us, "Get up." "Get in the way." "Stretch out your hand." Don't be afraid to let Him heal what you've been giving up for too long. And then let those healed hands become helping hands.
May the Lord grant us a heart similar to his: capable of seeing those who suffer, of drawing close to those who are alone, of doing good without calculation and of always putting the dignity of the person above our prejudices." end of quote from Roberto.
From Brother Adrian: One thing our priest said today in Holy Mass this Labor day…"the laws must have a human face".
Because in the Old Testament, the laws became deformed.
We keep adding new things and want more and more…are we designed this way?
Why don't we want more and more of what is important? The very love of God!
Why do we want more and more….control ?
Why do we want more and more… recognition ?
Why do we want more and more … pleasure ?
The lines to Holy Communion are long, very long…and the lines to confession, are short…very short.
But in Confession, there is an intimacy that makes communion all the better. A love relation. Reconciling and then, dining in Love.
But, as it stands, the humanity seems to get in the way.
In Romans we hear: "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."
And we hear: "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" in Matthew 26.
My brothers and sisters, in Christ, the bible, our Lord says ""be strong and courageous" Bible verse is Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Back to the law. God is Jesus. He comes to tell us the law.
God is speaking.
And in the temple. In church. And He speaks to you directly through people.
I have heard evil speaking through people, and I have seen evil working through people, and boy, it is NOT pretty.
But, have you ever noticed God speaking through people and acting through people? Wow. What a difference. Perhaps someone healed you with soothing words, like our priests do in Confession. Or, someone relieved you of a debt, or pain, or even of thirst! And you never seem to forget what they did. It is the LORD. He is Savior.
Yet, we want to close our ears to Him and drive Him off a cliff. Because…the truth hurts. Because, lifting a finger is too much. Because, dying to self is too much. Because we live, my way or the highway, or as Burger King's motto says ""Your Way Right Away" which was an advertising slogan used by Burger King from 1991 to 1992, building on their iconic "Have It Your Way" campaign to emphasize fast and customized service.
We want a custom faith. Fast and convenient. The mantra among CCD students and even some OCIA students is that they want to receive…so they can leave.
What happened to a true love and desire for a true love?
We have missed the mark if we focus on our pains.
We miss the mark if it is all about me.
We miss the mark if worship becomes more than sacrifice. What is worth more?
Jesus explicitly stated that loving God and loving your neighbor is "more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark 12:33).
Mercy over Ritual: Echoing the Old Testament (Hosea 6:6), Jesus twice told the religious leaders of his day that God desires mercy rather than ritual sacrifice (Matthew 9:13, 12:7).
And He had mercy on the withered man.
Perhaps, that withered hand meant more.
Like the woman at the well, she meant more, she symbolized all the peoples of infidelity to God, the 5 ex-husbands.
This man had a withered hand, could not work, and was limited, and was seen as cursed even.
Yet, we go to church. Yet, we desire God's mercy and healing. Yet…God wants us to be fed, and be His mercy, and go and heal this broken world because of our freedom, to find Him.
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WOW. Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also suffered1 once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit"
Word of the Lord!
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Month of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)
Devotion of the Month Opening prayer of Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust. Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross. Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor, sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life, and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen.
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God Bless You! Peace
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