† Saint QuoteDon't spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary: Lift up your spirit, and love God. Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Today's Meditation“I think the main reason we keep returning [to Confession] with the same list [of sins] is that we don’t understand what Christ wants to do in the confessional. We go simply wanting our sins forgiven, not realizing that He wants to do much more. He wants to heal us of the attitudes, disordered desires, problems, and wounds that are causing us to keep committing those sins…Since the purpose of every sacrament is to give grace, and the purpose of grace is to heal and sanctify, then the ultimate goal of each sacrament is to heal us and make us holy so that we can become like God.” – Vinny Flynn p.26-27
Daily Verse †In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Alphonsus RodriguezPatron Saint of: Jesuit brothers, Mallorca, and the sick
Feast Day: October 30 St. Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532–1617) was born in Segovia, Spain, the son of a wool merchant. He was prepared for his First Holy Communion by St. Peter Faber, one of the first Jesuits. When his father died, Alphonsus had to leave school at the age of 14 to take over the family business, which eventually failed. He married and had three children, and was left a widower at the age of 31 when his wife died in childbirth. In subsequent years he also lost his mother and all three of his children. Alphonsus developed a life of prayer, intense piety, and rigorous penances, with a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother under her title of the Immaculate Conception. His desire for the religious life increased and he attempted to join the Jesuits as a late vocation, but his lack of education made him a poor candidate. To amend his deficiency he went back to school, while begging alms to support himself and enduring ridicule from his much younger classmates. After a long delay he was finally admitted to the Jesuits when he was nearly 40 years old, but only as a lay brother. He was given the humble job of a porter (doorkeeper), a job which he served with dedication for 46 years. Many people within the religious community, as well as many visitors, recognized his holiness and sought his advice and spiritual council. St. Peter Claver was one of his disciples, and St. Alphonsus is credited for directing him in his mission to African slaves. St. Alphonsus was known for his rigorous obedience and discipline, and for suffering from scrupulosity, temptations, and attacks from the devil. He took his final vows with the Jesuits at the age of 54. He continued to serve and even preach sermons into his 80’s. He is credited with popularizing the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, copies of which he stockpiled and distributed. His feast day is October 30th.
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Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 483 Reading 1Philippians 1:1-11 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia. 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 14:1-6 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.
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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: Philippians 1:1-11This is my prayer: that your love may increase. (Philippians 1:9) Have you ever noticed how easy love seems in the movies? A shared glance, some witty banter, an obvious attraction, and before you know it, the two stars are in love. It seems so simple; love is just something you fall into. Now, imagine a married couple after many years together. They are far better at truly loving each other than they were when they first met. They have spent their lives serving each other, forgiving each other, making mistakes and hard decisions together. As a result, their love is much stronger and deeper. We could say the same thing about the love between friends, parents and children, and brothers and sisters. A tried and tested love is a strong and enduring love. St. Paul says something similar in today’s first reading as he opens his letter to the believers at Philippi. He prays that their love for each other will continue to “increase” as they seek to grow “in knowledge and every kind of perception” and as they learn how “to discern what is of value” in their relationships (Philippians 1:9, 10). Love, it seems, involves work and dedication as well as emotion and attraction. The more we practice it, the better we become at it. But that’s not all that Paul says. He prefaces all his comments with one statement that stands like an umbrella over everything else: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Paul is clear that love has its source in God. It’s something that he initiates and it’s something that only he can bring to perfection. That means that the closer we get to him, the more loving we become. The more we experience his mercy, the easier we find it to forgive. The more we experience his rejoicing over us, the more open and welcoming we will be to everyone he brings into our lives. This is the love that God pours into our hearts through his Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Do you want your love to increase? Then fix your heart on the One who began his good work in you, and ask him to bring it to completion. “Lord, teach me to love as you love!” Psalm 111:1-6
Luke 14:1-6
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question."
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From Roberto Juarez end of his reflection: "Today's Gospel leaves us with a simple question that we can bring into our lives: when suffering appears before us, do we stand by or do we put ourselves at the service of those who need help? May Christ grant us the grace not to postpone love, not to harden our hearts and to understand that every gesture of mercy can become a true act of fidelity to God." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"On another occasion, defending his disciples against the charge of picking grain on the Sabbath, Jesus reminds his interlocutors that priests serving in the temple can, under certain circumstances, violate the Sabbath and still remain innocent; then he adds with breathtaking laconicism, “I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.” The only one who could reasonably claim to be “greater” than the temple would be the one who was worshipped in the temple." End quote.
- - - Your Brother Adrian.
We hear in the Gospel of Luke: "…the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, “There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
He wanted the crippled and paralyzed people ousted on the Sabbath for the sake of "THE LAW". But the Lord of the Law steps into our darkened world, to set things straight, and His name means "He Saves". We needed a Savior to save us from our own abominations. Amen? The Gospels record seven distinct healings performed by Jesus on the Sabbath: 1. A man with an unclean/evil spirit in the synagogue in Capernaum (Mark 1:21–28; Luke 4:31–37)
2. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law suffering from a high fever (Mark 1:29–31; Luke 4:38–39)
3. The 38-year lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–18)
4. The man with the withered hand (Matthew 12:9–14; Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)
5. The man born blind, healed using mud (John 9:1–41)
6. The woman crippled and bent double for 18 years (Luke 13:10–17)
7. The man suffering from dropsy/edema (Luke 14:1–6)
| 1. |
A man with an unclean/evil spirit in the synagogue in Capernaum (Mark 1:21–28; Luke 4:31–37) |
| 2. |
Simon Peter’s mother-in-law suffering from a high fever (Mark 1:29–31; Luke 4:38–39) |
| 3. |
The 38-year lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–18) |
| 4. |
The man with the withered hand (Matthew 12:9–14; Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11) |
| 5. |
The man born blind, healed using mud (John 9:1–41) |
| 6. |
The woman crippled and bent double for 18 years (Luke 13:10–17) |
| 7. |
The man suffering from dropsy/edema (Luke 14:1–6) |
And the number seven means something too. In biblical scholarship, Catholic theologian Dr. Brant Pitre connects the number 7 fundamentally to covenants and sacred family bonds. Biblical Patterns of Seven Because the number 7 is tied to oaths and covenants throughout Scripture, it repeatedly shows up in sacred structures and timeframes meant to signify a divine, unbreakable promise or sacred fullness: • The 7-day creation cycle and the Sabbath. • The 7-year cycle and the Year of Jubilee (every 49 or (7 \times 7) years). • The 7 sacraments in Catholic theology and the 7 last things or 7 last days of Jesus' life. • The 7 golden lampstands representing the Church and presence of Christ in the Book of Revelation. And so what does our Lord do by breaking the law of the Sabbath?
He takes over. He assumes the center. He assumes the throne. He assumes the purpose. He assumes the right order. He sets forth the new Covenant…of the familial bond with OUR FATHER! And this is Good News. To evangelize means to spread this good news.
What have you learned then?
That God is Good.
He will break all laws necessary to save your soul. I have witnessed it personally. And I have heard testimonies of those who have had near death experiences and some of those having witnessed hell, and salvation.
You see, Love has no limits.
It is us that put limits on God our Father, and therefore…limits on those around us. Lord, You have crazy love, and for this, we ought to give our lives in gratitude. If only we could let that Heavenly love be poured out through us today! Help our disbelief!
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Random Bible Verse 1
John 11:25–26 " Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.1 Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Word of the Lord!
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