† Saint QuoteLet all creation help you to praise God. Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being.
- St. Paul of the Cross
Today's Meditation“Before processing a situation, let your nerves and the effervescence of your imagination calm down. Recollect yourself: a few days of patience. You will see, thus, by some distance and peace, all things will take back their proper proportions. During the period of agitation, guard against arguing, deciding, and acting. Emotion troubles the reason; passion misleads judgment; self-love renders the situation unjust toward ourselves.” — An Anonymous Carthusian Monk
Daily Verse †Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." John 6:35
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. NarcissusPatron Saint of: The elderly, vineyards, and against insect bites
Feast Day: October 29 St. Narcissus (c. 99 – c. 216 A.D.) was a holy and esteemed priest of Greek origin who became the 30th bishop of Jerusalem in the year 180 A.D., about a century after the city’s destruction by the Romans. He was known as a miracle-worker, as well as for governing his diocese with vigor and discipline despite being in his 80th year when he was made bishop. Of his many miracles, the one for which he is most famous was turning water into oil on Holy Saturday, as recorded by the historian Eusebius: when the deacons had no oil to burn in the altar lamps for the Easter liturgy, St. Narcissus had them use water instead. After he prayed over the water and it was put into the lamps, it was miraculously converted into oil. In 195 A.D. St. Narcissus was part of a council of bishops who settled the date for the observance of Easter, deciding on Sunday and not the ancient Jewish Passover. Despite his reputation as a holy bishop, St. Narcissus drew opposition. Three enemies accused him of a serious crime and prayed that he might be cursed by God in punishment. This took a toll on the saint, and, forgiving his persecutors, he retired from public life and lived as a hermit for many years. His enemies meanwhile were struck by the calamities that they wished upon him. When St. Narcissus eventually returned to Jerusalem he was exuberantly welcomed by the faithful. He served the people of Jerusalem in many ways until his death at over 116 years old. His feast day is October 29th.
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Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 482 Reading 1Ephesians 6:10-20 Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10 R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! AlleluiaSee Luke 19:38; 2:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 13:31-35 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
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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: Ephesians 6:10-20Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17) We might be surprised by the vivid imagery that St. Paul uses in today’s first reading. Maybe that’s because we can sometimes forget that the temptations and struggles we face involve more than just “flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). We are in conflict with a real being, Satan, who is opposed to God and his plan. Today let’s reflect on these images to see how we can defend ourselves against “this present darkness” (6:12). Hold faith as a shield (6:16). One of the devil’s main tactics is to make us believe lies about God—that he doesn’t care about us or that he isn’t good or merciful. Satan also wants us to believe lies about ourselves—that we aren’t worthy, that we have to earn God’s love, or that God won’t forgive us. We can “quench” these “flaming arrows of the Evil One” (6:16) by holding to the truths of our faith as a shield. We are precious to God. He loves us with an indescribable love, and he longs for us to receive his mercy. Take the helmet of salvation (6:17). God has saved us through Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Nothing the devil can say or do can change the reality of what happened at our Baptism. When the holy water flowed over our head and covered us as a helmet, we became sons and daughters of God. Now, when God looks at us, he says to us what he said to Jesus at his Baptism: “You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter.” Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (6:17). Do you remember how Jesus withstood the devil in the desert by quoting the Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11)? That can be our strategy as well. The word of God is powerful because it is divinely inspired and is one of the ways he speaks to us. That’s why it’s important for us to meditate on God’s word each day and to commit some of it to memory. It is the sword that will put to rest all the devil’s lies and tactics. The devil is always “prowling around”, but you don’t have to fear him (1 Peter 5:8). God has equipped you with everything you need to repel his tactics. In Christ you can be victorious! “Lord, strengthen my faith and protect me from every evil!” Psalm 144:1-2, 9-10
Luke 13:31-35
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
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From Roberto Juarez end of his reflection: "Today Jesus reminds us that God never tires of seeking us. He wants to gather us under his wings, restore us to peace and make us live as his children. Let us not close our hearts. Let us not leave for tomorrow the conversion that we can begin today. And let us not allow fear to prevent us from doing the good that the Lord places in our hands. Sustained by his love, may we remain faithful on our journey and help others to find in Christ a home, a hope and a new life." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus compares himself to a mother hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wing. As the theologian N. T. Wright points out, this is much more than a sentimental image. It refers to the gesture of a hen when fire is sweeping through the barn. In order to protect her chicks, she will sacrifice herself, gathering them under her wing and using her own body as a shield. On the cross, Jesus used, as it were, his own sacrificed body as a shield, taking the full force of the world’s hatred and violence. He entered into close quarters with sin (because that’s where we sinners are found) and allowed the heat and fury of sin to destroy him, even as he protected us. With this metaphor in mind, we can see, with special clarity, why the first Christians associated the crucified Jesus with the suffering servant of Isaiah. By enduring the pain of the cross, Jesus did indeed bear our sins; by his stripes we were indeed healed." End quote.
- - - Your Brother Adrian. I have begun to unleash a powerful phenomenon that our Lord has said, and proves to be true, that this gathering for Him and in Him is a most formidable force…for His Kingdom.
I cannot tell you how much of a struggle it is to keep a group going, for weeks, for months, in the name of the Lord.
I'm talking about reunions, and prayer groups, and accountability meetings, and even simple bible studies! There is always a temptation to not do it, to not attend, to stop! These temptations make a soul freeze.
In Dante's book, somewhat a story, he says that the deepest parts of hell are people frozen, they cannot move. It is meant to be a spiritual revelation, to reveal what is seemingly going on around us. • Not Fire, but Ice: Unlike the fiery torments of the upper circles, the deepest part of Hell is an immense, solid lake of ice. This coldness symbolizes the total absence of God's love, warmth, and light. • Lucifer's Wings: The freezing wind that keeps Cocytus frozen is generated by the endless, weeping beating of Satan's six bat-like wings But our Lord wants us on fire! The complete opposite. They say that God's throne, His chair is emanating a fire… a fire that is warm, and purifies the world.
God's throne of fire is primarily described in the apocalyptic vision of Daniel 7:9–10, where the Ancient of Days sits on a throne that is a flaming fire with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire flows out from His presence. And how can we make a fire if all the embers, the sparks are scattered! How?
It is like herding cats! Why?
Lack of shepherds. A good shepherd is a good prophet.
In the Old Testament and Catholic tradition, a shepherd is a symbol of divine leadership, protection, provision, and self-sacrificing care for a helpless people.
Good fathers. Good dads. Good priests. Good Bishops. Good families, a woman makes a good prophet if she is a faithful and holy woman, like Blessed Mother Mary.
And what a brave man we have for our Lord. I always tell people, that I don't really see men at church, especially in daily Mass, except one, and He is the strongest one I have ever seen, strongest there will ever be.
He waits like no other. He is victorious like no other. If only we would apply the Master's teachings, to be a good apprentice, to be spiritual masters like Him.
Oh, how the world would be different, instead of indifferent.
How your people would be saved! Your family. Your community. Your world, saved through our Savior!
Our Lord spoke: "“Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow….".
And He will today and tomorrow, so long as the light shines and we have a breath of air…this is prayer, a life in the Holy Spirit, that began in Adam, to the new life in our Lord Jesus, from a material world, to a spiritual world. The realms are true.
What is living in you? Let the fire be alive…a holy vigor for a holy God that calls us unto Himself…
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Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 16:12 " It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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