Quote: "In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."" -St. Boniface Today's Meditation "God chose Joseph to shower Jesus with his love. God wanted Jesus to experience human love in a way that would prepare him for his ministry of mercy and compassion for all. As Joseph welcomed Jesus into the world with a kiss, he is inviting us to find God's fatherly love for us in the example of his life." –Katy Micheli, p.182
An excerpt from Every Day With Saint Joseph Daily Verse "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Saint Martina Of Rome St. Martina of Rome (d. 228 A.D.) was born to a noble Roman family and orphaned at a young age. She was zealous in the practice of her faith, remained a virgin, and, in preparation for the Christian persecutions sweeping the city, gave much of her inheritance to the poor. She was martyred under Roman Emperor Alexander Severus. According to the accounts of her martyrdom, she was discovered praying in a church and was arrested by Roman soldiers. She was ordered to pay homage to the pagan gods, which she refused. She was then cruelly tortured over several days. She was raked with iron hooks and scourged, and when a bright light enveloped her, some of her torturers were converted to the Faith amid her fervent prayers. She was then taken to the temple of Diana to be forced to offer sacrifice, but at her presence the temple's demon left with a scream. They next tried to throw her to a lion (it showed no interest in her) and to burn her alive, but she would not catch fire. Finally, she was beheaded. St. Martina's feast day is January 30. | Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time Lectionary: 321 Reading 1 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
"She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab's armor bearer Uriah the Hittite."
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, "I am with child." David therefore sent a message to Joab,
"Send me Uriah the Hittite."
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and bathe your feet."
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the king's table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lord's servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
"Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead."
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of David's army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11 R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
I have done such evil in your sight
that you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Alleluia Matthew 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 4:26-34 Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come." He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Mark 4:26-34 This is how it is with the Kingdom of God. (Mark 4:26) We generally read the first parable in today's Gospel as if the man who scatters the seed is God, we are the soil, and the seed is God's kingdom growing within and around us. But what if we looked at ourselves as the farmer instead? After all, we are all called to spread the good news that God sent his Son to save us from the grip of sin. We are supposed to be God's instruments in the world. In this reading of the parable, our words and actions are the ways that we scatter the seeds of the gospel and influence the people around us. This means that every time you take your children to church, offer words of consolation to a suffering friend, or donate your time to a charity that helps the poor, you are planting a seed that may lead someone to understand how deeply God cares for them. But notice how the man in the parable scatters the seeds but really doesn't understand how the seeds sprout. "He knows not how," Jesus says (Mark 4:27). He simply follows his routine—he "would sleep and rise night and day"—and the land produces a harvest "of its own accord" (4:27-28). In other words, the man doesn't control much here, and neither do we. We don't completely know how our attempts to witness to our faith affect the people around us. A small act of kindness to a stranger that we quickly forget, for instance, may have a much bigger impact than we expect. Or an invitation for a friend to join you at a parish event might come at just the right time for them. You may not know the outcome, but God delights in your willingness to scatter your seeds. The truth is that the more you spend time with Jesus and ask him to form and shape you, the better equipped you will be to share his love when the opportunity arises. That's how you live out your calling to evangelize. So don't lose sight of the real power behind the spread of the kingdom of God—and try to entrust the outcome to the Lord. Remember that farmer whose crops grew on their own! Even if you don't see results right away, trust that God will provide the growth. If he could change the world through men and women of no special status, can't he also do amazing things through you? "Father, work through me to plant seeds of faith." 2 Samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17
Psalm 51:3-7, 10-11 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "..."To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." ...." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, our Gospel for today features the parable of the mustard seed. How does God tend to work? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly, clandestinely, not drawing attention to himself. C. S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire, sneaking behind enemy lines. How was European Christianity established? Through the handful of people that listened to St. Paul in Philippi and Athens. How did the mighty Franciscan movement come to be? One odd, mystical kid who heard a voice coming from a crucifix: "Francis, rebuild my Church, which is falling into ruin." A handful of followers joined him in his quixotic project, then dozens, then hundreds, then thousands. So don't be afraid to do small things at the prompting of God! Plant the seed, make the move, take the risk—take even the smallest step, and don't worry about who notices or how much attention you're getting. Sow the seed and leave the rest to the mercy and providence of God." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez ends today with: "This Gospel invites us to review our attitude to time and processes. Faith matures slowly. Conversion is a journey. The Kingdom is moving forward step by step. Not everything depends on us, but our availability does.
Let us ask the Lord for a patient and trusting heart. May we know how to sow without getting tired, waiting without despair and rejoicing in the small. May we trust in the silent action of God, who makes his Kingdom grow in us and through us." end quote.
In our country, we are expected to be productive. I am caught up in this wave of productivity. I am immersed in ministries, in efforts to try to change the world for our Lord. This is good, but my daily prayer still continues "Lord, what is YOUR Will for me?". I ask where to go, what to do, all the time.
But there is no answer.
Perhaps then, the answer is "you are right where you are supposed to be if you are trying to do My will".
And then I think "oh boy, that's a truth I didn't want to hear".
The ground to till, the ground that needs seeds, it is daily there, right in front of you, the Kingdom is at hand, not far.
The golfer Walter Hagen famously advised in his 1956 book, "You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry. Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way".
"Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer" is the famous motto of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, emphasizing complete trust in divine providence over anxiety. This spiritual advice encourages active faith, suggesting that worry is futile, while persistent prayer and hope anchor the heart in God's love and mercy
Active faith is necessary. Stagnant faith causes algae, undrinkable waters. How is any seed going to grow? What is the purpose of the Gospel? He says the farmer does not know how the seed sprouts overnight. The farmer just has faith, that it will grow.
The same with you. Don't get anxious like me. God knows you want to grow. He will help you. Perhaps, this is an important part of growth, patience, ready to burst up out of the dirt and into the basking sunlight we all yearn for...God's Beautiful sight of His Precious light!! Lord, help us grow to Heaven. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Isaiah 61:1
" The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;1 he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;" . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
