Quote: "Every pious desire, every good thought, every charitable work inspired by the love of Jesus, contributes to the perfection of the whole body of the faithful. A person who does nothing more than lovingly pray to God for his brethren, participates in the great work of saving souls." -Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich Today's Meditation "Jesus trembled and shuddered as He stood before the pillar, and took off His garments as quickly as He could, but His hands were bloody and swollen. The only return He made when His brutal executioners struck and abused Him was to pray for them in the most touching manner: He turned His face once toward His Mother, who was standing overcome with grief; this look quite unnerved her: she fainted, and would have fallen, had not the holy women who were there supported her. Jesus put His arms around the pillar, and when His hands were thus raised, the archers fastened them to the iron ring which was at the top of the pillar; they then dragged His arms to such a height that His feet, which were tightly bound to the base of the pillar, scarcely touched the ground. Thus was the Holy of Holies violently stretched, without a particle of clothing, on a pillar used for the punishment of criminals; and then did two furious ruffians who were thirsting for His blood begin in the most barbarous manner to scourge His sacred body from head to foot." —Bl. Anne Cathrine Emmerich, p. 218-219
An excerpt from The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Daily Verse "But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated." -Hebrews 10:12-14 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) was born in Germany to a devout peasant family. From a young age she received divine knowledge imparted to her through extremely detailed visions of the lives of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. As a child her guardian angel often appeared to her, and Jesus Himself visited her while she was tending sheep. The suffering souls in purgatory often called upon her assistance to offer prayers and penances on their behalf. At the age of 28, after many years of longing for the religious life, Anne Catherine entered the novitiate with the Augustinians. She devoted her life to waging a spiritual battle for suffering souls, and in her great charity she accepted extreme physical, yet supernatural, sufferings which ultimately left her bedridden. This strange phenomena of physical suffering for the spiritual condition of other souls was not always understood or accepted by others, and she endured much ridicule due to the astonishing manner in which her experiences displayed themselves. Her daily visions gave her special insight into the spiritual realm which have been recorded into now-popular books, inspired depictions of Christ and His Passion, were used to discover what is believed to be the house of Mary in Ephesus. Her feast day is February 9th. | Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 329 Reading I 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.) King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt. When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10 R. (8a) Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling, let us worship at his footstool.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place, you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice; let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant, reject not the plea of your anointed.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest! Alleluia See Matthew 4:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 6:53-56 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  click to see website | |  wau.org | Daily Meditation: 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 . . . a dwelling where you may abide forever. (1 Kings 8:13) At last, the time had come! God had promised King David that his son would build a temple where the Lord would remain among his people (2 Samuel 7:12-13). And so it was. King Solomon, David's son, undertook the project—and now it was complete and ready to be dedicated. This was the high point, it seemed, the climax of God's plan to be with his people! With Solomon and all the Israelites in attendance, the ark of the covenant was brought into the Temple—and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple as a great cloud. This manifestation of God's presence was so tangible that the priests could no longer minister. Solomon was overcome by wonder (1 Kings 8:10-11). It was clear that God was delighted to dwell among his people. What a glorious meeting place for God and his people this would be! But little did anyone realize that day that God had something even more wonderful in mind. In the fullness of time, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, would walk among us. God himself would be present to us, in flesh and blood, bringing life and truth, healing and redemption. The majestic Temple, and all the grace that was present in it, would hardly compare to God's presence among his people in Christ Jesus. Then, as if that weren't enough, Jesus filled his disciples with his own Holy Spirit (Acts 2). He made each one of them a dwelling place of God, fulfilling in the most personal way possible God's desire to dwell with his people. He has made each of us a "living stone" that is built together into an even more beautiful dwelling place for God—the body of Christ in his Church (1 Peter 2:4-5)! Never forget that you carry God's presence within you! Wherever you go, you bring his life. When you enter a tense situation at work, you can bring God's peace. When you comfort a grieving friend, you can bring hope. When you reach out to an estranged family member, you can bring healing. In every situation, you can bring the joy of knowing that God is near. So keep your eyes open for ways the Lord might manifest his presence and his glory in you as his dwelling place! "Lord God, teach me how to live as a temple of your Holy Spirit." Psalm 132:6-10
Mark 6:53-56 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was. ....." Word of the Lord.
| From Roberto Juarez: "And the evangelist concludes with a phrase that says it all: "And as many as touched him were healed."
It's not just about physical healings. Mark speaks of integral healing: bodies, hearts, whole lives. Jesus does not pass by human suffering. Where He is, pain does not have the last word.
This text also invites us to ask ourselves: Do we recognize Jesus today when he passes by us? Or are we so used to its presence that it no longer surprises us?
Jesus continues to pass through our "villages and squares": in the Word, in the sacraments, in the Eucharist, in the poor, in the sick, in those who suffer in silence. But recognizing it requires a believing gaze and an awakened heart.
There is another important detail: Jesus allows himself to be touched. It is not protected, it is not distanced, it is not reserved for a few. He allows himself to be overtaken by human misery. The Son of God allows himself to be touched by wounded, impure, tired hands. In that gesture the deepest face of God is revealed: a God who is close, accessible, compassionate.
And here the Word challenges us directly as Church. Because we are called not only to bring others to Jesus, but also – in some way – to make his closeness present. A Church that allows itself to be touched by the pain of the world, that does not flee from the peripheries, that does not close in on itself.
Finally, this gospel leaves us with a personal question: What do we need to be healed of today? Perhaps not of a visible illness, but of fears, of inner wounds, of resentment, of lack of hope.
Today the Lord continues to pass by. And he continues to let himself be touched. It is enough to approach him with faith, even if it is fragile, even if it is timid. It is enough to stretch out the hand of the heart.
Let us ask the Lord that we may know how to recognize Him, draw near to Him and bring others into His presence. And that, as we touch him, let his love heal and transform us." end quote.
What a peculiar story, and it sounds so familiar that we may just dismiss it every time we hear it; Jesus appears. People realizes that He heals. People flock to Him for healing. People go to the ends of the earth...to be healed. And just about all are healed...according to their faith.
And here is our modern problem, there aren't as many healing as in those moments. Or are there?
In the times of our Lord, hundreds approached and were healed, let's just say. Thousands began to believe and to follow His way. Then, eventually millions withing the next couple of centuries. And now, we have a billion following and growing until today. Is the healing touch of Christ still alive?
Short answer: Yes.
And the healing touch is in the millions. There are so many being touched by our Lord that very few are reporting it.
And this is the issue. The hidden report is the hidden light.
People need to know what God has done.
He has entered our world and He lives in our world, and He is engraved in every soul.
If you are not touched by Christ it is because you have not sought Him for Him.
You see, if you caught on to the beginning of my reflection, hundreds and thousands sought Him...for healing, not so much for anything else. Many of those went to be spectators, to be amazed and to go home unchanged. But many came...to believe. The seeds of His touch not only heal the sick, but touch the hearts of those around the healed person. When this happens...life happens. But my perplexing question to all is this: "When does gratitude happen?", when do we begin to live a life of thanksgiving? How do we make a return?
Eucharist means thanksgiving. There is the way.
There He is, The Way.
Adoration. Visits, and an entering of self-giving into His Holy Will.
That we may spread the news of what we have heard, and seen, and touched, and even.... consumed, a light that burns forever, from the source that says "I AM" and the Word says "Love". |  Click for Audio | 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! |  Going4th.com | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
