Today's Feast: On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubiroux in the hollow rock of Massabielle in southern France. That year Bernadette would report a total of 18 apparitions of a woman she described as "lovelier than I have ever seen." The woman in the vision revealed herself as the "Immaculate Conception," in confirmation of this dogma of the Catholic faith which was infallibly defined by the Holy Father just four years previous. Our Lady told Bernadette to drink from an unseen fountain at the grotto, and called for a chapel to be built there. When Bernadette scratched at the ground, a stream of pure spring water surged forth. This stream demonstrated healing properties, and it continues to draw pilgrims to the grotto from around the globe. A basilica was built upon the rock of the Massabielle in response to Our Lady's request, and in 1876 it was consecrated as the "Church of the Rosary." Due to the multitudes of medically documented miraculous healings, the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. Quote: "A Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a man on fire with love, who spreads its flames wherever he goes. He desires mightily and strives by all means possible to set the whole world on fire with God's love. Nothing daunts him; he delights in privations, welcomes work, embraces sacrifices, smiles at slander, and rejoices in suffering. His only concern is how he can best follow Jesus Christ and imitate Him in working, suffering, and striving constantly and single-mindedly for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls." -St. Anthony Mary Claret Today's Meditation "At the apparitions in Lourdes, Mary didn't say to St. Bernadette, "I was immaculately conceived" but rather "I am the Immaculate Conception." This seems to be a problem. After all, Mary was immaculately conceived. In other words, through a special grace from God, she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, without any stain of original sin by the foreseen merits of her Son. So why does she speak so strangely? Why does she make the grace she received at her conception her very name? Doesn't this almost seem as if she were making herself divine? Clearly, Mary is not God. [St. Maximillian] Kolbe wrestled with this apparent "divinity problem" for decades, and it lead to the following solution. The Immaculate Conception is divine. But the one I'm talking about isn't Mary. It's the Holy Spirit. Kolbe believed there were two "Immaculate Conceptions": Mary and the Holy Spirit. Mary is the created Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit is the uncreated Immaculate Conception. – Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, p. 52
An excerpt from 33 Days to Morning Glory Daily Verse "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'" -Isaiah 45:22-23 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Bl Bartholomew Of Olmedo Blessed Bartholomew of Olmedo (1485-1524) was a Spanish Mercedarian priest, and the first priest to arrive on Mexican soil in 1516 at the age of 31. He was chaplain for the expedition of Spanish Conquistador Fernando Cortés, who began the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the downfall of the Aztec empire. Bartholomew was well-liked by the native people. He taught them the Christian faith and exhorted them to end their practice of human sacrifice. He also defended them against injustice and restrained Cortés from acting out in violence against them. Bartholomew taught the native Mexicans devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Mercy, which they embraced. Blessed Bartholomew of Olmedo baptized more than 2500 people before he died in Mexico in 1524 at the age of 39. He was buried in Santiago de Tlatelolco. His feast day is February 11. | Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 331 Reading 1 1 Kings 10:1-10 The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's fame,
came to test him with subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue,
and with camels bearing spices,
a large amount of gold, and precious stones.
She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject
in which she was interested.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about,
and there remained nothing hidden from him
that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon's great wisdom,
the palace he had built, the food at his table,
the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters,
his banquet service,
and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD,
she was breathless.
"The report I heard in my country
about your deeds and your wisdom is true," she told the king.
"Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes,
I have discovered that they were not telling me the half.
Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.
Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours,
who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD, your God,
whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel.
In his enduring love for Israel,
the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice."
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents,
a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones.
Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices
as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. Alleluia See John 17:17b, 17a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth:
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 7:14-23 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
"Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile." When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
"Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?"
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  click to see website | |  wau.org | Daily Meditation: Mark 7:14-23 From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts. (Mark 7:21) Did you catch that? In saying that a person is not defiled by what goes into them from the outside, Jesus was declaring "all foods clean" (Mark 7:19)! In yesterday's Gospel, Jesus confronted the way some of the Jews were adding to the traditions that governed ritual purity. Those rules weren't bad, but with the coming of the kingdom of God in Christ, they would no longer carry the same weight. That's why Jesus taught that these traditions were not as important as purity of heart. It was far more important to be on guard against the "evils [that] come from within" than to worry about washing your hands before dinner (Mark 7:23). No wonder the crowd, and even the disciples, wrestled to comprehend Jesus' meaning here! Instead of focusing on all they had to do to cleanse themselves outwardly—some practices that they had been observing from childhood—Jesus refocused their attention on purity of heart, intention, and purpose. Above all, God wanted their hearts to be given over to him, purified of anything that is opposed to him. This readjusted focus is such good news! Instead of focusing so much on the many rules regarding ritual purity, the disciples needed to pay closer attention to the state of their hearts. But as we all know, it can be easier to avoid an "unclean food" than it is to purify our inner thoughts and motivations. So how can we be pleasing to the Lord in our hearts and walk in holiness throughout our days? First, don't be discouraged! Remember: the same Jesus who asks you to strive for purity is the One whose blood can cleanse your conscience from "dead works" (Hebrews 9:14), and his cross and resurrection can give you the grace to turn from sin. He offers you power to love him and follow him. Second, remember that the Sacrament of Confession offers the perfect opportunity to bring your weaknesses and sins to Christ. There, you can receive his mercy and strength. There, Jesus will meet you in your heart and provide you with all the help you need. "Come, Lord, and purify my heart! May my every thought, every motive, every intention be pleasing in your sight!" 1 Kings 10:1-10
Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... He said to them,
"Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?"
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile. ....." Word of the Lord.
| From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus is telling us something very serious: the problem is not outside, it is inside. It is not enough to change external circumstances if there is no interior conversion. We can comply with rules, take care of appearances, avoid certain contacts, and at the same time carry within us resentment, selfishness, violence, indifference. This Gospel challenges us profoundly today, at a time when we often look for culprits outside: society, others, situations. Jesus, on the other hand, invites us to look at our hearts, to take our own responsibility, to allow ourselves to be transformed from within. When Jesus speaks of the heart, he is not referring only to feelings. In the Bible, the heart is the center of the person: where decisions are made, where good or evil is chosen. That is why Christian conversion is not only about changing external behaviors, but about letting God change the heart. This text is not intended to discourage us, but to liberate us. Because if evil does not come from outside, then we are not condemned by what surrounds us either. There is always the possibility of a new heart. And there is the great promise of the Gospel: God does not limit himself to giving us norms, he offers us his Spirit to transform us from within. Also as a Christian community, this Gospel invites us to review our attitudes. It is not enough to be an orderly, correct, well-structured Church. The decisive question is: Are we a community with a heart like Christ's? Do mercy, truth, justice, compassion flow from within us? Jesus does not lower the moral requirement, on the contrary: he deepens it. But he does not do it to condemn, but to open a path of healing. He knows the human heart and is not scandalized by our frailty. He calls us to the truth to offer us his grace. Let us ask the Lord today for a clean heart, not for our own strength, but for his love. A vigilant heart, capable of recognizing what harms it and of opening itself to the action of the Spirit. And that words and gestures that build life flow from within us."
From the last part of Bishop Barron's reflection today:
"As G. K. Chesterton argued a century ago, original sin is the only doctrine for which there is empirical evidence, for we can feel it within ourselves and we can see the effects of it everywhere.
One of the surest signs of our dysfunction is that we tend to celebrate all of the wrong people and despise or look down upon the best people. Pay very close attention to the people that you don't like, to those that you consider obnoxious; it might tell you a lot about your own spiritual state."
From Bro. Adrian:
Wow. It's not about what we eat, but about what comes out, right?
Foods can make us or break us, and our body has many strong fronts and filters to help make it. But if we are negligent? What happens? Over time, things happen. The body suffers for not having the right nutrients, or having too much of the wrong nutrients.
It is the same for the Spiritual Life. Garbage in, garbage out. Take heart. Watch what is coming in your ears, your eyes, your feelings, your heart.
If all you pay attention to is gossip or feelings of lust and greed, then, all you are going to put out is the same or worse, giving into the things that sin leads us to. So, next time a bad word, or ill mannered gesture comes out of you, pay attention and do like me, ask yourself "wow, where did that come from? Is that what is in my heart? Now what do I do about it?".
Right? Because some of these things involve spiritual matters, and some of them can lead to grave matter.
Thank our Lord for this illuminating light.
That we might dispel the darkness from within.
What if that is all of your job to do? Dispel the darkness? Right where you are! Be a light bearer. You should see so many that think they aren't doing anything in His Kingdom, yet, so many souls are watching what you have done...in this life, and after you have passed on to the next. The lasting impressions. The light we hope to shine, the very life of Christ! |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 10:4–5
"A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame." . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
