Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Feast DayOur Lady of Mt. Carmel (1251 A.D.) is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites lived as hermits on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land beginning in the 12th century. In the middle of their hermitages they built a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who became the protectress of the Carmelites under the title of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a Carmelite hermit, St. Simon Stock, under this title and gave him a piece of cloth—the brown scapular—as a sacramental to be worn by the faithful to whom she promised her special protection. At the apparitions in Fatima, in addition to appearing as Our Lady of the Rosary, the Virgin Mary appeared as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Her feast day is July 16th. View our selection of Scapulars.
† Saint Quote:If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament of the Eucharist, I am sure that the thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude. St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus Meditation quote“The works of man, whether they are good or bad, are not always isolated, transitory acts; more often, especially in the case of the leaders of nations and those who are invested with public authority, they continue to subsist after they are concluded, either in the memory of other men or in public acclaim, as a result of the consequences they have had and the scandal they have caused. Thus, at first sight, a particular, secret crime seems to be only a private, personal deed; but it becomes social on account of its effects. Certainly it is of faith that there is a particular judgment, and that every man, at the instant of his soul’s departure from the body, appears before the tribunal of God to hear his eternal sentence pronounced. Yet this judgment cannot suffice, and it is essential that it should be followed by another public judgment, in which God will not examine the actions in isolation and taken in themselves, but will examine them in their effects upon other men, in the good or evil deriving from them for families and peoples—in a word, in the consequences they produced and which those who perpetrated them ought to have foreseen.”
— Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 94 Daily VerseBut you, beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they told you, "In [the] last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires." These are the ones who cause divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude 1:17-21
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Marie Magdalen PostelPatron Saint of: Teachers, educators, and Catholic schools
Feast Day: July 16 St. Marie Magdalen Postel (1756–1846) was born in a fishing village in Normandy, one of seven children of a middle class family. As a child she became famous for her generosity; she would often give her food and belongings to the needy, acts for which she was often rebuked. She was educated by Benedictine nuns and decided to devote her life to the service of God. She took a private vow of chastity, and at the age of 18 opened her own school for girls. This began her life mission dedicated to the education of children. The school ran for five years until the French Revolution shut it down. During that time of great turmoil she used the school to house fugitive priests. She also encouraged the faithful amidst the terrible persecution, and was granted special permission to keep in her possession the Blessed Sacrament to give to those who were in immediate danger of death. She continued her work in education after the unrest subsided, founding a religious community called ‘The Poor Daughters of Mercy’ living under the rule of the Third Order of St. Francis. The community was later renamed ‘Sisters of the Christian Schools of Mercy’ taking the rule of St. John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers, a religious order dedicated to the education of children. St. Marie Magdalen’s school for girls was so effective that it was declared the best-run organization of its kind. St. Marie Magdalen Postel died at the age of 90 after seeing her community grow and spread. Her feast day is July 16th.
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Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 392 Reading 1Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world's inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done. O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 102:13-14ab and 15, 16-18, 19-21 R. (20b) From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
You, O LORD, abide forever,
and your name through all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth. AlleluiaMatthew 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 11:28-30 Jesus said:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
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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: Matthew 11:28-30Come to me, . . . and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) Everyone has their own idea of the perfect way to spend some free time. So when you hear Jesus say, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), you are likely to think of your own version of what this kind of rest might look like. But what about the rest that Jesus offers? Is it like a relaxing vacation? A walk in the woods? An evening curled up with a good book? Not exactly. Receiving Jesus’ rest doesn’t necessarily mean being able to take it easy, and it doesn’t mean that all your problems will suddenly go away. Sometimes there is work involved. You might have to struggle against recurring sins, for example, or against distractions and half-noticed temptations. And then there are the disappointments, illnesses, and loss that are all part of life in this fallen world. So what does Jesus mean? What is the rest he offers us? First and foremost, it’s the rest of knowing him. The greatest burden that many people carry is the burden that comes from being separated from God. Jesus is offering to free us from the burden of not knowing the One who created us, who loves us, and who offers us salvation. He wants to remove the burden of guilt over our sins and the shame that unresolved guilt often brings. That’s why Jesus urges us to take up his easy “yoke” (Matthew 11:29). To be yoked to the Lord doesn’t mean the immediate end of suffering, but it does mean that we are not alone. We have someone who cares for us and who promises to walk beside us every day. Being yoked to Jesus also means that the challenges we face in this life won’t have the final word. Each one, no matter how hard, can become an instrument of transformation for us as we remain open to Jesus’ wisdom and healing. In place of despair, he can give us hope: hope for this life and, ultimately, the hope of heaven, where we will experience his rest in ways we never knew possible. “Jesus, I come to you. Help me to take up your yoke so that I can rest in you.” Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
Psalm 102:13-21
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "... Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." .... ”
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From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord offers to relieve us of our burdens. He is identifying everyone who feels oppressed by the world: by sin, worries, suffering, injustice, the death of a relative or friend, the fear of death—whatever it may be. Relief comes when we submit to his kingship, his new way of ordering things. We are meant to imagine ourselves as pack animals who have been tied under a yoke and are under the command of a farmer. It seems rather demeaning, but this is what submission to Christ’s lordship looks like: We serve his purposes and go where he wants us to go. Is Christ commanding your life in every detail? Is he the Lord of your family life? Of your recreational life? Of your professional life? Is he Lord of every room in your house, including the bedroom? Are you totally given over to him, under his lordship? I know that this may sound oppressive, but remember, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” When we surrender to the path of love that he has laid out for us, our lives become infinitely lighter, easier, and more joyful, for we are moving with the divine purpose." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez: "Every Christian community should be a place where tired people find welcome. Where those who feel hurt discover mercy. Where those who live alone find a family. Where those who have lost hope can raise their gaze again. The Church does not exist for the perfect. It exists precisely for those who need to encounter Christ. All of us have come here because, in one way or another, we were also tired. And we keep coming because we know that the Lord never stops welcoming us.
We all carry some weight in our hearts. Some are visible. Others remain hidden. But none of them is unknown to Christ. Today he addresses this invitation to us personally: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It does not promise us a life without crosses. He promises us something much greater: to walk with us.
Let us ask him today for the grace to always turn to him when we feel the weight of the journey. May we learn from his meekness and humility. May we discover that his love makes our yoke lighter. And that, sustained by the power of the Eucharist, we too may become people capable of relieving the weariness of those whom the Lord puts in our way." end of Roberto quote.
Your brother Adrian: It is difficult to know what the word "yoke" means when our Lord asks us to take His yoke upon us. Right? It is a binding tool that farmers use until today. It binds two together, to work together, in sync, in harmony, and the only one that comes to mind right now is a guy named Simon of Cyrene that helped our Lord carry His cross.
It was a big risk for Simon. It was a sharing in the Lord's passion.
The scorn. The ridicule. The heavy load. The suffering.
It is something most of us want no part of.
And since this is a bit where I give testimony, I can tell you, doing the Lord's work is not at all easy.
It is not always a bed of roses. There is suffering. It is work. It is a burden. It is hard to focus. It is everything opposite of what the world wants you to believe is the "easy load".
Lies are all around us. Lies are saying "pleasures are better" but what about our Lord's treasures?
As we speak, my mind is battling this issue. The orphanage I help, and help as a company is asking for another vehicle to replace the one that is giving them much continuous problems.
What's the issue? Money. Should I use my vacation money? Or the home improvements money? Should I pass the hat around and struggle with trying to get tax write off papers to people somehow which is super hard to do for giving in another country...this one is in Mexico.
The issue is involved, takes much brain power, even physical effort in looking for a vehicle and test driving, and scheduling things. And then the monies. So it is that time, talent, and treasure.
What's funny is I just saw a near death experience video in which a rich pilot died of a rare disease, and in his encounter, he realized, he had really ignored all things about God, was never grateful, and if he gave to charity...it was for a tax write off, asking for paperwork and receipts...not really giving in its fullest sense. These were some of his biggest regrets.
He saw a heavenly place, grass is alive, beautiful flowers almost singing, but he saw an abyss of hell right behind him, and a demon coming his way, much worse looking than any movie could make. The demon soon climbed up the walls to meet him and the giant told him to come with him for it was their time. The man heard shrieks of human souls inside that demon, and this scared him immensely, and he turned back to plead to God for help as the demon was gently caressing his back still calling out to come to him. Suddenly a trifecta of angels came and our Lord appeared in a tremendous light and the demon fled.
The man said it seemed the demon could not stand the light and was commanded to leave the site.
Eventually, the man, against his will is told to come back to earth and tell of all he had seen.
The man, all he wants to do is fill his empty book of life with good deeds now. He saw how little he had done for God.
Protestants have it wrong when they say our deeds are of no value. This is a lie, to keep you empty. Empty of God, and empty of Love of God.
And we will only see the deeds we need to do, if we yoke with our Lord Jesus.
He will pull us where He sees is necessary with the Holy Spirit.
If only we bind ourselves to Him. If only we attend to God's will, what He wants.
Often, what He wants is tough.
And our Lord Jesus said "many will attempt to enter the narrow gate (to Heaven) but will not be STRONG ENOUGH." It is tough. But Good Love is hard to find. Yet, it makes the world of a difference to each and every soul.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 105:7–8 "He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,"
Word of the Lord!
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