† Helping a person in need is good in itself. But the degree of goodness is hugely affected by the attitude with which it is done. If you show resentment because you are helping the person out of a reluctant sense of duty, then the person may receive your help but may feel awkward and embarrassed. This is because he will feel beholden to you. If, on the other hand, you help the person in a spirit of joy, then the help will be received joyfully. The person will feel neither demeaned nor humiliated by your help, but rather will feel glad to have caused you pleasure by receiving your help. And joy is the appropriate attitude with which to help others because acts of generosity are a source of blessing to the giver as well as the receiver.
-St. John Chrysostom
Today's Meditation“To the extent that we abandon our personality to Him, He will take possession of our will and work in us. We are no longer ruled by commands coming from the outside, as from a cruel master, but by almost imperceptible suggestions that rise up from within. We feel as if we had wanted all along to do those things He suggests to us; we are never conscious of being under command. Thus our service to Him becomes the highest form of liberty, for it is always easy to do something for the one we love.” —Fulton J. Sheen, p. 182
Daily VerseFor I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives. Luke 21:15-19
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. HelenPatron Saint of: Archaeologists, converts, difficult marriages, and divorced people
Feast Day: August 18 St. Helen, also known as St. Helena (d. 327 A.D.), was a woman of humble means from Asia Minor. She married the future Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus, and their son Constantine was born c. 272. Constantius divorced Helen in c. 293 to marry Emperor Maximian’s daughter for the sake of political gain. When her son Constantine became the Roman Emperor, St. Helen was given the imperial title “Augusta” and was treated like royalty. After Constantine legalized Christianity across the Roman Empire, St. Helen, a Christian convert, went to the Holy Land in search of the actual cross on which Christ was crucified, despite being in her 80s. She questioned local Christians and Jews and learned that the cross was buried under the Temple of Venus. Helen had the temple demolished and excavated. There she discovered the Holy Sepulcher, three crosses, the board with Pilate’s inscription, and the nails which pierced Jesus’ Sacred Body. In order to determine which cross was the Lord’s, the Bishop of Jerusalem touched them to a corpse, causing the man to come back to life. A second miraculous healing of a sick woman confirmed the discovery of the True Cross. Christians flocked to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Cross. St. Helen then visited all the holy places of Jesus’ life and built many churches over their locations, including Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane. St. Helen is the patron of divorced people, empresses, difficult marriages, converts, and archeologists. Her feast day is August 18th.
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Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 420 Reading 1Ezekiel 28:1-10 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,
say to the prince of Tyre:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are haughty of heart,
you say, “A god am I!
I occupy a godly throne
in the heart of the sea!”—
And yet you are a man, and not a god,
however you may think yourself like a god.
Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,
there is no secret that is beyond you.
By your wisdom and your intelligence
you have made riches for yourself;
You have put gold and silver
into your treasuries.
By your great wisdom applied to your trading
you have heaped up your riches;
your heart has grown haughty from your riches–
therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you have thought yourself
to have the mind of a god,
Therefore I will bring against you
foreigners, the most barbarous of nations.
They shall draw their swords
against your beauteous wisdom,
they shall run them through your splendid apparel.
They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die
a bloodied corpse, in the heart of the sea.
Will you then say, “I am a god!”
when you face your murderers?
No, you are man, not a god,
handed over to those who will slay you.
You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners,
for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD. Responsorial PsalmDeuteronomy 32:26-27ab, 27cd-28, 30, 35cd-36ab R. (39c) It is I who deal death and give life.
“I would have said, ‘I will make an end of them
and blot out their name from men’s memories,’
Had I not feared the insolence of their enemies,
feared that these foes would mistakenly boast.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“‘Our own hand won the victory;
the LORD had nothing to do with it.’”
For they are a people devoid of reason,
having no understanding.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“How could one man rout a thousand,
or two men put ten thousand to flight,
Unless it was because their Rock sold them
and the LORD delivered them up?”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life. Alleluia2 Corinthians 8:9 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich
So that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 19:23-30 Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
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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 19:23-30For God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) As this meditation is being written, the Powerball Lottery sits at 1.25 billion US dollars. For many, winning the lottery would seem like the answer to all their challenges, their ticket to an easy life. But Jesus warns in today’s Gospel that riches can actually become an obstacle to entering the kingdom of heaven. You may be wondering, “Money isn’t all bad, though, is it?” After all, we need it if we are going to provide for ourselves and those we love. So what is it about money that can make it difficult for us to enter our heavenly home? For starters, great riches may tempt us to take Jesus out of the equation of our lives. We may try to use money to meet needs that only Jesus can truly fulfill. For instance, imagine that you have just been wronged by a family member, and the weight of that hurt is pressing on you. You may want to go out and buy something that will distract you and ease the pain. But this momentary happiness would only be masking a deeper wound. Only Jesus is the Divine Physician. Money can’t buy the type of healing that he offers. Also, riches may cause us to be slower to thank the Lord for his blessings. We may begin to attribute our treasures solely to our own goodness and hard work and forget about God’s provision and his work in forming our character. And when we lose sight of his goodness, when we draw back from offering him our thanks and praise, we risk distancing ourselves from him. We leave little room in our hearts for his presence and guidance. In the end, it’s when the “love of money” takes the place of the love of Christ that we get tripped up (1 Timothy 6:10). Money can be a good thing, but a good thing may become an idol, especially when we place our desire for it above our desire for God or when we trust it more than we trust the Lord. So let’s thank God for all of our blessings. Let’s cast off any “idols” that we might turn to for comfort, hope, or peace. And let’s remember that what may seem impossible for us is always possible for him! “Jesus, may I put my trust and hope only in you!” Ezekiel 28:1-10
(Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "....Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”....”
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From Robert Juarez:
"Today’s Gospel invites us to examine where our true treasure lies. On what do we base our security? On money? On prestige? On our own abilities? Or on God? Jesus does not ask us to despise the goods of this world; He asks only that none of them take the place that belongs to God alone.
And when we feel that the path of the Gospel is beyond our strength, let us always remember His words: "For God, all things are possible."
Let us ask Him for a free heart—a grateful heart, a heart capable of leaving everything behind when He asks it of us. For whoever has Christ possesses everything, and whoever walks with Him discovers that no sacrifice made for love goes unrewarded. May the Virgin Mary—poor in spirit yet rich in grace—teach us to live detached from whatever hinders us from fully following her Son, so that one day we may receive the eternal inheritance promised to those who place their complete trust in God." end quote.
From Brother Adrian:
The rich young man had walked away sad. As he walked away sad, our Lord said "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven."
What does this say to you? Should we say "Thank God most of us are not rich!", is that what this is all about?
As I began writing, I wrote accidentally "the rich young man walked away empty".
He was not happy. He was sad.
Why do we hear of rich people taking their own lives? With drugs. With other things. I know of a couple of business owners in our small town, that took their own lives. One had just built a real nice mansion looking place on a new ranch, big fences and more.
I too, have studied business and got a bachelor's degree at a university. I'm into all aspects of it, marketing, analysis, strategic planning and so forth, and I use it for family and church too, some of the same principles apply. And money...like my dad would say, "it is just a tool". Why would we focus on the tool and not the task at hand?
The Bible does not say that money is the root of evil. Instead, it says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
And to miss the mark, is a sin, the very meaning of the word "sin" in its ancient language.
We miss the point. We are misguided. Misdirected, and the trajectory, if we are off point, can be deadly, not just for oneself, but for all those around us.
In the bible, there is a god or idol of money, and its name is Mammon.
In the Bible, Mammon is not actually a recognized pagan god or idol with an ancient temple or cult. Instead, it is an Aramaic word (māmōnā) meaning "wealth," "money," or "that which is trusted". Jesus personifies it in the Gospels as a spiritual power and a master rival to God, warning that people cannot serve both God and Mammon.
You see, we give life to things while we live.
We see people, millions giving life to sports, or musicians, or even to business moguls, and they are followed by millions. In the end, it is superficial, if that is all we follow.
And we see how our God and Father is treated.
How are we...with His Holy will? Few go to attend Him on Sundays out of sheer love of God. Fewer give of their money, and rather spend it on themselves.
I'm not exaggerating, I see financials at times. And even fewer give more, even their last 2 cents in that treasury, to be deposited in Trust in God.
Many people say "Amen", and very few actually mean it. Some do not even know what this means.
Those who have ears are listening now. God is not calling on the proud. God in Jesus looks to the 12 and prophecies what will become of them...forever. They will indeed die for Him, but this means more...they are surrendering their life, giving their life for Him, His Holy Will.
They will sit on 12 thrones. They will become judges.
Judges of what? God's will. God's Holy Love.
And we, on earth, must strive to be perfect in this Holy Union with our Divine Creator, Father, of all that is good in Holy Love.
Suddenly, sacrifice in humility begins to whisper in the noise of distractions in this world. Distracted from the very core meaning of our lives...
You have seen for yourself.
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AMEN!
Amen?
AMEN!! Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 12:29–31 " And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his1 kingdom, and these things will be added to you."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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