† Saint Quote of the DayLet us love the cross very much, for it is there that we discover our life, our true love, and our strength in our greatest difficulties. St. Maria de Mattias
Today's Meditation“God will forgive you if you ask him to. Though your sins be numerous as the grains of sand on the shore, God’s merciful forgiveness is far greater than your sins. Do not be afraid. Trust in his love. Repent of your sins without delay and return to the house of the Father. He is waiting for you. ”
—Patrick Madrid, p.15
Daily VerseAnd now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
1 John 2:28
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Genesius of RomePatron Saint of: Actors, comedians, and musicians
Feast Day: August 25 St. Genesius of Rome (d. 303 AD) was a renowned actor and playwright, the leader of a popular acting troupe during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. When the Emperor was killing Christians, Genesius wrote plays to mock them and expose their secret rites to ridicule. To research for a play mocking baptism, he went to a priest pretending to desire the sacraments and was fully instructed as a catechumen. Genesius prepared his play and instructed the other actors in their parts. On performance day the Emperor was present. Genesius played the lead character seeking baptism, and the rite was performed in such a ludicrous manner that all present laughed. As the water was poured over Genesius’ head by an actor playing the priest’s part, Genesius saw a vision of the heavens opened and the hand of God touching him. He also saw an angel who showed him that his many sins had been washed away through the valid baptism he had just received. At that moment Genesius’ heart was changed by the Holy Spirit and he believed in the truth of Christianity. At the conclusion of the play Genesius boldly declared his new faith, recounting how he had been a scoffer until that moment. He implored the audience, including the Emperor, to follow Christ. The crowd thought this was part of the performance, but once they understood it was real, Genesius was seized. The Emperor, furious, subjected him to cruel tortures daily to make him renounce his faith in Christ. Genesius staunchly refused and was beheaded. The Christians collected his body and buried him with the other martyrs. St. Genesius is the patron saint of comedians, dancers, actors, musicians, printers, and torture victims. His feast day is August 25th.
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Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 426 Reading 12 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17 We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no one deceive you in any way. To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them
in every good deed and word. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 96:10, 11-12, 13 R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth. AlleluiaHebrews 4:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 23:23-26 Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”
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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: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17Let no one deceive you in any way. (2 Thessalonians 2:3) How often have you or a family member or friend been “shaken out of [their] minds suddenly” by something you saw online or heard on the radio or read in the news (2 Thessalonians 2:2)? St. Paul didn’t have social media, satellite communication, or AI, but he did have to deal with his own challenges. It seems that the believers in Thessalonica had been disturbed by a forged letter or a false “prophecy” that purportedly came from Paul. The message? That the Second Coming was just around the corner. You can imagine the kind of spiritual havoc such a message could wreak! We live in a world in which it is increasingly difficult to discern what is real or true. That means it’s more important than ever for us to be careful and responsible consumers of media. Even when the material is authentic, we might still find ourselves troubled in spirit. The sheer volume of bad news can be corrosive and discouraging. It’s easy to see how this information overload affects us. Have you become more suspicious or closed off to other people? Are you spending more time online or watching TV? Are you quicker to write a person off as irredeemable if they disagree with you? How can we respond to these harmful influences? Cutting out some media time is one part of the equation. But the other part is just as important: replace it with times of intentional quiet listening in the presence of the Lord. He can help you to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). You can do this by seeking refuge in the Scriptures or by focusing on the beautiful qualities that you see in other human beings, all of whom are made in God’s image and are deeply loved by the Lord. Do everything you can to remain grounded in “our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Not only will you be protected from the worst of the rancor and division, but you will find the peace that only the Lord can give. “Jesus, help me always remain rooted in you!” Psalm 96:10-13
Matthew 23:23-26
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "....Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.” ....”
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From Roberto Juarez: "He approaches. He offers us his mercy. Confession is precisely one of the privileged places where Christ cleanses our "cup" from within. Not so that we appear to be perfect, but so that we can start over. Today's Gospel invites us to look within. Jesus reminds us that we can err when we give too much importance to the secondary and forget the essential. For this reason, today we could take away three words: justice, mercy and fidelity. And a fourth: heart. Because God doesn't just want us to look good. He wants us to be transformed from within. Let us ask ourselves today: Am I caring more about appearances than my heart? Am I more demanding of others than of myself? Am I growing in mercy? Is there anyone I need to forgive? Is there something in my heart that I need to put before God? Let's not be afraid to look within. Because when we look at our hearts in the light of Christ, we do not find only our miseries. We also find a much greater mercy. May the Lord grant us a clean, sincere and merciful heart. That helps us not to "sneak in the mosquito and swallow the camel". That we always know how to distinguish the essential from the secondary. And may our outer life be the reflection of a truly converted heart.
Let us ask Mary to teach us to live from within, with a heart totally given to God. And that in receiving Christ today we can say to him: "Lord, I don't just want to appear Christian. I want you to transform my heart so that I can live as your disciple." end of quote from Roberto.
From Brother Adrian: Clean the inside of the cup.
Whitewashed tombs.
These are all things our Lord bring up to our attention, not just to blind Pharisees.
We may appear holy. We may appear to be nice. But inside? It could be a whole other story, right?
What we believe we know, may be different than what He knows.
And this is true about everyone on earth.
What a particular world then, right?
That we have a God that knows every detail about every human being on earth that has ever existed? Every hair on their external body, but even more, every dark secret inside the soul!
Thank God for the gift of confession then, to expel what is inside, so that we may become more clean, yes, more perfect, yes, but who desires to be clean and perfect? What wife wants to be pretty for her husband? Only one that desire to be beautiful in His eyes. Only one that desires to please Him. Only a willing body, that surrenders to His every wish...and His wish, is purity...obedience, loving sacrifice, that what Heaven thrives off of....through your suffering, through you anguish, through your sacrifice for Him...
What is the pay off? God is happy. What more can you ask for? To see God smile?
Can you imagine? If you know me, really, you know I will make you smile...or laugh.
You know who we all love to make smile? Babies.
So, can you imagine making the Lord Jesus as a baby, smiling?
A baby smile lights up the room. His smile will light up the world...no matter the darkness.
And guess what? Our Lord is in any human being He desires to live through.
THAT should tell us everything on how we are to be inside of ourselves....and to treat others...
Cleanse your cup....help others learn to cleanse....and thus...we cleanse the world for our Lord's 2nd coming!
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Random Bible Verse 1
Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Word of the Lord!
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