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Saint Quote of the Day
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You are asking for something that would be harmful to your salvation if you had it—so by not getting what you've asked, you really are getting what you want. -St. Catherine of Siena
Today's Meditation“What really hurts is not so much suffering as the fear of suffering. If welcomed trustingly and peacefully, suffering makes us grow. It matures and trains us, purifies us, teaches us to love unselfishly, makes us poor in heart, humble, gentle, and compassionate toward our neighbor. Fear of suffering, on the other hand, hardens us in self-protective, defensive attitudes, and often leads us to make irrational choices with disastrous consequences.” —Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 47
Daily Verse †I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. -Romans 8:18
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Adrian of NicomediaPatron Saint of: Soldiers, prison guards, butchers, and epilepsy sufferers
Feast Day: September 8 St. Adrian of Nicomedia (d. 306 A.D.) lived under the Christian persecutions of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian. Thirty-three Christians were seized in Nicomedia, brought before a judge, and ordered to be savagely beaten. With each new torture the men received, they bravely proclaimed their faith in Christ. They argued with the judge that by his tortures he was only increasing their heavenly glory, while guaranteeing his own damnation to hell. Adrian, a man of 28 years, was head of the praetorium and witnessed the steadfast faith of these men. He was moved to the point of conversion, and exclaimed that he, too, would reject paganism to suffer and die for the name of Christ along with the other Christians. One of Adrian’s servants ran to tell his wife, Natalie, what her husband had done. Natalie, who was secretly a Christian, ran to the prison in joy at the news of her husband’s newfound faith, and encouraged him to stay strong and steadfast in it. After Adrian refused to recant his profession of faith in Christ, he was thrown into prison with the other men and cruelly tortured. His arms and legs were severed on an anvil before finally dying as a martyr. Saint Adrian is the patron saint of soldiers, arms dealers, and butchers. His feast day is September 8th.
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Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin MaryLectionary: 636 Reading 1[Micah 5:1-4a] The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace. or[Romans 8:28-30] Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified. Responsorial Psalm[Psalm 13:6ab, 6c] R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord. AlleluiaR. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel[Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23]
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." or[Matthew 1:18-23] This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."
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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 1:1-16, 18-23They shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23) There’s something astounding about today’s feast of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Of course, it’s a wonderful way to honor the Mother of God. But by celebrating her birthday, we are also shining a light on how very close her son, Jesus, is to us. Jesus didn’t need a mother in order to come among us as a man. But he chose to become a man like us in all things but sin. And “all things” includes his conception and birth to a human mother who herself was born and lived a completely human life. The fact that Mary was born into a human family tells us that Jesus was born into a human family as well. He grew up in a web of relationships that helped form his human nature. He had parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and nephews and nieces. Some of his cousins were so close, in fact, that they were like his brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3). He had their physical features, and he likely shared their mannerisms and ways of speaking. With his family, he followed the normal cycles of births and birthdays, of weddings and funerals, of big family gatherings and quiet moments at home. The Letter to the Hebrews proclaims that Jesus “is not ashamed” to call you his brother or sister—and that means something personal (Hebrews 2:11). Because he was part of Mary’s family, Jesus knows firsthand how beautiful—and challenging at times—it is to belong to others in this way. So as we celebrate Mary’s birth today, we also celebrate her son, Jesus, as “Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). And we celebrate that he will be with us in every stage of our earthly journey, just as he was with Mary and her whole family. In prayer today, give thanks to Mary for being such a good and holy mother to Jesus. And thank her for living out so faithfully her dual callings to raise the Son of God and to become the mother of all his adopted brothers and sisters! “Holy Mary, thank you for welcoming Jesus—and us—into your family!” Micah 5:1-4
Psalm 13:6
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "…"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us….”
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Bishop Barron said, "Mary is a rich and multivalent symbolic figure in all of the Gospels. In Luke’s infancy narrative, she emerges as the spokesperson for ancient Israel, speaking, in her Magnificat, in the words and cadences of Hannah. In Matthew’s Christmas account, she is compelled to go into exile in Egypt and is then called back to her home, recapitulating thereby the journey of Israel from slavery to freedom. She is thus the symbolic embodiment of faithful and patient Israel, longing for deliverance. In John’s Gospel, she is, above all, mother—the physical mother of Jesus and, through him, the mother of all who would come to new life in him. As mother of the Lord, she is, once again, Israel, that entire series of events and system of ideas from which Jesus emerged and in terms of which he alone becomes intelligible. Hans Urs von Balthasar commented in the same vein that Mary effectively awakened the messianic consciousness of Jesus through her recounting of the story of Israel to her son. " -end quote.
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From Roberto Juarez: "The Church today contemplates Mary and discovers in her what God can do when a person allows himself to be led by his grace. Mary is the woman full of grace, who listens, who trusts, who welcomes, who serves, who abides. And for this reason her birth is a reason for hope. God also continues to silently prepare people and events. Today something new may be being born where we see only poverty, difficulty or smallness. Mary's feast invites us not to lose hope. God continues to act in history.
Today we can look to Mary and thank God for her life. But above all we can ask him to help us live like her. May we know how to listen to the Word, trust in God, say "yes" when he calls us, remain faithful when difficulties come. And may our life, like Mary's, always lead to Jesus Christ. Because the true center of today's feast is not only Mary. The true center is Christ. Mary is the woman God chose to bring us closer to God.
On this feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary we give thanks that God has wanted to enter into our history. Matthew's genealogy reminds us that God acts through generations, events and concrete people. And Mary appears as a decisive figure on this path that leads to Christ. Today we celebrate her birth with joy because we know what God will do through her.
Let us ask Mary to teach us to trust in God's timing. May she help us to accept our own history. May she intercede for our families. May she accompany those who are experiencing moments of difficulty. And may she always lead us to her Son. May we too, in the midst of our circumstances, hear that promise that sums up the whole Gospel: "Emmanuel": God is with us. And if God is with us, no history is lost. Happy Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
" end of quote from Roberto.
From Brother Adrian: It is mind boggling, how amazing these people in the bible are.
And the Old Testament leads all the way up to the fulfillment of everything…our Lord Jesus.
And to usher Him in, would be the most magnificent work of art, the most beautiful monstrance, and tabernacle of the Most High. To bring Him in, to confound the most wise, to stupefy people for generations.
And yet, at the same time, for generations, the believers will call her "Blessed".
She is until today, something that pains so many believers, and she makes demons shriek at her presence.
She is the biggest obstacle for many converts to Catholicism, to become full believers in the True Faith of Christ.
Why?
Personally, I have never had a problem with her. My youngest memories of being challenged about her was during school lunch, in elementary school and my friend Orland (God rest his soul now) said to me "oh, so you are Catholic? You guys believe in Mary". That baffled me. They say we WORSHIP her. This is a lie, and blasphemy and idolatry all wrapped up in one line.
But, yet, we have men worshiping the ground some girls walk on, slobbering, and idolizing goddesses, and some women enjoy that following, because women fall to vanity more than any other sin.
But not Mary.
The complete opposite in fact. The most obscure figure in her time…gave birth to the King of the World.
Do I worship Mary?
Wow.
And later in life, a young man saw me playing guitar for the elderly at the nursing home. I probed his beliefs, and he found out I was catholic.
Weeks later, we ran into each other at an Auto Parts store. He quickly gave me a cartoon booklet, about the evils of believing in Mary. There, it showed how she was the epitomy of all evils, the something of babylon, oh it was horrendous. The COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what we believe as Catholics.
She is the MOST PERFECT MOTHER OF GOD.
THE MOST HOLIEST of all Women.
The Immaculate Conception we declare, freed from original sin.
Most chaste like Saint Joseph. Most pure like the rays from God.
She is the only human flesh that gave flesh to Jesus Christ our King of our lives. He took on her flesh, and this unique bond transcends space and time. It is a metaphysical union that cannot be divided.
And, she is in Heaven. No protestant should deny that. But I bet some still do. Anything to not allow her to be what she is….the perfect mother of all humanity, Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Once a saint said that in her vision of Mother Mary, Mother Mary said that Jesus was as sweet and innocent as when He was a baby, until today. The word "until" does not change anything forever, not in its original context.
And this day we remember her birth on this earth.
A humble birth of humble and faithful parents. Saints spawn saints. And this, first of all saints….is one to start a beautiful love relation with CHRIST. Her role, and her soul, all are bound with Christ. To unite us to Christ, even like her love for Him as it is in Heaven.
Happy Birthday MOTHER! WE LOVE YOU.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."
Word of the Lord!
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Month of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)
Devotion of the Month Opening prayer of Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust. Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross. Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor, sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life, and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen.
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God Bless You! Peace
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