†It is not lengthy prayers, but generous deeds that touch God's heart. St. Arnold Janssen
Because they are without holdings, the meek actually hold everything. We see this patently in the life of St. Francis. the poet’s fancy of ” swinging the earth a trinket at my wrist” became spiritual reality in the little Poor Man of Assis. that all the earth was his is apparent in the way Francis dealt with the earth. He communed with it, eulogized it, singing expressions of its Creator, was literally familial with it. There was never a man more at home in creation than meek Francis of Assisi. To the pilgrim alone belongs the land, for the pilgrim is only happily passing through. He is not about to declare wars of colonization. He does not in fact need colonies. He has it all. Thus there is this reposefulness about the meek. Without aggressiveness (he suffers no grinding to possess), without arrogance (for he is a son and an heir of a Master whose infinite holdings are never in jeopardy and who asigns meekness as birthright to His progeny), he is at rest. —Mother Mary Frances, PCC
Daily Verse †Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
- Ephesians 6:13
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. Ursula & Her 11,000 CompanionsPatron Saint of: Catholic education, students, and young women
Feast Day: October 21 St. Ursula (4th c.) was a pious Christian princess from Britain, perhaps Wales. According to the 13th century Golden Legend she set sail and embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome with a large court of handmaids prior to settling in what is today western France, where she was to be joined in marriage to a local governor. Along her pilgrimage route she attracted many followers who were influenced by her holy example. On the return journey St. Ursula and her traveling maidens fell into the hands of the Huns, violent nomads from the East, who had invaded large swaths of Europe. St. Ursula and her company of virgins and other followers, which numbered 11,000, were tortured in an effort to have them renounce their faith. Steadfastly refusing, they were massacred in Cologne, Germany and buried together in a mass grave over which was built the Basilica of St. Ursula. Due to the varying accounts of her martyrdom and the difficulty of separating fact from legend, her feast day was suppressed in modern times. St. Ursula is the patroness of the Ursulines, a female religious order founded in 1535 by St. Angela Merici for the education of young girls. St. Ursula is also the patron of students, teachers, Catholic education, and of a holy death. Her feast day is October 21st.
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Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 475 Reading 1Ephesians 3:2-12 Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I have written briefly earlier.
When you read this
you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to human beings in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit,
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace
that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the Church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him. Responsorial PsalmIsaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 R. (see 3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. AlleluiaMatthew 24:42a, 44 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 12:39-48 Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
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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: Ephesians 3:2-12The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body. (Ephesians 3:6) In this passage, Paul explains something so important that it has literally changed the course of history. He affirms to the believers in Ephesus, most of whom were Gentiles, that there is no longer any division between Gentile and Jew. For centuries, Jews avoided Gentiles as unclean, and Gentiles looked down on Jews as members of an inferior religion and backward culture. But when the Holy Spirit fell on a Gentile named Cornelius—a Roman soldier, no less—God made it clear that both Jews and Gentiles are equals, “coheirs, members of the same Body, and copartners in the promise in Christ” (Ephesians 3:6; see Acts 10:1-49). With today’s passage and others like it, Paul joined Peter, James, and the other apostles in announcing one of the most amazing—and challenging—truths of the gospel: in Christ, there are no longer distinctions between “clean” and “unclean” people. There are no divisions between those who are deemed “worthy” and those counted as “unworthy.” Everyone is a sinner and everyone can receive salvation from the Lord. So there is no room for prejudice. Or, as Paul says elsewhere, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, emphasis added). The world wants to divide us into categories and set us against each other, but Jesus has called us to love one another regardless of who the “other” may be. He wants us to look at our brothers and sisters in the Church and see him, in all his love and glory, as present in them. The degree to which we can do this—the degree to which we can love everyone equally—is the degree to which his Church can be a shining light to the world. There’s nothing more attractive to a divided world than a united Church. There’s nothing more convincing about the power of God than the love and kindness shown by his people. So immerse yourself in the love of the Lord, and let that love soften your heart. Let it teach you how to love as Jesus loves. Show the world that there is a better way to live! “Lord, give me your heart of love!” (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6
Luke 12:39-48
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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“That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” ”
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From Roberto Juarez end of his reflection: "Sometimes we think that Christian vigilance consists only in avoiding evil or preparing ourselves for the final moment. But today's Gospel shows us that being prepared means, above all, fulfilling the mission we have received. The faithful steward does not limit himself to staying awake: he feeds servants in due time. His fidelity is made visible in concrete service to others. We too are called to ask ourselves who needs our attention, our word or our help today. Perhaps it is someone in our own family to whom we do not listen enough; an elderly person who needs company; a companion who is going through a difficult situation; someone whom we have hurt and with whom we must be reconciled. We will not always be able to do great things. But we can carry out our tasks with love, watch our words, be honest in our decisions and not ignore those who depend on us. The Lord has entrusted us with people, capacities and opportunities. The best way to prepare ourselves for their encounter is to live them as a mission received from his hands.
Today let us ask the Lord to teach us to steward wisely the time, goods and talents received, and never to forget that people are not instruments for our interests, but brothers and sisters whom we are called to love. And when Christ comes, may he find us faithful in what he has entrusted to us: with hands ready for service, hearts full of love and hope placed in him." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord urges his disciples and us to be prudent servants, following his ways in anticipation of his coming again. Theologians often call prudence the queen of the virtues because it is the capacity to reign sovereignly over one’s life, both ordering one’s inner powers and directing one’s affairs wisely in the outside world. Prudence is that sure touch, that moral instinct that renders one capable of making the right decision under pressure and in the face of complex circumstances. Prudence is a sort of accumulated theoretical and practical wisdom, a know-how that is for the most part instinctual, in the bones. When placed in the Christian context, therefore, prudence is a feel for how Jesus would react, how he would think, how he would move in a particular situation. It is tantamount to having one’s soul gathered around Christ as its center, so that all one’s actions are informed by Jesus and his way of being in the world. Christian prudence comes from apprenticing to Christ—that is to say, moving in with him, watching at close quarters how he lives and moves and gestures." end quote. Your Brother Adrian. As I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to us, I pray that the Lord leads us into HIS Temptations! AMEN?
We always face dark temptations, even when you don't notice it, real sneaky stuff comes at you and into your subconsciousness, dark spirits.
But, the Lord also works in subtle ways.
The Lord invites us! The Lord reaches out to us. Just remember the tons of times people have spoken to you about God stuff, and we kind of dismiss it. Remember all the times those little answered prayers and blessings, and we forget to be thankful. And yet, that is the meaning of the focus of Mass, THANKSGIVING! Being grateful, is a state of being. Being thankful. What is the Thanksgiving at Mass? The Eucharist. What is the Eucharist? The miracle of God turned into our substance of our souls. And it is the heart of God!
The heart! If only we would turn into what we eat! The very love of God! Then it would not be so hard to be found faithful when God calls our name.
It would not be so hard to say yes.
And it starts with the small yes, here and there.
And these small ones lead to the big ones…of every fiber of our being!
Lord, Help Us Love Thee more and more!
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WOW! Random Bible Verse 1
John 15:9–11 [John 15] "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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