SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Tuesday - January 01, 2019

Tuesday - January 01, 2019

"During this new year I resolve to begin a new life. I do not know what will happen to me during this year. But I abandon myself entirely to you, my God. And my aspirations and all my affections will be for You. I feel so weak, dear Jesus, but with Your help I hope and resolve to live a different life, that is, a life closer to You."

-- -St Gemma Galgani    

 

January 1 2019

 

« December 31  |  January 2 »

The Octave Day of Christmas
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Lectionary: 18

Reading 1NM 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses: 
"Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: 
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, 
and I will bless them."

Responsorial PsalmPS 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him! 
R. May God bless us in his mercy.

Reading 2GAL 4:4-7

Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, 
to ransom those under the law, 
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons, 
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 
crying out, "Abba, Father!"
So you are no longer a slave but a son, 
and if a son then also an heir, through God.

AlleluiaHEB 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message 
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, 
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

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Consecrate the New Year to the Blessed Mother

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On this holy day, which includes an obligation to celebrate Mass because it's as important as Sunday, I pray that you will have a very Jesus-centered year in which your faith increases your joy as you receive his healing love and the gift of his emboldening strength to enable you to succeed in every difficulty.

Today, let's consecrate the new year to the Mother of Christ, to her protection and help, asking God to make this a year of many blessings.

In the first reading, God teaches Moses how to pass blessings onto others. Today's responsorial Psalm includes a request for God to bless us. The second reading describes the greatest blessing we've received: our adoption by God the Father. As his children, we inherit all that belongs to him. He has made available to us eternal life and every blessing under the heavens and in heaven.

Blessings come to us all the time. Every breath and each heartbeat is a blessing of life. But would you like to be amazed by your blessings, like the people in today's Gospel reading who heard the testimony of the shepherds?

Such amazement is the awe we feel when we recognize the presence of Jesus and are truly conscious of what's happening. We are blessed whenever we see, do, hear, or feel something that is Jesus or comes from Jesus or reveals him to us. Thus, we're even blessed in situations that feel like curses, because he is there, guiding us through it!

To grow stronger in faith, we need to become more aware of our blessings. This requires keeping our eyes on Jesus. Admittedly, this is hard to do, but it's possible with decisive effort and the help of the Holy Spirit. Look past the problems: There is the victorious Jesus! Look past your emotional reactions to hardships: There is the peace of Christ! Look past the person who is sinning against you: There is Jesus comforting you!

Be awed by the fact that Jesus is always there and that everything good you do is a blessing from Jesus and also to Jesus. In hardships, we overcome evil by doing good to others with Jesus, which is also then a blessing to Jesus. In this, we become aware of the blessings of God's love, sympathy, and victory. And we'll find other blessings, too.

The next time someone fails to be good to you, stop expecting it from them and look for Jesus himself to give you what you need. As you improve at recognizing him, you'll become aware of his blessings even during the heat of the trial, and your faith will grow stronger.

In every situation, keep your eyes on Jesus to see his hand reaching toward you, blessing you.

Let us learn from Mary. She observed everything that happened and reflected on it to see what God would do. When Mary looked at the shepherds, did she see scruffy, stinky, unkempt strangers barging in? Of course not. Look at the scruffy people in your own life. How many blessings do you see?

May your New Year be filled with fully realized blessings!

Count your blessings. Make a list of everything that's good in your life, including past blessings that give you warm, happy memories. The Lord has done great things for you. How does this reassure you today?

What will you do this year to become more aware of God's blessings? In what ways has Mary revealed Jesus to you?

Today's Prayer

Lord, may my heart be humble enough to receive You in all Your divinity and may my life be a song of praise in honor of Your Name. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Monday - December 31, 2018

Monday - December 31, 2018

 

December 31, 2018

 

« December 30  |  January 1 »

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Lectionary: 204

Reading 1 1 JN 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour; 
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared. 
Thus we know this is the last hour. 
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us. 
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge. 
I write to you not because you do not know the truth 
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth

Responsorial PsalmPS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day. 
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
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 before the LORD.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

AlleluiaJN 1:14A, 12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, 
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God, 
to those who believe in his name, 
who were born not by natural generation 
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, 
“This was he of whom I said, 
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me 
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, 
has revealed him.

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The Question of the Final Hour!

Today's first reading tells us: "Children, it is the last hour." Well, what is the "last hour"? Is it the Second Coming of Christ? When will it finally happen? Or has it happened already?

For more than two millennia, people have been expecting the Second Coming to happen soon, wishing it would happen very soon to rescue our world from evil-doings. It seems like now would be a good time for it, right? Immorality, attacks against the Christian faith, and other evils are increasing. Where is Jesus? When is that "last hour"?

I vaguely remember a time when we could leave home without locking our doors. Now we not only have to lock up everything, we don't even feel safe outside the house. Crime has increased; respect for human life has decreased. More people are unemployed. Fewer families stay together. Fewer men become priests. There are too many scandals in the Church. Terrorists could attack again at any moment. And the earth's changing climate is already disastrous for some people.

Where is Jesus? When is that "last hour"?

History repeats itself; an analysis of historical trends reveals cycles of alternating renewal and deterioration. We are, in fact, at the same part of the cycle as the Great Depression and World War II. This always leads to a period of renewal and rebuilding.

I've studied this phenomenon of historical cycles, and while praying about it I've gained confidence in the belief that God will once again make good come from bad. For example, I believe that we will see an increase of vocations within the next 10 years (the first signs of this have already begun), because the world needs more heroes, and young men will be attracted to the heroic side of the priesthood.

Keep looking for signs of hope and renewal! If we only look at the bad that happens, we easily lose hope. We naturally want Jesus to hurry up and bring us total victory over evil by destroying all evil-doers and rapturing us from this terrible world. Instead, we should look for what Jesus wants to do now -- through us who are his hands and feet and voice -- and expect him to bring his victory to earth by making good come from bad.

Scripturally, the "last hour" means the era of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to change the world by continuing the mission of Christ. Instead of relying on his Second Coming, we are to bring Christ more fully into the world - now!

Today's Gospel reading draws us back to the first hour: "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is the first and the last Word. As the old year ends and the new year begins, let us ask: "What will I do in the new year to be the Good News of Jesus and renew our world?"

Today's Prayer

Thank You, good Father, because You made me Your child in Jesus Christ due to the huge love You have for all humanity. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Sunday - December 30, 2018

Sunday - December 30, 2018

ON THIS DAY, LET US ASK FOR THE INTERCESSION OF THE HOLY FAMILY THAT WE MAY HAVE THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO STAND AGAINST ALL THOSE WHO SEEK TO DESTROY THE LIFE OF TRADITIONAL FAMILIES. LET US ALSO PRAY FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. JOSEPH, WHO WAS THE PROTECTOR OF THE CHILD JESUS AND MARY, AND IS THE PROTECTOR OF THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH. AMEN.

– ST. JOHN PAUL II

 

December 30, 2018

 

« December 29  |  December 31 »

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Lectionary: 17

Reading 1SIR 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.

Or1SM 1:20-22, 24-28

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
“Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial PsalmPS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

OrPS 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10.

R. (cf. 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
Happy they who dwell in your house!
Continually they praise you.
Happy the men whose strength you are!
Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer;
hearken, O God of Jacob!
O God, behold our shield,
and look upon the face of your anointed.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Reading 2COL 3:12-21 

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 
if one has a grievance against another; 
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, 
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, 
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, 
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything, 
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, 
so they may not become discouraged.

Or COL 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 
if one has a grievance against another; 
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, 
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Or1 JN 3:1-2, 21-24

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
And so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit he gave us.

AlleluiaCOL 3:15A, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

OrCF. ACTS 16:14B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover, 
and when he was twelve years old, 
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, 
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, 
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the teachers, 
listening to them and asking them questions, 
and all who heard him were astounded 
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished, 
and his mother said to him, 
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them; 
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

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Trusting the truths we don't understand-

"Joy mixed with drama marks the fifth [joyful] mystery," wrote Saint John Paul II in his encyclical on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae(paragraph #20), as he reflected on today's Gospel story about Mary and Joseph losing the boy Jesus and finding him in the Temple. "Here he appears in his divine wisdom as he listens and raises questions, already in effect one who 'teaches'."

This scripture, he pointed out, reveals that Jesus was already wholly dedicated to his Father's affairs. That's the first part of the mystery: How early did he feel inspired to serve as the Son of God?

The second part of the mystery, John Paul II explained, is "the radical nature of the Gospel, in which even the closest of human relationships are challenged by the absolute demands of the Kingdom." Which relationships? Family relationships! In this scripture, Mary and Joseph faced the challenge that every parent experiences. They were "fearful and anxious," because they did not understand what was happening to their child.

Today, we are like Mary and Joseph in their moment of failing to understand the words of Jesus. His teachings challenge us to accept a more difficult life, a life of doing good to our enemies, taking a stand against injustices, standing up for Christian values, getting persecuted for it, turning the cheek and going the extra mile, a life of courageously adhering to the ways of God.

Our preference, when it's inconvenient or unpleasant to be so holy, is to rationalize and make excuses for any behavior that the world says is good and right but which contradicts the Church's scripture-based teachings. However, if we are sincere about following Christ, we are willing to do what is difficult. And it's usually in the doing that we begin to understand the benefits of becoming more like Christ.

Without this understanding, however, we have to trust that the words of Jesus are truth. Like Mary and Joseph, we need to ponder in our hearts what we do not understand and at the same time move forward in holy living. Then we discover the joy that comes from a life that's lived wholly in Christ.

On this Feast of the Holy Family, let us pray that Mary and Joseph will help us hear Jesus whenever our troubles or temptations get so distracting that we lose sight of him. Let us learn to recognize that Jesus is always present with us in his Holy Spirit, helping us, guiding us, and mercifully loving us, especially in the challenges we face.

What teaching of the Church have you rationalized away so that you don't have to obey it? Or what teaching of Christ do you excuse yourself from? Assume that your disobedience is due to not understanding what is really being taught. What will you do to seek and gain a better understanding?

How meaningful is the Holy Family to you? What is it about the relationships between Jesus, Mary and Joseph that appeals to you? What has this taught you about Christian living?

Today's Prayer

Beloved Jesus: Give me the grace of being aware of the ways I stray from You and renewing a firm decision to resume the path which leads me to re-encounter You. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”