SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Friday - June 15, 2018

Friday - June 15, 2018

Perfection of life is

the perfection of love.

For love is the life of the soul. 

-- St. Francis De Sales

June 15, 2018

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Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 363

Reading 11 KGS 19:9A, 11-16

At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.
But the word of the LORD came to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"
He replied, "I have been most zealous for the LORD,
the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down your altars,
and put your prophets to the sword.
I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."
The LORD said to him,
"Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.
Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,
and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,
as prophet to succeed you."

Responsorial PsalmPS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14

R. (8b) I long to see your face, O Lord.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.

AlleluiaPHIL 2:15D, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

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WHAT NEEDS TO BE CUT OFF AND THROWN OUT?

Imagine this: A person who is steeped in sin turns to Jesus. Gradually, Jesus helps him get rid of all his major sins, except one. For whatever reason, the man is attached to this sin. Jesus gives him opportunity after opportunity to let go, but he doesn't want to do the work that's necessary for overcoming it.

So Jesus cuts off and tosses out whatever the man has been leaning on, making him fall. In desperation, the man looks for a way out. The only good view is up, and there Jesus waits. He grabs onto Jesus, ready for a new life. What had been a disaster becomes a great blessing.

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus challenges us to discover the parts of our lives that need to be cut off and tossed out. He points out that sin starts in the heart. For example, in the case of adultery, even if we only fantasize about having an affair, we're sinning. Why? Because adulterous thoughts push away our concern and love for the spouse who's now being abandoned, even if only for a few moments.

This is true also for those who are single, for their Spouse is God. Therefore living as if married without being married is adultery against God.

Jesus extends this teaching to any area of our lives where sin pushes love aside. Our eyes cause us to sin if we watch movies with lust-producing scenes, for example, because these images imbed themselves in our minds and affect our thinking. We must "tear out and throw away" whatever endangers purity and holy thoughts.

What about unloving behaviors that were taught to us in childhood, or bad habits or addictions or fears? Do we excuse them, or do we overcome them?

Jesus continues with an even stronger call to cut out what is unloving, again using adultery as an example. Since marriage is a commitment, and breaking any commitment is unloving, then divorce -- from a valid marriage -- is a sin. (Divorce is not always a sin. The Church's annulment procedure is meant to be both a healing process and a good way to prove the invalidity of a marriage. But it's not an escape hatch for valid marriages.) This makes more sense if we read the next verses, Matt. 5:33-37. Breaking an oath -- including the marriage oath -- is unloving.

Jesus is asking all of us: "What's in your heart? What needs to get cut out to make more room for more of My love?"

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Today I give up before You everything that drives me away from Your paths and chains me to evil and sin. Take control of my life. Purify me and give me the strength I need to follow You with strong decision and courage. 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!”