Monday - November 12, 2018
Help yourself during this troubled period by reading holy books. This reading provides excellent food for the soul and conduces to great progress along the path of perfection. By no means is it inferior to what we obtain through prayer and holy meditation. In prayer and meditation it is ourselves who speak to the Lord, while in holy reading it is God who speaks to us. Before beginning to read, raise your mind to the Lord and implore Him to guide your mind Himself, to speak to your heart and move your will.
-- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
November 12, 2018
Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 491
Reading 1TI 1:1-9
Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ
for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.
For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.
for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.
For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.
Responsorial PsalmPS 24:1B-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
******************************
Faith that Uproots Trees!
Doesn't it just drive you nuts when you ask a friend for help and he (or she) doesn't do anything but agree that you need the help? In today's Gospel reading, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. And we lean forward in our seats, eager to hear the answer. Tell us, Jesus, tell us! What's the key to greater faith?
But instead of preaching a good homily on "10 Keys to Stronger Faith," Jesus tells us how poor our faith is. I can't uproot a tree by praying over it, can you? Gee, thanks for the discouragement, Lord. Seems like we all have faith that's smaller than the itty bitty mustard seed.
Well, the fact is, there is no key to stronger faith. There is no secret method, no special formula. It's a way of life. It involves staying closely connected to the Spirit of God. Faith is not something that we can build up; faith is purely a gift of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 12:9). To the extent that we're in communion with Christ's Spirit, that's the extent to which our faith can uproot trees.
Oh-oh. I just went outside and stood in front of palm tree (I live in Florida) and commanded it to uproot itself, but nothing happened. I guess I'm not in a very good relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Rrrrri-i-i-ight.
Seriously, rather than look for the miraculous, we should ask Jesus: "What sin needs to be uprooted from me? Or what doubt? What distrust in You?"
Whenever we focus on the difficulties of life, fear begins to take root in us. We start worrying that the problem is going to end in disaster. The solution? Climb back onto God's fatherly lap and pray about it. Remember that fear is a liar (think of it this way: F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real). Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you, which is usually the exact opposite of what the fear is telling you. Then you'll able to endure the trial with hope instead of anxiety.
This is what Jesus meant by having faith large enough to uproot trees. The moment we turn to the Holy Spirit for help, we connect ourselves to his faith (which is infinitely larger than a mustard seed) and we are renewed in his faith as a gift. Our faith is stronger because God's faith is activated within us.
To increase our faith, we only have to increase our connectedness to the Spirit of God. Listen! The Spirit of Truth is instructing you.
Today's Prayer
Lord, give me the grace of being a faithful witness of the Truth, going out to encounter my neighbors with mercy. May my faith be strengthened by this task. Amen.
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!”
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