SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Friday - February 01, 2019

Friday - February 01, 2019

He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it.

~~Blessed Titus Brandsma

 

February 1 2019

 

« January 31  |  February 2 »

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 321

Reading 1HEB 10:32-39

Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, 
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; 
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison 
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, 
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; 
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

For, after just a brief moment,
he who is to come shall come;
he shall not delay.
But my just one shall live by faith,
and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.

We are not among those who draw back and perish, 
but among those who have faith and will possess life.

Responsorial PsalmPS 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. 
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, 
and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,
for the hand of the LORD sustains him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

AlleluiaSEE MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come."

He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

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What Surprises are You Growing?

"This is how it is with the reign of God," explains Jesus in today's Gospel passage: We scatter our faith around like seeds by interceding for others, by doing God's will, and by sharing our faith stories with those who will listen. Since we cannot make these seeds sprout and grow (only God can), we're taken by surprise when we walk into the field and run smack into full-grown cornstalks.

As Christians who accept the mission that Christ has given to us, we are in partnership with God. That's what the reign of God is. We sow, God makes it grow. However, if we forget that it's a partnership, or if we doubt that God cares more about the crop than we do, or if we take full credit for what we do, God's reign comes by surprise.

In whatever difficulty you're enduring, have you been asking God to help you? Then he is! What have you learned that's improved your holiness and increased your trust in God? These are a few of the seeds you can scatter. Often, we're so busy staring at the dirt that we neglect to see what's sprouting from the seeds we've been sowing.

Everything that grows is a miraculous intervention of God. We could water and fertilize and pull weeds for a million years and nothing would grow unless God gets involved. But the greatest surprise is that the very thing we dislike most about our difficulties is exactly what God uses as fertilizer -- which produces a wonderful harvest. (Think of the material that natural fertilizer is made from. That dirty, smelly stuff is very useful!)

As today's first reading points out, "Remember the days past when you endured great suffering." Although we must do everything possible to stop abuse, when we handle difficulties with Christ-like love, it produces great fruits. Don't look for short-cuts or try to veer away from the unpleasant paths on which God is leading you. A greater value lies ahead!

God's help comes to us at the earliest possible best moment, not a moment sooner regardless of how much we beg for a quick end to our trials. The question is not: "Why me? How much longer must I suffer this way?" Rather, the real question is: "How can this be used to help others?" This is how curses become blessings and misery becomes joy.

God is producing a crop of new knowledge and healing and holiness in you that he will use as food for others. Maybe you've been hoping that sugar cane will grow from your corn. Surprise! You've got a silo overflowing with corn. This is your gift to a spiritually starving world.

Today's Prayer:

Dear Lord, give me the grace to trust in You while I await the fruit of my work in Your ways. 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 : Thursday - January 31, 2019

Thursday - January 31, 2019

Why is it that we have so little liking for spiritual things? This is because we love Jesus Crucified so little.

-- St. John Bosco 

 

January 31 2019

 

« January 30  |  February 1 »

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Lectionary: 320

Reading 1HEB 10:19-25

Brothers and sisters: 
Since through the Blood of Jesus 
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary 
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, 
that is, his flesh,
and since we have "a great priest over the house of God," 
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, 
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, 
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
We should not stay away from our assembly, 
as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, 
and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Responsorial PsalmPS 24:1-2, 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.

AlleluiaPS 119:105

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; 
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
He also told them, "Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, 
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given; 
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

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How to Help Others Become More Loving

"We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works," says today's first reading. We all know people who need to be roused (i.e., awakened in the faith), people who stay away from our assembly, whose paths need to be redirected back to the faith.

Perhaps you're dealing with someone who's self-centered and arrogant, who's ignoring your needs and who's uncaring toward others. People like this need to be roused into the daylight of truth so that they'll want to change. And what about those who profess to be good Catholics while disobeying God's will?

We have been commissioned to be the voice of Christ awakening them into a life of unconditional, selfless love, good deeds, and moral obedience. But how do we do this? Scripture tells us to "consider" the possibilities. Study the situation, get to know the persons you want to rouse. What woundedness and worldly training has made them unloving and selfish? What are they struggling with, and would they like to be free of it?

Once we understand their situations, we can look for an opportunity to invite them to trade up to something better, e.g., a relationship with Jesus that will heal them, a better understanding of being loved so that they can more generously give love, an appreciation of their giftedness and how it benefits others, etc.

There are valid reasons why people stray from the path of holiness. By identifying and addressing those reasons, we can become more effective in encouraging them to change. If we only tell them the law that they're breaking in order to explain how they should change, we chase them away.

Addressing the reasons why people stray invites growth and change; addressing the need to change only invites stubbornness and running farther away. The first method takes much time and patience, a lot of effort and a willingness to serve those who are not pleasant to befriend. The other method is an easy-for-us short-cut that requires no loving sacrifices from us. It usually fails.

The first method means that we are light glowing from the lampstand that Jesus mentions in today's Gospel reading. The other method is a measurement that we ourselves do not wish to be measured by, for when our own sinfulness is identified, the little love we do have is taken away by our lack of humility. If we're condemning others, you can bet that others are busy condemning us for our arrogance!

God has placed into our lives people who need us to encourage them into greater holiness, greater love, and greater generosity in good works. But he has also given these people to us so that we will grow in holiness, love and good works. Isn't that a scary bit of irony!

Today's Prayer:

Forgive me, Lord, for the times I refused my brothers' and sisters' corrections. Forgive me for not correcting the others with mercy and humbleness. Thank You for reminding me that we are all necessary to build Your Church. 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 : Wednesday - January 30, 2019

Wednesday - January 30, 2019

He who faithfully prays to God for the necessaries of this life is both mercifully heard, and mercifully not heard. For the physician knows better than the sick man what is good for the disease. 

-- St. Augustine

 

January 30 2019

 

« January 29  |  January 31 »

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 319

Reading 1HEB 10:11-18

Every priest stands daily at his ministry, 
offering frequently those same sacrifices 
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, 
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; 
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever 
those who are being consecrated.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:

This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
"I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,"

he also says:

Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

Responsorial PsalmPS 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.  (4b)  You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him 
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables, 
and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 
"Hear this!  A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, 
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.  
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it 
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone, 
those present along with the Twelve 
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them, 
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once 
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, 

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, 
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word, 
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, 
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, 
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

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WHAT'S GROWING IN YOUR SOIL?

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus gives us that oh-so-familiar parable about the different types of soil. You are the seed that has landed on fertile soil (or else you wouldn't be reading this reflection). So let's dig into what it means to be the grain that springs up from the fertile soil and produces a crop of "hundredfold".

A few years ago,  a friend gave me this modern-day parable from her own personal experience, and it's so good I want to share it:

I was eating coleslaw with my fried shrimp and God said, "Look at the coleslaw. What's the main ingredient? Cabbage! The coleslaw started out as a head of cabbage. Has the cabbage changed in any way because of the other ingredients that it's mixed with? Not at all. It's still cabbage. But you didn't ask the waitress for a head of cabbage; you ordered coleslaw. Why? Because cabbage that's chopped and mixed with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices appeal to the taste buds much more than a plain piece of cabbage."

I wondered, "Yeah... so what's your point, Jesus?"

"The cabbage in the coleslaw is no less than what it was created to be. But if it had not given up each stage of its existence (the seed dying in fertile soil to become a sprout, the sprout growing into a head, the head chopped into slaw, the slaw mixed with other produce), it would not have become a delightful salad for your nourishment."

This story points out that true Christian faith is more than just sprouting as seedlings from good soil. Faith is bland unless it becomes part of a salad, mixing what's good about us with the good in others for the sake of nourishing those who want Jesus to minister to them. Or to put it another way: Faith is pointless unless we put it to use as part of a parish community and other faith-based groups that have a mission of serving others.

As seeds, we sink into the fertile soil alone, but we don't sprout alone. Growing requires Father God's participation as he waters us and gives us warm sunshine. However, our strongest flavors that help others in the biggest way come from the hardships we've endured. So Jesus comes along and plucks us out of the comfortable ground to do an important work for his kingdom.

Meanwhile, life on earth chops us into slaw, ruining our nicely shaped cabbage head. Instinctively, we try to pull ourselves back together. Even if we understand the value of using our troubles for the good of others, the fact is we're still shredded and our flavor is still limited. We need to mix it up with others. We need to find people who are like mayonnaise and spices for us. We need to become part of a community of other vegetables and fruits. (Yes, even people who are fruits and nuts add flavor to the salad!)

Only as a community can we offer the world a taste of what God's kingdom is really like. Only together do we make a good harvest in the kingdom of God. Christ's love, power, and salvation are revealed through our teamwork and collaboration with one another, not through our isolated individuality.

Today's Prayer:

Beloved Jesus: Give me the grace of not falling into those temptations that block Your Word from producing abundant fruit in me and in those people You send to me. 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!”