Saint Quote of the Day - Tuesday - October 01, 2019

        

                         Tuesday - October 01, 2019

“When people love and recite the Rosary 

they find it makes them better.”

– St. Anthony Mary Claret

      

 

TODAY'S READINGS

 

October 1 2019

 

« September 30  |  October 2 »

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 456

Reading 1ZEC 8:20-23

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
There shall yet come peoples,
the inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another,
and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD";
and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."
Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
and to implore the favor of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
In those days ten men of every nationality,
speaking different tongues, shall take hold,
yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say,

"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Responsorial PsalmPS 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (Zec 8:23) God is with us.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. God is with us.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those that know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
 “One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. God is with us.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
 R. God is with us.

AlleluiaMK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

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Rebukes for Love  

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus rebukes the disciples for wanting to rebuke the Samaritans. Why is it okay for Jesus to do it but not the disciples?

The disciples were no doubt remembering the fire and brimstone that God rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the sinners who lived there. It seemed right, therefore, to expect God to punish and obliterate the Samaritans who were rejecting Jesus. We think the same way whenever we interpret natural disasters and diseases as the justice of a punishing God.

But Jesus had come to redeem the world, not condemn it. His presence on earth marked the beginning of a new era, a new testament of God's love. Mercy had arrived on earth in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The fire that would descend from heaven would be the Holy Spirit.

Rebukes can be condemnatory or salvific, sinful or saving. Like most Jews, the disciples had been raised with a prejudice against Samaritans because they combined the Jewish faith with pagan practices. The feeling of contempt was mutual, which is why the Samaritans would not allow Jesus and his entourage to stay in their village. The disciples reacted angrily with a swift judgment that condemned the Samaritans to death. If Jesus had agreed to destroy the village, his disciples would have enjoyed the catastrophe.

Jesus responded to their anger with a rebuke that came from love. He was saving them from their sin.

When you see someone get their due punishment, do you enjoy it or do you suffer with them? When a murderer gets executed, when an irresponsible employee gets fired, or when a priest ends up in prison for abusing a child, how should we feel about it?

If we love them as Jesus loves them, it pains us to watch them reap bad consequences from the bad harvest they have sown. We sincerely hope that their sufferings will help them repent. We show them mercy, but we don't remove their accountability.

The disciples lacked this attitude of mercy. Did Jesus enjoy scolding them? Of course not. He was pained by their prejudice, not only because he cared about the Samaritans, but he also cared about his disciples and the damage that their prejudice was doing to their own souls.

We must speak up against wrong-doings -- God holds us accountable if we don't -- and we must put a stop to them if we can or else we are enablers of these sins. However, do we care about the wrong-doers as much as we care about the victims? Can we pray with sincerity in our hearts for a change in their hearts, not because a change in them will make our lives easier, but for their sake? If the answer is yes, then we are ready to be God's instruments for justice.

Today's Prayer:

Lord, may I never stand in opposition to Your merciful plans. Give me Your loving feelings towards others. 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!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Monday - September 30, 2019

Monday - September 30, 2019

To think ourselves imperfect, and others perfect---- that is happiness. That creatures recognize we are without virtue takes nothing from us, makes us no poorer; it is they who by this lose interior joy; for there is nothing sweeter than to think well of our neighbor.

-- St. Therese of Lisieux

 

September 30 2019

 

« September 29  |  October 1 »

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 455

Reading 1ZEC 8:1-8

This word of the LORD of hosts came:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:  Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.

Responsorial PsalmPS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23

R.  (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence.
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

AlleluiaMK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 9:46-50

An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."

Then John said in reply,
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him,
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

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Excluded or Empowered?  

I believe that a stranger is just a friend whom I haven't yet met. This idea is based on what Jesus says in today's Gospel reading: "Anyone who is not against you is on your side."

How many unknown friends has God given to you and me? They are surprise gifts: the strangers we sit next to in Mass, the neighbors we bump into at the grocery store, the co-workers who disagree with our Church's teachings but are willing to help us do a difficult job, and the odd lady in the church parking lot who doesn't fit our idea of friendship but who greets us with a smile.

These are unexpected partners in community, sent by God.

The disciples were blinded by pride. They thought they were special because they were Jesus' closest buddies, his chosen ones. In the first part of this scripture, they want to know which among them is the greatest! It was that old attitude of exclusivity -- if you're not one of us, you're not as important, you can't get the same special treatment that I enjoy; you're inferior.

Therefore, when someone who was not part of their inner circle took it upon himself to start his own ministry, even though he was honoring Jesus and obviously had faith in Jesus, the disciples not only disapproved, they tried to stop him. Jesus stood up for this man. He approved of this man. He valued this man.

Hooray for that guy in not allowing anyone to stop him and for having enough courage to keep on doing what he felt called to do, despite the opinions of those who were being trained in Christ's private School of Apostleship!

I'm sure you've experienced it sometimes: You've felt excluded and rejected by those who should have been empowering you and affirming your efforts. So have I. So let's use that hardship to become more empowering of others.

Do you know someone who's been told they cannot or should not do something they want to do, even though it's Godly? Is there anything you can do to empower them? Or what about those who have been ignored or rejected because "they're not like us" or they don't have the "right" educational credentials, or they're too young or too old, or they belong to a different church or a different ministry in our own church?

Have you been to a parish mission or retreat that was poorly attended because it was preached by a lay person instead of a priest?

Have you belonged to a parish where staff or ministry leaders neglect to collaborate with other ministries? Not out of meanness but simply because it has never occurred to them to attempt collaborative projects? Has a parishioner come up with a new way of doing a ministry but his or her idea is not taken seriously because this person is not in a position of authority?

We all make assumptions based on limited understandings about the abilities of others. Assumptions can quickly become the sin of judgmentalism, or they can become opportunities for growth and for making changes. Today's passage from Luke begs us to slow down and pay attention and clear out the cobwebs of exclusivity.

If you've been the victim of someone's false assumptions, take courage, continue doing what God has gifted you to do and the mission he's given you to do, forgive those who've put up obstacles, and remember that Jesus is standing up for you. He approves of you! He values you! And remember, your calling might be to empower someone else who's been rejected and held back by the false assumptions of others.

Today's Prayer

Beloved Jesus, I thank You because You dwell in humble and plain hearts. Heal me from everything that isn't innocent any more. Help me to discover the kid in need of You that's inside me and in everybody else. 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!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Sunday - September 29, 2019

Sunday - September 29, 2019

 

September 29 2019

 

« September 28  |  September 30 »

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 138

Reading 1AM 6:1A, 4-7

Thus says the LORD the God of hosts:
 Woe to the complacent in Zion!
 Lying upon beds of ivory,
 stretched comfortably on their couches,
 they eat lambs taken from the flock,
 and calves from the stall!
 Improvising to the music of the harp,
 like David, they devise their own accompaniment.
 They drink wine from bowls
 and anoint themselves with the best oils;
 yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
 Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
 and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

Responsorial PsalmPS 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
 secures justice for the oppressed,
 gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
 the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
 the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
 but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
 your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 21 TM 6:11-16

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power.  Amen.

AlleluiaCF. 2 COR 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

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WHAT MAKES US GENEROUS?

What was the rich man's sin in this Sunday's Gospel story? What tormented him after he died? Being wealthy is not sinful; what tortured his soul was his decision to not share his wealth with Lazarus while he had the opportunity.

Death is not a closing of life; it's the opening up of our souls so we become fully alive in the truth of God's love. Death awakens us to the full reality of who God is and all the gifts he has given us and how well -- or how poorly -- we've invested those gifts.

Whenever we share with others the gifts that we've received, we're investing in God's kingdom. In God's economy, our investments always pay off very well. We receive more than we give away so that we can share even more!

In contrast, when we protect and keep something for ourselves, we lose it like a flower that's "protected" in a dark box. The flower wilts. It cannot grow in the dark. Everything we try to protect ends up useless and even poisonous: We stagnate spiritually as well as emotionally. The gift rots. Our selfishness destroys our union with God who is the Master of Generosity.

Every day, we're given opportunities to share something -- some blessing from God -- with others.

Perhaps what made the rich man in the parable turn away from Lazarus was his disease. Since Lazarus was covered in sores, we can surmise that he was a leper and highly contagious.

This leads us to the question: Do we share less because we feel disgust toward those who need what we have? Or maybe fear holds us back. Or resentment or unforgiving anger. To be united to God and experience everlasting joy, we cannot live in this state. We have to let love motivate us. Love has no limits; it's always generous.

In the second reading, we hear: "Compete well for the faith." Against whom are we competing? Ourselves! Are you holier today than you were the last time you had an opportunity to be generous? Are you spiritually stronger because you've worked hard at becoming more loving and generous?

Bring to mind someone you find disgusting and unlikable. How generous are you toward him or her? If you've missed an opportunity to share a blessing with this person, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will give you strength, through special grace, to overcome this sin.

Today's Prayer

Lord Jesus, free my senses from distractions and guide my eyes, ears and heart toward You. You ask me to change my life, because You want the best for me, everything I could never even imagine. 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!”