SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Tuesday - September 01, 2020

Tuesday - September 01, 2020

If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow.

--Saint Gregory the Great

SEPTEMBER 01, 2020 - TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

First reading
1 Corinthians 2:10-16

The Spirit reaches even the depths of God

The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ.

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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):8-14

The Lord is just in all his ways.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

  compassionate to all his creatures.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

  and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

  and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

  and the glorious splendour of your reign.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

  your rule lasts from age to age.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

  and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

  and raises all who are bowed down.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

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Gospel Acclamation	Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Or:	Lk7:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

A great prophet has appeared among us;

God has visited his people.

Alleluia!

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Gospel	Luke 4:31-37

'I know who you are: the Holy One of God'

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.

  In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.

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The Difference Between Judging and Judgmentalism

What's the difference between scrutinizing everything (as in today's first reading) and being judgmental, which, as we know, Jesus firmly described as a sin? St. Paul says here that "the one who is spiritual can judge everything."

The difference is between a what and a who. In observing a what -- a situation, an idea, a behavior -- the Holy Spirit scrutinizes it, and if we're listening to God, we hear his opinion about it. But how do we know we're not listening to our own opinions, which can be biased because of our limited perceptions and which have been trained by the limited perspectives of others and the foolishness of the world?

A good relationship with the Holy Spirit is essential for good listening. The more we rely on Jesus, trusting him more than we trust ourselves, the more open our spirits are to the promptings of his Spirit.

In observing a who, we err by making conclusions, because we do not fully know the other's heart and motive and level of accountability -- only God does; only God can serve as The Judge. We can correctly identify when people are sinning, but we can only make assumptions about why, how much they understand, and how much they can be held accountable. Assumptions can never be trusted.

Even when our assumptions are correct, we're not free to judge the sinner, because a judge is one who has the authority to impose sentence. Only God has that authority, for only God is free of sin. Remember what Jesus told the guys who wanted to stone the adulterous woman: Who can cast the first stone?

Today's responsorial Psalm tells us how God serves as Judge (are we like this?): gracious and merciful, slow to anger, great in kindness, good to the sinner, etc. We're quick to condemn. We get frustrated when people don't get the punishment they deserve. And yet, how grateful we are that God does not condemn us so quickly! Ahhh, the sin of hypocrisy rears its ugly face. Judgmentalism leads to one sin after another.

As Christians who are devoted to uniting ourselves to Christ, we have the mind of Christ, but let's remember what is uppermost in Christ's mind: "I did not come to the world to condemn it, but to save it." We become obstacles in his way when we judge people. Redemption and justice only occur when we let Jesus decide how to make good come from every evil.

And by the way, you are a "who" too, so quit condemning yourself! Turn instead to God's mercy and let Jesus redeem you from whatever you've done wrong.

Today's Prayer
May the authority of Your liberating love, which You gave to humanity, fill my being and the hearts of those who are seeking You, beloved Lord! Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The 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 - August 31, 2020

Monday - August 31, 2020

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. 

-- Saint Francis de Sales  

 

August 31 2020

 

« August 30  |  September 1 »

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

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First reading
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ©

The only knowledge I claimed was of the crucified Christ

When I came to you, brothers, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.

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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118(119):97-102 ©

Lord, how I love your law!

Lord, how I love your law!

  It is ever in my mind.

Your command makes me wiser than my foes;

  for it is mine for ever.

Lord, how I love your law!

I have more insight than all who teach me

  for I ponder your will.

I have more understanding than the old

  for I keep your precepts.

Lord, how I love your law!

I turn my feet from evil paths

  to obey your word.

I have not turned from your decrees;

  you yourself have taught me.

Lord, how I love your law!

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Gospel Acclamation	Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:	Lk4:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

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Gospel	Luke 4:16-30 ©

'This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen'

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for he has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives

and to the blind new sight,

to set the downtrodden free,

to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

  But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’

  And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

  ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

  When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

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 How to bring others to conversion

All of us are called to be evangelizers. You are a missionary right now, where God has already placed you, touching the lives of everyone who encounters you. You are called to be the presence of Christ wherever you are and in everything you do.

Don't be discouraged when you fail at convincing someone to go to church or to trust in Jesus. The question is: Have you allowed yourself to get caught up in an argument? St. Paul tells us, in today's first reading, to rely instead on "the convincing power of the Spirit". No one is inspired into conversion when debates feel more like arguments than friendly explorations of the truth. People get defensive, because they feel pressured into changing their point of view. Defensiveness closes the ears of their hearts, and then they cannot listen with understanding.

Only the Holy Spirit grants understanding -- it's a gift -- and the Spirit works not in arguments and pushy persuasions, but in love and compassion.

Paul preached nothing but Jesus Christ crucified: with his words and in how he served. However, the crucifixion is not a pleasant topic. And yet, Christ's sacrifice is a far more persuasive reason to believe in God's love than anything we could ever say in a debate.
When unbelievers are ready to see what Jesus did for them on Good Friday, their resistance melts. When they understand why he did it, they experience conversion. But how can we help them see and understand without getting into arguments?

We preach Jesus most effectively by the sacrifices that we make in his name. By serving the needs of others (especially when they've not been kind to us) and imitating Jesus who went to the cross for those who sinned against him, we give a powerful testimony of God's love.
Since there are no quick journeys to faithfulness, we'll probably have lots of time and plenty of opportunities to show that we really care -- repeatedly -- before they are ready to understand the connection between our sacrificial love and Christ's. Then we must be ready to use words to explain God's love. This is much more effective than making them feel guilty about not going to church.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus begins the synagogue lesson -- and his public ministry -- with: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." It was the Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus and sent him into the world to preach. Likewise, it's the Holy Spirit who anoints you and me and sends us out from Mass to take Christ into the world. And it's the Holy Spirit (not us) who changes the hearts of those we evangelize.

Not everyone will pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying through us. Some will reject the truth no matter how greatly we love them. But when people do experience conversion and spiritual growth, their new faith will be founded not on our wisdom, but on the power of God.

Today's Prayer
Father, I am sorry for the times I have underestimated the gifts You have given me. You anointed me to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Please shepherd me with Your love so that I never wander from You, and show me Your will in each of my steps. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The 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 - August 30 2020

Sunday - August 30 2020

Religious pictures themselves will not make a family good. Only when they are contemplated upon, are they a practical way to help true Christian sentiment, and to a true Christian way of living in the family.

-- St. John Vianney

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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First reading	Jeremiah 20:7-9 ©

The word of the Lord has meant insult for me

You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced;

you have overpowered me: you were the stronger.

I am a daily laughing-stock,

everybody’s butt.

Each time I speak the word, I have to howl

and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’

The word of the Lord has meant for me

insult, derision, all day long.

I used to say, ‘I will not think about him,

I will not speak in his name any more.’

Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart,

imprisoned in my bones.

The effort to restrain it wearied me,

I could not bear it.

---

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9 ©

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;

  for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you

  like a dry, weary land without water.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

  to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,

  my lips will speak your praise.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I will bless you all my life,

  in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

  my mouth shall praise you with joy.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

For you have been my help;

  in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

My soul clings to you;

  your right hand holds me fast.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

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Second reading	Romans 12:1-2 ©

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice

Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

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Gospel Acclamation	cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

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Gospel
Matthew 16:21-27 ©

'Get behind me, Satan!'

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

  ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

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You Duped Me, Lord!

This Sunday's first reading is one of my personal favorites. I have often felt the way Jeremiah does here. I have yelled at God, "You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped!" And I allow it again and again. "You knew this would happen, Lord! Why did you lead me into this trial?" Have you ever felt that way?

Why do we let him do this to us? Why do we trust God even though he leads us into difficult situations? Why do we follow Jesus into giving our help and love to others even though it's going to feel very uncomfortable if not downright painful?

Walking with God and serving his kingdom is an adventure. We can expect the unexpected, and unfortunately in this world that includes suffering -- denying ourselves the opportunity to pursue self-centered agendas, taking up crosses, and following Jesus all the way to Calvary (but then of course, all the way to resurrection, too, as explained in the Gospel reading).

Because we love God, we are willing to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, like the second reading asks us to do. This is the highest form of worship; it's a spiritual communion that we experience outside of the Eucharistic liturgy of Mass. In union with Jesus, we are the Eucharist.

As Jeremiah's complaint shows us, we can safely complain to God. We can tell him, without getting punished, that we do not like working for him. Complaining to others, however, is a sin because it causes gossip and prejudices and makes God look bad.

Asking for prayer support during our trials is important, and we must keep doing this, but complaining to others shows how little we trust God. Eventually, we will see the good that comes from our sacrifices, and this is what we should communicate to others.

How do you feel when you do a good deed and it later works against you? Have you said "no" to allowing it to happen again? What brings the healing love of Jesus to you to help you recover?  What unexpected sufferings have you encountered while giving someone a gift of unconditional love or while doing some other service for the kingdom of God? How did you feel about God at that time? Was the cross you carried worth all the hardships? Explain.

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God Bless You.....

The 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 : Saturday - August 29, 2020

Saturday - August 29, 2020

Pray, and pray more. It may seem odd to say that now when you are taking examinations and working harder. But you need prayer, and not only the habitual prayer as an exercise of devotion; you also need to pray during odd moments, to pray between times, instead of allowing your mind to wander on stupidities. It does not matter if, in spite of your effort, you do not manage to concentrate and be recollected. That meditation may be of greater value than the one you made, with all ease, in the oratory.

~~St. Josemaría Escrivá

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

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First reading
Jeremiah 1:17-19 ©

Stand up and tell them all I command you; do not be dismayed at their presence

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:

‘Brace yourself for action.

Stand up and tell them

all I command you.

Do not be dismayed at their presence,

or in their presence I will make you dismayed.

‘I, for my part, today will make you

into a fortified city,

a pillar of iron,

and a wall of bronze

to confront all this land:

the kings of Judah, its princes,

its priests and the country people.

They will fight against you

but shall not overcome you,

for I am with you to deliver you –

it is the Lord who speaks.’

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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17 ©

My lips will tell of your help.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

  let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, free me:

  pay heed to me and save me.

My lips will tell of your help.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,

  a mighty stronghold to save me;

  for you are my rock, my stronghold.

Free me from the hand of the wicked.

My lips will tell of your help.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

  my trust, O Lord, since my youth.

On you I have leaned from my birth,

  from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your help.

My lips will tell of your justice

  and day by day of your help.

O God, you have taught me from my youth

  and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

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Gospel Acclamation	Mt5:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy those who are persecuted

in the cause of right,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

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Gospel	Mark 6:17-29 ©

The beheading of John the Baptist

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

  An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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Getting Nailed for the Truth

Do you know the surest sign that you're growing in holiness? You're being attacked because of it! You're living in a way that makes others realize that they too need to change, and this has unpleasant repercussions. Try not to take it personally. Those who cut you down are those who don't want to change. In truth, it's not you they want to destroy, but the invitation to holiness that your life exemplifies.

Such was Herod's condition when he arrested John the Baptist. Herodias felt even guiltier than Herod did about their sin, as evidenced in today's Gospel reading. She harbored such a strong grudge against John that she wanted him dead and she found the means to do it. But did it silence him forever? No, I'm sure the truth he had spoken nagged at her brain long afterward.

The truth does that when people fight it. Their battle keeps it right there in front of them and makes them do crazy things until they surrender. I suspect that hell is hearing the truth so loudly and clearly that it tortures forever those who don't want to hear it.

Has your freedom to express your faith been blocked by those who don't want to accept the truth? As they try to lock up that truth behind a wall of resistance, it's driving them crazy. You've been nailed to the cross of their prejudices or fears or woundedness (or whatever else has trapped them in their sinful or unhealthy patterns), and the nails are hurting you. The nails are immobilizing you so that you can do nothing to improve the situation.

However, those who put you on the cross will never escape their guilt until they turn to the Lord with a heart that's willing to change.

In the meantime, is there anything you can do? Or must you continue to hang on the cross?

What did Jesus do? He was nailed by those who did not want to accept the truths that he taught, but they could not silence his ability to make a difference. He asked the Father to forgive them -- "for they don't know what they're doing." He interceded for them. And then his pain ended. Soon afterward, he was raised into victory by a Father who was very pleased with him.

This is what happens to us, also, if we realize that our cross is actually the cross of Christ and that it's accomplishing a redemptive goodness. When we give to the Father those who've nailed us, interceding for them, we set ourselves free to enjoy our own personal resurrection. Their attacks cannot stop the Father from being very happy with us.

When we die to our desire to change those who've hurt us, leaving their fate up to God, we can get on with life and enjoy it.

God will not allow their sins against you to go unchallenged. He will deal with them in whatever way is best for their eternal souls, according to his infinite wisdom, in the time-frame that they give him. And he will work with whatever they give him, so that eventually the truth sinks into them with the most profound effectiveness.

Today's Prayer

Give me the grace, Lord, to be brave and bold when You lead me to give testimony to Your Word. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

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