My take on daily Scripture readings... in the ordinary sense of the Word!
By calling God "Father", the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children. God's parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood,62 which emphasizes God's immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. the language of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God for man. But this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood. We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard:63 no one is father as God is Father.
“Let us fancy we see hell, and imagine what is worst to behold – a horrible cavern full of black flames. Sulphur, devils, dragons, fire, swords, arrows, and innumerable damned who roar in despair. Imagine the worst you can, and then say, ‘All this is nothing compared to hell.'”St. Ignatius of Loyola
St. John Chrysostom: "The hypocrite would seldom choose to toil but would prefer only to make a show. For this very reason, the hypocrite is easily detected... do not look to the mask but to the behavioural fruits".Questions: (AI gen.)Am I "hiding myself from my own flesh" (neglecting family or neighbors in need) rather than sharing my resources?What "malicious speech" or judgmental attitudes do I need to remove from my daily interactions to ensure my prayers are heard?
This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!Questions: Is my goal to "gain the world"? If I were to look at my calendar and bank statement, what do they show I truly value?What is my "cross" today? What specific selfish desire, pride, or comfort must I surrender to follow Jesus more closely?(AI generated questions)
Today is a favourable day! Today is a day of salvation! Today God comes to meet me! My heart is overwhelmed!
"He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day." - John Bunyan"Hurry is the death of prayer." — Unknown
Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.Question: Is God enough for you?
1. In what areas of my life am I "spiritually deaf," struggling to hear God's voice amidst the noise? 2. How can I apply the word "Ephphatha" (Be opened) to my heart today?AI generated
What small compromises in your life might be gradually leading your heart away from God?Who are the people in your life that influence your spiritual direction? Are they leading you toward or away from God?How are you using the gifts and resources God has given you—for His glory or for personal convenience? - AI generated
Jesus had come to give us a heart transplant, to take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh, hearts like his, that could love God and others. He had come to set us on the path of beatitude, in this life and in the next, and enunciated that blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. The heart is the real core of the person, pointing to what we love and desire. It's what's in the heart — and the actions that flow from the heart — that renders a person pure or impure. Jesus describes several desires in the heart that defile us: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” The last one, folly, is basically the lack of wisdom. The Greek word that St. Mark uses, aphrosune, doesn't point to an imprudence flowing from a frail brain or intellect, but moral foolishness, those who play the fool by acting foolishly, by acting contrary to God's wisdom.https://catholicpreaching.com/wp/learning-from-the-queen-of-sheba-to-seek-gods-wisdom-5th-wednesday-ii-february-7-2018/
Image management in psychology is the conscious or subconscious process of controlling how others perceive you by regulating information, appearance, and behavior, first conceptualized by Erving Goffman. It involves strategic, often social, efforts to project a desired image—such as competence or likability—to influence others' evaluations and achieve personal or professional goals. (AI Overview)Question:What do I do in order to make others believe in me? Is this my authentic self acting to win the favour of others? Reflection: Take some time to examine the 'real me' and bring this side before the Lord . Lay it bare before Him and ask Him to heal those rugged areas and to make me more and more like Him each day!
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”1 Corinthians 6:19
When faced with a situation that requires me to be brutally honest despite the opposition I might face, do I:* rise up like Nathan and John the Baptist, without fearing the consequences? OR* do I slink away and let others do the work while I remain in my safety net?
Carry on, work tirelessly for the mission! The Good News is - He goes with us
"It is better to be a child of God than king of the whole world." — St. Aloysius Gonzaga
David's willingness to potentially die for his son is held up as an example of the profound love that Jesus requires of his followers- Catholic Commentary
My glorious King, You desire that Your Kingdom grow far and wide through our efforts of love. Please do use me, dear Lord, to plant Your seeds of faith and charity every day. May I never tire of these apostolic endeavors and may I always take great delight in serving You and building Your Kingdom in every way I can. Jesus, I trust in You.https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2021/10/25/planting-the-seed-over-and-over-again/
“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to heaven. It is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.” — St. Thérèse of Lisieux
“Break off from your cares and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.” + St. Anselm, bishop (1033-1109 A.D.)
To love God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind!
St. Catherine of Siena: "Prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!"
. “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” ― John Bunyan
To Work Out Our Salvation with Great Zeal Would Be My Goal today!
The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while at the same time fleeing from God Himself.R. C. Sproul
"The greatest among you will be your servant." - Mark 10:45.
“I want to be only a poor Friar who prays…Pray, Hope and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayers…Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on some occasions you should speak to Him only with your heart.” + St. Padre Pio of Petrelcina, Cappuchin priest (1887-1968 A.D.)
"I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.” - St. Dominic Savio
A New Reign of Peace: Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a time of unprecedented peace and restored harmony in creation. The wolf will lie with the lamb, the leopard with the goat, and a child will lead them. This is interpreted as a sign that Christ's reign restores the harmony lost by sin, a process that will be completed with his redemption of all creation.
Every mass, we imitate the faith of the Centurion and pray: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” The next time I am at mass, can I pray these words with deep faith and reverence?https://epriest.com/reflections/view/2823
The Natural Environment“Christians, in particular, realize…their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 15)“The natural environment is given by God to everyone, and its use entails a personal responsibility towards the whole of humanity”. (Pope Benedict XVI)“The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.” (Pope Francis, 23)“If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation”. (Pope Benedict XVI, 1)“Too many of us act like tyrants with regard to creation.” (Pope Francis) “A radical challenge…is to use the earth's resources wisely and responsibly…To do this is to respect the will of the Creator.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 4)“The earth is a precious gift of the Creator, who has designed its intrinsic order, thus giving us guidelines to which we must hold ourselves as stewards of his creation.” (Pope Benedict XVI)The earth “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her”. (Pope Francis, 2)https://capp-usa.org/2023/10/top-nature-quotes/
The Catechism of the Catholic Church places the story of the poor widow at the beginning of a section entitled “Poverty of Heart," stating, “The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven” (CCC #2544). The word obligatory is key here, as it means that without detachment from worldly goods, we cannot enter heaven because, after all, we will not be taking anything we own with us anyway. So, think of your most prized possessions. Are you ready to let those go at a moment's notice, just as the poor widow was?https://corpuschristiphx.org/blog.php?month=202411&id=1704008793&cat=&pg=1&title=The+Poor+Widow%26%238217%3Bs+Poverty+of+Heart
We're the Moneychangers'I'm not doing anything wrong' is not good enough for Jesus.https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/were-the-moneychangers
Reflect, today, upon the serious temptation we all face of being indifferent to Christ. It's easy for us to have a little faith and to turn to God when it is to our advantage. But it is also very easy to remain indifferent to Christ when things in life seem to be going well. We easily fall into the trap of thinking we do not need to daily surrender to Him in the most complete way possible. Root out any indifference to Christ today and tell Him you want to serve Him and His holy will with your whole heart.https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2020/11/18/jesus-wept-2/https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2020/11/18/jesus-wept-2/
Responding to HimWhile this scenario is more dramatic than most of us would ever encounter, at some level and in some way, Jesus is calling you right now to follow Him without reservation.You may ask: What about my problems? My financial responsibilities? My family? How is it possible?This is my question to you: Do you choose your problems and challenges or do you choose Jesus? When we say “Yes” to the call of Jesus, we are like the Blessed Mother in her great assent: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” We don't understand, but know we don't have to understand. All we need is to be obedient.When we say “Yes” to Jesus, our world changes. We may expect our problems to disappear immediately. That usually doesn't happen, but our attitude toward them changes. We don't give them the power we had previously given them.https://catholicstand.com/answering-the-call/
Overheard in an Orchard, by Elizabeth Cheney (1859)Said the Robin to the Sparrow,“I should really like to knowWhy these anxious human beingsRush about and worry so!”Said the Sparrow to the Robin,“Friend, I think that it must beThat they have no heavenly FatherSuch as cares for you and me!” Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matthew 6:26
The Blind man had “a strong voice,” but the people around “rebuke him to keep quiet, as if he didn't have the right to speak.”“They don't have compassion on him, but, rather, they are bothered by his cries,” the Pope said, asking: “How many times do we, when we see so many people in the street, needy people, sick and with nothing to eat, feel bothered?”
St. Jerome cautioned against judging others, stating that only Christ at the Day of Judgement holds the "winnowing fan". Jesus Christ himself said, "With what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matthew 7:2, Douay Rheims Challoner Bible). St. Alphonsus Liguori presented Christ as a merciful Father ready to pardon those who repent.
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” - St. Augustine
"In our missionary activities we are asked to preach the Gospel to all: 'Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, [we] should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet'" (Evangelii Gaudium, 14).
“Love does not reflect; it is unreasonable and knows no moderation.” + St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop (406-450 A.D.)
"The more deeply the cross penetrates, the better; the more deprived of consolation that your suffering is, the purer it will be; the more creatures oppose us, the more closely shall we be united to God." - St. Paul of the Cross
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instead set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.”St. Francis de Sales
Christians are encouraged to apply the spirit of the Socratic Method, if not the actual technique, to their own spiritual lives (1 John 4:1; 1 Corinthians 11:27–29). The biblical command to “examine yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5) parallels Socrates' quip that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Other scriptural instances of a Socratic approach include Job 38:1–11 and Proverbs 18:17https://www.gotquestions.org/Socratic-Method.html
“The task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church…. Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize.” Saint Pope Paul VI (EN 14). ► “The Mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion…. This mission is still only beginning … we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service.” Saint Pope John Paul II Music track: Fantasy by PufinoSource: https://freetouse.com/musicVlog Music for Video (Free Download)
The greatest security we can have in this world that we are in the grace of God, does not consist in the feelings that we have of love to Him, but rather in an irrevocable abandonment of our whole being into His hands, and in a firm resolution never to consent to any sin great or small. --Saint Francis of SalesMusic track: Serenity by PufinoSource: https://freetouse.com/musicFree Music Without Copyright (Safe)
The church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption. The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray.Aiden Wilson Tozer
“The men and women in our technical age risk becoming victims of their own intellectual and technical achievements, ending up in spiritual barrenness and emptiness of heart.”Pope Bendict
The righteous person finds his delight…in the law of the LORD.
“The habitual sinner may be absolved as often as he seriously undertakes to employ the means necessary to overcome his habit, but he cannot be absolved if he refuses this undertaking,” St. John of the Cross.
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