Podcasts about blessed virgin mary

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Gospel Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”'” Reflection Many of us have paused and questioned why? Why is there evil in the world? It's because it's God's plan. And what we realize is that the work that we have is a way of exposing illusions, the half truths, the lies in evil. And we have to grow together with those that are evil. And one of the things, that seems to me, this reading is so clearly trying to say is everything ultimately will be exposed. That which produces good, abundant fruit and heals and helps and feeds people will be shown. And those who have not produced anything of any worth for anyone else will be shown, and they will be destroyed. And those who gave life to others will flourish. Closing Prayer Father, at times we can become impatient and worried and afraid when we see evil all around us. People lying. People not being who they claim to be. Keep us from fear when that happens, because what's happening is evil is being exposed, which is a way in which it is destroyed. Help us to trust in your power. It always overcomes evil. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friends of the Rosary,Today, July 26, is the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the grandparents of Jesus, and the patron saints of all grandparents.They played an important part in the work of the Redemption. In their home, the Virgin Mary was educated to be the Mother of God. The Scripture is silent about the grandparents of Jesus. The Protoevanglium of James (c. 150) relates the story of Anne and Joachim, who were cured of their infertility with the gift of the child Mary.Joachim was a prominent and respected man who had no children, and he and his wife, Anne, looked upon this as a punishment from God. In answer to their prayers, Mary was born and was dedicated to God at a very early age. The Veneration of Anne and Joachim in the East dates from the 7th century.From the Middle Ages, numerous churches, chapels, and confraternities were dedicated to St. Anne. In the West, Anne became popular in the Middle Ages, invoked by infertile couples and women in childbirth.Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠July 26, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; their names from a legend which stems from a century after the Resurrection, but they represent and entire quiet series of generations who were preparing for the Messiah Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/26/25 Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

 44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.Simile est regnum caelorum thesauro abscondito in agro : quem qui invenit homo, abscondit, et prae gaudio illius vadit, et vendit universa quae habet, et emit agrum illum. 45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls.Iterum simile est regnum caelorum homini negotiatori, quaerenti bonas margaritas. 46 Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it.Inventa autem una pretiosa margarita, abiit, et vendidit omnia quae habuit, et emit eam. 47 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kind of fishes.Iterum simile est regnum caelorum sagenae missae in mare, et ex omni genere piscium congreganti. 48 Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth.Quam, cum impleta esset, educentes, et secus littus sedentes, elegerunt bonis in vasa, malos autem foras miserunt. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just.Sic erit in consummatione saeculi : exibunt angeli, et separabunt malos de medio justorum, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.et mittent eos in caminum ignis : ibi erit fletus, et stridor dentium. 51 Have ye understood all these things? They say to him: Yes.Intellexistis haec omnia? Dicunt ei : Etiam. 52 He said unto them: Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old.Ait illis : Ideo omnis scriba doctus in regno caelorum, similis est homini patrifamilias, qui profert de thesauro suo nova et vetera.St Anne, the spouse of Joachim, was the mother of Our Lady and the grandmother of Our Lord. Devotion to St Anne has increased very much in the whole Church.

A Family of Faith

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Little did the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary know that their daughter would become the Mother of Jesus. They simply did their duty as good parents. If we fulfill our ordinary everyday activities to the best of our abilities for the love of God, we would change the world for the better!

Starting the morning off with God is the key to strength and success in your day!Join me in praying the Catholic morning offering, as well as hear meditations, learn about the saint of the day,  and hear today's Scripture readings from Holy Mass.To sign up to receive a daily email of the Morning Offering through The Catholic Company, go to https://www.morningoffering.com/Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.The Morning Glory Consecration Prayer is excerpted from "33 Days to Morning Glory:  A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration" by Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, © 2011 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., p. 137.If you have any comments, please email me at Deanna.pierre25@gmail.com.Support the show

From the mountains of Saudi Arabia to the ruins of Noah's Ark in Turkey, Joseph F. Dumond has spent over four decades uncovering prophetic patterns hidden in plain sight. His discoveries about the Jubilee cycles, the Red Heifer's coming sacrifice in 2026, and the shocking fulfillment of biblical prophecies in our headlines today… will shake you. Joseph F Dumond I was born in 1958 to an Anglican mother and a Catholic father. I was raised Catholic and married my high school sweetheart, Barbara, in 1978 after graduating in 1977 from Orangeville District Secondary School in Ontario, Canada.Barbara and I had our daughter in 1981, our son in 1982, and then later our third child—another son in 1990. We wanted to be good parents and began to attend the Catholic church weekly, but we learned very little about God at this time.In 1981, I first heard Herbert Armstrong teaching about the Sabbath on my car radio late one night on my way to work in Eastern Ontario. He was teaching about the ancestry of the French people, which I found very interesting as I worked on my family tree, but I was not able to write his contact information down while I drove.A few days later, I heard him again as I left from work and wrote in to request some material. That winter of 1981-82, I found myself studying the Bible unlike I had ever done in the past. I was desperately trying to prove wrong what he said about the Sabbath being Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. How could one billion Catholics be keeping the Sabbath on the wrong day?I worked seven days a week as a foreman, supervising natural gas pipeline workers. There was no way I could possibly take a day off to attend church on Saturday. But finally, after six months of solid day and night study, I could no longer discount just how clear Yehovah has always been on this matter and that we all should be keeping the Sabbath. I was forced to conclude the seventh day Saturday Sabbath had never changed, and that it was the Catholic Church that was to blame for changing the Saturday Sabbath to Sunday, so I began to attend the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) in April of 1982.About a month after my first visit, I learned about the Holy Days. Through those Holy Days—all of which are found in Leviticus 23—I was able to learn of Yehovah's divinely inspired plan for mankind and how it was all to come together. I attended the WCG from 1982-1994. Hebert Armstrong died in 1986 and the Church he left behind began to return to—and look more and more like—the Catholic Church. There were many splits during these years.I left the WCG after attending Sukkot in 1994. They were now serving communion which is what we did every Sunday in the Catholic faith. I began to study on my own from that week onward. Because my wife was not interested, I would leave the house each Saturday and drive to a deserted dead-end road and study there alone—and did so until 9/11 took place in 2001.The Sabbath after 9/11, I was attending the United Church of God (UCG) which was one of the many offshoots of the WCG. While there, I began to write just a few articles for the Good News Magazine and the monthly newspaper published by the UCG.In the winter of 2004-05, I heard about Michael Rood and Nehemia Gordon giving a teaching in Lansing, Michigan. I drove down and for the first time learned that God had a name, that the Hillel calendar I was currently following began in 358 C.E., and the original calendar used by Yehshua and the Apostles was the crescent moon to begin the month and the barley each spring to begin the year. Once again, I was being challenged in my beliefs. Once again, I began an intensive search to discover the truth.I was not sure which methodology was correct, so I decided to keep both and no one would know. The Holy Days would only be a couple days apart at the most. Then Nehemia announced the barley was Aviv and they would be keeping the Holy Days one month before those on the Hillel calendar. I decided to keep both calendars anyway, even though they would be 30 days apart. On Passover according to the barley, I discovered the proof scripture showing me absolutely which calendar was correct. It was when Yehshua said no man could know the day or the hour. Then on that same day through Qadesh La Yahweh Press, Yehovah showed me the Jubilee years, when they were, and how to prove them. They had written about 11 historical Sabbatical and Jubilee years.I was able to connect the curses of Leviticus 26 to these Jubilee cycles. I was then able to bridge the gap between the Old and New Testament chronologies because of the Jubilee cycles, one of which (the year they entered the Promised Land) I discovered when I did the Genesis chronology. This led me to know that the end of the 6th millennial day of mankind would be in 2044.This also led me to understand the prophecy of Daniel 9, which shows there are 70 Jubilee cycles from the Exodus—and it was not talking about Jesus. The middle of the 70th week, or 70th Jubilee cycle, was 2020. I began warning about 2020 starting in 2005. Then the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the entire world in 2020.In the WCG I had learned how the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 explained the plan of salvation, but it was not until I combined the Jubilee cycles with those Holy Days that it all came together.I had begun to talk to the brethren about all I was discovering and by August 2006 I was asked to leave the UCG. That same month I began our website, Sightedmoon.com. The internet was still new and growing fast. This is when we began to write a weekly newsletter and share all those things we were discovering about the Jubilee cycles and prophecy, which I had written up in short articles since Passover 2005.I never wanted to be someone who teaches religion. Never. But when I saw that no one else was speaking about the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles and how they revealed end-time prophecy, I could no longer remain silent.In 2005, I took my first tour of Israel. In 2006, I mikveh'd (baptized) in the Gihon Spring and had hands laid on me. I have not been able to shut up since this time. Then in 2007, I went to Noah's Ark in eastern Turkey on the Iranian border to prove to myself if this was true and whether I could believe in the Bible. It was at this time that I also discovered I was in the Garden of Eden. After going to Israel and then Noah's Ark, I came away knowing the accuracy of the Bible. As of December 2024, I have been conducting my own tours of Israel, having now been there 25 times, as well as climbing Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia in 2022 where I saw the Golden Calf Altar.I continued to explain my findings to people repeatedly through our website, or in various Bible study groups, but few understood. In 2008, a friend told me to publish my writings into a book so they all would be in one place.In 2009, I kept my first Sabbatical year and let our land rest, stocking up food the year before. I also published the Sabbatical and Jubilee Charts for the first time in 2009.Having never written a book before, I was able to publish my first book The Prophecies of Abraham in 2010. I was trying to explain everything I understood in one book. I felt the least qualified to teach or to write as my English communication skills were horrendous.I assumed everyone already knew all these things I was explaining and that I was just another person saying the same old things once again. To my amazement, they did not know these things, nor had they heard such teachings before. Those double checking what I was saying could not find fault.This book, along with the charts, compares various prophetic Jubilee cycles with our current 120th cycle. Luke speaks of the days of Noah and of Lot. This is only understood when you see each of their Jubilee cycles and compare it to our own. Then that scripture makes so much more sense. Then we discovered the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine also confirmed what I was explaining.Many people could not understand how The Prophecies of Abraham demystified the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. To help them, in 2013, I then published Remembering the Sabbatical Year of 2016. I went into great detail and explained how to know when each and every Sabbatical and Jubilee year was. I walked the reader through each step in understanding how to figure this subject out, answering every question that has been raised about this subject.I was able to present all of this for the first time in 2013 at Sukkot in Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee. I was able to record all of these teachings for the very first time on video. It was during this Sukkot that I was introduced to the Tombstones of Zoar for the very first time.But the brethren still had trouble understanding the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 in relation to the Jubilee cycles. These end-time prophecies needed yet another book to explain them in great detail. This led me to publish my 4th book in 2014, The 2300 Days of Hell. I originally wanted to call it the 70 Shabua of Daniel, but no one understood the title, so I changed it just before publishing. Once you see the charts for the Jubilee cycles, you can then see how they explain the meaning of the 70 Weeks of Daniel, which were sealed until the time of the end. That time is right now.The brethren can now see many things on the nightly news that this book explains: the deception of the Paris Accords or Climate Change, and the rise of military confrontations in the Middle East, EU, Iran and China. In 2014, there was a lot of hype about the Blood Moons. Our 5th book, The Blood Moons-The Elephant in the Room, is only available as an e-book through our website, Sightedmoon.com. It shows you how there were blood moons on each of the Jewish Holy Days in the spring and in the fall just before almost every major event in the Bible, all the way back to just before the death of Adam. It is a stunning book which can only be explained when you understand the Jubilee cycles.In 2019, I was convinced of the need to write our 6th book, It Was A Riddle Not A Command, because many people would write us and say that no man knows the day or the hour, and therefore you cannot know these end-time prophecies that you are teaching in your other books. It was always disappointing to see this response, as it showed they would not and could not learn any more than what they had already come to understand at their local church or assembly. They had stopped growing. They had never learned what that expression they so often used was actually telling them—the very day our Messiah was going to come back on.In order to prove to you what this Hebrew idiom actually does mean, we must look at a few other subjects, which will again deepen your understanding of the time when our Messiah was killed and of what is meant by Revelation 12. You will also learn that Yehshua always spoke in parables to purposely not reveal the information He was teaching about to the public. He wanted them to remain ignorant because they would not take the time to learn about Him in more detail.In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, I hope you will be just like the wise virgins who bought extra oil so that they had it when they needed it. The five foolish virgins had to go buy the oil because they did not have enough, but they were too late.I had stated publicly I would close our website if nothing happened in 2020 as we had been warning in our book The 2300 Days of Hell. COVID-19 did happen, and it proved our accuracy of the Jubilee cycles, but it even took us some time to realize just how huge COVID was and what that meant.My 7th book was published in 2021. The Mystery of the Jewish Rapture 2033 was addressing the rapture debate and showing from scriptures when it was to take place. In The Mystery of the Jewish Rapture 2033, we drill down on the Rapture itself and show you exactly where it is explained and the very day and year it is to take place on—exactly as your Bible shows you. Our book It Was A Riddle Not A Command also tells you the very day our Messiah is to come, so these last two books answer that burning desire most Christians have as to when these things are to take place. This answer is not possible to know though unless you understand the Sabbatical and Jubilee years.With the restrictions of COVID diminishing in 2022, and after having seen the Golden Calf Altar and Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia, the realization of how COVID was a signal or marker to start another countdown began to dawn on me. I was now in a rush to get our next book out, but it turned out it was going to have to be three books which we called our Elijah Trilogy.Our 8th book was titled The Restoration of All Things and published in August 2022 as part one of our Elijah Trilogy. Yehshua said that Elijah must come first, and he would restore all things, and then the Messiah would come. So, what are the “all things” that have been lost and who is restoring those things today? Once we know what to look for, then we can see those who are restoring what was lost.Out 9th book, number two in the Elijah Trilogy, is The Abomination That Makes Desolate—The Epilogue. Released January 1, 2023, this book shows you how to know when the abomination was set up. Yes, the countdown to the abomination was already winding down as we raced to publish this book. Most have no clue because they are not looking, having not seen any of the works Yehovah is doing right now worldwide. Yes, we fully expected the abomination to be set up in 2023 and I even went to Israel to specifically look for it. I wrote Prime Minster Netanyahu and the Chief Rabbi and spoke face to face with Rabbi Yehudah Glick on September 10, 2023, but no one believed me. I was so stupid, so naive. Yehshua warned us that when you see the abomination you were to flee. Yehudah did text me on October 7 to say I was right, but it was too late for many people.I found a new shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the very location we expected to discover this abomination. Fortunately for me the abomination was set up on October 6, 2023, exactly 1290 days after the count had begun. To confirm this count date, the second part of Daniel's prophecy also took place 1335 days from that same marker. I experienced over 2000 rockets sent out from Gaza towards Israel and Jerusalem where I was. My understanding of prophetic events was proving to be spot on.My 10th book and 3rd book of the Elijah Trilogy was published in September 2023 and is titled The 10 Days of Awe. This book explains another understanding of the Holy Days from the Feast of Trumpets until the Day of Atonement. These 10 days are likened to the final 10 years before Satan is locked away with the Great Tribulation ending at that time. These 10 years are also connected to the curses of Revelation, as well as the 10 plagues of Egypt. I explain in this book about the curse of the Sotah woman of Numbers 5 and how each of the 10 plagues are what Yehovah is doing to show how the false gods have no power at all. My 11th book, The Stones Cry Out, published September 5, 2024, was originally going to be one book explaining all the various proofs we have discovered, demonstrating when the Sabbatical and Jubilee years are throughout history.You can know; it is not a mystery.As I began to write The Stones Cry Out, I quickly found myself going back, time and time again, to explain how the calendar is behind the confusion of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. The Rabbis, as they began to write the Mishnah, incorporated wrong understandings, and those errors were written into what became known as the Mishnah, the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud and then the Mishneh Torah. The expulsion from the land and subsequent persecutions in trying to send out messengers to report the barley being found, or the crescent moon being seen, proved to be increasingly dangerous over time. All of these things took place over 14 centuries.Then as I was working on The Stones Cry Out, I discovered that many people were now accepting the Zadok calendar as factual. This is when we pivoted to include all the details of the various calendars that have crept back into public knowledge today and are being used to mislead new people who are just starting to learn about the calendar. All of this was directly connected to the period starting with the Hasmonaeans, up to the destruction of the Temple. Then with the compiling of the Mishnah, the studies that led into the writing of the Jerusalem Talmud, then the Babylonian Talmud, and finally the Mishneh Torah, each error that was added was compounded over time.The Stones Cry Out Part 1 explains the history of how each compilation of the Oral Torah incorporated errors, leading the followers thereof away from the actual Torah. In understanding these facts, it is then possible to understand more readily how the Sabbatical and Jubilee years were then mixed and later changed. By explaining all this history, I am able to help you, the reader, understand the tombstones when most authorities do not. They have assumed, to their error, the Hillel calendar to have always been used since Mount Sinai. Not understanding the history of the calendars is why most authorities dismiss the tombstones as too confusing to use. Once you understand The Stones Cry Out Part 1, Part 2 will be very easy to grasp.My 12th book, The Stones Cry Out Part 2, published in December 2024, utilizes the knowledge that there are multiple calendars being used throughout history. Reconciling them all into one cohesive chronology has been the difficulty of all chronologists. It is the lack of understanding about the various calendars why many of the Jubilee experts dismissed so many of the historical artefacts that were available to them.Some proofs are undeniable, while others are weak if they have to stand on their own. It is with a great sense of pride that I share with you what I have been able to document and what we now currently know about the Sabbatical and Jubilee proofs in our possession.Ladies and Gentlemen, this book should have actually been the first book I presented. When I began to understand the Sabbatical and Jubilee years in 2005, at that time I only had 11 Sabbatical years as a reference. From just those 11, I was able to prove a 2nd Jubilee year. Considering we only knew about one Jubilee year prior to this discovery and proof, I was excited. With just these 12 proofs, I have come to understand all the prophecies I have shared with you over the years in all of our books.All of these books, all of this understanding was only possible because of the understanding gained from the knowledge revealed through the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles by Yehovah. They truly are the foundation or KEY to understanding all end-time prophecy.We have 84 Biblical & historical records recording 63 Sabbatical years and 5 Jubilee years. When all 68 are combined, they prove beyond all doubt when to keep the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. It has been my passion since 2005 to discover and explain these mysteries. As I have proven when the Sabbatical and Jubilee years are to be kept, Yehovah has revealed the profound meanings of many prophecies hidden by not understanding the Jubilee cycles. As I have learned them, I have shared these discoveries in each of my books in order for you, the reader, to also understand their profound meanings and grow closer to Yehovah God. It is for this purpose that I have created our website, Sightedmoon.com, and spent all this time and energy in producing these books—to help you to understand. I pray I have succeeded in helping you to understand. May they all be a blessing to you as well.You TubewebsiteFree Books

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

https://www.lobvm.com/hours/roman/1962/office-1/la-en/matins/I finished with the optional collect to make this a standalone hour. Sorry, I didn't check the other spoken recordings for consistency. Follow up with Lauds if you like: Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe

Offer to God praise as your sacrifice and fulfill your vows to the Most High; Then call upon me in time of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 13:24-30, today's readings)."He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”'”Jesus speaks to the crowds in a parable about a sower who sows good seed. The seed sprouts and grows, but an enemy of the sower comes at night to sow weeds throughout the wheat. When the slaves of the sower ask if they should pull up the weeds, he tells them to let the wheat and the weeds grow together and at the harvest separate them. They will then gather the wheat into the barn, but the weeds they will tie up and burn. At the harvest, the final judgment, Jesus will come to separate the weeds from the wheat. The Gospel acclamation reminds us to receive the word of God and realize the kingdom of heaven now and eternally for the life of the world to come: "Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls."Father in heaven, help me today see the the kingdom of heaven already here and yet to be. Like a planted seed, the word has in it challenges to life along with the potential for life brought to fulfillment at the time of harvest. Give me the grace to live the present moment with enthusiasm and in hope of the fulfillment of the word in the eternal kingdom yet to be. In a world where good and evil coexist, help me, Lord, hold onto the hope of the ultimate triumph of your kingdom in its fullness through Jesus Christ, your Son. Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us!Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Delivered by Elyanne from the Parish of Saint James in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Sirach 44: 10-15; Rs psalm 132: 11.13-14.17-18; Matthew 13: 16-17.LONGING TO SEE GOD The title for our meditation today is:Longing to See God. A long history of salvation illustrates the life and growthof the faith of those called to fulfill the will of God. Their communicationand relationship with God were manifested in the covenant that God would revealHimself as the savior of mankind. God always spoke and promised, for example toAbraham, Noah, kings and prophets, but He did not show up as a human being thatthey could meet face to face. A communication or relationship thatstill exists as a promise always gives us the consequence to wait for itsrealization. This is true with all the stories in the old testament. All thosewho accepted the promise and understood it very well can only hope in faiththat the promise of the coming of the Messiah, the awaited messenger of Godcould be realized. They all had the desire to see God. Their longing was notsomething empty but a real one, because God Himself already spoke about that,divine miracles and many other signs had really strengthened their faith in thecoming of the One sent from Heaven. But until they all died and left thisworld their dreams and wishes had not been realized. This illustration can helpus to reflect about this. There were two grandparents did not see one of theirgrandchildren to become a priest and if possible a bishop. They did not seewhat they had dreamt of. They had already died when one of their grandchildrenafter following all his formation proceses then to be ordained as a priest.This situation is similar to the people in the old testament. About these people, there are someexceptions. The scriptures only record a number of persons who did not directlyexperience the coming of the Messiah into the world. The parents of John theBaptist, Zakaria and Elisabeth should belong to this category. This includesalso the parents of Our Lady, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, whose feast day wecelebrate today. This couple and grandparents were certainly very happy andproud because the Son of God who was born as Jesus Christ, is from the womb ofMary, their own daughter. When Jesus says, "Many prophetsand righteous people want to see what you see", He actually points this toSaints Joachim and Anne, and all other people including us, who see andexperience the incarnated God in this world. Jesus wants to say that by seeingand experiencing Himself in a real and personal way, this makes us a people sospecial and blessed. Therefore, we must be always grateful and happy. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O Lord Jesus, may through the intercession of Saints Joachim andAnne, we will remain faithful to You in all our lives. Glory to the Father andto the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/ToddJoin the Angel Guild today and stream Testament, a powerful new series featuring the retelling of the book of Acts. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://Bioptimizers.com/toddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off your order of Berberine Breakthrough today.Bizable https://GoBizable.comUntie your business exposure from your personal exposure with BiZABLE.  Schedule your FREE consultation at GoBizAble.com today.  Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comHear directly from Zach Abraham as he shares insights in this FREE “Halftime” Webinar, THIS Thursday, July 24th at 3:30 Pacific.  Register now at Know Your Risk Podcast dot com. Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddLISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeI'm afraid Joe Rogan is choosing the wide road of almost-Christianity. The wide road takes many forms, but the road to salvation is narrow and clear. The wide road is ambiguous…Episode Links:Am I hearing this right?! They are screaming “WE ALL HATE COPS” at the “family friendly” Portland Pride Parade? Wow…Presbyterian Texas state rep James Talarico tells Joe Rogan there's nothing in the Bible against homosexuality or abortion, and that it was "pro choice" for the Blessed Virgin Mary to agree to conceive by the Holy Ghost. Because heresy makes you stupid.Pastor John MacArthur's purported last words, which he took between gasps for air as his mind drifted to 1 Corinthians 15:55 ("O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?") - ‘I feel no sting. I feel no fear.'The president of George Mason University says that public universities should select leaders on the basis of "racial diversity," rather than merit, and that his job is to promote "the five pillars of social justice," rather than to pursue the truth. He should resign.Hunter Biden goes on a profanity laced rant about illegals being deported: "People are really upset about illegal immigration? Fuck you. How do you think your hotel room gets cleaned? How do you think you have food on your fucking table? Who do you think washes your dishes?"Hunter Biden suggests his father was drugged up before the infamous CNN debate: "He flew around the world. He's 81 years old. He's tired. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep and he gets up on the stage and looks like a deer in the headlights." - PS: The FigureHead was at Camp David for SEVEN DAYS before the debate. 

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgContact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever; Who remembered us in our abjection, for his mercy endures forever; And freed us from our foes, for his mercy endures forever. His mercy endures forever.A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 12:14-21, today's readings).The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.In today's Gospel, Jesus withdraws from the Pharisees who seek to kill him. In the first reading from Exodus, we hear how the Israelites flee from Egypt and slavery under Pharaoh to the desert. Under the scrutiny of the Pharisees, Jesus answers their questions about what is lawful to do on the sabbath. The disciples pick the heads of grain on the sabbath, and Jesus cures a man with a withered hand on the sabbath. So Jesus flees from them because they seek to kill him, and it is not yet his time. In flight from them, Jesus continues to do what he has been doing in his earthly mission: teaching, healing, fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies, and establishing his Church.God, help me consider the works Jesus did on earth to prepare all who hear and follow him for eternal life. I read in the Gospel acclamation: "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." Just as Jesus understood and accomplished your will, strengthen me to do the same. As Jesus responded to the Pharisees by withdrawing from them, I have by this the example that doing your will sometimes means retreating from hostility to continue to serve you elsewhere. Give me, Lord, a heart able to discern your will, aware that at all times through Christ you entrust to me your message of reconciliation. Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Curious about the brown scapular? Angela Sealana talks with two Carmelite friars about the history of the Carmelite Order and the meaning behind this special sign of faith. Learn how wearing the brown scapular can help you grow closer to Jesus, deepen your prayer life, and feel more connected to the Church. In this episode, you will: •    Discover the origin of the brown scapular. •    Learn how wearing the brown scapular differs from a superstition. •    Hear what the popes & saints said about wearing it. •    Uncover how the brown scapular can help us to live with hope. Continue Your Journey: Guest information and helpful resources. Jewel for the Journey: “...The most genuine form of devotion to the Most Holy Virgin, expressed by the humble sign of the scapular, is the consecration to her Immaculate Heart.” - Pope St. John Paul II Do you like what you hear? Become a Missionary of Hope by sponsoring a week of Journeys of Hope. Click here to get started. Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

7/16/25 - St. Simon Stock was a 13th-century English Carmelite friar whose life helped shape the future of the Carmelite Order during a critical time of transition from the deserts of Mount Carmel to the cities of Europe. Born in Kent and said to have lived as a hermit in the hollow of a tree (earning him the name “Stock”), he was known for his deep asceticism and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1251, according to tradition, the Virgin appeared to him in Aylesford, England, and gave him the Brown Scapular, with the promise that “those who die wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire.” This vision sparked widespread Marian devotion and established the scapular as one of the most beloved sacramentals in the Church. Through his leadership, mystical experiences, and enduring spiritual influence, St. Simon Stock remains a model of Carmelite spirituality rooted in humility, prayer, and total trust in Our Lady.

On July 16th, we will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a significant event in the Catholic calendar that honors the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This feast is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the importance of devotion to Mary and the role of scapulars as sacramentals in our faith. Join us for an engaging discussion where we will explore the history and significance of the scapular, particularly the Brown Scapular associated with this feast. We will also delve into other types of scapulars, their meanings, and how they can enhance our spiritual journey.

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel procession through the streets of Hammonton, New Jersey, celebrates the 150th anniversary with a Canonical Coronation from the Pope will be bestowed upon the statue a Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Listen to Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C share more in this segment of the Son Rise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio, about how the procession impacted his family and the people who attend it.The 150th anniversary of the procession in honor of the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Hammonton, New Jersey, is the longest continuous Italian festival in the United States. The image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel there will have a canonical coronation on the feast day, July 16th. A Mass celebrates the special event as well as the annual procession of saints through the streets. The Pallottines served the parish that was called St. Joseph from 1901-2004. The diocese merged three parishes into one and renamed the parish, St. Mary of Mt. Carmel. The other image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel that has a canonical crown is at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in New York (1904) which is the first church of the Pallottines in the United States. The Pallottines still serve there there.A canonical coronation is a formal act by the Pope, expressed through a papal bull, to crown a venerated image of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or St. Joseph. This act acknowledges the image's local and universal significance within the Catholic Church. This is a rare honor for the church and our diocese.In the United States, only four Marian images have received this honor: Our Lady of Prompt Succor: Crowned on November 10, 1895, in New Orleans, Louisiana.Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Crowned on July 10, 1904, in New York City, New York. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception: Crowned on August 22, 2013, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Our Lady of La Leche: Crowned on October 10, 2021, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in Florida.The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel celebrates the tradition that a Carmelite friar, St. Simon Stock, received a vision of the Blessed Mother presenting him with the Brown Scapular. Today, the scapular forms a part of the habit of Carmelite friars and sisters. Lay faithful who wear the scapular do so as both a sign of devotion to the Blessed Mother and as a promise to imitate her example as the perfect follower of Christ.Listen to Pallottine Fathers and Brothers to learn moreLearn more about Our Lady of Mt. CarmelVisit the Canonical Coronation websiteView the other images in the processionReady Summertime is a Time for Processions Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

End your day with calm and grace through this peaceful night prayer. In this follow-along bedtime prayer, we entrust ourselves to God's care, give thanks for the blessings of the day, and ask for restful sleep under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Let this be a gentle companion as you quiet your mind and heart before sleep.Subscribe to RosaryMinded for daily prayers, Rosaries, and spiritual comfort.#EveningPrayer #BedtimePrayer #RosaryMinded #NightPrayer #CatholicPrayer #PeacefulPrayer

Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. As the Italy pilgrimage continues to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Father Dave reflects on the Blessed Mother on today's feast. We are to behold Mary as our mother and invite her to pray with us. Preached at Basilica of St. Mary Major, Rome, Italy on 6-9-25

Song of Songs 2: 8-14;Luke 1: 39-47;Haydock Commentary Please consider donating to help keep this podcast going by going to buymeacoffee.com/catholicdailybrief Also, if you enjoy these episodes, please give a five star rating and share the podcast with your friends and family

Loving God with the purest of hearts

Read OnlineAll who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Luke 1:65–66John the Baptist was formed by the hand of the Lord. Saint Thomas Aquinas goes so far as to say that John was sanctified in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, as is written: “He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb” (Luke 1:15). From the moment that the Blessed Virgin Mary greeted Elizabeth and John leaped for joy, the hand of the Lord was upon John, making him holy and leading him to the fulfillment of God's holy will.John's early life is not recorded for us, other than in the passage quoted above. We are told that he “grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.” We should see in this passage the truth that John was not only sanctified within the womb of his mother but that, throughout his childhood and on into adulthood, he remained deeply united to God and was filled with the Holy Spirit.Today we honor one particular aspect of John's life—his birth. We know that he was blessed to not only be born into the blessed family of Elizabeth and Zechariah but that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, was also his relative and was present at his birth. Zechariah, his father, gave him the name “John” even though it would have been the custom to call him Zechariah after his father. Zechariah did this in obedience to the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to him prior to John's birth and instructed him to do so.Great mystery and excitement surrounded the birth of John, and there is little doubt that those who were present at his birth would have been caught up in the intrigue and hope of who he would become. And John didn't disappoint. It was of him that Jesus one day would say, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John…” (Luke 7:28).Though you may not have had the privilege of being sanctified in the womb of your mother, or to have had your father receive a revelation from the Archangel Gabriel prior to your birth, you are, nonetheless, called to be guided by the hand of the Lord each and every day. God wants you to become “strong in spirit” so that you can fulfill the unique will given to you. We honor the great saints, in part, because they give us an example of how to live. For that reason, we must see in each of their lives the model to which we must conform. The primary witness set by Saint John the Baptist is that he was unwaveringly obedient to God and to being formed by His hand. The result was the glorious fulfillment of his unique mission in life, all the way to giving his life as a martyr. Reflect, today, upon the very real fact that, though you were not sanctified in the womb, you were sanctified by Baptism. From there, you were strengthened by the Spirit through Confirmation and are regularly fed by the Most Holy Eucharist. In many ways, you are just as blessed as John.Reflect upon the simple yet profound fact that God wants to use you for His holy mission. He gives to you some particular mission He has not entrusted to another. Say “Yes” to that mission today so that you, too, will be seen as “great” in the Kingdom of Heaven.Lord of all greatness, You sanctified Saint John the Baptist in the womb, and You continued to pour forth Your grace upon him throughout his life. He responded to You and fulfilled his glorious mission. I thank You for the sanctification given to me by my Baptism and strengthened through Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. Help me to be open to all the graces You wish to bestow so that I may fulfill the unique mission given to me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image Luca Giordano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.