Saint Jerome, Priest, Doctor [Prayer]

Prayer

O Lord, O God of truth,
whose Word is a lantern to our feet
and a light upon our path:
We give you thanks for your servant Jerome,
and those who, following in his steps,
have labored to render the Holy Scriptures
in the language of the people;
and we pray that your Holy Spirit
will overshadow us as we read the written Word,
and that Christ, the living Word,
will transform us according to your righteous will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Newly Baptised Burn With Desire And Thirst For God

I will enter God’s marvellous dwelling place

As the deer longs for running water, so my soul longs for you, my God. Just as the deer longs for running water, so do our newly baptized members, our young deer, so to speak, also yearn for God. By leaving Egypt and the world, they have put Pharaoh and his entire army to death in the waters of baptism. After slaying the evil, their hearts long for the springs of running water in the Church. These springs are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah testifies that the Father is like a fountain when he says: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, to dig for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. In another passage we read about the Son: They have forsaken the fountain of wisdom. And again, John says of the Holy Spirit: Whoever drinks the water I will give him, that water shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life. The evangelist explains that the Savior said this of the Holy Spirit. The testimony of these texts establishes beyond doubt the three fountains of the Church constitute the mystery of the Trinity.

These are the waters that the heart of the believer longs for, these are the waters that the heart of the newly baptized yearns for when he says: My heart thirsts for God, the living fountain. This is not a weak, faint desire to see God; rather the newly baptised actually burn with desire and thirst for God. Before they received baptism, they used to ask one another: When shall I go and see the face of God? Now their quest has been answered. They have come forward and they stand in the presence of God. They have come before the altar and have looked upon the mystery of the Saviour.

Having received the body of Christ, and being reborn in the life-giving waters, they speak up boldly and say: I shall go into God’s marvelous dwelling place, his house. The house of God is the Church, his marvelous dwelling place, filled with joyful voices giving thanks, and praise, filled with all the sounds of festive celebration.

This is the way you should speak, you newly baptised, for you have now put on Christ. Under our guidance, by the word of God you have been lifted out of the dangerous waters of this world like so many little fish. In us the nature of things has been changed. Fish taken out of the sea die; but the apostles have fished for us and have taken us out of the sea of this world so we could be brought from death to life. As long as we were in the world, our eyes looked down into the abyss and we lived in filth. After we were rescued from the waves, we began to look upon the sun and look up at the true light. Confused in the presence of so much joy, we say: Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, in the presence of my savior and my God.

~St. Jerome to the newly baptised.

Prayer to the Archangels

Prayer to St. Gabriel

Dear St. Gabriel, celestial ambassador of the Incarnation of the Divine Word, illuminate my intelligence so that I may know and understand the truths of our Catholic Faith. Erase all of my doubts that I might have in regards to God’s mercy and justice.
Amen

St Gabriel pray for us!


Prayer to St. Michael

Dear St. Michael, celestial defender of the Faith, strengthen my weak heart and expand it that it might receive the abundance of divine grace. Secure in me the virtue of humility; help me to realize my unworthiness and ignorance so that I may be freed from any danger from the proud evil spirits who disobeying God hurled themselves from Heaven into the deep abyss.
Amen

St Michael pray for us!


Prayer to St. Raphael

Dear St. Raphael, celestial messenger from Heaven and remedy of Divine Love, cure my blindness of the mind so that I may believe in the Way, the Truth and the Life. Illuminate my mind and heart so that I may realize that in all of the sufferings and crosses that I may endure in this life, I receive graces and favors as Our Lord wishes to give me so that He may lead me on the pathway to Heaven.
Amen

St Raphael pray for us!

Lord God of hosts,
in your all-wise plan you assign to angels and to men
the services they have to render you.
Grand that the angels, who adore you in heaven,
may protect us here on earth.
We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels [Feast]

The word "angel" denotes a function rather than a nature

You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels. And so it was that not merely an angel but the archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary. It was only fitting that the highest angel should come to announce the greatest of all messages.
Some angels are given proper names to denote the service they are empowered to perform. In that holy city, where perfect knowledge flows from the vision of almighty God, those who have no names may easily be known. But personal names are assigned to some, not because they could not be known without them, but rather to denote their ministry when they came among us. Thus, Michael means “Who is like God”; Gabriel is “The Strength of God”; and Raphael is “God’s Remedy.”
Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. So also our ancient foe desired in his pride to be like God, saying: I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven; I will be like the Most High. He will be allowed to remain in power until the end of the world when he will be destroyed in the final punishment. Then, he will fight with the archangel Michael, as we are told by John: A battle was fought with Michael the archangel.
So too Gabriel, who is called God’s strength, was sent to Mary. He came to announce the One who appeared as a humble man to quell the cosmic powers. Thus God’s strength announced the coming of the Lord of the heavenly powers, mighty in battle. Raphael means, as I have said, God’s remedy, for when he touched Tobit’s eyes in order to cure him, he banished the darkness of his blindness. Thus, since he is to heal, he is rightly called God’s remedy.

~St Gregory the Great

Saint Wenceslaus (Wacław), Martyr

The throne of the king who judges the poor faithfully will be made firm for ever

At the death of Vratislaus the people of Bohemia made his son Wenceslaus their king. He was by God’s grace a man of utmost faith. He was charitable to the poor, and he would clothe the naked, feed the hungry and offer hospitality to travellers according to the summons of the Gospel. He would not allow widows to be treated unjustly; he loved all his people, both rich and poor; he also provided for the servants of God, and he adorned many churches.

The men of Bohemia, however, became arrogant and prevailed upon Boleslaus, his younger brother. They told him, “Your brother Wenceslaus is conspiring with his mother and his men to kill you.”

On the feasts of the dedication of the churches in various cities, Wenceslaus was in the habit of paying them a visit. One Sunday he entered the city of Boleslaus on the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, and after hearing Mass, he planned to return to Prague. But Boleslaus, with his wicked plan in mind, detained him with the words: “Why are you leaving, brother?” The next morning when they rang the bell for matins, Wenceslaus, on hearing the sound, said: “Praise to you, Lord; you have allowed me to live to this morning.” And so he rose and went to matins. Immediately Boleslaus followed him to the church door.

Wenceslaus looked back at him and said: “Brother, you were a good subject to me yesterday.” But the devil had already blocked the ears of Boleslaus and perverted his heart. Drawing his sword Boleslaus replied: “And now I intend to be a better one!” With these words he struck his brother’s head with his sword. But Wenceslaus turned and said: “Brother, what are you trying to do?” And with that he seized Boleslaus and threw him to the ground. But one of Boleslaus’ counsellors ran up and stabbed Wenceslaus in the hand. With his hand wounded, he let go of his brother and took refuge in the church. But two evil men struck him down at the church door; and then another rushed up and ran him through with a sword. Thereupon Wenceslaus died with the words: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit!

~From the first old Slavic legend

The Son of God chose to be poor

Serving the poor is to be preferred above all thing

Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor.

Although in his passion he almost lost the appearance of a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block by the Jews, he showed them that his mission was to preach to the poor: He sent me to preach the good news to the poor. We also ought to have this same spirit and imitate Christ’s actions, that is, we must take care of the poor, console them, help them, support their cause.

Since Christ willed to be born poor, he chose for himself disciples who were poor. He made himself the servant of the poor and shared their poverty. He went so far as to say that he would consider every deed which either helps or harms the poor as done for or against himself. Since God surely loves the poor, he also loves those who love the poor. For when one person holds another dear, he also includes in his affection anyone who loves or serves the one he loves. That is why we hope that God will love us for the sake of the poor. So when we visit the poor and needy, we try to understand the poor and weak. We sympathise with them so fully that we can echo Paul’s words: I have become all things to all men. Therefore, we must try to be stirred by our neighbours’ worries and distress. We must beg God to pour into our hearts sentiments of pity and compassion and to fill them again and again with these dispositions.

It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you interrupted your prayer to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave him for such service. One of God’s works is merely interrupted so that another can be carried out. So when you leave prayer to serve some poor person, remember that this very service is performed for God. Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity. Since she is a noble mistress, we must do whatever she commands. With renewed devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars. They have been given to us as our masters and patrons.

~St Vincent de Paul

I Come To Confess

As I knelt before the heavenly throne to pray
I found myself lost for words that I really needed to say:

O Lord, you know this life I’ve wrecked
Careless have I been, to this gift you bedecked

It could have been me on the street the other day
My life cut short and snatched away

A life so full of joy and vigour
By foolish misdeeds, sorrow it would trigger

Now trembling I come to confess
Forgive me Lord, for making my living such a mess

I thank you for your protective embrace
Without which I would lose this very race

I hope it’s not too late
To turn around from my current fate

Signed and sealed “from this day forward I live for You”
For that dear Lord, is the wisest thing to do.

Amen.

~Olivia
Copyright© 2011 All rights reserved

The Week That Was

These past two weeks have been extremely horrific. Witnessed an accident, wherein the man lost his legs and a couple of days before a friend of mine was stabbed just meters away from where I live. She’s recovering now, had quite a number of stitches. Things like these toss you overboard. To come to think of it, I’m reckless with life. I don’t know if I’ve taken “life” for granted, or why I keep putting my guardian angel to the test! Living life in the fast lane always has its consequences, but then again even the extra cautious don’t get out alive. On the road, I’m mostly cutting lanes and jumping traffic signals, zooming to fast to notice someone in need of a drop. There was a time when my brakes were gone, and shamelessly I would zoom around town, until my ‘bff’ made me realize that I would be breaking the fifth commandment, if something ever happened. I thank God nothing happened either to me or someone else. I’m not boastful of these things, but that’s me always rebellious, obstinate and challenging. I only pray that I’m able to change before something goes irreversibly wrong!

My friend was attacked in broad daylight on the same road I take to walk my Golden in the dead of the night. Don’t ask the hour sometimes its way into the A.M. There’s nothing like a walk in the stillness of the night, under the canopy of the moon and the stars. The feeling is quite addictive. To break that would be a feat in itself. It’s not that I’m plain lucky that I’ve been spared, yes what happened to her could happen to me. I’d rather die for my faith than for no cause whatsoever. I never believe in luck cause I know everything happens for a reason. But maybe the incidences that occurred were an eye opener to people like me who live life recklessly. Maybe it says don’t die for the clothes you wear or the gold that adorns your body. Or maybe all it says is checkmate my friend, it's time for us to meet.


*The poem in the above post was written with this post in mind.

God's Eternal Ink

I dreamed I was in heaven
Where an angel kept God's book.
He was writing so intently
I just had to take a look.

It was not, at first, his writing
That made me stop and think
But the fluid in the bottle
That was marked eternal ink.

This ink was most amazing,
Dark black upon his blotter
But as it touched the parchment
It became as clear as water.

The angel kept on writing,
But as quickly as a wink
The words were disappearing
With that strange eternal ink.

The angel took no notice,
But kept writing on and on.
He turned each page and filled it
Till all its space was gone.

I thought he wrote to no avail,
His efforts were so vain
For he wrote a thousand pages
That he'd never read again.

And as I watched and wondered that
This awesome sight was mine,
I actually saw a word stay black
As it dried upon the line.

The angel wrote and I thought I saw
A look of satisfaction.
At last he had some print to show
For all his earnest action.

A line or two dried dark and stayed
As black as black can be,
But strangely the next paragraph
Became invisible to see.

The book was getting fuller,
The angel's records true,
But most of it was blank, with
Just a few words coming through.

I knew there was some reason,
But as hard as I could think,
I couldn't grasp the significance
Of that eternal ink.

The mystery burned within me,
And I finally dared to ask
The angel to explain to me
Of his amazing task.

And what I heard was frightful
As the angel turned his head.
He looked directly at me,
And this is what he said...

I know you stand and wonder
At what my writing's worth
But God has told me to record
The lives of those on earth.

The book that I am filling
Is an accurate account
Of every word and action
And to what they do amount.

And since you have been watching
I must tell you what is true;
The details of my journal
Are the strict accounts of YOU.

The Lord asked me to watch you
As each day you worked and played.
I saw you as you went to church,
I saw you as you prayed.

But I was told to document
Your life through all the week.
I wrote when you were proud and bold,
I wrote when you were meek.

I recorded all your attitudes
Whether they were good or bad.
I was sorry that I had to write
The things that make God sad.

So now I'll tell the wonder
Of this eternal ink,
For the reason for its mystery
Should make you stop and think.

This ink that God created
To help me keep my journal
Will only keep a record of
Things that are eternal.

So much of life is wasted
On things that matter not
So instead of my erasing,
Smudging ink and ugly blot.

I just keep writing faithfully and
Let the ink do all the rest
For it is able to decide
What's useless and what's best.

And God ordained that as I write
Of all you do and say
Your deeds that count for nothing
Will just disappear away.

When books are opened someday,
As sure as heaven is true;
The Lord's eternal ink will tell
What mattered most to you.

If you just lived to please yourself
The pages will be bare,
And God will issue no reward
For you when you get there.

In fact, you'll be embarrassed,
You will hang your head in shame
Because you did not give yourself
In love to Jesus' Name.

Yet maybe there will be a few
Recorded lines that stayed
That showed the times you truly cared,
Sincerely loved and prayed.

But you will always wonder
As you enter heaven's door
How much more glad you would have been
If only you'd done more.

For I record as God sees,
I don't stop to even think
Because the truth is written
With God's eternal ink.

When I heard the angel's story
I fell down and wept and cried
For as yet I still was dreaming
I hadn't really died.

And I said: O angel tell the Lord
That soon as I awake
I'll live my life for Jesus-
I'll do all for His dear sake.

I'll give in full surrender;
I'll do all He wants me to;
I'll turn my back on self and sin
And whatever isn't true.

And though the way seems long and rough
I promise to endure.
I'm determined to pursue the things
That are holy, clean and pure.

With Jesus as my helper,
I will win lost souls to Thee,
For I know that they will live with Christ
For all eternity.

And that's what really matters
When my life on earth is gone
That I will stand before the Lord
And hear Him say, "Well done."

For is it really worth it
As my life lies at the brink?
And I realize that God keeps books
With His eternal ink.

Should all my life be focused
On things that turn to dust?
From this point on I'll serve the Lord;
I can, I will, I must!

I will NOT send blank pages
Up to God's majestic throne
For where that record's going now
Is my eternal home.

I'm giving all to Jesus
I now have seen the link
For I saw an angel write my life
With God's eternal ink.

A Man Had Two Sons (Matthew 21:28)

"He thought better of it and went." (Matthew 21:29)

Today’s Gospel ‘parable of the two sons’ is the most common scenario in family life. Two thousand years after Jesus preached this parable, parents of today still face the same situation. Things have not changed much, and there always seems to be a black sheep in every family. Some children are very obedient others are not so. But have you ever wondered why the Father approached a particular son first and then the other? Have you stopped to ponder that if the second son was obedient why wasn’t he asked to complete the task first? Well, you don’t have to be a parent to answer that one. As mature adults we all know that when in need we first approach the one who can fulfill our need, if all else fails then we use the last resort.

In the parable, both sons had the same invitation, “go and work in the vineyard --today.” It was a one time opportunity –today! Salvation is a one time opportunity, we accept the call once, but we have to persevere till the end. In the first reading it says, “when the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin.. he dies because of the evil he himself has committed.” When we decide to change for the better we have to stick with it until the end. Every sin has a consequence. It is not God who punishes or condemns, but punishment is the consequence or result of a person’s wrong doing. The Father asks but it is we who choose to obey or disobey—its free will. The result of our choices is the consequence of our actions.

There’s a conversion in both cases: the first son repents and responds generously, the second dishonours his promise and stands condemned. The question is not whether we are like the first son or the second, because neither son’s behavior is satisfactory. They both hurt their father, if not by words then deeds. Yet, we may justify the behavior of the first son, but what God is looking at, is someone who sticks with a “Here I am Lord I come to do your will.” There is absolutely no need to be in the vineyard if one will not work. And neither is God pleased with lip service. Gregory says: “A law is laid upon the preacher to practise what he preaches.” Therefore our words and deeds should speak the same dialect.

In the second reading St. Paul says, to have a mind like Christ we must constantly think of the other person’s interest. Just as Christ emptied himself (kenosis) to become a slave for humanity, we too ought to serve one another. The Lord says, “Not everyone who says to me Lord! Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of God” (Matthew 7:21). The will of God is the acid test of true conversion. Repentance from evil ways makes it possible for one to enter the kingdom. Yes, the work in the vineyard is our very lives and our 'example is always the best sermon preached'.

“Heavenly Father, I thank you for inviting me to work for your kingdom. I pray dear Lord that I may work diligently and that my very life being the message I preach.”

Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of Christians

Mary bore only one Son. In heaven, he is the only-begotten of the Father; on earth, likewise, he is the only-begotten of his Mother. She who is the only Virgin-Mother, she who glories in having borne the only-begotten of the Father, embraces that same only-begotten of hers in all his members so she can truly be called mother of all in whom she sees that Christ her Son has been formed or is being formed.

The first Eve is not so much a mother as a stepmother since she handed on to her children an inheritance of certain death rather than the beginning of light. She is indeed called the mother of all the living, but she turned out to be more precisely the murderer of the living, or mother of the dead, since the only fruit of her child-bearing was death. And as Eve was incapable of fulfilling the vocation of her title, Mary consummated the mystery. She herself, like the Church of which she is the type, is a mother of all who are reborn to life.

She is in fact the mother of the Life by which everyone lives, and when she brought it forth from herself she in some way brought to rebirth all those who were to live by that Life.

Thus the blessed Mother of Christ, knowing that she is the mother of all Christians by reason of this mystery, shows herself a mother by her care and loving attention. For her heart is not hardened against these children as if they were not her own; her womb carried a child once only, yet it remains ever fruitful, never ceasing to bring forth the fruits of her motherly compassion.

In short, if the Servant of Christ by his care and heartfelt tenderness bears his little children again and again until Christ be formed in them, how much more is this true of the very Mother of Christ? Paul begot his children by preaching the word of truth through which they were born again; but Mary in a manner far more holy and like to God, by giving birth to the Word himself. I do indeed praise the ministry of preaching in Paul, but far more do I admire and venerate that mystery of generation in Mary. Then again, is it not true that her children seem to recognise her as their Mother by a kind of instinctive devotion which faith gives them as second nature, so that first and foremost in all their needs and dangers they run to call upon her name just as children run to their mother’s breast? So I think it is quite reasonable to understand of these children that promise of the Prophet to her: ‘Your children shall live in you’; provided that the prophecy is always understood to refer principally to the Church. Already we really dwell in the help of the Mother of the Most High; we do live in her protection, as if under the shadow of her wing. And afterwards in participating in her glory we shall be cherished as if in her bosom. Then a single cry of rejoicing and thanksgiving will be heard addressed to this Mother: ‘The dwelling place of all of us who rejoice and are glad is in you, holy Mother of God.’

~ Blessed Abbot Guerric

Do You Know What Hope Is?

It’s magic and it’s free
It’s not in a prescription
It’s not in an IV.

It punctuates out laughter,
It sparkles in our tears,
It simmers under sorrows,
And dissipates our fears.

Do you know what Hope is?
It’s reaching past today,
It’s dreaming of tomorrow,
It’s trying a new way.

It’s pushing past impossible,
It’s pounding on the door,
It’s questioning the Answers,
It’s always seeking more.

It’s rumors of a breakthrough,
It’s whispers of a cure,
A roller coaster ride
Of remedies, unsure.

Do you know what Hope is?
It’s candy for the soul,
It’s perfume for the spirit,
To share it makes you Whole.

Who Do You Say I AM

Children come and gather around
I have something I want to ask
Soon will come a trumpet
Have you completed the task?

You have cast out demons in My name
You have opened blind eyes and healed the lame
You have baptised the lost and forgiven the shame
But one question still remains

Who do they say I am?
Who do they say I am?
Some say Elijah some say John
But who do they say I am?

We have loved those who didn’t love first
We have tried to quench their thirst
We have have carried the word to other lands
We have prayed by laying on hands

We have cast out demons in Your name
We have opened blind eyes and healed the lame
We have baptised the lost and forgiven the shame
But one question still remains

Who do they say I am?
Who do they say I am?
Some say Elijah some say John
But who do they say I am?

You are the Christ
You are the Lord
You are Messiah, God of all
You are the master of all men
Now I know I am, You are my Lord

Saint Fun Facts, Padre Pio

So Who Is This I Hear Such Reports About? (Luke 9:9)

"And he was anxious to see Jesus." (Luke 9:9)

According to Scripture Herod was the heartless ruler who beheaded John the Baptizer because of a drunken oath to his wife’s daughter. Yet, in today’s gospel he seemed perplexed and curious to see Jesus. Why? Because he heard of a Man who never met a disease He couldn't cure, a birth defect He couldn't reverse, or demon He couldn't exorcise. The same Man who could squeeze infinity into a single sentence, who asked the impossible, did the incredible, and loved the unlovable. Not once did He turn down a direct request for help. The man who lived His life for others – Jesus! After hearing so much maybe Herod wanted Jesus to work something spectacular for him to see. Herod, of course, was not an admirer of Jesus. If he was he could have come forward and asked for forgiveness of his hideous crime. Jesus would have gladly forgiven him with open arms. However, Herod was carrying a huge baggage, he was too much of himself, his wealth, power and popularity was too much to put aside to follow Jesus. The price of fellowship was too high. And instead he saw Jesus as a threat.

Perhaps we too are carrying some heavy load to really allow Jesus in our lives. It could be anything that doesn’t fit the plan God has for us, fame, wealth, possessions, ego, attitudes or relationships that we cling on too. The price of discipleship is very high. Maybe we are afraid that God may ask us to put aside something very dear to us if we decide to follow him closely. The first reading of today speaks of a certain kind of emptiness. It says, “You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:6). All your toil and wealth is worthless, if God is not the centre of your being. Yes, life itself is meaningless without God. In the book of Ecclesiastes, after extensively searching for true meaning in life King Solomon concluded that everything is meaningless unless you “Fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13).

The first reading of today has the similar answer, “Rebuild the house of the Lord, so he can take pleasure in it and be glorified there.” Welcome God into your life and make him the centre of your existence. Do not be anxious or troubled by what tomorrow brings, as long as you have the peace of God nothing can displace you. Don’t be like Herod who looked at Jesus from a distance but felt threatened to come near. Jesus is the God of love and mercy, no matter what baggage you’ve been carrying, leave it at the foot of the Cross ask for forgiveness and he will take it from there. Trust in Him alone!

“Lord Jesus, save me from becoming just a curious onlooker of your love and mercy, but instead make me a mighty stronghold where you can reside.”

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

St. Matthew, was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, and one of the four Evangelists. He was the son of Alpheus and probably a first century Galilean. Matthew was a tax collector by profession in the region of Capernaum, before being called by Jesus to be His Disciple. Mark and Luke call Matthew by his Jewish name "Levi." But in his Gospel he refers to himself as "Matthew" which means "gift of Yahweh." He possibly took this name after he followed Jesus.

After his conversion to the faith Matthew had a great banquet and invited Jesus along with other tax collectors and sinners to feast. It was at Matthew's house that Jesus declared, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). The New Testament records that as a disciple, he followed Jesus, and was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection and the Ascension. Afterwards, the disciples withdrew to an upper room (Acts 1:10-14)(traditionally the Cenacle) in Jerusalem. The disciples remained in and about Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Matthew may also be mentioned in the Talmud.

For 15 years, Matthew, preached the Gospel in Hebrew to the Jewish community in Judea. Later in his ministry, he travelled to the Gentile nations (presumably following Jesus' Great Commission) and so spread the Gospel to the Ethiopians, Macedonians, Persians, and Parthians. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church each hold the tradition that Matthew died as a martyr near Hierapolis or Ethiopia. His relics are said to be preserved in the Salerno Cathedral in Italy. In art, St. Matthew is represented by an angel holding a pen or an inkwell.


Honored in :
Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church, some other Protestant Churches.

Major shrine:
Salerno, Italy

Feast:
21 September (Western Christianity)
16 November (Eastern Christianity)

Attributes:Patronage:
Accountants, Bankers, Bookkeepers, Salerno, Italy

O The Word Of My Lord

O the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
O the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you through and through,
I chose you to be mine.
Before you left your mother’s side
I called to you, my child, to be my sign.

O the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
O the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

I know that you are very young,
But I will make you strong
I’ll fill you with my word;
And you will travel through the land,
Fulfilling my command which you have heard.

O the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
O the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

And ev’rywhere you are to go
My hand will follow you;
You will not be alone.
In all the danger that you fear
You’ll find me very near, your words my own.

O the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
O the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

With all my strength you will be filled:
You will destroy and build,
For that is my design.
You will create and overthrow,
Reap harvests I will sow – your word is mine.

O the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
O the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

Sts Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions

For centuries, Korea was closed to all outside influences, and all contact with foreigners was forbidden. No missionaries went there. Nevertheless, a number of laymen sought to find out all that they could about the outside world, through the annual embassy to Peking. Some books about Christianity fell into their hands, and they were converted. Because of the secrecy involved, it is impossible to date the origin of Christianity in Korea with any precision: it may have started in the early 17th century, but the first known baptism is that of Ni-Seoung-Houn, who was baptized under the name of Peter when he visited Peking in 1784.

The first known martyrs are Paul Youn and James Kouen, who in 1791 refused to offer sacrifice on the death of their relatives. Over the next century, over ten thousand Korean Christians were executed, with great cruelty; and many others perished.

For most of this period, the church in Korea had no priests and was an entirely lay phenomenon. The first priest, a Frenchman, entered the country in 1836 and was beheaded three years later. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest, secretly trained in Macao, entered Korea in 1845 and was executed in 1846, together with his father. A lay apostle, St Paul Chong Hasang and many others perished at the same time. A further major persecution occurred in 1866.

In all, 103 of the Korean martyrs are celebrated today: they are mostly lay men and women: some married, some not; some old, some young, some even children.

“The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by laypeople. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these many martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today’s splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians of the Church of Silence in the north of this tragically divided land.” – Pope John Paul II at the canonization of the Korean Martyrs, May 6, 1984.

It Depends In Whose Hands It Is In

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.


A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Roger Clemens' hands is worth $475 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.


A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Andre Agassi's hands is worth millions.
It depends whose hands it's in.


A rod in my hands will keep away an angry dog.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.


A slingshot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.


Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.


Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will
Produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.


As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears,
your hopes, your dreams, your families
and your relationships in God's hands because...
Scripture says:

"Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it]
and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the [consistently] righteous
to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)."
~Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

So you see, it depends whose hands it is in!

Now, this message is in YOUR hands..
What will YOU do with it?



Encourage someone today!!

The power of the Holy Rosary

There are only two people who are not successful in life..

Those who don't listen to anybody and those who listen to everybody.

Fr. Amorth, is very well known throughout the church and is the chief Exorcist of the Vatican. He writes regularly for Zenit.

The power of the Holy Rosary

Beautiful Reasons for

Praying the Rosary

Even More Often

"When you pray Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now....., the Blessed Mother comes instantly to your side to pray with you. And she does not come alone. She brings angels with her. And not just one or two for she is the Queen of Angels, so choirs of angels come with her. And she and Jesus are joined at the heart and cannot be separated so she brings Jesus with her. And Jesus cannot be separated from the Trinity so He brings the Father and the Holy Spirit with Him. And where the Holy Trinity is, all of creation is, and you are surrounded by such beauty and light as you cannot imagine in this life.

Your Mother comes as Our Lady of Grace with her hands outstretched. Rays of light emit from her hands piercing your body, healing you and filling you with graces. This is your inheritance which was poured out from the heart of Jesus on the Cross, when the centurion pierced His Heart with the spear, into the only pure vessel ready to receive such graces at that time, Your Mother.

Now as you pray the Rosary, or even just recite one Hail Mary, you receive your portion of these graces. He also said at this time, "Anyone who goes to Mary and prays the Rosary cannot be touched by Satan." Is it any wonder that anyone who prays the Rosary from the heart is so blessed and protected and powerful in their prayers for others?

Why Be Envious Because I AM Generous? (Matthew 20:15)

“My ways are not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks” (Isaiah 55:8)

God once strolled around heaven and was surprised to see everyone there. Hell, in contrast was empty. Irked by God’s leniency, a monk protested. To pacify him, God ordered Peter to re-examine all those already admitted into heaven, whereupon Peter read the Ten Commandments aloud. “Whoever has broken these commandments,” announced God, “shall dissociated from this celestial company and descend to hell!” As Peter read the commandments, one by one, people confessed their guilt and disappeared. When the fifth commandment was read, few were left, and after the sixth, everyone went to hell except the monk. Feeling lonely, God said, “What the heck tell them all to come back!” The monk grumbled, “O God, that’s unfair! Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Professedly pious Christians like the monk, you and me, might find God’s ways woefully wonky. But that’s what the first reading asserts: “My ways are not your ways; my thoughts are not your thoughts!” (v.8). God’s wondrous thoughts and ways are much higher than us humans. His generosity is revealed in today’s parable of the Workers in the Vineyard found only in the Gospel of Matthew. The landowner in the parable is God, the workers in the vineyard are you and me the wages is the promise of eternal life.

Notice that the landowner set a fixed sum of wages for the first lot. The others however, were just called in to work without a promised sum of wages, but whatever the landowner felt was right. The laborers trusted him and agreed without a fuss. They had to work till sundown in order to be paid their wages. Yes, for us, cradle Christians, who have been called from the very first hour, we have to work diligently in the vineyard of the Lord, least we loose our wages. Our commitment is to work till the end.

The ones, who came in at the eleventh hour, were idle all day. Why, because, no one hired them (Matthew 20:7). Neither were they told about the generous landowner and the work in the vineyard. The message of the kingdom of God has to be spread. Don’t be so engrossed trying to earn your wages that you forget to bring another soul to Christ. Spread the Good News and do not be envious of the recent converts if God is lavish with them. God’s reward is the same amount of grace whether you come in first or last. Now if God can forgive their idleness or rather their late entry to love and serve him, so should we. God has the right to do what he wants with his own, and he wishes that none of his children are lost. Let us not judge or envy the latecomers, let’s just follow God’s way and not man’s since, Man’s ways lead to a hopeless end, but God’s way leads to an endless hope.

"Lord, the perfection of justice is found in your love and mercy. Help us find this love in each other, and not be envious of your generosity."

Prayer

Look upon us, Lord,
creator and ruler of the whole world:
give us grace to serve you
with all our heart
that we may come to know the power
of your forgiveness and love.
We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Martyrdom of St Cyprian

On the morning of 14 September a huge crowd gathered at Villa Sexti as the proconsul Galerius Maximus had ordered. The proconsul commanded that Bishop Cyprian be brought to trial before him as he sat in judgement in the court called Sauciolum. When the bishop appeared the proconsul asked him: ‘Are you Thascius Cyprian?’

The bishop replied: ‘I am.’
‘And have you acted as leader in a community of impious men?’
‘I have.’
‘The sacred emperors have ordered you to sacrifice.’
‘I will not sacrifice.’
‘Consider your position.’
‘Do what is required of you. I have no need to deliberate; the issues are clear.’

Galerius consulted briefly with his advisers and reluctantly pronounced sentence in the following words: ‘You have lived in an irreligious manner for a long time now and have gathered about you a large congregation of criminals and unbelievers. You have shown yourself hostile to the gods of Rome and the rites by which they are worshipped. The pious and sacred emperors Valerian and his son, Gallienus, and the right noble Caesar, Valerian, have been unable to recall you to the practice of the official religion. Furthermore you are the instigator of abominations, a veritable standard-bearer for criminals and as such you have been brought before me. Your death will be an example to those whom you have gathered into your criminal conspiracy. Your blood will uphold the law.’ He then pronounced the following sentence from his wax tablet: ‘It is our decision that Thascius Cyprian be put to death by the sword.’ Bishop Cyprian simply said, ‘Thanks be to God.’

When sentence had been passed the assembled brethren cried out: ‘Let us be beheaded with him!’, and followed him in a huge and tumultuous crowd. Cyprian was brought to the plain of Sextus. There he removed his cloak and kneeling down he humbled himself in prayer to God. He disrobed and gave his dalmatic to the deacons. Clad only in his linen tunic he awaited his executioner.

When the executioner arrived Cyprian told his followers to give him twenty-five gold pieces. His brethren spread before him linen cloths and towels. The blessed Cyprian blindfolded his eyes with his own hands. The presbyter Julian and the subdeacon Julian tied the ends of the handkerchief since he was unable to do so himself. So died blessed Cyprian.

His body was exposed nearby to satisfy the curiosity of the pagans. During the night the body was removed by the light of wax candles and torches, and with prayer and great pomp it was brought for burial to a piece of open ground belonging to the procurator Macrobius Candidianus near the reservoirs on the Mappalian Way. A few days later the proconsul Galerius Maximus died.

The blessed Cyprian suffered martyrdom on 14 September, under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, but in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honour and glory for ever. Amen.

~ From the proconsular Acts of the martyrdom of St Cyprian, 258AD

Our Lady of Sorrows

His mother stood by the cross

The martyrdom of the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our Lord’s passion. The holy old man said of the infant Jesus: He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted. He went on to say to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.

Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus – who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours – gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.

Or were those words, Woman, behold your Son, not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of iron and stone though they are!

Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.

Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.

~St Bernard

O Holy Cross!

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle,
Sing the last, the dread affray;
O’er the Cross, the Victor’s trophy
Sound the high triumphant lay:
How, the pains of death enduring,
Earth’s Redeemer won the day.

He, our Maker, deeply grieving
That the first-made Adam fell,
When he ate the fruit forbidden
Whose reward was death and hell,
Marked e’en then this Tree the ruin
Of the first tree to dispel.

Thus the work of our salvation
Was of old in order laid.
That the manifold deceiver’s
Art by art might be outweighed.
And the lure the foe put forward
Into means of healing made.

Therefore, when at length the fullness,
Of the appointed time was come,
He was sent, the world’s Creator,
From the Father’s heavenly home;
And was found in human fashion,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb.

Lo! He lies an Infant weeping,
Where the narrow manger stands,
While the Mother-Maid his members
Wraps in mean and lowly bands,
And the swaddling clothes is winding
Round his helpless feet and hands.

Thirty years among us dwelling,
His appointed time fulfilled,
Born for this, he meets his Passion,
For that this he freely willed:
On the Cross, the Lamb is lifted,
Where his life-blood shall be spilled.

He endured the nails, the spitting,
Vinegar, and spear, and reed;
From that holy Body broken
Blood and water, both proceed:
Earth, and stars, and sky, and ocean
By that flood from stain are freed.

Faithful Cross! above all other,
One and only noble Tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peers may be;
Sweetest wood and sweetest iron!
Sweetest Weight is hung on thee.

Bend thy boughs, O Tree of Glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
For a while the ancient rigor
That thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And the King of heavenly beauty
On thy bosom gently tend!

Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world’s ransom to uphold;
For a shipwrecked race preparing
Harbour, like the Ark of old;
With the sacred Blood anointed
From the smitten Lamb that rolled

Abroad the regal banners fly,
now shines the Cross’s mystery:
upon it Life did death endure,
and yet by death did life procure.

Who, wounded with a direful spear,
did purposely to wash us clear
from stain of sin, pour out a flood
of precious water mixed with blood.

That which the prophet-king of old
hath in mysterious verse foretold,
is now accomplished, whilst we see
God ruling the nations from a Tree.

O lovely and refulgent Tree,
adorned with purpled majesty;
culled from a worthy stock, to bear
those limbs which sanctifièd were.

Blest Tree, whose happy branches bore
the wealth that did the world restore;
the beam that did that Body weigh
which raised up Hell’s expected prey.

Hail Cross, of hopes the most sublime!
At this thy most triumphant time
grant to the just increase of grace,
and every sinner’s crimes efface.

Blest Trinity, salvation’s spring
may every soul Thy praises sing;
to those Thou grantest conquest by
the Holy Cross, rewards supply.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross [Feast]

The cross is Christ's glory and triumph

We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.

Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.

Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honourable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation – very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honourable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.

The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognise it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.

~St Andrew of Crete

Prayer Is The Incense Of A Holy Heart

Prayer is the incense of a holy heart
Rising to God from bruised and broken things,
When kindled by the Spirit's burning breath
And upward borne by faith's ascending wings.

Prayer is the perfume of the plants of grace,
The flowers of patience, faith, and suffering love,
Treasured in "vials full of odors sweet,"
God breathes their fragrance in His courts above.

Prayer is th' ascending vapor which supplies
The showers of blessing, and the stream that flows
Through earth's dry places, till on every side
"The wilderness shall blossom as the rose."

Prayer is the heavenly telephone that brings
The distant near, till heaven to earth comes down,
And in our Father's ear and heart we may
Our burdens tell and all our sorrows drown.

Prayer is the wireless telegraph that sends
Its heart throbs on the ether waves of heaven;
It finds the heart of God, and back to earth
The answering thrill to faith and love are given.

Prayer is the golden pipes the Spirit fills,
Which feed the lamps of God with oil divine,
And, as with one accord we wait and pray,
The Spirit fills, the lamps with brightness shine.

Prayer is the mightiest force of earth and heaven,
Prayer is the very dynamite of God;
It moves the hand that all things moves, and turns
The living wheels that sweep through earth abroad.

Teach us to pray! Move on our hearts, O Lord,
Till Thine own passion all our being move!
Teach us! Pray in us, till our prayer shall be
Christ in us praying to the Christ above!

Teach us to pray! Reveal Thy will to us,
Till Thine own purpose all our being move!
Teach us! Pray in us, till our prayer shall be
God in us answering to the God above!

Lift Your Hands In Reverent Prayer (1 Timothy 2:8)

My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.

In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

~1 Timothy 2:1-8

The best advice to give another is “to offer prayers.” Paul's advice to Timothy is a three-fold prayer request (1 Tim 2:1). He says, “Pray by petitions, by intercessions, and by thanksgiving.” Prayer should always be sweet smelling incense that rises up to heaven and not just some smoke that chokes you. There is something about incense and its rich fragrance that engages the senses and brings one deeper into the presence of Almighty God. Our prayers should do the same, forgetting about our wants and praying for the other. Nothing pleases God more than hearing a child of his lifting someone in prayer. According to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, “The prayer most pleasing to God is that made for others and particularly for the poor souls. Pray for them, if you want your prayers to bring high interest."

St Antony quotes “Prayer is not perfect when the monk is conscious of himself and of the fact that he is actually praying.” This simply means that when at prayer loose yourself in God. Be conscious of your words but not the checklist or wish list that you bring to him. Be thankful always! Release a joyful noise to the Lord. You may not be the MD or CEO of a company, but thank God for letting you face another day. There will be days we don’t feel like praying, what do we do then? Pray! Every saint has been through a dryness of prayer, but they kept pushing through and found Jesus on the other side! So keep the faith and persevere in prayer.

This much I know that God hears every prayer, so make it a habit to pray for people on a regular basis. Don’t just pray for the ones you love, pray for the ones who love you and the ones that don’t. I must confess that I used to pray for the ones I loved, and those that needed prayer or have asked me to pray for them. Never once did I think of the ones that loved me in spite of me not loving them in return. There are unknown souls who sustain me with their prayers and intercessions. Now, after all these years I’ve learnt to thank God for all those living and dead souls who think of carrying me to the throne of God through prayers. [Pause] Lord, bless each and every one of them out of your goodness and love.

I would like to end with the words of St. John Marie Vianney who says, “My little children, your hearts, are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.”

"Heavenly Father, I thank you for the people who cry out to you on my behalf. Lord, I pray a special blessing on each one of them. May they feel your love and presence each day. Bless them in all their endeavours. Amen"

Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

~Psalm 103:1-5

If for any reason you don't have a morning prayer, I suggest you pick Psalm 103. For those who do pray the Divine Office and other personal prayers, you could add this Psalm to your praying list. Psalm 103 is considered to be a “Mt. Everest” of praise, because it exalts the soul to breath-taking heights, and what better way to begin the day, praising the Lord?

Our Heavenly Father is a compassionate God who is gloriously faithful and never changing in His constant love for us sinful beings. He is a God who generously forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies us with all that we need. He created us for his greater glory (Isaiah 43:7), that we may praise him (Isaiah 43:21). To bless the holy name of God is to praise the Lord for his goodness. When we become aware of his loving-kindness, our hearts overflow with joy. We rejoice in His great and glorious presence.

God will forgive us only, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Now if you believe that God forgives sins, then believe that he can heal you. David says, “the Lord redeems our life from the pit” (Ps 103:4). ‘Pit’ is likely a reference to death. Jesus has paid the price of our redemption by the shedding of his blood (Luke 1:68; Ephesians. 1:7) and so we have nothing to fear because we have been redeemed.

God is a loving Father who desires the best for us. He is an utterly pure being in whom, resides no sin. With his graces and mercies he satisfies us with good things. Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles far above the storms of life. God gives us the ability to stay calm during a storm and to rise above the adversity thus reaching greater heights. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices while my flesh takes its rest in God alone.

Forgive Your Brother From Your Heart (Matthew 18-35)

"Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven." (Sirach 28:2)

Charles Edward Perugini, an Italian painter of the Middle-Ages, stayed away from the sacrament of reconciliation because he felt that it would be best to confess just before dying and thus get his ticket to heaven. He considered it sacrilegious to go to confession if, out of fear, he were seeking to save his skin. Not knowing his inner disposition, his wife inquired whether he was not afraid of dying with un-confessed sin. Perugini replied, “Darling, my job is to paint and I’ve excelled as a painter. God’s profession is to forgive and if God is good at his job as I’ve been at mine, I’ve no reason to be afraid!”

All the readings of today, speak about forgiveness. God’s love is boundless and he forgives us no matter how grievous our sins maybe, but we ought to forgive one another. The first reading from Ecclesiasticus was written somewhere around 1800 BC. During this period the New Testament books were being put together and hence the teachings coincide with the Lord’s Prayer that talks about forgiveness. Of all the words that Jesus spoke, none are easier to understand nor harder to practice than those about forgiveness.

The parable of the ‘unforgiving servant’ is found only in Matthew’s gospel. Peter questions the Lord, “How often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? Seven times?” According to the Jews seven symbolized ‘completeness’; yet Jesus goes far beyond by saying, “Not seven, but seventy times seven!” implying that there is no limit to forgiveness because God’s love is a fore-given love. The king in this parable is God, who generously forgives, with no strings attached because it is in his nature to do so. The sums of money involved are not meant to be realistic but to stagger by their differences. What stays constant is the plea for forgiveness in both the cases. If God is so generous and merciful to the offender, why can’t we be a wee bit merciful? St Francis of Assisi said, “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” Unless we forgive our wrong doings wont be forgiven. To err is human and to forgive divine. When it comes to forgiveness, Christ calls us all to divinity.

Forgiveness is not easy, but it is the only way to peace. The book “An Interrupted Life” is a beautiful testament of a Dutch Jewess, Etty Hillesum (27), who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Despite the sufferings she underwent she wrote: “It’s too easy to turn your hatred loose on the outside, to live for nothing but the moment of revenge.. Despite all the suffering and injustice, I cannot hate others.” She forgave her tormentors because of her communion with a compassionate and merciful God. Though we have been a thousand times ungrateful to God, He has absolved us and loaded us with grace. How can we be merciless towards our brothers who are less guilty than we are? Beware! We could condemn ourselves praying, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Yes! God’s business is to forgive; so is ours!

"Heavenly Father, thank you for being so merciful to me a sinner and remembering my past offences no more. Lord, help me to forgive the way you forgive and to love as you love."

Life Goes On..

Each Tree Is Recognised By It's Own Fruit (Luke 6:44)

"A good tree does not produce decayed fruit any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit." (Luke 6:43)

In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of very basic principles of the spiritual life. Good comes from good and evil comes from evil. This principle means that if we want our words and deeds --> our fruits, to be good, they must come from hearts that are pure and good. The lips speak what is in the heart.

We simply cannot do the deeds of God unless we first possess the heart of God. Our journey must be a lifelong process in which we try to achieve and develop a compassionate heart like that of Jesus. When we strive to gain wisdom, goodness, and love of Jesus, we are like those people who build their house upon solid rock. It endures forever because the foundation is rock. When we do not put into our lives the words and heart of Jesus, we are like the people who build their homes on sand. When the floods of calamity come, they will destroy everything that we built our lives on, because they have no sure foundation.

The spiritual life is putting into practice the words of Jesus one day at a time, day in and day out. As that is done, our hearts grow in love and peace with Jesus. Our words and fruits are good and healthy because they flow from a pure and humble heart. Our life is built upon the great foundation--- the Lord Jesus. This building doesn’t happen overnight. It is the journey of a lifetime. What matters is not that we have reached the destination, but that we are faithful on the journey. Each day he teaches us something more and gives us another gift to make the going easier. Jesus is always there to guide us. He is the Good Shepherd who picks us up when we stumble and brings us back when we wander off course. Trust in him for he will always be there for us to make sure that we reach our destination --> eternal life.

“Lord Jesus, cleanse my heart and my lips that it may always seek to do good. I thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit that renews me each day.”

First Take The Plank Out Of Your Eye (Luke 6:42)

"Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they both not fall into the pit?" (Luke 6:39)

The one thing that stands out in today’s gospel text is the humour. I hope there are others who noticed that too. Jesus uses statements like “Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a ditch pit,” “Hypocrite, remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Imagining the scenes would make anyone laugh out loud! I bet Jesus had a good sense of humour and amused his audience with illustrations, puns and jokes when needed. The Gospels tell us that Jesus often went into the mountains alone. Why? GK Chesterton speculates the apostles made funny, even ridiculous remarks. He did not want to offend them by laughing in their faces. So, He ran into the mountains holding His sides and letting the laughter come out in steady bursts. If for any reason you don't posses a sense of humor you won't be able to understand this.

Jesus uses a figure of speech ‘hyperbole’ to make the preaching somewhat hilarious. Jokes aside, when Jesus says, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" he calls us who would act as examples or preach to others to first hear and believe ourselves. Why is it that we observe the splinter in our brother’s eye and never notice the plank in our own? We are all flawed. There is no one alive or dead who is / was perfect, except Jesus. So how dare we point an accusing finger at someone when we our selves are flawed? Christian leadership means being the role model for the lesson that we are teaching!

If we are not personally living and treating people with fairness, charity and justice, then all that we try to teach and witness, whether to our own family or neighbours, is lost and meaningless. Every episode of our life and all the ties that bind us to each other are ultimately about truth, justice, and fairness. What we are speaks so loudly that nobody can hear what we are saying. Another way of saying this is that we cannot give what we ourselves do not personally possess. We cannot give virtue, good example, or inspiration to another if we are not already living these things ourselves.

"The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher." Don’t think you know it all, if you want to be able to judge and discern accurately you have to be fully trained by the Lord, and undergo a spiritual transformation. The only real teacher is the person who is personally in the process of conversion. Let us pray that we may acquire those virtues that we try to teach or see in others.

“Lord, help me to put aside any prejudices that may hinder your plan for my life. Transform my mind and heart that I may be spiritually fit for thy kingdom.”

Hail Mary Full Of Grace

Hail Mary full of grace and Mother of our God
O pray for us, poor sinners
Hail Mary, full of grace

You heard the word of God and kept it in your heart
O blest among all women, O Mary, pray for us.

Hail Mary full of grace and Mother of our God
O pray for us, poor sinners
Hail Mary, full of grace

You magnify the Lord, and praise His holy name
O blest among all women, O Mary, pray for us.

Hail Mary full of grace and Mother of our God
O pray for us, poor sinners
Hail Mary, full of grace

Your Son at your request, turned water into wine
O blest among all women, O Mary, pray for us.

Hail Mary full of grace and Mother of our God
O pray for us, poor sinners
Hail Mary, full of grace

You stood beside the cross, unto the very last
O blest among all women, O Mary, pray for us.

Hail Mary full of grace and Mother of our God
O pray for us, poor sinners
Hail Mary, full of grace

A Virgin Mother Is Born

The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:5)

At the time of Mary's birth the whole world was plunged in darkness. The heathen nations were steeped in vice and pride. The Jews, too, had corrupted their ways and departed from God. Everywhere there was sin and gloom, scarce a bright spot on the face of the earth. But when Mary was born a light arose amid the darkness; the dawn of the glorious day that was to usher in the Redeemer. So, too, the darkness of the sinner's soul is dispersed by Mary's holy influence. Where the love of her is born in the soul, all becomes full of light, and Jesus comes to make His habitation there.

Before Mary's birth God sought in vain for one who would always be faithful to Him, for one soul that would always love Him as it ought. For four thousand years He had invariably been disappointed, but now at length He had found one who fulfilled all His desires, who satisfied the yearnings of His divine Heart. A worthy daughter of His omnipotent love!

Mary, in the first hour of her life, brought more glory to God than all the saints of the Old Testament. In her were made perfect the obedience of Abraham, the chastity of Joseph, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the prudence of Josue. It is because she is the model and pattern of these and all other virtues that she can communicate them to us. We must beg of Mary to obtain for us obedience, chastity, patience, prudence, humility and all other virtues that we need.

Virgin most pure, star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner, pray for me!