Then the LORD said (to Elijah), “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD – but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake – but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire – but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Why are YOU here?
Was it to discover magnificent colors? Was it to find colorful music or awesome videos? Was it just curiosity? Was it accidental? Were you really looking for God, for Hope, for true LOVE somewhere in this menagerie we call the web? Or were you just hiding in a cave, waiting on the Lord to whisper in your ear – a Word – LIFE! Life, it’s in You! And YOU are beautiful in the Eyes of God, no matter what the world may say or think.
You are Loved, beloved!!
Every day the Lord whispers in our ears – Words of HOPE, Words of LOVE, and maybe not even words – just His JOY in our hearts. Let’s follow the Scriptures of our daily Mass and see if we can catch those Words – simple but beautiful Whispers to the Wind . . .
For Daily Scripture Quotes:
Link to Scriptures by Date
To find Quote sources, click on Link above, select Today’s Readings or pick date from calendar.
Link for information on the day’s saints is at the bottom of this page.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quotes for reflection:
11-30-12
(St. Andrew, Apostle)
Jesus said to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mt 4:18-22
. . . and that they certainly did, as St. Paul professed . . .
“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.“So then,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” Rom 10:9-18
God Loves YOU, beloved, no matter what!
BELIEVE!
.
11-29-12
As John’s revelation continued:
“Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who have
been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a
Enlightening His disciples about the ‘great tribulation and end times’,
Jesus said, “then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand.” Lk 21:20-28
How tied down, immobilized or terrorized are we, beloved,
about all the evil and calamities occurring around the world?
Are we fearful of hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes?
Are we fearful of nuclear Armageddon?
Are we fearful of plummeting an ‘economic cliff’?
Yes all these things should concern us, but there really is only one thing
that should cause us fear – forgetting that God is here to
catch us after all this earthly life is spent.
Always remember Jesus, beloved, and then “stand erect” and
hold your head high, for we have been called to the
wedding feast, and Jesus is our bridegroom!
11-28-12
Jesus said, “Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your
adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute…
You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head
will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Lk 21:12-19
So, our perseverance is not a preparation in how we will defend ourselves.
And it’s not a perseverance in doing all kinds of good deeds so
that our “getting to Heaven” checklist is long.
(Our good deeds are performed out of ‘true love’ for God and
one another. A love set deep in the core of our beings.
A love so strong that it can easily put others ahead of ourselves.)
No, the perseverance Jesus speaks of is our maintaining that ‘true Love’.
That we never give up on God, on Jesus.
And we always seek the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in that perseverance.
And even though the world may hate us because of Jesus,
He has given us the promise of eternal life, for staying faithful to Him.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,
“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute
you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Mt 5:10-12
REJOICE, beloved!
11-27-12
Jesus said, “All that you see here? The days will come
when there will not be left a stone upon another stone
that will not be thrown down.” Lk 21:5-11
. . . Be it from natural disasters or man’s own doing.
Then we think about the true worth of all that we value so much.
It’s not earthly wealth, nor possessions, nor our show of pride
that will count in the end, but the true treasure is
how we’ve used these bodies, these talents,
these gifts from God, to do His will –
to LOVE one another!
11-26-12
“I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name
and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…
They have been ransomed as the first fruits of the human race
for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found;
they are unblemished.” Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5
God’s Name on their unblemished foreheads.
Those who were ransomed, who died for God and the Lamb.
The Martyrs.
Funny, today there are so many many people with tattoos and pierced
body parts. Do these symbols represent God their Father and Creator?
The engraving God wants is not on our skin, but within.
What am I willing to surrender for the Love of God, beloved,
for the Love of Jesus – would it even be that
precious skin, that precious body
that I hold so dear?
11-25-12
(The Solemnity of Christ the King
the 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Jesus answered Pilate, “You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth
listens to my voice.” Jn 18:33b-37
Everything Jesus taught is Truth. Are we listening?
Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength,
AND Love your neighbor as yourself. In that you are one, as We are one.
God IS Love! Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Come and Live in,
Jesus Christ!
11-24-12
(St. Andrew Düng-Lac, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs)
Jesus answered the Pharisee’s question about marriage in heaven:
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and
they are the children of God” Lk 20:27-40
Marriage, for procreation and union
between man and woman
in earthly life.
Period!
11-23-12
In John’s revelation he saw an angel holding a scroll.
The angel said, “Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it
will taste as sweet as honey.” Rv 10:8-11
The Psalmist too said, “How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Ps 119
In their contention against Jesus, the Pharisees were also
in contention with the crowds, because, as Luke said,
“all the people were hanging on his (Jesus’) words.” Lk 19:45-48
His WORDS, sweeter than honey, calming, peaceful,
yet instructive, disciplining and loving.
Hang on to those words, beloved, and LIVE!
11-22-12
(St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr)
(Today is also Thanksgiving and the JFK anniversary 1963)
Jesus said, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Lk 19:41-44
Why is it so difficult for them to see the Truth, Lord?
Why do they constantly seem to choose Death over Life?
Can they not see the beauty of LIFE,
and that it IS available for ALL.
It is Abundant and Blessed!
Choose LIFE, beloved, always.
And live it – in LOVE!
11-21-12
(The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
St. John observed in his revelation of heaven, four living creatures, and said,
“Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is,
and who is to come.’” Rv 4:1-11
…and we acclaim those same words, with them, at every Eucharistic Liturgy.
The master in Jesus’ parable said,
“Well done, good servant!” Lk 19:11-28
Well done, Beloved!
The last words we dream of hearing at the end of our physical lives,
just before those first words we’ll hear in heaven,
Holy, Holy, Holy!
11-20-12
The Lord said to St. John in a revelation,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.” Rv 3:1-6, 14-22
Ah yes, beloved, it’s up to us to listen for
His voice and open the door,
just as it was for Zacchaeus, who went
out of his way to listen.
And Jesus responded with the words,
“Today salvation has come to this house…”
Lk 19:1-10
Welcome salvation into your homes, beloved,
and into your hearts! And then let’s
dine together in His Love!
11-19-12
As Jesus walked about in the land of Israel, people would
cry out to Him for help. To one, Jesus asked,
“What do you want me to do for you?” Lk 18:35-43
What would our answer to that question be, beloved?
Would we ask for riches, or just no more debt?
Would we ask for health, or just someone to care for us?
Or would we be kind enough to ask for more
peace and love in the world, or even just less hatred!
I don’t think God is looking for extremes.
Just for us to trust, to rely on Him.
To throw away any evil within us.
And LOVE!
Please help us Lord to have more LOVE!
11-18-12
(Thirty-third Sunday Ordinary Time B)
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away. “But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mk 13:24-32
Both Jesus and Daniel speak of ‘end times’ today.
A time of great distress for some, yet great joy for others.
Jesus says, be ready, for at a time we do not know, we will
“see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’“
It’s sometimes called the Parousia or second coming of Jesus.
So hang tight to His Words, beloved, and be assured,
that you will be among those “chosen” for
Eternal Life!
And keep on praying for those who may not.
11-17-12
(St. Elizabeth of Hungary)
Jesus told a parable to emphasize the need for persistence in prayer:
An offensive judge said that, “While it is true that I neither fear God nor
respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally
come and strike me.” Lk 18:1-8
So how did that principle somehow get turned around?
That the offensive politicians feel that if they pester the heck out of
the citizens, they will vote for them – wrong!
And maybe when that didn’t work quite as well as they thought,
they slumped down to slandering one another besides – ugggggh!
Just so glad elections are over!
And can’t get out of my mind a quote from an acquaintance, who said,
“I just can’t believe there are so many stupid people in this country.”
Sigh! But as children of God, beloved, we DO listen (correctly)
with compassion and understanding, to Jesus,
in that we are to pray persistently – for ALL,
even those who got it wrong!
PRAY!
11-16-12
(St. Margaret of Scotland)
Jesus said, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.” Lk 17:26-37
Now, alone that saying could sound pretty cryptic.
Jesus was not only talking about the “end times,”
but about every moment of our lives.
For at any moment there may be someone ready to take your Lord
away from you, out of jealousy, hatred or just outright malice.
We must always be ready to stand firm in our Faith.
Don’t look back and think, “Oh I never had all this trouble
before I began to believe in Jesus” and then retreat.
That “trouble” actually helps us to grow stronger!
We bear our crosses, just as Jesus
humbly bore His.
“Whoever seeks to preserve it will lose it!”
Hang in there beloved.
For whoever loses his life for the sake of the “Good News,”
that God LOVES us NO MATTER WHAT,
will gain Life – ETERNAL.
Better than anything we could possibly imagine!
So, lose the way of the world, to gain the way of the Lord.
Lose the gods of the heathen, to gain the ONE true God.
Lose the stress, the fear, the hopelessness, to gain
true Peace in the Lord’s Kingdom.
And in doing so, your life will be “Saved,” beloved,
in the Loving embrace of Christ!
11-15-12
(St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor)
WHEN? WHERE?
Jesus said, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Lk 17:20-25
Somewhere off the coral coast of Australia the yellow fish said to the blue fish,
“Do you think we’ll ever get to swim in the great water of the sea?”
The blue fish answered, “Behold, the great water is among you.”
She just didn’t realize that she was actually swimming
in it, breathing it, living it.
Beyond the pollutants, beyond the sharks of the world,
beyond the murk and the mire of our own making,
there’s a beauty to be cherished in our midst,
if only we look! It’s in our hearts and
the hearts of our loved ones.
The Kingdom of God.
Seek it, Beloved!
Breathe it.
Live it.
In Christ Jesus our Lord!
LOVE
11-14-12
At a simple request, Jesus healed ten lepers, yet only
“one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell
at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” Lk 17:11-19
How incredibly much we have to be thankful for too, beloved!
Even in the midst of trials and hunger and injury and disease –
we are THANKFUL to Jesus, to God, to Mary
for our Salvation, for God’s great Mercy,
and for His GRACE (unmerited favor)
to us! Praise Him always!
11-13-12
(Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin)
Jesus told a parable about a servant and concluded,
“When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done
what we were obliged to do.’” Lk 17:7-10
We are God’s servants, beloved.
And what we are obliged to do is
LOVE!
Unprofitable Servants
11-12-12
Jesus said to His disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.” Lk 17:1-6
Ever notice how, if you get angry at someone,
they in turn get angry at someone else?
Sin perpetuates.
On the other hand if you forgive, if you smile or
act nicely to a total stranger, they will,
in turn, share the same kind behavior to another.
That’s spreading the Kingdom of God.
That’s what Jesus professes to us.
We must always first – Forgive!
Correct wrongdoing when possible through peaceful means.
Forgive and spread GOODNESS, not sin.
And you will, beloved, hold within you, the Kingdom of God!
11-11-12
(Thirty-second Sunday Ordinary Time B)
The prophet Elijah asked the poor widow for some food
and she replied, “Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.” 1 Kgs 17:10-16
It was ALL she had left in the world to eat…
Jesus, observing the Temple contributors said,
“this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her
poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mk 12:41-44
We never like people telling us to Give and Give and Give.
They don’t know what our financial struggles are.
Maybe we DO give, more than they could possibly know . . .
in time or prayer or even money!
You see true Giving doesn’t come from the asking, nor the calculating.
True giving comes from the heart.
Then we need to ask ourselves, “How big is my heart?”
“How strong is my love?” “How strong is my Faith?”
knowing that my giving, PALES in comparison to what’s already
been given and will continue to be given
to me.
Thank you Jesus!
11-10-12
(St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one
and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.” Lk 16:9-15
Always keep God FIRST beloved, what is needed otherwise
will always be taken care of, one way or another.
St. Paul said, “I have the strength for everything
through him who empowers me.” Phil 4:10-19
That’s Jesus!
And He empowers you as well!
11-09-12
(Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica)
Jesus, in speaking of His Body, said,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Jn 2:13-22
His Body was raised three days after they had crucified Him.
And in time, His Church came to be known as “His Body.”
His Body being the members who make it up.
That’s you and I, beloved, and 1.2 billion others!
The Prophet Ezekiel described this Body in another way.
From God’s Holy Temple, Ezekiel described a trickle of water, which
turned into a flow and eventually into a river too deep to wade in. He said,
“Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered
by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food,
and their leaves for medicine.” Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
That Temple, the source of the river of Life – is Jesus.
And along that river has grown additional sources of healing, of Life.
These healing trees are His disciples – you and I, beloved – His Church, His Body,
and all who bring the Life giving Word of Jesus to
those in need of healing.
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Jn 21:17
It’s our Calling, Beloved . . .
to spread his healing Love!
11-08-12
Jesus said to the Pharisees,
“there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people who have
no need of repentance.” Lk 15:1-10
Am I locked in the thoughts of my own righteousness?
Or just blind to the sin within me that needs repentance.
Lord, please help me find those areas that we, together, can improve.
Help me to be more like You!
11-07-12
St. Paul said to his friends in the Roman (Greek) city of Philippi,
“God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you
both to desire and to work.
Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,” Phil 2:12-18
SHINE, beloved, Shine!
. . . and PRAY with all your might for all of us!
11-06-12
St. Paul, continuing on the theme of humility,
speaks of the humility of Jesus in that, even though Jesus is divine:
“he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.” Phil 2:5-11
For OUR sake, beloved!
~ imagine ~
11-05-12
Both Jesus and St. Paul exhorted their followers
about the importance of humility in life.
Jesus, in speaking to a leading Pharisee said,
“blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Lk 14:12-14
In other words, don’t act in such a way as to glean
praise, or fame, or repayment for your actions.
God knows your every thought and deed.
Instead give to those who don’t have the ability to repay,
who wouldn’t recognize fame from just another person on the street,
and who don’t even recognize the gift as gift.
And as Jesus would say, “Your reward will be great in heaven!”
11-04-12
(Thirty-first Sunday Ordinary Time B)
Jesus said to the scribe,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Mk 12:28b-34
Would He say that of us too, brothers and sisters in Christ?
UNDERSTANDING!
The scribe understood the KEY to that Kingdom…
There is ONE God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
LOVE Him with every ounce of your being!
And extend that Love to your neighbor, to the world!
This is the Message of Jesus, the Good News, the Gospel.
And He sacrificed His all to get us to Understand it.
We don’t worship at Church to check off a box or
to add another penny to our holiness jar.
We come as community to LOVE – God and one another.
And that worship becomes an intrinsic part of us,
just like eating or sleeping.
Rock, Paper, Scissors – Faith
11-03-12
“As the deer longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.” Ps 42
How deep is our thirst for the Lord, beloved?
Are we trying to satisfy that thirst by drinking salt water or sand?
Only Jesus can truly satisfy.
He is the “spring” of everlasting life.
And it is He who invites us to
COME.
11-02-12
(Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed)
“The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.” Wis 3:1-9
– – This is one to memorize, print out,
and offer to anyone who has ever lost a loved one.
Trust in Jesus, beloved, for
Jesus said, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me,” . . .
and
“everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have
eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Jn 6:37-40
This is the TRUTH that ‘the lost’ just can not understand.
There is a PROMISE.
Death is not THE end, but just a transition!
It’s NOT to be feared, but aspired.
It’s not to be mourned for the sake of those who’ve achieved it,
yes, mourned for OUR loss of a dear friend or relative.
But one day, we know that – we WILL BE Reunited.
Can you just picture them now,
“darting around as sparks through the stubble.”
Beautiful, bright, happy and with us always!
And now, they can pray for us in a state closer to God,
as well as we for them.
Jesus did this for US, because of His unfathomable Love for us.
So fear not, beloved!
Trust in Jesus,
and, whether in prayer or action, always help those who are ‘lost’
to find their Way home to Him.
11-01-12
(Solemnity of All Saints)
St. John said, “I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes
and holding palm branches in their hands.” Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
The Saints – Uncountable and from Everywhere!
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Mt 5:1-12a
With Jesus, beloved, you are His Saint!
. . . . . . .
Happy November, beloved!
Please stop by and visit October’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
___________________
EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES can be found
in monthly subcategories of – “Whispers”
entitled “Daily Mass Quotes” (DMQs)
___________________________________
Link to Previous Month’s DMQs
Link to Following Month’s DMQs
Link back to Whispers to the Wind
Link to Saint of the Day
(also in Time page, under Liturgical Seasons section)
Whispers to the Wind 