Whispers – Daily Mass Quotes begins after this Intro.
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Elijah’s Whisper – My Whisper
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, beloved?
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!!
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 . . .
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02-28-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 28, 2015
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Mt 5:43-48
God’s love!
Boundless, unconditional, perfect!
Maybe we cannot be perfect, beloved. But we can sure try. Might not be easy. But who ever said life was supposed to be easy. And if it’s hard for us with one or two people, or even an out of control group of fanatic terrorists, imagine God, loving a whole world of us, imperfect children! So keep on praying, beloved, that God will give us the strength to be like him, and to be able to love, even those who might get on our nerves!!!
Just as Jesus did!
02-27-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 27, 2015
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Ez_18:21-28
Hmmm, brings us back to that story of Jonah and Nineveh. Nineveh was the wicked one who turned away from their evil and became virtuous, while Jonah became angry because of God’s eager forgiveness of the Ninevites. Does it upset us, beloved, like Jonah, to see those who have done evil not equally persecuted or executed or worse! We can be a very vindictive people. But God says otherwise! He would like to see us become more like Him in mercy and forgiveness, than become more like Satan in evil and revenge.
All we need do – is think about how perfect we are ourselves, or maybe not! Have we never, ever made a mistake that may have hurt someone else? What if they lived the whole rest of their lives secretly hating us, secretly devoting their lives to getting us back, secretly punishing us a million-fold over for an act that wasn’t even meant to hurt them in the first place. That would be a pretty miserable life – both for them and for us. But then it would be our turn to forgive them – 10-million-fold over, for hurting us, just as God would, and tell them how much we truly love them, despite it all!
May God bless you in abundance, beloved.
For we (God and I) love you always!
02-26-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 26, 2015
Jesus, in speaking about our needs and our prayers said, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7-12
And then He related the ‘why’, the motivation of it all. If we truly love our children, we will see to it that they get what they ask for – of course, within reason. If our 12-year old asks for a motorcycle, he most likely will not get it immediately, but maybe when he gets old enough to drive one. You see, we are motivated to provide for them, because we love them so much.
And so it is with God. As God’s children, our prayers will be answered, also within reason. If we ask for a million dollars – maybe we’re just not prepared yet, for what we would do with such a windfall. And if we ask for a miraculous healing – it just may happen – or maybe instead, it really is our time to return to our Creator. And so it is with God and us.
But then Jesus concludes with how we should treat each other’s requests as well. Do we think we’ll get favors from those we’ve treated unfavorably? Maybe not! Remember that “Golden Rule?” Jesus said, “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them…” ibid. And I might add – “Do so, even without expecting it back.”
02-25-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 25, 2015
Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. Jon 3:1-10
Jesus said, “At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.” Lk 11:29-32
Both of our readings today speak about judgment. And yet, they are different types of judgment. In the case of Jonah, God had already judged the people of Nineveh, and
found them guilty. And the punishment for their evil was to be total annihilation.
But of course our merciful God is always open to second chances when a sinner repents. And in the case of Nineveh, we heard how the entire town, the king, and even the animals repented in sackcloth and ashes to try to gain God’s forgiveness. And forgive them, He did.
You see, we always have two choices when we’re warned about judgment. We can either give up and think, “What’s the use, we’ll never get it right anyway.” Or we can repent, and ask God’s forgiveness, just as the people of Nineveh did. And then hope that God will respond just as favorably as He did for the Ninevites.
And yet, the judgment that Jesus is speaking about in today’s Gospel, is a little different. There is a finality in this judgment that says that there will be NO more second chances. You see, beloved, Jesus IS our second and Final chance. Jesus is our Jonah, warning us to
come back to God – before it’s too late. And Jesus gives us a wisdom beyond that of even Solomon, the wisest person that ever lived.
Jesus tells us that there WILL BE a Final Judgment; a time when all second chances will be used up, and a final tally will be made of our lives. It could be a pretty daunting and scary thought, especially for those who do not believe!
But you see, brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s not a fear that we even need to think about. Because in our Belief, and in our Worship, and in our Love for Jesus, not only does He promise us Salvation, but when that Final Judgment comes, Jesus will stand right there beside us and proclaim to God His Father that we are His chosen ones.
Our obligation now, is to keep these vessels of His – as pure as we possibly can, and then, to bring along as many other lost souls as will listen – to the incredible hope that Jesus promises to those who follow His Way.
02-23-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 23, 2015
(St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr)
Jesus told a parable about God’s kingdom, saying:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Mt 25:31-46
Sometimes, beloved, we don’t even realize the impact of what we do for others, because it comes so naturally. And then one day we’ll get a surprise ‘thank you.’ Or we’ll hear, second or third hand, how some little thing we did affected the lives of others so significantly. These are the little things that Jesus is speaking about in today’s Gospel. And He accepts every one of them as if we were doing them for Jesus himself.
So the next time we hold open that door or allow someone to take the line ahead of us; the next time we hold back that critical comment or rude gesture about someone’s odd behavior; the next time we give thanks to God for sending that needy person our way, so that we can offer them help – we are “blessed,” and we will surely inherit that Kingdom that was prepared by God from the foundation of the world – just for us!
02-22-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 22, 2015
(First Sunday of Lent, B)
St. Peter wrote, Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. 1 Pt 3:18-22
Jesus said, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:12-15
He IS leading us to God, beloved.
Repent and Believe!
02-21-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 21, 2015
Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. Is_58:9b-14
A promise too beautiful, too hopeful, to True, to need even a single word of comment! Black and White – IF, THEN . . .
02-20-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 20, 2015
(Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed;” Is 58:1-9a
Ever wonder why they call it “fasting,” when, if you actually do it, time seems to slow down to a standstill, as you anxiously await the next time you can eat! Imagine not even knowing when that “next time” might be. And whenever it does come, it will never be enough food to satisfy you anyway.
You see, beloved, fasting is so, so very much more than just losing a little weight or following an old church tradition. Fasting is becoming “ONE” with those who don’t have the choice. Fasting is coming to the realization that we really DO have the ability to help those in greater need than us. Fasting is putting aside all of our own little gripes: the minor pains, to help those with great ones; the inconveniences, to help those with life and death needs.
From our readings today, it doesn’t sound like God really cares about our sackcloth and ashes. But He does care about how we treat our own brothers and sisters. And especially those in need. It might be as simple as a smile to someone lonely, or as difficult as giving up a meal for someone who has no food. But whatever we do, and however we live, we are called to do it in union with God and with our neighbor. And when we do, then we’ll truly see how fast fasting can be!
God’s blessings and love, forever!
02-19-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 19, 2015
Moses said, “Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.” Dt 30:15-20
YES! There we have it!
All the way back to Moses and even to the very creation of humanity, we are a people of CHOICE! So when we say we are Pro-Choice, we are agreeing with the very essence of our existence! And in that agreement, then, we can either choose LIFE or death. Moses recommends choosing Life.
And the way we choose LIFE is by loving and heeding the voice of God. So whenever there is death involved – that’s not the best choice – in all it’s different colors, in what the world and the media glorifies, whenEVER there is death, it is NOT God’s choice, it’s not His “will.”
Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Lk 9:22-25
So maybe that cross is getting rid of our jealousies and hatreds (death causers). Maybe it’s eating a little better or less (life givers). Maybe it’s going a little out of our way to help others (life providers). And maybe it’s praying a little more, reading some Scripture, going to Church – getting to know Jesus a little more intimately (all life enhancing).
It’s LENT, beloved!
Time to pick up our crosses and CHOOSE LIFE!
02-18-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 18, 2015
(Ash Wednesday)
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” Ps 51
A very blessed Ash Wednesday to you, beloved.
Another year, another Lent. Time to take that spiritually cleansing bath again. But it’s a pleasant bath, because we know that our God is a loving and merciful God. And now it’s time to ask His forgiveness. And it’s there just for the asking, because we know that our Lord, Jesus, already paid the price. Come to the waters beloved and feel the healing peace of the Lord.
With love and appreciation we say:
Thank You Jesus!
02-17-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 17, 2015
Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mk 8:14-21
Sometimes we use figures of speech to make a point because it might be easier to understand that way. Leaven was a common term used in the time of Jesus. It is a substance used in making bread, to puff it up (yeast, for example, is a leavening agent). And Jesus used the term to suggest how the Pharisees and Herod were all puffed up in their own pride, in their own greed. The disciples were seriously worried about not having enough food to eat (for themselves). When, there they were sitting in a boat with the very Creator of it all. And Jesus had just shown them that He had the power to multiply a few loaves to feed thousands. They just didn’t get it.
That greed, that selfishness of the Pharisees and Herod, that leaven, can also symbolize our sin. Once it starts, it keeps puffing up and getting worse and worse, sometimes to the point of being out of control. Jesus said Beware!
Ever wonder, beloved, why we have those penitential seasons like Lent and Advent. This is exactly why. Every once in a while we have to step back and deflate that bubble that may have grown within us. And when we can clean the inside, what we’ll find – is that the outside can work a whole lot better.
All to the Glory of God and the betterment of mankind!
(And then, on the side – put that in the perspective of a concept we call “Fat Tuesday.” The epitome of greed, selfishness, and maybe even gluttony! Sorry New Orleans – Happy Mardi Gras!)
02-16-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 16, 2015
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD then said: “What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!
Gn 4:1-15, 25
Jealousy! Funny, how when you do the right things, and things right – there’s a world of jerks out there wanting to kill you. Not that you ever had anything against them. And as a matter of fact, you would go out of your way to make them look good. So beware, beloved, but keep on praying for them. And keep on praying for yourself as well. Jesus did, even up to the point of dying on a cross! And even for us jerks!
02-15-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 15, 2015
(Sixth Sunday Ordinary Time B)
In the Old Testament time of Moses, the Law stated that someone with leprosy was to declare himself unclean and, “He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.” Lv 13:1-2, 44-46 There was no cure for such skin diseases and it was believed that the only protection from spreading the disease was isolation.
In today’s Gospel a leper approaches Jesus and asks, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Mk 1:40-45 Jesus, seeing his faith, cures him of his disease, with one proviso – “See that you tell no one anything,” Well, like many a parent will attest – whenever you tell your kids not to do something, that is EXACTLY the very next thing they’ll do. And it was no different with this man. As we said yesterday, there are always consequences. And it’s IRONIC what happened next. The man went back to the community from his isolation exile and the Healer, Jesus – “remained outside in deserted places,“
Hmmmm, something wrong with this picture? Funny, it’s the same wrong that kills unborn fetuses. It’s the same wrong that enslaves young, helpless children. It’s the same wrong that kills hundreds of thousands for the sake of an unloving “god”. It’s the same wrong that promotes promiscuity, that glorifies cursing, that lies and cheats and robs its own citizens. No, beloved, I am by no means perfect – but the obvious is obvious. And when the Healer has to remain in deserted places while the diseased roams around free on the inside. I just don’t think many of us care to be on that “inside” any longer. But we also know, that that’s where His healing is needed most. So we love them anyway. And continue on our mission to heal and to teach all.
Jesus IS Lord!
02-14-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 14, 2015
Happy Valentine’s Day, beloved!
(Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop)
THE FALL
The man said to God, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
The shame of guilt!
The man said to God, “The woman whom you put here with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
One SIN leads to another – the unending cycle of sin!
Our inability to accept the responsibility of our own actions.
So God asked the woman, who answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
And not only unending, but contagious.
Today we call it “passing the buck.”
And there are always consequences:
For the serpent, “you shall be banned from all the animals”
For the woman, “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing”
And for the man, “Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.”
Think he forgot to mention moles and mosquitoes, bacteria and viruses, terrorists and lunatics.
And for all of us, God expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Gn 3:9-24
And now, there is only ONE way back to that Tree.
And His Name is JESUS!
02-13-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 13, 2015
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” Gn_3:1-8
THE ART OF TEMPTATION!
No offense to sales people, but I think this passage is the essence of everything they learn. And if that doesn’t work, then they’re taught to constantly beat us over the head with a stick until we finally succumb!
But note the process. First exaggerate: “You can’t eat from ANY of the trees??!!” Get them off guard. Get them feeling like THEY have control over this conversation. “Oh no, only that ONE.” Then, correct their misunderstandings, and get them questioning themselves. “Oh no, that’s not really what God meant – there must have been some hidden meaning to it all.” Then, show them “the truth,” YOUR truth . . . “There really IS a better way. And ONLY I can show that to you!“
Ever been sold a load of manure, beloved? That’s exactly what Satan is selling us. Selling us in morality, selling us in abortion, in world conflicts, in marriage, selling us in politics, selling us in economics. And we MUST be very, very careful in what we buy from that world. Open your eyes, beloved, and discern through prayer, through research, through conscience, through God’s Truth. And that Truth will become as evident as the sun that warms our heads.
Jesus said, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened, Mk 7:31-37
BE OPENED, beloved, and Jesus will fill you with His Love!
Blessed be God forever!
02-12-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 12, 2015
The Greek woman who was rejected by Jesus replied, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Mk 7:24-30
How do we respond to rejection, beloved. Do we get angry and walk away? Do we look for vengeance? Does it cut us to the bone and leave us depressed? If we were told that we were not worthy of His healing, would we have responded like this woman? “Look, Lord, give us a second chance – for even the dirt of the earth gets a sip of God’s rain once in a while.”
And lo and behold! It’s that very dirt from which the God of all Creation first assembled mankind. So how much more are we deserving of a second chance. God loves us so very much – all we need do is ask in faith – and His response will be abundant!
Faith!
02-11-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 11, 2015
(Our Lady of Lourdes)
In response to the Pharisees accusation that Jesus’ disciples do not follow the strict hand washing rules set forth in the Jewish law, Jesus said, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Mk 7:14-23
And from the Creation story of Genesis, The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The LORD God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17
It surely sounds like God’s fruit, the “apple,” from the forbidden tree would more than defile the person who ate it. It would actually kill them. But Jesus said that nothing incoming can defile the person. Then maybe it wasn’t the apple that poisoned Adam and Eve. Maybe it really was what was within their own hearts that came out. It was their uncertainty, their loss of trust in God, their seeking to be independent, separate and better than God – or at least His equal, as the tempter so convinced them.
You see, brothers and sisters in Christ, the biggest challenge in life is not letting our gut feelings control us. Instead we need to learn what’s truly right and what’s morally wrong so that we never think or do those things. It might take a little sacrifice. It might take a little dying to self to live in Christ. This is our call. This is our hope. Pray constantly that the Holy Spirit will help us in this task. And then LIVE!
02-10-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 10, 2015
(St. Scholastica, Virgin)
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
Gn 1:20—2:4a
As a mirror reflects the beauty of the person who peers into it, so we reflect the divine image of God! We were created in His image and likeness; created with free will, created with intelligence to use it, and created with the ability to love, even the unlovable. What greater love could there possibly be? None! For our God IS Love. And He expressed Himself in us!
02-09-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 9, 2015
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Gn 1:1-19
What do you think of, beloved, when you hear the words “a mighty wind?” If you’re from the mid-west, like us, you most likely will think of tornadoes. If you’re from the east coast, it might be hurricanes. If you’re a Holy Trinity believing Christian, you might think of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, or maybe even this passage from Genesis where the Holy Spirit, the ruach ha-kodesh, swept over the waters of God’s Creation – prefiguring Baptism.
We might be on a baseball field, going after that high pop in perfect sync with someone three times our weight, when we both miss and they land right on top of us. And as the Holy Spirit is knocked clear out of our lungs, we gasp, seeking His return. A mighty Wind, the breath of Life.
We might even be at Church, as I was this morning, to learn the sad news that a dear friend went home to be with God overnight. It takes the wind right out of us. A mighty wind. A holy wind. But He is there to keep us upright, as we gasp again and come back to the reality of life. We will all join her, one day. And maybe, we pray that we may be in such a healthy state of mind at 90+; and even in such a grand state of mobility, though she was pretty frail. Margaret still drove every day, on her own, to our 6:30 am Mass. Still read daily readings to us all. Still ministered to the sick, and was even in the process of teaching others her ministry.
It’s a mighty wind, beloved, that comes and goes from us with every breath we take. Remember that God is in it. Remember that the Holy Spirit will keep it in us, as we recall His presence with those very breaths.
Praise God and be still through it all, beloved.
We are One with Him
and one another
always!
02-08-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 8, 2015
(Fifth Sunday Ordinary Time B)
St. Paul said, “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Jesus said, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” Mk 1:29-39
Preaching. It’s not forcing poison down people’s throats. It’s not being obnoxious. It’s not soliciting people to give something they don’t have. It’s offering a better way. It’s modeling a way of life better than anything imaginable. It’s offering hope in a hopeless world. It’s joy. It’s love. It’s Jesus! It’s an invitation to everyone!
Come beloved and share the Gospel… God loves everyone!
02-07-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 7, 2015
May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the Blood of the eternal covenant, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
Peace, beloved, peace!
Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mk_6:30-34
And sometimes, beloved, we just need a break!
02-06-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 6, 2015
(St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs)
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Mk 6:14-29
Every once in a while the readings coordinate with each other so perfectly we just know that God’s hand was in it. Today if we read this chapter from the Letter to the Hebrews – AFTER the Gospel passage on Herod and John the Baptist, we might have thought that it was written specifically about and to Herod!
For example, it said: “Do not neglect Hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” Heb 13:1-8 You see, Herod WAS being hospitable, by having a birthday party with all his friends and dignitaries. But I think he missed the part about “entertaining angels.” Or at least, if they were there, he surely didn’t notice.
It also said to be “mindful of prisoners.” Herod was mindful of John the Baptist, even though he also had the power to let him go. It actually seemed as though Herod was holding John as his Spiritual Confidant, because he enjoyed his discussions with John.
It said, “Let marriage be honored.” Well in this one Herod failed miserably. It’s funny, we never heard that Philip was storming the fortress to get her back. Guess we can understand why!
Then it said, “Let your life be free from the love of money.” Another failure on Herod’s part. His love and admiration for his daughter really didn’t need to be acknowledged in material payment. And it was that very offering that ended up backfiring in Herod’s own face by his loss of John the Baptist.
You see, in the end, Herod’s main problem was that he didn’t know God as “his helper.” And because of that, he suffered greatly! Because of his own poor decisions, Herod ended up with a witch of an adulterous wife, who had a bad influence on his daughter as well. He lost his spiritual confidant in John the Baptist. And the whole party situation probably made him look pretty stupid to his distinguished guests; or at least pretty rash and cutthroat, which he apparently was anyway. To be sure, I wouldn’t want to hang around Herod’s party any longer, after they brought in a severed head – whether it was before or after dinner. But, I’d dare not leave either, if that’s the way he treated the ones he liked!
So what’s the message to us? Well, if we keep the Lord foremost in our thoughts; and if we seek Him whenever we are troubled or uncertain about what to do, we will find that He will always be our Light and our Salvation. And His answers may just come to us from the least expected sources. Because we never know, when we too, might be entertaining angels – in that person sitting right next to us!
______________
And as a totally unrelated aside, had to share this one:
I know these people – I love these people!
Don’t you!
The Lord Gave Me Brothers from Franciscan Friars, TOR on Vimeo.
02-05-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 5, 2015
(St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr)
Jesus said, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” Mk 6:7-13
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.“
Can we even fathom the gravity of that statement, beloved?
We’re standing at the gate waiting to get into the Superbowl. Do we have our tickets? We’re holding the 16 billion dollar lottery ticket. Can we prove who we are, to cash it in? We’re standing at the Gates of Eternity. Have we repented of our sinfulness? Have we confirmed our faith in Jesus Christ – the Son of God. Can we prove who we are? Is our ticket in hand? Or will they be dusting their feet off at us???
Repent, believe, welcome and love everyone, beloved,
and the Kingdom of God will be in our hands as well!
02-04-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 4, 2015
Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as his sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
Strive always, beloved, for PEACE and Holiness!
And you will find it with Jesus!
02-03-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 3, 2015
(St. Blase, Bishop and Martyr)
Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. Heb 12:1-4
Day of healing all around. St. Blase was known for his intercessory healing of a choking young boy, thus our blessing of throats. And in our Gospel reading today (Mk 5:21-43), Jesus heals a woman with hemorrhages and raises a little girl from death. These were people of faith who fixed their eyes on Jesus and believed in His power to heal.
The woman would risk all she had to sneak a touch of Jesus’ cloak. And the father of the little girl was the perfect intercessor: through his faith in Jesus, his daughter was healed. Jesus listens to our prayers as well as our intercessions for others.
Persevere in the race, beloved, and God’s heavenly kingdom will come to us!
02-02-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 2, 2015
(Presentation of the Lord)
And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, Mal 3:1-4
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, Lk 2:22-40
Just as our baptisms present us to the Lord, Jesus was presented in the Temple of the LORD by His parents. Dedicated to God, we become his sons and daughters. And He is our Father. What an amazing honor!
02-01-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
February 1, 2015
(Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time B)
Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. Dt 18:15-20
Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts . . .” Ps 95
Of our own free will, we have been given the power to listen and hear. And in that listening we have the choice to act! Do we hear God’s voice in our lives, beloved? And when we do, what do we do with it?
Link to today’s Homily: “Hearing God’s Voice”
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Happy February, beloved!
Please stop by and visit January’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
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EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES can be found
in monthly subcategories of – “Whispers“
Link to Previous Month’s Whispers
Link to Next Month’s Whispers
Link back to Whispers to the Wind
Link to Saint of the Day
(also in Time page, under Liturgical Seasons section)
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Whispers to the Wind 