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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07-31-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest)
After His hometown neighbors denounced Jesus, He said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. Mt_13:54-58
Funny, how we still do this. They say that the “expert” is the one with the suitcase and the briefcase, even though there may be someone much better living within our own midst. Well, sometimes the old saying that “you get what you pay for” just happens to be the opposite of the truth. Sometimes all we have to do is look in our own backyard.
Is Jesus in our back pocket, beloved?
Or is he shining in our hearts and on our faces!
07-30-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” Mt 13:47-53
Kind of a scary thought. Makes us wonder, “What kind of fish am I?” Funny, how we try our very best to “be good” and yet, it doesn’t come close to the Goodness we imagine God wants from us. Who am I angry at? Who am I jealous of? Why is there this restlessness, this lack of confidence, this armed wall of protection around me, ready to annihilate the next invader, instead of compassionately welcoming and forgiving all?
I think “letting go,” doesn’t mean giving up. And if keeping our sanity means a little self-protection, and that puts us in the “wicked” and “bad” categories of God’s judgment – then I guess we’d better get those fireproof suits and mouth-guards ready, beloved. I would think that would make the inhabitants of God’s kingdom pretty sparse in number. Don’t think that’s the case though. Jesus gave us a lot of examples of good vs bad behavior. And when He was threatened by murderous mobs (until His time was ready) He often just slipped away, as His own protection measure.
So don’t give up beloved. Don’t give up on yourself. And don’t give up on God. And always remember to call on the Lord for help. He will love us to the very end – and that we can count on!
07-29-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Martha)
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the LORD. Ex 34:29-35
Ever notice, beloved, another person whose face was “radiant” from the Lord?
It is a most awesome sight! Their beauty just shines from the Love of God within them. And we just want to bask in that radiance!
Well, you know what, Moses didn’t even know that the radiance in his face was there. And neither do we, when that Glow of God is upon us. But what we do need to do is to keep on BEING in His presence. And we do that through prayer, through our giving, and just by being in the presence of those friends of ours who do ‘radiate.’
Just like the moon that radiates the sunlight to brighten our nights. Just like the clouds that radiate the sun’s light in the beauty of a rainbow to brighten our rainy days. And just like the face of that perfectly innocent child, who smiles at our wrinkled old faces to elicit a smile back – God is there that we might reflect that sunshine of His Love to everyone else we meet.
So let us shine, beloved, let us shine!
07-28-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
. . the LORD passed before him (Moses) and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!” Ex_33:7-11;_34:5b-9,_28
Sometimes I just wonder what it was that our great-great grandfathers did to merit all the suffering we have to deal with in this life. And yet, I’m no saint either. And who am I to be passing on that flaming torch? But then, if we look at it from the other side – there is an awful lot that we have to be thankful for as well. We truly are Blessed! The LORD truly is merciful and gracious to us! All we need do is continue working on getting better. Not only for our own sakes, but for the sakes of our own children and grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
07-27-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Moses came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back; tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself. Ex_32:15-24, 30-34
Engraved by God Himself!
The Ten Commandments are God’s guidance in how we should live in the best manner possible. Jesus summed it all up with two simple commands: Love God and Love one another. If we can do this, beloved, we will be always in God’s good graces. And we will also be in the good graces of our neighbors. For the evil that comes upon us because we do not follow these commands, then, is of our own doing. It doesn’t mean that we will be immune to the evil of others if we’re good. But we will have done the best we can to avoid it. And in God’s eyes – that’s all that matters! Eternal Life will be ours through our Love!
07-26-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary Time B)
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone. Jn 6:1-15
If someone was so happy with us, beloved, that they wanted to give us a promotion or recommend us to all their friends, or even go as far as making us the next president, what would we do? Would we go off and hide? Or would we pray to the Lord asking what we should do? Or would it be our second nature not to puff ourselves up and allow all that glory? Guess it might depend on the longer term outcome. If we were to allow it for our own glory – then, it’s probably not a good idea. If we were to allow it because we could see how it might benefit others, then maybe it’s something worth considering. If we see how the outcome could potentially be bad for others; Jesus knew that God had other plans for him, then there’s no question, it’s a good time to go into hiding. Sometimes, beloved, being King is just not in the cards, just not in God’s bigger plan for us. And if that’s the case, let’s find out what it is that He does desire for us. Who knows, it might even be better than worldly kingship. It might be – being the best Child of His that we could possibly be!
07-25-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. James, Apostle)
St. Paul said, “Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” 2_Cor 4:7-15
The “earthen vessels,” beloved, that Paul is speaking about, are these bodies of ours. Bodies, not to be worshiped or held in any high esteem, because the true treasure is within, not on the outside. That is, Jesus living within us. And with Jesus within us, we have the power to withstand all kinds of abuse: despair, persecution, loneliness, even death to our bodies and still live beautifully!
Ever see the most beautiful person on the outside, only to find out when you actually meet them, that they are filled with anger and hatred, jealousy and bitterness. That’s really not very beautiful after all. And yet you can run across someone else who may look horrible or dangerous or threatening – and when you actually meet them, they could be the most beautiful person you’ve ever met. And the reason is, because they allow Jesus to manifest their thoughts and actions, instead of feeling like they have to control everything around them.
It’s not an easy task, this letting go. But just try it beloved, little by little. And little by little we can become that beautiful person as well. God wants that for all of us. So never prejudge. And never give up on anyone! Change CAN happen to anyone. Keep them all in your prayers. And one day – you never know, that Holy Spirit is constantly working all around us, it may just be us!
07-24-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Jesus said, “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. . . . But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it,” Mt_13:18-23
Sometimes, beloved, we may be so very trampled upon in this life that we don’t seem to understand anything any more. We’re simply the path for others to use for their own benefit – a benefit which may be either good or evil. But either way our hearts are burned out. There’s just no room there for anything more. And if anything more did happen by, we would probably not believe or trust in it anyway. Not much hope there.
BUT! But if we allow the Holy Spirit to rake us up a little. Add a little fertilizer, maybe a little lime and sand. You know what, we could be a whole new us. We could actually be “rich soil.” And when the Word of Jesus is then sown on us, there will be a whole new meaning to it. WE WILL UNDERSTAND! And from that understanding will grow excitement, and hope, and a craving to let the whole world know what we’ve discovered.
It’s God! It’s Love!
Unfortunately, there’s a whole lot more “paths” and “rocks” and “thorns” out there than there are “rich soils.” But no matter – that’s the Holy Spirit’s problem. We just keep on sowing! And He will see to it that growth will occur where and when His Will desires.
So praise the Lord – for dirt!
07-23-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Bridget of Sweden)
Jesus said to His disciples, “knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’” Mt_13:10-17
Today I drove past our local abortion factory. You might think of it like driving past one of those furnaces in Hitler’s Dachau or Auschwitz. And we call ourselves a civilized, “free” nation! And there in front of the building were a crowd of people with posters wanting to keep the place from closing. Because recent news has revealed that the organization is selling fetal body parts. Funny, they didn’t call it a body when all they were doing was killing it. I just cannot fathom why people would be so vehemently bent toward wanting to kill. Kill helpless children, kill Jews, kill Christians, even blow themselves up in order to kill more! It’s sick. It’s sad!
Jesus says “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen.” And one day when that same sickle is speeding towards their own necks, they still will not understand! It’s sad! Our world seems to be getting uglier by the minute. And yet, the mysteries of that Kingdom of Heaven are always within OUR grasp, beloved. You see, it has to do with life and not death. It has to do with love and not hate. And it has to do with compassion and not greed. If you happen to understand those basic principles of God’s Kingdom, beloved, hang tight. More will be given and we will grow rich in Eternal LIFE.
In the meantime, pray for them.
And pray for us.
Jesus will be here always to help us.
LOVE!
07-22-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Mary Magdalene)
After the Israelites grumbled at Moses, God heard their plea and: In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.” Ex_16:1-5, 9-15
After the burial of Jesus, Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. . . . Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jn_20:1-2, 11-18
This week our Scriptures seem to be concentrating on the revelations of God’s Glory: To the Israelites – God’s glory was revealed by showing them His power over life and death. It was His power that saved them through the waters of the Red Sea, yet destroyed their enemy in that same sea.
But it wasn’t long (just 2-months) before they totally forgot that Glory and began to grumble against Moses to satisfy their own physical cravings. So God again showed them his Glory by feeding them from the nothingness of the air. They called it the “Bread (or Manna) from heaven.”
And yet, Jesus told his disciples that the Bread which Moses shared with the Israelites was not the TRUE bread from heaven, but that He was. You see Moses’ bread, was a sign of God’s glory that was given to satisfy their physical craving for food. Jesus is the Bread that will satisfy both our Physical need for food and our Spiritual craving for God.
Mary Magdalene was one of those privileged few who understood that Spiritual craving, and knew that it was only Jesus who could satisfy it. And so, Mary waited and prayed, and mourned and longed to see her Jesus, even if he was dead in the body. And God showed His Glory again, by presenting Jesus bodily to Mary and to His disciples in the Resurrection.
But Jesus also let them know that it was not their, and our, Physical craving that He came to satisfy. He came to bring Life to our Spirits.
When we can learn to discern the difference between our bodily, physical needs and our Spiritual cravings, then we’re beginning to understand the Love that Mary had for Jesus and the love Jesus has for all of us. This is a Love that is SO deep, SO fulfilling, that it makes all of our physical needs just disappear – even at the cost of pain and even at the cost of death itself. Because, in that Love we find – Life Eternal! And in that Love we sing praise to the Glory of God our Father!
Amen!
07-21-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Jesus said, “whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Mt 12:46-50
Want a close relationship with Jesus?
Love one another!
07-19-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Sixteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time B)
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mk 6:30-34
A hard day’s work is certainly cause enough for some needed rest. And yet, there is more to a hard day’s work than just physical labor. Sometimes the stress of demanding relationships at work or at home can be just as worthy a cause for the need for rest, or maybe even more so! The disciples were called to do something that may have been so far out of their comfort zone that their stress may have been just unbearable. Yet, after they actually went out and performed their mission – to bring the Good News of Jesus to the people – they were so excited that they couldn’t wait to report their findings back to Him – even though they may have been both physically and spiritually exhausted!
Every once in a while, beloved, we need some solo time. Time to reflect. Time to catch our breaths. Time to figure out what to do next in those demanding situations, we so often find ourselves in. That’s our ‘Jesus time’! And even when the world around us doesn’t allow that time, when we might need it most, Jesus will offer it to us in the midst of it all. Seek Him, ALWAYS, beloved, and He will give you REST!
07-18-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
The LORD spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying,
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
Mt 12:14-21
This is Jesus, our Lord!
Our HOPE!
07-17-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
The LORD said to Moses, “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.” . . . “It is the Passover of the LORD.” Ex 11:10—12:14
Jesus said to the Pharisees, “If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” Mt 12:1-8
Funny how we’ve heard the Exodus story of the First Passover a thousand times by now. We’ve clearly made the connections: Of that first Passover Meal to the Last Supper of Jesus and to our Most blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
We’ve made the connections: Of the Paschal sacrifice of a lamb to the sacrifice of Jesus, the true Lamb of God. Of the blood on the doorposts to the blood on the cross.
And we’ve made the connections: Of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt to the Resurrection of Easter Sunday and to the Salvation of our own Baptisms.
And we often ponder these events. We pray over them. We pray for the needy. We say our rosaries. And we come to Mass. And sometimes, there we are, impatient with the squirming little children who keep us from hearing everything. And there we are – judging the woman in the big hat who’s blocking our view. And there we are stampeding out the door because that homily was 2-minutes longer than it should have been.
You see, Jesus had the same issues with the Pharisees. There they were, touting how others should be so good for God. And there they were, praying and bowing, and being SO Holy that they tied their prayers to their heads in a box. And yet, there they were, the first to judge others. And there they were, the first to condemn others. And there they were, the last to lift a finger to help those who couldn’t help themselves.
Today Jesus reminds us – that He isn’t looking for our Holiness.
But He IS looking – for our Helpfulness!
07-16-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Mt 11:28-30
This IS one of the most comforting quotes in the Bible. The very words of Jesus, himself. The hope that we can find rest in Him! Lay your burdens at His feet, beloved, and He WILL take care of them. They may not disappear. But they will be manageable. And there will be hope and rest in His shadow.
Jesus says, yoke yourself to me and I will assist you with whatever it is that burdens you. It will not be yours to carry alone any more. Sickness, disease, cancer, loss, stress at work or at home – give them all to Jesus to help you carry – and there you will see how much better it all can be. Be blessed, beloved. Carry those crosses – and in the process let Jesus help – He does have experience!
07-15-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Mt_11:25-27
Sometimes, beloved, we have to be “childlike” to be able to hear and learn. And that doesn’t mean acting like an immature child. It means knowing that we are dependent upon someone greater than us, and being obedient to their will because we know that our very lives depends on that person. That person is God! And God teaches us through Jesus. God will reveal Himself when we give ourselves over to Him!
07-14-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin)
A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son. Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the river bank. His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him. Ex 2:1-15a
Can you name that child?
Well, give you a couple more clues: splitting the Red Sea, an emissary of God, water from a rock, (Charlton Heston!)
YES! It was Moses!
Funny, how we may have come into this world in the most awkward of situations, and yet still are pretty important in God’s eyes. It’s all in our willingness to Let Him use us. So “let go and let God” as they say, beloved. And who knows – You might just be the next Moses!
07-13-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Mt_10:34—11:1
Hungry, lonely, lost, unemployed, unloved, seems like we’re trying to swim upstream against all the evil in the world? And in the meantime we’re praying for God to help us – FIND. Maybe, according to Jesus, we shouldn’t be trying to find a better way of controlling it, of controlling our lives, but instead, be praying for “losing it” to Christ. Stand boldly beloved, in your commitment and love for Jesus. And just keep on swimming! Our goal, God’s goal – for us, will be well worth it!
Rely on Jesus!
) . . _____________________ . . (
Happy Birthday Brother James!
Our love and prayers to you always!
07-12-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time, B)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.” Eph_1:3-14
Did you catch that, beloved? God has blessed us!
We were chosen in Christ – BEFORE the foundation of the world! WE – holy and without blemish! That’s pretty awesome! Now, if the owner of some big corporation told you that YOU would be the next CEO of his company, that would not only be an honor, but a responsibility to the many, many people who worked for that company, under you.
And so, God has blessed us with an honor even greater than being a CEO. We are HIS children and we are blessed. And now we too have a responsibility to act in accord with His righteousness and to bring others to join us.
This IS good news! And the news is that EVERYONE is blessed.
They just need to know it! And we need to tell them!
07-11-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Benedict, Abbot)
Jesus said to His disciples, “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Mt 10:24-33
Whispers – to the World!
07-10-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
There are several good quotes today . . .
“Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.” Gn_46:1-7, 28-30
Interesting how those Israelites were ushered into Egypt on a red carpet and had to force their way out, pursued by an angry army!
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” Mt 10:16-23
Wouldn’t have been bad advice for those Israelites either – and even for us for that matter. Shrewd and Simple!
And the ultimate advise: Jesus said, “do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” ibid
Jesus said – ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.’ And how do we do that when we haven’t a clue what we are to say? “DON’T Worry!” The Holy Spirit will give us the words! Ever find yourself without words, beloved? Maybe it’s just supposed to be that way! Ever hear yourself saying beautiful things, and you have no idea where they came from? That’s the Holy Spirit speaking through you.
Just listen and Enjoy!
07-09-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Sending His disciples out on their first mission trip, Jesus said to them, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Mt_10:7-15
If we work for anyone in life, or even if we work for ourselves, we know that we have to expend great cost in effort and in time, in sweat and blood to often receive much less than what we gave.
Jesus is telling his disciples and us that there is something we have received without cost!
Then, the question is, what is it that we received? Well, God has given us our very lives. We have eyes to see His beauty. We have ears to hear the majesty of nature all around us and the wonderful sounds in music that our companions have created. We have hands to touch and to feel with, noses to smell, feet to walk and arms to embrace with. That is quite a gift!
Now maybe life has thrown us all kinds of curve balls and in many different directions. We may be shunned by our friends. We may have physical handicaps. We may even be hungry and without work. But despite these small setbacks, God still gives us more. If we take the time to count our blessings instead of our hardships, we’ll find that we really DO have a lot to offer others – without charge and in Love, just as God has given to us!
07-08-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Mt_10:1-7
Jesus sent his disciples out to preach to the ‘lost sheep’ of Israel. It’s funny how sometimes the lost sheep can be the most resistant to listening, and at other times they might even teach their teachers.
Sometimes the sheep may get lost because of their own stubbornness or because of a self-centered sense of independence, and sometimes getting lost may have been totally out of their control.
Today we heard a little piece of the middle of the story of Joseph and his brothers (Gn 41-42). You see, Joseph just happened to be one of those lost sheep. Yet, he wasn’t lost by his own doing. Joseph was lost because of the jealousy and hatred of his own kin, who sold him into slavery. And even though he was lost to his father Israel, he actually made the best of a bad situation, through his unwavering faithfulness to God. In the end, what we see is that it was really the brothers who were lost. Lost in years of guilt over what they had done to Joseph.
It’s funny how sometimes, when we go out seeking ‘the lost,’ we might even find ourselves in the process.
You see, Jesus wasn’t only sending His disciples out to preach the Good News of God’s Kingdom to others, He was sending them out to find that Kingdom themselves. This was the earliest beginnings of our Church.
If we take a preacher and place him or her in a building to preach, it doesn’t help anyone if no one is there to listen. And sometimes the greatest lesson learned, is the one the preacher receives back from the Community.
You see, we are all called to TELL others about this great Love of God for us, in Christ Jesus, but maybe even moreso, to FIND it – in one another.
That’s – the Kingdom of God!
07-07-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
At the sight of the crowds, his (Jesus’) heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Mt 9:32-38
The shepherd gathers his sheep together, and together they are secure because they know that they are in the hands of a true leader, a protector, a defender of their rights, and their freedom, and their safety. Jesus is that true leader, the Shepherd.
And yet, if they had not heard of Jesus they will still be just lost sheep. So Jesus tells His disciples that they need more messengers to spread that message, to “harvest” the lost and make them found. This is what His disciples will become. And those who become found will, in turn, become the new messengers until the whole world knows. So, there is no need to feel troubled or abandoned any more, beloved. Jesus, our “good shepherd,” is here. And His kingdom of love is all around us, if we just look!
07-06-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Maria Goretti, Martyr)
The LORD spoke with Jacob saying, “In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” Gn 28:10-22a
Jacob, later named Israel by God, did become the father of many nations. Nations that were blessed, but later fell away from the LORD and became lost, even though the LORD never stopped loving them. It is the same love that God has for all of us, beloved, ALL nations. If we ever get to feeling lost, come back to God. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to never leave us! When we open our hearts to the Spirit of God, we will realize that He really has, never left us.
07-05-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary Time, B)
St. Paul wrote: The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:7-10
Weakness in thinking that we can do it all by ourselves. Weakness in dealing with our little pains and trials. Strength in allowing God to take over our lives. Strength in knowing that God can handle whatever it is that the world throws at us. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!“
His Grace is Sufficient!
07-04-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Isaac said, “May God give to you of the dew of the heavens and of the fertility of the earth . . .” Gn 27:1-5, 15-29
May our awesome Lord bless you and keep you, beloved, all the days of your life. And when this sojourn is over – May you live in eternity with Him in God’s heavenly kingdom!
07-03-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
(St. Thomas, Apostle)
Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Eph 2:19-22
Jesus said to him (Thomas), “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jn 20:24-29
St. Thomas, who we all affectionately know as “doubting Thomas,” gives us the classic example of the old cliche’ “Seeing is believing.” The problem is – if we hold too strongly to that philosophy, there’s a whole lot of Life that we’re going to miss out on.
Yet, on the other hand, if we believe everything we hear or even see, especially today – in our virtual, computer generated world, we’ll often find ourselves taken advantage of and maybe even hurt.
So where’s the happy medium?
And where does God, where does Jesus fit into all of this?
Well, we might call the happy medium, “Educated Risk.” It’s not jumping at believing every little thing we see or hear. But it IS – doing a little background research, and then taking our best guess at – whether we should believe or not.
You see, Thomas wasn’t stubbornly disbelieving, as it might appear at first glance. Thomas did follow Jesus. He listened, he watched and he was even willing to die with his Master. Just like all the other apostles, Thomas believed that Jesus was their Messiah. But they didn’t see Jesus as a Spiritual Savior, who would redeem their souls for eternity. They believed that He was going to Physically save them from their oppression by the Romans, – in their own – here and now.
And what they Physically saw, was those same Romans beat and kill their “supposed” Savior – the one, in whose hands they put their trust and their very lives.
You see, Thomas was hurt.
He trusted Jesus, to an extent . . .
And then his doubt and his anxiety took over – when those greatest fears of his all seemed to come true. So of course, Thomas’ response to the Apostles’ outrageous claim that Jesus was resurrected, was “Sure, tell me another miracle!”
Would WE have thought any differently?
And as for Educated Risk: Those apostles may have been poor, but they weren’t dumb. They knew their Scriptures. And they had seen other people claim to be the Messiah, and get themselves killed. But there was something different about Jesus . . . Something that drew them. Something that convinced them that He truly WAS the One!
And they TOOK that Risk.
And they SAW the Miracles.
And they HEARD the Wisdom.
And if they hung in there until the VERY end . . . which they almost all did, save for Judas, it would ALL pan out in the end . . . A very different end, than they all expected. But it was well worth the journey!
And now it’s up to us. We’ve already taken the risk. We’ve given our lives over to this unseen and unknown God. So now the question is, Do we believe strong enough to SHARE? Is it worth – ETERNITY?
Jesus tells us that it is!
And the Holy Spirit guarantees it!
07-01-15 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
Jesus seemed to travel back and forth over the Sea of Galilee often. In one recollection, the Gospel writer tells us how, after disembarking from a crossing, Jesus encountered two demon possessed men who were very dangerous to those who lived in the area. So Jesus freed the men from their possession, made the area safe again for travel and the demons were destroyed in the process (along with a herd of pigs). But rather than look at the positive side of the event, the townspeople focused on their loss. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. Mt_8:28-34
To them, the pigs were more important than the lives of the two possessed men. And more important than the safety of travelers in the area. For them it was easier to avoid the possessed men than to help them. What is it in our lives, brothers and sisters, that we allow – that shouldn’t be allowed. What is it that we are so comfortable with, that would cause us to prefer to eliminate our Savior instead of our vices. Think about it. Jesus is here to help us, not hurt us. We should always welcome Him above all else, and He will see us through whatever it is that chains us!
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Happy July, beloved!
Please stop by and visit June’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
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