Whispers – Daily Mass Quotes begins after this Intro.
Please scroll down. Latest entry is the first in list.
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 . . .
Link to
Scriptures by Date
To find Quote sources, click on the Link above, select Today’s Readings or pick date from calendar.
Link to Daily Saints Calendar
Every Picture links to a video, website or literature
for more information.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12-31-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 31, 2017
(The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph)
Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. Col_3:12-21
This is how families get along. This is how communities of families get along. This is how nations get along. Seems some people have forgotten! Can we make this a world-wide creed!!!
__________________________
Today I send most heartfelt blessings to my son Carl, on his birthday. May our love and God’s blessings fill your life, Carl, with everything good! We truly miss you!
12-30-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 30, 2017
St. John wrote, “the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” 1_Jn_2:12-17
So we must be very careful which “bank” we place all our funding into. One will very shortly be closed down, but the other will last forever!
12-29-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 29, 2017
A holy and devout man named Simeon took him (the baby Jesus) into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.” Lk_2:22-35
This event is called the Presentation of the Lord (of Jesus in the Temple). The old man Simeon was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he physically saw the Savior. And now having seen Jesus, Simeon left a prophesy of his own. He said, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce [Mary]) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” ibid
You may drive through thirty stop signs and never get a ticket or into an accident . . . until! You may curse and swear thirty times a day and never sense its impact – until you’re looking for a new job. You may go to Church every week and expect to get to heaven – until final judgment reveals what was truly in your heart.
Don’t allow the sign of Jesus to be contradicted in your hearts beloved. He IS the sign of LOVE. And that love should be in every thought, every word, every deed of our every waking and sleeping day! We are to BE His Love in the world, no ifs, ands or buts.
12-28-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 28, 2017
(Holy Innocents)
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. . . . When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, Mt_2:13-18
On this fourth day of the Christmas Octave, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, or Childermas, because from ages past, and even for us, this day is a stark reminder of God’s wonderful blessings of children.
This song is called The Coventry Carol. It was a piece that came from a 16th Century, English, Christmas play called “The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors” The song itself represents a mourning lullaby – sung by the mothers of the children lost in Herod’s massacre.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard that song a thousand times, but never connected it with the Feast day that we celebrate today. And you know, the word “celebrate,” itself, is hard to associate with such a dreadful event.
Yet, it was a glorious victory for Jesus. For while Herod, in his greed and insecurity, was determined to destroy whatever and whoever – he perceived as a threat to his power, including his own wife and children, God, in His might and wisdom, provided a safe exit for Jesus and for the magi, and a Glorious entrance for these young, innocent, helpless, martyred children – into the paradise of Heaven.
St. Augustine called these young martyrs “the first buds of the Church killed by the frost of persecution; where they died not only for Christ, but in his stead.” (St. Aug., “Sermo 10us de sanctis”).
It’s almost hard to imagine such extreme insecurity on the part of Herod to take the lives of little children. But on the other hand, people do it every day in our own culture – through abortion, genocide, starvation, war, and the slavery of human trafficking.
It all gives us pause to recognize the incredible blessings children bring to us, and how vitally important we are in setting the example of Christ’s Love for them.
St. John, whose Feast Day we celebrated yesterday, reminds us over and over again, about the caution we must always take when sin is knocking at our door. And it takes very little – to physically or psychologically scar a child for life.
If we can exchange every evil thought, every hint of hatred, or anger, or jealousy, or insecurity with an outpouring of God’s love, beloved, just imagine the difference it could make in our families, in our workplaces, and in our world.
And it all begins with the little children.
St. Ambrose said, “You may not be rich; you may be unable to bequeath great possessions to your children; but one thing you can give them is the heritage of your blessing.”
At every opportunity, beloved, with every child we see, we should be praying for and blessing them – because the world they’re entering will not be an easy one.
Let us pray,
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy, all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen
12-27-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 27, 2017
(St. John, Apostle and Evangelist)
Concerning his faith, his witness of Jesus and his hope, John wrote, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” 1_Jn_1:1-4
For three years the apostles devoted their lives to following Jesus and learning His teachings. Jesus taught them through stories or parables, through direct proclamation and by His own example. And everything He taught them was based on God’s love.
It was through God’s love that incarnate Jesus came to be with us in the first place, which is the whole reason for our celebration of Christmas. It was through that love that Jesus healed people from their spiritual and physical infirmities. It was because of that love that people flocked by the thousands to listen to Jesus. And it is in that love that God’s Church and our fellowship with Jesus and our brothers and sisters in the faith, are still in existence some 2000-years after Jesus had departed from us in the Body.
In his Gospel and through his Letters, St. John describes Jesus as the Word of Life. He describes God as the Light that dispels all darkness. He describes the darkness as our sinful actions and our hatreds. And then he continues by describing God Himself AS Love!
In his First Letter, John wrote; “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1_Jn_4:16-19
When that love of God and our neighbor is brought to perfection through the Holy Spirit living within us, beloved, then we discover what Life is really all about. And that discovery will bring us Joy, just as it did for John!
Every time we reveal the love of God to others, every time we share in the Life and joy that it brings to us and can bring to others, that Joy within us becomes even greater.
John, who was there at every teaching of Jesus. John who there at the Transfiguration of Jesus. John who sat right next to Jesus at the last supper. After all he had heard and seen and lived, finally came to truly believing all of it – at that entry into the empty tomb.
And yet, beloved, true faith is not needing visible proof, but believing without it. John described Thomas’ lack of faith and Jesus’ response when He said, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
We can come to believe all that was said about Jesus in the Scriptures because it was in the past. We can love without bounds with a little practice, just as He taught us. Now the question is – can we truly have faith enough to believe in the eternal life that Jesus promised our futures, without ever seeing it. Can we have faith enough to believe that one day, after we leave this mortal body, just as Jesus did, we will be resurrected, body and soul, just as He was, to live forever with Him? This is our Faith. This is our love. This is our Life. And this is God’s promise! BELIEVE!
12-26-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 26, 2017
(St. Stephen, Deacon, Martyr)
Jesus warned his disciples of the evil lurking in the hearts of man and how it will impact them as His disciples. He said, “When they hand you over, 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. . . . You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” Mt_10:17-22
As a first example, Stephen, boldly proclaimed Jesus as the promised Messiah from of old. And yet, the Jewish leaders were quick to believe those who falsely accused him. After a lengthy discourse on the Biblical history of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants, Stephen accused the leaders themselves for their part in the assassination of Jesus: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” Acts_7:51-53
And that boldness in the Truth, cost Stephen, like the Prophets before him, like Jesus himself, his earthly life. With the help of a young, zealous Pharisee-in-training named Saul, who would later become Paul, the people stoned Stephen to death as he gave witness to seeing Jesus in heaven and begged for the forgiveness for their sin, just as Jesus did for His own persecutors.
To the fool, the whole account might have seemed foolish. But to the enlightened, it was Stephen’s journey through the Red Sea to the freedom of paradise. For all of us, we know that death has no hold on us, as we joyfully await our return to the Father; as we boldly proclaim God’s love for all of us; as we humbly pray for the souls of all who are lost, of their own choosing.
The face of an angel. Acts 6:15
12-25-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 25, 2017
(The Nativity of the Lord)
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jn_1:1-18
“How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!” Is_52:7-10
How beautiful!
Our Lord and God!
12-24-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 24, 2017
(4th Sunday of Advent, B)
The angel said, “You shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” . . .
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Lk_1:26-38
C H R I S T M A S
. . . coming!
Link to today’s Homily:
The Reality of it All, Mary’s Fiat
12-23-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 23, 2017
Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand. Luke 21:28
Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. Ps 25
Come Lord Jesus. We anxiously await our redemption from the purgatory of this world. Give us the strength to endure and the perseverance not to give up. For you are our guide, our mentor, our salvation. You are our “Way.” Come!
12-22-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 22, 2017
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! Alleluia Verse
Thought this was good . . .
no plug for its source intended – but good quality film and music!
12-21-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 21, 2017
Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Lk_1:39-45
Elizabeth had known the whole story before Mary even got there. She and John were so excited to see Mary that they BOTH leaped for joy! John in his first fetal contact with the Messiah, Jesus, his cousin. And Elizabeth in her, now, certainty that Mary had agreed to God’s plan! What an incredibly joyful moment in the advent of the Savior of the world. What a very blessed moment!
12-20-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 20, 2017
Isaiah said to Ahaz, the King of Judah: “Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” Is_7:10-14
Emmanuel, God with us! Throughout all of salvation history, God has been with us! We may have forgotten Him. We may have dispelled Him. But He has never left us! And His desire to be with and help us was so strong that he became incarnate to show us that love, to teach us how to love and to ultimately offer us the gift of eternal life – if we so choose to accept it, to accept Him!
Choose Jesus, beloved!
Our sign of the pinnacle of love!
12-18-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 18, 2017
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Mt_1:18-25
It was a complicated story right from the very start.
How does God come among mankind quietly? How does God convince mankind to change his ways without forcing him, without taking away that gift of free will? It would not be a nuclear explosion. It would not be a meteor scraping the atmosphere of the entire planet. It would not be easy!
Somehow or other there had to be disturbances, though. There had to be ripples in the fabric of human normalcy. An angel or two to a selected few. An almost imperceptible sign in the sky – except for those who were looking for it. An outcast little town in an outcast little dark and dreary animal stall. Who’d have imagined!
And there in another outcast little town of Nazareth. There, were the high school queen and the football quarterback betrothed. A match made in heaven. UNTIL! Until she turns up pregnant. OMG!
Well, that’s exactly WHO it was!
And in the perfect response of the most upstanding couple in town, Joseph, rather than rashly having the woman stoned to death, as the law required of an adulteress, Joseph decided to quietly divorce her. And, though it might not mean immediate death for Mary, it would begin a long and quiet death of isolation and poverty for the woman with the scarlet letter A branded into her forehead!
And no, she wouldn’t be jumping up and down in a rage, insisting that an angel did it! She wouldn’t be blaming the president or the senators, that it was all just another case of sexual abuse. She was as upstanding and righteous as he. No, she would piously accept whatever God had in store for her, be it an immediate or slow death, be it poverty or loneliness or persecution.
When lo, just as an angel appeared to her,
one appeared to him as well.
How does God quietly come into a world that would refuse to understand, even a meteor? He comes as a pretty normal looking babe, to a pretty normal looking homecoming king and queen who just had their thrones taken away. Starting from scratch in a dark and dusty cave, among the smelly beasts of burden, Joseph and Mary would righteously accept their dire circumstances and know in their hearts that they had just become – the very PARENTS of God himself!
A complicated story indeed!
12-17-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 17, 2017
(3rd Sunday of Advent, B)
I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; Is_61:1-2a,10-11
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Lk_1:46-54
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, 1_Thes_5:16-24
A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. Jn_1:6-8,19-28
Yes, there is reason for rejoicing, beloved, in all this Christmas stuff. Out of the darkness, God has shone the light. And if we truly understand, we KNOW that Jesus is that light! He IS the light of God’s love for all of us. So there is no more reason to live in the darkness. Come to know Jesus, beloved, and the light of Christ will live in you as well! And that’s what Christmas is all about! What better reason to REJOICE!
12-16-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 16, 2017
Sirach wrote, How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! . . . You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Sir_48:1-4,9-11
Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. Mt_17:9a,_10-13
The ancients believed that the mighty prophet Elijah would one day come back and prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, the Savior, the Chosen One of God. Jesus let His disciples know that John the Baptist is/was that messenger, that reformer. But He also informed them that just as John was imprisoned and killed, so would He be treated the same. And all of this was written in the prophesies of Isaiah and others.
You know, beloved, sometimes it’s hard to see what’s right in front of our faces. When we look to the signs. When we understand the prophesies made and fulfilled, we might just start to believe the truth of the prophesies, the warnings and the hope that Jesus left us with. Our salvation rests in that belief!
12-15-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 15, 2017
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; Is_48:17-19
Jesus was quoted saying, “Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish?“ Mt 7:9-10
So, neither would God not want – only the best for us, His children. And to prove that, He gave us Commandments, and Jesus gave us Beatitudes. And, just as when we want a light to come on, we have to flip the switch, when we want the good things in life, we look to the Creator of that life and follow His instructions.
And nowhere in those commands does it say that selfishness, greed, independence, solitude, prejudice, revenge or hatred gets us a better life. We may feel a temporary rush (of flush) of gratitude, of accomplishment in evil, but in the end we’ll always be worse off than when we started.
God’s commands all begin and end with LOVE! Love means giving and caring and helping and understanding and sometimes even sucking it up with a little humility and compromise. But, in THAT end, what will come back to us is – more love, and often much, much more than we ever gave. And that’s exactly what God wants for all of us. Love is not temporary, beloved.
Love is ETERNAL!
12-14-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 14, 2017
(St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Mt_11:11-15
Jesus highly respected John the Baptist. He called him God’s messenger or Elijah who brought the message of His coming into the world. And yet it’s not the messenger who saves us. It is Jesus himself! When we listen to the message. When we believe in Jesus, beloved, He will raise us above all who came before, so that His Kingdom may be ours as well. It’s a message well worth listening to!
12-12-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 12, 2017
(Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas)
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. Zec_2:14-17
Through the message of the Angel Gabriel, the Lord had come to dwell within the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the acceptance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Lord had come to dwell with us. And through the love of Jesus, the Holy Spirit now dwells within us! And ever since, the Blessed Virgin has made appearances to us, to remind us of our need of conversion, of our need of faith in Jesus, and of our need to recognize the Holy Spirit within us and to share His Love with everyone! The LORD of hosts has sent Her to us! All we need do is listen!
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Rv_11:19a;_12:1-6a,10ab
Juan Diego’s Tilma and the miracles it reveals!
12-11-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 11, 2017
Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. Is_35:1-10
Just watched a 2017 movie called, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” Why is it that in movies with all these alien species, the good guys, the understanding ones, the wise, the peaceful ones are most often not the humans? And yet this movie does show that there are good hearts in some or many of us. I really thought it was quite a beautiful movie. And the vindication, the recompense and the love all made their way to making it so. Wouldn’t it be nice if one day we too could BE those wise, peaceful, understanding, good guys!! Keep God, keep Jesus in your focus, beloved, and one day we WILL be walking that “highway” to heaven! And there, it will be just like the paradise of these movies – and even better!
. . . A highway will be there, called the holy way; No one unclean may pass over it, nor fools go astray on it. No lion will be there, nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it. It is for those with a journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk. ibid
Enjoy the Journey, beloved!
And focus on the LOVE!
12-10-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 10, 2017
(2nd Sunday of Advent, B)
John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mk_1:1-8
Funny, we say those words every Sunday, beloved! But do we truly realize what we’re actually saying, and do we believe it? “Lord I am not worthy that You should come under my roof . . .” Can we even imagine how unworthy we are? And yet, He comes, and comes, and comes again!
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” And in that union with the Holy Spirit, beloved, we have the ticket that opens the door, that makes us at least a little worthy! Worthy enough to be called “Children of God!”
When we can recognize our unworthiness before the throne of God, when we can truly mean those words (I am not worthy), then we are just beginning to realize how very, very blessed we really are! And in our response of thanksgiving for all those blessings, we give back – to all His other children, who are not worthy either, because love begets love.
Blessed be God, beloved! Blessed be His Holy Name! And blessed are we who are called together in Love, as His children!
12-09-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 9, 2017
(St. Juan Diego)
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Mt_9:35–10:1,5a,6-8
Isn’t that concluding comment so contrary to the way the world works, beloved! Nothing is free! And if the cost can be doubled just for the sake of greed, it will be done. When we go to the store and find a sale of 1/2 off, you can be sure the seller is not losing anything on that sale!
And yet, God has provided us with this awesome world to live in. God has provided the air we breathe and the water we drink. Oh yes, we can always find ways to contaminate both and charge others for what doesn’t even belong to us. But today Jesus is instructing his disciples to live by God’s rules, not man’s. Offer whatever we can to others out of our love for them, not out of our greed or selfishness. Give without cost and instruct others, just as Jesus did, without cost. Or at least the only cost is a listening ear and a receptive heart. We might just be amazed, beloved, at what we can receive and give – without cost!
12-08-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 8, 2017
(The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.” Lk_1:26-38
Total submission! Even in the light of possible persecution and execution, Mary submitted to the will of God!
Jesus commissioned us to, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.” What is our response, beloved? Is it, “May it be done to me according to your word?” Or is it, “Yeah, but . . .!”
Yes, there may be some cost to carrying out God’s will. But are we willing to submit even a little? Are we willing to submit it ALL, as Mary did, as Jesus did?
Today we celebrate the immaculate conception of Mary. It’s not Mary’s conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. It’s Mary being conceived in Spirit without the stain of original sin. The link above goes into much more detail. And out of her perfection is perfection born. Praise God for His love and Mary’s fiat!
12-07-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 7, 2017
(St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. Mt_7:21,24-27
If we want it to last, beloved, we build it on rock, not on sandstone. If we want to pass the test we have to read the book and not just open it. If we want to live God’s Kingdom, we have to act on Jesus’ words, not just read them.
Helping the poor, visiting the elderly, teaching the children and being friendly to the stranger; these are acts of God’s Love. And if we can spread God’s Word in the process of doing these acts, we will, all the more, be living in that Kingdom! Blessed be God for giving us all the ability to share His Love with whatever talents we have been blessed with, that we may build His Kingdom here and now, and live with Him forever!
12-06-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 6, 2017
(St. Nicholas, Bishop)
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. . . . On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. Is_25:6-10a
Let us rejoice, beloved, be glad and give thanks for our God!
On another mountain, many, many years later, Jesus took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. Mt_15:29-37
Giving thanks! Always giving thanks! In our lives, beloved, we too are called to climb the mountain. The mountain of faith and love and thanksgiving. There may be heavy crosses. There may be famine and hunger, cold and always that challenge to give up. But Jesus will feed us. He will strengthen us to complete that journey, no matter how tough it may seem. Have Faith dear one, and never forget to give thanks!
12-05-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 5, 2017
On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. . . .
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.
On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious. Is_11:1-10
Out from the dead stump, comes LIFE!
And not just any life, GLORIOUS life!
And there will be:
Knowledge of the Lord!
Peace on earth!
Salvation for EVERYONE!
“On that day!” This is
our hope, our life, our driving force,
Jesus!
Come, beloved! It’s more than a tree and some lights. It’s more than reindeer and a sleigh. It’s more than our little gifts! It’s the absolute best Gift anyone can give and anyone can receive!
Jesus!
12-04-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 4, 2017
(St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church)
A Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant who was near death. Jesus responded in the affirmative! And yet the centurion continued, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” Mt_8:5-11
The centurion knew that a Jew’s entrance into the house of a pagan would make them unclean and didn’t want to impose that price on Jesus either. So, having admitted his unworthiness, he gave the example of his own authority over others, and knew that Jesus possessed equal authority over illness and even death. Jesus was so impressed by the centurion’s faith that He complied, healing the servant from a distance and making the centurion’s faith an example that everyone else should follow.
How faithful are we, beloved, to allow God to heal others through us? How faithful are we to risk embarrassment, pain and even death for the sake of our beloved, Jesus. For we know, that nothing, NOTHING in this world can keep us from God’s love, even when we are not even worthy of that Love!
Have Faith, and we WILL see God’s miracles, every day!
12-03-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 3, 2017
(First Sunday of Advent, Yr. B)
Jesus said, “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Mk_13:33-37
Where are the closed doors behind which we hide from the Lord, beloved? Are they in our homes or our workplaces? Places where we think God is not watching.
Did I shrink from answering that call to bless a coworker in his time of distress? Did I allow that judgment or anger to linger just a moment too long in my thoughts? Did I fall asleep when my home, my heart and mind, were being trashed by things of the world?
Jesus reminds us today, that we need to be awake at ALL times, even in the night, especially in the night, because that is exactly when the “evil one” does his work. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help, beloved, that we may never fall, spiritually, asleep. And then we will be ready whenever our Savior comes back to bring us home!
12-02-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 2, 2017
As we conclude this last week of Ordinary Time: Jesus said to his disciples: “. . . pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” Lk_21:34-36
A warning and a promise, Jesus will return and stand before us probing. He came and He taught. Did we listen? Did we put into action the commands He gave . . . Love one another and God? There is the test! Every day we should ask ourselves – How did God’s love show through me today? And how did it not? God does forgive. All we have to do, beloved, is keep on trying!
12-01-17 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
December 1, 2017
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Lk_21:29-33
As we approach the Season of Advent, our recent Scriptures have reminded us of some of the Old Testament prophesies and predictions of their “future things.” Looking back at their future from today, we’ve witnessed the fulfillment of all of those prophesies and predictions.
We’ve seen the predictions of wars and atrocities that actually happened to the Jewish Nation through evil kings. We’ve heard the Prophet’s prophesies promising the revival of Jerusalem after the suffering of their exile. We’ve heard their promises of the coming of a Messiah or Savior. And even though their sufferings were ultimately the consequence of their own wrong choices, we’ve also seen a loving God calling them back, seeking the lost, and teaching them the path to salvation.
It’s a love that is so inexhaustible, so complete, so unconditional, that God chose to submit Himself to our stubborn, rebellious, ignorance, in order to teach, at least some of us, what life is really all about. And He gives us absolutely NO excuses in knowing what it takes to make – the Right choices.
Every year, while the world falls further and further away from remembering that sacrifice, from believing that there truly is someone who is on their side, WE make the steadfast choice to devote the four Sundays of Advent in preparing ourselves to celebrate that ultimate Gift of God’s love, Jesus.
As the most recent issue of National Geographic highlights the comment: “Might it be possible that Jesus Christ never even existed, that the whole stained glass story is pure invention?” – we pray for those who are still so lost that they believe such slander. And now, more than ever, we need to boldly assert, with Jesus, that heaven and earth, houses and cars, christmas trees and lights, presents and eggnog, Santa and even our own flesh and bones will pass away, but His Word, His Life and our true Life will never pass, as we unreservedly give ourselves over to His Love!
_________________________________
Happy December, beloved!
Please stop by and visit November’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
___________________
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)
______________________end of page
Whispers to the Wind 