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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01-31-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 31, 2022
(St. John (Don) Bosco, Priest)
An informant came to David with the report, “The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.” . . . As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. (The same mount that Jesus wept upon for His Apostles’, His own and for our salvation). . . . As David was approaching Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera of the same clan as Saul’s family, was coming out of the place, cursing as he came. He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers, even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard, were on David’s right and on his left. . . . David responded, “If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this Benjaminite do so?” 2_Sm_15:13-14,30;16:5-13
Sometimes, beloved, life leads us to mountaintop successes and other times to the bottom of a pit. David had been to both. He had Holy Spirit moments of ecstasy and devastating rejections by friends, neighbors and even his own children. He had moments of perfect piety and others of weakness and sin. But through it all, David never let go of His faith in God. Yes, Lord, I know that I’m a lowly sinner, but please, in Your Grace have mercy on me. Now, please know that I am at the very bottom of the deepest pits of life and I can only recover by your Grace.
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. . . . where there lived a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit (Not unlike the crazy son of Gera from David’s story). After Jesus had healed the demon possessed man, who had been bound in chains, the people of the town – began to beg him to leave their district. Mk_5:1-20
Sometimes, beloved, it’s the “free” people who are more “bound” than those who are physically placed in chains. What binds us?
Know that even in the pits and even in the chains, we still count on You, Lord, as our lifeline. We love You and we worship You and we adore You. Have mercy on us in our lowliness! In Jesus’ Name we pray!
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Most blessed and happy birthday wishes to our wonderful daughter Christie!
We love you always, honey!
01-29-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 29, 2022
After David’s misdeed, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David saying, “You have done this deed in secret, but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel, and with the sun looking down.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed, the child born to you must surely die.” . . . The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it became desperately ill. David besought God for the child. He kept a fast, retiring for the night to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth. The elders of his house stood beside him urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor would he take food with them. 2_Sm_12:1-7a,10-17
Sometimes, beloved, the consequences of our sins are quite unfathomable. But God loves us all the same, and forgives us in our repentance. Yet as much as that brings us some comfort, the pain of the consequence can last a lifetime. So, we really must THINK before we act and constantly pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength when we don’t (think). God is merciful and loving and Satan wants nothing more than to devastate us in depression and hopelessness. And that’s why we always need to stay in touch with God! He IS our healing and our strength!
01-28-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 28, 2022
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church)
From the roof he (King David) saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers and took her. . . .
David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” 2_Sm_11:1-17
The abuse of power in idle hands is the seedling that leads to death. In David’s case it was lust for a woman whom he had no right to overpower. Yet, overpower he did, and the outcome of his adultery was not only a child whom he would never know, but through that sin, David would conjure all kinds of additional sins to try to eliminate or to hide his own error. Yet even though Uriah was supposedly accidentally killed in battle, God knew every minute detail of David’s most devastating mistake.
It just teaches us, beloved, to never ever let our guard down when it comes to sin. The smallest infraction could lead to a lifetime of pain, not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Instead of planting sins, plant prayers, plant love, plant humility and compassion, and not for ourselves, but for the glory of God and God alone. It’s easy to take the concept of love and convert it into lust when sin has the upper hand in our lives. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can tame that beast and love others for God’s glory and not for our own satisfaction. Nobody ever said it would be easy. But with God all things are POSSIBLE!
01-27-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 27, 2022
(St. Angela Merici, Virgin, Religious)
Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.” Mk_4:21-25
So, what are the secrets hiding under our beds, or in the closets of our minds, beloved? No, I don’t really want to know. But it’s good, every once in a while, to think about our own lives instead of everyone else’s. And then try to find out how we can clean out some of those cobwebs. When we shine the light of Christ into our own hearts, we just might find all kinds of opinions, and disgruntlements and petty dislikes that aren’t really necessary, and actually do nothing more than bring us down. Jesus wants us to sweep clean those nooks and crannies of our lives to allow His light to shine all the brighter for all to see. You’ve been created out of perfection beloved. Why not live in it as well!!
01-26-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 26, 2022
(Ss. Timothy and Titus, Bishops)
St. Paul wrote to Timothy, “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” 2_Tm_1:1-8
These gifts of God’s grace, in His love for us, are not actualized in our lives unless we recognize them. The strength to overcome temptation and opposition. The courage to stand up for what you believe. The wisdom to know what to say and when. The love to give at every, EVERY, opportunity, whether we “feel” like it or not. This is the grace that God bestows upon every one of us, beloved. All we need do is open our eyes and hearts to recognize it! It’s all around and IN us! Thanks be to God in Jesus Christ for having loved us so very, very much. And thanks be to our brothers and sisters in the Faith, who bring us support and love when we most need it (all the time!!).
01-25-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 25, 2022
(The Conversion of St. Paul)
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mk_16:15-18
The zealous Pharisee, Saul, was so convinced that this new teaching by Jesus and His followers was contrary to his own Jewish faith that he went about arresting those who believed. And yet, before any kind of condemnation (save for temporary blindness), befell Saul, Jesus offered one more chance for Saul to be saved. And it was enough to convert Saul, whose name now became Paul, into believing as well. Changing his direction, Paul did not change his personality, and that zealous commitment to sharing the Gospel of Jesus went as far as Paul could travel. Despite persecution, stoning, shipwreck and abandonment, Paul would continue his, now famous, evangelization in Asia and Europe, leaving letters that we still admire and learn from to this day.
As baptized Christians, we too, beloved, have the responsibility to save as many non-believers as we can from the punishment of condemnation that Jesus warns us all about. This faith is not just a me and God deal. It’s all about love of God AND neighbor, even when that neighbor may shove his boisterous personality down our throats or drive six inches from the back end of our car. Patience, endurance and Love, beloved – that’s what Jesus is calling us to, besides the salvation of the world!
01-24-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 24, 2022
(St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said, Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mk_3:22-30
The unforgivable, everlasting sin, thus, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In the case of the Pharisees, they were attributing the cleansing of demons to Satan rather than the Holy Spirit. And Jesus argued that, how or why would Satan destroy his own army? It just didn’t make any common sense, let along God-sense. For anyone fighting against themselves is destined to lose – or actually lose before they ever got started. Hmmm, it sounds a whole lot like the condition of our own country and the world in these days of “Idocracy.” It really makes us think. Whom are we following? The whims and lies of the media and liberal government, or the Truth of God! It all calls for some pretty heavy discernment and some very deep prayer to the Holy Spirit, beloved. Pray that we may all come to a unitive understanding of one another and that wisdom and not emotions will prevail!
01-23-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 23, 2022
(3rd Sunday Ordinary Time, C)
Sunday of the Word of God)
Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Lk_1:1-4;4:14-21
Revelation of revelations. Today this prediction from ages past is fulfilled in Jesus. Hope, Freedom and Sight (healing) – all possible for them, for us! Believe in Jesus, beloved! We are one body, together in Christ, forever!
Blessed be God forever!
01-22-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 22, 2022
(Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children)
David wept over the death of Saul and Jonathan: “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold.” 2_Sm_1:1-4,11-12,19,23-27
After all his ordeals with Saul constantly in pursuit of him, David loved Saul even unto his death. And he missed Jonathan like a lost brother. Sometimes life treats us harshly, beloved, but we must always keep love in the foremost of our hearts and minds. Despite their behaviors, everyone is a child of God. And that we must always respect!
01-21-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 21, 2022
(St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr)
After lopping off a hunk of Saul’s cloak in a dark cave, with the perfect opportunity to enact revenge on his pursuer, David said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him, for he is the LORD’s anointed.” . . . David said to Saul, Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea! The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you. May he see this, and take my part, and grant me justice beyond your reach!” 1_Sm_24:3-21
Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge, till harm pass by. Ps_57
Jesus appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:. . . Mk_3:13-19
Did you ever get that feeling beloved, that everything you do or say is never good enough. . . . Not good enough for the boss. Not good enough for your spouse or your kids. Maybe not even good enough for God.
Well if that’s our case, we might say that we ARE in good company. For we can put ourselves in the company of people like David, who would later become king. We can put ourselves in the company of Joseph and Moses, of Jeremiah, and even Jesus who couldn’t even convince those Pharisees to believe – what they should have known from the get-go. We might even talk about the disappointment of God, in not being able to convince His own children how much He loved them.
In our Gospel today, I couldn’t help thinking about all those other people who were devotedly following Jesus, and yet missed the big selection. People like George and Ed, Tim and Frank, Floyd and Joe. There, they might have been, wondering what made Thaddeus so much better than any of them, or even Judas the betrayer? And yet, such is life.
Sometimes we just can’t please anyone. And yet, deep in our souls we know that God DOES know the truth. He knows the truth of what resides in our hearts. He knows that when we try to please others, even if they don’t realize or appreciate it, we are doing it for Him.
You see, try as he might, David just couldn’t please King Saul. He played the harp to soothe Saul’s anxieties. He battled Saul’s fiercest enemies for the sake of Saul’s glory. And his absolute best of friends was Saul’s own son, Jonathan. And despite all of that, Saul’s intense jealousy led him to hatred and constant persecution of David.
Yet, as we see today, David knew deep in his own heart that God knew the truth as well. He knew that if he stayed faithful to His LORD, and to his God’s chosen servant, even if that chosen one was an incompetent fool, then he, David, would be the one who would be filled with God’s peace and grace, despite any evil that Saul could inflict upon him.
Today’s encounter was not the end of Saul’s persecution of David. But it was another notch in David’s belt – that confirmed His devotion and his love for God, as well as God’s love for him and for all of us, even, despite our own incompetencies.
As we continue in the coming weeks, this moving saga of faith and heroism, of intense love and bitter downfall, of political intrigue and emotional surprise, of the second greatest King of all time, we remember, not only David’s feeling of ‘not being good enough,’ and the times when he actually wasn’t, but we remember our own similar feelings and disappointments in ourselves, and how we, like David, can find comfort in the great love and mercy that God has shown to us, through Jesus, with every breath we take.
And through it all, we thank our God for the saga of our own journeys!
01-20-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 20, 2022
(Ss. Fabian, Pope and Sebastian, Martyrs)
After David’s slaying of Goliath, The women played and sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought: “They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.” And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David. 1_Sm_18:6-9;19:1-7
And there we have it, beloved, the sin of pride. The sin that leads to jealousy, that leads to attempted murder, that leads to one’s own demise. This is why we must be very careful with that vice. The more highly we think of ourselves, the less favorably we think of others. Jesus tells us to humble ourselves and give all of our love to our neighbor and to God. If we’re seeking happiness, this is the road that leads to it! Follow and listen to Jesus!
Jesus had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known. Mk_3:7-12
So there on the stairway to fame, Jesus sought anonymity. Just the opposite of Saul. You see, Jesus had a mission and there was a lot more to do before He wanted to see the crowds want to carry Him off to make Him king. Before, in reality, the Pharisees would succeed in having reason to have Him killed. So he asked many of the recipients of His healings not to publish it abroad, though they usually did anyway. And His fame continued to grow. So Jesus would seek the solitude of prayer away from the crowds, on mountain tops or on the lake in a boat with His disciples. Eventually there would no longer be any place to rest and Jesus would know that His mission was nearing completion. Blessed be God for Jesus’ example of humility to us!
01-19-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 19, 2022
David answered the 9’9″ giant Philistine, Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. . . .
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground. 1_Sm_17:32-51
Thus, the Lord had won the battle for the Israelites that day with the help of only a child. A child who would become King. A child who would become the ancestor of the Savior of the world. When we give all the glory to our Lord and Savior, beloved, all the glory of being God’s child will come back to strengthen us and bring us peace.
Come Holy Spirit, and use us as You used David, so that all the glory and richness of Your children will come back to glorify You!
01-18-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 18, 2022
The LORD said to Samuel: . . . I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” . . . Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him. (As the young sons) came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” . . .
(After examining seven sons) Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” . . . Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There–anoint him, for this is he!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. 1_Sm_16:1-13
“Not as man sees does God see.” How much time, beloved, do we, mere mortals, spend on our outward appearance? And then, why? Who are we seeking to please, our fans, our congregations, our neighbors, our families? Will they bring us eternal life because of how ‘pretty or handsome’ we look?
Maybe it’s time, then, to start to look at what God sees. Is there anyone in our lives whom God would not be pleased at how we look at them. Are we looking only at the outside of others and not the inside, like God? Or is it the inside of certain others that so displeases us? That displeases us because we know it displeases God. Those are the ones, beloved, whom we are called to love even more. To pray for. To be kind to. And it’s that behavior that will please God with us.
We are, like God, to focus all of our attention to loving God and others. And when we can do that we will be sure to know, inside, that we too, like David, are filled with the Spirit of the Lord. And THAT appearance will shine beyond any imperfection our outer appearance may reflect. The appearance of God in us!
01-17-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 17, 2022
(St. Anthony of Egypt, Abbot)
In disobedience to the Lord’s command to exterminate every living thing of the sinful Amalekites, King Saul was reprimanded by Samuel. And yet Saul persisted in trying to rationalize his actions as righteousness, as offerings to Samuel’s God.
But Samuel said: “Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler.” 1_Sm_15:16-23
One thousand years later, Jesus would repeat these same words to the religious leaders of His own time. Disobeying the commands of the Lord, the Pharisees would devise their own laws and rules to bolster their own notoriety rather than showing God’s love to those who needed it most, the poor, the downhearted, the widow, the orphan and the sick. It really makes us think, beloved. Is our religious righteousness just for show? Is it just for our own selfish desire for salvation? Or are our actions all based on love first, and then all those religious piety actions done to follow, out of that love, rather than the opposite. Something to think about in our rapidly advancing Ordinary Time, before lent.
01-16-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 16, 2022
(2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, C)
At the wedding of a relative, the wine was prematurely running out. So Jesus’ mom asked if He could do something to help the situation. Jesus told them (the waiters), “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from, although the servers who had drawn the water knew, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. Jn_2:1-11
Well, you’ve got to just love this story. It has so very many messages and rich symbolism.
There’s the message of Jesus’ obedience to His mom, even though He didn’t think His time was quite ready for revealing Himself.
There’s the tie to the river turned to blood in the time of Moses (a life to death transformation), and the blood and water flowing from the side of the Crucified Jesus, representing baptism, eucharist and the Church.
There’s the tie to the precious blood of the Eucharist which we partake in even today, and even a foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet of our futures.
There’s the conversion of the ordinary to the extraordinary (the natural to the supernatural) – water to wine. And equally, the conversion of Jesus’ ordinary followers into believing disciples.
And most importantly, this first sign of John’s Gospel, was the revelation of the divinity and sonship of Jesus, the savior of the world, our savior!
What a beautiful story!
01-15-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 15, 2022
Jesus said to the faultfinding Pharisees, with respect to His eating with tax collectors and sinners, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Mk_2:13-17
If conversion of heart is what we’re looking for, beloved, sometimes we have to step down into the viper’s pit in order to leave our message, in order to heal! And sometimes they may not even realize they are in need of healing. And that’s where the creativity of the Holy Spirit in our open hearts can be their healing balm. Step down, share, commiserate and heal – in Christ’s love always!
01-14-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 14, 2022
Jesus was preaching at his home in Capernaum. When the house was filled with people, the friends of a paralytic man dropped him in on a stretcher through the roof. Seeing their faith, Jesus said “Child, your sins are forgiven.” But the people did not respect or believe His authority to forgive sins. So He said to them: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth,” he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. Mk_2:1-12
And yet, you know, beloved, we ourselves have the authority to forgive the transgressions of others against us. We can hold that grudge, that hatred, that anger in our hearts forever, and make ourselves sick over it in so many ways. Sick with loathing of others who were not even involved in the transaction, sick in jealousy, sick in bitterness, even sick in health. Is unforgiveness really worth that much to us? Forgiveness is never really easy, beloved, and we all know that. But by the grace of God and the love of Jesus, and the courage and strength of the Holy Spirit we CAN do it. Pray for it! And God will grant you the peace you truly deserve. You are loved, more than you can imagine!!!
01-13-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 13, 2022
(St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said to the healed leper, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. Mk_1:40-45
Jesus knew well the battle against fame. It seems that whenever that monster (fame) comes knocking at your door, there is never a place to get away, never a place for some desperately needed rest. And so we can understand why Jesus so often preached about humility. Fame is not something we should strive for, beloved. For it’s in that curse that we can become more lonely than we ever were in humility. And it’s in that loneliness that desperation, depression, drugs and suicide reside.
In our hopeful humility we have all the love we can ever need, in God, in Jesus. So fear not, beloved, that we are not, or may never be famous. All that really matters is our fame in God. For to Him we are all the greatest stars in the heavens. We are His beloved children. And nothing could be greater!
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Just six days ago, last Friday, our Gospel reading was the Lukan version of this same scripture. And just to see how we can see different aspects of the same reading, here was my take from the reading last week:
After two weeks of Christmas holiday, this week, our 5th grade Religious Ed classes started up again. But this time, to my surprise and eventual delight, I learned that, because their teachers were out sick, we had inherited an additional six students from the 3rd and 4th grades.
And so, I began our class with a question. I asked them all, “If you were to die tonight, and God asked you why He should let you into his Kingdom of heaven, what would you answer?” Of course there’s always that one kid who immediately pops his hand up. Surprisingly, it wasn’t one of my 5th graders, but a little third grade boy.
The answers I expected, would have been things like: I went to Mass all the time, I helped my little sister with her homework, I kept my room clean, and obeyed my parents, or I didn’t swear and never watched bad movies or tv. But none of those, were what this young 8-year old boy answered. In his little voice, he told us that he would tell God that – he knew he wasn’t perfect, that he was a sinner, but that he did belong to God’s Church, and he trusted and believed that Jesus would want him in heaven.
Now, what did Jesus say about the faith of a child! Amazing!
Luke tells us today about a leper who had – that same kind of faith. “Lord, if you wish you can make me clean.” He understood, like my 3rd grader, that “Not my will, but your will be done!” He recognized his own mortal limitations, and yet he had faith that Jesus possessed no such limitations.
With the simple proclamation, “I do will it,” God’s word, Jesus’ word, became a divine and supernatural reality. You see, there truly is something supernatural about so many aspects of our faith.
Jesus told the Pharisee, Nicodemus, that “unless you are born of the water and the Spirit, you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” And Nicodemus didn’t quite understand the two births that Jesus was talking about. We are born of the flesh through our parents, but we are born of the Spirit through our God, in our Baptism. We enter humanity and its sinfulness through the placental water of our mother. While we enter into God’s spiritual divinity through the cleansing water of baptism. We become an empty vessel of flesh and soul in our humanity. While we become whole by the filling of that vessel with the life of the Holy Spirit.
And that life is eternal –
when we believe in Jesus:
body, blood, soul and divinity.
01-10-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 10, 2022
Having first been baptized and then enduring temptation in the desert for forty days, Jesus returned to initiate His mission: After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Mk_1:14-20
Like John, Jesus continued preaching repentance. He continued pleading with the children of Israel to change their ways. Wake up, for the door has been opened for you, and if you don’t act, it will be closed as quickly. This was not the birthday cake that would be given even without bringing a gift, though that is what Grace is. It was not a “welcome to the party,” even though you were late, begged excuse or forgot your oil. It was a call to put on your “wedding garment” of purity before you could enter. It was a call to make a conscious decision to believe and follow. It was a call to drop those things that keep us from entering fully prepared, bringing with us that gift (of ourselves). “Repent,” Jesus tells us, and Believe!
It’s a whole new year, beloved. The perfect time to make a change. What are we going to do from this day forward to bring us closer to God. To bring us closer to our loved ones. To bring us closer, even to those who disgust us. Wake up, beloved. For the time is not unlimited. Repent, and believe in the Gospel! The Gospel of Love!
01-09-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 9, 2022
(The Baptism of the Lord)
he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. Is_42:1-4,6-7
Jesus IS the Lord of peace and justice, bringing that justice to our own hearts, not screaming about our imperfections, not beating us for our errors, but gently, like a simmering fire, inflaming in our hearts a desire to do all that is good and right.
After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Lk_3:15-16,21-22
Here again is that testimony, beloved, that we heard just a couple days ago. This time from God Himself. Jesus is His beloved Son, with whom the Father is pleased. Here also is the triple testimony in action: the water and the Spirit and the blood, just like in our own baptisms. Not yet the spilled blood of Jesus, nor us, but the blood of our human mortality.
Again, within these vessels of flesh and blood, of water and soul, we are filled like Jesus with the Spirit of God. The Spirit who redeems the beauty of God’s creation within us. Not the spirit of insecurity and independence and rebellion of Adam and Eve, but the Spirit of Jesus, with freedom and justice, of obedience and love in abundance. By our baptisms, we truly are “born again” or born anew, as children of God our heavenly Father and as brothers and sisters of Jesus.
Praise God for this awesome gift of Life we’ve been given! And pray for our awakening to the grace we’ve been given to live it to the fullness of the Glory of God our Father!
01-08-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 8, 2022
Beloved: We have this confidence in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 1_Jn_5:14-21
So, there is how we should pray, beloved. Not for our own selfish wants, but for the good of others and for the glory of God. We pray according to God’s will, not ours. And in that will sometimes what we think is best is not always best according to God. In time we usually understand why such and such a thing occurred in opposition to what we thought was best, when in reality something even better resulted from it. Maybe it was just for our growth in virtue. Maybe it was for a better good. Maybe it was just not the right time for us. Whatever it was, we learn patience, we learn to give thanks anyway. We learn that it truly is God who is in control here and not us. We understand, and we give that glory to God and not to ourselves. Blessed be our God forever, who made heaven and earth!!
01-07-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 7, 2022
(St. Raymond of Penafort, Priest)
Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord. . . .
And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. 1_Jn_5:5-13
Did you ever know someone, beloved, who just, did not have “life.” And I’m not talking about the poor, the hungry, the disenfranchised. Often those people are the ones who DO have life. I’m talking about the rich who think they’re on top of the world, a world that will one day come crashing down upon them. I’m talking about the overconfident, the boisterous, the obnoxious who will have nothing to do with God. I’m talking about a whole societal culture build around death instead of life.
You see, life is not the passing happiness of this world. Life is the eternal richness of joy with God, living in the Spirit and believing all that Jesus taught. This is the testimony that John speaks about, through the water of Jesus’ and our baptisms, when we are born again of the Spirit. For it was in Jesus’ baptism that the Holy Spirit showed himself as a gentle dove and God’s voice proclaimed “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” And it was in the blood of Jesus’ passion and death that the Holy Spirit again showed himself in earthquake and lightning. And it was in tongues of fire that the Holy Spirit showed himself at Pentecost, in the languages of communion. And it was in the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus while hanging on that cross that the Holy Spirit sanctified our Church and her Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. The water and the blood and the Spirit, all One, all bringing to us the grace of eternal life, when we commit our faith to belief in Jesus and follow His Way.
01-06-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 6, 2022
(St. Andre Bessette, Religious)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. 1_Jn_4:19–5:4
In a recent Secular Franciscan meeting we were presented with this beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit:
And of course, in learning what we are to do, we first and always remember God’s command. Jesus reminded us of that command when He told us to love God and one another. And so, this secret to happiness and holiness begins and ends in Love! IF what we’re hearing in our prayer is not associated with love of God and one another (neighbor), it is not from the Holy Spirit. And having begun with love, we then let go of all that keeps us from listening, hearing and obeying the directions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In this, do we find peace and victory over a world filled with hatred, competition, jealousy, selfishness and bitterness. Jesus is our salvation!
01-05-21 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 5, 2022
(St. John Neumann, Bishop)
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. 1_Jn_4:11-18
What are we afraid of, beloved? Is it something we did and feel guilty about, that we’re afraid of being caught? Is it some worldly power beyond our own? Like a grumpy, arrogant boss who thinks he or she holds our very lives in their hands. Is it natural forces like fire or storm, like flood or earthquake? Or is it some “supposedly deadly” virus or disease that we’re so afraid of? Whatever it is, beloved, we know that in our Love for God and for one another, it really doesn’t matter what happens to us here in the flesh, because what we await is so far beyond any minor suffering or fear we may experience here that fear simply dissolves in the background. Love trumps it all! No pun intended. But it really does! So simply live in love and hope, and Jesus will take care of the details.
01-04-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 4, 2022
(St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1_Jn_4:7-10
It’s all about LOVE!
01-03-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 3, 2022
(Most Holy Name of Jesus)
. . . his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us. . . .You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1_Jn_3:22–4:6
For the Holy Spirit within YOU, beloved, is greater than all else that seems to influence us so dramatically – this world we’re immersed in. Take courage in that fact! And live with the strength He gives us, who believe!
01-02-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 2, 2022
(Epiphany of the Lord)
Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” . . . They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Mt_2:1-12
History, fable, myth? Didn’t really matter. The point was, that here were non-Jewish foreigners, who traveled a great distance to worship a prophesy, that they knew well. Well enough to discover His exact location by the guidance of nature (a star). Well enough to outsmart a jealous king. Well enough to show the world that this “Savior” was not just here for the Jewish people, even though He was a Jew Himself, but He was here out of God’s pure Love to save the entire world. Without taking away, in the least, their God-given freedom of choice, they (we) have that freedom to accept or reject His gift of salvation.
But what, we might ask, do we need salvation from? We need salvation from ourselves. From our own corrupt human nature that fights against love in any way it can, we need salvation. And when we truly discover that love for ourselves, we clearly understand what life without it means. We truly discover, and it hurts to see, a world that clearly does not understand. And we pray for freedom from that world, for redemption by our God, for union with Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. We long for His kingdom, like the deer that yearns for running streams.
Jesus is our redemption! Choose His life beloved. Choose love, beyond all else that is not. And live that love forever!
01-01-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 1, 2022
(Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God)
The LORD said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! Nm_6:22-27
May the Lord bring you peace, kindness and love in this new year and always, as we await His coming and our redemption from this world. In Jesus’ Name we pray.
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Happy January, beloved!
God’s blessings!
Please come visit December’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
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