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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11-30-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 30, 2022
(St. Andrew, Apostle)
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mt_4:18-22
The call! No longer gathering food to feed men, but men to feed God. To feed His desire to grow His Kingdom of peace and love and unity among us.
St. Paul wrote of their mission: ‘For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!’ Rom_10:9-18
Carry on, beloved! And change the world!
11-29-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 29, 2022
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. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. . . . 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. Is_11:1-10
On that day . . . when His wisdom finally strikes the ignorant, when His peace finally comes to the downtrodden, when His love fills the earth with understanding. On that day . . . we pray . . . for all!
11-28-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 28, 2022
After seeing and hearing the faith of the believing, Roman centurion, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.” Mt_8:5-11
The Roman centurion, the Syrophoenician woman, the Samaritan woman at the well, the Good Samaritan, the poor widow, the believing criminal on the cross . . . and on and on, we see how many non-Israelites, or Gentiles were lauded by Jesus for their extraordinary faith in Him and in God. And their reward? Heaven! What about us, beloved? How strong is our faith? Do we truly believe that Jesus can do the impossible? Do we believe that it can be done simply through a prayer, without a touch, just for the asking? This is the faith Jesus wants to see in us.
I just drove the 470-miles between Cincinnati, Ohio and Columbia, MO and prayed for safety, prayed for peace and patience in traffic over Thanksgiving weekend, and I prayed for the rain to hold out until we got home. Traffic was brutal in places and my prayer for patience was safely answered. Overall, however, traffic was not too bad on the whole trip in general. And the first few drops of rain did not begin until we reached our exit at home. I believed, and it was! Maybe some silly prayers and some may call it a coincidental lack of traffic and weather, but traversing through three major cities, on a holiday weekend and with a storm on our doorstep the whole way, I can only give the credit to my faith and Jesus’ answer to it! Our typical 9-hour trip took precisely that, and not the 12 it could have been. Sometimes we get glimpses of heaven right here in our ever-thankfulness for God’s little graces! Thanks be to our God! Thank you Jesus and mother Mary! This IS love!
11-27-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 27, 2022
(1st Sunday of Advent, A)
St. Paul wrote, Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; Rom_13:11-14
Jesus said to His disciples, “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Mt_24:37-44
Over and over again the Scriptures remind us to be prepared. With every next breath, beloved, we never know which will be our last. You ARE loved. And we are all called to constantly remind one another of that great love of God for all of us. And to love one another as well. Be prepared, and LOVE!
11-26-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 26, 2022
Jesus said to His disciples, “Be vigilant at all times and 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
Jesus tells us to always be prepared. Pray for ourselves. Pray for strength and wisdom and for the grace of God to guide and protect us all through our temptations and tribulations, not only in this life in the flesh, but in the end times when Jesus will come for final judgment. Be vigilant and ready, for yours and our end could come at any time. And Jesus doesn’t want to lose any one of us!
11-25-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 25, 2022
(St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr)
My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. . . . Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. Blessed the men whose strength you are! They go from strength to strength. Ps_84
For You, O Lord my God!
11-24-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 24, 2022
(St. Andrew Dũng-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs)
Beyond the disaster and destruction, Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” Rv_18:1-2,21-23;19:1-3,9A
In thanksgiving, in repentance, in love, in Jesus, we are blessed, beloved. We have been called! Recognize it, know it, revel in it and stay faithful!
Happy Thanksgiving!
11-23-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 23, 2022
(St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr)
Jesus said, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Lk_21:12-19
Hang in there, beloved! You WILL secure your lives,
. . . in Christ’s love forever!
11-22-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 22, 2022
(St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr)
I, John, looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.” So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Rv_14:14-19
The Final Harvest. The good and the bad. The saved and the damned. Where will we be in that harvest, beloved? God only knows! But because of our faith, our belief in Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we believe we will be among the harvest and not the discarded. The question is, how many of the lost have we saved in our time here in the flesh? This is what God is counting on us to do in our short time as His disciples. Save the world!
11-21-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 21, 2022
(Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” Lk_21:1-4
. . . This is Abraham offering up his only son, Isaac, (born of Sarah in their old age), to God. This is Hannah and Elkanah offering their only son, Samuel, born from her barrenness, to God. This is Anna and Joachim, offering their only child, Mary, (born out of their barrenness), to God. This is God, offering His only begotten son, Jesus, to us! What greater gift! So, what have we offered, beloved? Is it our suffering? Is it a child? Is it our very lives? What less can we offer!
11-20-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 20, 2022
(Our Lord, Christ, the King of the Universe)
Hanging on a cross next to Jesus, the criminal professed, “indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Lk_23:35-43
By our profession, in sincerity, despite our sins, Jesus will redeem us. Keep the Faith, beloved, and LIVE! He IS the King of the Universe! Our Jesus!
11-19-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 19, 2022
I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me: I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish. . . . Rv_11:4-12
USCCB references for some of this Scripture:
[11:3] The two witnesses, wearing sackcloth symbolizing lamentation and repentance, cannot readily be identified. Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets, or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church, especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness (two because of Dt 19:15; cf. Mk 6:7; Jn 8:17).
* [11:4] The two olive trees and the two lampstands: the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from Zec 4:8–14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua.
* [11:5–6] These details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Ex 7:17–20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (1 Kgs 18:36–40; 2 Kgs 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kgs 17:1; cf. 18:1).
11-17-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 17, 2022
(St. Elizabeth of Hungary, O.F.S.)
Jesus cried out over the people of Jerusalem saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace but now it is hidden from your eyes. . . . For your enemies will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Lk_19:41-44
Do we, beloved? Do we recognize Jesus within us, Jesus within the children, the neighbors, the estranged family members, the enemy! Well He’s there, loving and caring for them all. Sometimes it takes a little change. Maybe not in them, but in us, to recognize that there IS hope for us all. Fall in love with Jesus, and then you will begin to see Him in places and people you never imagined. He is there!
11-16-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 16, 2022
(Ss. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (Virgin))
Jesus told a parable about a king who left three servants in charge of some of his money. They each had differing amounts. The two with the greater amounts invested the king’s money and earned much more to return. The third stashed the cash so that it wouldn’t get lost, in fear of the king. Of course the king wasn’t pleased with the third servant and cast him out, giving his meager sum to the one who had more. At the displeasure of the audience, the king replied, ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’ Lk_19:11-28
Of course we’re all familiar with what’s called the parable of the “talents”, for that is what the coins were referred to in the early Scriptures. And we take that term to imply that Jesus’ parable also had to do with us using our physical talents for the benefit of others and God, and not hiding them away without being used. But in reality we could take it as our use of every material thing and physical or mental ability we have, for it all comes from God in the first place. And if we used those talents and gifts for the good of the world, they will pay us back in generous reward. But if we squander them for selfishness or fear, as did the third servant, we’ll not only lose what we have, but we’ll be cast out in the cold. Hmmm, feeling cold, beloved? Maybe it’s time to start using what we’ve got for the good of others! Blessed be God forever!
11-15-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 15, 2022
(St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.’ ‘Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Rv_3:1-6,14-22
Be opened and ready, never to miss His voice and knock at our door, beloved.
11-14-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 14, 2022
As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, . . . He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. Lk_18:35-43
Following on the heels of Saturday’s piece of Luke 18, we hear a little more today about perseverance and faith in action. Against the advice of the crowd, the blind man persisted in shouting out to Jesus, that he might heal him of his blindness. When it was done by Jesus, He was told that it was because of His FAITH that he was healed. And it IS because of our faith that we will be “saved” as well. We are called to a persistence in prayer, a persistence in faith in Jesus, and a persistence in belief that God is anxiously awaiting our return to Him – IF we don’t give up!
Finally an interesting point not to miss is the final statement. Jesus’s miracle was not performed to show His greatness, to elevate His glory in the eyes of the people, but to bring the Glory to God the Father. And it was not even an unsolicited miracle. It was, as many other examples in the Gospels show, purely based on the faith of the one asked. Don’t give up asking, beloved. Don’t give up believing. And never give up on our hope. God loves us TOO much to ever forget Him!!!
11-13-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 13, 2022
(33rd Sunday Ordinary Time, C)
Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. Mal_3:19-20a
Jesus said, “… they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. . . . You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Lk_21:5-19
As we approach the end of another Church year, with only two-weeks remaining, not only do we leave behind the end of a hot, dry summer, but the Church reminds us today of another ending, one which we’ll all, someday, have to face. The question is: will that end be, for us, a dreaded final test? Will it be a welcomed relief from a hard job well done, a life well lived, or will it be the start of a glorious new beginning?
You see, within our Church year, having gone from the Birth of Jesus in the Christmas Season, all the way through His Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension at Easter Time. And then pondering His teachings, His miracles, and His word battles with non-believers for the rest of Ordinary Time, we now come to the topics of Final judgment, Second comings and Justice in our own lives. It’s the study of the end times, that the Church calls – Eschatology.
From an Old Testament perspective, today we hear the words of the messenger-prophet Malachi, proclaiming God’s warning and advice to the “Fallen away” Israelites. You see, after seventy-years of exile in Babylon and Assyria, the Jewish people who returned to Jerusalem were expecting – a paradise. Instead, what they found was a place of ruins. And what they faced, was the drudgery of rebuilding what used to be a pretty cushy lifestyle.
Yet, sometimes in the midst of dissatisfaction and complaint, it’s easy to forget – that “different” is NOT always Better.
And for those relocated Israelites who lived a good portion, if not all of their lives, in slavery, it was now up to them to learn how to survive on their own. And the God, that they thought would hand them life on a silver platter, now seemed to have abandoned them, in their new-found freedom.
And, as so often happens, when a little challenge comes into our lives, a challenge that we, ourselves, have to struggle to solve, all the blame, all the bitterness and all the hatred gets thrown out to God, when things don’t go exactly as we plan. You see, it was up to people like Malachi and the Prophets who preceded him, to try to remind the ‘fallen away,’ the lost, the angry, and the sinners, that it was not God who was their enemy. Instead, it was actually God who could be their salvation, when they learned to Trust in Him.
And if they chose to abandon God, to follow their own paths of hatred, of laziness, of ignorance and evil, those paths would take them precisely to the destinations to which their wrong choices had led them. The question that Malachi leaves with them and us, is: Do we choose to BURN in the fire, or do we choose to allow ‘its warming rays’ to heal us with GOD’S Justice?
But then, what exactly IS Justice?
Well, here we are some 2500-years after Malachi, and it seems our world still hasn’t figured that out. 95% of the shows on television, or in the movies, or in the games that we and our kids play seem to profess that Justice means revenge. And if the proverb is true, that “we get what we give,” doesn’t
that kind of Justice simply lead to an endless circle of death?!
And if death is our path of choice, the path we worship, and fear, and tattoo on our arms, and on our car bumpers, isn’t that precisely our destination of choice?
You see, just like the enslaved Israelites, who were graced with a new-found freedom of choice by a God of Justice, and Mercy, and Love, so too, is all of humanity, given that same freedom of choice.
And having made the choice of God, and Love, and Life, we, brothers and sisters, you and I, are not unaware that our choice doesn’t come for free either. We’re still living in a world, bent on death. And often, we’re the victims.
Yes, as Jesus tells us, there will be persecutions and wars, earthquakes and mighty storms, that intersect with our path of life. And we’ll even be tempted, at times, to take what seems to be an easier way. Yet, even though it may seem easier to take revenge, to strike out instead of forgiving, to steal, and to cheat, and to lie, instead of holding our tongues, our tempers, our fists and our selfish desires, the cost of jumping on that ‘death train’ is always hotter in the end.
You see, in reality, God NEVER abandons His beloved children!
And today, Jesus shows us the path to salvation. We might call it the 4-P’s to heaven: Preparation, Persecution, Perseverance and Peace.
In Preparation, we prepare ourselves with virtues like discipline and knowledge, like prayer, fasting and almsgiving, like reading the Scriptures and the Catechism, like actually applying the Works of Mercy in our daily lives.
Did you know that today is the 6th annual World Day of the Poor? Pope Francis encourages us, on this day, and for the rest of our lives, to do a little more for the poor, than just saying a few prayers. He tells us that we should be physically helping them by sharing God’s love, by walking with them, as their companions.
You see, just as in our preparation for running a marathon or baking a prize cake, we prepare for life’s grand prize by finding God’s love in every person we encounter, the rich and the poor, the saint and the sinner, without prejudice and without judgment.
When we prepare ourselves in this way, it opens up room in our hearts for the Holy Spirit to respond to Jesus’s second P, Persecutions.
Persecutions will inevitably come our way when the world recognizes US as Catholics, as Christians. When we hear those accusations, like: Why do you Catholics worship Mary? or Why do you Catholics not respect the rights of women? or What makes you Christians think you’re so special? And it makes us cringe to try to quickly think up just the right answer.
That’s when we know that we’re not quite prepared yet, because we simply forgot to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us! Or if we, over-zealously think we can pound them with our wisdom and our theology, then we forgot the love and compassion aspect, that our preparation should have instilled within us.
And when it all seems to be, just to overwhelming for us: the world, the job, the kids, the homework, the things that don’t work, the attitudes, (the long homilies), that’s when we need to lean a little more heavily on the Holy Spirit’s help. And that’s where Jesus’s third P comes in.
Perseverance. Jesus reminds us to: Stay on the Path, to avoid shortcuts that can lead us astray, to not worry about the past or the future, but to be our very best with every next breath, to persevere in God’s Love, and to never lose our Faith, because we know that God’s Justice will always prevail.
And when it’s all said and done, after we’ve Prepared, after we’ve Persevered and even endured Persecutions, then we will receive our reward – of PEACE.
God’s peace will be with us, will live in us, and will work through us to build a world, a kingdom, of eternal salvation for EVERYONE, in Christ Jesus, our Lord of Peace. It’s His Promise, and it’s our sure Hope, when we keep our Trust – in Him.
11-12-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 12, 2022
(St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr)
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said . . . Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Lk_18:1-8
The 18th Chapter of the Gospel of Luke begins and ends with similar themes, persistence in prayer and faith. Jesus’ parable here speaks of a woman who persistently bothered, you might say nagged, a judge to render a just decision for her. Though he didn’t care about God or the woman, or really anyone but himself, he finally responded in fear of his own life because of her persistence. In the end Jesus turns it around to faith. Without faith, that what we’re praying for will eventually be answered, we eventually give up both on our prayer and on our God. But God never gives up on us!
Continuing in Chapter 18, Jesus then speaks about self-righteousness, child-like faith, renunciation of wealth for the sake of the kingdom, His own passion and the promise of resurrection, and concludes the chapter with a story of the faith of a blind man who persisted in getting Jesus’ attention.
We’ll hear a little more about Justice and Perseverance tomorrow. And Monday the story of the Blind Beggar. Stay tuned!
11-11-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 11, 2022
(St. Martin of Tours, Bishop)
St. John wrote, let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk. 2_Jn_1:4-9
Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Lk_17:26-37
So beware, beloved. Beware that we don’t forget the most important thing in all of life, our Love of God! Beware that we don’t allow our love to fall primarily on material objects, or on sports heroes, or pets, or the beauty of God’s creation, or even our spouses or children, and not PRIMARILY on God; and then secondarily on God’s children (our closest of relationships) and our neighbor; and then down to “likes” of the materials of this world, always remembering that everything we possess and see belongs to God. And we are never to allow our attachment to them – to hurt any relationship between ourselves and others. Jesus said, (paraphrased) ‘If they ask for your coat, give them the shirt off your back as well!’ (Even if it’s your favorite, or the only shirt you own!) God will provide for you, more than enough to survive, when you willingly give, in love, to others. And that love is always because of, and in respect of, your FIRST love, of God.
Even though we may sense a little bit of heaven here in our temporal existence, as we spoke of yesterday, God really DOES have something even more Glorious in store for us who persevere in love of Him and our neighbor, with the expectation that it may be our very next breath (or not) which leads us back home with Him forever!
11-10-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 10, 2022
(St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church)
Jesus said, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Lk_17:20-25
Where is heaven, beloved? Is it somewhere up in the sky? Is it so far beyond our reach and understanding that we fail to recognize it being closer to us than anything else in the whole world? They say that sometimes love is blind. But in reality, Love IS seeing. Love is heaven. Love is God, or God is love, as St. John claims! Heaven is there in our recognition of God’s beauty in creation. Heaven is there in that doggie frantically waving her tail at the sight of her human companion. Heaven is there in the calm and silence of a baby in his mother’s arms. You see, we really don’t have to look very far to find heaven. This IS the “Kingdom of God” among us. It’s all around us when we look with the eyes of faith!
11-09-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 9, 2022
(Dedication of the Lateran Basilica)
The Prophet Ezekiel said, “The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, . . .
He said to me, . . . Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.” Ez_47:1-2,8-9,12
Ever encounter someone, beloved, who truly represented the fruit and the leaves from the tree of life that Ezekiel describes so eloquently in this passage? Their words were nourishing and healing. And maybe not even just their words, but the love, the charity, the compassion they could offer us, instead of the world’s judgment and criticism.
It’s what our souls so greatly desire! It’s God flowing into our souls, into our lives, and then flowing right back out to nourish and heal others. Are you feeling down, depressed, or just not happy with life, beloved? Is the world, the news, the television programs and even the music more of a burden than an elevator. Well, maybe you just need a little lift! You see, we are all children of the Almighty. And as such, His love for us is boundless! That means, even when we mess up, and we all do, God is right there loving us anyway. And even when we struggle to find meaning or hope, God is there flowing into our thoughts and our dreams. And when we can’t find even a spark of light in the darkness, our loving God is directing our path to His light, light that’s right there in our hearts.
Trust in Him, beloved! Hope in Him. And follow Jesus, our Lamb who leads us to God’s pasture. And there we become found again! Feed on His love. Heal in His hope. And live in the Light of Jesus, always!
May God bless you and keep you always in His love!
For you are fearfully and wonderfully made! (Ps 139)
11-08-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 8, 2022
(Bl. John Duns Scotus, Priest, OFM)
Jesus said to his disciples, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” Lk_17:7-10
In the end, beloved, what have we done that has not already been done before? What have we said that has not been said before? What have we suffered that has not been suffered by thousands or millions? We do what we are called to do. Whether that calling is to invent, or to preach or to suffer. We are all unprofitable servants of our Lord and Master. And so, in the end, if we can just DO what we are called to do, it’s not the time to boast of our accomplishments. Rather it is the time to continue on this journey in the next phase, in our new beginning: to love and to serve our God and one another with all our hearts!
11-07-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 7, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur.” Lk_17:1-6
The trick is, what do we do with those sins (that inevitably occur)? Do we go along with the lies, the ridicule, the slander, the hypocrisy, the evil all around us? Do we incite people to do worse? Or is our presence a calming force? Is it a force of love and caring and correction. Sometimes it’s hard to challenge a sinner with the truth. But that is what we are called to do, beloved. Stand firm in the Lord and He will be always at our sides, to strengthen us in all circumstances!
11-06-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 6, 2022
(32nd Sunday Ordinary Time, C)
Jesus responded to the Sadducee’s silly proposition about marriage and resurrection, saying, “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.” Lk_20:27-38
While we’re in the flesh, beloved, we have so many precepts and concepts and deceptions to worry about: our food, our shelter, our jobs, our marriages, our kids, our ailments, money… But after we die, none of those things will matter any more. This is what we try so hard in this life to understand, to overcome. Jesus knew both sides of the coin. And He told us not to fret over those things in our earthly lives to which we are so overly concerned. But to never forget our God. To never forget our relationships with one another. Because these are the most important things that will carry on to eternity. Love one another, He said. And that love will carry us through it all!
11-05-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 5, 2022
St. Paul wrote, “for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” Phil_4:10-19
Christ Jesus IS our power and all we need!
11-04-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 4, 2022
(St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop)
Jesus said, “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” Lk_16:1-8
When I was a kid, I was never really big into sports. But, since we lived only 15-miles from New York City, and everyone else in our world seemed to have that sports bug, I had to make at least some kind of effort to show an interest. And just like Columbia, with its devotion to either Kansas City or St. Louis, New Jerseyites were either die-hard Yankees or Mets fans.
Of course, the Yankees reveled with its’ Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. And then there were the Mets. Those Mets truly were the underdogs of the 60’s. And, you know what, ever since I was quite young, I always had a heart for the underdog. So, naturally, my team was the Mets, at least until they became the world’s hot favorite, and I had to move to the Dodgers.
And, you see, that was pretty much how everything in my life continued, never really 1st string myself, but I’d try my heart out – to always support the downtrodden, the underdog.
So you can imagine, that whenever I ponder this parable of the dishonest, but prudent steward, my sympathy doesn’t necessarily go out to the chumps who allowed themselves to be hoodwinked into paying double for whatever it was they were buying. Although in today’s world, between the gas and food prices, we’re actually sitting right here in their own shoes.
And neither did my sympathies go out toward the rich master: making his decision based on gossip, not consulting with the steward before handing him that pink slip, and then watching him turn 180-degrees, when we realize that it wasn’t the dishonesty that provoked him, but the jealousy – that the shrewd steward was making more friends and money than him.
You see, save for the dishonesty, it’s the story of my entire working life. And I could never quite figure out where they dug up all those horrible bosses, or why the good ones always had to leave. Kind of just like baseball, and politics, and life!
But then of course we have that mystifying conclusion, in Jesus’s parable today, that went: “The children of the world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of the light.” Did that mean that “the children of the light” are not very prudent themselves, or that the “children of the world” are not very prudent with the children of the light? Or maybe, we, as humanity, have all just forgotten the meaning of prudence. You see, the entire basis of the parable, the underlying Force Majeure, is money!
The boss was jealous, the steward was dishonest, and the customers were cheated, all because of money. And when push came to shove, the boss was shoved by the gossips, the steward was shoved by the boss, and the debt-ridden customers were shoved into tattling on the Steward to the boss . . . ALL because of money.
And all of that drove the steward to stepping-down from his profit gouging to preserve his working reputation – in order to make more money – in another job. To his former boss, that “stepping-down” was considered his Prudence.
You see, the two points that Jesus was making in this parable were these: First, it all prefigured his own demise by the imprudent, money and power-driven Sanhedrin. Proving that the world of darkness truly doesn’t know how to handle the “children of the Light.”
And, Second, that we, as the children of the light, must be able to discern our true Force Majeure, not as money or power, but as God! Leaving us with the question: “What are WE willing to step-down from – in order to secure our righteous reputations, our Eternal Salvation, in Christ Jesus our Lord?”
Tomorrow, we’ll hear Jesus’s final conclusion to this parable, in answer to that question, where He says, “You cannot serve (both) God and mammon.” Hopefully, as Joshua professed to the Israelites at the border to the Promised Land, we too will proclaim: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Js_24:15 He is our Team, forever!
11-03-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 3, 2022
(St. Martin de Porres, Religious)
Jesus said, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” Lk_15:1-10
Ponder, then, beloved, over all the unrighteousness we have embraced, and then, let it go. Like St. Martin, we are to humble ourselves to the Glory of God and beg His forgiveness for all of our unrighteous humanity. And then, in our humility, Jesus will find us and rejoice, for we were once sinners and now have become His found sheep!
11-02-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 2, 2022
(All Souls Day)
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. Wis_3:1-9
Jesus said, “this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Jn_6:37-40
This is our promise and our hope, beloved! And for this reason we do not fear death. For death is just the gateway to the continuation of a life that will be much much more wonderful! Maybe we’re suffering. Maybe we’re already in a paradise in the flesh. But we are promised a greater peace and love and eternal life with Jesus than we can ever imagine. And that we can count on!
11-01-22 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
November 1, 2022
(All Saints Day)
John said, “I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” . . . Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Rv_7:2-4,9-14
Our “time” beloved!
A time of “great distress,” and yet a time of Hope!
St. John wrote, Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. 1_Jn 3:1-3
Our “hope.” In “purity.”
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Mt_5:1-12a
Time, Cleansing, Purity, Hope, Blood, Lamb and Salvation.
These are the attributes that lead us toward sainthood, beloved.
The attributes we strive for with every moment of time
we have breath in this “valley of the shadow of death.” Ps 23
To BE in the presence of God, our Beloved, forever!
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Happy November, beloved!
May God bless you!
Please come visit October’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
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EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES can be found
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