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Friday, August 31, 2018
How to pray the Rosary like St. John Paul II
More wisdom from Bernard Brien
Truth contains within itself the ability to resist and to blossom in the light of day, even if they try very diligently and carefully to hide it. The men who proclaim the truth do not need to be numerous. Christ, incidentally, surrounded himself with a small number of individuals. Falsehood is what requires a lot of people, because it always needs to be renewed and fed. Our duty as Christians is to abide in the truth, even if it costs dearly. |
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Thursday, August 30, 2018
Wisdom from John R. Wood
The Catholic faith is a spiritual North Star. We cannot force people to follow the star, but we can point them to the star—and we must. It is our duty and our obligation to share the faith by our words and our actions. Sharing the faith begins in the domestic church, the family. |
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Wednesday, August 29, 2018
More wisdom from Scott Hahn
Our friendship might be the lifeline. It might be the bridge. They might never darken the doorways of your parish, but they might see your life and discover that the only homily they ever need is your friendship with them, and the fact that you’re willing to share the joy of the Gospel. And at the same time acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers. You don’t need to. You don’t need to pretend to. |
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Tuesday, August 28, 2018
What to Do When God is Silent
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Wisdom from Fr. Shannon Collins and Fr. Wade Menezes
Our Lady, when she wants to change society, when she wants to restore society in Christ, she asks three little children to be the major instruments in her work. |
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Monday, August 27, 2018
Stop Comparing
by Bo Sanchez
We live in a pathologically dissatisfied world. And I'm going to tell you
why.
Because we love to compare. Go around the world and discover that people aren't happy with their bodies. Filipinos want to be fair-complexioned like Westerners, and so buy bleaching stuff. Westerners want to own bronzed bodies like ours, and so purchase tanning lotions.
Those with moles have them removed, while those who don't strategically implant beauty spots. Some people want to shed a few pounds to look like Ally McBeal, while others want to gain some baby fat to look like Drew Barrymore.
When are we ever going to stop and simply be happy with how we look? We live in a sick world. I tell you. And that sickness is comparisonitis.
Take a look at wealth. When we drive our old Toyota, it really suits us fine. We feel blessed in fact when the rain pours outside and we feel snug and cozy on its faded upholstered seats. But the moment we see our own officemate (or neighbor, or buddy, or cousin, or brother) drive his sleek
sky-blue, four-door, four-wheel-drive Rav4, we automatically feel like third class children of God. Next time we drive our bumpy, noisy, rusted, dilapidated Toyota (notice how all the defects come out all of a sudden?), we feel deprived, dispossessed, pariah, debased, and only a little higher
than the insects of the earth.
Listen carefully. Bill Gates' total assets are worth $60 billion. That's more than the GNP of some small countries. Tiger Woods earns $80 million simply by smiling on TV in a Nike shirt. And the stars of the sitcom Friends are paid $50,000 per episode! My point? No matter how hard you
work, there'll still be some people who will be richer than you are.
And there'll be some people who will be more beautiful, have more sex appeal, have more boyfriends/girlfriends, and have more problems. Try it for once. Stop looking around. Don't compare!
Don't compare her nose with your nose.
Don't compare his wife with your wife.
Don't compare his salary with your salary.
Don't compare her breast size with your breast size.
Don't compare her kid's report card with your kid's report card.
Don't compare her/his cellulite deposits with your cellulite deposits.
Stop comparing and start living and you'll be happier with your life.
This is crucial: The most difficult thing in the world is to be who you are not. Pretending and trying to be someone else is the official pastime of the human race. (I don't think dogs and cats and cows and horses have this problem). And the easiest thing in the world is to be yourself. Be happy. Live!
There must be a reason why God made you tall or short or fat or thin or bumpy all over.
Love who you are!
--
What Matters most in Life is What you Do to Others.
We live in a pathologically dissatisfied world. And I'm going to tell you
why.
Because we love to compare. Go around the world and discover that people aren't happy with their bodies. Filipinos want to be fair-complexioned like Westerners, and so buy bleaching stuff. Westerners want to own bronzed bodies like ours, and so purchase tanning lotions.
Those with moles have them removed, while those who don't strategically implant beauty spots. Some people want to shed a few pounds to look like Ally McBeal, while others want to gain some baby fat to look like Drew Barrymore.
When are we ever going to stop and simply be happy with how we look? We live in a sick world. I tell you. And that sickness is comparisonitis.
Take a look at wealth. When we drive our old Toyota, it really suits us fine. We feel blessed in fact when the rain pours outside and we feel snug and cozy on its faded upholstered seats. But the moment we see our own officemate (or neighbor, or buddy, or cousin, or brother) drive his sleek
sky-blue, four-door, four-wheel-drive Rav4, we automatically feel like third class children of God. Next time we drive our bumpy, noisy, rusted, dilapidated Toyota (notice how all the defects come out all of a sudden?), we feel deprived, dispossessed, pariah, debased, and only a little higher
than the insects of the earth.
Listen carefully. Bill Gates' total assets are worth $60 billion. That's more than the GNP of some small countries. Tiger Woods earns $80 million simply by smiling on TV in a Nike shirt. And the stars of the sitcom Friends are paid $50,000 per episode! My point? No matter how hard you
work, there'll still be some people who will be richer than you are.
And there'll be some people who will be more beautiful, have more sex appeal, have more boyfriends/girlfriends, and have more problems. Try it for once. Stop looking around. Don't compare!
Don't compare her nose with your nose.
Don't compare his wife with your wife.
Don't compare his salary with your salary.
Don't compare her breast size with your breast size.
Don't compare her kid's report card with your kid's report card.
Don't compare her/his cellulite deposits with your cellulite deposits.
Stop comparing and start living and you'll be happier with your life.
This is crucial: The most difficult thing in the world is to be who you are not. Pretending and trying to be someone else is the official pastime of the human race. (I don't think dogs and cats and cows and horses have this problem). And the easiest thing in the world is to be yourself. Be happy. Live!
There must be a reason why God made you tall or short or fat or thin or bumpy all over.
Love who you are!
--
What Matters most in Life is What you Do to Others.
More wisdom from Fr. Augustine Wetta
Everyone has dreams, and if all of us followed all of them, the world would collapse into chaos and ruination. Some folks have dreams that are unhealthy, self-defeating, reckless, stupid, or just plain evil. So how do we know which dreams to follow? We seek the advice of someone older and wiser than ourselves. G.K. Chesterton once said, ‘We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right where we are wrong.’ Obedience is what saves us from following the wrong dreams. |
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Sunday, August 26, 2018
Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B August 26, 2018
First Reading
Joshua 24:1-2a,15-17,18b
Joshua and the people declare that they will serve the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 34:2-3,16-17,18-19,20-21
The Lord hears the cries of the just.
Second Reading
Ephesians 5:21-32 (or shorter form Ephesians 5:2a,25-32)
Husbands and wives should love one another as Christ loves the Church.
Gospel Reading
John 6:60-69
Simon Peter confesses his faith that Jesus alone has the words of the
eternal life.
Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Background on the Gospel Reading
For our Gospel today we hear the conclusion of the "Bread of Life
discourse" in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel. In the preceding verses,
which we have heard proclaimed in our liturgy over the past few weeks, we
have heard Jesus explain that he is the Bread of Life, given so that those
who believe may have eternal life. This discourse follows the miracle in
which Jesus fed more than five thousand people with five barley loaves and
two fish. As Jesus has been teaching these things, John's Gospel describes
a murmuring crowd unable to accept Jesus' words. In today's Gospel, the
crowd has dwindled in number, and John no longer references them, or the
Jews. Instead John describes the questioning of those considered to be
Jesus' own disciples.
Today's Gospel first records the response of those in the crowd who are
described as Jesus' disciples. Just as the larger crowd had struggled with
Jesus' teaching, these disciples also cannot accept Jesus' words. Jesus is
said to know about their murmuring. He responds by acknowledging their
unbelief and by reiterating that only those chosen by the Father will
follow Jesus to the end. John's Gospel reports that many of those who had
been Jesus' disciples ceased to follow him at this point. The number of
people following Jesus dwindled from a crowd of more than 5,000 to only 12
people. And it is to these Twelve that Jesus now turns his attention.
Simon Peter's response to Jesus' question as to whether those closest to
him will also leave, reminds us of the reports of Peter's confession of
faith in the Synoptic Gospels. Peter announces, on behalf of all the
Twelve, that they have come to believe all that Jesus has taught about
himself: Jesus is the one from God in whom they have found the path to
eternal life.
This conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse focuses on personal faith
in the life of Christian discipleship. Each person must make his or her
own judgment about who Jesus is and in doing so determine the way of life
that he or she will follow. God's grace invites us to be Jesus' disciples,
but each person must respond to the grace of God and confess as his or her
own the belief that Jesus is the one from God. This faith then commits us
to the path of life, leading us to eternal life.
Family Connection
When a child is baptized, the parents speak on behalf of the child in
professing the faith in which the child is to be baptized. The parents
promise to teach their child this faith so that they may one day accept
this faith as his or her own. In the example of Simon Peter, we learn that
each person must also make his or her own profession of faith in Jesus as
the one sent by God to save us. We pray for our children as they mature in
the faith that they may learn that Jesus alone has the words of eternal
life and that they may choose to follow the way of Christian discipleship.
As you gather as a family, talk about promise that parents make at their
child's baptism to teach their child about Jesus and the faith of the
Church. Talk about the importance of this promise to your family and about
some of the things that you are doing to try to honor this commitment. In
today's Gospel we hear Simon Peter speak about what he has come to believe
about Jesus. Together read today's Gospel, John 6:60-69. Pray together
that each person in our family will grow in his or her faith that Jesus is
the one sent by God who alone has the words of eternal life. Pray together
the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings
Joshua 24:1-2a,15-17,18b
Joshua and the people declare that they will serve the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 34:2-3,16-17,18-19,20-21
The Lord hears the cries of the just.
Second Reading
Ephesians 5:21-32 (or shorter form Ephesians 5:2a,25-32)
Husbands and wives should love one another as Christ loves the Church.
Gospel Reading
John 6:60-69
Simon Peter confesses his faith that Jesus alone has the words of the
eternal life.
Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Background on the Gospel Reading
For our Gospel today we hear the conclusion of the "Bread of Life
discourse" in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel. In the preceding verses,
which we have heard proclaimed in our liturgy over the past few weeks, we
have heard Jesus explain that he is the Bread of Life, given so that those
who believe may have eternal life. This discourse follows the miracle in
which Jesus fed more than five thousand people with five barley loaves and
two fish. As Jesus has been teaching these things, John's Gospel describes
a murmuring crowd unable to accept Jesus' words. In today's Gospel, the
crowd has dwindled in number, and John no longer references them, or the
Jews. Instead John describes the questioning of those considered to be
Jesus' own disciples.
Today's Gospel first records the response of those in the crowd who are
described as Jesus' disciples. Just as the larger crowd had struggled with
Jesus' teaching, these disciples also cannot accept Jesus' words. Jesus is
said to know about their murmuring. He responds by acknowledging their
unbelief and by reiterating that only those chosen by the Father will
follow Jesus to the end. John's Gospel reports that many of those who had
been Jesus' disciples ceased to follow him at this point. The number of
people following Jesus dwindled from a crowd of more than 5,000 to only 12
people. And it is to these Twelve that Jesus now turns his attention.
Simon Peter's response to Jesus' question as to whether those closest to
him will also leave, reminds us of the reports of Peter's confession of
faith in the Synoptic Gospels. Peter announces, on behalf of all the
Twelve, that they have come to believe all that Jesus has taught about
himself: Jesus is the one from God in whom they have found the path to
eternal life.
This conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse focuses on personal faith
in the life of Christian discipleship. Each person must make his or her
own judgment about who Jesus is and in doing so determine the way of life
that he or she will follow. God's grace invites us to be Jesus' disciples,
but each person must respond to the grace of God and confess as his or her
own the belief that Jesus is the one from God. This faith then commits us
to the path of life, leading us to eternal life.
Family Connection
When a child is baptized, the parents speak on behalf of the child in
professing the faith in which the child is to be baptized. The parents
promise to teach their child this faith so that they may one day accept
this faith as his or her own. In the example of Simon Peter, we learn that
each person must also make his or her own profession of faith in Jesus as
the one sent by God to save us. We pray for our children as they mature in
the faith that they may learn that Jesus alone has the words of eternal
life and that they may choose to follow the way of Christian discipleship.
As you gather as a family, talk about promise that parents make at their
child's baptism to teach their child about Jesus and the faith of the
Church. Talk about the importance of this promise to your family and about
some of the things that you are doing to try to honor this commitment. In
today's Gospel we hear Simon Peter speak about what he has come to believe
about Jesus. Together read today's Gospel, John 6:60-69. Pray together
that each person in our family will grow in his or her faith that Jesus is
the one sent by God who alone has the words of eternal life. Pray together
the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Find spiritual peace amid the storms of life
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