More wisdom from Robert Haddad

The more purified, the happier we will be. In purgatory we have perfect charity and we have complete happiness because we’re accepting God’s judgment. We’re not in purgatory complaining, ‘God why did you do this to me? When is this going to end?’ We’re in purgatory submitting joyfully, with total contentment, to God’s will, God’s judgment. And the longer we’re there, the more joy and happiness we will have because we know we’re getting to that point of consummation: total purification and readiness for Heaven.

—ROBERT HADDAD from Purgatory and Praying for the Dead

More wisdom from Frank Sheed

The general ignorance of domestic and foreign problems may be no greater today than in the past, but it is complicated for us by one new factor. Everyone reads digests, sees films, listens to radio commentators: so that people have the illusion that they know everything, whereas they have only heard of everything. Not only that. They have views about things on which they lack the elements of knowledge—not their own views, but acquired by some convincing writer or speaker.

—Frank Sheed from Society and Sanity: Understanding How to Live Well Together

Wisdom from Robert Haddad

Purgatory is not somewhere between Heaven and Hell for average people. It’s an important place where many need to go for particular reasons before we enter eternal beatitude, before we enter Heaven and we’re before God face-to-face forever. One reason I can say I’m very happy to talk about purgatory, and why I’m happy to go to purgatory, is because purgatory is temporal. It’s not eternal. You’re not there forever. My children have asked, ‘If you go to purgatory could you end up in Hell?’ And the answer is, ‘No.’ If you go to purgatory—and this is the exciting thing about purgatory—you are destined, you are certain for Heaven. And knowing that, you will have joy in purgatory.

—ROBERT HADDAD from Purgatory and Praying for the Dead

Wisdom from Frank Sheed

You commit the sins that tempt you, and I the sins that tempt me. And we all feel virtuous for not committing other people’s sins, whereas there is no virtue at all in not committing sins for which one lacks either the temptation or the constitution.

—Frank Sheed from Society and Sanity: Understanding How to Live Well Together

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More wisdom from Matthew Leonard

Silence is something more than no sound. We must quiet our interior selves, too. If you haven’t noticed, our minds love to wander all over the universe even when we’re “quiet.” Distraction from within is just as problematic as exterior disturbance. St. Teresa says to just laugh at distractions and give them back to God as part of prayer, but it’s better if we’re never distracted in the first place. That’s why silence must be cultivated in every area of life.

—MATTHEW LEONARD from Prayer Works

More wisdom from Mother Mary Francis

Our Lady wants her compassion to be known. She is always holding our hands with compassion, suffering with us. She never says, ‘I have had enough of you. I am tired of this.’ We see her throughout history, in most of her apparitions, in one of two positions: with folded hands, praying to her Son; or with outstretched hands, to hold our hands.

—MOTHER MARY FRANCIS from Cause of Our Joy: Walking Day by Day with Our Lady

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist June 24, 2018

First Reading
Isaiah 49:1-6
You are my servant, through whom I show my glory.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 139:1-3,13-15
I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

Second Reading
Acts of the Apostles 13:22-26
John announced the coming of Jesus.

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:57-66,80
John the Baptist is born and all wonder what the child will be.


When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?"
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.


Background on the Gospel Reading

The first two chapters of Luke's Gospel alternate between stories of two
births. One is the annunciation and birth of John the Baptist, who was,
for Luke, the last great prophet of the Old Testament and who prepared the
way for someone greater than any prophet—Jesus the Messiah. The
annunciation and birth of Jesus is the other story. The story of John sets
the very Jewish environment into which Jesus and John were born. Jesus'
annunciation and birth begins to move the Gospel into the environment of
the Roman empire.

In the verses before those read today, the birth of John the Baptist has
been announced by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, who was performing his
duties as a priest in the Jerusalem Temple. Gabriel then announced the
birth of Jesus to Mary in her home in Nazareth. Zechariah and his wife,
Elizabeth, are an old couple who have never had children. Mary is engaged
to Joseph, but they have not yet come to live together.

We read today that Elizabeth's neighbors and relatives rejoice with her
because God has shown her mercy in the birth of a son. But they are
confused when she tells them that his name is to be John, which means "God
has been gracious." Zechariah has been unable to speak since Gabriel
appeared, because, unlike Mary, he doubted the angel's word. But when he
writes on a tablet "John is his name" all are amazed, and a great fear
comes upon everyone. Fear, along with joy and praise, is for Luke the
appropriate response to God's mercy. People ask, "What, then, will this
child be?" But this question has already been answered by the angel. "He
will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will turn many of the children
of Israel to the Lord their God."

Zechariah responds with praise in his famous canticle, the Benedictus. But
that is not read today. Instead we jump to the last verses of the chapter,
which explain that John will become strong in spirit living in the desert
until it is time to show himself to the people of Israel. When John
appears again at the beginning of Chapter 3, after the stories of the
birth and childhood of Jesus, he will prepare those people for the
ministry of Jesus by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins.


Family Connection

Names have special meanings. In our families, some people are named after
parents or other relatives and ancestors. Sometimes peoples' names are
symbolic, suggesting something unique about the person or recalling an
event or experience related to that person's birth.

In this Sunday's Gospel, we learn that Elizabeth gives her son the name
John, which means "God has been gracious." This name sets John apart in a
special way: it was normally the father's responsibility to name a child,
and the name was usually a family name. The unusual nature of John's
naming suggests to everyone that this is a special child.

Spend some time as a family focusing on one another's names as well as on
the names of other relatives. Point out the significance of each name and
how the naming took place.

Read aloud Luke 1:57-66,80. Review the parts of the story that describe
how John received his name. Talk about how important names are and how we
are all called to honor the name of God. Pray together the Sign of the
Cross, emphasizing how we honor God's name and promise to live our lives
in God's name.



Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings

DO NOT WORRY

“Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?…seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” Matthew 6:27 & 33-34

This is advice that we all need to hear. But, as the saying goes, “It’s easier said than done.”

Worrying can become for some people just a normal part of life. The things we worry about each and every day can include a myriad of concerns. Finances, relationships, work, family, health and many other things in life can be the cause of much worrying, fear, anxiety and even depression. Excessive worrying can truly become a heavy burden if not handled properly.

So what is the proper way to deal with the things you worry about? Trust. Trust in God, in His fidelity, in His all-consuming love for you, and in His providence. He loves you and is concerned about you more than you will ever know. And He is aware of every detail and problem you may face.

If we truly understood the love of God and His infinite wisdom, we would not worry about a thing. We would be able to trust and surrender all to Him every day and we would allow Him to enter in and to direct us in hope according to His perfect plan for our lives. But, as mentioned above, this is easier said than done.

Another key factor in overcoming the worries and anxieties of life is to seek the Truth. Knowing the truth frees us and it enables us to see the hand of God at work even in the most difficult of situations. God never abandons us even though it may feel like that at times. If we can seek out His voice, His will, His wisdom and His truth, it will be much easier to place our trust in Him. And when we place our trust in Him, we find peace in our soul and feel the heavy weight of our worry lift away.

Reflect, today, upon that which you worry about the most. It may be an extremely heavy and burdensome fear. Or, it may just be this constant thought in the back of your mind. Whatever the case may be for you, try to identify that which seems to burden you the most and is the greatest source of concern. Then try to seek God’s truth as it applies to your situation so that you can then surrender in trust to His perfect plan for your life.

Lord, I do trust in You, but I also fail to trust enough. When the burdens and worries of life weigh me down, help me to surrender those concerns over to You. Jesus, I trust in You. - CDR

Wisdom from Matthew Leonard

Don’t let anyone ever tell you prayer doesn’t work. I’m not saying it always works the way you’d like—even the Rolling Stones knew that you get what you need, not always what you want—but it does work. If it didn’t, I wouldn’t have a dog. It’s not that I don’t like dogs, but to me they’re like boats—better to know someone who has one. So how did I come to acquire fifty-five pounds of drooling, shedding, furry energy named Sam? Prayer. Not mine, of course, my kids’.

—MATTHEW LEONARD from Prayer Works

Today's Gospel Reading with reflection

GOSPEL
There is nothing we can take with us when we die. However, as Christians we believe in the resurrection — we will be raised from the dead, still be ourselves, and take our relationships with us. As Thomas Aquinas reminds us, there will still be friends in heaven.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:19-23
19 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 22 The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Reflection

WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

There was this story of a man who loved his money and never for a moment wanted to part with any of it. Nearing death, he made his wife promise one thing: that she would place all his money in his coffin and bury it with him. He thought that it was best for him, as one successful self-made and wealthy man, to keep his hard-earned wealth close to his heart till the very end.

Now his wife was a loving and honest woman who would never even think of doing other than what his beloved husband asked her to do. Her husband’s will was her command, and there was simply no way she could ever refuse the dying wish of someone she loved, served, and obeyed all her life.

So she counted all her husband’s money to the last centavo and dutifully arranged for all that sum to go with him to the grave. So after getting the total, she carefully wrote a check in her husband’s favor, exactly equal to the amount she had carefully counted, and placed the check inside his coffin.

The man might have his treasure right next and very close to his heart, but his wife sure had her heart in the right place. He got the exact amount close to his heart, for where one’s treasure is, there is his heart, too.

The heart stood for the core of the person, the seat of the personality of the person. A person focused on his treasure is taken up heart and soul by his material treasure. All of him is closely connected with that treasure, and never would the core of the person want his heart to be misplaced or waylaid by any other extraneous concern.

He got what his heart hankered for more than anything else. His wife who had her heart in the right place gave what was due to him, but got much more than she ever gave. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

What do you insist on keeping close to your heart?

Dearest God, temper my desire for worldy wealth. Help me focus my eyes on the eternal. Amen.

Wisdom from Mother Mary Francis

Love is the answer to everything. During Our Lord’s earthly life, whether he spoke sternly or most tenderly, love was always the reason, the answer, the explanation of everything he did. Whether he suffered crudeness, contradictions, disappointments, or ingratitude, or whether he suffered the terrible flagellation and the spiny coronation and the unspeakable indignities and insults of the Passion, love was the answer. Why did he do any of these things? Love. Love is the answer to everything.

—MOTHER MARY FRANCIS from Cause of Our Joy: Walking Day by Day with Our Lady

CRITERIA OF A GOOD DECISION

By: Bobby Quitain

“Don’t let anybody tell you what to do. Go ahead and do it. What’s important is that you are happy.”

People give this advice like distributing freebies of a new drug in the market. They forget how dangerous it is.

Remember this: Just because you are happy doesn’t make your decision automatically right.

Your happiness is just one but not the only criteria of a good decision. There are more.

For instance, a person hooked into drugs cannot go up to his parents and say, “Dad, Mom, I am happy being a drug addict. So just let me be.”

When our happiness becomes the sole basis for our decisions, we can get into a lot of trouble. We begin to sanction the improper and even the immoral in the name of our happiness.

May I suggest some questions to ask one’s self before making a decision?

1. Will this decision honor God?

God doesn’t want you to be just happy. He also wants you to be holy.

Your holiness is your passport to a life of joy. “Happiness” is dependent on what’s “happening” to you. “Joy” on the other hand is dependent solely on being in a right relationship with your creator.

2. Will this decision hurt those who matter most in my life?

As the saying goes, “No one is an island.”

And because you’re not, you need to consider not only your happiness but the well-being of those around you. Always remember that people are affected by your decisions. And the most affected are those who truly love you and those you truly love.

3. Will this decision hurt myself?

Just because you don’t hurt anyone else doesn’t automatically make your decision right. Why? Because unknowingly, this decision might be destroying you.

For instance, a person hooked into gambling finds happiness in his vice not knowing that it subtly destroys his mind and will.

A couple in a wrong sexual relationship can give birth not just to unwanted children but also to incurable illnesses.

Drugs and porn bring pleasure but erode one’s self-control and self-respect.

Not everything that brings you happiness is actually good for you.

4. How will this decision affect the succeeding generations?

We cannot be pre-occupied with short-term band-aid solutions to our problems to the detriment of the future generation. We cannot be selfish at pushing an agenda to ease our predicament and for our own personal happiness with no regard for its effect on the generations that are to come.

We cannot sanction (and even applaud) the institutionalization of what is morally wrong as a quick-fix solution to our difficulty with no regard for its enduring effect in the minds and hearts of the youth of our nation and the world.

Making decisions is easy.

Making right decisions is not.

Today, make that first decision: To decide not only based on what would make you happy but based on something so much bigger than you!

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