Today's Mass Reading - Sunday, August 18, 2013 with Reflection

1^ST READING - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10

4 In those days, the princes said to the king: “Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered, “He is in your power;” for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. 8 Ebed-melech, a court official, went there from the palace and said to him: 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.

P S A L M - Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18

R: Lord, come to my aid!

1 [2] I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me. (R) The Lord heard my cry. 2 [3] He drew me out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud of the swamp; he set my feet upon a crag; he made firm my steps. (R) 3 [4] And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in awe and trust in the Lord. (R) 17 [18] Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the Lord thinks of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, hold not back! (R)

2^nd READING - Hebrews 12:1-4

1 Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us andpersevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 3Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

Luke 12:49-53

49 Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

SABBATH

ALL FOR JESUS, JESUS FOR ALL!

The Gospel today introduces Jesus as an ambassador of division. Very un-Jesus like. What happened to His mission to bring peace on earth? Incarnation was meant to bring peace on earth. Instead, we now hear Him say, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled.” He openly declared His intention to destroy and even stressed Hisimpatience for its coming. Later He even added, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

       We should, however, put His statements in context. Jesus, who knew human nature perfectly, was also talking about the effect of His presence. He knew that among members of the family, friends and all other groups, He will be a cause for differences, disputes, fights and division. The commandments of Jesus would affect even the closest of ties. We have heard of members of families going their own way, choosing their own faith. Choosing a religion is a very important and necessary conviction for a person. Even our Constitution guarantees that. Indeed, if we fail to respect and understand each other’s beliefs, we will separate.

       But division is not Jesus’ ultimate goal. He meant it as a stage before, hopefully, unity in Him. Paul professed that, “All will be united in Christ!”Because that is how it is meant to be. Division, if it comes, should serve as a challenge and a transition. Let Jesus’ words be a test of fire. And let Jesus’ actions be a disturbing witness of His person.

       A priest-friend had a sister who belonged to a different faith. Rather thanfight or vigorously discuss with her the differences of their faith, he dwelt onwhat they had in common. He did not force his faith on her. He respected her and her faith sincerely. He showed Christian love. He did not raise religion as the main issue. For so long, they worshipped in different churches. But the time came when his sister recognized the beauty and truth of his faith. Now, they worship together. Division was there in the beginning, but unity had the final say. And so it will be for all of us on Judgment Day. Fr. Benny Tuazon

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you handle differences in beliefs among your friends and family members? Do you insist on your own or do you let them be?

 Lord Jesus, may I have Your patience to understand that people can be different, with varying beliefs, and yet still be united with You.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us.

Angelo Gene Kapunan, pray for us.

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The Truth about St. Therese Revealed

"Sentimental hogwash!" That's what some Catholic still think about St. Thérèse of Lisieux   Author Henri Gheon was once among those put off by St. Thérèse's sweet reputation and by sugary devotions to her. Then, he discovered how many good Catholics, at home with simple devotions, were soon freed from the  distractions and temptations that led them on. He found the real Thérèse beneath the  sugar roses and puffy clouds, behind the platitudes and pet-names that took all the salt out of her heroic story. Scores of books have been written about Thérèse, but none have taken an unflinching look at her life, sufferings, and sacrifices . . .  . . . until now. The Truth About Thérèse  reveals the real Thérèse of Lisieux— an intense soul living a life of heroic grandeur amidst dull and all-too-worldly associates. In these pages you'll discover a soul driven by a burning love of God even as she wrestled privately with great emotional and physical pain. This remarkable book will show you what lay beyond her smile, why she was canonized, and why Thérèse is the  saint most fitted for our day—a model for those of us whom, whether we like it or not, God has called to hidden lives of quiet drama, desire, and sacrifice. The Truth About Therese: An Unflinching Look at Lisieux, The Little Flower, and the Little Way by Henri Gheon 168 Pages - $18.95 Paperback and eBook Order The Truth About Thérèse HERE Save 30% when you order the set: Order the set at this link for only $23.99! Whether you’ve just begun to pray or have been faithfully praying for years, the wisdom in The Basic Book of Catholic Prayer will help you pray better. It will rescue your prayers from distraction and superficiality and transform them into real occasions for communion with God. Fr. Lawrence Lovasik here clears away misunderstandings that many people have about prayer — and shows you innumerable ways you can avoid common obstacles and deepen your prayer life, no matter how much or how little you may have prayed before. You’ll learn what prayer is, why it’s necessary, and how to practice the essential forms of Catholic prayer. You’ll discover how the Church’s sacraments fortify your prayer — and how prayer, in turn, enhances your reception of the sacraments. You’ll find out how to bring to your own prayers the qualities that make prayer effective. Your prayers will become more heartfelt, more focused, and more full of love for God. Soon your prayer will fill you with a divine peace and joy that no one will be able to take from you. You’ll achieve the glorious aim of all prayer: union with God! You’ll grow in prayer and in the graces it brings you as you learn: Why true prayer is not necessarily a matter of words Liturgical prayer: why you must pray with the Church Four things you must bear in mind in order to pray better Why prayer is essential for your salvation even though God knows all that you need Two essential ingredients that transform thinking about God into genuine prayer Swamped with earthly cares or selfish interests? Why prayer at such moments makes such a difference, hard as it may be Temptations: practical ways prayer helps you resist even the strongest of them Distractions in prayer: four ways you can keep them from disturbing you Save 30% when you order the set HERE     Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com

August 14 - Today is the feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was born at Pabiance, in Russian Occupied Poland. He was baptized Raymond at the Parish Church. Already proficient in virtue, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him in 1906 A. D., about the time of his first communion.
She offered him the graces of virginity and martyrdom and asked him which he wanted. Filled with zeal, he begged for both, and was filled thereafter with the most ardent desire to love and serve this Immaculate Queen.

He joined the Order of Friars Minor Conventual at Lvov in Austrian Occupied Poland, where he took the name Maximilian, and after finishing preliminary studies he was sent to the International Seraphic College in Rome to pursue doctorates in philosophy and theology.

In 1917 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbon, renowned anti-Catholic and agnostic of Jewish lineage, St. Maximilian was moved by divine grace to found a pious association of the faithful known as the Militia of the Immaculate .

The Militia was to be a loosely organized tool in the hands of the Immaculate Mediatrix for the conversion and sanctification of non-Catholics, especially those inimical to the Church. Its members consecrated themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked Her daily for the conversion of sinners, and strove by every licit means to build up the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart throughout the world.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1918, St. Maximilian returned to Poland to teach Church History in Cracow, where he organized the first group of the Militia outside of Italy. Because of ill health he was freed to devote his time exclusively to the promotion of the Militia, whereupon he founded the "Knight of the Immaculate," a monthly Roman Catholic Magazine promoting the knowledge, love and service of the Immaculate Virgin, in the conversion of all souls to Christ Our Lord.

The phenomenal growth of this apostolate led to the foundation of the first city of the Immaculate, Niepokalanow in 1929. This was a friary of Franciscan priests and brothers engaged in the use of all kinds of modern equipment so as to promote via the mass media the Militia through all parts of Poland.

Two years later St. Maximilian, heeding the call of the Holy Father to all religious, to come to the aid of the missionary efforts of the universal Church, volunteered to go to the Orient to found another city of the Immaculate, Mugenzai No Sono .

St. Maximilian returned to Niepokalanow, as it spiritual father, in 1936 and under his able direction the number of the friars there grew above 900 in the months preceding World War II. Publishing apostolate was producing 1,000,000 magazines monthly as well all 125,000 copies of a daily paper for the 1,000,000 members of the Militia worldwide.

After the invasion of Poland by the German Wermacht in September of 1939, the friars dispersed and Niepokalanow was ransacked. St. Maximilian and about 40 others were taken to holding camps, first in Germany, and later in Poland. By the mercy of the Immaculate they were released and allow to return home on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the same year.

During the war the friars turned to caring for about 5,000 Jewish refugees of the Poznan district as well as providing a repair shop for the farming machinery of the locale.

To incriminate St. Maximilian, the Gestapo permitted one final printing of the "Knight of the Immaculte" in December of 1940. In February of 1941, they came to Niepokalanow and arrested St. Maximlian. He was taken to Pawiak Prision in German Occupied Warsaw, Poland, and later was transferred to Auschwitz.

Over the entrance gate of this concentration camp was a sign in German, "Work makes free!". In reality, upon entering the prisoners were told that all Jews had the right to live only two weeks, Roman Catholic priests 1 month.

At Auschwitz several million Roman Catholics were put to death along with another several million persons of Jewish lineage. The objective of Hitler, in his hatred for Jesus Christ, was both to remove all witness to the truth of the original revelation of the God of Israel (the Jewish nation), as well as all who came to believe in Him in His Incarnation by Mary (Roman Catholics).

Thus, St. Maximilian, Knight of the Immaculate Virgin, was placed by Divine Providence at the very center of the ideologic and spiritual conflict of the century, and was destined by God to be the sign of contradiction to a nation given over to diabolic hatred of God and His people.

St. Maximilian, in response to the vicious hatred and brutality of the prison guards, was ever obedient, meek, and forgiving. He gave counsel to all his fellow prisoners "Trust in the Immaculate!" "Forgive!" "Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors!" He was noted for his generosity in surrendering his food despite the ravages of starvation that he suffered, for always going to the end of the line of the infirmary, despite the acute tuberculosis afflicting him.

In the end, by the maternal mediation of the Virgin Mary, he received the grace to be intimately conformed to Christ in death. For on the night of August 3, 1941 a prisoner successfully escaped from the same section of the came in which St. Maximilian was detained. In reprisal, the commandant ordered death by starvation for 10 men chosen at random from the same section.

One of the condemned, Seargent Franciszek Gajowniczek, shouted out, lamenting that he would never see his wife and children again. In his stead, St. Maximilian Mary, who had remained standing all night long during the selection of the condemned, stepped forward and offered his own life in exchange for this man. Ten days later, having led the other 9 in prayers and hymns, St. Maximilian was given a lethal injection of carbolic acid, and passed into eternal glory.

Pope Paul VI beatified St. Maximilian in 1973 and Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1982 as a martyr of charity.

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe's life and work continues today in the religious institutes of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, at the Academy of the Immaculate, and in the movement known as the Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix.

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/whostmax.htm

Saint of the Day

St. Pontian, pope, and Hippolytus, priest, martyrs, pray for us.

“Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns again to his own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith; and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he opens immediately. He does not disdain the barbarian, nor does he set the eunuch aside as no man. He does not hate the female on account of the woman’s act of disobedience in the beginning, nor does he reject the male on account of the man’s transgression. But he seeks all, and desires to save all, wishing to make all the children of God, and calling all the saints unto one perfect man” (Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist).

http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1106

Inspirational Lines

Mornings are the first blessings we receive from GOD..

So enjoy and forget all the pains and worries of yesterday.  For today is a new day, new experience, and even new works and happenings.

Enjoy the overflowing blessing of the Lord!

Today's Mass Readings - Sunday, August 11, 2013 with Reflection

1ST READING - Wisdom 18:6-9 6 The night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. 7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. 8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. 9 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution. P S A L M - Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20, 22 R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be His own. 1 Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R) 2ND READING - Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. 11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age — and Sarah herself was sterile — for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. 13 All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, 14 for those who speak thus show that they are seekinga homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” 19 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day the Son of Man will come.  Luke 12:32-48  32 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 35 Gird your loins and light your lamps 36 and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to  wait on them. 38 And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 39 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” 41 Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 42 And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48 and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

SABBATH

BE PREPARED! “Be prepared!” This attitude was made popular by the Boy Scouts. But it was a constant call of Jesus in the Gospels, including this Sunday’s Gospel. This prevalent theme during the Advent and Lenten seasons finds itself at a time way past Lent and way before Advent. The placing of the reading at this time only stresses the importance of the message. Vigilance is in season and out of season. Being a prepared Christian is a daily concern of every Christian.        I would admit that it is hard to fathom the heart and enter through the mind of Jesus to know why His coming has an element of surprise. He used very vivid descriptions of this element: dressed for service, wide awake, be ready, and an unexpected hour, to name a few. All of these ask every Christian to take heed of His warning and not be found unprepared. But again, why? Would it not have been better if Jesus announced the exact time?        When we were children, our father would always tell us to keep every part of the house clean. We would clean it in the morning before we go to school, and again when we arrived from school. My father would always inspect our work. However, at times, he would arrive earlier than usual and he would catch us still playing, with our house cleaning chore still undone. And we would be punished because of that. The saying “When the cat is away, the mouse will play!” seemed to apply perfectly to us at that time.        What is usually missing is our sincere attitude to do the work. Our houses must be kept clean. Employees must do the work expected of them. I believe this is part of the reason of Jesus for not giving a definite time for His coming. People have a tendency to live according to the deadline and not according to the will of God. Cramming may even come in. In that case, establishing a good relationship with God is dictated by time and not by a true, authentic and real love for Him. The setup taken by Jesus challenges us to be real Christians all the time. Knowing that judgment may come anytime, living according to the will of God all the time is the proper and apt response. In other words, “Be prepared!” Fr. Benny Tuazon REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you tend to “play when the cat is away”? How can you be more ready to face Jesus when He comes again? Lord Jesus, may my love for You be in season and out of season. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.

What Jesus Really Said About The End of the World

by David B. Currie - published by Catholic Answers, 2012

A Book Review by Father John McCloskey

Have you ever met a serious Christian who was not at least somewhat interested in the end of the world? I have not.

And fascination with this topic is not reserved to Christians, as witnessed by the recent brouhaha over the supposed prediction of the Mayan calendar of the end of the world in December of last year.

But here we still are — all but those who have already exited this world in the traditional way to meet their Maker.

Now, David B. Currie, author of Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic and popular speaker on Catholic radio and television, tackles this much misunderstood topic in his book What Jesus Really Said About 'The End of the World,' published by Catholic Answers.

Currie's aim is not only to properly interpret Jesus' mysterious words about the end times (which he does with almost excruciating investigation), but also to refute the notion that Jesus falsely predicted when they would occur.

That Jesus was mistaken was the opinion of both the well-known mathematician and atheist Bertrand Russell and the German Lutheran minister, musician and medical missionary Albert Schweitzer. Both believed that Jesus was just a very good man.

Somewhat surprising is a third doubter of Christ's prophecy, though not of his divinity. Christian apologist C.S. Lewis also thought that Christ had been mistaken — resembling in that opinion, as Currie notes, "millions of other Christians who live with a contradiction. They keep their faith and morals mostly intact, yet accept the claims that Jesus was wrong."

Since any well-formed Catholic knows that Jesus, being God, could not be mistaken in anything, there clearly has been and continues to be confusion about the meaning of Jesus' words about the end times.

Currie lists some 25 different failed prophets, from the second century to our own time, including Luther and other Protestant figures, the Mormons, the Darbyites and various crackpots clearly out to make a buck or find a following by preying on ignorant people.

As Currie puts it, "Predicting the end of the world doesn't seem like the smartest strategy for building a following. Eventually, the deadline comes, and something better happen!" And it never does. Remember the expected Y2K catastrophe at the dawn of the year 2000, which in some circles was conflated with the end of the world?

This book combines elements of Church history, Scripture study, detective fiction and a challenging crossword puzzle. It also features many quotations from the Church Fathers and, of course, St. Thomas Aquinas.

I will not reveal the ending, in which Currie wraps up with great neatness. However, in this Year of Faith that, in part, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Church, perhaps a quotation is appropriate:

"Before Christ's second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the 'mystery of iniquity.' The Church will enter the glory of the Kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and resurrection. The Kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive triumph of the Church, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil." (296)

What Jesus Really Said About 'The End of the World' is a book worth the read. And I can hardly wait for the movie!

First appeared on National Catholic Register in August, 2013.