Light

Day's Saints
Adalbert of Egmond Deacon
Blessed Dorothy if Montau, Nun

Gospel Mt 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."

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DAILY HIGHLIGHT

St. Charbel

One day we will stand in His full
light to be utterly revealed.

I cannot abandon the Church when I hear His voice saying to me, "Remain". Rather, let those who have abandoned Her repent, and hasten to the arms of the Lord and His Heart transfixed in pain, the pain of those separated from the Lord who long so painfully to be one with Him.

He has already borne more than He deserved, and He was not deserving of the contempt served up to Him by mortals who were already dead.

Money and the things of this world claim our attention, but the Lord remains aching to hold us in His arms to lavish His affection. One day He will reveal Himself as He has not revealed Himself before, and all will be stricken with His grief so they know who He is and recongnize Him in us all. Those who have striven so ardently to give themselves to Him will be filled with bliss, but those who knowingly were indifferent to Him will feel the pangs of His abandoment. No one can come to eternal bliss without labor, but He makes it sweet with His consolations.

Standing in the flames of His love, we are cleansed of any impurity and atone for sins so we may be one with Him forever. He offers you the sweetest cool water; why do you stand parched in the desert, not coming to the water?

Do not wait until this life is over to atone for sins, when the pains of the cleansing are so much gentler in this life than the next. Do not own anything if it will occupy all your time and attention. Comfort those who suffer, ask the Lord for healing of the sick and sinful. The wealthy have their reward, if they will not claim what He freely offers. What will you give in return for all the kindness He has given when you were still sinning and mere objects captivated you more than the Source of life itself?

If I write and it strikes your heart, do not fear the Lord's punishment for your sins, but long to be united to Him so He may unite you, and this life become the beginning of your unity with Him. Neither act as if there were no eternity in which to suffer, for there are those who already suffer emptiness that never dies. Those who have eaten of Him will no longer hunger for any earthly thing,  but will bless His Name to suffer the flames of His love and at the end be united to Him completely forever.

Light

Day's Saints
Adalbert of Egmond Deacon
Blessed Dorothy if Montau, Nun

Gospel Mt 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."

+

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

St. Charbel

One day we will stand in His full
light to be utterly revealed.

I cannot abandon the Church when I hear His voice saying to me, "Remain". Rather, let those who have abandoned Her repent, and hasten to the arms of the Lord and His Heart transfixed in pain, the pain of those separated from the Lord who long so painfully to be one with Him.

He has already borne more than He deserved, and He was not deserving of the contempt served up to Him by mortals who were already dead.

Money and the things of this world claim our attention, but the Lord remains aching to hold us in His arms to lavish His affection. One day He will reveal Himself as He has not revealed Himself before, and all will be stricken with His grief so they know who He is and recongnize Him in us all. Those who have striven so ardently to give themselves to Him will be filled with bliss, but those who knowingly were indifferent to Him will feel the pangs of His abandoment. No one can come to eternal bliss without labor, but He makes it sweet with His consolations.

Standing in the flames of His love, we are cleansed of any impurity and atone for sins so we may be one with Him forever. He offers you the sweetest cool water; why do you stand parched in the desert, not coming to the water?

Do not wait until this life is over to atone for sins, when the pains of the cleansing are so much gentler in this life than the next. Do not own anything if it will occupy all your time and attention. Comfort those who suffer, ask the Lord for healing of the sick and sinful. The wealthy have their reward, if they will not claim what He freely offers. What will you give in return for all the kindness He has given when you were still sinning and mere objects captivated you more than the Source of life itself?

If I write and it strikes your heart, do not fear the Lord's punishment for your sins, but long to be united to Him so He may unite you, and this life become the beginning of your unity with Him. Neither act as if there were no eternity in which to suffer, for there are those who already suffer emptiness that never dies. Those who have eaten of Him will no longer hunger for any earthly thing,  but will bless His Name to suffer the flames of His love and at the end be united to Him completely forever.

Brambles

The consequences of change can be profound peace and relief. To resolve conflict, a series of realizations and changes must be implemented. God is always changing things because the things He moves are living, in some fashion or other.

God is often deliberate in putting us in difficult positions. We must turn to Him if we want peace. The reason for the way things happen aren't always clear, and an acceptance of the fact that things are deliberately vague is to cause faith to grow, so that we may depend on Him without trepidation.

We are simply not always part of solutions. Often, it may seem we have been mistaken, and the actions of others may increase doubt. Things work out eventually, until it becomes clear that our feet have walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Emotions may work for us or against us in this process. However, if we have placed ourselves in His Will, we are not living in darkness, but light may only be had, sometimes, by a lot of work clearing away brambles of uncertainties which do nothing pleasant, like a patch of large, well-established blackberry canes. They are bristling with sharp thorns, and removing them without getting stuck and bleeding might be impossible. Blessed the man who walks forward anyway, to hack his way clear to the light and freedom of God's revelation,

Brambles

The consequences of change can be profound peace and relief. To resolve conflict, a series of realizations and changes must be implemented. God is always changing things because the things He moves are living, in some fashion or other.

God is often deliberate in putting us in difficult positions. We must turn to Him if we want peace. The reason for the way things happen aren't always clear, and an acceptance of the fact that things are deliberately vague is to cause faith to grow, so that we may depend on Him without trepidation.

We are simply not always part of solutions. Often, it may seem we have been mistaken, and the actions of others may increase doubt. Things work out eventually, until it becomes clear that our feet have walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Emotions may work for us or against us in this process. However, if we have placed ourselves in His Will, we are not living in darkness, but light may only be had, sometimes, by a lot of work clearing away brambles of uncertainties which do nothing pleasant, like a patch of large, well-established blackberry canes. They are bristling with sharp thorns, and removing them without getting stuck and bleeding might be impossible. Blessed the man who walks forward anyway, to hack his way clear to the light and freedom of God's revelation,

Invitations

 I can assume the Lord is moving and wishes me to follow, on the basis of events in my life, and certainties which assert themselves. In the matter of attending a banquet, the Lord used the image of a banquet at a wedding. He can invite, but He will not force anyone to sit down to dinner with Him.

The problem for the Christian is, to sort out and separate conflicting impulses in such a way that the Lord's Will is obvious and other motions are damped out.

Indeed, the enemy is vigilant for any opportunity to play with our emotions, in order to hide the danger of invitations we receive. The Will of God is accompanied by peace. By that I do not merely mean we experience no emotion whatever, but the deep and abiding rest of the soul is established in an impereturbable peace; the enemy is always trying to disturb that rest and that peace because he cannot abide the presence of the Lord which is manifested by that joyful peace. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, accidentally, you drop the hammer and hop around a bit until the pain is reduced enough to be tolerable. The peace of the Lord was always there, but the impact on the finger by the hammer is capable of drowning out the perception of peace.

Similarly, the rest I am speaking of is no emotion, but it evokes emotions that soothe and augment a spiritual rest. Finding a haven where we may rest in the solitude surrounding the Lord is a matter of persistent evaluation of the suitability of a place where we may experience the rest and the peace in order to listen for the voice of the Lord.

While we should not avoid consolation, neither should we importune the Lord like an immature child, "daddy I want more." The quickest way to squelch that consolation which is so appealing, is to insist on having it. A mother has only so much milk to give her baby; crying an fussing will not cause an increase in lactation.

At the same time, as we get older, we begin to realize time getting short. The prudent man notices, and strives to make the most of his time. We are given time in order to do the Will of the Lord, and He knows how to take a trial and turn its pain into a powerful voice of intercession to bring us salvation, so long as our heart is truly fixed on Him, and not merely to satisfy ourselves. We generally lack the insight to realize how trivila most of our longings are. That demands that we analyze ourselves, and listen to others with a perspective on the Lord to guide us to the place we should be.

While participation in the passion-life of the Lord is a laudable thing, it does not happen merely to satisfy some longing for a spurious pain that may have nothing to do with God at all. So long as its origin is seen to emanate from our own emotions, we should recall ourselves to an attitude of selflessness that characterizes the Lord, and a realization that what He offers us by way of participation is of such caliber as will force us to endure merely for love. Any other motive is suspect.

The Lord loves those who love Him. He loves anyone who is willing to shoulder part of His burden.  pious man will realize how deep is His sorrow and pain as the original sufferer of crucifixion. He lends part of it as a burden to us; a burden to be borne with and by His strength and according to His love, because it is not bearable in any other way.

He will maintain what selflessness we possess, and weave our acquiescence into His Will and His workings, so that our desires do not conflict with His and we remain selfless and useful to Him as a passive participant in what He wants to do.

It is no secret that selfishness tries to assert itself at all times, while the Lord is operating in us, to Will a cooperation with Him. If you perceive His work in you, give thanks and try to cooperate as well as you can.

If you find joy bubbling up from within you, give thanks and draw closer if you can.

If you become aware of a new idea, know that someone else may already have thought of it. Investigating the possibilities of cooperation can enhance the execution of God's Will, so long as one remains awake and does not allow oneself to drift off to some specious dream. Often God's Will provides that two groups of a similar nature will conceive similar ideas at the same time. If you recognize such a work, it is worth wondering what the Lord may have in mind. The preeminant work must be that the Lord's Will is visible and the path forward to accomplish something in His Name is the impetus behind the action.

Invitations

 I can assume the Lord is moving and wishes me to follow, on the basis of events in my life, and certainties which assert themselves. In the matter of attending a banquet, the Lord used the image of a banquet at a wedding. He can invite, but He will not force anyone to sit down to dinner with Him.

The problem for the Christian is, to sort out and separate conflicting impulses in such a way that the Lord's Will is obvious and other motions are damped out.

Indeed, the enemy is vigilant for any opportunity to play with our emotions, in order to hide the danger of invitations we receive. The Will of God is accompanied by peace. By that I do not merely mean we experience no emotion whatever, but the deep and abiding rest of the soul is established in an impereturbable peace; the enemy is always trying to disturb that rest and that peace because he cannot abide the presence of the Lord which is manifested by that joyful peace. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, accidentally, you drop the hammer and hop around a bit until the pain is reduced enough to be tolerable. The peace of the Lord was always there, but the impact on the finger by the hammer is capable of drowning out the perception of peace.

Similarly, the rest I am speaking of is no emotion, but it evokes emotions that soothe and augment a spiritual rest. Finding a haven where we may rest in the solitude surrounding the Lord is a matter of persistent evaluation of the suitability of a place where we may experience the rest and the peace in order to listen for the voice of the Lord.

While we should not avoid consolation, neither should we importune the Lord like an immature child, "daddy I want more." The quickest way to squelch that consolation which is so appealing, is to insist on having it. A mother has only so much milk to give her baby; crying an fussing will not cause an increase in lactation.

At the same time, as we get older, we begin to realize time getting short. The prudent man notices, and strives to make the most of his time. We are given time in order to do the Will of the Lord, and He knows how to take a trial and turn its pain into a powerful voice of intercession to bring us salvation, so long as our heart is truly fixed on Him, and not merely to satisfy ourselves. We generally lack the insight to realize how trivila most of our longings are. That demands that we analyze ourselves, and listen to others with a perspective on the Lord to guide us to the place we should be.

While participation in the passion-life of the Lord is a laudable thing, it does not happen merely to satisfy some longing for a spurious pain that may have nothing to do with God at all. So long as its origin is seen to emanate from our own emotions, we should recall ourselves to an attitude of selflessness that characterizes the Lord, and a realization that what He offers us by way of participation is of such caliber as will force us to endure merely for love. Any other motive is suspect.

The Lord loves those who love Him. He loves anyone who is willing to shoulder part of His burden.  pious man will realize how deep is His sorrow and pain as the original sufferer of crucifixion. He lends part of it as a burden to us; a burden to be borne with and by His strength and according to His love, because it is not bearable in any other way.

He will maintain what selflessness we possess, and weave our acquiescence into His Will and His workings, so that our desires do not conflict with His and we remain selfless and useful to Him as a passive participant in what He wants to do.

It is no secret that selfishness tries to assert itself at all times, while the Lord is operating in us, to Will a cooperation with Him. If you perceive His work in you, give thanks and try to cooperate as well as you can.

If you find joy bubbling up from within you, give thanks and draw closer if you can.

If you become aware of a new idea, know that someone else may already have thought of it. Investigating the possibilities of cooperation can enhance the execution of God's Will, so long as one remains awake and does not allow oneself to drift off to some specious dream. Often God's Will provides that two groups of a similar nature will conceive similar ideas at the same time. If you recognize such a work, it is worth wondering what the Lord may have in mind. The preeminant work must be that the Lord's Will is visible and the path forward to accomplish something in His Name is the impetus behind the action.

Prevail

Day's Saints

Adalbert of Magdeburg, Bishop & Benedictine
John of Pulsano, Bendictine

Gospel
Mt 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

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Choose your weapons by which you will prevail.

He tells us to be as perfect as His Father. We have not seen Him with our earthly eyes, and seldom with spiritual eyes, yet a time will come when we do not see Him with earthly eyes at all, and we must grow in faith for the day when we will need all our strength to see at all.

Demons behold a beauty beyond what we can see with our earthly eyes, but they cannot appreciate it, or come to love the Lord, because they are caught up in everything evil, and are filled with an unquenchable hate for the human race. He is limited in what he can do himself, but God is not limited in any way, and His children were made to create galaxies and to revel in the splendours of the universe made by Him, and so, constantly give praise to God by their very being.

It should be obvious the source of the vile occurrences in the world, and the very goodness of God's creation ought to speak to His glory and the depths of His love. There is a mortal combat, therefore, between brothers and sisters, one striving to take what is not theirs, and the other, striving to protect the people God created to be His children. 

Blessed are the children of God, for He loves them. I rejoice in their goodness, and bless Him for humbling me so that I may participate in seeing this marvel of holy goodness, and the pangs of His cross with which He reminds me I am His. I am weak and incapable of much, but He accomplishes all that needs to happen, because He is our way to succeed. We do succeed in pleasing Him, and He awaits our attempts at reaching out. He will therefore reach out to us, to compensate for our weakness and frailty, and He will deem our efforts as His glory and will be more than glad to wear them as a cloak of honor.

Therefore, children of the cross, rejoice in God, whether calamities befall your or not, for so long as you love Him, and do what is loving amongst yourselves, you will bless Him who needs no blessing and receive what you did not deserve, because His love is greater than what you deserve.

No one who has given Him everything they have or everything they are, will lack for His love and admiration. This is the strength of the saints that made the martyrs keep their place and not run off in fear to lose their lives. They received their lives back again and enriched by divine grandeur so that they were forever content to be in and of Him forever.