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August 18, 2014Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Ez 24:15-23 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, by a sudden blowI am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.That evening my wife died,and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell...

Are You Discouraged or Devoted? " . . . Jesus . . . said to him, ’You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:22-23 " Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him,...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Leviathan New International Version (NIV) In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1) It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan     and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(Psalm 74:143) “Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook     or tie down its tongue with a rope? (Job 41:1)

August 17, 2014Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Is 56:1, 6-7 Thus says the LORD:Observe what is right, do what is just;for my salvation is about to come,my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,ministering to him,loving the name of the LORD,and becoming his servants—all who keep the sabbath free from profanationand hold to my covenant,them I will bring to my holy mountainand make joyful in my house of prayer;their burnt offerings and sacrificeswill be acceptable on my altar,for my house shall be calleda house of prayer for all peoples. Responsorial...

Please pray for Mr. freekity.

Does He Know Me . . . ? " He calls his own . . . by name . . . —John 10:3 " When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Leopard New International Version (NIV) 6 The wolf will live with the lamb,     the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together;     and a little child will lead them.(Isaiah 11) Can an Ethiopian change his skin     or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good     who are accustomed to doing evil.(Jeremiah 13:23) 6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a...

August 16, 2014Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverbthat you recite in the land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes,thus their children’s teeth are on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD:I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among youwho will repeat this proverb in Israel.For all lives are mine;the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;only the one who sins shall die....

The Evidence of the New Birth " You must be born again —John 3:7 " The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced (John 3:4). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.“But as many as received Him. . .” (John 1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Lamb New International Version (NIV) They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD. .(2 Chronicles 30:15) Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.(2 Chronicles 35:1) The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. Psalm 37:12, 13 (NIV) ----

August 15, 2014Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mass during the Day    Reading 1 Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its heads...

The Discipline of the Lord " My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him —Hebrews 12:5 " It is very easy to grieve the Spirit of God; we do it by despising the discipline of the Lord, or by becoming discouraged when He rebukes us. If our experience of being set apart from sin and being made holy through the process of sanctification is still very shallow, we tend to mistake the reality of God for something else. And when the Spirit of God gives us a sense...

August 15, 2014Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vigil Mass    Reading 1 1 CHR 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORDto the place which he had prepared for it.David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites. The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles,as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD. David commanded the chiefs of the Levitesto appoint their kinsmen as chanters,to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals,to make a loud sound of...

My heart breaks as I write this....as I have posted before....my daughter has been fighting Heroin addiction. Yesterday....after entering sober living....she relapsed and OD'd. The medics brought her back....but we have no idea as to what to expect when we get to her....we are flying to her side as we speak... Please pray for our daughter...pray for us...to allow for God's will and grace to find and cover her in His healing.

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation John 14:6 Stand Firm New International Version (NIV) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. – Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Hyena New International Version (NIV) Thorns will overrun her citadels,     nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals,     a home for owls. 14 Desert creatures will meet with hyenas,     and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also lie down     and find for themselves places of rest. 15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,     she will hatch them, and care for her young     under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather,     each with its mate..(Isaiah34:14)

August 14, 2014Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr    Reading 1 Ez 12:1-12 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;they have eyes to see but do not see,and ears to hear but do not hear,for they are a rebellious house.Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on,migrate from where you live to another place;perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.You shall bring out your...

“Do Not Quench the Spirit” " Do not quench the Spirit —1 Thessalonians 5:19 " The voice of the Spirit of God is as gentle as a summer breeze— so gentle that unless you are living in complete fellowship and oneness with God, you will never hear it. The sense of warning and restraint that the Spirit gives comes to us in the most amazingly gentle ways. And if you are not sensitive enough to detect His voice, you will quench it, and your spiritual life will be impaired. This sense of restraint will always come as a “still...