Posted on 07/19/2016 7:45:25 PM PDT by Salvation
You’re so welcome.
On rich soil, it produced fruit
A sower went out to sow. From whence did he go out? He who is present everywhere and fills the entire universe? How did he go out? Not in a physical sense but through a disposition of providence in our regard: he came near by clothing himself in our flesh. Since we are unable to go to him, our sins preventing our access, it is he who comes to us. And why did he go out? To destroy the ground where thistles were rampant? To punish the farm laborers for them? Not at all. He comes to cultivate this piece of land, take care of it and sow the word of holiness in it. For the seed he speaks of is, in fact, his own teaching; the field is the human soul; the sower, he himself
It would be quite right to rebuke a farmer who sowed his seed so widely
But when it is a question of matters of the soul then stones can be turned into fruitful earth, the path can remain undisturbed by every passer-by and become a fertile field, thorns can be pulled up and allow the seed to grow peacefully. If it hadnt been possible, he would not have broadcast his seed. And if the transformation never took place, that isnt the sowers fault but the fault of those who didnt want to let themselves be changed. The sower carried out his work. If his seed has been wasted then the author of so great a blessing isnt to blame.
Take good note that there are several ways of losing the seed
It is one thing to let the seed of Gods word dry out without tribulation or hassle, its another to see it perish beneath the shock of temptation
So that nothing similar should happen to us let us engrave the word in our minds, fervently, deeply. Then the devil may well go pulling out all around us, we shall have enough strength to keep him from pulling out anything in us.
Am I "no one"?
What's your problem?
St. John Cassian
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
Abuse duly reported.
Pride is the FIRST and most egregious of the seven deadly sins. It leads to the rest, wouldn’t you say?
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 13 |
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1. | THE same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side. | In illo die exiens Jesus de domo, sedebat secus mare. | εν δε τη ημερα εκεινη εξελθων ο ιησους απο της οικιας εκαθητο παρα την θαλασσαν |
2. | And great multitudes were gathered unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore. | Et congregatæ sunt ad eum turbæ multæ, ita ut naviculam ascendens sederet : et omnis turba stabat in littore, | και συνηχθησαν προς αυτον οχλοι πολλοι ωστε αυτον εις το πλοιον εμβαντα καθησθαι και πας ο οχλος επι τον αιγιαλον ειστηκει |
3. | And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow. | et locutus est eis multa in parabolis, dicens : Ecce exiit qui seminat, seminare. | και ελαλησεν αυτοις πολλα εν παραβολαις λεγων ιδου εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειρειν |
4. | And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up. | Et dum seminat, quædam ceciderunt secus viam, et venerunt volucres cæli, et comederunt ea. | και εν τω σπειρειν αυτον α μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και ηλθεν τα πετεινα και κατεφαγεν αυτα |
5. | And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth. | Alia autem ceciderunt in petrosa, ubi non habebant terram multam : et continuo exorta sunt, quia non habebant altitudinem terræ : | αλλα δε επεσεν επι τα πετρωδη οπου ουκ ειχεν γην πολλην και ευθεως εξανετειλεν δια το μη εχειν βαθος γης |
6. | And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away. | sole autem orto æstuaverunt ; et quia non habebant radicem, aruerunt. | ηλιου δε ανατειλαντος εκαυματισθη και δια το μη εχειν ριζαν εξηρανθη |
7. | And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them. | Alia autem ceciderunt in spinas : et creverunt spinæ, et suffocaverunt ea. | αλλα δε επεσεν επι τας ακανθας και ανεβησαν αι ακανθαι και απεπνιξαν αυτα |
8. | And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. | Alia autem ceciderunt in terram bonam : et dabant fructum, aliud centesimum, aliud sexagesimum, aliud trigesimum. | αλλα δε επεσεν επι την γην την καλην και εδιδου καρπον ο μεν εκατον ο δε εξηκοντα ο δε τριακοντα |
9. | He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. | Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat. | ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω |
Saint Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial
July 20th
St. Apollinaris, c. 549 mosaic
detail of apse
Ravenna, church of St. Apollinaris
Saint Appolinaris, probably born in Antioch, is one of the great Christian martyrs of the first century. He was made Bishop of Ravenna by Saint Peter. The date of his consecration is not known, though he was bishop for twenty-six years. His preaching won many converts to the Christian faith; but his very effective evangelization led to his continual persecution, and he was repeatedly driven from Ravenna. Once he was found severely beaten and half dead on the seashore; and for a time he was concealed by the Christians. He was captured again and compelled to walk on burning coals, and he was again driven from the region. Despite this, he returned to Ravenna and continued his work of evangelization. Again he was captured, hacked with knives, had scalding water poured over his wounds, was beaten in the mouth with stones because he persisted in preaching, and then, loaded with chains, he was cast into a dungeon to starve to death; however, after four days he was put on board ship and sent to Greece. There he continued his preaching and miracles. His very presence caused the oracles to be silent, so he was beaten and sent back to Italy. After three years, he returned to Ravenna a fourth time. Vespasian (9-79 AD) was Emperor at this time, and in response complaints he issued a decree of banishment against the Christians. Apollinaris was kept hidden for some time; but as he was passing out of the gates of the city, he was set upon and savagely beaten. He lived for seven days, and foretold that the persecution of Christians would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. It has been suggested that Apollinaris was one of the seventy-two disciples of Christ, but this is not certain.
[Based on the entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia]
Collect:
Direct your faithful, Lord, in the way of eternal salvation,
which the Bishop Saint Apollinaris showed by his teaching and martyrdom,
and grant, through his intercession,
that we may so perserve in keeping your commandments
as to merit being crowned with him.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16
"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."
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Wednesday
July 20, 2016
A Revolution That Starts With Us
The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us? - Dorothy Day, Servant of God
Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “How happy I am to see myself imperfect and be in need of God’s mercy.” St. Therese of Lisieux
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