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Matthew 4:18-19

The Eyes of Our Lord

“As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Reflection:

Today, we honor one of the Apostles: Saint Andrew. Andrew and his brother Peter were fishermen who would soon take on a new form of fishing. They would soon become “fishers of men,” as Jesus said. But prior to being sent on this mission by our Lord, they had to become His followers. And this happened as our Lord was first the fisher of these men.

Notice that in this Gospel, Jesus was simply walking by and “saw” these two brothers working hard at their occupation. First, Jesus “saw” them, and then He called them. This gaze of our Lord is worth pondering.

Imagine the profound truth that our Lord is continually gazing at you with divine love, looking for the moment that you turn your attention to Him. His gaze is perpetual and deep. His gaze is one that yearns for you to follow Him, to abandon all else so as to hear His gentle invitation not only to follow Him, but to then go forth and invite others on the journey of faith.

As we begin this Advent season, we must allow the call of Andrew and Peter to also become our own calling. We must allow ourselves to notice Jesus as He looks at us, sees who we are, is aware of everything about us, and then speaks a word of invitation. He says to you, “Come after me…” This is an invitation that must permeate every aspect of your life. To “come after” Jesus is to leave all else behind and to make the act of following our Lord the single purpose of your life.

Sadly, many people pay little attention to this calling in their lives. Few people hear Him speak and fewer respond, and even fewer respond with complete abandonment of their lives. The beginning of Advent is an opportunity to evaluate your responsiveness to the call of our Lord once again.

Reflect, today, upon Jesus speaking these words to you. First, ponder the question of whether you have said “Yes” to Him with all the powers of your soul. Second, reflect upon those whom our Lord wants you to invite on the journey. To whom is Jesus sending you to invite? Who, in your life, is open to His call? Who does Jesus want to draw to Himself through you? Imitate these Apostles as they said “Yes” to our Lord, even though they did not immediately understand all that this would entail. Say “Yes” today and be ready and willing to do whatever comes next on this glorious journey of faith.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/11/29/the-eyes-of-our-lord-3/

Matthew 4:18-19 Read More »

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse

Daily Saints

Profile

Saturninus was born to the third century Roman nobility. He was a missionary to Gaul, the Pyrenees, and the Iberian peninsula. He worked with Saint Papoul. He converted many, including the farmer now known as Saint Honestus who joined him as a missionary.
Imprisoned in Carcassone by the prefect Rufinus, Saturninus and his group were freed by an angel. He became the first bishop of Toulouse (in modern France), where he teamed with Saint Martial to perform miraculous healings. Converted and baptized Saint Firminus of Amiens.
When Saturninus began his work in Toulouse, the local pagan priests stopped receiving oracular messages from their gods. One day in 257, when the priests were hopelessly frustrated, Saturninus passed by in the street. The priests blamed the bishop, and ordered the crowd of heathens to seize him and force him to offer sacrifice to their gods. The idols fell to pieces in front of the bishop, and the crowd murdered him.

Born

Patras, Greece

Died

dragged to death by a bull c.257 in Toulouse, France
two Christian women gathered up his remains and buried them in a ditch
a church called the Taur (bull) was built where the bull stopped
relics at the basilica at Toulouse

Patronage

against ants
against bovine spongiform encephalopathy
death anxiety
against fraud
against headaches
against mad cow disease
against nausea
against pain
against plague
against scrapie
against smallpox
against syphilis
bullfighters
smallpox patients
—
Burgo de San Cernin, Navarra, Spain
Minderau, Germany
Motte-Saint-Jean, Burgundy, France
Pamplona, Spain
Roche-Vineuse, Burgundy, France
Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, Catalonia, Spain
Sant Sadurni d’Osormort, Catalonia, Spain
Sant Sadurni de l’heure, Catalonia, Spain
Sardinia, Italy
Navarre, Spain
St-Sernin-d’Apt, France
St-Sernin-du-Bois, Burgundy, France
St-Sernin-du-Plain, Burgundy, France
Toulouse, France
Vauban, Burgundy, France
Weissenau, Germany

Representation

bishop dragged by a bull
bishop with a bull at his feet
bull, cross and mitre

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-saturninus-of-toulouse/

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Luke 21:14-15

Daily Reflections, Verse

Responding with Grace

“Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”

Reflection:

This line is embedded in today’s Gospel in which Jesus makes it clear that His followers will be persecuted. Many of them will be seized, sent to prison, hated and even be put to death. For some, this will even happen at the hands of their own family. But Jesus tells them this to prepare them and to let them know that these persecutions will enable them to give testimony to Jesus. The Gospel passage above explains how they are to do this.

First of all, giving “testimony” especially means they are to be a witness to Christ. And one of the best ways such a witness is fulfilled is through the various forms of martyrdom. To be a martyr is to be a witness. And those who suffer persecution for the sake of Christ, and then respond to that persecution in accord with the wisdom and inspiration of Jesus, are true martyrs.

It’s helpful to note that if one is persecuted and responds with anger or returns the violence in accord with their own irrational will, then they are no martyr. They simply become what they have received. They become angry and bitter people. Being a martyr requires both unjust treatment and a response to that mistreatment in accord with God’s will. For that reason, though persecution is never initiated by God, it does offer the Christian an opportunity to deeply conform themself to Christ by responding as He dictates.

Jesus says that responding to persecution requires that we not prepare a defense beforehand. In part, this is because there is great temptation one experiences when persecuted by another. It is very understandable that when a person experiences persecution in any way, they will encounter anger and be tempted to fight back in a way that is uncharitable and only furthers the disorder.

Responding to persecution in accord with the will of God requires great attentiveness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, great humility, and unwavering charity directed at the one doing the persecution. Therefore, Jesus makes the promise that He will be with you in such situations and will give you “a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” What a grace! But this grace is only available to those who rely completely upon Christ, and not upon their own disordered passions and emotions.

Reflect, today, upon this promise from Jesus. Some will encounter little persecution in their lives at various times. But others will encounter severe persecution in various ways, even from their family. Reflect upon any ways that you have experienced the unjust treatment of another and then reflect upon your response.

Were you able to immediately forgive? Were you able to set aside your anger, wounded pride and desire for revenge? Were you able to keep your eyes on Christ and rejoice that you have been found worthy to share in the ridicule, persecutions and sufferings that Jesus endured? Pray that you will always be open to the grace of this promise of Jesus so that you will always respond to everyone in accord with the wisdom of God.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/11/28/responding-with-grace-2/

Luke 21:14-15 Read More »

Saint Catherine Laboure

Daily Saints

Also known as

Zoe Laboure
Catherine Labore

Profile

Ninth of eleven children born to a farm family, and from an early age, Catherine felt a call to the religious life. She never learned to read or write. She was forced to take over running the house at age eight after her mother died and her older sister joined the Sisters of Charity. She worked as a waitress in her uncle’s cafe in Paris, France. Upon entering a hospital run by the Sisters of Charity, she received a vision in which Saint Vincent de Paul told her that God wanted her to work with the sick, and she later joined the Order, taking the name Catherine.
On 18 July 1830, she had a vision of Our Lady who described to her a medal which she wished struck. On one side it has the image of Our Lady, and the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”; on the other are the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady told Catherine that wearers of the medal would receive great graces. It has become known as the Miraculous Medal, and its wearing and devotion has spread worldwide.

Born

2 May 1806 at Fain-les-Moûtiers, Côte d’Or, Burgundy, France as Zoe Laboure

Died

31 December 1876 at Enghien-Reuilly, France
body incorrupt
entombed in her convent chapel

Venerated

19 July 1931 by Pope Pius XI (decree of heroic virtues)

Beatified

28 May 1933 by Pope Pius XI

Canonized

27 July 1947 by Pope Pius XII

Patronage

pigeon fanciers
pigeons

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-catherine-laboure/

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Luke 21:5-6

Daily Reflections, Verse

Remain At Peace in All Things

“While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Reflection:

In a literal way, this prophecy of our Lord came true. In 70 A.D., the Temple upon which they were commenting was destroyed. After prophesying this, Jesus then goes on to warn the disciples that there will be many confusions that will come. There will be false prophets, wars and insurrections, powerful earthquakes, famines, plagues, “and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Why does Jesus prophesy all of these things?

The answer was simple. He was not trying to scare them. He was not simply trying to satisfy their curiosity. Instead, He was warning them and preparing us all so that we do not become misled or terrified when they come. He says, “See that you not be deceived” and “do not be terrified.”

As the old saying goes, “Life is not a bowl of cherries.” While we live in this fallen world, chaos, confusion, deception, abuse, scandal, conflict and the like will be all around us. And when we do come face-to-face with any such difficulty, there is a temptation to fear, anger and despair. Be it family conflicts, civil unrest or even divisions within the Church itself, God wants us to remain at peace and to trust Him always.

Take Jesus’ own life as an example. He was arrested, falsely accused, sentenced to death and crucified. And through it all, He remained at peace, knowing that His suffering would become the very source of new life. God can use all things for good for those who love and serve Him.

Reflect, today, upon the undeniable fact that your life will involve difficulty. Sometimes that difficulty is self-imposed as a result of your sin, and sometimes it is unjustly imposed on account of the sin of another. Truth be told, we should only be concerned about our own sin. If other challenges come your way that are out of your control, then use those challenges as opportunities to trust.

Entrust all things to God, every suffering, every persecution, every tragedy, every struggle, everything. If God the Father could bring about the greatest good ever known through the brutal murder of His own divine Son, then He can certainly do the same with all that you offer to Him in trust. Trust at all times and in all circumstances, and our all-powerful Lord will bring good from everything.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/11/27/remain-at-peace-in-all-things-2/

Luke 21:5-6 Read More »

Saint James Intercisus

Daily Saints

Also known as

Jakob Intercisus
James the Mutilated

Profile

Military officer and courtier to King Jezdigerd I. During Jezdigerd’s persecution of Christians, James apostacized. Following Jezdigerd’s death, he was contacted by family members who had never renounced their faith. James experienced a crisis of faith and conscience, and openly expressed his faith to the new king Bahram. He was condemned, tortured and martyred.

Born

Beth Laphat, Persia

Died

slowly cut into 28 pieces, finally dying from beheading in 421

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

lost vocations
torture victims

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-james-intercisus/

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Luke 21:3-4

Daily Reflections, Verse

A Total Offering to God

“I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Reflection:

We must all see ourselves as this poor widow by offering our “whole livelihood” to Christ. Everything we have is a gift from God, and it must be offered back to God, sacrificially, as our gift to Him. The material offering made by this poor widow was two small coins worth very little.

The truth is that even if you were the richest person in the world and donated all that you had to God, it would greatly pale in comparison to the gift given to us by our Lord. We are all poor in the big picture of God’s grace and His Kingdom. The most any one of us can offer is symbolized by these two small coins.

As you look at your own life, how willing are you to give everything you have to our Lord for His glory and service? The only appropriate “offering” we are called to give to our Lord is the “sacrifice” of our entire life.

This spiritual truth is something very difficult for those who are very wealthy in the things of this world. Material wealth offers an easy way to live in comfort. Money can provide every modern convenience, entertainment, fun, worldly security and much of what this world has to offer. But money cannot buy fulfillment. It cannot satisfy us in the truest sense. This is why many people who live very luxurious lives are not truly happy.

Happiness is found in sacrifice. Specifically, it is found in sacrificial love by which we dedicate everything we are and all that we have to the sole purpose of the glory of God and the furtherment of His Kingdom.

Sadly, when one is rich in the things of this world, it is easy to think that offering a portion of their wealth, such as a tithe, means that they can keep and use the rest any way they want. But that’s not true. Giving of ourselves completely to God and to His service does not necessarily mean that we donate all of our money to the Church. But it does mean that we offer everything to God.

For many, when this complete offering is done every day, God will lead them to use their material resources for the raising of their family, to take care of their basic needs, and, at times, to even enjoy various comforts in life. But the real question is whether or not you truly live as though all you have and all you are is God’s and is to be used for His glory and the furtherment of His will.

Reflect, today, upon this poor widow. She was greatly blessed to have very little. This made it easier for her to remain detached from money and other forms of material wealth. And in that detachment, she gave all to God. She entrusted all to Him, and Jesus noticed and praised her.

Reflect upon our Lord’s reaction to you and to the offering of your life to Him. If you are holding back from our Lord, then use the witness of this poor widow to inspire you to daily dedicate everything to the service of God in accord with His holy will.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/11/26/a-total-offering-to-god-2/

Luke 21:3-4 Read More »

Pope Saint Siricius

Daily Saints

Profile

Son of Tiburtius. Lector. Deacon. Friend of Saint Ambrose of Milan. Unanimously elected 38th pope in 384. He was opposed by the anti-pope Ursinus, but the pretender could not get any support, and nothing came of it. Expanded papal power and authority, decreeing that any papal documents should receive widespread distribution. Held a synod at Rome, Italy on 6 January 386 which re-affirmed a variety of canon laws and disciplines for both clergy and laity. A separate synod in 390 to 392 re-affirmed the merits of fasting, good works, and the need for celibate life among the religious and clergy. Opposed the Manicheans. Settled the Meletian schism at Antioch.

Born

c.334 at Rome, Italy

Papal Ascension

December 384

Died

26 November 399 of natural causes
buried in the cemetery of Priscilla on the Via Salaria, Rome, Italy

Canonized

by Pope Benedict XIV

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/pope-saint-siricius/

Pope Saint Siricius Read More »

Matthew 25:31-33

Daily Reflections, Verse

The End of Time

“Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

Reflection:

This is the final Sunday of our Church year. Our focus today is the end of time when Jesus will return again to judge the living and the dead and establish His permanent and glorious Kingdom, visible to all. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes this moment in time this way:

“The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death (#1040).”

God is truly a mystery. He is the greatest of mysteries. As a mystery, God is forever the unknown in the sense that He is endless and eternal. He has revealed Himself to us but we will forever enter deeper into our knowledge of Him because of His infinite and endless nature. This is important to understand because when we contemplate the many mysteries God has revealed, we must approach them as both known and unknown. Our solemnity today is one of those mysteries.

Of this great moment in time, we know that the Son of God will return to earth to issue forth His final judgment upon all the living and the dead. It will be the final moment of time as we know it now. The dead will rise and our bodies and souls will be reunited. The just will enter the glorious New Heavens and Earth. Those in mortal sin will be condemned for eternity. The world will no longer be a fallen world. All illness and disorder in nature will be eliminated. Peace will ensue and perfect order will be established. God will be the universal King and will govern this new world forever.

As we celebrate this glorious mystery of our faith, we must accept and believe all that we know about it. But as we do, we must also approach it with deep humility, admitting to ourselves that we will never fully comprehend the awesomeness of that day until it comes. No earthly concept will ever come close to fully describing that moment in time, but we must adhere to our belief in it with a profound and unwavering faith.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/11/25/the-end-of-time/

Matthew 25:31-33 Read More »

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Gosples & Readings

Reading 1 Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Second Reading 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

Alleluia Mk 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

Source: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112623.cfm

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Read More »

Author name: Sani

Matthew 4:18-19

The Eyes of Our Lord

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse

Luke 21:14-15

Responding with Grace

Saint Catherine Laboure

Luke 21:5-6

Remain At Peace in All Things

Saint James Intercisus

Luke 21:3-4

A Total Offering to God

Pope Saint Siricius

Matthew 25:31-33

The End of Time

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Reading 1 Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

Second Reading 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Alleluia Mk 11:9, 10

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

Source: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112623.cfm

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