Wednesday, November 23, 2011 {Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Priest, Martyr (Optional Memorial)} - THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL!!!

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
SOURCE: MY BOOK OF BIBLE STORIES

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
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.
 -- St. Hyppolytus (Treatise on Christ and Antichrist)

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
(Belshazzar's Banquet)

1 One night King Belshazzar invited a thousand noblemen to a great banquet, and they drank wine together.

2 While they were drinking, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups and bowls which his father. Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from the Temple in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he, his noblemen, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them.

3 At once the gold cups and bowls were brought in, and they all drank wine out of them

4 and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Suddenly a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster wall of the palace, where the light from the lamps was shining most brightly. And the king saw the hand as it was writing.

6 He turned pale and was so frightened that his knees began to shake.

(Daniel Explains the Writing)

13 Daniel was brought at once into the king's presence, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, that Jewish exile whom my father the king brought here from Judah?

Wednesday, July 06, 2011 {St. Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr (Optional Memorial)}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24
55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do."
56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
 
5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; he it was who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
7 Joseph saw his brothers, and knew them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. "Where do you come from?" he said. They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." 

17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God:
19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined in your prison, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,
20 and bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so.
21 Then they said to one another, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us and we would not listen; therefore is this distress come upon us."
22 And Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the lad? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood."
23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 Then he turned away from them and wept; and he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Psalms: Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
2 Praise the LORD with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song, play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nought; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.

Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.
2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb'edee, and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,
6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I have no greater desire to die than to live; if Our Lord gave me the choice I would choose nothing; I only will what He wills; It is what He does that I love.

-- St. Therese of Lisieux

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 {Saints John Fisher, Bishop, Martyr and Thomas More, Martyr (Optional Memorial)}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
1      After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
2     But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Elie'zer of Damascus?"
3     And Abram said, "Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir."
4     And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir."
5     And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
6     And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7     And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chalde'ans, to give you this land to possess."
8     But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
9     He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
10     And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.
11     And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12     As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him.
17     When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
18     On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphra'tes,

Psalms: Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9
1      O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!
2     Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!
3     Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4     Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!
6     O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7     He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8     He is mindful of his covenant for ever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9     the covenant which he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,

Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20
15      "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16     You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17     So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.
18     A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19     Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20     Thus you will know them by their fruits.
   
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
God would not urge us to ask, unless He were willing to give.

-- St. Augustine