Feast of St Alphonsus Liguori, a tireless apostle of the Eucharist.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away." (Matthew 13: 47 - 48).

Thursday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Alphonsus Liguori (1696 to 1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Started life as a prominent lawyer before he became a priest. He was distinguished for the following reasons: Founder of the Redemptorist Order. "He was given the title of Doctor of the Church for his writings on Moral Theology. A tireless apostle of the Eucharist and of our Blessed Mother, he worked with great zeal for the poor and sick." (Roman Missal). 

The Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God. (CCC) The Church looks like the collection of fish of every kind. The Church of the living God, the Seed of the Kingdom of God on earth will retain the characteristics of the kingdom of David, a type and shadow of the Kingdom of God on earth. King David himself is the sinner-in-chief. St Peter, Head of the Apostles is also a sinner-in-chief. Sorry Martin Luther, John Calvin and company. There was no Apostasy. At no time was the Church a perfect institution. Everything has happened and is happening according to the design and foreknowledge of God.

At the end of the world "The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." (Matthew 13: 49 - 50). This is the plan. So far everything is going according to plan because God is Almighty, Sovereign and in Control.

"Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son." (Acts 16: 14).

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