EVERY DISAPPOINTMENT IS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE.
"Brothers and sisters: That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
"Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
"I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
"Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10).
Sunday July 7th 2024 in the 14th Week in Ordinary Time.
At various times in various places, I reflected on the profound message in our second Reading from 2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 12. Today I feel like St Paul because I have cried out to the Lord to take away these crosses and the answer this time is loud and clear.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
Every human being grapples with Seven areas of challenges in life. Let us call it the 7-War Zones:
1. Health.
2. Money.
3. Family.
4. Job.
5. Possessions.
6. Food.
7. Future.
By dint of prayer and reflection, I discerned my areas of spiritual warfare are health and money.
These areas were designed by God when He created me to be the areas of spiritual combat where God provided sufficient grace for me to overcome.
How do you regard your weaknesses? Try to hide them? Pretend they don't exist?
“I will boast in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
If you want to enjoy the power of Jesus Christ, you know what to do. See all your weaknesses, disadvantages with the eyes of faith. God never makes mistakes. God never fails. As I accept my weaknesses more and more, I discover the power of faith working in me to become an overcomer. Without frequent cries to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I would never see the power of 2 Corinthians 12: 9 as my personal healing truth. My Rhema!
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
"The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?”
"Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
"No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
"People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (MATTHEW 9: 14 - 17).
WHY FAST?
Saturday July 6th 2024 in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Maria Goretti (1890 - 1902). Italian. Virgin and Martyr
Maria was barely twelve years old when she was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, a 19 years old man who tried to rape her. Maria resisted fiercely. Alessandro stabbed her to death.
Maria forgave him in her death bed. Alessandro spent 27 of 30 years in prison. Maria appeared to him in a dream and brought him flowers.
Alessandro went to Confession and became reconciled with God and with the Church.
Alessandro Serenelli was in the audience at the Vatican when Maria was canonized in 1950.
Alessandro later joined the Capuchin monastery.
St Maria Goretti is the patron saint of purity, young women, rape victims and youth.
In the Gospel of today, Jesus is queried about the fasting practices of His disciples. Jesus is saying: There is time for everything. A time to fast and a time to feast. As for the disciples not fasting, It seems as if the kid goats watch their mother as she chews the cud and do what they see their mother do. Be that as it may, Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving are the 3 pillars of Christian spiritual life.
Do you fast? How often? When? What do you fast from?
On the three pillars of the spiritual life, the Church teaches:
"The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.” (CCC 1434).
Some Christians abstain from meat and alcohol on Fridays and Wednesdays. Others abstain also from television, movies and gambling instead of food.
Whatever your practice, fasting is part of our Christian armor.
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
“Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world.” (Pope Clement).
“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY ZACCARIA & ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL.
"As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
"While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
"The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
"He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9: 9 - 13).
Friday July 5th in the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Elizabeth of Portugal.
Also known as Elizabeth of Aragon. (1271 - 1336). Elizabeth married King Denis of Portugal when she was very young. She set an example of Christian charity in the court and was the peace-maker between her husband and the children. After her husband died, Elizabeth became a Franciscan tertiary.
Today is also the feast of St Anthony Zeccaria.
St. Anthony Zaccaria (1502-1539). Italian from Cremona in Lombardy. He became a successful medical doctor at the age of 22. Unsatisfied with worldly success, he became a priest. He continued to care for the sick and comfort the dying. In Milan, he co-founded women’s religious order and then a congregation of priests called the Clerics Regular of Saint Paul (the Barnabites). Anthony reinvented a three-day exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the Forty Hours Devotion. St Anthony Zaccaria died in 1539 at the age of 37.
Every disciple of Jesus is chosen, called and anointed. St Matthew the Apostle, St Anthony Zaccaria and St Elizabeth of Portugal left us splendid examples on how they responded generously to the Call of Jesus.
Jesus delights in mercy. He is constantly seeking humble souls to pour out His abundant mercy.
Ask for mercy.
Be merciful.
Completely trust Jesus for mercy.
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
July 5th , 2024 is First Friday in July 2024.
Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month. In the 7th month of the year, July 2024, we look at Promise #7.
#7. "Tepid souls shall become fervent."
What is tepid? Tepid is defined as lukewarm, slightly warm, unenthusiastic, apathetic, half-hearted.
Listen to what Jesus says about such persons:
"Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelations 3: 16).
Are you lukewarm with regards to Jesus, to spiritual things? Regain your fire through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"We should, every morning, place our sufferings, prayers and labors in the pierced Heart of Jesus; there everything will be purified and perfected." (Author of "Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus").
Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart devotional prayers and prayer intentions click the link below:
WHO HAS POWER TO FORGIVE SINS?
"After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
"At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
"Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
"He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men." (Matthew 9: 1 - 8).
Thursday 4th July 2024 in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time is Independence Day.
How do you reckon with sin?
"She [Mary] will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Mary's Son will be named Jesus (Yeshua, that is Savior) because He will save His people [us] from sin.
In our key Scripture for today, we see Jesus answer the challenge of the lawyers as to His power to forgive sin. The background of the story is the crippled man lowered from the ceiling to the presence of Jesus.
Jesus could have commanded the man to stand up and go home. But instead He said: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2: 5).
The doctors of the law who challenged Jesus believe that the authority to forgive sins belongs to God alone. Jesus answered them by saying: I will prove to you that as Messiah, I can forgive sins by healing this crippled man. “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world knows more than anyone the intricate connection between Sin, Suffering and Salvation.
Every Sunday, we repeat in the Creed:
"I believe in the forgiveness of sins."
There is no salvation without the elimination of sin. Sin is the one cancer that blocks the benefits of salvation in our lives.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room after His Resurrection, He first said to them: "Peace be with you." Then He said: "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20: 23). Thus Jesus gave us the great gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called Confession or Penance.
Let us pray for the grace to learn the truths of our faith and express it in gentleness and works of charity.
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
ST THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
"Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
"But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
"Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.
" Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
"Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
"Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
"Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20: 24 - 29).
Wednesday July 3rd 2024 in the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Thomas, Apostle and Martyr.
Thomas was a Missionary and died a martyr. Christians remember Thomas as the "doubting Thomas."
What is the error of Thomas?
Thomas refused to believe after he heard from Peter and the other Apostles that Jesus is risen from the dead. He heard the witness of Mary Magdalene who was the first to see the Risen Jesus. Thomas still refused to believe. Against reason, he refused to believe the testimony of faithful, true and credible witnesses.
In the plan of salvation, God wills that we believe the witness of faithful, true and credible persons. Jesus Christ cannot appear to 7 Billion people individually and preach the Good News to each.
There are just a few things in life we can see and touch and prove to our own satisfaction. Vast majority of things we believe because someone we trust tells us so.
We believe our parents, teachers and friends on many things. Some believe whatever their doctor tells them but will not believe their Bishop.
Disbelief, unbelief, unreasonable doubt are crippling mental states. Can you believe that there are folks among us today who deny the Holocaust? Victims of these barbarism still live among us.
"Satan hates those who, resisting his lies, have remained close to Me, adoring Me in the Sacrament of My love, and consoling My Heart that is so afflicted by the ingratitude of men and their lack of faith in the mystery of love that is My real Eucharistic presence." (IN SINU JESU).
Jesus told Thomas, "Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20: 27).
This command was all that Thomas needed to make him a super believer. Jesus too can command our doubts, fears and worries to disappear. Let us ask Him:
Lord Jesus, command that we no longer be faithless but strong believers in You and Your mission. Say but a word Jesus and our doubts will be gone. Amen.
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
