First or Last?

“If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.” --- St John Chrysostom

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!

"All that we do must be motivated by love and not force. We must love to obey rather than fear to disobey."

1 Peter 4:8-10; Matthew 7:1-5 = hypocrite!

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.9Be hospitable to one another without complaining.10As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.


Matthew 7 :1-5  Judging Others.1 “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.2For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.3Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?5You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.


(Sorry for the weird underlining and color - don't know why it happened and I can't get rid of it!)

Waiting for God

If God at times seems to be slow in responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift.  He will not deny us.  We well know that the long-awaited gift is all the more precious for the delay in its being granted… Ask, seek, insist.  Through this asking and seeking you will be better prepared to receive God’s gift when it comes.  God withholds what you are not yet ready for.  He wants you to have a lively desire for His greatest gifts.  All of which is to say, pray always and do not lose heart.  (St. Augustine, Catena Aurea) 

Where to Look

Our Mother Mary will teach us how to live entirely for God’s glory.  Don’t ever lose the supernatural point of view.  Correct your intention as the course of a ship is corrected on the high seas – by looking at the star, by looking at Mary.  Then you will always be sure of reaching harbor. --- ICWG, Fr Fernandez and The Forge, St Josemaria Escriva

A Bruised Reed He Will NOT Break...

In spite of these disappointments God returns with renewed generosity time and time again to look for results.  This is the patience of God (2 Peter 3:9) towards souls.  He does not become discourage by our lack of correspondence.  He knows how to wait.  He sees our faults and failings but He also sees our capacity for doing good.  The Lord never gives up on any soul.  He trusts through thick and thin. 

Isaiah 42:3  …a bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not quench.

In Conversation with God, twenty-ninth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Perseverance in Prayer

The Lord wants to grant us His graces, but He also wants us toesk for them.  Do not complain to Me if you are not filled with blessings.  Complain to yourselves for not having sought what you need.  From now on all of Me and your prayers will be answered. ---  St. Alphonsus Liguori

Let us resolve to pray as Moses did.  Exodus 17:8-13.  With perseverance nothing could shake...and at times with the help of his friends.

Let us examine the quality of our prayer today.  Is it persevering, trusting, insistent, tireless?  If so, this will be the source of peace, cheerfulness and serenity, do it will make you humanly and supernaturally effective.  --- St. Josemaria Escriva and Father Francis Fernandez from In Conversation with God

A great deal depends on our devotion.  There is nothing more powerfully effective than steadfast prayer...  ICWG

I'd ask you to pray for several of my closet friends and their special intentions concerning family members as well as for our priests and religious, the poor souls on purgatory, the ill, those in need of conversion, our youth, peace and unity in our families, country, world, etc.  Good bless you!