Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

National Back to School Month

Saints: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Mother of six children, Widow, Foundress of the Order of the Visitation, along with Saint Francis de Sales (1572-1641); Blessed Isidore Bakanja (c.1886-1909); Saint Muredach (5th century); Saint Attracta (5th or 6th century); Saint Lelia (?); Saint Blaan (-590)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 58:17-29 The Procedure for Receiving Brothers 

Mass: Joshua 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17; Resp Ps 114; Mt 18:21-19:1

Alleluia!

HEART OF JESUS, OUR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

It occurs to me that Peter may have been surprised with Jesus' answer to his question, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (Mt 18:21). It turns out that seven times won't do it. Jesus answered: I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times (Mt 18:22). Oh my. Why not spend some time with Saint Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer.

Father, hallowed by Thy name. 

Thy kingdom come. 

Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.

(Lk 11:2-4)

He is our peace, for He has made both one. Since we think of Christ as our peace, we may call ourselves true Christians only if our lives express Christ by our own peace. As the Apostle says: He has put enmity to death. We must never allow it to be rekindled in us in any way but must declare that it is absolutely dead. Gloriously has God slain enmity, in order to say us; may we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges. We must not awaken that enmity or call it back to life by our wickedness, for it is better left dead.

(From a treatise on Christian Perfection by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop, in Office of Readings, Thursday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time)

We have several saints to call upon today for intercession. Saint Jane Frances de Chantal has these words of wisdom:

Hell is full of the talented, but Heaven of the energetic.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

In our neighbor, we should observe only what is good.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

The great method of prayer is to have none. If in going to prayer one can form in oneself a pure capacity for receiving the spirit of God, that will suffice for all method.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL,

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES,

BLESSED ISIDORE BAKANJA,

SAINT MUREDACH,

SAINT ATTRACTA,

SAINT LELIAN,

SAINT BLAAN, 

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Plums at the monastery.

© Gertrude Feick 2021