"... be glorified in you..."

(unworthy and imperfect as I am)

We always pray for you,
that our God
may make you worthy
of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment
every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus
may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace
of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

(from today's Epistle 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2)

Two men went up to the temple to pray

"one was a Pharisee
and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position
and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you
that I am not like the rest of humanity
greedy, dishonest, adulterous
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.'

"But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'"

(Luke 18:10-13 - from today's Gospel and a previous post on Toward Contemplation)

Remain faithful

"Remain faithful
to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy
you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.

"All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching,
for refutation,
for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God
may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

"I charge you
in the presence of God
and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing
and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent
whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince,
reprimand,
encourage
through all patience and teaching."

(today's Epistle 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2)

This saying is trustworthy

If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.

But if we deny him
he will deny us.

If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

(from today's Epistle - 2 Timothy 2:8-13)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me - a sinner

Another rich kid embarrasses his dad

Peter Bernadone was a successful businessman with a good family, but his son John was a tremendous source of embarrassment.

He was a failure. The boy had no interest in business or work: he just wanted to have a good time.

Even when he ended up in the armed forces, he ended up getting captured.

After his release, he was sick a long time.

Soon after, he started spending all his time with the dregs of society, giving away whatever he had and spouting all sorts of religious stuff.

Peter was furious: he kidnapped his son and tried to beat sense into him.

John renounced his possessions and inheritance and even gave the clothes he was wearing back to his father.

John was now homeless, wandering around, rebuilding deserted chapels, and gathering a small band of misfits.

Before long, he got the idea to get the Pope’s blessing for his work.

The Pope at that time was a man who was from an even richer and much more powerful family and who was tremendously focused on geopolitics. With a good word from his bishop, however, John was able to get an audience.

To the amazement of many, the Pope blessed John and his work. This surprising papal endorsement led more people to pay attention to John and join his way of life: a life of simplicity, poverty, prayer, and even public begging.

John would go on to do many amazing things and gather a host of followers before dying in his mid-forties on this very day. He would be canonized within two years.

Seven hundred and eighty-four years after his death, Giovanni Francesco Bernadone, known as St. Francis of Assisi, remains one of the most admired and influential saints of Christendom.

(adapted from a previous post)

Canticle of Brother Sun

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You
and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.
St. Francis of Assisi

Altissimu, onnipotente, bon Signore, tue so' le laude, la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione. Ad te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,et nullu homo ène dignu te mentovare.
Laudato sie, mi' Signore, cum tucte le tue creature,spetialmente messor lo frate sole,lo qual'è iorno, et allumini noi per lui. Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:de te, Altissimo, porta significatione.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sora luna e le stelle: in celu l'ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per frate ventoet per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo, per lo quale a le tue creature dài sustentamento.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sor'aqua, la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per frate focu, per lo quale ennallumini la nocte: ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sora nostra matre terra, la quale ne sustenta et governa, et produce diversi fructi con coloriti flori et herba.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per quelli ke perdonano per lo tuo amoreet sostengo infirmitate et tribulatione. Beati quelli ke 'l sosterrano in pace, ka da te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sora nostra morte corporale, da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappare: guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali; beati quelli ke trovarà ne le tue sanctissime voluntati, ka la morte secunda no 'l farrà male.
Laudate e benedicete mi' Signore et rengratiatee serviateli cum grande humilitate.

Impatient with God? Fearful about life?

"How long, O LORD?

"I cry for help
but you do not listen!

"I cry out to you, 'Violence!'
but you do not intervene.

"Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?

"Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.

"Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.

"For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment,
and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come,
it will not be late.

"The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one,
because of his faith,
shall live."

(today's first reading - Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4)

Angel of God...

my guardian dear,
To whom His love commits me here;
Ever this day (ever this night) be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.

Angele Dei,
qui custos es mei,
Me tibi commissum pietate superna;
Hodie (Hac nocte),
illumina, custodi, rege, et guberna.
Amen.

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

"And so, that nothing in heaven should be wanting in your concern for us, You send those blessed spirits to serve us, assigning them as our guardians and our teachers.

"'He has given his angels charge over you
to guard you in all your ways.'

"These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence: respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection.

"And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.

"So let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should.

"Yet all our love and honor must go to Him, for it is from Him that they receive all that makes them worthy of our love and respect.

"We should then, my brothers, show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. We are God’s children although it does not seem so, because we are still but small children under guardians and trustees, and for the present little better than slaves.

"Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God’s heaven."
From a sermon by St. Bernard
(Office of the Readings)

(from an earlier post)

A nun for only 9 years

She had entered the convent when she was 15.

Then, she died before her 25th birthday.

But in the meantime, she had written (at the behest of her spiritual director) a spiritual autobiography that quickly became a classic.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the very young nun who would later be declared a Doctor of the Church, died at the age of 24 one hundred and thirteen years ago last night. Her memory is celebrated on this day.

(from an earlier post)

What shall we pray for this month?

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for October is for Catholic Universities.

"That Catholic Universities may increasingly become places where, in light of the gospel, people may experience the unity of faith and reason."

His missionary prayer intention is for World Mission Day.

"That World Mission Day may help Christians realize that the task of proclaiming Christ is a necessary service to which the Church is called for the benefit of humanity."