MAY THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, BE ALWAYS IN OUR HEART TO KEEP US HUMBLE, GRATEFUL, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING --- O GOD, BLESS ALL THAT IS COMING FROM YOU AND BREAK ALL THAT IS NOT COMING FROM YOU, AMEN --- This site is just a drop from the immeasurable ocean in JESUS, THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, HOLY TRINITY ONE GOD - HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE - TEACHER, HEALER, REDEEMER --- The main purpose of this site is to make an easier access to Catholic Religion-related links.
When we can't protect them, our children's guardian angels are a powerful aid against harm.
The world is a dangerous place. When you leave the comforts of your home there is no telling what may happen to you or your children. This has been the case since Adam and Eve and will continue to be so until Jesus comes again. The good news is that we are not alone. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by [angels and] their watchful care and intercession” (CCC 336). God appoints to each one of us a guardian angel whose mission is to guide, guard and protect. We don’t always see them or sense their presence, but the truth is that they are there, ready and willing to come to our aid. We just have to ask. For parents, it is easy to forget that our children have guardian angels and that we can pray to them (through the mediation of our own guardian angel) and invoke their powerful protection over our children. When we can’t physically be there with our children to protect them, it is most appropriate to pray to their guardian angel.
Here is a short prayer that is usually entitled, “A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of Her Children,” and is one way that we can quiet our heart and be at peace knowing who is protecting our little ones.
I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen.
In today's World Day of Social Justice, organized by the UN, on the theme: "Workers in movement: the search for social justice", let us retrace the strong pronouncements of Pope Francis on the world of work.
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Nell'odierna Giornata mondiale della giustizia sociale, indetta dall'Onu, sul tema: “Lavoratori in movimento: la ricerca della giustizia sociale", ripercorriamo i forti pronunciamenti di Papa Francesco sul mondo del lavoro. Giornata giustizia sociale: le parole del Papa sul lavoro 2018-02-20- Published on Feb 20, 2018 --- Let us retrace the strong pronouncements of Pope Francis on the world of work ---
When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God, as the heart of his father David had been. By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites, Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done. Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab, and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites, on the hill opposite Jerusalem. He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice (for though the LORD had forbidden him this very act of following strange gods, Solomon had not obeyed him).
So the LORD said to Solomon: "Since this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I enjoined on you, I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant. I will not do this during your lifetime, however, for the sake of your father David; it is your son whom I will deprive. Nor will I take away the whole kingdom. I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Blessed are they who observe what is right, who do always what is just. Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people; visit us with your saving help. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. But they mingled with the nations and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare for them. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. And the LORD grew angry with his people, and abhorred his inheritance. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Ladarba ma ħaristx il-patt tiegħi, jiena se nċarrat is-saltna minn fuqek; ikun hemm tribù, wieħed biss, li lil ibnek inħallihulu, minħabba l-qaddej tiegħi David.
1 Slaten 11, 4-13
Qari mill-Ewwel Ktieb tas-Slaten
Ġara li meta Salamun kien imdaħħal sewwa fiż-żmien, in-nisa li kellu dawrulu tassew qalbu għal wara allat oħra, hekk li qalbu issa ma baqgħetx kollha kemm hi mal-Mulej, Alla tiegħu, bħalma kienet qalb David missieru. Salamun beda jqim lil Għastoret, alla tan-nies ta’ Sidon, u lil Milkom, l-idolu mistkerrah li kienu jqimuh in-nies ta’ Għammon. Din l-imġiba ta’ Salamun, li ma baqax ħaġa waħda mal-Mulej sal-aħħar, lill-Mulej xejn ma għoġbitu. Kemm kien xorta oħra David missieru!
Imbagħad Salamun bena fuq l-għolja biswit Ġerusalemm santwarju lil Kemos, l-għajb ta’ Mowab, u lil Molok, l-għajb tal-Għammonin. U hekk għamel għan-nisa l-oħra kollha barranin, li kienu jaħarqu l-inċens u joffru s-sagrifiċċji lil allathom.
Il-Mulej kien issa inkurlat għal Salamun talli ħalla qalbu tinfired minn miegħu, wara li dan Alla ta’ Iżrael kien ġa deherlu darbtejn, u wissieh biex ma jmurx wara allat oħra. Iżda Salamun ma qagħadx għat-twissijiet li l-Mulej kien għamillu. U għalhekk qal il-Mulej lil Salamun: “Ladarba ġibt ruħek hekk, u ma ħaristx il-patt tiegħi, u l-liġijiet li tajtek int ma ħaristhomx, jiena se naħtaf u nċarrat issaltna minn fuqek u nagħtiha lil wieħed li hu qaddej tiegħek. Imma minħabba f’David missierek din il-ħaġa ma nagħmilhiex fi żmienek. Minn id ibnek naħtaf is-saltna. Iżda ma naħtafhilekx kollha kemm hi; ikun hemm tribù, wieħed biss, li lil ibnek inħallihulu, kemm minħabba l-qaddej tiegħi David, kemm minħabba Ġerusalemm li jien għażilt”.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla
Salm Responsorjali
Salm 105 (106), 3-4.35-36.37 u 40
R/. (4): Ftakar fija, Mulej, fi mħabbtek għall-poplu
Hieni min jimxi bid-dritt,
min jagħmel dejjem is-sewwa.
Ftakar fija, Mulej,
fi mħabbtek għall-poplu tiegħek;
aħseb fija bis-salvazzjoni tiegħek. R/.
Huma tħalltu mal-ġnus,
u tgħallmu d-drawwiet tagħhom.
Taw qima lill-idoli tagħhom,
li saru bħal nassa għalihom. R/.
Qatlu b’sagrifiċċji lix-xjaten
lil uliedhom subien u bniet.
Għalhekk inkorla l-Mulej għall-poplu tiegħu,
u stmell il-wirt tiegħu. R/.
Akklamazzjoni qabel l-Evanġelju
Ġak 1, 21bċ
Hallelujah. R/. Hallelujah
Ilqgħu bil-ħlewwa l-kelma mħawla fikom,
li tista’ ssalvalkom ruħkom.
R/. Hallelujah
Evanġelju
Taħt il-mejda l-ġriewi wkoll jieklu l-frak mill-ħobż tat-tfal.
Mk 7, 24-30
Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mark
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù mar fl-inħawi tal-belt ta’ Tir. Daħal joqgħod f’dar, u ried li ħadd ma jsir jaf. Iżda ma setax ikun li jinħeba, għax malajr semgħet bih waħda mara li kellha lil bintha maħkuma minn spirtu ħażin, u marret tinxteħet f’riġlejh. Issa din il-mara kienet Griega, Sirofeniċja min-nisel tagħha. Bdiet mela titolbu biex ikeċċi x-xitan minn ġo bintha. U hu qalilha: “L-ewwel ħa jixbgħu l-ulied, għax mhux sewwa tieħu l-ħobż tal-ulied u tixħtu lill-ġriewi”. Iżda hi weġbitu u qaltlu: “Hekk hu, Mulej; imma taħt il-mejda l-ġriewi wkoll jieklu l-frak mill-ħobż tat-tfal”. Imbagħad qalilha: “Għal din il-kelma li għedt, mur, ix-xitan ħareġ minn bintek”. U xħin marret id-dar, sabet it-tifla mimduda, u x-xitan kien ħareġ minnha.
Pope Francis: sinners can become saints, but the corrupt cannot
Be watchful, every day, so that you don’t end up far from the Lord. That was the invitation of Pope Francis during his homily at the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Thursday. The Pope spoke of the risk, to which we are all exposed, of weakness of the heart.
David is a saint, even if he was a sinner; the great and wise Solomon, on the other hand, was rejected by the Lord because he was corrupt. Pope Francis focused on this apparent paradox in his homily at the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The first Reading in the day’s liturgy, taken from the First Book of Kings, speaks about Solomon and his disobedience. “We have heard about something a bit strange,” the Pope said. “The heart of Solomon was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of David, his father, had been.”
The problem of weakness of the heart
He explained that it was strange because we do not know that Solomon had committed great sins, he was always very balanced; while we know that David had had a difficult life, that he was a sinner. And yet David is a saint, while it is said of Solomon, who had been praised by the Lord for seeking wisdom rather than riches, that his heart was “turned away from the Lord.” How can we explain this? the Pope asked. It is because David, knowing that he had sinned, always asked for forgiveness, while Solomon, who was praised throughout the world, distanced himself from the Lord to follow other gods, but did not recognize his fault.
And here is the problem of “weakness of the heart.” When the heart begins to weaken, it is not like a situation of sin: you commit a sin, and you realize it immediately. “I have committed this sin”; it’s clear. Weakness of the heart is a slow journey, that slides along step by step, step by step, step by step… And Solomon, adorned in his glory, in his fame, began to take this road.
Solomon became tranquil in his corruption
Paradoxically, “the clarity of a sin is better than weakness of the heart,” the Pope said. “The great king Solomon wound up corrupted: tranquilly corrupt, because his heart was weakened”:
And a man and a woman with weak hearts, or weakened hearts, is a defeated woman, a defeated man. This is the process of many Christians, of many of us. ‘No, I haven’t committed grave sins.’ But how is your heart? Is it strong? Does it stay faithful to the Lord, or does is it slowly sliding away?
Guard your heart at all times
The drama of the weakness of the heart can happen to all of us in life. What do we do then? The answer, Pope Francis said, is vigilance: “Be watchful. Guard your heart. Be watchful. Every day, be careful about what is happening in your heart. He concluded:
David was a saint. He was a sinner. A sinner, and he became a saint. Solomon was rejected because he was corrupt. Someone who is corrupt cannot become a saint. And one becomes corrupt by following the path of weakness of the heart. Vigilance! Guard your heart at all times. How is my heart doing? How is my relationship with the Lord? And enjoy the beauty and the joy of fidelity.
Pope Francis' words of warning against what he called “fake fasting” came during thehomily on Friday at morning Mass in theCasa Santa Marta.
When fasting, Pope Francis said, a true Christian must be consistent, not putting himself on show, never despising others or engaging in quarrels or disagreements.
Warning against behavior that is inconsistent with the Lenten spirit, the Pope invited those present to ask themselves how they interact with others.
He reflected on the First Reading of the day that highlights how the fasting that is acceptable to the Lord aims to “release those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke”.
Don’t pretend to be virtuous
Pope Francis reminded believers that fasting is one of the tasks of Lent, and said that even “if you cannot commit to a total fast, the kind that makes you feels hunger in your bones” you can still fast humbly and consistently.
Isaiah, he said, highlights so many inconsistencies in the practice of virtue, like “carrying out your own pursuits, driving all your labourers, and yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting”,
Fasting, the Pope said, is a little like “stripping oneself” of pride. He said that to thank the Lord and at the same time despise your labourers that are forced to fast because they do not have enough to eat is inconsistent and unchristian.
Inviting those present to perform penance in peace, he said “you cannot talk to God on the one hand and to the devil on the other”.
He also warned against the temptation of ‘showing off’ by fasting: “by making a fuss of it and letting people know that we are practicing Catholics and we do penance, so that people think ‘what a good person’. This is a trick” he said: “It’s pretending to be virtuous”.
Fasting with a smile
“We must pretend, Francis continued, but with a smile. That is not showing others that we are performing acts of penance.”
He invited the faithful to fast in order “to help others. But always with a smile”.
Fasting, he said, also involves lowering oneself by reflecting on one’s sins and asking forgiveness from the Lord.
How ashamed would I be, he continued, if my sin was to become common knowledge through the press? And referring again to the Scripture Reading of the day he invited Christians to “release unjust bounds.”
“I think of so many maids who work for their bread and they are humiliated and despised ... I have never been able to forget the time I went to a friend's house as a child and I witnessed the mother slapping the 81-year-old maid…”
Reiterating that he has never forgotten that shameful episode, Pope Francis urged the faithful to ask themselves whether they treat their domestic workers with fairness, whether they treat them “as people or as slaves”, whether they are paid a just salary and have the right to holidays and are recognized in their human dignity.
Fasting with consistency
Pope Francis went on to tell another story stemming from personal experience. He said that once, when speaking to a very cultured gentleman who was known to exploit his domestic workers, he explained to him that this is a serious sin because we are all created in the image of God.
And referring again to the First Reading that tells us “to share our bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked when we see them, not turn our back on our own”, the Pope noted that currently there is much discussion around whether or not to give shelter to those who ask for it.
He exhorted Christians to “do penance”, to “feel a little hunger”, to “pray more during Lent” and to ask themselves how they behave towards the other:
“Does my fast help others? If it does not it's fake, it's inconsistent and it takes you on the path to a double life, pretending to be a just Christian - like the Pharisees or the Sadducees” he said.
Let us ask for the grace of consistency he concluded:” if I am unable to do something, I will not do it. I will do only what I can with the consistency of a true Christian.
