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He is regarded by two popes as one of the greatest Doctors of the Church with Thomas Aquinas. He is known as the Seraphic Doctor (while Saint Thomas Aquinas is the Angelic Doctor) for having "Ardent love for the Lord", since seraphs are associated with fire especially the burning fire of charity.

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from 𝐏𝖘𝖆𝖑𝖒 18 (19):8-15
Grail Psalms from Universalis (c)

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄

“Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.

They are more to be desired than gold,
than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey,
than honey from the comb.

So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.

From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: great reward is in their keeping.

Today we continue on the Psalm from last week. Just recently, I had a thought, because I saw a quote of Saint Bonaventure about Mary (the picture that I use for this Daily). Now, today's reading tells us the greatness of the law, and Fr. Dave Concepcion would always remind us that the most common fault everyone does is that they do good but it is not the will of God.

There are 3 points I want to talk about today. First is the will of God, of course as exampled by Mary, her "Fiat" or "Let it be" is the greatest act of any creature. Now she is regarded as full of grace, in the same way, I think I have said this before, that she did not lose the grace she had received from birth through sin, and instead increased it with love.

That brings us to the second, love or charity. An exercise that I do, to know what the will of God is, I think I have said this before, is to do what is the most loving thing to do. Now this doesn't apply to heavenly orders from mystical revelations because most of them don't have a lot of explanations and requires action already. But we who are ordinary, are called to do what is most loving, and Saint Paul explained already, that Love fulfills, encompasses, and [most especially] surpasses the Law. Those 10 Commandments are fulfilled by loving God and Neighbour, and the Acts of Mercy/Charity (feed the hungry, clothe the naked etc etc) are way beyond (the extra mile) of the Law.

Now the third point that I want to talk about is that, the divine motherhood (to me at least) isn't a grace that is freely given, but a reward that is earned through merit. We can look at the virtues our Blessed Mother possessed—Chastity and Purity, Piety, Prudence, and of course Faith, Hope, and Love etc.—these virtues that our Blessed Mother possessed, does not just merit her sainthood and eternal life in heaven, but also won the favour of God for the office (like a promotion) of being Theotokos.

So we have not just a woman of great virtue deemed to be worthy of being Theotokos, but a woman of greater love who accepted both sorrow and joy of the divine mysteries, closer than anyone with Jesus on earth and second to the Trinity in hevae. She is most acceptable as our own Mother an advocate for Jesus (as Philip Balzofiore O.S.A. did write). Sorry if this became long now, but I want to end it with this, that a poor and humble woman like Mary can be exalted through God's grace, what more should we be. That is, in her example we only have to do and love the will of God, but also going the extra mile to keep ourselves in the favour of God. "Then shall I be blameless, * clean from grave sin. May the spoken words of my mouth, * the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord, * my rescuer, my rock!"

𝗢 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: I am glad because I have figured out and shared with you why this psalm is dedicated to Mary in the Servite Devotion "Vigil of Our Lady". I found this prayer called, "The Evangelical Praise to the Mother of God" part of a Lutheran version of the rosary. With humble hearts, let us remember that we have a Loving Mother of God, who by Love not just loved Jesus, but loves also the ones loved by Jesus, us. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲.

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, what great comfort God has shown us in you, by so graciously regarding your unworthiness and low estate. This encourages us to believe that henceforth He will not despise us poor and lowly ones, but graciously regard us also, according to your example.

𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, unworthy as I am, you took my Cross, poured out your blood, and redeemed the dignity of humanity.
Thank you, and let me repay you with the work of my hands, and the purity of my soul and body being a love-offering like You did. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Credits:
📖:Universalis
📸:https://i.pinimg.com/originals/13/5c/5c/135c5cdda8b9809e9559d9b2fbaa89ab.jpg

Today is the 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 (𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲) 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (𝐈𝐈)

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Holy Gospel according to 𝕵𝖔𝖍𝖓 17:20-26
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us

Now I have spoken of the Evangelical Counsels as a way of life, and honestly it is true. Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience is part of Jesus' life and ministry and we as baptized children of God, we are called to the same. But I missed something, and that is the greatest and all encompassing element to everything, love. Now lately, a reason that I had not been writing, is because I had been writing a book.

I am a writer, and I loved writing. But this "Love of Writing" made me not able to pray well. I personally pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and I'm not oblige to it, it is just fun and I "love" doing it. But this labour that I am doing, this work, although I had goaled it to be good, my process is not and I don't pray the time that I should pray. This is what I've thought, "I may be writing for love of neighbour, but maybe not love of God." And it scared me because, there is nothing as great as God and whom all good deserves my all.

Now my message here is, continue to live in Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, but never forget to balance your love for God. What made me realize what I'm doing is that, I was listening to the First Movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto 2, and it gave me ecstasy. But this ecstasy is empty, it's fleeting and limited. My experience with God's grace and love and the ecstasy I feel when praying, reading the bible, or writing the daily is different. Even after I do those things I am filled with joy.

So to summarize, we may love what we are doing, and it is alright to love the world, because the creator of the World is beautiful and Good and wonderful in all things. But I think we must remember and always keep in our hearts and minds and actions that it will pass, but the God who made all things will not.

𝗢 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: In addition, I would just like to say that God never ceases to speak to us and turn us back to Him. Even before to the Israelites, and before to the time of Adam. Because of my actions, the gospel for the Vigils in the Office of Readings talked again about Peter coming back to fish and Jesus appearing to them after the resurrection. Now what is the interesting about this is that, Father Dave sermoned that when God called you for a new job (fisher's of men) you must leave the old job (fishermen). And it awoke me, and we are called to be Children of God now, and no more children of the world. So we must leave the ways of the World and come and join the way of Christ, the first who had resurrected. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲.

Father in heaven, author of all truth,
a people once in darkness has listened to your Word
and followed your Son as he rose from the tomb.
Hear the prayer of this newborn people
and strengthen your Church to answer your call.
May we rise and come forth into the light of day
to stand in your presence until eternity dawns.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆, 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆
My God, My God,
present in three divine persons,
I believe, I hope, and I love you.

My God, My God,
Father, Unbegotten, Uncreated,
Son Only-Begotten and Consubstantial with the Father,
and Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
I believe, I hope, and I love You.

My God, My God,
Jesus Christ who is the earthly presence of the Trinity,
present in the blessed sacrament,
I believe, I hope, and I love you.

✠ Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy on us and on the Whole World.

✠ Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy on us and on the Whole World.

✠ Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy on us and on the Whole World.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A20-26&version=NRSVACE
📸:https://relevantmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jesus-HisLife.jpg
🙏:From Collect at Universalis

From Blogspot.com

09 February 2013
A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Nadab and Abihu (Part 1)

Today is the 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (𝐈𝐈)

In the Discalced Carmelite tradition, since this Fourthday (Wednesday) has an optional memorial for Saint Apollinaris, that optional memorial is changed to give way to their Father, Elijah the Prophet.

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the book of 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖚𝖘 10:1-11
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗵𝘂
Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord meant when he said,

“Through those who are near me
I will show myself holy,
and before all the people
I will be glorified.”’

And Aaron was silent.

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, ‘Come forward, and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.’ They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not dishevel your hair, and do not tear your vestments, or you will die and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the Lord has sent. You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing-oil of the Lord is on you.’ And they did as Moses had ordered.

And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: I will show myself holy,

I have said yesterday about Charity. Now we are reminded again that what was set apart (consecrated) is never again to be unholy. We are all called to the Kingdom of God and especially to be saints. But it is an effect of the fall, that we are inclined to sin though we are called to holiness. We must remember, that although we are inclined to sin doesn't mean we should sin. I read a part of Francis de Sales' Devout Life Intro, and it said that we all have our temptations, and it is in not entertaining or doing them that we triumph.

Now as I read this, I was glad because finally, there is a story in the book of Leviticus. Honestly speaking, the book of Leviticus, is a boring book filled with outdated laws and statutes that, some are very deep that I don't even understand them. I already knew that it is these laws that helps us to love God better, and I knew that but it just illuminated me as I read that. And I thought, this must be obedience, obedience to the Law of the Lord and careful observance of them.

Though, we do not follow the old law, we can quickly discern which of the law is part of the new law of Christ, when it forms Charity, when it begets love. This disheveling of hair and tearing of vestments we can understand as a metaphor to make ourselves loving and aesthetically pleasing in the presence of God. Now many liberals have the motto, "My body, my choice," and they hate anyone who says them otherwise. They want to wear anything they want. If that is what they want then let them, but propriety to modesty, dressing ourselves not for ourselves but for LOVE of neighbour and God is what matters. Because we ourselves will pass, all of us will die at God's will. All of us are predestined to the afterlife, but where we will go after life is our choice on our bodies.

𝗢 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Let us be selfless, because ourselves don't belong to us, our mortal bodies pass as the psalmist says, "seventy years, eighty for those who are strong"; and our bodies will be made anew in the resurrection and depending on the quality of our souls and our life on earth will we go to a place near God or away from God. And this is different from the case of lusting over anyone, because we have our own moral obligation to keep our hearts, minds, and actions, pure upon the heavenly altar. The Law that inhibits us of worldly pleasures opens to us the gates of heaven. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲.

Lord You are radiant,
You are splendour,
You are majesty and everything that is wonderful and beautiful.
You are my Love and I love You.
But my sins failed me and destroyed the beauty that You have created me,
and with Your Son, You have made me worthy again to be Your lovely bride.
I am thankful for I deserve not these gifts you give.
Yet you have graced me ever abundant of all things.
I desire nothing but Your love, and the flame to immolate that same love on everyone else,
that by burning the worldly affections of our hearts,
we may be now worthy to be filled only with You.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁,
fill the hearts of Your faithful,
and enkindle in them
the fire of Your divine love.
Send forth Your spirit
and they shall be created,
and You shall renew
the face of the earth.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+10%3A1-11&version=NRSVACE
📸:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgDNzwHpp_Y/URaGdkxNUcI/AAAAAAAABGQ/oLxwctLpnu8/s1600/nadab-and-abihu-offering-strange-fire-before-the-lord.jpg

From Blogspot.com

09 February 2013
A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Nadab and Abihu (Part 1)

Today is the Feast of the Saint Prophet Elijah, Spiritual Father of the Carmelites
Today is also the Memorial of Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna, Syrian Bishop of Ravenna

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

Today's Reading is from the Book of 1 Kings 18:34-39
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.

And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.

And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.

Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.

Reflection: shew this day that thou art the God of Israel

When I was young, around grade 4, I was always been fascinated about Elijah. I watched this animated film about Elijah, it was wonderful and humorous. At that age, I also learned about the Easter Vigil, and the very first Easter Vigil our family went to was in our parish. Now it had this ritual that fire would come down and I was really overjoyed remembering Elijah.

I wanted to talk about Seraphs. Seraphs are known to burn with love, burn with charity, and not just simple burning but overflowing fire because of too much Charity. They are the closest to God, and we all know that God is love. Now when we think about it, Jesus took Human Flesh above the angels (above the seraphs) and the Saints are closest to Jesus who is closest to the Father—as scripture says, Jesus wants us to be One with Him, as He is one with the Father—we could only imagine how much burning and extraordinary love the saints have in their lives on earth.

Mother Teresa mentioned that, Saint do ordinary things with extraordinary love. And when I was meditating the rosary, I think of Mary, she not just did what the Father willed but done so in extraordinary love for Jesus and Mankind. Saint Joseph loved Mary and the Child Jesus with extraordinary love of being their father. We go to Moses who held the Israelites with extraordinary love pleading to God for mercy. We look at the prophets who by will of God and extraordinary love of neighbour even unto death prophesized what the spirit said.

Now we go to Elijah, what other most extraordinary love is there than to share in God's lament over the Idolatry of the people of Israel. And he, Elijah, had loved the Lord so much, though he was downcast by the death of his other prophet friends, he took himself up and gone to do the will of God. What fire isn't there, aside from physical fire, that hasn't been burning up in him to show his Beloved to the nation of Israel.

O Blood and Water
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

Prayer: Let us imitate fire, and be fire and light as Jesus had commanded us. Jesus is the Seraph above all Seraphs, the Fire of Charity that consumed the Saints. When we are consumed by this fire, people will see and know that Our God is true and living. Let us Pray.

Father, creator of unfailing fire,
make as, in a human way, a living sacrifice, a holocaust for You, for others' sins, and those souls in purgatory. Consume us with the fire of Your divine love, and make us Thine, for we are always Thine and we want nothing else than Thou my God and lord. Amen.

To You O Blessed Joseph, we have recourse to You too. For having the honour of being joined to the hearts of Mary and Jesus, we know that Your intercession is powerful too. Hear our prayers and protect us with Saint Michael the Archangel. For You are regarded as the Protector of the Church as once You have protected Jesus from mortal danger of Herod. Intercede for us, and by sacred trust, faith, and hope in You, we know that our prayers are heard with the Blessed Mother Your spouse. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18%3A34-39&version=DRA
📸:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zmXWvC9x5uU/maxresdefault.jpg