SAINT ALBINUS

Bishop (469- 550)

Saint Albinus was of an ancient and noble family in Brittany, and from his childhood was fervent in every exercise of piety. He ardently sighed after the happiness which a devout soul finds in being perfectly disengaged from all earthly things.

Having embraced the monastic state at Tintillant, near Angers, he shone a perfect model of virtue, living as if in all things he had been without any will of his own; and his soul seemed so perfectly governed by the spirit of Christ as to live only for Him.

At the age of thirty-five years he was chosen abbot, in 504, and twenty-five years afterwards Bishop of Angers. He everywhere restored discipline, being inflamed with a holy zeal for the honor of God. His dignity seemed to make no alteration either in his mortifications or in the constant recollection of his soul. Honored by all the world, even by kings, he was never affected with vanity. Powerful in works and miracles, he looked upon himself as the most unworthy and most unprofitable among the servants of God, and had no other ambition than to appear such in the eyes of others as he was in those of his own humility.

In the third Council of Orleans, in 538, he procured the thirtieth canon of the Council of Epaone to be revived, by which those are declared excommunicated who presume to contract incestuous marriages in the first or second degree of consanguinity or affinity. He died on the 1st of March, in 550.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. David
• St. Aubin
• St. Monan
• St. Eudocia
• St. Herculaflus
• St. Hermes and Adrian
• St. Leo Luke
• St. Leo of Rouen
• St. Lupercus
• St. Rudesind
• Adrianus

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 6:36-38)

Magmaluluy-on kamo pareho sang inyo Dios nga Amay."

"Indi ninyo paghukman ang iban agod indi man kamo paghukman sang Dios. Indi kamo magsiling nga dapat sila silutan, agod indi man kamo pagsilutan sang Dios. Patawara ninyo ang mga nakasala sa inyo agod patawaron man kamo sang Dios.

Maghatag kamo agod pagahatagan man kamo sang Dios. Kon maghatag ang Dios sa inyo, ginasukob gid niya sing maayo, ginauyog, ginadasok, kag nagaawas pa antes ibubo sa inyo suludlan. Kay kon paano ang inyo paghatag sa iban amo man ina ang paghatag sang Dios sa inyo."

***

Meditation:
Do you pray for God's mercy for your people and for yourself? And do you forgive those who wrong you? Daniel was ‘shamefaced’ before God because of the unfaithfulness of his people. He acknowklowledged the sins and failings of his own people, and he pleaded with God for compassion and pardon. When we are confronted with our sinful condition and failings we experience guilt and shame. This can often either lead us to cast off pride and make-belief or it can lead us to lose our inhibitions and fall into more shameless deeds! If we are utterly honest and humble before God, we will admit our sins and ask for his mercy and forgiveness. Do you know the joy and freedom of repentance, forgiveness, and a clean heart?

What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil.

How can we possibly love those who cause us harm, ill-will, and grief? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who know his love and who ask for the gift and help of the Holy Spirit. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5) God's love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ and his victory over sin can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment, and give us the courage to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. Do you know the power of Christ's redeeming love and mercy?

"Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone."

SAINT LEANDER
Bishop
(c. 540-596)

St. Leander was born of an illustrious family at Carthagena in Spain. He was the eldest of five brothers, several of whom are numbered among the Saints. He entered into a monastery very young, where he lived many years and attained to an eminent degree of virtue and sacred learning.

These qualities occasioned his being promoted to the see of Seville; but his change of condition made little or no alteration in his method of life, though it brought on him a great increase of care and solicitude.

Spain at that time was in possession of the Visigoths. These Goths, being infected with Arianism, established this heresy wherever they came; so that when St. Leander was made bishop it had reigned in Spain a hundred years. This was his great affliction; however, by his prayers to God, and by his most zealous and unwearied endeavors, he became the happy instrument of the conversion of that nation to the Catholic faith. Having converted, among others, Hermenegild, the king's eldest son and heir apparent, Leander was banished by King Leovigild. This pious prince was put to death by his unnatural father, the year following, for refusing to receive Communion from the hands of an Arian bishop. But, touched with remorse not long after, the king recalled our Saint; and falling sick and finding himself past hopes of recovery, he sent for St. Leander, and recommended to him his son Recared. This son, by listening to St. Leander, soon became a Catholic, and finally converted the whole nation of the Visigoths. He was no less successful with respect to the Suevi, a people of Spain, whom his father Leovigild had perverted.

St. Leander was no less zealous in the reformation of manners than in restoring the purity of faith; and he planted the seeds of that zeal and fervor which afterwards produced so many martyrs and Saints.

This holy doctor of Spain died about the year 596, on the 27th of February, as Mabillon proves from his epitaph.

The Church of Seville has been a metropolitan see ever since the third century. The cathedral is the most magnificent, both as to structure and ornament, of any in all Spain.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Alexander
• St. Anne Line
• St. Augustus Chapdelaine
• St. Baldomerus
• St. Thalelaeus
• St. Honorina
• St. John of Gorze
• Bl. Mark Barkworth

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 5:43-48)

"Nabatian ninyo nga ginsiling sang una nga 'Higugmaa ninyo ang inyo mga abyan, kag dumti ninyo ang inyo mga kaaway.'

Pero ako nagasiling sa inyo nga higugmaon ninyo ang inyo mga kaaway. Bisan pa ang mga nagahingabot sa inyo pangamuyuan ninyo.

Kag kon himuon ninyo ini, mangin matuod kamo nga mga anak sang inyo Amay sa langit. Kay indi lang ang mga maayo nga mga tawo ang iya ginapasilakan sang adlaw kundi pati man ang mga malain. Kag indi lang ang mga matarong ang iya ginahatagan sang ulan kundi pati man ang mga indi matarong.

Indi kamo maghunahuna nga may balos kamo nga batunon halin sa Dios kon maayo lang kamo sa mga tawo nga maayo man sa inyo. Kay bisan ang mga manugsukot sang buhis nga ginakabig ninyo nga malain nagahimo man sina.

Kag kon ang inyo mga kapareho lang ang inyo ginabugno, ano gid ang inyo ginahimo nga labaw sa iban? Bisan ang mga tawo nga wala nagakilala sa Dios nagahimo man sina.

Gani magmangin himpit kamo, kaangay sang inyo Amay sa langit nga himpit."

***

Meditation:
Do you know the love that conquers every fear, sin, and selfish desire? God renews his love for us each and every day. His love has the power to free us from every form of evil – selfishness, greed, anger, hatred, jealously and envy. What’s the distinctive feature of Jesus' life and the life of those transformed by his redeeming love? It's grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy. Jesus is God's grace incarnate. His love is unconditional and is wholly directed towards our good. God is good to all, the just and the unjust. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. That's why Jesus willingly went to the cross for our sake, to free us from the power of sin, ignorance, and prejudice. God's grace sets us free from everything that would keep us from him and his love. How can we possibly love as God loves and overcome evil with good? With God all things are possible. He gives grace in abundance through the gift of the Holy Spirit, who converts our hearts and minds and teaches us how to live according to God’s truth and love.

Was Jesus exaggerating when he said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The original meaning of "perfect" in Aramaic is "completeness" or "wholeness" – not lacking in what is essential. God gives us every good gift in Jesus Christ so that we may not lack anything we need to carry out his will and to live as his sons and daughters. He knows our frailty and sinfulness better than we do. And he assures us of his grace and help to follow in his ways. In the cross of Jesus we see the way of perfect love. Do you want to grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and love of God? Ask the Holy Spirit to set your heart on fire with the love of God.

"Give us, Lord, a humble, quiet, peaceable, patient, tender and charitable mind, and in all our thoughts, words and deeds a taste of the Holy Spirit. Give us, Lord, a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and love of you. Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation, dullness in prayer. Give us fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace, your tender compassion towards me. The things we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labor for: through Jesus Christ our Lord. " (Prayer of Thomas More)

ST PORPHYRY
Bishop
(+ 420)

At the age of twenty-five, Porphyry, a rich citizen of Thessalonica, left the world for one of the great religious houses in the desert of Sceté. Here he remained five years, and then, finding himself drawn to a more solitary life, passed into Palestine, where he spent a similar period in the severest penance, till ill health obliged him to moderate his austerities. He then made his home in Jerusalem, and in spite of his ailments visited the Holy Places every day; thinking, says his biographer, so little of his sickness that he seemed to be afflicted in another body, and not his own. About this time God put it into his heart to sell all he had and give to the poor, and then in reward of the sacrifice restored him by a miracle to perfect health.

In 393 he was ordained priest and intrusted with the care of the relics of the true cross; three years later, in spite of all the resistance his humility could make, he was consecrated Bishop of Gaza. That city was a hotbed of paganism, and Porphyry found in it an ample scope for his apostolic zeal. His labors and the miracles which attended them effected the conversion of many; and an imperial edict for the destruction of the pagan temples, obtained through the influence of St. John Chrysostom, greatly strengthened his hands.

When St. Porphyry first went to Gaza, he found there one temple more splendid than the rest, in honor of the chief god. When the edict went forth to destroy all traces of heathen worship, St. Porphyry determined to put Satan to special shame where he had received special honor. A Christian church was built upon the site, and its approach was paved with the marbles of the heathen temple. Thus every worshipper of Jesus Christ trod the relics of idolatry and superstition underfoot each time he went to assist at the holy Mass.

He lived to see his diocese for the most part clear of idolatry, and died in 420.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Isabel of France
• St. Alexander
• St. Alexander of Alexandria
• St. Victor
• St. Dionysius of Augsburg
• St. Fortunatus
• St. Faustinian
• St. Nestor
• St. Papias

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 5:20-26)

Gani ginasugiran ko kamo nga kinahanglan ang inyo pagtuman sa kabubut-on sang Dios maglabaw pa sa pagtuman sang mga manunudlo sang Kasuguan kag sang mga Pariseo, kay kon indi, indi gid kamo masakop sa paghari sang Dios."

Nagsiling pa gid si Jesus, "Nabatian ninyo nga ginsiling sang una sa aton mga katigulangan nga indi sila magpatay, kay ang bisan sin-o nga magpatay pagasilutan.

Pero ako nagasiling sa inyo nga ang bisan sin-o nga nagakaakig sa iya kapareho pagasilutan. Kag ang bisan sin-o nga nagapakalain sa iya kapareho sa pagsiling 'wala ka sing pulos

Gani bisan yara na ikaw sa altar nga nagadala sang imo halad sa Dios kag madumduman mo nga ang imo utod may malain nga buot sa imo, ibilin mo anay ang imo nga inughalad malapit sa altar kag kadtuan mo gilayon ang imo utod kag magpakighusay sa iya. Dayon magbalik ka sa altar kag maghalad sang imo inughalad sa Dios.

"Kon may mag-akusar sa imo, magpakighusay ka sa iya sa wala pa kamo makaabot sa korte. Kay kon didto na kamo sa korte, itugyan ka sang hukom sa pulis kag prisohon ka dayon.

Kag sigurado gid nga indi ka makaguwa hasta mabayaran mo ang tanan mo nga multa."

***

Meditation:
Do you allow sin or anger to master your life? The first person to hate his brother was Cain. God warned Cain: 'Why are you angry? ..Sin in couching at the door; it's desire is for you, but you must master it (Genesis 4:6-7). Sin doesn't just happen; it first grows as a seed in one's heart. Unless it is mastered, by God's grace, it grows like a weed and chokes the life out of us. Jesus addressed the issue of keeping the commandments with his disciples. The scribes and Pharisees equated righteousness with satisfying the demands of the law. Jesus showed them how short they had come. Jesus points to the heart as the seat of desire, choice, and intention. Unless forbidden and evil desires are uprooted and cut-out, the heart will be poisoned and the body become a slave to sin and passion. Jesus illustrates his point with the example of the commandment to not kill. Murder first starts in the heart as the seed of forbidden anger that grows within until it springs into words and actions against one's brother or neighbor. This is a selfish anger that broods and is long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die. Anger in the heart as well as anger in speech or action are equally forbidden. The Lord Jesus commands by grace – take away the anger in your heart and there will be no murder.

What is the antidote for overcoming anger and rage? Mercy, forbearance, and kindness spring from a heart full of love and forgiveness. God has forgiven us and he calls us to extend mercy and forgiveness towards those who cause us grief or harm. In the cross of Jesus we see the supreme example of love and the power for overcoming evil. Only God's love and grace can set our hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride and spiteful revenge. Do you harbor any anger towards another person? And are you quick to be reconciled when a rupture has been caused in your relationships? Ask God to set you free and to fill your heart and mind with his love and truth.

Eusebius, a 3rd century church father, offered the following prayer as instruction for his fellow Christians:

"May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps."

Do you seek to live peaceably and charitably with all?

“Lord Jesus, my heart is cold. Make it warm, compassionate, and forgiving towards all, even those who do me harm. May I only think and say what is pleasing to you and be of kind service to all I meet.”

SAINT TARASIUS
Patriarch of Constantinople
(+ 806)

Tarasius was born at Constantinople about the middle of the eighth century, of a noble family. His mother Eucratia, brought him up in the practice of the most eminent virtues. By his talents and virtue he gained the esteem of all, and was raised to the greatest honors of the empire, being made consul, and afterwards first secretary of state to the Emperor Constantine and the Empress Irene, his mother. In the midst of the court, and in its highest honors, he led a life like that of a religious man.

Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, the third of that name, though he had conformed in some respects to the then, reigning heresy, had several good qualities, and was not only beloved by the people for his charity to the poor, but highly esteemed by the whole court for his great prudence. Touched with remorse, he quitted the patriarchal see, and put on a religious habit in the monastery of Florus in Constantinople. Tarasius was chosen to succeed him by the unanimous consent of the court, clergy, and people. Finding it in vain to oppose his election, he. declared that he could not in conscience accept of the government of a; see which had been cut off from the Catholic communion, except on condition that a general council should be called to compose the disputes which divided the Church at that time in relation to holy images.

This being agreed to, he was solemnly declared patriarch, and consecrated soon after, on Christmas Day. The council was opened on the 1st of August, in the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople, in 786; but, being disturbed by the violences of the Iconoclasts, it adjourned, and met again the year following in the Church of St. Sophia at Nice. The council, having declared the sense of the Church in relation to the matter in debate, which was found to be the allowing to holy pictures and images a relative honor, was closed with the usual acclamations and prayers for the prosperity of the emperor and empress; after which, synodal letters were sent to all the churches, and in particular to the Pope, who approved the council.

The life of this holy patriarch was a model of perfection to his clergy and people. His table contained barely the necessaries of life; he allowed himself very little time for sleep, being always up the first and last in his family. Reading and prayer filled all his leisure hours. The emperor having become enamoured of Theodota, a maid of honor to his wife, the Empress Mary, was resolved to divorce the latter. He used all his efforts to gain the patriarch over to his desires, but St. Tarasius resolutely refused to countenance the iniquity.

The holy man gave up his soul to God in peace on the 25th of February, 806, after having sat twenty-one years and two months.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Walburga
• Bl. Constantius
• St. Ananias II
• St. Ananias III
• St. Aventanus
• St. Victorinus
• St. Caesarius of Nazianzus
• Bl. Didacus Carvalho
• St. Donatus
• Bl. Dominic Lentini

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 7:7-12)

"Pangayo kag pagahatagan kamo, pangita kag makakita kamo, panuktok kag pagaabrihan kamo.

Kay ang nagapangayo pagahatagan, kag ang nagapangita makakita, kag ang nagapanuktok kag pagaabrihan

May amay bala nga magahatag sing bato sa iya anak nga nagapangayo sang tinapay?

Ukon magahatag bala siya sing man-og kon ginapangayuan sia sang isda?

Gani kon kamo nga mga malaot makahibalo maghatag sing maayo nga mga butang sa inyo kabataan, daw ano pa gid ang inyo Amay nga yara sa langit. Magahatag sia sing maayo nga mga butang sa mga nagapangayo sa iya!

"Himoa sa iban ang luyag ninyo nga pagahimuon sa inyo. Amo ini ang kahulogan sang Kasuguan ni Moises kag ang pagtudlo sang mga propeta."

***

Meditation:
Do you expect God to hear your prayers? Esther’s prayer on behalf of her people is a model for us. She prayed for help according to God’s promise to be faithful to his people. God wants us to remember his promises and to count on his help when we pray. Jesus wanted to raise the expectations of his disciples when he taught them how to pray. Jesus’ parable of the father feeding his son illustrates the unthinkable! How could a loving father refuse to give his son what is good; or worse, to give him what is harmful? In conclusion Jesus makes a startling claim: How much more will the heavenly Father give to those who ask! Our heavenly Father graciously gives beyond our expectations. Jesus taught his disciples to pray with confidence because the Heavenly Father in his goodness always answers prayers. That is why we can boldly pray: Give us this day our daily bread.

Those who know and trust in God's love, pray with great boldness. Listen to what John Chrysostom, a 5th century church father, has to say about the power of prayer: “Prayer is an all-efficient panoply [i.e. 'a full suit of armor' or 'splendid array'], a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. ..I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. ..The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”

Prayer flows from the love of God; and the personal love we show to our neighbor is fueled by the love that God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Jesus concludes his discourse on prayer with the reminder that we must treat our neighbor in the same way we wish to be treated by God and by others. We must not just avoid doing harm to our neighbor, we must actively seek his or her welfare. In doing so, we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires of us – loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. The Holy Spirit is every ready to transform our lives in Jesus’ way of love. Do you thirst for holiness and for the fire of God’s love?

"Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am – a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out towards others." (Prayer attributed to Clement XI of Rome)

Blessed Thomas (Tommaso) Mary Fusco

Priest and Founder of the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood
(1831-1891)

Thomas Mary Fusco, the seventh of eight children, was born on 1 December 1831 in Pagani, Salerno, in the Diocese of Nocera-Sarno, Italy, to Dr Antonio, a pharmacist, and Stella Giordano, of noble descent. They were known for their upright moral and religious conduct, and taught their son Christian piety and charity to the poor.

He was baptized on the day he was born in the parish of S. Felice e Corpo di Cristo. In 1837, when he was only six years old, his mother died of cholera and a few years later, in 1841, he also lost his father. Fr Giuseppe, an uncle on his father's side and a primary school teacher, then took charge of his education.

Since 1839, the year of the canonization of St Alphonsus Mary de' Liguori, little Tommaso had dreamed of church and the altar; in 1847 he was at last able to enter the same diocesan seminary of Nocera which his brother Raffaele would leave after being ordained a priest in 1849.

On 1 April 1851, Tommaso Maria received the sacrament of Confirmation and on 22 December 1855, after completing his seminary formation, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Agnello Giuseppe D'Auria.

In those years, sorrowful because of the loss of his loved ones, including his uncle (1847) as well as his young brother, Raffaele (1852), the devotion to the Patient Christ and to his Blessed Sorrowful Mother, already dear to the entire Fusco family, took root in Tommaso Maria, as in fact his biographers recall: "He had a deep devotion to the crucified Christ which he cherished throughout his life".

Right from the start he saw to the formation of boys for whom he opened a morning school in his own home, while for young people and adults, bent on increasing their human and Christian formation, he organized evening prayers at the parish church of S. Felice e Corpo di Cristo. This was a true place of conversion and prayer, just as it had been for St Alphonsus, revered and honoured in Pagani for his apostolate.

In 1857, he was admitted to the Congregation of the Missionaries of Nocera under the title of St Vincent de Paul and became an itinerant missionary, especially in the regions of Southern Italy.

In 1860 he was appointed chaplain at the Shrine of our Lady of Carmel (known as "Our Lady of the Hens") in Pagani, where he built up the men's and women's Catholic associations and set up the altar of the Crucified Christ and the Pious Union for the Adoration of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.

In 1862 he opened a school of moral theology in his own home to train priests for the ministry of confession, kindling enthusiasm for the love of Christ's Blood; that same year, he founded the "(Priestly) Society of the Catholic Apostolate" for missions among the common people; in 1874 he received the approval of Pope Pius IX, now blessed.

Deeply moved by the sorry plight of an orphan girl, a victim of the street, after careful preparation in prayer for discernment, Fr Tommaso Maria founded the Congregation of the "Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood" on 6 January, the Solemnity of Epiphany in 1873. This institute was inaugurated at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the presence of Bishop Raffaele Ammirante, who, with the clothing of the first three sisters with the religious habit, blessed the first orphanage for seven poor little orphan girls of the area. It was not long before the newborn religious family and the orphanage also received the Pope's blessing, in response to their request.

Fr Tommaso Maria continued to dedicate himself to the priestly ministry, preaching spiritual retreats and popular missions; and from his apostolic travels sprang the many foundations of houses and orphanages that were a monument to his heroic charity, which was even more ardent in the last 20 years of his life (1870-1891).

In addition to his commitments as founder and apostolic missionary, he was parish priest (1874-1887) at the principal church of S. Felice e Corpo di Cristo in Pagani, extraordinary confessor to the cloistered nuns in Pagani and Nocera and, in the last years of his life, spiritual father of the lay congregation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

It was not long before Fr Tommaso Maria, envied for the good he achieved in his ministry and for his life as an exemplary priest, was faced with humiliation and persecution and, in 1880, even a brother priest's slanderous calumny. However, sustained by the Lord, he lovingly carried that cross which own Pastor, Bishop Ammirante had foretold at the time of his institute's foundation: "Have you chosen the title of the Most Precious Blood? Well, may you be prepared to drink the bitter cup".

During the harshest of trials, which he bore in silence, he would repeat: "May work and suffering for God always be your glory and in your work and suffering, may God be your consolation on this earth, and your recompense in heaven. Patience is the safeguard and pillar of all the virtues".

Wasting away with a liver-disease, Fr Tommaso Maria died a devout death on 24 February 1891, praying with the elderly Simeon: Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word" (Lk 2, 29).

He was only 59 years old! In the notice issued by the town council of Pagani on 25 February 1891 the Gospel witness of his life, known to one and all, was summarized in these words: "Tommaso Maria Fusco, Apostolic Missionary, Founder of the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood, an exemplary priest of indomitable faith and ardent charity, worked tirelessly in the name of the Redeeming Blood for the salvation of souls: in life he loved the poor and in death forgave his enemies".

His life was directed to the highest devotion of Christian virtues by the priestly life, lived intensely in constant meditation on the mystery of the Father's love, contemplated in the crucified Son whose Blood is "the expression, measure and pledge" of divine Charity and heroic charity to the poor and needy, in whom Fr Tommaso Maria saw the bleeding Face of Jesus.

His writings, preaching and popular missions marked his vast experience of faith and the light of Christian hope that shone from his vocation and actions. He had a vital, burning love for God; it enflamed his words and his apostolate, made fruitful by love for God and neighbour, by union with the crucified Jesus, by trust in Mary, Immaculate and Sorrowful, and above all by the Eucharist.

Fr Tommaso Maria Fusco was an Apostle of Charity of the Most Precious Blood, a friend of boys and girls and young people and attentive to every kind of poverty and human and spiritual misery.

For all these reasons he enjoyed the fame of holiness among the diocesan priests, among the people and among his spiritual daughters who received his charism, and witness to it today in the various parts of the world where they carry out their apostolate in communion with the Church.

The cause for the beatification of Fr Tommaso Maria Fusco was initiated in 1955 and the decree of his heroic Christian virtues was published on 24 April 2001. The miraculous healing of Mrs Maria Battaglia on 20 August 1964 in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicily, through the intercession of Fr Tommaso Maria Fusco was recognized on7 July 2001.

With his beatification, Pope John Paul II presents Fr Tommaso Maria Fusco as an example and a guide to holiness for priests, for the people of God and for his spiritual daughters, the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Adela
• St. Betto
• St. Sergius
• St. John Theristus
• St. Modestus
• St. Montanus
• St. Primitiva

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 11:29-32)

Samtang nagatilipon ang mga tawo sa palibot ni Jesus, nagsiling siya, "Daw ano kalaot sang mga tawo karon nga panahon! Nagapangayo sila sing isa ka milagro, pero wala sing milagro may ipakita sa ila, kundi ang milagro nga natabo kay Jonas.

Subong nga si Jonas nangintanda para sa mga tawo sa Ninive, amo man ang Anak sang Tawo mangintanda para sa mga tawo sa sining panahon.

Sa Adlaw sang Paghukom ang Rayna sang Bagatnan magatindog kag magasumbong sang mga tawo sining panahon, kay nagkari sia gikan sa malayo nga duog sa pagpamati sang kaalam ni Salomon, kag karon nagasiling ako sa inyo, may yari diri nga daku pa kay Salomon.

Sa Adlaw sang Paghukom ang mga tawo sang Ninive magatindog kag magasumbong sa inyo, kay nagbiya sila sa ila mga sala sang pagkabati nila kay Jonas nga nagwali. Karon nagasiling ako sa inyo, may yari diri nga daku pa kay Jonas."

***

Meditation:
Do you pay careful attention to warning signs? Many fatalities could be avoided if people paid attention to such signs. When the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus, he gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's messengers to authenticate their claims. When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented. And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon. Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of a merciful God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message. Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all – his resurrection on the third day.

The Lord Jesus came to set us free from slavery to sin and hurtful desires. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he pours his love into our hearts that we may understand his will for our lives and walk in his way of holiness. God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help. He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Ask the Lord to renew your mind and to increase your thirst for his wisdom. James says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. The single of mind desire one thing alone – God's pleasure. God wants us to delight in him and to know the freedom of his truth and love. Do you thirst for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)?

"Lord Jesus, change my heart and fill me with your wisdom that I my love your ways. Give me grace and courage to resist temptation and stubborn wilfulness that I may truly desire to do what is pleasing to you."

SAINT POLYCARP

Bishop, Martyr
(+ 167)

St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was a disciple of St. John. He wrote to the Philippians, exhorting them to mutual love and to hatred of heresy. When the apostate Marcion met St. Polycarp at Rome, he asked the aged Saint if he knew him. "Yes," St. Polycarp answered, "I know you for the first-born of Satan." These were the words of a Saint most loving and most charitable, and specially noted for his compassion to sinners. He hated heresy, because he loved God and man so much.

In 167, persecution broke out in Smyrna. When Polycarp heard that his pursuers were at the door, he said, "The will of God be done; " and meeting them, he begged to be left alone for a little time, which he spent in prayer for "the Catholic Church throughout the world."

He was brought to Smyrna early on Holy Saturday; and, as he entered, a voice was heard from heaven, "Polycarp, be strong." When the proconsul besought him to curse Christ and go free, Polycarp answered, "Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong; how can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?" When he threatened him with fire, Polycarp told him this fire of his lasted but a little, while the fire prepared for the wicked lasted forever. At the stake he thanked God aloud for letting him drink of Christ's chalice. The fire was lighted, but it did him no hurt; so he was stabbed to the heart, and his dead body was burnt. "Then," say the writers of his acts, "we took up the bones, more precious than the richest jewels or gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, at which may God grant us to assemble with joy to celebrate the birthday of the martyr to his life in heaven!"

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Peter Damian
• St. Cerneuf
• St. Alexander Akimetes
• St. Boswell
• St. Zebinus
• St. Willigis
• St. Serenus the Gardener
• St. Dositheus
• St. Felix of Brescia
• St. Florentius
• St. Jurmin
• St. Lazarus Zographos
• St. Romana
• St. Martha
• St. Ordonius
• St. Medrald
• St. Milburga
• St. Polycarp of Smyrna

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 6:7-15)

"Sa inyo pagpangamuyo indi kamo maggamit sang madamo nga mga pulong nga wala sing pulos subong sang ginahimo sang mga pagano, nga nagahunahona nga pagapamatian sila sang Dios tungod kay malawig ang ila mga pangamuyo.

Indi kamo magmanginkaangay sa ila, kay ang inyo Amay nakahibalo na sang inyo kinahanglan sa wala pa kamo makapangamuyo.

Gani dapat kamo magpangamuyo sing subong sini: 'Amay namon nga yara sa langit, Pakabalaanon ang imo ngalan, Magkari ang imo Ginharian, Matuman ang imo kabubut-on diri sa duta subong man sa langit. Hatagi kami karon nga adlaw sang kalan-on nga amon kinahanglanon, Patawara kami sang amon mga sala, subong nga ginapatawad man namon ang mga nakasala sa amon. Indi kami pag-ipadaog sa mga pagsulay, kundi luwasa kami sa Malaut.'

"Kay kon ginapatawad ninyo ang mga nakasala sa inyo, ang inyo Amay sa langit magapatawad man sang inyo mga sala.

Pero kon wala ninyo ginapatawad ang mga nakasala sa inyo, ang inyo Amay sa langit indi man magpatawad sa inyo."

***

Meditation:
Do you believe that God’s word has power to change and transform your life today? Isaiah says that God’s word is like the rain and snow which makes the barren ground spring to life and become abundantly fertile (Isaiah 55:10-11). God’s word has power to penetrate our dry barren hearts and make them springs of new life. If we let God’s word take root in our heart it will transform us into the likeness of God himself and empower us to walk in his way of love and holiness. God wants his word to guide and shape the way we think, act, and pray. Ambrose, a fourth century church father, wrote that the reason we should devote time for reading scripture is to hear Christ speak to us. "Are you not occupied with Christ? Why do you not talk with him? By reading the scriptures, we listen to Christ."

We can approach God confidently because he is waiting with arms wide open to receive his prodigal sons and daughters. That is why Jesus gave his disciples the perfect prayer that dares to call God, Our Father. This prayer teaches us how to ask God for the things we really need, the things that matter not only for the present but for eternity as well. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace, mercy, and kindness. He is good and forgiving towards us, and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same. God has poured his love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). And that love is like a refining fire – it purifies and burns away all prejudice, hatred, resentment, vengeance, and bitterness until there is nothing left but goodness and forgiveness towards those who cause us grief or harm.

Consider what John Cassian, a 5th century church father who lived in a monastery in Bethlehem and then with Egyptian monks, wrote about the Lord’s Prayer and the necessity of forgiving others from the heart:

“The mercy of God is beyond description. While he is offering us a model prayer he is teaching us a way of life whereby we can be pleasing in his sight. But that is not all. In this same prayer he gives us an easy method for attracting an indulgent and merciful judgment on our lives. He gives us the possibility of ourselves mitigating the sentence hanging over us and of compelling him to pardon us. What else could he do in the face of our generosity when we ask him to forgive us as we have forgiven our neighbor? If we are faithful in this prayer, each of us will ask forgiveness for our own failings after we have forgiven the sins of those who have sinned against us, not only those who have sinned against our Master. There is, in fact, in some of us a very bad habit. We treat our sins against God, however appalling, with gentle indulgence: but when by contrast it is a matter of sins against us ourselves, albeit very tiny ones, we exact reparation with ruthless severity. Anyone who has not forgiven from the bottom of the heart the brother or sister who has done him wrong will only obtain from this prayer his own condemnation, rather than any mercy.” Do you treat others as you think they deserve to be treated, or do you treat them as the Lord has instructed us – with mercy, steadfast love, and kindness?

"Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart and mind with your truth and love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Help me to be kind and forgiving towards my neighbor as you have been towards me."

Blessed Isabel of France
(1225 - 1270)

Isabel was sister of St. Louis and daughter of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile. When still a child at court, Isabel, or Elizabeth, showed an extraordinary devotion to exercises of piety, modesty, and other virtues. She refused offers of marriage from several noble suitors to continue her life of virginity consecrated to God.

She ministered to the sick and the poor, and after the death of her mother, founded the Franciscan Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Longchamps in Paris. She lived there in austerity but never became a nun and refused to become abbess.

She died there on February 22, and after nine days her body was exhumed, when it showed no signs of decay, and many miracles were wrought at her grave. Her cult was approved in 1521.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Peter Damian
• St. Cerneuf
• St. Alexander Akimetes
• St. Boswell
• St. Zebinus
• St. Willigis
• St. Serenus the Gardener
• St. Dositheus
• St. Felix of Brescia
• St. Florentius
• St. Jurmin
• St. Lazarus Zographos
• St. Romana
• St. Martha
• St. Ordonius
• St. Medrald
• St. Milburga
• St. Polycarp of Smyrna

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 16:13-19)

Nagkadto si Jesus sa kadutaan sang Cesarea Filipos sa diin nagpamangkot siya sa iya mga gintuton-an, "Sin-o bala ang Anak sang Tawo suno sa mga tawo?"

Nagsabat sila, "May nagasiling nga si Juan nga Bautista. May iban nga nagasiling nga si Elias kag may iban pa gid nga nagasiling nga si Jeremias ukon iban nga mga propeta."

Si Jesus nagpamangkot sa ila, "Pero suno sa inyo, sin-o bala ako?"

Si Simon Pedro nagsabat, "Ikaw ang Cristo, ang Anak sang Dios nga buhi!"

Si Jesus nagsabat, "Bulahan ka, Simon, anak ni Juan! Kay ini nga kamatuoran wala ginpahayag sa imo sang tawo, kundi sang akon Amay sa langit.

Kag ako nagasiling sa imo, ikaw si Pedro nga kon sayuron 'Bato' kag sa sini nga bato pagatukuron ko ang akon iglesya. Bisan ang gahom sang kamatayon indi makadaog sa iya.

Ihatag ko sa imo ang mga yabi sang Ginharian sang langit, kag kon ano ang imo ginadumilian sa duta pagadumilian mn didto sa langit, kag kon ano ang imo ginatugutan sa duta pagatugutan pagatugutan man didto sa langit."

***

Meditation:
At an opportune time Jesus tests his disciples with a crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am? He was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. No mortal being could have revealed this to Peter; but only God. Jesus then confers on Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers would overcome. Jesus plays on Peter's name which is the same word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek. To call someone a "rock" is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon". Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones. The Lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: Who do you say that I am?

"Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior. Make my faith strong like Peter's and give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may come to know you personally as Lord and Savior and grow in the knowledge of your love".

HANDUM

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive."
~~~

Ako lamang ang nakahibalo sang mga plano para sa inyo, mga plano sa pagpauswag sa inyo, kag indi sa paglaglag, mga plano nga magadala sa inyo sang palaabuton nga inyo ginalauman.
Jeremias 29:11
*@*
Pat-od gid ako nga ang Dios nga nagsugod sining maayong buhat sa inyo, magapadayon tubtob mahimpit ini sa Adlaw ni Cristo Jesus.
Filipos 1:6
*@*
Ang paglaom nga napaslawan nagapasakit sang tagipusoon, Pero ang handum nga natuman nagahatag sing kabuhi.
Hulobaton 13:12
*@*
Pangitaa ang imo kalipay sa GINOO, kag ihatag niya sa imo ang imo gid ginahandom.

Mga Salmo 37:4
*@*
'Ang Dios nagsiling, Amo ini ang akon himuon sa katapusan nga mga inadlaw, ibubo ko ang akon Espiritu sa tanan nga mga tawo. Ang inyo mga kanaakan magapanagna, ang inyo mga pamatan-on nga lalaki makakita sang mga palanan-awon, ang inyo mga katigulangan magadamgo sang mga dalamguhanon.

Binuhatan 2:17
*@*
Pangabaya ang GINOO sa pagbendisyon sang imo mga plano, kag ang imo mga tinutoyo matigayon.
Hulobaton 16:3

***
Promisa sang Dios para sa aton nga Handum

SAINT PETER DAMIAN
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
(1007-1072)

St. Peter Damian was born in 1007, and lost both parents at an early age. His eldest brother, in whose hands he was left, treated him so cruelly that a younger brother, a priest, moved by his piteous state, sent him to the University of Parma, where he acquired great distinction. His studies were sanctified by vigils, fasts, and prayers, till at last, thinking that all this was only serving God by halves, he resolved to leave the world.

He joined the monks at Font-Avellano, then in the greatest repute, and by his wisdom and sanctity rose to be Superior. He was employed on the most delicate and difficult missions, amongst others the reform of ecclesiastical communities, which was effected by his zeal.

Seven Popes in succession made him their constant adviser, and he was at last created Cardinal Bishop of Ostia. He withstood Henry IV. of Germany, and labored in defence of Alexander II. against the Antipope, whom he forced to yield and seek for pardon.

He was charged, as Papal Legate, with the repression of simony; again, was commissioned to settle discords amongst various bishops, and finally, in 1072, to adjust the affairs of the Church at Ravenna. He was laid low by a fever on his homeward journey, and died at Faenza, in a monastery of his order, on the eighth day of his sickness, whilst the monks chanted matins around him.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Avitus II of Clermont
• St. Valerius
• St. Verulus and Companions
• St. Severian
• St. Felix of Metz
• St. Gundebert
• St. Paterius
• Bl. Pepin of Landen
• St. Peter the Scribe

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 4:1-13)

Si Jesus nga napun-an sang Espiritu Santo nagbalik halin sa Jordan, kag gindala siya sang Espiritu sa disierto.

Didto ginsulay siya sang Yawa sa sulod sang 40 ka adlaw. Wala sia magkaon sa sulod sina nga mga inadlaw, kag sa tapos sadto gingutom siya.

Karon ang yawa nagsiling sa iya, "Kon ikaw ang Anak sang Dios, sugoa ining bato nga mangintinapay."

Nagsabat si Jesus, "Ang Kasulatan nagasiling, 'Indi lamang sa tinapay mabuhi ang tawo.' "

Dayon gindala sia sang Yawa sa isa ka mataas nga lugar kag ginpakita sa iya sa isa ka pamisok ang tanan nga ginharian sang kalibutan.

Nagsiling ang Yawa, "Ihatag ko sa imo ining tanan nga kagamhanan kag kamanggaran. Gintugyan ini tanan sa akon kag sarang ko ini mahatag sa bisan kay sin-o nga luyag ko hatagan.

Ini tanan mangin-imo kon magsimba ka sa akon."

Nagsabat si Jesus, "Ang Kasulatan nagasiling, 'Magsimba ka sa Ginoo nga imo Dios kag siya lamang ang imo alagaron.' "

Gindala pa gid sia sang Yawa sa Jerusalem kag ginpatindog sia sa pinakamataas nga bahin sang templo kag nagsiling sa iya, "Kon Anak ka sang Dios, lukso ka paidalom.

Kay ang Kasulatan nagasiling, 'Ang Dios magasugo sang iya mga anghel sa pagbantay sa imo.

Bayawon ka nila sa ila mga kamot agod indi makasandad ang imo mga tiil sa bato.' "

Nagsabat si Jesus sa iya, "Ang Kasulatan nagasiling, 'Indi mo pagsulayon ang Ginoo nga imo Dios.' "

Sang matapos sang Yawa ang tanan nga paagi sang pagsulay, ginbayaan niya anay si Jesus tubtob nga may kahigayunan na man sia.

***

Meditation:
What motivated Jesus to spend 40 days and nights of solitude, prayer and fasting in the Judean wilderness? This desert landscape was largely uninhabitable and was full of dangers for anyone who dared to venture in it for long. Danger from scorching heat by day and extreme cold at night, danger from wild animals and scorpions, plus the deprivation of food and the scarcity of water.

For the chosen people of Israel the desert was a place of testing, encounter, and renewal. When the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, they wandered 40 years in the wilderness. This was seen as a time of purification and preparation for entry into the promised land. Moses went to the mountain of the Lord at Sinai and stayed there for 40 days and nights in prayer and fasting (Exodus 24:18). Elijah, after he was fed with bread from heaven, journeyed without any food for 40 days to the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19:8). Jesus journeyed without any food to the wilderness for 40 days to prepare himself for the mission that the Father had sent him to accomplish.

Why did Jesus choose such a barren, lonely place for an intense and long period of sustained prayer and fasting? Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us in their gospel accounts that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Mark states it most emphatically: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12). What compelled Jesus to seek solitude, away from his family and friends, for such a lengthy period? Was it simply a test to prepare him for his mission? Or did Satan want to lure him into a trap? The word tempt in English usually means to entice someone to do what is wrong or forbidden. The scriptural word used here also means test in the sense of proving and purifying someone to see if there are ready for the task at hand. We test flight pilots to see that they are fit to fly under all conditions, including times of adverse turbulence and poor visibility. Likewise God tests his servants to see if they are fit and ready to be used by him. On many occasions God tested Abraham to prove his faith and to strengthen his hope in God's promises. Abraham obeyed willingly even when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise. When the Israelites were sorely tested in Egypt for more than 400 years, they did not forget God. They kept God's word and remembered his promise to bring them freedom from their enemies.

Jesus was no exception to this pattern of testing. He went to the desert without food or shelter. Adam and Eve had everything they needed in the Garden of Paradise. But they ate of the forbidden fruit out of disobedience because they trusted in themselves rather than in God. They were cast out of Paradise and driven into the wilderness. Jesus freely enters the wilderness in order to regain Paradise for those who lost it. Jesus refuses food to show his dependence on the bread of heaven, the word of God, that would sustain him not only in his physical hunger, but in his hour of temptation as well. When Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus replies with the words of scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (quote from Deuteronomy 8:3; see also Matthew 4:4).

Where did Jesus find the strength to survive the desert's harsh conditions and the tempter's seduction? He fed on God's word and found strength in doing his Father's will. Satan will surely tempt us and he will try his best to get us to choose our will over God's will. If he can’t make us renounce our faith or sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices that will lead us, little by little, away from what God wants for us.

Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame sin not by his own human effort but by the grace and strength which his Father gave to him. He had to renounce his will for the will of his Father. He succeeded because he wanted to please his Father and he trusted that his Father would give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in the way. Luke says that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1). When tempted by the devil Jesus did not try to fight his adversary on his own human strength. He relied on the power which the Spirit gave him. Jesus came to overthrow the evil one who held us captive to sin and fear of death (Hebrews 2:14). His obedience to his Father’s will and his willingness to embrace the cross reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience. His victory over sin and death won for us not only pardon for our sins but adoption as sons and daughters of God.

How can we overcome sin and oppression in our personal lives? The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and consoler in temptation and testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace to the humble who acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) and he helps us to stand against the attacks of our enemy, Satan, who seeks to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the strength and courage we need to resist sin and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power and strength which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you rely on the Lord for your strength and help?

“Lord Jesus, your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may have the strength and courage to embrace your will in all things and to renounce whatever is contrary to it.”

PANGDUHADOHA

"I am with you always, even to the end of the Age"

~~~

Kay ang Dios nagsiling, "Indi gid ako magbiya kag magpatumbaya sa inyo."
Hebreo 13:5
*@*
Si Jesus nagsabat sa ila, "Dumdoma ninyo ini! Kon may pagtuo kamo sa Dios, sarang kamo makasiling sa sining bukid, 'Halin ka diri kag maglukso sa dagat,' Kon wala kamo nagaduhaduha sa inyo tagipusoon, kundi nagatuo nga ang inyo ginasiling mahanabo, matuman ina sa inyo.
Marcos 11:22-23
*@*
"Magpakalig-on ka kag magpakaisog! Indi ka magkahadlok ukon magpakaluya, kay Ako, ang Ginoo nga imo Dios, maga-upod sa imo bisan diin ikaw makadto."
Josue 1:9
*@*
Magmalig-on kita sa paglaom nga aton ginahuptan, kay masaligan naton ang Dios sa pagtuman sang iya saad.
Hebreo 10:23
*@*
Nagsiling si Jesus, "Dumdoma ninyo ini! Kong nagatuo kamo kag wala nagapangduhadoha, mahimo ninyo ang akon nahimo sa sining higera; kag indi lamang ina, kundi makasiling pa kamo sa sini nga bakulod, "Halin ka diri kag maglukso sa dagat,' kag mahimo ina.
Mateo 21:21
*@*
"Subong nga ang kilat nagaidlab kag nagapasanag sang langit halin sa pihak tubtob sa pihak, mangin-amo man ang Anak sang Tawo sa iya pag-abot."
Lucas 17:24

***

Promisa sang Dios para sa aton nga Pangduhadoha

SAINT EUCHERIUS
Bishop
(+ 743)

This Saint was born at Orleans, of a very illustrious family. At his birth his parents dedicated him to God, and set him to study when he was but seven years old, resolving to omit nothing that could be done toward cultivating his mind or forming his heart His improvement in virtue kept pace with his progress in learning: he meditated assiduously on the sacred writings, especially on St. Paul's manner of speaking on the world and its enjoyments as mere empty shadows that deceive us and vanish away. These reflections at length sank so deep into his mind that he resolved to quit the world. To put this design in execution, about the year 714 he retired to the abbey of Jumiége in Normandy, where he spent six or seven years in the practice of penitential austerities and obedience.

Suavaric, his uncle, Bishop of Orleans, having died, the senate and people, with the clergy of that city, begged permission to elect Eucherius to the vacant see. The Saint entreated his monks to screen him from the dangers that threatened him; but they preferred the public good to their private inclinations, and resigned him for that important charge. He was consecrated with universal applause in 721.

Charles Martel, to defray the expenses of his wars and other undertakings, often stripped the churches of their revenues. St. Eucherius reproved these encroachments with so much zeal that, in the year 737, Charles banished him to Cologne. The extraordinary esteem which his virtue procured him in that city moved Charles to order him to be conveyed thence to a strong place in the territory of Liege. Robert, the governor of that country, was so charmed with his virtue that he made him the distributor of his large alms, and allowed him to retire to the monastery of Sarchinium, or St. Tron's.

Here prayer and contemplation were his whole employment till the year 743, in which he died, on the 20th of February.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Amata
  St. Bolcan
  St. Valerius
  St. Wulfric
  Sts. Tyrannio & Silvanus
  St. Sadoth
  St. Colgan
  St. Eleutherius of Tournai
  St. Leo of Catania
  Martyrs of Tyre

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 5:27-32)

Sa tapos sini naggwa si Jesus kag nakita niya si Levi nga isa ka manugsukot sang buhis nga yara sa iya opisina. Nagsiling si Jesus sa iya, "Upod ka sa akon."

Nagtindog si Levi, ginbayaan niya ang tanan kag nag-upod sa iya.

Dayon si Levi naghiwat sing dako nga punsyon sa iya balay para kay Jesus, kag didto upod nila ang madamo nga mga manugsukot sang buhis kag iban pa nga mga bisita.

May mga Pariseo kag mga manunudlo sang Kasuguan nga kaupod nila nga nagareklamo sa mga gintuton-an ni Jesus. Nagsiling sila, "Ngaa bala nga nagakaon kamo kag nagainom upod sa mga manugsukot sang buhis kag sa mga makasasala?"

Si Jesus nagsabat sa ila, "Ang maayo wala nagakinahanglan sang manugbolong, kundi ang nagamasakit lang.

Wala ako nagkari sa pagtawag sang mga matarong, kundi sang mga makasasala sa paghinulsol."

***

Meditation:
When your neighbor stumbles through sin or ignorance, do you point the finger to criticize or do you lend a helping hand to lift him up? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God repays in kind. When we bless others, especially those who need spiritual as well and physical help, God in turn blesses us. When Jesus called a despised tax collector to be his disciple he surprised everyone including Levi (also known as Matthew). The religious leaders were especially upset with Jesus’ behavior towards public sinners like Levi. People in Palestine were divided into roughly two groups: the orthodox Jews who rigidly kept the law and all its petty regulations, and the rest who didn't keep all the minute regulations. The orthodox treated the latter like second class citizens. They scrupulously avoided their company, refused to do business with them, refused to give or receive anything from them, refused to intermarry, and avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship. Jesus' association with the latter, especially with tax collectors and sinners, shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews.

When the Pharisees challenged Jesus unorthodox behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defence was quite simple. A doctor doesn't need to treat healthy people; instead he goes to those who are sick. Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life. The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed the greatest care. Their religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Do you thank the Lord for the great mercy he has shown to you? And do you seek the good of all your neighbors and show them mercy and kindness?

What does it mean to “leave all and follow the Lord”? Bede the Venerable, a 7th century church father comments on Matthew’s conversion to discipleship: “By ‘follow’ he meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, the carrying out of a way of life. For one who says that he lives in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked, not to aim at earthly things, not to pursue perishable gains, but to flee base praise, to embrace willingly the contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, to do good to all, to inflict injuries upon no one in bitterness, to suffer patiently those injuries that come to oneself, to ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, never to seek one’s own glory but always God’s, and to uphold whatever helps one love heavenly things. This is what is meant by following Christ. In this way, disregarding earthly gains, Matthew attached himself to the band of followers of One who had no riches. For the Lord himself, who outwardly called Matthew by a word, inwardly bestowed upon him the gift of an invisible impulse so that he was able to follow.” Are you ready to forsake all for Christ?

"Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)

SAINT BARBATUS
Bishop
(+ 682)

St. Barbatus was born in the territory of Benevento in Italy, toward the end of the pontificate of St. Gregory the Great, in the beginning of the seventh century. His parents gave him a Christian education, and Barbatus in his youth laid the foundation of that eminent sanctity which recommends him to our veneration.

The innocence, simplicity, and purity of his manners, and his extraordinary progress in all virtues, qualified him for the service of the altar, to which he was assumed by taking Holy Orders as soon as the canons of the Church would allow it. He was immediately employed by his bishop in preaching, for which he had an extraordinary talent, and, after some time, made curate of St. Basil's in Morcona, a town near Benevento. His parishioners were steeled in their irregularities, and they treated him as a disturber of their peace, and persecuted him with the utmost violence. Finding their malice conquered by his patience and humility, and his character shining still more bright, they had recourse to slanders, in which their virulence and success were such that he was obliged to withdraw his charitable endeavors among them.

Barbatus returned to Benevento, where he was received with joy. When St. Barbatus entered upon his ministry in that city, the Christians themselves retained many idolatrous superstitions, which even their duke, Prince Romuald, authorized by his example, though son of Grimoald, King of the Lombards, who had edified all Italy by his conversion. They expressed a religious veneration for a golden viper, and prostrated themselves before it; they also paid superstitious honor to a tree, on which they hung the skin of a wild beast; and those ceremonies were closed by public games, in which the skin served for a mark at which bowmen shot arrows over their shoulders. St. Barbatus preached zealously against these abuses, and at length he roused the attention of the people by foretelling the distress of their city, and the calamities which it was to suffer from the army of the Emperor Constans, who, landing soon after in Italy, laid siege to Benevento.

Ildebrand, Bishop of Benevento, dying during the siege, after the public tranquillity was restored St. Barbatus was consecrated bishop on the 10th of March, 663. Barbatus, being invested with the episcopal character, pursued and completed the good work which he had so happily begun, and destroyed every trace of superstition in the whole state. In the year 680 he assisted in a council held by Pope Agatho at Rome, and the year following in the Sixth General Council held at Constantinople against the Monothelites.

He did not long survive this great assembly, for he died on the 29th of February, 682, being about seventy years old, almost nineteen of which he had spent in the episcopal chair.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Alvarez
• St. Alvarez of Corova
• St. Auxibius
• St. Beatus
• St. Boniface of Lausanne
• St. Valerius
• St. Zambdas
• St. Belina
• Bl. Lucy
• St. Odran

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 9:14-15)

Karon ang mga sumulunod ni Juan Bautista nagkadto kay Jesus nga nagapamangkot, "Ngaa nga kami kag ang mga Pariseo nagapuasa sang masunson, pero ang imo mga gintuoton-an wala gid nagapuasa?"

Si Jesus nagsabat, "Magakasubo bala ang mga inagda sa kasal samtang ang nobyo kaupod pa nila? Pero magaabot ang adlaw nga ang nobyo pagakuhaon sa ila kag amo na ina ang ila pagpuasa."

***

Meditation:
Are you hungry for God? Hungering for God and fasting for his kingdom go hand in hand. When asked why he and his disciples did not fast Jesus used the vivid picture of a wedding celebration. In Jesus' time the newly wed celebrated their honeymoon at home for a whole week with all the guests! This was a time of great feasting and celebrating. Jesus points to himself as the bridegroom and his disciples as the bridegroom's friends. He alludes to the fact that God takes delight in his people as a groom delights in his bride (Isaiah 62:5). To be in God's presence is pure delight and happiness. But Jesus also reminds his followers that there is a time for fasting and for humbling oneself in preparation for the coming of God's kingdom and for the return of the Messianic King. The Lord's disciples must also bear the cross of affliction and purification. For the disciple there is both a time for rejoicing in the Lord's presence and celebrating his goodness and a time for seeking the Lord with humility, fasting, and mourning for sin. If we hunger for the Lord, he will not disappoint us. His grace draws us to his throne of mercy and favor. Do you seek the Lord with confident trust and allow his Holy Spirit to transform your life with his power and grace?

What kind of fasting is pleasing to God? Fasting can be done for a variety of reasons – to gain freedom from some bad habit, addiction, or vice, to share in the suffering of those who go without, or to grow in our hunger for God and for the things of heaven. Basil the Great wrote: “Take heed that you do not make fasting to consists only in abstinence from meats. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive them their trespasses.” Do you hunger to know God more, to grow in his holiness, and to live the abundant life of grace he has to offer you?

"Come Lord, work upon us, set us on fire and clasp us close, be fragrant to us, draw us to your loveliness, let us love, let us run to you." (Prayer of St. Augustine)

SAINT FLAVIAN
Bishop and Martyr
(+ 449)

FLAVIAN was elected Patriarch of Constantinople in 447. His short episcopate of two years was a time of conflict and persecution from the first. Chrysaphius, the emperor's favorite, tried to extort a large sum of money from him on the occasion of his consecration. His fidelity in refusing this simoniacal betrayal of his trust brought on him the enmity of the most powerful man in the empire.

A graver trouble soon arose. In 448 Flavian had to condemn the rising heresy of the monk Eutyches, who obstinately denied that Our Lord was in two perfect natures after His Incarnation. Eutyches drew to his cause all the bad elements which so early gathered about the Byzantine court. His intrigues were long baffled by the vigilance of Flavian; but at last he obtained from the emperor the assembly of a council at Ephesus, in August 449, presided over by his friend Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria. Into this "robber council," as it is called, Eutyches entered, surrounded by soldiers. The Roman legates could not even read the Pope's letters; and at the first sign of resistance to the condemnation of Flavian, fresh troops entered with drawn swords, and, in spite of the protests of the legates, terrified most of the bishops into acquiescence.

The fury of Dioscorus reached its height when Flavian appealed to the Holy See. Then it was that he so forgot his apostolic office as to lay violent hands on his adversary. St. Flavian was set upon by Dioscorus and others, thrown down, beaten, kicked, and finally carried into banishment. Let us contrast their ends. Flavian clung to the teaching of the Roman Pontiff, and sealed his faith with his blood. Dioscorus excommunicated the Vicar of Christ, and died obstinate and impenitent in the heresy of Eutyches.

Other Saints of the Day:

• St. Simon
• St. Agatha Lin
• St. Angilbert
• Bl. William Harrington
• St. Theotonius
• St. Charalampias
• St. Colman of Lindisfarne
• St. Flavian of Constantinople
• Bl. John Pibush
• St. Leo & Paregorius
• St. Lucius
• Bl. Martin
• St. Maximus

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 9:22-25)

Kag nagsiling pa gd siya, "Kinahanglan mag-antos gid ang Anak sang Tawo kag pagasikwayon sang mga katigulangan sang mga Judio, sang pangulo nga mga pari, kag sang mga manunudlo sang Kasuguan. Pagapatyon ia kag pagabanhawaon sa ikatlo nga adlaw."

Kag nagsiling sia sa tanan, "Kon sin-o ang luyag magsunod sa akon, dapat niya kalimtan ang iya kaugalingon, magpas-an sang iya krus adlaw-adlaw, kag magsunod sia sa akon.

Kay ang luyag magluwas sang iya kaugalingon nga kabuhi, madula niya ini, pero ang nagadula sang iya kabuhi tungod sa akon, maluwas niya ini.

May makuha bala ang tawo kon maangkon niya ang bug-os nga kalibutan, pero sia iya madula ukon mawala man lang?

***

Meditation:
Do you know the healing, transforming power of the cross? When Jesus predicted his passion his disciples were dismayed. Rejection and crucifixion meant defeat and condemnation, not victory and freedom. How could Jesus' self-denial, suffering and death lead to victory and life? Through his obedience to his Father's will, Jesus reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience. His death on the cross won pardon for the guilty, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the afflicted, and new life for those condemned to death. His death makes possible our freedom to live as sons and daughters of God. There’s a certain paradox in God’s economy. We lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. When we try run our life our own way, we end up losing it to futility. Only God can free us from our ignorance and sinful ways. When we surrender our lives to God, he gives us new life in his Spirit and the pledge of eternal life. God wants us to be spiritually fit to serve him at all times. When the body is very weak or ill, we make every effort to nurse it back to health. How much more effort and attention should we give to the spiritual health of our hearts and minds!

What will you give to God in exchange for freedom and eternal life? Are you ready to part with anything that might keep you from following him and his perfect plan for your life? Jesus poses these questions to challenge our assumptions about what is most profitable and worthwhile in life. In every decision of life we are making ourselves a certain kind of person. It is possible that some can gain all the things they set their heart on, only to wake up suddenly and discover that they missed the most important things of all. A true disciple is ready to give up all that he or she has in exchange for happiness and life with God. The life which God offers is abundant, everlasting life. And the joy which God places in our hearts no sadness or loss can diminish.

The cross of Jesus Christ leads to freedom and victory over sin and death. What is the cross which Christ commands me to take up each day as his disciple? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. The way of the cross involves sacrifice, the sacrifice of laying down my life each and every day for Jesus' sake. What makes such sacrifice possible and "sweet" is the love of God poured out for us in the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). We can never outgive God. He always gives us more than we can expect or imagine. Are you ready to lose all for Christ in order to gain all with Christ?

"Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you my feet to go your way. I give you my eyes to see as you do. I give you my tongue to speak your words. I give you my mind that you may think in me. I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me, your Father, and all mankind. I give you my whole self that you may grow in me, so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in me." (Prayer from The Grail)