Welcome To My World!

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded."

"I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside

and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted

pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements.

As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School."

For two years she had saved for this offering of love.

When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there...

A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents.

Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide.

Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia , look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University , where thousands of students are educated.

Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so

sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds".

This is a true story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.

OCTOBER 31
ST. FOILLAN

Foillan was an Irish monk who lived in the seventh century. His two brothers have also been declared saints. They were some of the many zealous Irish apostles. They left their homeland to help other countries that had fewer priests than Ireland. Sts. Foillan, Fursey and Ultan went to England first. They established a monastery in Burgh Castle. From this spot, they did missionary work among the East Angles. When invaders of the land robbed the monastery of everything it had, Sts. Foillan and Ultan decided to preach the Gospel in France. Their other brother, St. Fursey, had already worked as a missionary and had died there.

King Clovis II welcomed the two holy missionaries as he had welcomed their brother before them. Foillan was given land by Blessed Itta and her daughter. St. Gertrude asked him to preach to the nuns of the convent over which she was abbess. He did so, and had great influence on them. He also did missionary work among the people. In fact, St. Foillan is a well-remembered Irish saint in Europe.

One day, after celebrating Mass for St. Gertrude and her nuns, Father Follian set out on a journey with three companions. They were going to see his brother Ultan, who was preaching in another area. While passing through a forest, they were attacked by a band of robbers and killed. Their bodies were not found for about two and a half months. Then St. Gertrude had St. Foillan buried with honor in the abbey he had started.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Tuesday (10/31): "What God's kingdom is like"

Scripture: Luke 13:18-21

18 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." 20 And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

Meditation: What can mustard seeds and leaven teach us about the kingdom of God? The tiny mustard seed literally grew to be a tree which attracted numerous birds because they loved the little black mustard seed it produced. God's kingdom works in a similar fashion. It starts from the smallest beginnings in the hearts of men and women who are receptive to God's word. And it works unseen and causes a transformation from within. Leaven is another powerful agent of change. A lump of dough left to itself remains just what it is, a lump of dough. But when the leaven is added to it a transformation takes place which produces rich and wholesome bread when heated -- the staple of life for humans. The kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to Jesus Christ, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Cor. 4:7).

I'm Sorry...

I want to say I'm sorry for certain things I say.
And sometimes how I act is really not the way.
We are so far apart, my mind sometimes goes astray.
I know this is no excuse for what I said today.
If you were with me, at your feet I would lay,
So that you would know how sorry I am
And that I will continue to love you
Forever and a day...

OCTOBER 30
ST. ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ

This Spanish saint was born in 1553. He took over the family business of buying and selling wool when he was twenty-three. Three years later, he got married. God sent him and his wife Mary two children. But many sufferings now came to Alphonsus. Business began to be bad, his little daughter died and then his wife. Now this businessman began to think of what God might have in mind for him. He had always been a devout Christian. But from then on, he prayed, did penance, and received the sacraments more than he had ever done.

When he was nearly forty, Alphonsus' son died, too. Despite his great sorrow, he prayed and asked God for the gift of trust.

Alphonsus soon asked to be admitted into the Society of Jesus.
However, he was told that he must study first. So he went back to school. Little boys made fun of him. He had to beg for his food, because he had given his money to the poor. At last, he was accepted as a brother and was made door-keeper at a Jesuit college.

"That brother is not a man-he is an angel!" his superior said of him years later. Priests who knew him for forty years never heard him say or do anything wrong. His kindness and obedience were known to all. Once, all the chairs in the house, even the chairs from the bedrooms, had been used for a Forty Hours Devotion. By mistake, Brother Alphonsus' chair was not returned until the following year. Yet he never mentioned the fact to anyone.

During his long life, St. Alphonsus had to conquer very strong temptations. Besides that, he had physical pains. Even as he lay dying, he spent a half hour in terrible agony. Then, just before he died, he was filled with peace and joy. He kissed his crucifix and looked lovingly at his fellow religious. He died in 1617 with the name of Jesus on his lips.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Monday (10/30): "Ought not this woman, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed?"

Scripture: Luke 13:10-17

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." 15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" 17 As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Meditation: Is there anything that keeps you bound up or oppressed? Infirmity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can befall us for a variety of reasons and God can use it for some purpose that we do not understand. When Jesus encountered an elderly woman who was spent of her strength and unable to stand upright, he gave her words of faith and freedom and he restored her to health. She must have suffered much, both physically and spiritually for eighteen years, since Jesus remarked that Satan had bound her. How can Satan do this? The scriptures indicate that Satan can act in the world with malice and can cause injuries of a spiritual nature, and indirectly even of a physical nature. Satan's power, however, is not infinite. He cannot prevent the building up of God's kingdom or reign in our lives. Jesus demonstrates the power of God's kingdom in releasing people who are oppressed by physical and emotional sickness, by personal weakness and sin, and by the harrassment of the evil one in their lives. It took only one word from Jesus to release this woman instantly of her infirmity. Do you believe in the power of Jesus to release you from affliction and oppression?

The Jewish leaders were indignant that Jesus would perform such a miraculous work on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest. They were so caught up in their ritual observance of the Sabbath that they lost sight of God's mercy and goodness. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God does not rest from showing his mercy and love, ever. God's word has power to change us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

This will give you The Chills........GOOD Chills. This was So touching!!

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared
about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice.

The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they
discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led
them in different ways.

It was about Ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting
in his car, he just began to pray, "God...If you Still Speak to people
Speak to Me. I Will Listen. I will do my Best to Obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest
thought.....

To Stop and buy a gallon of milk.

He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a
reply and started on toward home.

But again, the thought, Buy a Gallon of Milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of
God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like
too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped
and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn Down that
street."

This is Crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection.

Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.

At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.

Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, GOD, I Will".

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He
pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi commercial area
of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods
either.

The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the
people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the
house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark
and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep.

He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

"Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they
are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should
go and give the milk

Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the
door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy
person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for
something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here."

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise
inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?"

Then the door opened before the young man could get away.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he
just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem
too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.

Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen.
The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had
tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some
big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for
our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some
milk."

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some.
Are you an Angel?"

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had
on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car
and the tears were streaming down his face.

He Knew that GOD Still Answers Prayers.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Sunday (10/29): "Your faith has made you well"

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

46 And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimae'us, a blind beggar, the son of Timae'us, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you." 50 And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight." 52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Meditation: Have you ever encountered a once in a life-time opportunity you knew you could not pass up? Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. He was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need. He knew who Jesus was and had heard of his fame for healing, but until now had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town. Why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? He was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst and thus caught the attention of Jesus.

This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that acting was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart is loved more. Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing who he is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as well.

OCTOBER 29
ST. NARCISSUS

Narcissus lived in the second and early part of the third centuries. He was an old man when he was made bishop of Jerusalem.

Narcissus was an excellent bishop. Everyone admired his virtues-everyone except people who chose to live evil lives. Three enemies of the saint accused him of a terrible crime. One said: "May I die by fire if it is not true!" The second said: "May I be wasted away by leprosy if it is not true." The third said: "May I be struck blind if it is not true." Yet no one believed their lie. The people had seen Narcissus' good life. They knew the kind of person he was.

Although no one believed the wicked story, Narcissus used it as an excuse to go off to live in the desert. His whole trust was in God, whom he had served so lovingly. And God showed that the story of those men was absolutely false. Narcissus returned to be bishop of Jerusalem, to the great joy of his people. Although he was even older, he seemed to be more zealous than ever. In fact, he seemed stronger than ever, too, for a few years. Then he became too weak to carry on. He begged God to send him a bishop to help out. Our Lord sent him another saint, Alexander of Cappadocia. With great love and zeal, they ruled the diocese together. Narcissus lived to be over 116 years old. He died in the year 215.

Wow, this really is different from what all teachers are told to teach the children in the classrooms. This is important reading!

Earthquake Safety Tip - This is totally different than what we were taught:

Please read this and pass the info along to your family members; it could save their lives someday!

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico Cityduring the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of life". The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on The back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

"We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly"

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "triangle of life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

FRIENDS CAN BE FOREVER

It is not not hard to stay friends for keeps
as long as two people work at keepning their friendship
strong and intact

Even the best of friends argue sometimes.
We must remember, though, that it is better to express
our resentment openly than to let hostility build up.
It is definitely better to lose an argument
than to lose a friend.

How do we stay close to our friends?
We show that we continue to care.
It is important for us to know that "to have friends,
we must be a friend".
We must accept our friends for who they are
and not to change them.
We must also think of their needs
and not only of our own.

Friends really are special.
Everyone needs certain people who can understand
them throughout life.
Friends are people we can count on
to be there at all tiomes.
They are the ones we turn to during good times and bad.
Our friends are the ones who care for us
and support us.

Our friends are the ones whom we trust to keep our secrets and can give us good advice.
They are happy for us when things go well and cheer us up when things go wrong.
They share our joys and sorrows.
They give us the confidence we need to face our daily lives.
Our friends are the ones who always see the best in us.

No man can live alone. No man can survive without having friends. It is because of them that our days become brighter and more meaningful.
We view our problems as challenges and never lose hope
for we know that in the end, we will overcome these obstacles as long as we have people who have faith in us.

Together with our friends we enjoy life and look at the future in a much better and optimistic way.
Our friends are the most important people in our lives and we must cherish them and not take them for granted.
We must always try our best
to make our friendship last forever.

(Thanks to my friend...Terry)

OCTOBER 28
ST. SIMON AND ST. JUDE

These two apostles of Jesus are honored on the same day.

St. Simon was called "the zealous one" because he had so much devotion to the Jewish law. Once he had been called by the Lord to be an apostle, he gave his heart and his energy to preaching the Gospel. With the other apostles, he received the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Then it is believed that he went to Egypt to preach the faith. Afterward he went to Persia with the apostle St. Jude, and the two of them were martyred there.





St. Jude is sometimes called Thaddeus, which means "the brave one." It was he who asked the Lord a famous question at the Last Supper. Jesus had said: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." And St. Jude wanted to know: "Lord, how is it that you are about to manifest yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus gave him the answer: "If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him."

St. Jude is sometimes called the saint of "desperate or impossible cases." People pray to him when things seem hopeless. Often God answers their prayers through the intercession of this beloved apostle.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Saturday (10/28): "All sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all"

Scripture: Luke 6:12-16 (alternate reading: Luke 13:1-9)

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Meditation: What is God's call on your life? When Jesus embarked on his mission he chose twelve men to be his friends and apostles. In the choice of the twelve, we see a characteristic feature of God's work: Jesus chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, who had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these men, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not shrug back because we think that we have little or nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom.

OCTOBER 27
BLESSED CONTARDO FERRINI

Contardo was born in 1859. His father was a teacher of mathematics and physics. Mr. Ferrini began very early to teach his little son his own love for study. As a young man, Contardo could speak many languages besides Italian. He did very well in every school and college he went to. His great love for study and for his Catholic faith made his friends nickname him their own "St. Aloysius." (St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a young Jesuit saint known for the goodness and generosity of his life.) It was Contardo who first started clubs for college students to help them become good Christians.
When he was twenty-one, he was offered a chance to study at the University of Berlin in Germany. It was hard for him to leave his home in Italy, but he was happy to meet devout Catholics at the university. He wrote down in a little book what he felt the first time he received the sacrament of Reconciliation in a foreign land. It thrilled him to realize that the Catholic Church is really the same everywhere a person goes.

By the next year, Contardo was trying to decide whether he should become a priest or a monk, or whether he should marry. He kept asking himself just what he should do. As it turned out, he took a vow to give himself only to God. He lived that vow as a lay person; he never became a priest or brother. He went on teaching and writing. He tried always to become a more perfect Christian. While enjoying his favorite sport of mountain-climbing, he would think of God, the Creator of all the beauty he saw. People noticed that there was something different about Professor Ferrini. Once when he had passed by with his usual warm smile, someone exclaimed, "That man is a saint!"

Contardo Ferrini died of typhoid fever on October 17, 1902. He was only forty-three years old. He was declared "blessed" by Pope Pius XII in 1947.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Friday (10/27): "Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"

Scripture: Luke 12:54-59

54 He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, `A shower is coming'; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper."

Meditation: How good are you at reading warning signs? Jesus expects his disciples to accurately read the signs of the times! Farmers and seafarers know the importance of spotting weather conditions for safe travel and planting. A lot of effort is made today, with the help of science and technology, to discern potential natural dangers, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods, tornados, earth quakes, and erupting volcanoes, so that people can be warned to take shelter before disaster hits. Our need for accurately discerning spiritual danger is even more necessary if we want to avoid moral and spiritual crisis and disaster. Jesus used a vivid illustration to point out the urgency of getting right with God before it is too late. If you got into serious trouble with your neighbor and did something that could get you severely penalized (like being thrown into jail and loosing everything you owned), would you not try to settle the case out-of-court to avoid the worst consequences?

None of us has the power and strength of will for overcoming sin and evil on our own resources. We stand in constant need of God's strength and protection. That is why scripture uses vivid language to describe God as our rock, fortress, and mighty defense. We are also vulnerable to Satan's lies and deceptions and our own blindness of spirit for recognizing sin in our lives. That is why we need God's help for distinguishing truth from error.

Fortunately the Lord Jesus, who is our Judge, is also our Advocate who pleads for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The light of Christ reveals what is in our hearts and his grace frees us from the tyranny of sin, hurtful desires, and addictions.

OCTOBER 26
ST. EVARISTUS

St. Evaristus lived in the second century. He was from a Jewish family in Bethlehem. They were living in Greece at the time of their son's birth. Evaristus was brought up in the Jewish religion. His father was so pleased with the boy's virtue and knowledge that he sent him to the best teachers.

Evaristus became a Christian when he grew older. So great was his love for his new faith that he decided to become a priest. At Rome, where he performed his ministry, everyone grew to admire and love him. So it was that when the pope was martyred, Evaristus was chosen to take his place. He felt he was completely unworthy of being pope, but God knew better.

These were times of persecution for the Church. Such bad lies were spread about the Catholic faith that the Romans thought nothing of putting Christians to death. Every man who became pope was almost certain of being arrested. For about eight years, Pope St. Evaristus ruled the Church. His zeal was so great that the number of believers grew larger every day. At last, however, he was captured.

The jailers were amazed to see the joy on the holy old man's face as he was led to prison. St. Evaristus thought himself very privileged to have been found worthy to suffer and die for Jesus. No better gift could have been given him than his martyrdom. Pope St. Evaristus died in 107.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Thursday (10/26): "I came to cast fire upon the earth"

Scripture: Luke 12:49-53

49 "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Meditation: Do you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples when he declared that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace upon the earth. What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here? Fire in biblical times was associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as the burning bush which was not consumed when God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2). The image of fire was also used to symbolize God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), his holiness (Deut. 4:24), righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9), and his wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16). It is also used of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11 and Acts 2:3). God's fire both purifies and cleanses, and it inspires a reverent fear of God and of his word in us.

Jesus’ sharp statement that he would cause division rather than peace within families must have shocked his disciples. Was he exaggerating? Jesus used a typical Hebrew (Semetic) hyperbole to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus’ hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the gospel message does have consequences for our lives. It has the power to heal, restore, and unite those who believe its message. But the consequence of ignoring or rejecting the gospel can lead to many hurtful desires and seduction by the world.

When Jesus spoke about division he likely had in mind the prophecy of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ, a loyalty that takes precedence over every other relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives.

To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of idolatry. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies, if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do.