Not everyone who calls me ?Lord, Lord? will enter the Kingdom of heaven. ? Matthew 7:21

?The fact that no one understands you doesn?t mean you?re an artist.?
    So funny, so true.
    Just the other day, I was listening to a male friend ranting about his life?s dilemmas. Every now and then, he?d interject his selfperceptions: ??and you know that I?m introspective person?? ?I did that because I am a thinker.? Though I kept my opinions to myself, I wondered if he was convincing me or himself. I didn?t think he was any of those things, but because he seemed to like the way he described his personality, I let him be.
    Other people claim to be writers or fashionistas, but do not know the first thing about their supposed field of expertise. I, too, am guilty of thinking I know myself perfectly. However, every now and then, I get a good slap of reality and discover that I don?t really have the traits or virtues I thought I had. One minute I think I?m laidback, the next second I?m screaming in exasperation when my plans go the slightest bit awry.
    The biggest discrepancy is when I call myself a Christian, but act in ways that probably make God cringe. How can I claim to be a fan of Christ when people do not see Him in me?Anna dG.

REFLECTION:
Are you limited or liberated by who you think you are?

May I be all who I claim to be: yours.

G O S P E L

Matthew 7:21.24-27

This teaching regarding the nature of the foundation upon which we build our lives seems to be so self-evident that it is hardly worth giving! Yet, why is it that so many people build their lives on the shifting sands of their emotions and dreams rather than the radical surety of the love of God and His Word? Humanity seems to have a certain stubbornness of heart that resists the truth. Let us pray that such a sin and false hope will not capture our hearts and lead us astray as well.

21 ?Not everyone who says to me, ?Lord, Lord,? will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 24 ?Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26 And everyone who listens to these words of 
mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.?
  
my reflections
think: The strength of any empire, city, home or individual is directly proportional to the level of justice in their lives.

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2Corinthians 6-9

Only very few people do not know St. Augustine. Still only very few people who really know St. Augustine are not aware that he was once a great sinner, one who moved from one religion and philosophy to another, sired an illegitimate child, led a licentious life, but was converted by the prayers of his mother and the homily of a bishop. That bishop is Ambrose. Thanks to Monica, Augustine?s mother! Thanks to Ambrose, Augustine?s mentor! Thanks to God who gave Augustine a Monica and an Ambrose.
      Today is the memorial of St. Ambrose who lived in the 300?s. He was a lawyer and governor of Milan, during which a ferocious conflict between Arian Christians and Trinitarian Christians existed. It was also then that the bishop of Milan died and Ambrose, governor of Milan, went to the cathedral to supervise the election. While seated in the front, Ambrose was seen by a little boy who, thinking that Ambrose is the new bishop, shouted, ?Ambrose is bishop!? The assembly picked up the idea and Ambrose became bishop by acclamation. But Ambrose was not yet baptized at that time. Thus, no time was wasted; he was baptized, ordained and consecrated. He distinguished himself by his apostolic zeal, service to the poor, and effective pastoral care of the faithful. He defended the doctrine of the Church against the Arians who claim that Jesus was not God but man. But the greatest work God achieved through Ambrose was the conversion and baptism of Augustine who later became bishop of Hippo, doctor of the Church and one of the greatest saints of all times.
      Augustine describes his first encounter with Ambrose. In his desolation, Augustine went inside the cathedral of Milan. Lo and behold, Ambrose was preaching! Augustine was an easy captive of Ambrose?s homily. So held was Augustine by Ambrose?s sermon that he could not leave the cathedral even when the Mass was over. Augustine stayed in his seat and started hearing in his mind the words, ?Tole et lege!? (?Take and read!?). It was then that he saw a copy of Scriptures before him. He took the Holy Book and, according to him, read it from cover to cover. When he was through with his Scripture reading, he shed copious tears. That was the beginning of his conversion. The rest we can read in Augustine?s book Confessions.
      Thank God for Ambrose!
      As we say in the Psalm today, ?Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.? Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION:
Have I been an ?Ambrose? to an ?Augustine??

Thank You, Lord, for the ?Ambroses? in our life. To any ?Augustine?, please make us an ?Ambrose?. Help us to lead souls to You by our words and deeds. When we have made saints out of others, make us saints, too, we pray. Amen.

St. Ambrose, bishop confessor, pray for us.