Meditation for troubled times:

Meditation for troubled times:

   "Our Lord and our God, be it done unto us according to Thy will. "
Simple acceptance of God's will in whatever happens is the key to
abundant living. We must continue to pray. "Not my will but Thy will
be done." It may not turn out the way you want it to, but it will be
the best way in the long run, because it is God's way. If you decide
to accept whatever happens as God's will for yourself, whatever it may
be, your burdens will be lighter. Try to see in all things some
fulfillment of the Divine Intent.
   I pray that I may see the working out of God's will in my life. I
pray that I may be content with whatever He wills for me.
--From Twenty-Four Hours a Day

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July 23rd - Ezekiel the Prophet
 (Also known as Ezechiel)

Memorial
23 July
10 April (on some calendars)

The Holy Prophet Ezekiel lived in the sixth century before the birth
of Christ. He was born in the city of Sarir, and descended from the
tribe of Levi; he was a priest and the son of the priest Buzi. Ezekiel
was led off to Babylon when he was 25 years old together with King
Jechoniah II and many other Jews during the 2nd invasion of Jerusalem
by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnessar.

The Prophet Ezekiel lived in captivity by the River Chebar. When he
was 30 years old, he had a vision of the future of the Hebrew nation
and of all mankind. The prophet beheld a shining cloud, with fire
flashing continually, and in the midst of the fire, gleaming bronze.
He also saw four living creatures in the shape of men, but with four
faces (Eze. 1:6). Each had the face of a man in front, the face of a
lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an
eagle at the back (Eze. 1:10). There was a wheel on the earth beside
each creature, and the rim of each wheel was full of eyes.

Over the heads of the creatures there seemed to be a firmament,
shining like crystal. Above the firmament was the likeness of a
throne, like glittering sapphire in appearance. Above this throne was
the likeness of a human form, and around Him was a rainbow (Ez.
1:4-28).

According to the explanation of the Fathers of the Church, the human
likeness upon the sapphire throne prefigures the Incarnation of the
Son of God from the Most Holy Virgin Mary, who is the living Throne of
God. The four creatures are symbols of the four Evangelists: a man (St
Matthew), a lion (St Mark), an ox (St Luke), and an eagle (St John);
the wheel with the many eyes is meant to suggest the sharing of light
with all the nations of the earth. During this vision the holy prophet
fell down upon the ground out of fear, but the voice of God commanded
him to get up. He was told that the Lord was sending him to preach to
the nation of Israel. This was the beginning of Ezekiel=E2=80=99s prophetic
service.

The Prophet Ezekiel announces to the people of Israel, held captive in
Babylon, the tribulations it would face for not remaining faithful to
God. The prophet also proclaimed a better time for his
fellow-countrymen, and he predicted their return from Babylon, and the
restoration of the Jerusalem Temple.

There are two significant elements in the vision of the prophet: the
vision of the temple of the Lord, full of glory (Eze. 44:1-10); and
the bones in the valley, to which the Spirit of God gave new life (Eze
37:1-14). The vision of the temple was a mysterious prefiguring of the
race of man freed from the working of the enemy and the building up of
the Church of Christ through the redemptive act of the Son of God,
incarnate of the Most Holy Theotokos. Ezekiel=E2=80=99s description of the
shut gate of the sanctuary, through which the Lord God would enter
(Eze. 44: 2), is a prophecy of the Virgin giving birth to Christ, yet
remaining a virgin. The vision of the dry bones prefigured the
universal resurrection of the dead, and the new eternal life bestowed
by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The holy Prophet Ezekiel received from the Lord the gift of
wonderworking. He, like the Prophet Moses, divided the waters of the
river Chebar, and the Hebrews crossed to the opposite shore, escaping
the pursuing Chaldeans. During a time of famine the prophet asked God
for an increase of food for the hungry.

Ezekiel was condemned to execution because he denounced a certain
Hebrew prince for idolatry. Bound to wild horses, he was torn to
pieces. Pious Hebrews gathered up the torn body of the prophet and
buried it upon Maur Field, in the tomb of Sim and Arthaxad,
forefathers of Abraham, not far from Baghdad. The prophecy of Ezekiel
is found in the book named for him, and is included in the Old
Testament.


Saint Quote:
The accidents of life separate us from our dearest friends,  but let
us not despair. God is like a looking glass in which souls see each
other. The more we are united to Him by love, the nearer we are to
those who belong to Him.
-- St. Elizebeth Ann Seton

Bible Quote
"the land is filled with blood, and the city is filled with
perverseness: for they have said: The Lord hath forsaken the earth,
and the Lord seeth not. Therefore neither shall my eye spare, nor will
I have pity: I will requite their way upon their head" (Ezechiel
9:9-10)


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The Glory of Eucharistic Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the best ways to spend
time with Jesus. There is so much noise around us these days.
Spending a quiet hour with Jesus in humble adoration will bring many
graces and blessings to you.  Things that you have never even
considered before will now be made present to you.  Bad things that
would have happened to you will now not happen.  Here are some
thoughts about what Jesus is asking you during this time.  As He
told Peter, =E2=80=9CCould you not spend one hour with me?=E2=80=9DSt. Pete=
r Julian
Eymard tells us all how to spend an hour in Adoration!
=E2=80=9CMY CHILD, you need not know much in order to please Me; only love =
Me
dearly. Speak to Me as you would talk to your mother, if she had
taken=E2=80=A6